November 2020

GIVE THANKS!

We hope you had a safe Thanksgiving. Although plans may be a little different this year we should remember to count our blessings. I am thankful for the food we got to eat, the family I was able to feed and the fact that we all are in good health.

Speaking of food, If you are in New York City and are looking for specialty deserts or pastries check out Butterfield Market. They offer the best of New York, offering delicious sweets from Harlem Baking Co, David Burke, Tates of SouthHampton, etc. the gourmet marketplace also has bagels, pizza, sushi and a full deli.
This year we are sadly missing our soup kitchen volunteer work at Holy Apostle. Although, we can not donate our time out of precaution for our families who we are seeing over the holidays, we are still committed to helping however we can. Check out this webpage to see how you can also help feed the homeless of our city of New York . https://donate.holyapostlessoupkitchen.org/
On behalf of my real estate team, Nancy, Brenda and myself we hope you have an amazing Thanksgiving and thank you to all of our friends, clients and colleagues for trusting us with your real estate transactions. We appreciate you and are so grateful to you all for everything!

RTWR & @IsaacBoots founder of TORCH’ED

Speaking of giving back and being thankful, this month I had the pleasure of speaking with Isaac Calpito on Real Talk with Ronnie, who is a celebrity trainer, former Broadway star and avid philanthropist. Over quarantine, I was doing his workouts daily and was so thankful to him as he would go live everyday, throw on a sick soundtrack and make me move my body which ultimately did keep me sane. I realized quickly he was a man of many talents and I knew I had to bring him on my Real Talk with Ronnie podcast. Listen to the full podcast here (iTunes) (Spotify) or watch on IGTV and learn how he turned quarantine free workouts into a way to raise over a million dollars for @nokidhungry. It's inspiring and he is everything we need to put a smile on our faces this holiday season.

DEAL OF THE MONTH
106 West 123 #PH

     106 West 123 Street #PH has finally CLOSED! Covid season within the real estate industry is definitely going to have its own collection of stories that can never be replicated. This Manhattan property is no different. From the start it was super attractive in terms of pricing, location and layout for New York. At $1,650,000 I received an offer after my first open house. “Amazing”, I thought; I knew I had it priced right since I recently sold something else on the block. This offer only solidified that theory. The deal ended up falling through because the buyer brought a contractor and decided what he wanted to do to customize the space was over his budget. Mind you this Harlem place is turn-key but he wanted to make cosmetic changes to the kitchen. “Ok, back to square one” I said to myself. Then I had another offer from a couple right before the lockdown. Guess what? During quarantine they backed out. “Ok, once we can start working again I’m back to square one” I tried to reassure myself. Months later we go back on the market at a lower price, $1,495,000. I received an offer right away, a lovely couple with two kids who only needed two bedrooms since one was an adult child and he did not live with them. During negotiation their poor son lost his job, so they backed out as they were now in the market for three bedrooms, since their son needed to come back home. “Back to square one, again”. Finally, after a few weeks of countless NYC showings I had the perfect candidate. Each deal, each sale, has its very own story and this one - I almost sold three times before it actually closed. Fourth time's a charm for this Harlem duplex. We closed at $1,350,000 and due to the pandemic, the buyer got an amazing deal, especially for New York City.

October 2020

VOTE!

   I'II keep this short since I know everyone is preaching this but it needs to be said, please vote. It is our responsibility as citizens to vote and we should be the change we wish to see in the world; by electing officials who we align with. If you are registered to vote in person in NYC here is where you can find where your polling site will be for voting early and for New York day of. VOTE 

REAL ESTATE MARKET UPDATE
Some good news, we saw an increase in sales price this September vs last September which is a great sign for the real estate market. The real estate discounts being offered are also shrinking. See the home contract signed report broken down below and you can view the PDF released by Douglas Elliman here.

