Manhattan Loft Guy

New York, New York

on matters of interest to Manhattan coop or condo loft apartment dwellers, buyers, sellers, and others, especially about New York City real estate

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Manhattan Loft Guy

did 525 Broome Street get value for the 2008 renovation?

Aug. 25, 2009

Categorized in: Loft neighborhoods / SoHo

Tagged with: broome, canvass, columns, contract, fireplace, flip, potential, price drop, renovation, resale

Of course The Market does not care what a seller has to pay, or has paid; The Market only cares about what the seller and buyer can agree upon. In this case, the July 31, 2009 buyer of a renovated loft and the June 19, 2008 buyer of a blank canvas agreed

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master list of Manhattan loft closings since November

Aug. 23, 2009

Categorized in: Market Data - reports

Tagged with: closed, data, days on market, google, new development, resale, sale, spreadsheet

It has been quite a while since I posted loft-closings-in-last-30-days, but I have not stopped keeping track of Manhattan residential lofts as they close. While there are many limitations in the data (discussed below), the collection is worthwhile enough

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buying high, selling low (ouch) at 114 Spring Street

Aug. 15, 2009

Categorized in: Loft neighborhoods / SoHo

Tagged with: 2005, 2006, barrel vault, ceiling, closed, discount, price drop, renovation, resale, spring

The Manhattan loft #2 at 114 Spring Street has (and has had) a lot to recommend it: prime Soho location, "1,900 sq ft", 12 foot barrel-vaulted ceilings, bright lights and cast-iron views, and a renovation described as "magnificent" (Venetian plastered wal

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lipstick on a pig, or, buying an overdone ($1mm?) remodel

Feb. 27, 2009

Categorized in: renovation opportunities + rewards

Tagged with: 2003, 2006, light, renovation, resale, upgrade

What if you bought a Manhattan loft with not much light and low ceilings, and put a ton of money into it -- really jazzing it up in decidedly not neutral tones -- then decided to sell within 3 years of purchase? How confident would you be of recovering yo

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my job does not include magic tricks / pondering pricing puzzles

Dec. 15, 2008

Categorized in: Psychology of the market

Tagged with: competition, comps, flip, neighbors, ny magazine, resale

One more question along these lines that is painfully relevant to the sale of Manhattan lofts and other apartments: If a seller really really really wants a price that is impossible to get in The Market, does that seller think the agent's job is to tell t

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