The same week that NYC™s Department of Health finally published a consumer guide to fighting bed bugs, the Journal of Economic Entomology released a chilling case study of a massive bed bug infestation in a high-rise Indianapolis apartment building. It™s a Ghost-of-Christmas-Future story for landlords,...

In our vertical city, we live surrounded by sex: upstairs, downstairs, on the other side of the wall, and across the airshaft. In fact, there™s a pretty good chance someone is fornicating in your building right now. Can you hear them? We'd like to know. Take our...

Hell hath no fury like a brownstoner scorned. An online lynch mob is forming around a longtime Park Slope kitchen and bath supplier who allegedly rubbed (robbed?) a vocal segment of Brooklyn residents the wrong way. In an epic-length post on Brownstoner, a very unhappy customer...

Doormen are NYC™s unofficial security guards: While they may not carry a weapon or do more than dial 911 in an emergency, their mere presence is thought to deter street crime as well as visitors with nefarious intentions. That last category includes cat burglars, scam...

Q. I am selling my co-op apartment in part because of toxic relationships with several neighbors in my small (under 25-unit) building and also because of a  negative change in my employment.   The problem is that two residents who have demonstrated deep hostility toward...

This week has been a bummer so far for a certain subset of NYC co-op owners regarded by the rest of the country as filthy rich, but who consider themselves tenuous members of the city's professional middle class. First, President Obama declared his intention to...

This morning™s NY Times has an A1 story about an Upper East Side family that surgically debarked their daschund-terrier mix for the neighbors. The dog™s vocal cords were apparently clipped after a neighbor in the family™s apartment building on the Upper East Side threatened to...

There™s a good reason people tip their supers more than their doormen at the holidays: Supers have the power to fix what ails your apartment quickly, slowly, half-assedly, or not at all. They also know where all the illicit garbage disposals are buried, including...

Yes I actually do mind taking off my shoes (Gawker) Moldy apartment woes- who pays? (NY Times) Goldman offering mortgages as perks to bonus-less bankers (The Real Deal via Gawker) First bed bugs, now stink bugs in Brooklyn (NY Post) Second wave of pain for new condo sales...

After Eater.com™s post last week on the latest store-to-mouth innovation from FreshDirect, our FiOS-envy was joined by¦vending machine lust. It turns out that FreshDirect has been test-driving its popular workplace vending machines in three large Manhattan rental buildings for the last several months, including...

Park Slope™s Infamous ˜Fabulous™ Mom Launches Blog [Brokelyn] Brunch at Provence en Boite [Eat It] Valentine's Week Sales and Specials [All About 5th] The Ultimate V-Day Gift: A Brokelyn Beer Book! [Brokelyn] Super Bowl Sunday on Smith Street [PMFA] Red Hook Sunset/No better place. Photo by Josh Derr...

The trailer for a movie in production called "A Walk Around Fort Greene" hit Vimeo last week. Here's the synopsis: "A feature-length documentary about the black arts movement that exploded in Fort Greene from the mid 1980s through the 90s.The film features Spike Lee,...

The Strong Place Church conversion has been going on since 2006 at this point and it still looks far from done. (Hopefully this indicates it will be a high-quality development.) Right now workers are prepping to install new windows into the building and have...

A no-frills Mexican restaurant called Maya Taqueria opened on Vanderbilt between St. Marks Avenue and Prospect Place a few weeks ago. Sample prices: $6.50 for a veggie quesadilla; $6.25 for a meat burrito; and $2.95 for a steak taco. The few Yelp reviews that...

Not too shabby! This three-family house at 96 Joralemon Street is top-shelf ” and the price reflects it. The 4,600-square-foot property is divided up into three units, including a doctor's office on the ground floor. Both the upper triplex and parlor-floor simplex are attractively...

This co-op that just hit the market at 75 Prospect Park West shouldn't have any problem attracting interested buyers: It's got lots of classic charm and three bedrooms to boot. It's also located right across the street from the 3rd Street entrance to the...

As a reader pointed out, workers have started the process of putting in those controversial windows on the side of Norah Jones' Cobble Hill house. That's it, there goes the neighborhood! Norah Jones Cuts Back on Her Windows [Brownstoner] Cobble Hill Neighbors Irked by Norah Jones'...

Has long-time Cobble Hill bistro Cafe on Clinton fallen on hard times? Three weeks ago a Forum post asked what was up with the recent non-activity and at the end of last week a reader sent in this photo of the suspended-in-time storefront. Evidently...

Brooklyn Bridge Park [is] perched atop a ribbon of piers, and already hailed for its design and scope. But the park is taking shape only in fits and starts, and even opening the small part that is complete has been delayed until spring as...

The Post brings an update about an affordable housing development that's been in the works in Williamsburg for several years. The project, which has been in the pipeline since '07, is being built via a partnership between a firm called Yuco Real Estate and...

Dusan Tatomirovic found a steal when he bought a foreclosed condo just north of Monterey, Calif., last April for $130,000.

Luckily for banks, the commercial real estate time bomb just keeps on ticking.

Just a few years ago you could count on getting the bulk of your money back for almost any home-improvement project you took on. Today merely replacing a toilet seat can feel like throwing caution, and cash, to the wind. According to a study...

As terrible as it is to lose your house to foreclosure, at least it's a relief to put your biggest financial headache behind you, right?

