Manhattan buyers lose their edge, renovation lessons learned the hard way, & more

This week readers visited Brick Underground to read how co-op and condo buyers in Manhattan are seeing fewer price discounts as demand surges. In the third quarter, sales more than tripled compared to the year-ago quarter—reaching a 32-year high, according to the Elliman Report.

Also of interest: New Yorkers share renovation lessons learned the hard way, including costly insurance and hefty Department of Building fines. 

Here are this week's top five posts: 

1) Manhattan condo and co-op buyers lose their edge as the market heads back to normal

2) What New Yorkers wish they knew before starting a renovation

3) From StuyTown to Hell's Kitchen: Leaving the 'dorm' for a quieter neighborhood

4) How to research a landlord before you sign a lease

5) 6 ways to compete with an all-cash offer