GOVERNMENT CRISIS: SIMPLE MATH?

Posted by Leonard Steinberg on October 14th 2013 Last week my building’s board met to discuss the need to balance our budget: we realized that Manhattan inflation had caused our operating costs to rise, hence the necessary solution: we had to raise revenues so the common charges were raised by 10% to balance the books…. [Read More]

De Blasio slams Joe Lhota tax plan as a $2B giveaway to the rich

Posted by Leonard Steinberg on October 14th, 2013 The ‘MAYOR OF FAIRNESS” Bill de Blasio continues to frame his opponent Joe Lhota as the candidate who wants to give free-bees to the rich: Mr. De Blasio should simultaneously address why he and many others pay a QUARTER of the real estate taxes many New Yorkers… [Read More]

NEW ARCHITECTURAL ELEMENTS AFTER SANDY

Posted by Leonard Steinberg on October 12th, 2013 As we approach the one year anniversary of Hurricane Sandy,  the deadliest and most destructive hurricane of the 2012 Atlantic hurricane season, as well as the second-costliest hurricane in United States history that killed 73 people and cost New York around $42 billion. ($65 billion in total US damages),… [Read More]

GLOBAL WEALTH REACHES ALL TIME HIGH

Posted by Leonard Steinberg on October 8th, 2013 In the on-going debate about the depth of buyers for the $ 22billion worth of inventory coming to the New York residential real estate market, I thought it wise to evaluate wealth in general…..and luckily a Credit Suisse Report on the subject hit my desk this morning…. [Read More]

WHEN GOVERNMENTS STRANGLE MARKETS

Posted by Leonard Steinberg on October 8th, 2013 I had an interesting meeting earlier to-day with a group of international real estate leaders to gauge the current state of affairs in global ‘real estate land’: one message emerged that is truly of great concern, especially now as we enter the last phase of the New… [Read More]

THE $22 BILLION QUESTION

Posted by Leonard Steinberg on October 7th, 2013 There is lots of chatter surrounding estimates circulating that the volume of Manhattan new construction coming to the market or currently on the market totals over $20 billion. This figure addresses properties planned between now and the next 5 years, and to most this figure is alarming, conjuring… [Read More]

RISING DEVELOPMENT COSTS

Posted by Leonard Steinberg on October 6th, 2013 The other day while speaking at AVENUE’s SCHOOL (what an amazing place!) about the historical re-development of West Chelsea, I was asked why everything in new real estate is so expensive. Greed certainly comes to mind as the obvious answer and that certainly is part of the… [Read More]

GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN CONTINUES

Posted by Leonard Steinberg on October 5th, 2013 As the government shutdown continues mostly dictated by opposition to Universal Health care, I have to ask the question:  If its OK for us taxpayers to pick up the grossly inflated tab when an un-insured person walks into a Hospital emergency room, why is it not OK for… [Read More]