Cities in the so-called Sand States dominated the foreclosure rankings in 2009, with the 20 worst-hit metro areas residing in Nevada, Florida, California and Arizona.

Under fire for the low number of people receiving long-term mortgage help, the Treasury Department on Thursday announced new guidelines that will require applicants to provide all paperwork before getting a trial modification.

New home sales plunged to a 9-month low in December, according to a government report issued Wednesday.

Don't say we didn't warn you.

Situated on the corner of Park Avenue and East 87th Street in New York's Upper East Side, 1055 Park Avenue is an unique ultra-luxurious condominium. This distinctive 12-storey, five-unit building allows its residents to feel right at home while living in the midst of...

Situated at 2280 Frederick Douglass Boulevard, New Harlem Condos embody an impressive mix of elements and styles in an equally diverse setting. With its international flavor, European atmosphere, and distinct architectural design, this upscale Manhattan neighborhood has an unique charm. Turn-of-the-century Romanesque row houses...

Situated in central Harlem, Graceline Court Condominiums (106 West 116th Street) offer graceful living and great views. This 16-storey, 32-unit luxury residence is all about open spaces, glorious sunshine, and spectacular scenery. The spacious layout and high 91/2′ ceilings lend an airy feel and...

Designed by famed architect Emery Roth and modeled after the Duke of Devonshire's royal estate in London, the historic Devonshire House offers classic style as well as contemporary design. This 1928 building in lovely Greenwich Village has been totally modernized to offer luxurious condominium...

One of the best features of Cassa NYC, the luxury hotel/condo at 70 West 45th Street, is the flexibility which it offers to its residents. Designed by TEN Arquitectos, the Mexico City firm headed by Enrique Norten, and the local firm Cetra/Ruddy, the design...

Designed by Robert Scarano and located at 26-26 Jackson Avenue, Vere 26 offers luxurious boutique living in sophisticated style. The exterior of this 11-storey, 43-unit luxury condominium strives to match the amazing New York atmosphere. The exterior of the architectural award-winning Vere features full...

With 316 East 22nd Street, New York, award-winning architect David Howell has brought loft living to a whole new luxurious level. The classic New York loft is contained in a modern and sleek luxury residence. On a quiet, serene, and tree-lined Manhattan block, 316...

Toren, a luxury condominium in the heart of downtown Brooklyn, offers a totally unique luxurious experience. Providing a new angle on modern living, Toren sets the bar much higher for future condo developments. Futuristic and progressive, Toren focuses on pursuing the 'green' ideal in...

One Brooklyn Bridge Park in Brooklyn Heights is one great deal that buyers won't want to miss in their search for the perfect home. With current prices being reduced up to 35% and limited rental availability, these luxury condos will be quickly purchased by...

Home owners realize they're at the correct latitude when they discover the luxury condominium, Latitude - Riverdale, NY. Buyers can gain Latitude and at the same time continue to build equity in a lovely home. Living at Latitude ensures a luxurious lifestyle in the...

New York City businesses face a 59% increase in the Metropolitan Transportation Authority payroll tax under a proposal unveiled Monday by Gov. David Paterson. Suburban businesses' tax would be halved.The plan drew an immediate rebuke from a major city business group. New York City...

A former Intel executive pleaded guilty Monday to charges he fed confidential information about the computer-chip maker to wealthy hedge fund manager Raj Rajaratnam, his old friend and central figure in a massive insider trading case."I gave Raj Rajaratnam the information because of my...

Concern about mounting debt in Europe has pushed the Dow Jones industrials below 10,000.The Dow closed below the psychological barrier for the first time in three months Monday as financial stocks pulled the market lower.Mounting debt problems in several weaker European economies including Greece,...

Matthew Flamm - The recession may officially be over, but its effects linger on in the latest magazine circulation numbers. Newsstand sales, considered the best gauge of the magazine industry's health, fell 9.1% in the six month period ending Dec. 31, 2009, compared with...

In a positive sign for the still beleaguered leasing market, Horizon Media Inc. has inked a deal for 115,000 square feet at One Hudson Square, between Watts and Canal Streets.New York City-based Horizon Media has its 400 local employees spread out in three different...

Call it Stratford-upon-Hudson. Or maybe the East River.Great Britain's Royal Shakespeare Company will take up residence at New York's Park Avenue Armory in 2011, presenting five Shakespeare plays in repertory July 6-Aug. 14, Lincoln Center Festival and the armory announced Monday.The plays will be...

New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg says he's skeptical that the federal government would cover the cost of trying Sept. 11 suspects in Manhattan.The mayor said Monday that he wants assurance from the Obama administration that it will help pay for the added security...

The Super Bowl was watched by more than 106 million people, surpassing the 1983 finale of M-A-S-H to become the most-watched program in television history.The Nielsen Co. estimated Monday that 106.5 million people watched the New Orleans Saints upset the Indianapolis Colts. That beats...

Daniel Massey - Aqueduct Entertainment Group took a step towards meeting Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver's conditions for its controversial racino bid Monday when it cut ties with a partner who had pleaded guilty more than a decade ago to stealing $500,000 from city agencies....

New York City's tourism organization is launching a discount program to help boost ticket sales for 25 Off-Broadway shows.The NYC & Company "On the House'' discount runs from Monday through Feb. 28. Theater-goers can buy two-for-one tickets during the discount.Participating shows include Avenue Q,...

