Friday, December 30, 2016

Ask Real Estate: Does It Pay to Buy a House in the Suburbs?

For some first-time buyers, renting might actually be cheaper, both in the short- and long-term.

Big Ticket: 2 Condo Sales on ‘Billionaires’ Row’ Lift the Market

A flurry of pricey condominium sales, many at Manhattan’s newest ultraluxury developments, provided a strong finale to an already robust 2016.

On the Market: Homes for Sale in New York and New Jersey

This week’s properties are five-bedroom homes in Cherry Hill, N.J., and Centre Island, N.Y.

On the Market in the New York Region

This week’s properties are five-bedroom homes in Cherry Hill, N.J., and Centre Island, N.Y.

Shopping Guide: Shopping for Calendars

Digital calendars are fine, but for ease and speed sometimes the old-fashioned kind works better.

On the Market: Homes for Sale in Brooklyn and Manhattan

This week’s properties are on the Upper East Side, in the Gramercy area and in Dumbo, Brooklyn.

On the Market in New York City

This week’s properties are on the Upper East Side, in the Gramercy area and in Dumbo, Brooklyn.

Calculator: Rents and the Second Avenue Subway

What is the prognosis for renters now that the long-awaited line is scheduled to open?

What I Love: David Burke, Celebrity Chef: Collector or Hoarder?

The owner of Tavern 62 by David Burke, on why he has 1,200 cookbooks and more art than he can display.

360 View: A New York City Driveway: Blessing or Curse?

Having a curb cut doesn’t always guarantee you a parking spot, and it may be more trouble than you bargained for.

Second Avenue Subway’s Arrival Brings Fear That Rents Will Soar

Even as the city celebrates a line many doubted would ever open, longtime residents and shopkeepers worry that they’re about to be priced out of their neighborhood.

Home Renovation for the Golden Years

Renovations should include designs that help homeowners age in place.

Tips for Creating a Home for Aging Owners

There are many things that can be done to make a home suitable for aging in place.

Thursday, December 29, 2016

Wednesday, December 28, 2016

Should You List With an Agent, Sell FSBO, or Sell to an Investor? (Info For [market_zip] Zip Code Sellers)

Agent? Sell on your own? Sell to an investor? These are the big questions that every seller asks themselves first. In this blog post, we’ll share our thoughts on the question, Should you list with an agent, sell FSBO, or sell to an investor? Thinking about selling your house? You might be exploring your options […]

The post Should You List With an Agent, Sell FSBO, or Sell to an Investor? (Info For [market_zip] Zip Code Sellers) appeared first on Mason Buys Houses.

Stephen Petronio Company Buys a New Home in the Catskills

The dance troupe spent $1.3 million on a 175-acre property to house its nascent Petronio Residency Initiative.

What You Get: $1,150,000 Homes in Georgia, California and Washington State

A 1920s house in Atlanta, a contemporary in Topanga, Ca., and a lakeside condominium in Seattle.

What You Get for ... $1,150,000

A 1920s house in Atlanta, a contemporary in Topanga, Calif., and a lakeside condominium in Seattle.

International Real Estate: House Hunting in ... Aruba

Aruba has struggled to recover from the global real estate crisis of 2008, though the market has showed some improvement in recent years.

A Five-Bedroom Villa on the Caribbean in Aruba

The house, built in the 1960s on the island’s northwest coast, is on the market for $1.46 million.

Living In: Manhattan Valley: A Diverse Neighborhood Bordering Central Park

Proximity to the park, easy access to two subway lines and an abundance of new restaurants are some of the attractions of this Upper West Side neighborhood.

Tuesday, December 27, 2016

Rising Consumer Confidence Is Driven by High Expectations for Trump

The Consumer Confidence Index rose to 113.7 this month, its highest mark since August 2001, as Americans expressed optimism for better economic times.

Recent Commercial Real Estate Transactions

Recent commercial real estate transactions in New York City.

Square Feet: Denver’s Gritty Back Door Could Become Its New Gateway

With its low-slung buildings and vacant parcels, the River North Art District is seen as one of the last development frontiers in the city.

