Posted by Leonard Steinberg on September 9th, 2013 I have heard that leather-bound uber-interior designer Peter Marino has been hired by Michael Shvo (for many millions!)to design the building on the corner of West 24th Street and Tenth Avenue (this has to be the hottest block anywhere!), once home to the Getty gas station, and… [Read More]
THE SHVLAWN COMES TO WEST CHELSEA
Posted by Leonard Steinberg on September 9th, 2013 The Shvo SHVEDGE on West Chelsea’s uber-block on West 24th street has come down to reveal a fence and lawn….or SHVLAWN! What’s next? And how much more money will be spent on marketing even before this building is designed?
IS MONACO REAL ESTATE CHEAP FOR THE SUPER-RICH?
Posted by Leonard Steinberg on September 5th, 2013 I recently visited Monte Carlo, the wealthiest country/principality in the world with ZERO unemployment and per capita income of around $183,150.00, to tour TOUR ODEON the brand new ultra-luxurious, amenity and services laden 49-storey residential tower being built at the border of Monaco and France. My initial impression… [Read More]
Posted by Leonard Steinberg on September 3rd, 2013 All over the South of France, smokers are still evident: their disregard for others is possibly more remarkable than the fact that they are still smoking. And it makes some very beautiful people (and the real estate they inhabit)a lot uglier. How did we ever live with… [Read More]
WHAT USE IS A LAW WHEN ITS NOT ENFORCED?
Posted by Leonard Steinberg on September 3rd, 2013 Are we heading for another Housing mess? Did we learn nothing from the previous mess? It appears that either the mortgage industry is ignoring the law or the government is not enforcing the law: The Dodd-Frank Act was supposed to require securitizers to retain 5% of the… [Read More]
INSANITY FROM ACROSS THE POND?
Posted by Leonard Steinberg on August 25th, 2013 My jaw dropped as I ate breakfast this morning reading the Times on the terrace over-looking vistas of stone structures with clay tiled roofs, pristine vineyards, lavender and cypress trees in the Luberon Valley (nature in perfect harmony with architecture)…..In an attempt to boost the housing market… [Read More]
LESSONS FROM PARIS
Posted by Leonard Steinberg on August 22nd, 2013 Bonjour! Strolling through the City of Lights is always a treat, and this time is no exception. Here are some Parisian observations that may be of use to us in New York City…. 1) West Chelsea and all of New York need food stores like MONPRIX…..perfectly… [Read More]
HOTELS FIGHT AIRBNB: THE 'SHARING ECONOMY' IS UNDER ATTACK!
Posted by Leonard Steinberg on August 20th, 2013 Have you noticed your neighbor hosting a lot of ‘guests’ at their apartment recently? They may just be running a little home-made B + B next door to you, and the hotel industry does not like the competition one bit! How dare anyone compete with their over-priced,… [Read More]
ZILLOW TO BUY STREETEASY
Posted by Leonard Steinberg on August 19th, 2013 Zillow, the mega-brand national real estate search engine has announced it will be buying STREETEASY for an estimated $ 50 million, the site so many New Yorkers have relied on for all sorts of data brokers used to hold as exclusive domain. Zillow, which has been successful… [Read More]
WHEN THE FED STARTS TO TAPER QUANTITATIVE EASING…..
Posted by Leonard Steinberg on August 19th, 2013 It is a certainty that quantitative easing will be tapered: it is not a question of if, as much as when. It’s a new world for what tapering could mean for the markets as we have no historical benchmark. Is tapering an indication that the economy is improving?… [Read More]