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Quick thoughts about the Federal Housing Administration, also known at the FHA, or HUD – Housing and Urban Development. “The FHA estimates it could insure as many as 60,000 additional condo loans each year under new rules.” What does this mean? Whenever the government is the backstop for a particular property group, it means thatRead more

The 1st quarter of 2019 was a big dud. Though prices increased on average in the first quarter, it was “solely due to a jump in luxury new development closings, including a record-setting $240 million sale. The average price for just resale apartments was 3% lower than a year ago, as price adjustments continue atRead more

To speak to Scott about buying or selling, click here Let’s talk about buyers again this month and buyer psychology. I have been selling properties for over 16 years, and buyers seem as skittish as they have ever been. What gets buyers off the sideline is a sense of value. But what gets them toRead more

CLICK HERE TO SCHEDULE A TIME TO SPEAK WITH SCOTT & HIS TEAM   How might the tax plan effect the real estate market in New York City? Sellers and Buyers are a mix of worried and excited. For the most part, though, the New Yorkers who I work with just got a lump ofRead more

The question that I continue to be asked is why the market in New York remains sluggish. One agent told me he thinks it has actually been slower for longer than it was in 2008 into 2009. One factor which could cut either way- that is, could either be causing a continuation of a slowdown,Read more

As I often tell one of my good friends, one of my flaws that is that I ever expect people to behave logically and rationally. This, despite a psychology degree and 20 years of sales experience. start thinking with alternative facts Yet, I’m clearly not alone in having expectations that people are going to actRead more

As Real Estate Agents, I have been looking for reasons to justify why 2016 was a slower year for sales volume. We can blame Trump for it- It seems like a popular move these days. But looking at other reasons, I was featured in a recent Bloomberg article where I discussed the notion of “OffensiveRead more

One of my favorite phrases to come out of finance- and there are plenty of them, given that my works puts me in contact with many men and women in finance- is the notion of “talking your own book.” What this means is that someone is essentially something in their own interest, or book ofRead more

There is a ton of mixed messages regarding the NYC housing market. There’s much “good news” in the press right now, and sellers are perplexed that their apartments or townhouses aren’t selling. Rates are at historic lows, inventory is still very low, population in NYC is growing, job growth is historically high, and many signsRead more

Shell Games Happy August! I first started writing about the inanity of The New York Times’ piece on condominium buyers when it came out in February. Fast forward six-months, and this conversation continues, along with other proposals trying to capture every penny of city/state income tax possible. There is an idea that because buyers putRead more