HELL'S KITCHEN-Did we speak too soon when we said Related's massive condo/rental tower at 440 West 42nd Street might end up matching the disavowed renderings of the project. A tipster writes: "I keeping a close eye on your coverage...

[Via Curbed Photo Pool/adamlerner] , A check-in on the Bleecker Street subway renovation (completion date: 2011) [SAS] , Construction heating up on cultural projects around BAM [Crain's] , Nostrand Avenue bus service could get federal $$$ [NYP] , Extell's...

"Even when covered in silk, padded walls are for the insane only. Beware of locked closets, eerie howling and Mr. Rochester if you go to an open house."-Butter [On the Market]

No recreation-starved humans are allowed in Brooklyn Bridge Park's completed Pier 1 for God knows how long, but that didn't stop this flock of birds from recently chillaxin' in the park, no doubt getting off on their illicit adventure....

Gothamist reports that someone was just spotted scaling the Manhattan Bridge (on the Brooklyn side). We guess trying to make it up the New York Times building is now officially overdone. No word yet on whether the climber has made...

Click the image above to view the full photogallery. Been some time since Yorkville's Isis adorably topped out with a bunch of local first graders on hand. Close observers will remember this FXFowle-designed tower at 77th Street and Second Avenue...

A month after cutting the ribbon, the SOM-designed Burj Khalifa in Dubai, the world's tallest building, is closed to the public. The observation deck has been beset by electrical problems, the Daily News reports, but it's unclear whether the rest...

The Upper West Side's Community Board 7 is taking aim at a real neighborhood menace: cupcake addicts. The Magnolia Bakery on Columbus Avenue is so popular that the enclosed sidewalk café area is being used to line up tweekers waiting...

We're drawn to any listing in the Upper West Side's legendary Dakota, but apparently the same cannot be said for everyone. At least not when it comes to apartment #54, which has been entertaining the PriceChopper repeatedly since hitting...

Curious about the looong renovation of 17 Prospect Park West-the $8.5 million mansion sold by Jennifer Connelly and Paul Bettany to a Google exec and family-blog Fucked in Park Slope looked up the new owners on Facebook and, well, asked...

Super Bowl Sunday is an ˜All American™ pastime. Whether you gather to watch the game or gather to watch the ads “ either way, advertisers know that a lot of people are watching. It™s estimated that last year over 93M people tuned in. However, this...

It seems like whenever Apple announces the latest and greatest product -  there are always  other companies who see if they can do better. The last couple weeks, there has been a ton of industry buzz about the iPad - what it is and...

This Tuesday I am talking about one of my favorite subjects: Facebook. With an audience of over 350M people - Facebook is the top social media source that Realtors must be engaged in. 5 Things Every Realtor Must do to Be Successful on Facebook: 1.    Post...

This week every major tech blog has been buzzing about the iPad. Thank you to all the FOREM members who posted comments here as well as on our Facebook page. It was really exciting to see all the online chatter going on across the...

On Wednesday, January 27, Apple will likely unveil the company's long-rumored tablet device. Apple sent out invitations to selected media outlets yesterday morning, asking people to 'join us for an invitation-only event at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts Theater in San Francisco...

This was my first time being behind the scenes with Inman News at Real Estate Connect NYC.  Having worked directly with agents and brokers prior to coming to Inman, this time at Connect I listened with a new set of eyes. I kept thinking, If...

Tune in Wed. January 13th! Ask questions live via Twitter and Facebook to some of the very best leaders in the industry. Brand NEW for Connect NYC 2010: Live Streaming and Interactive Video - 'Spinnio' - courtesy of Dustin Luther. We will be LIVE...

You can get 5,000 Twitter followers with no measurable benefit. You can blog until your fingers hurt with no readers.  Learn how to get measurable results from social media and increase your business for 2010! FOREM members: you are invited to a BRAND NEW session...

Google announced today they have invited the press to an Android press gathering on Jan. 5. This date is very strategic on Google's part - as the Consumer Electronics Show is in Las Vegas later in the week. Google representatives declined to provide any...

  Sign up for Real Estate Connect by between Monday, December 28th and Tuesday, December 29th at midnight (PST) and you will be entered into a drawing to stay in Brad Inman™s suite at the Marriott Marquis Times Square! Brad will not be staying in...

NEW YORK CITY-John Thain becomes chairman and CEO at the lender, which emerged from a pre-packaged bankruptcy in December 2009.

NEW YORK CITY-Veritas Therapeutic Community has signed a deal for 12,285 square feet at 55 W. 125th St., where its neighbors will include former president Clinton.

NEW YORK CITY- Vornado's Fascitelli will address RELA in person and in a future podcast, part of the lenders' group's increasing value-add for members

NEW YORK CITY-Regional economies are getting back into growth mode, but the pace and strength of the recovery isn’t clear yet, Cushman & Wakefield says.

NEW YORK CITY-The suit says the REIT derailed the deal after deciding it no longer needed the cash; a spokesman refutes the charges.

NEW YORK CITY-The attorney general’s complaint alleges that the bank misled shareholders and regulators over losses at Merrill; a BofA spokesman calls the suit ‘without merit.’

NEW YORK CITY-Hotel owner Starwood has other plans for the 665-room Sheraton Manhattan, including a new flag.

NEW YORK CITY-The complex’s current ownership and attorneys for a group of tenants have extended an interim agreement to adjust market-rate rents.