SEPTEMBER ’20 vs SEPTEMBER ‘19                                         

FOR COOPS                                       

• Average home sales price increased to $1,170,358 from $1,119,907 

• Median home sales price decreased to $767,500 from $790,000 

• Discount from Original Asking Price increased to 10.3% from 7.6% 

• Discount from Last Asking Price increased to 5.4% from 4.1% 

• Initial Index offer increased to 7.03% from 6.25% 

• Transactions over $1,000,000 remained the same at 36%   

• Transactions under $1,000,000 remained the same at 64% 

• Median number of days on market to C/S, from last ask price decreased to 62 from 75 days 

• 64% of Coop Sales are financed of which 86% are contingent on financing 

• 4% of buyers are international 

• 11% of Coops sold at ask & above the asking price. 

FOR CONDOS 

• Average condo sales price increased to $2,904,387 from $2,272,318 

• Median condo sales price decreased to $1,475,000 from $1,825,000  

• Discount from Original Asking Price increased to 11.9% from 8.1% 

• Discount from Last Asking Price increased to 9.2% from 5.4% 

• Initial Index offer increased to 7.97% from 6.82% 

• Transactions over $1,000,000 increased to 74% from 69%  

• Transactions under $1,000,000 decreased to 26% from 31% 

• Median number of days on market to C/S, from last ask price decreased to 38 from 65 days 

• 66% of Condo Sales are financed of which 80% are contingent on financing 

• 23.4% of Condo Sales are New Developments 

• 16% of buyers are international 

•  20% of Condos sold at ask & above the asking price.  

• Number of Active listings for Coops and Condos on the market increased by 11.5%

FALL FUN

   Is it even October in New York if you haven’t instagrammed yourself or your kid in a pumpkin patch? If you are late to the party here are some fun farms to visit, right outside NYC to get your taste of delicious apple cider donuts, hot chocolate, and pumpkin everything. 

1.Pumpkin Point - Governors Island
2.Decker Farm - Staten Island
3.AlbertH. Schmitt Family Farm - Long Island
4.Dykeman Farm - Pawling NY
5.Queens Country Farm Museum
6.Fishkill Farms -NY state
7.Elwood Farms - Long Island
8.Fairfield Farms and Greenhouses - NJ
9.Westwind Orchard - NY state
10.Finks Country Farm - NY state

OH THE POSSIBILITIES!
 325 CONVENT NEW RENDERINGS!

   Take a look at the possibilities of what could be in a new investment property! Are you looking for a home project? Here is your chance to customize a 20 foot wide mansion in Hamilton Heights, New York. Take your time to soak in the history, the woodwork, the fireplaces and still have the ability to modernize the kitchen and the bathrooms to your specifications. At at time when the entire city is looking for more space, this house gives you the best of both worlds - backyard, space, light and you still get to live in NYC!

September 2020

MOMENTUM IN REAL ESTATE
 

  Yes, you read the top correctly, this is September’s newsletter that I’m sending you on October 1st. We have just been overwhelmed this month with work! Have you heard the depressing statements of “NYC is dead”? Well...immediately after Labor day, we have seen an UPTICK in NYC inquiries, showings, offers and interest! It seems like New York has filled up again and the streets are packed with traffic; restaurants have a 45 minute wait again. The New Yorkers who want to stay are back in the City and they are out shopping for an apartment. You have heard me say it before, but it must be said again. It is a GREAT time to buy in the City. If you are looking to take advantage of the low rates and the lower prices you will be among the group who looks back and is appreciative that you were able to make a big emotional decision in such an uncertain time. Are you among the few who think prices will go down further and you're waiting on the sidelines? Let me be the one to tell you- the ones who wait miss out. With an election coming and a vaccine due to be available to the general public next Spring, in my opinion, the market will stay where it's at. In 12-18 months we should see the numbers head in a positive direction once it is safe for NYC to open back up. Call me today if you are interested in buying or selling, I can’t wait to hear from my fellow New Yorkers! 

