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There hasn't been a year like 2007 for Manhattan real estate in a long time. And there probably won't be one like it for just as long. It saw a confluence of conflicting trends and market events that were enough to make the most brilliant economists' heads swoon. While the national housing market had literally its most devestating year since the Great Depression, New York homes shot up in value to levels that set new records in all sorts of categories. A new year end report Corcoran Group Rea... Read Full Post

At the beginning of 2007, when most mainstream economic analysts looked forward to what 2008 would be like, few of them got their predictions right. They all predicted slower rates of growth, both globally and in the US. But their predictions underestimated the effect of the subprime crisis, and for the most part, their predictions were quite off. That's a bit of an understatement, really. For the most part, they got completely blindsided by the subprime crisis. Sure, many knew that it was co... Read Full Post

I would imagine that at some point soon, the Treasury Department and the Federal Reserve will start receiving thank-you notes from New York City realtors: The falling dollar has made New York apartments an incredible value for those that earn their salaries in currencies other than the US dollar. Even the Canadian Dollar is worth more than the US dollar these days – And when a currency called “the loonie” by its countrymen is worth more than the good ol' greenback, you know things have ... Read Full Post

Renting an apartment in New York City is definitely not easy, or cheap. In fact, up until recently, New York apartments were considered the most difficult to rent by Marcus & Millichap's National Apartment Index, which evaluates the 43 most populous rental markets. Surprisingly, though, a mild uptick in vacancy rates in New York apartments in 2007 has pushed the city down to the number three spot in the index. Currently, both San Francisco and Seattle are considered tougher places to get ... Read Full Post

For a good number of years now, renters of NYC apartments have had the extreme displeasure of paying the highest rents in the country. A new report suggests that the city is entering 2008 with a continuing hold on the unfortunate and smudged crown which signifies its role as the most expensive city for renters in the country. The new report – by the major California real estate investment firm, Marcus & Millichap – suggests that, at least insofar as median rental rates, NYC apartments... Read Full Post

The subprime mortgage crisis has extended itself throughout the economy. According the Congress' Joint Economic Committee, some 3.7 million homes will probably foreclose as a result of the crisis. As of August, according to their figures, 1.7 million of those homes have already foreclosed, and another 2 million are expected during the next two years. Some of the largest names in the financial industry are now subject to multiple lawsuits and are writing off tens of billions of dollars as lost... Read Full Post

Manhattan is a big place. Many of its neighborhoods are larger than whole cities in other parts of the country. For those new to the city, it can often seem a daunting cityscape. This quick guide will provide a quick reference point for you as start to figure out what part of the island you would like find a New York apartment in. Chelsea – A relatively expensive area to live, there are large numbers of clubs that people from across the city flock to. There is also a strong GLBT community h... Read Full Post

Author: Nathan Elika Tenants in New York have more rights than those that rent in most other states. A long history of urban housing problems has led to a significant amount of progressive legislation that effectively makes renter's rights much more important than a landlord's short term bottom line. Just like with all types of rights, the rights of tenants are only useful if people know that they have them. This quick guide will outline some of your renter's rights that are most often violat... Read Full Post

Like most states in the Northeast, the rental law in New York usually places more importance on tenant's rights than the landlord's bottom line. While legislated tenant's rights extend throughout just about every part of renting and living in NYC apartments, there are a few key types of disputes between landlord and tenant that most often come up. Not understanding what to do can lead to overbearing or even well-intentioned landlords exploiting their tenants. So, this article will tell you ho... Read Full Post

The history of New York City is one of the most fascinating stories of the modern world. In many ways, the city's past reflects America's past, but with higher highs and lower lows. The full story is too complex to detail in anything smaller than a volume or two of large books, but here's a highlight of how we got to where we are now. About thirty-two years after the Americas discovered white people, an Italian explorer in the service of the French happened upon the island of Manhattan. The f... Read Full Post