Ask Real Estate: When a Neighbor Brings Home a Pit Bull

In a dog-friendly co-op, can the board evict a breed with a bad reputation?

Monday, December 26, 2016

Final Frontier in Home Renovation: Giving Garages a Makeover

With homeowners having renovated traditional targets like kitchens and bathrooms, they are turning their attention to that most neglected of spaces.

Saturday, December 24, 2016

Living In: Mill Valley, Calif.: Widespread Charms and Excellent Schools

Close to nature and to San Francisco, Mill Valley has a competitive real estate market with low inventory and accordingly high prices.

Living In: Mill Valley, Calif.: Widespread Charms and Excellent Schools

Close to nature and to San Francisco, Mill Valley has a competitive real estate market with low inventory and accordingly high prices.

Friday, December 23, 2016

On the Market: Homes for Sale in Brooklyn and Manhattan

This week’s properties are in Kips Bay, Financial District, and Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn.

On the Market: Homes for Sale in New York and New Jersey

This week’s properties are in Weekhawken, N.J., and Irvington, N.Y.

On the Market: On the Market in the New York Region

This week’s properties are in Weekhawken, N.J., and Irvington, N.Y.

On the Market: Homes for Sale in Brooklyn and Manhattan

This week’s properties are in Kips Bay, Financial District, and Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn.

On the Market: On the Market in New York City

This week’s properties are in Kips Bay, Financial District, and Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn.

Voyeur: Voyeur | Christmas Trees

A symbol of the season exerts a nostalgic pull.

Voyeur: Voyeur | Christmas Trees

A symbol of the season exerts a nostalgic pull.

The Fix: Streamline the Closets, Organize the Junk Drawer

Experts offer tips on purging the possessions you don’t need and storing the rest efficiently.

The Fix: Tips for Your Post-Holiday Clutter Purge

Professional organizers offer advice for an orderly 2017.

Renters: An Upper West Side Share Where Roommates Are the Selling Point

Four women share a two-bedroom, creating a de facto Jewish sorority.

Calculator: Where Are New York’s Three-Bedroom Rentals?

Here are the five neighborhoods in the city with the most three-bedroom apartments to rent.

Where Trash Makes a Stop in Brooklyn, Neighbors Want It Gone

Ambitious plans to change the way the city handles trash most likely will do little to help those living near a North Brooklyn transfer station.

A House That Inspired a British Novelist

Northgate House, an eight-bedroom, red brick house that once was home to the novelist Norah Lofts, is on the market for $3.1 million.

360 View: Co-Working Spaces Add a Perk for Parents: Child Care

For many, the best amenity a co-working space can offer is providing someone to watch the youngsters.

A Record-Setting Year in City Homes Sales

The Manhattan real estate market reached new heights once again in 2016.

Thursday, December 22, 2016

The Hunt: Love the Place, Hate the View

They got the apartment they loved, but had to settle very close to a bridge to do it.

How to Find the Right Real Estate Agent that Fits Your Needs in Greenville

Are you thinking about selling your house with the help of an agent? There are so many agents out there that it’s hard to know which one’s the right one. That’s why we’re sharing this blog post about how to find the right real estate agent that fits your needs in . Selling your house […]

The post How to Find the Right Real Estate Agent that Fits Your Needs in Greenville appeared first on Mason Buys Houses.

Wednesday, December 21, 2016

About New York: Who Left the Lights On in Central Park? A Quest for Answers

Bill Hewitt says some streetlights on the west side of the park have been on for months, even in daylight. Solving the problem is not as easy as flipping a switch.

International Real Estate: House Hunting in ... Lithuania

Foreign buyers are relatively few in Lithuania, but growing incomes and falling unemployment are enabling more Lithuanians to buy homes.

What You Get: $1,100,000 Homes in Georgia, Pennsylvania and Arizona

A converted church in Savannah, a rowhouse in Philadelphia and a contemporary in Phoenix.