NEW YORK CITY-The 665-key property will continue to operate while undergoing renovations, but the Sheraton flag will be taken down in April

NEW YORK CITY-Upholding a lower court’s ruling, a federal court said the city’s limits on outdoor advertising don’t run afoul of the First Amendment.

There are presumably people out there who don't enjoy a good hotel room, but I don't know any of them. Not to get too "Up In The Air" on you here, but there's something about those fluffy pillows and big goofy comforters and imposingly...

Considering that Stephen does not get all of his exercise through blogging and Metrocard-swiping, maybe he should be writing this post. But he also has a job -- and a long overdue post on attending ASHRAE in Orlando; come on, dude -- and so I guess...

It was different in Martin Luther's day. Back in the 16th century, a monk could nail 95 theses to a church door and count on every one of them being read and discussed. Well, at least on them being read and discussed by the...

Well, this is kind of surprising. Last week's post on the continued use -- and impending legislation to curtail said use -- of mega-nasty heating sludge Number Six heating oil pinpointed upper Manhattan and the South Bronx as the neighborhoods in which ol' Number...

Two trends with which gbNYC is fully on-board, in no particular order: green building and urban core revitalization in New Jersey, and real estate developers getting their proletarian blog on in support of those projects. The good folks behind the renovation of Trenton's Sterling Building...

If you've been on the street in New York City -- and it's doubtful you're able to avoid that, unless you use FreshDirect more than I do -- then you've seen the black smoke belching, all Dickensian and foul-smelling and just-plain-awful-looking, from the chimneys...

One of the biggest lessons of David Owen's Green Metropolis -- which, yes, I'm still reading, since I had to break to read another book for my book group -- is that urban density is a guarantor of efficiency. It doesn't necessarily feel like Manhattan...

Western New York makes the periodic cameo appearance here at gbNYC, usually accompanied by a host of caveats. "Yes, the air in Buffalo is 64% rust," for instance, "but it has potential as a photovoltaic manufacturing center, maybe?" Or, "sure, Buffalo is shrinking and...

There are moments, usually ones having to do with wanting just one good bar or a second good restaurant (here's the first) in my neighborhood, when I think back fondly on the time I spent living in Brooklyn. Yes, the place in which I lived came...

We've covered the huge and hugely ambitious LEED-hopeful police academy that broke ground in College Point, Queens back in December -- Stephen wrote about it before it broke ground, I wrote about it as it broke ground, and in the interest of actually continuing...

The year ends with mortgage rates just over 5%, according to mortgage giant Freddie Mac [[FRE]]. According to Freddie™s weekly survey, the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage (FRM) averaged 5.14% with an average 0.7 point for the week ending Dec. 31. The rate is up from last...

The US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) removed the 1% origination fee cap on loans insured by the Federal Housing Agency (FHA), according a mortgagee letter sent out this week. HUD made the change to remain consistent with the Real Estate Settlement Procedures...

The end of the year is upon us - and what a year it's been! Here's a look at the top 5 most-read stories from HW this year. A Game of Credit Cost Smoke and Mirrors at Wells Fargo? Paul Jackson, April 9, 2009 This story about...

Home prices in the UK climbed 5.9% in 2009, according to a report from the Nationwide Building Society. The average price of a home in the UK landed at £162,103 ($257,105) to end the year with an 8.9% rebound from their lowest point in February...

The U.S. taxpayer now owns a majority interest in GMAC Financial Services, which this week received a capital infusion of $3.79bn from the US Treasury Department. The latest government-led effort to bolster GMAC's capital base comes as part of a year-end effort to close...

Jeremy McCarty is the CEO and chief valuation strategist of Roseville, Calif.-based Valligent. Formerly known as EAS, Valligent operates in the areas of national residential valuation and collateral risk management solutions, including appraisal review, proprietary valuation, loan pool reconciliation tie-out services, and appraisal underwriting....

The Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR) said this week it will adopt the Nationwide Licensing System (NMLS) for license applications and renewals beginning Jan. 4, 2010. Loan originators in Illinois will also begin transitioning onto the NMLS for their new individual licensing...

A recent set of research focusing on 2010 strategies for investors of agency mortgage-backed securities (MBS) by analysts at Barclays Capital finds that credit availability for mortgage originations may increase in the next six to 12 months. However, the situation will remain tight in the...

Mortgage software developers are rushing updates onto the market to meet Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act (RESPA) compliance requirements before the New Year, when changes to RESPA come into effect. Avista Solutions finalized a system update to its loan origination software (LOS) for RESPA compliance...

The number of pre-foreclosure filings in California, which include notices of default and notices of trustee sales, dropped across several counties in November, according to statistics from Default Research, which tracks the notices. The hard-hit Los Angeles County had a 10% decline from last month...

Part 2: Blueprint for 2010 successread more

From Future of Real Estate Marketingread more

About Us: People in Real Estateread more

From The Real Dealread more

Listings in U.S. focused on Spanish-speaking populationread more

Official: MBS purchase program could be revisitedread more

To Be a Broker: Q-and-A with Larry Mayallread more

Wheel Estate Cam: Episode 12read more

Commentary: U.S. to join 'Club Med'?read more

Part 5: Brokers say agent expertise is key competitive edgeread more

It's time to share my Three Cents Worth on Curbed, at the intersection of neighborhood and real estate. Three Cents Worth: Manhattan Inventory Changes Are Wildly Consistent After releasing that Manhattan phonebook yesterday I was still in 10-year trend mode, so I was curious how consistent...

