With Research in Motion’s announcement today that they are developing a similar device to Apple’s I-Pad, we should feel certain that home automation and real estate brokerage will more than likely be entirely controlled by these devices going forward. And why not? Unlike cell phones, the larger screen is much easier to read, and much… [Read More]
CHARLIE RANGEL AND RENT CONTROL
While aggressive evictions are reducing the number of rent-stabilized apartments in New York, Representative Charles B. Rangel enjoys 4 of them, including 3 adjacent units on the 16th floor overlooking Upper Manhattan in a building owned by one of New York’s premier real estate developers. The Harlem building where Representative Charles B. Rangel has four rent-stabilized units…. [Read More]
THE JUMBO IS BA-ACK!
In this morning’s Wall Street Journal, it is reported that New York and the rest of the country, is experiencing the return of the JUMBO MORTGAGE…..Not long ago, many big banks were turning away New Yorkers seeking jumbo mortgages. This summer, however, banks are competing for the business, creating a wealth of new products and… [Read More]
THE TWO USA ECONOMIES: HERMES vs. H+M
In to-day’s New York Post, a story talks about the mounting evidence that there are two US economies operating side by side. They are correct. While Main Street consumers struggle with high unemployment and mainstream retailers are forced to mark down merchandise to spark even mid-single digit sales gains, the luxury market is enjoying flush… [Read More]
CRAIGSLIST CUSTOMERS BECOME SMARTER
Broker abuse on Craigslist has been a common complaint by the consumer, but brokers beware: the consumer is getting smarter! INMAN NEWS reports that Craig Newmark recently commented on Real Estate broker abuse on his site: The site depends on self-policing to catch inappropriate content. As the customer service representative for Craigslist, Newmark handles consumer… [Read More]
RUSH LIMBAUGH SELLS NEW YORK APARTMENT
A year after railing about the high tax burden on wealthy New Yorkers, Rush Limbaugh, the super-rich conservative radio talk-show host has sold his Liberace-meets-Ivana-Trump-meets-Donatella Versace Fifth Avenue penthouse to an undisclosed buyer. Mr. Limbaugh’s 10-room condominium, which features a 30-foot-wide living room with fireplace and four terraces overlooking Central Park at East 86th Street,… [Read More]
THE ROLLER COASTER DECADE
I believe the two thousand and teen years will be the ROLLER COASTER DECADE. Already we are witnessing a volatility that has rarely been seen before in our history, and I fear this is the new normal. We are seeing vast fluctuations in the Equity Markets, often fueled by our new electronic economy, a system… [Read More]
WHERE IS THE OUTRAGE? BOX OFFICE BS?
It was announced to-day that the cost of a movie theater ticket will rise from anywhere between 5% and 25%….this after a record-breaking 2009 where profits surged over $ 10 billion. Hmmmmmm….. This will probably affect more American’s pockets than any tax of any kind. So where is the outrage? There was outrage about the… [Read More]
NEW YORK: THE BEST GLOBAL CITY?
New York fares well in comparison to other global capitals following the economic downturn of 2008, according to Cities of Opportunity, an annual report on what makes cities thrive, released in a report by the Partnership for New York City and PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC). The report analyzes how twenty-one global cities perform as centers of business opportunity, according to… [Read More]
ENCOURAGING SIGNS? IS LUXURY MANHATTAN REAL ESTATE ‘HOUSING’?
Today, reports came out on home groundbreaking. (Am I the only one annoyed at how figures are constantly ‘revised’?) So December’s figures were slightly inaccurate….why? And why the month-by-month-drama-queen reporting? I am a firm believer in watching pricing on a month by month basis, but it ceases to amaze me how many people formulate world-shattering conclusions from… [Read More]