What You Get for ... $1,100,000

A converted church in Savannah, Ga., a rowhouse in Philadelphia and a contemporary in Phoenix.

A Contemporary House in Vilnius

The five-bedroom villa, built in 2013, is in a gated development bordering a lake.

Living In: Black Rock: A Close-Knit, Harborside Connecticut Neighborhood

This peninsula in Bridgeport has homes that cost less than those in surrounding suburban neighborhoods on the water. But taxes are higher.

Living In Black Rock, Bridgeport, Conn.

Black Rock is the costliest section of Bridgeport, but its home prices are lower than those in surrounding suburban waterfront areas.

Tuesday, December 20, 2016

Recent Commercial Real Estate Transactions

Recent commercial real estate transactions in New York City.

Square Feet: Trading Hospital Rooms for Hotel Suites

As patients increasingly travel for medical treatment, developers are seizing on the benefits of situating hotels near major medical centers.

Monday, December 19, 2016

How this 'villain' of the housing crash could be right for you now

Adjustable rate mortgages used to carry a stigma, but here's why they may be low-risk for borrowers now.

Saturday, December 17, 2016

Living In: Temescal, Oakland: Multicultural and Rapidly Gentrifying

With its appealing boutiques and quick access to the city, Temescal has seen housing prices skyrocket.

Temescal, Oakland: Multicultural and Gentrifying

An appealing neighborhood in North Oakland, close to the job-rich Bay Area, Temescal has been developing with the unevenness of a colt, a local business owner said.

Friday, December 16, 2016

What I Love: A ‘Daily Show’ Correspondent Adjusts to Life New York

For Hasan Minhaj, braving the city’s real estate market was the biggest challenge in his move from Los Angeles.

The High End: Wedged and Softened to Fit in on the Upper West Side

Projects are rising on sites once occupied by parking garages, retail buildings and a rowhouse. In one case, development is topping an existing rental building.

Where Does Buying Pay Off First?

Given the higher upfront costs of buying vs. renting, how long do buyers have to wait before they start saving money?

Shopping Guide: Shopping for Serving Platters

The most impressive way to serve your favorite holiday dishes is also the easiest: family style, piled high on platters.

On the Market: Homes for Sale in New York and Connecticut

This week’s properties are in Redding, Conn., and Armonk, N.Y.

On the Market in the New York Region

This week’s properties are in Redding, Conn., and Armonk, N.Y.

On the Market: Homes for Sale in Brooklyn and Manhattan

This week’s properties are in Kips Bay, Midtown West and Red Hook, Brooklyn.

On the Market in New York City

This week’s properties are in Kips Bay, Midtown West and Red Hook, Brooklyn.

A London Landmark is Slated for Redevelopment

Admiralty Arch, an imposing memorial and in its official capacity an enduring symbol of early 20th-century Britain, has a future as a hotel with residences.

Homebuilders super happy but not building more homes: Here's what's up with that

Builders are super confident, but they're not building more homes. There are several reasons for this.

360 View: Tips on Doorman Tipping and Other Holiday Traditions

Yes, please, tip the doorman — and other seasonal advice for apartment-dwellers who tend to ignore their neighbors the rest of the year.

The New Suburbia: More Urban

New multifamily developments outside New York are changing the yard-and-picket-fence image of commuter towns and villages.

Suburban Buyers Ask: Can I Walk to Town?

Homes close to city centers and mass transit stations are selling faster than ones farther afield.

Thursday, December 15, 2016

Sign of a Real Estate Slowdown as Queens Clock Tower Changes Hands

The Durst Organization purchased the historic building after the original developers said they “didn’t have the horsepower” to complete it.

Builders Tried to Rig a Vote and Take Over a Village, U.S. Indictment Says

Two men seeking approval for 396 new townhouses in Bloomingburg, N.Y., which has 420 residents, got ineligible voters registered by measures like putting toothbrushes in vacant apartments.

Why you shouldn't panic about rising mortgage rates

Trump has homebuilders feeling fantastic: Here's why

A monthly reading of homebuilder confidence spiked 7 points in December, its first measure done after the presidential election.