WEAR A MASK

     I have good news, bad news, then AMAZING news.  The good news is that Fall has arrived which is my second favorite time of the year.  I can’t get enough of pumpkin spice lattes (I know I am beyond basic.. ), jeans with sweaters, and walks with Lyanna around Central Park to see the leaves change colors. The bad news is that once Fall comes, Winter is not far behind. I must admit I am not just dreading the freezing cold weather and snow piling up on the streets of NYC, I am fearful of a spike in the virus. This is my PSA to remind everyone to wear a mask as we start to dine indoors and send our kids to school. Within my own team we have Democrats and Republicans.  We have different views and different opinions but we listen to each other’s opinions and respect each other. At times, we disagree on some topics but the one thing we all agree on is wearing a mask is mandatory and it is not a political statement. This is a global health crisis and as humans we have a duty to protect ourselves and one another. So many companies have come out with stylish masks that we have NO excuse.
     The AMAZING news is my friends over at Toccin have partnered with Ahida Correale and Your Mom Cares to design a mask that is stylish and even more importantly, gives back to a wonderful cause. Toccin is a clothing brand started by the amazing husband & wife, Alex & Michael Toccin. You can learn about the designers and brand on one of my episodes of Real Talk with Ronnie here. With the purchase of each mask, we will donate 20% of proceeds to Your Mom Cares. Your Mom Cares (YMC) is a nonprofit organization founded by celebrity and influencer Moms benefiting kids' mental health. YMC creates and funds ground-breaking technology, services and solutions for the children's mental health epidemic facing our country. YMC also uniquely created the "Mobile Moms Emergency Fund" for pediatric emergencies including, COVID-19, the crisis at the border, social justice, etc. Get your mask here! 

PROPERTY OF THE MONTH  - 225 CPW

   Welcome to Residence #119 at The Alden, a Central Park West beauty. This three bedroom, two bathroom home features new renovations, 12' foot ceilings, and an astounding 70 feet of direct Central Park views through its multi-paned East and South facing windows.
   Entering into the open gallery, there is a surplus of storage in the coat closet, as well as in the hidden laundry room; complete with a new Bosch Washer and Dryer. Moving North are the vast Living and Dining Rooms. With enough space to host or just lounge, these rooms are beaming with natural light. Next is the newly created Kitchen, equipped with luxury appliances and finishes, including a Fisher and Paykal refrigerator, Bosch dishwasher, and Bertazzoni range. Back past the Entrance is a wide hallway with the first full bath. The renovated restroom sits parallel to two bedrooms. Finally, further South you have the deluxe Master Bedroom; placed at the corner of the building. Atop the silk Stark carpet fits a King bed as well as any desired furniture. This space is complete with an en-suite bathroom and walk- in closet.
   The Alden is a prestigious, landmarked, full service building designed by the legendary Emery Roth that is held to the highest white glove standards on Central Park West. It has a luxurious and beautifully renovated large lobby, is staffed with 24-hour doormen, concierge, as well as on site management. Building amenities include a spectacular landscaped roof terrace with panoramic views of Central Park and the midtown skyline, on-site parking, bike storage as well as strong financials with no flip-tax. The Alden enjoys what is considered to be the Upper West Side's premier location at Central Park's highest elevation and 82nd Street. The building is one block from the B/C Subway Station, Museum of Natural History, as well as the "restaurant row" of the Columbus Avenue 80's boasting the Upper West Side's most sought after restaurants, cafes and boutiques and of course directly on Central Park.

REAL TALK WITH RONNIE IS NOW ON INSTAGRAM LIVE
AND STILL AVAILABLE ON PODCASTS

Is it me or did we all go into 2020 with motivation and optimism?! New Motto: Adapt & Evolve! I started the year with my new project Real Talk with Ronnie which was here to give you the dish on everything from style + design to how to be a badass businessperson. We filmed over 12 episodes at The Wing in Flatiron with all different guests from Hillary Matt, Christina Olivia and my most famous guest, Victoria Caggiano =). Since the lockdown we were able to release 1 per week but alas we have run out. We are forced to improvise, adapt and evolve, remember? We have taken Real Talk with Ronnie to Instagram LIVE and it will still be available on my podcast. The podcast has proven successful with over 250 downloads! It is available on iTunes, Spotify, Google Podcast, Anchor, Radio Public or wherever you binge stream your newest obsession.