[click to open report] The 2000-2009 Manhattan Townhouse Report that I author for Prudential Douglas Elliman was released today. Dottie Herman, the President/CEO of Prudential Douglas Elliman is pushing hard to make information more accessible to the public. Approximately 2,500 Manhattan residential...

[click to open report] The 2000-2009 Manhattan Market Report that I author for Prudential Douglas Elliman was released today. (I have been light on posts and podcasts in January - releasing 9 market reports in a month may have something to do...

The Furman Center for Real Estate and Urban Policy at New York University released a fascinating report on New York foreclosures called: Foreclosed Properties in NYC: A Look at the Last 15 Years. Here's a key characteristic of foreclosures in New York state: 54%...

[click to open story] Scott Merrell, also known as the Rowayton Cowboy, was arrested Tuesday as he protested his eviction from his home. The city seized the multimillion-dollar home at Wilson Point after Merrell did not pay more than $110,000 in property taxes. The home...

I always thought 'The Appraiser' was a good name for a reality tv show. Unfortunately, the reality is real and the appraisal process is one of those accidents waiting to happen. There is a tongue in cheek style article by Sheree Curry in the...

It's time to share my Three Cents Worth on Curbed, at the intersection of neighborhood and real estate. Three Cents Worth: Manhattan Market Syncs Up With the Hamptons Since the Hamptons saw a price correction earlier in this housing cycle than Manhattan's eventual reckoning, I wanted...

I authored the following article for RealtyTrac which appeared on the cover of their November 2009 subscriber newsletter called Foreclosure News Report. It features a column for guest experts called 'My Take.' When Rick Sharga invited to write the article, he provided...

The call covered the Harris Poll survey commissioned by Trulia to grade Obama's performance as it relates to housing. Here's his report card: [click to open report] On Tuesday January 26th 2010, Trulia™s CEO Pete Flint will be hosting an industry call discussing how President...

Since attaching my head to other people's photos appears to be in vogue, here's the latest. Gotta love Curbed Hamptons. They are referencing our two market report releases covering the Hamptons & North Fork 4Q 2009 and 2000-2009.

Rates on 30-year fixed mortgages rose slightly this week, inching above 5 percent, Freddie Mac said Thursday. Freddie Mac - Mortgage - Loan - Macintosh - Apple

By June, about 5.1 million people are projected own a home whose value is below 75 percent of what is owed, prompting many to walk away from their mortgages. Mortgage - New York Times - Foreclosure - United States - Loan

The number of people preparing to buy a home rose slightly in December, a sign that home sales could be stabilizing heading into the spring home buying season. Shrubs - Plants - Home - Gardening - Roses

Tishman Speyer Properties walks away from 11,232 Manhattan apartments because it can't pay its mortgage. That's good business. Tishman Speyer Properties - Business - United States - Financial Services - Mortgages

Although evidence is mixed and tentative, some analysts see evidence that hard-hit housing markets in California, Arizona and elsewhere are showing signs of healing. California - Arizona - United States - Business and Economy - Housing

New home sales unexpectedly fell 7.6 percent last month, capping the industry's weakest year on record. Business - Business and Economy - Construction and Maintenance - United States - Residential Housing

Ten months into the government™s third program to stop a record wave of foreclosures, the latest effort is falling far short of its goal. By John W. Schoen Foreclosure - Government - Health - Conditions and Diseases - United States

Red Tape: For nine months, Deb Franklin said, she did exactly what JP Morgan Chase and President Barack Obama told her to do. She made her mortgage payments on time. Then, on the day after Christmas, a "bomb dropped" on her life. Barack Obama...

A closely watched index shows that home prices rose nationally for the sixth straight month in November, with 14 of 20 metro areas tracked showing improvements. Real estate pricing - Home - Shrubs - Plants - Gardening

Tight-fisted consumers, plunging sales and shuttered stores. That was pretty much the retail story during the bulk of 2008 and 2009. Retail - Business - Retail Trade - Business and Economy - Retailers

With new developments pulling in a younger, hipper crowd, Hell’s Kitchen now belies its name. Two neighbors enumerate the amenities.

Fourth-quarter numbers reveal six neighborhoods where prices maybe, just maybe, have bottomed out.

How Stuy Town became an oasis for Manhattan?s new middle class.

A look inside Orson Welles' Madison Avenue townhouse.

It took eight months, but writer-comedian Dick Cavett has finally settled into the Central Park West co-op he bought for $4.2 million in May.

At least in one instance: Year-end bonuses gave the lower part of the luxury market a boost.

How to work a tenants’ market: six people who’ve traded up, saved a fortune, or finally gotten away from a nightmarish roommate.

What if you left New York for Florida’s Emerald Coast?

The Beach Boys’ Mike Love is selling his Upper East Side apartment.

Euros and rubles and loonies are fueling a lot of deals right now.

Was your resolution to save money this year? Learn a new skill? Fix some things around the house? Take care of all three when you sign up for one (or more) of these DIY classes. Woodworking If you don™t know a backsaw from a hacksaw,...

Hugh Grant and Gerard Butler might be duking it out for the $15.45 million penthouse triplex at 54 Bond St. in NoHo. Both actors have checked out this grand, three-bedroom, 4,862-square-foot bachelor pad on a charming cobblestoned block. Developer Adam Gordon says the entire building...