The Hunt: The Upper East Side: When Location Isn’t Everything

Priced out of her neighborhood of choice, a buyer widens her horizons.

4 Reasons You Might Want to Hire Real Estate Agent to Help You Sell Your Home in Greenville

Are you thinking about selling your house? Then you might be weighing the possibility of working with an agent to sell. That’s why we’ve written this blog post… to share 4 reasons you might want to hire real estate agent to help you sell your home in . Selling a house can seem very complicated, […]

The post 4 Reasons You Might Want to Hire Real Estate Agent to Help You Sell Your Home in Greenville appeared first on Mason Buys Houses.

Wednesday, December 14, 2016

Wall Street Is Europe’s Landlord. And Tenants Are Fighting Back.

Huge profits and dubious tax strategies have made investment firms in America the object of frustration and anger, as many Europeans face eviction and fear becoming homeless.

How a housing squeeze is tightening on first-time buyers

It's becoming harder to get started on the American Dream of home ownership.

International Real Estate: House Hunting in ... Nicaragua

Though prices in Nicaragua have been rising, home values remain far lower than in neighboring countries like Costa Rica.

A Colonial House in the Heart of Granada

The six-bedroom house, built in the 1750s, is on the market for $1.3 million.

What You Get: $900,000 Homes in Dallas, Maryland and Wisconsin

A contemporary in Texas, a 1936 house in Gambrills, Md. and a riverfront cabin in River Falls, Wis.

What You Get for ... $900,000

A contemporary in Dallas, a 1936 house in Maryland and a riverfront cabin in Wisconsin.

Mortgage applications fall 4 percent as refinancings hit by postelection rates

Borrowers are still adjusting to a housing market with higher rates.

Living In: Pound Ridge, N.Y.:A Bucolic Feel and a Sense of Community

The northeastern Westchester town has a spacious, open feel — and no traffic lights.

Living in Pound Ridge, New York

The northeastern Westchester town has a spacious, open feel — and no traffic lights.

Tuesday, December 13, 2016

Let It Glow! With Lasers, a Holiday Home Decorating Craze Takes Off

An electronic gizmo called Star Shower has disrupted the holiday-decorating industry. Makers of traditional string lights are unconcerned.

Recent Commercial Real Estate Transactions

Recent commercial real estate transactions in New York City.

How rising mortgage rates may not matter for housing

A great debate is going on over whether rising rates will really matter to housing.

Square Feet: Sites for Aviation Buffs

The Dayton area has more than a dozen sites for aviation enthusiasts to visit, including the bicycle shop occupied in 1892 by the Wright Brothers.

Square Feet: Pitching In to Preserve Aviation History

The structures built by the Wright brothers in Dayton, Ohio, are being preserved with the help of the National Park Service, redevelopers and history enthusiasts.

What a Fed rate hike means for you

Monday, December 12, 2016

A Modernist Masterpiece in Belgium

When the architect Georges Vandenbussche decided in 1964 to design a home of his own, he created his dream project, since classified as a historic monument.

BlackRock Reaches a Deal for a Move to Hudson Yards

The financial giant agreed to relocate to the Far West Side from Midtown Manhattan; it pledged to create 700 jobs and will receive state tax credits.

Sunday, December 11, 2016

Small Investors Join China’s Tycoons in Sending Money Abroad

Middle-class Chinese are using new technology to move their wealth out of the country and into American investments, from San Francisco to New York.

What's Selling Now: Homes That Sold for $1.5 Million and Up

Recent residential sales in New York City and the region.

Saturday, December 10, 2016

Ask Real Estate: How Can a Co-op Shoo Away a Pigeon Complaint?

A co-op has problems with a grocery store that attracts pigeons and rats.

Living In: Bernal Heights, San Francisco: An Inclusive Village With Lofty Prices

Property values have rapidly appreciated in this southeast San Francisco neighborhood, but there’s still a communal vibe — and a coyote.

Living In Bernal Heights, San Francisco

Property values have rapidly appreciated in this San Francisco neighborhood, but there’s still a communal vibe — and a coyote.

