Virginia K. Smith
ContactPosts by Virginia K. Smith:
Is your building's fire escape safe? How to find out BEFORE there's a fire Read More
November 12, 2014 - 11:59 AM
Too often, landlords and management companies don't bother updating (or safety testing) their fire escapes until lo and behold, there's an actual fire. Such was the case with a Hudson Heights building whose tenants found out their building's escape system wasn't much of an escape at all after a fire broke out this week.
Renderings that look real, soundproofing on the government's dime, and more Read More
November 12, 2014 - 10:59 AM
Even if you think you're looking at real photos in a listing, well, you might not be (WSJ)
The feds might issue soundproofing grants for New Yorkers who live under airplane flight paths (Newsday)
Can 'whisper prices' help you win a bidding war?
November 12, 2014 - 08:59 AM
Whisper Prices: What Every NYC Apartment Buyer Needs To Know
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Low-Fee Rental Roundup: Murray Hill, Williamsburg, and more, from $1,199 to $6,995 a month
November 11, 2014 - 13:59 PM
NYC No Fee Apartments | NYC Low Fee Rentals | NakedApartments
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Instead of "love letters," Park Slope buyers hit neighbors with postcards
November 11, 2014 - 12:59 PM
Just this morning we wrote about the virtues (and pitfalls) of apartment "love letters"—the missives that prospective buyers send to sellers to convince them they're the perfect fit to take over the apartment (and should therefore win out in a bidding war). Apparently, some apartment hunters are pulling out this tactic long before bidding even starts: yesterday, a blogger for F'd In Park Slope posted images of a postcard she'd received from two neighbors, Mark and Jessie, beseeching area homeowners to consider selling to a nice, young couple instead of an anonymous LLC.
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Yes, you can have a $10/month, 50-year lease in NYC—technically, anyway
November 11, 2014 - 11:59 AM
Updated 4:39 p.m. with a comment from Steven Sladkus, the landlord's attorney: File this under problems we wouldn't mind facing: a West Village resident is fielding a lawsuit from his new landlord over the validity of his double-take-inducing lease, which spans 50 years and cost just $10 a month, the New York Post reports. Yes, those are the correct amounts of zeros.
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