Bermuda, just a two-hour flight from New York, is an island with rocky cliffs sweeping down to peaceful, pink-sand beaches and turquoise waves lapping the shore. It™s where you can snorkel, fish and golf pretty much year-round in temperatures that average in the mid-70s. And...

Manhattan CHELSEA $680,000 555 W. 23rd St. One-bedroom, one-bath condo, 670 square feet, with open island kitchen, dishwasher and central AC; building features doorman, gym, courtyard and roof deck. Common charges $485, taxes $125. Asking price $699,000, on market 28 weeks. Broker: Annette Jankowski, Citi Habitats SUTTON $335...

Chef and restaurateur Kurt Gutenbrunner knows what it™s like to start over. When his marriage broke up five years ago, he walked out of his home with just two plastic bags filled with clothes. But in 2008, Gutenbrunner found his way, with considerably more belongings,...

Popular teen clothier American Eagle is moving its nest in SoHo into a bigger and more prominent space. After company executives' eyes bulged at the numbers from the retailer's Times Square store, they decided location matters and signed for 20,000 square feet...

The worst news buried in the gloomy arbitration decision over Larry Silverstein's beefs with the Port Authority at the World Trade Center site was the fate of the underground Vehicle Security Center, through which all trucks making deliveries to Ground Zero office towers would...

Yonkers, NY The Board of Yonkers Industrial Development Agency (IDA) approved resolutions to move forward with ......

Bronx, NY Rick Stassa, executive VP at NAI Friedland Realty, closed on the $4.5 million sale of former ......

Manhattan, NY According to GFI Retail Group, their client, Bowlmor Lanes, has leased 66,000 s/f at The Times ......

New York, NY 15 Little West 12 has debuted as the Meatpacking District's newest destination for office and ......

Brooklyn, NY Mark Zborovsky & Co., Inc. has closed on an all cash $3 million bulk sale of sponsor units. The ......

LINDENHURST, NY Marvin Hartman, exec.VP at Pliskin Realty & Development recently completed seven leases for ......

Brooklyn, NY Taking a major official step forward, the 30% affordable, 2,200-unit mixed-income New Domino, is ......

Someone recently asked me if the New England Real Estate Journal was the oldest ......

It doesn't take a crystal ball to figure out there have been tangible gains in consumer confidence ......

Saratoga Springs, NY Officials cut the ceremonial ribbon marking completion of the first phase of the rehabilitation of ......

Some bankers are using their bonuses for “smart, sound real estate purchases.”

For the first time in its 75-year history, the New York City Housing Authority wants to knock down an entire high-rise complex.

Belmont is known as the Little Italy of the Bronx, but it also has sizable communities of Puerto Rican and Albanian immigrants.

Filipp and Raya Katz live in a red brick house in Bath Beach, Brooklyn, that Ms. Katz refers to as “my little palace.”

The home builder said that it earned $48 million in the first quarter, helped by a $101 million tax gain, and that orders for new homes rose 37 percent compared with a year ago.

A lawsuit says that “test couples,” one black and one white, were treated much differently when they asked about purchasing homes in the area.

The Christmas tree from Rockefeller Center will help frame one of eight row houses being built in western Stamford, Conn., by an affiliate of Habitat for Humanity International.

Mr. Gubner is the president and chief executive of RHYS Commercial, a full-service commercial real estate company based in Stamford, Conn.

A Brooklyn Heights triplex with sweeping Manhattan and harbor views has just taken the prize for Brooklyn’s priciest condo, with an $8.495 million sale price.

Last spring, Erica Brembos and her husband, Satya Maganti, went house-hunting in several northern New Jersey towns for a home with a yard suitable for a vegetable garden.

Writing a 'playscript' is an incredibly powerful way to conduct a competitive business review, according to this Harvard Business Review article (subscription required). The article advocates writing a 'playscript' using characters and character analysis to define your company and competitive landscape for use as...

This Harvard Business Review article (subscription necessary) makes a strong case for companies to create customer strategy departments and positions. One section of the article focuses on 'Customer-facing functions' and makes some great recommendations: Customer Relationship Management (CRM) responsibility should migrate away from corporate IT...

What factors influence effective cross-functional team environments that spur the greatest innovations and competitive advantage? The authors of this study (.pdf) (focusing on manufacturing) determined that baldly implementing a cross-functional team approach is not a universal good. Notably, the authors found that cross-functional teamwork...

This study (.pdf) delves into programmatic methodology that can be used to predict strong and weak ties between users of a social network. From a community manager's perspective, this is important because predictive activities can alleviate some oversight tasks while intelligently satisfying the needs...

To what extent does corporate reputation affect customer loyalty? This study (.pdf, begin reading at page 28) found that corporate social responsibility (CSR) is the second most important factor influencing corporate reputation (with overall competency being first). In fact, CSR was found to have...

Palazzo Chupi The final unit left available at Palazzo Chupi, the condominium developed by artist Julian Schnabel, has sold, according to Curbed. The eighth- and ninth-floor, 4,000-square-foot duplex sold for $12 million in December, down $20 million from the original asking price of $32 million,...