Wall Street Is Europe’s Landlord. And Tenants Are Fighting Back.

Huge profits and dubious tax strategies have made investment firms in America the object of frustration and anger, as many Europeans face eviction and fear becoming homeless.

Friday, December 9, 2016

Voyeur: Voyeur | The High Line

A stroll along the High Line provides always surprising views.

Voyeur | The High Line

A stroll along the High Line provides many perspectives.

Renters: A Rooming House for Career-Minded New York Women

A building with 375 single rooms created for the shopgirls of the early 20th century continues to thrive in Midtown Manhattan.

360 View: Trying to Undo a Lower East Side Diaspora

Tenants who were driven out by an urban renewal project that stalled for decades are hard to track down.

On the Market: Homes for Sale in Brooklyn and Manhattan

This week’s properties are on the Upper West Side, in Chelsea, and in Ditmas Park Brooklyn.

On the Market in New York City

This week’s properties are on the Upper West Side, in Chelsea, and in Ditmas Park Brooklyn.

On the Market in the New York Region

This week’s properties, in Weston, Conn., and Glen Head, N.Y., each have 6-bedrooms.

On the Market: Homes for Sale in New York and Connecticut

This week’s properties, in Weston, Conn., and Glen Head, N.Y., each have 6-bedrooms.

The Fix: 800 Square Feet, and Not an Inch Wasted

The renovation challenge: Downsizing from a loft to a studio, without losing the feeling of space.

The Fix: Putting 800 Square Feet to Work

The renovation challenge: Downsizing from a loft to a studio, without losing the feeling of space.

Roommates Divide and Conquer With Temporary Walls

Young professionals are often willing to make compromises, like adding walls and squeezing four people into a one-bedroom apartment, to live in Manhattan.

One Becomes Four

By putting up temporary walls and sleeping in twin beds, Annie Jackson and her three roommates made a one-bedroom work to their advantage.

Thursday, December 8, 2016

Don’t write off REITs, especially this unsexy sector

Investors may be missing out on a good buy, especially in one fast-growing REIT sector: warehouses.

BlackRock Reaches a Deal for a Move to Hudson Yards

The financial giant agreed to relocate to the Far West Side from Midtown Manhattan; it pledged to create 700 jobs and will receive state tax credits.

The Hunt: With the Clock Ticking, a Safe Choice

With limited time to search, a couple pick a solid, familiar setting. The bonus: a community atmosphere.

Wednesday, December 7, 2016

Man of the World: Home Is Anywhere Jeremy Irons Drapes His Scarf

The actor doesn’t miss his castle in Ireland. Just give him a scarf, a guitar and his trusty terrier, and he’s perfectly content.

One of your monthly housing bills may get bigger

Home equity lines of credit are susceptible to a rise in interest rates, which means they just got more expensive.

Living In: Stapleton, Staten Island: Revitalizing Old Homes and Tired Blocks

Home buyers are drawn by vintage houses, and new businesses are breathing life into vacant storefronts.

International Real Estate: House Hunting in ... Mexico

It’s a buyer’s market in Cozumel, but that is changing, brokers said.

A Seafront Villa With a Pool in Cozumel

This five-bedroom house on a beachfront lot is on the market for $1.5 million.

What You Get: $950,000 Homes in New Mexico, Washington State and North Carolina

A floating house in Seattle, a stucco house in Santa Fe and a Greek Revival in an Asheville historic district.

What You Get for ... $950,000

A stucco house in New Mexico, a floating house in Seattle and a Greek Revival in North Carolina

Plunge in mortgage applications stalls, down just 0.7 percent

The bleeding in the mortgage business appears to have slowed, following a sharp rise in mortgage rates postelection.

Living in Stapleton, Staten Island

Home buyers are drawn by vintage houses, and new businesses are breathing life into vacant storefronts.

Tuesday, December 6, 2016

Recent Commercial Real Estate Transactions

Recent commercial real estate transactions in New York City.

