What I'd See This Weekend
Strictly bangers for your Sunday home tours, plus a news roundup
First, I’ve linked below this week’s news roundup, which did not go out to free subscribers in email (to spare your inbox) but has a lot of good info. And second, keep scrolling for this weekend’s open houses that caught my eye. If you’re interested in any of them, don’t be scared to ask about my different buyer rep options in a post-NAR settlement world.
Read: Walking 10,000 Miles of City Streets (plus Elizabeth Street Garden, Los Angeles policy, Helene aftermath, and more). That’s a sneak peak in the screenshot below.
For real, you should read this one. I didn’t want to spam your inbox again, but read it. It’s getting good feedback.
And now, without further ado, here are the open houses I would go to this weekend if I were in the market.
523 West 121st Street #41
OK, I stole this from Curbed, but I love it. I love the location, the size, the tile in this kitchen, and the building size (24 units). The only thing I don’t love is the assessment for capital improvements, but ~$2300/yr isn’t a huge number. You end up out five figures by the time all is said and done, though. Even before due diligence, I’d try to get a look at the building’s financials or at least question how/why they decided to raise these funds. It could be super reasonable (e.g. rebuilding reserves depleted from LL11/new roof/comparable work), or it could point to mismanaged finances.
157 East 75th Street #3E
I love it, guys. I love the fireplace, the built ins, the light, that it’s third floor (a personal fav), and the layout, which is divided — massive bedroom on one end of the apartment, living room on the other — into public vs private spaces. I’m constantly learning how I interact with my home, and this separation would work well for my brain. And having a full floor span allows you to open windows and have a nice air flow. I didn’t know how important that was to me until I didn’t have it anymore.
340 Chauncey Street #G
OK this one has low low monthlies (less than $1k/mo total), multiple outdoor spaces, bedrooms separated by floor (privacy for the win), and isn’t super convenient for commuting to the city, so you aren’t competing with as much Manhattan relocation $$$.
383 Carlton Avenue #3S
I don’t know if I need an outdoor space this large, but I would still love to see it. This would be a great apartment for someone who gardens and/or lives with small creatures (of any species) that need outdoor running around time to calm down. It would also be super fun for roommates who love hosting (two bathrooms, similarly sized bedrooms). I’m curious what could be done as far as providing some shelter from weather during winter months. Not like…build a whole ass conservatory (although if you could swing that it would be very cool), but just provide some shade/cover from snow and rain. It’s very open.
69-27 53rd Avenue
For under a million dollars (roughly the price of the first listing) you can own a whole ass house in Maspeth. This baby has a garage and driveway, as well. The real estate taxes are only $700/month. It isn’t particularly accessible by trains, so commuting could be a bitch, but it depends on your lifestyle. It could use some updating, but again, you get a whole house and a driveway and yard and garage and and and…
116 Hudson Street #2
This last one’s a little fancier, but still not considered “luxury.” The monthlies are higher because it’s bigger, fancier, and a Manhattan condo. It’s a very different value proposition than, say, the house above (at a similar size), and I love it. I love this part of TriBeCa. I love the windows around the window that trick you into feeling like you’re in a house in a garden instead of an apartment building.
No because actually how pretty is that bedroom? I want to know what the light is like in person, but I’m hopeful that there’s at least some direct natural light based on the shadows on the floor (I am very normal with how I review listing photos).
OK, that’s your listing roundup for the week. Let me know if you have a particular price point or area you want featured.
And one more time, go read this week’s housing news.
xo
Anna