Judi Desidiero, CEO and President of Town & Country, and an aerial view of 120 Meadow Lane, the priciest Hamptons sale in 2009Pricey homes in the Hamptons took a hiatus from the market this year, according to Town & Country Real Estate™s 2009 list...

Kevin Ellerton, the CEO of Blackstone Properties, which has snagged a significant market share but also drawn ire from competitors. From the February issue: At the ripe old age of 24, Kevin Ellerton is managing to become one of the most powerful players in the Lower...

1. What it takes to make a successful startup condo neighborhood [Harlem Bespoke] 2. Stuy Town neighbors rally around imperiled HSBC bank branch [EV Grieve]  3. Paterson reportedly going paranoid in wake of Aqueduct decision criticism [Post]  4. Community...

From left: Richard LeFrak, Karen LeFrak, Michael Bronson, chief of roint replacement at Mount Sinai, Rick Friedberg, Francine LeFrak, Peter May, Evan Flatow, chairman of the Department of Orthopaedics at Mount SinaiMount Sinai Medical Center recently celebrated its new Joint Replacement Center at 5...

Aqueduct Entertainment Group, which emerged late last month as the surprise -- and controversial -- winner of a drawn-out bidding process to develop the Queens racino, is moving to smooth things over with the public by cutting ties with Darryl Greene, the partner who...

Source: Time EquitiesThe dollar volume of office condominium sales in Manhattan slipped by nearly a third last year to its lowest level since 2005, a report released today by condo developer Time Equities shows. The value of condos sold fell to $158 million in...

From left: Natavia Lowery and Thomas Giovanni, a member of Lowery's legal team More drama unfolded today in the trial of Natavia Lowery, the former assistant of the late Prudential Douglas Elliman broker Linda Stein, whom she is accused of murdering. Lowery had requested a...

Conan O'Brien and the Majestic at 115 Central Park West While Conan O™Brien™s short-lived Tonight Show career may be over, the rusty-tressed comedian doesn™t appear to be making a return to New York City any time soon. O™Brien™s penthouse apartment at the Majestic co-op at...

Adam HochfelderThe criminal case against former businessman and alleged fraudster Adam Hochfelder, who is the target of a 58-charge 2008 indictment, just got even more grandiose. Hochfelder, who already stands accused of stealing more than $17 million from lenders, business partners and even his...

Watch CBS News Videos Online According to CBS: American retailers report that home sales are up, but sellers aren't getting the amounts they used to. Ben Tracy reports on the housing market for the CBS News series 'Where America Stands.' Trulia CEO Pete Flint says- The...

Trulia hosted a Real Estate State of the Union conference call today that revealed results from a recent survey on consumer sentiment with regard to how President Obama has handled the housing crisis in his first year in office. Also discussed are the most...

photo credit: hiddedevries On Tuesday January 26th 2010, Trulia's CEO Pete Flint will be hosting an industry call discussing how President Obama did in his first year in regards to turning around the housing crisis. Pete will be joined by real estate experts and...

Today we™re excited to announce our new hyper-local advertising platform, Trulia Local Ads. Local Ads completely open up the ad market on Trulia, making it affordable for real estate professionals and businesses of all sizes to own a slice of their local market....

This week, Trulia will be in New York City attending a number of real estate events including the 2010 Inman Real Estate Connect real estate conference, RebarCamp - REBCNYC and RainCamp. It will be a week of networking, learning, sharing and education. We'll have the following...

photo credit: jared Our January home price reduction report shows 21% of U.S. homes as of January 1, 2010 have experienced at least 1 price cut of their original asking price during the last 12 months. The total amount slashed off of active for...

For you Trulia users who like to surf the web on your mobile phone, starting today you can now access more of Trulia on our mobile website. Get information on the schools in your local area, find great local real estate professionals in our...

As we looked back at last year in yesterday's 2009 Trulia Momentum Report, you could see that we had reached some pretty significant  milestones. These product and website enhancements helped us improve the user experience on Trulia which in turn helped fuel our phenomenal...

photo credit: nDevilTV 2009 was a great year for Trulia. We focused on providing our users with the most relevant and consumer centric experience.  As a result, Trulia grew to become one of the Top 5 Real Estate sites on the web according to...

Are you ready to Crush It in 2010? Update 2: The podcast is back on! Date: 1/15/10 Time: 1pm EST Please register below. Update: Today's Trulia Social Media Podcast with Garyvee was postponed due to mother nature. Garyvee's sister was giving birth and Gary went over to the hospital with the...

A: Now I am not one to start plugging the NY Times or other broker-influenced mass media outlets to re-inforce what I discuss here on UrbanDigs, but this article clearly provides real examples of what I have been saying for a while now: The...

A: Let me know what you guys think of this Twitter thing. When I started talking at the real estate conferences years ago, Twitter started to really gain steam and I questioned why it would succeed. "Micro-blogging", everybody said - the coolest new thing!...

A: When bearish sentiment on anything gets too extreme, crazy things can happen. And this is exactly what is going on in the US dollar relative to other major currencies. Signs of the dollar carry reversal continue: volatility rising, equities/commodities selling off, and the...

A: Again, lets make sure we separate the concerns over macro fundamentals and future stimulus withdrawal with what is going on out there in Manhattan real estate. Its not a 1:1 relationship and often the two don't correlate. If things out in the field...

I've had a couple of people ask me about the recent sale of three buildings by Harry Macklowe to Sam Zell's Equity Residential Properties. I love the title of the Wall Street Journal blog post "'Grave Dancer' Sam Zell Returns to Haunt Macklowe",...