Hotel Project Would Revive Embodiment of Jet Age at Kennedy Airport

A $265 million plan would preserve the Trans World Flight Center as the public entrance — with restaurants, a nightclub and event space — leading to the new six-story TWA Hotel.

Monday, December 5, 2016

Sidewalk Scaffolding, the Unwanted Neighbor, Is Under Scrutiny

In New York City, where the loathed fixtures sometimes stay up for years, a new bill would require that they be taken down within six months of going up.

Jack Rudin, Patriarch of Family of New York Developers, Dies at 92

Mr. Rudin was in the vanguard of a partnership of groups that helped spare the city from bankruptcy in the mid-1970s and figured prominently in its revival.

Itineraries: Hostel Business Wants to Make a Push Back Into New York

A 2010 law nearly wiped out the city’s hostels, but owners and executives are hoping to revive and expand the industry.

Square Feet: From Sand to Shimmer: A Casino Resort Rises in Maryland

MGM National Harbor, opening this week, is a prominent addition to Prince George’s County, a long overlooked but upwardly striving area of 900,000 residents.

Trump effect: That house you want got $16,000 more expensive since he won

Since Trump's victory, rising mortgage rates have made homes the least affordable since the Great Recession.

Sunday, December 4, 2016

Saturday, December 3, 2016

Friday, December 2, 2016

On the Market: Homes for Sale in New York and New Jersey

This week’s homes are five-bedroom houses in Bayville, N.Y., and Middletown, N.J.

On the Market in the New York Region

This week’s homes include five-bedroom homes in Bayville, N.Y., and Middletown, N.J.

On the Market in New York City

This week’s properties are in Hamilton Heights, Washington Heights and South Slope, Brooklyn.

On the Market: Homes for Sale in Brooklyn and Manhattan

This week’s properties are in Hamilton Heights, Washington Heights and South Slope, Brooklyn.

Big Ticket: An Aerie Ready for Artwork at One57, and Other Sales

One of China’s richest men, the taxi driver-turned-financier Liu Yiqian, has a new place to display his extensive art collection: a condo at One57.

Bethenny Frankel’s Former Home

The reality TV star Bethenny Frankel sold unit 5B at 195 Hudson Street in TriBeCa for $6.95 million.

Calculator: Why Are These Home Listings So Popular?

The most viewed listings of November were far-flung and varied.

What I Love: An Actress at Home on the Upper West Side

Mary Beth Peil, a musical theater performer, is now playing in the revival of “Les Liaisons Dangereuses” on Broadway.

What I Love: What I Love | Mary Beth Peil

The actress lives on the Upper West Side. She is a star of the revival of “Les Liaisons Dangereuses” on Broadway.

Shopping Guide: Shopping Guide: Bar Carts

Tips on selecting a bar cart

St. Luke’s Hospital Buildings Convert to Apartments

Four pavilions that were part of St. Luke’s Hospital, now Mount Sinai St. Luke’s, are being converting into modern apartments.

Your Money Adviser: Conventional Home Mortgage Loan Limit to Rise Next Year

In another sign of a recovering housing market, the government will increase the amount that can be borrowed before loans become “jumbo” mortgages.

Your Money: You’re Buying a Home. Have You Considered Climate Change?

It’s a smart idea to consider the long-term implications of owning a home in damage-prone areas.

Airbnb promises to quit clogging up city housing

Artists and Their Muse: Gentrification

Some artists find inspiration in changing neighborhoods, creating cartoons, films, performances and stories.

Thursday, December 1, 2016

Heads up homeowners: Mortgage interest deduction on Trump’s chopping block

The incoming administration is apparently not afraid to take a homeownership bonus: The mortgage interest deduction.

Square Feet: Iceland Recovers, and Reykjavik Becomes a Hive of Development

Spurred by a boom in tourism, construction projects downtown are aimed at transforming the area into a destination to live, work and play.

The Hunt: A Studio Apartment for Two Men and Three-Dogs

Isaac Mahone and Marcus Arnett wanted to rent an apartment in a pet-friendly building in Manhattan.