All posts by Brian Silvestry

I have been in the real estate industry first as a licensed agent and as a broker since 1999. I have sold in every Manhattan neighborhood though do work a lot on the Upper west side where I live and upper Manhattan. I speak French,Portuguese, and Spanish.

Thinking of selling your Manhattan townhouse?

Here is one simple tip that will help you when you are selling your Manhattan townhouse. Take a look at your certificate of occupancy (coo)and see how it complies with your actual usage. You might have a coo that says 3 family  but you have 4 apartments. You might have a coo that says SRO and you have a 2 family. The ideal is that you have a coo that agrees 100% with your usage.

If you have plans to sell and have a cushion of time, getting this in order before you list the property, will have an impact on how much the next buyer is willing to pay.

What if the Department of Buildings does not have a coo on file for your property? Now it’s more complicated. What is the history of your building as per other city agencies such as HPD? What is your building registered as assuming it’s a 3 family or higher? How many years have you owned the property and would a letter of no objection assist in clarifying this issue?

Consult with your attorney who should be very knowledgeable in these matters as well as a real estate broker experienced in townhouse sales who can assist you with the steps to take here to increase your marketability and what will add value and what will not.

 

Thinking of buying in a building with a land lease?

If you are thinking of buying in a building where they lease the land below the condo, only do so if there are sufficient time left on the land lease, meaning 30 years or more and you understand fully the risks.

In general, the land price can skyrocket at the end of the land lease in the case where the owner is a private individual or company so have an attorney very knowledgeable in these matters advise you. Also, have a buyer broker who knows what questions to ask to save you unnecessary attorney expense. How much does the land lease go up annually and for how long are those rates locked in?

In Battery Park City, the owner of the land leases of all the buildings is the Battery Park City Authority, a non profit set up to create and preserve the neighborhood of Battery Park so there is not an interest to raise the rents beyond the realm of reason. Having said that, you and your broker, plus later attorney should exercise caution and make sure that you are getting exceptional value for your purchase.

For example, as a result of paying rent on the land, your monthly charges might be higher than a typical Manhattan apartment.  If you are going to be paying a higher than normal monthly charge then the apartment should be less expensive than something similar where the monthly charges would be on par with Manhattan averages. Also, you might not see the typical appreciation that you would see on other Manhattan apartments.

Previous coverage

 

Thinking of buying a Manhattan condo for investment?

If you are thinking of buying a Manhattan condo for investment with the objective to hold for rental income, here is one simple tip that is often overlooked.

In general, after paying common charges and taxes, you will gain an approximate 2% return annual. So an apartment that you acquire for $2 million will yield approximately $40,000 in net income. In some cases, you might have an even lower return.

One type of property that you might consider is an apartment with enough space to add an additional bedroom.  With the right design, you can rent an additional  bedroom/den for a higher income just due to the increase in bedroom count.  I had one listing where they converted the dining room to a 2nd bedroom and as a result we were able to rent the apartment for $4,200 whereas similar size apartments without the conversion were renting for around $3500. This made the return on the apartment based on the current market value closer to 3%.

You will need to see if the layout will allow it. Usually a space will need to have a minimum of 750-800 sqft to accomplish this but it will also depend on the current layout. A dining room or a dining area will be an ideal area to make the additional bedroom as long as there is a window and enough space.

With more people than ever sharing apartments and families remaining in Manhattan, this a nice way to gain an additional rental income and increase your yield on the property.

 

146 West 121 street in contract

The Mt Morris landmarked townhouse has now entered contract. The asking price was $2.2 million for this home which needs a complete renovation. The current status of SRO will likely undergo a change by the buyers who will convert to 1 or 2 family most likely.

The sale price was over the asking price and occurred quickly despite the typical seasonal slowdown.

Previous coverage

Children’s Museum coming to 361 Central park west

According to The Real Deal the church at 361 Central Park west, which was once slated to be converted to condos was purchased by the Children’s Museum of Manhattan for $45 million. The site was purchased by the developer in 2014 for $26 million and after hitting roadblocks with the approval process to convert to condos, they decided to sell. The community will have a chance to be part of the approval and design process as the Museum will need to go through the city approval process as well.