A: One reason why Condominium closing costs are higher than co-ops, assuming the buyer is taking out significant financing for the transaction, is that co-ops enjoy a loophole when it comes to the mortgage recording tax. Well, this loophole may be closed if Governor...

A: Thanks 'jjfashion' for your comments to yesterday's discussion on real time broker status updates to Contract Signed and how the market was faring after the first month of the new year. To hear this guy say it, "To suggest anything other than what...

A: Trying to keep it real here guys, unbiased and all, and continue to separate my bigger picture macro thoughts and concerns with what is happening out there in the Manhattan residential real estate market right now! In the last week alone, my new...

"At the time, it looked like a sound investment." Clark McKinley, a spokesman for Calpers. Some of us are still wondering whether mass hallucinations were at work during the bubble years, allowing so many to act so thoughtlessly on such a grand scale. Unfortunately, in...

A: When 1-Month Treasury yields turn negative it makes me wonder why investors are parking money for the very near term into vehicles that protect the full principal? Its generally a tell tale sign of risk aversion. As money pours into the short term...

If you're like most home buyers, there's an 87% chance that you started looking for a home on the web, according the National Association of Realtors® (NAR). And according to the National Association of My Personal Experience, there's a high probability that you're...

When negotiating to purchase a home, understanding what your ‘levers' are can be a significant advantage to winning a the deal. Most people believe that price is the only bargaining chip when purchasing a home.  Although this may be true in most cases, it does...

I recently released a calculator for sellers to calculate their closing costs when selling their home.  I did not realize it was going to be so popular.  In fact, I have already received some suggestions on how to make it better. Hey, I listen. What...

I've written various posts on this topic before, but it's so important I thought I would write another one. I'm a huge believer in the term 'managing expectations'.  Being in the business of providing a service, too often we tend to assume that the client...

PMI stands for Private Mortgage Insurance.  When someone takes out a mortgage for more than 80% of the home's value an additional premium, or penalty depending on how you look at it, must be paid to protect the lenders against default.  (a contributing factor...

Real estate agents, yes, we are a funny bunch!  Our creativity levels range from complete plagiarism to the absolute head-scratcher.  Most of us real estate agents did not go to school for marketing or advertising.  Attempting to make a compelling and memorable offer like...

With stuff like this I rather not make up my own interpretation, or worse, paraphrase.  That's why I copied and pasted directly from the Realtor.org website.  I get no credit for this, but I thought I share it with you because I think this...

As you may already know-or not know, I'm always trying to figure out how to help clients and future clients with their real estate needs.  Helpful Realtor® it almost sounds like an oxymoron (two opposites put together), but what the heck.  Here's another FREE...

I remember the time when I was looking for a home, before I became a Realtor®.  I only wished for one thing: to have access to the Multiple Listing Service (MLS) like my Realtor® did.  If only I could get in there and...

This is great news for home buyers.  The plan has certainly contributed to stimulating the real estate market. I guess the government thinks it needs more stimulation because the credit has been extended. The date by which someone needs to buy a house has been...

From Yakima, WA, in the Buying Foreclosures section of Home Buying Advice, within Zillow Advice, misssassy1146 asks: 'How do I short sale my house?' Having been through a short sale myself, my opinions are very biased. That being said, I'll share my personal experience, which I...

It looks like Bernie Madoff's penthouse apartment in Manhattan's Upper East Side has gone into contract for an undisclosed price, according to Curbed (via the Wall Street Journal). While the apartment at 133 E 64th St, New York, NY, 10065 still shows a $8.9...

Four years ago today, Zillow.com was born as a beta site. When we launched, we had 75 employees who spent many previous months building a living, breathing database that launched 40 million Zestimate® home values. It was a revolutionary moment that kind of turned real...

JERSEY SHORE HOUSE FOR RENT! For all you Guido and Guidette wannabes who want to gym/tan/laundry in the actual space where the 'Jersey Shore' cast of characters hung out, you can because the Jersey Shore house is for rent! The rental prices are for...

It's that time of year again - Super Bowl XLIV is this Sunday - and while Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts are favored over Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints, we thought we'd take a look at how the two cities stack...

Pennsylvania, the Keystone state, usually has among the lowest mortgage rates in the county, week in and week out.  As we looked at Pennsylvania as the subject of our weekly roundup of mortgage rates, we were impressed by its relative affordability - Pennsylvania has...

American Idol's Season 3 winner, Fantasia Barrino, is hitting the talk-show circuit to promote her new album and set the record straight on her much-publicized financial drama. The 25-year-old singer owed  $65,000 that she borrowed in 2006 to pay back taxes she owed the...

In December, we reported that actor/comedian Sinbad was in trouble with the IRS, owing $2.1 million to the state of California, as well as another $8.5 million in delinquent federal taxes and the U.S. Attorney General's office wanted his house sold to pay the...

Before you pick up that paint brush and slather on yet another variation of sage green in your home, did you hear that Pantone has chosen the color of 2010? If you want to be hip and happening, go with 'Turquoise - 15-5519 TCX.' That's...

Remember the Ice House Detroit Project that we posted about last October? Well, it looks like the time is now. Artists have spent the past few weeks spraying down an abandoned Detroit house in freezing weather and encasing it in ice. Their point is to...