Previous coverage

 

 

 

Mt Morris Park Landmark townhouse enters market

146 West 121st street, which is in the middle of the Mt. Morris Park Historic district has entered the market. It is an 18′ wide, 5 story townhouse with a cellar. The home which has many original details still intact,  has been in the same family for more than 70 years. It is located 1 block away from the Marcus Garvey Park and right in between the A,B,C,D and 2,3 subway stations as well as very close to the recently opened Whole Foods. In addition, Restaurant Row is nearby. The home will be delivered vacant with the certificate of no harassment . 

The asking price is $2.2 million.

Listing details

 

What time of the year is the best time to sell a Manhattan apartment?

Many times, I am asked this very question by potential sellers and the answer is it depends. Right now we are heading into the holidays and the coldest part of the year and a shifting market. As the market shifts more heavily in the favor of buyers, starting to sell an apartment in late November,December is like riding a CitiBike uphill with a cold wind blowing in your face. It can be done but it might be better to pursue a different strategy.  I have already advised a couple of potential sellers to start late January or February. The reason is that the holidays will be past and that timing will be just prior to the Spring selling season.

Typically, also starting right before a major holiday is not ideal like Memorial Day, July 4th or Labor day. However, in those cases you can start right after the holidays as potential buyers return from their vacations or long weekends.

 

Tips for International buyers

If you are an international buyer looking for an investment property in the confusing Manhattan real estate market, there are many things to consider but here we have one simple tip. Consider buying in a new construction building that is tax abated.

A tax abated building will give you a higher rate of return of your investment due to the low monthly charges in comparison to a similar building without the abatement. A 20 year tax abatement will mean you pay probably around $100 or so per month instead of nearly $1500(at least). By year 12, the taxes begin to adjust upwards with each 2 year cycle the taxes going up as per the below.

Year 12 20% of fair market taxes
Year 14 40% of fair market taxes
Year 16 60% of fair market taxes
Year 18 80% of fair market taxes
Year 20 100% of fair market taxes

So for example a $3mm apartment with 2 bedrooms/2.5 bathrooms with common charges of about $1800 and 1300 sqft (120m2) of living space might rent for about $7000. With a tax abatement, your monthly return is about $5100 or $61,200 annually assuming taxes of $100 per month. Your rate of return is just above 2% on the $3mm investment. These would be the numbers for 50 Riverside boulevard aka One Riverside Park on Manhattan’s upper west side. Now if the building was not tax abated and you were paying $1500 per month in real estate taxes then your monthly return goes down to $3600 or $43,200 annual. The rate of return of approximately would be approximately 1.4%. Over the course of 10 years, the savings from a tax abatement would be approximately $170,000.

So if you are an international investor or even a local real estate investor purchasing new construction in Manhattan, take a look at tax abated buildings. Certainly, there are not a ton of them but they do exist and will increase your rate of return both now and long term.

 

Real estate representation simplified

So you walk into an open house and there is a broker at the open house, who does he represent? What should you tell him or not tell him? You meet an agent who you emailed through streeteasy about a loft in Soho, who does she represent? In whose interests is she working? An email through trulia.com yields a flurry of calls from agents wanting to “work for you”, are they really working in your best interests?

A real estate transaction is complex and can be made even more challenging by ambiguous representation. Legally, the agent has to disclose to you in writing who they are representing be it for a purchase, or a rental.

NYS agency disclosure form with explanation

For Manhattan real estate, typically, the agent represents the buyer, seller or both. Huh? How can an Manhattan real estate broker represent both the buyer and seller? Well, they can not give undivided loyalty to either but they can practice what is called dual agency.

The broker can represent the buyer in which case she negotiates on the behalf of the buyer, trying to convince the other side as to why the terms of the buyer are appropriate and should be accepted. Represent yourself as a buyer? Usually, this is a mistake because the agent at the open house likely is representing the seller and will negotiate the terms most favorable to the seller.

In the case of the agent at the open house, most likely they are representing the seller and will secure the best terms for the seller. For example, if you tell the seller’s agent that you will offer a price but are prepared to go higher, by law, the broker must tell the seller that. So be careful what you say to a seller’s agent. It is the same if you tell the seller’s agent that you need to move in a one month because of a job transfer, they will tell the seller that information and that may weaken your ability to negotiate a better sale price.

In all cases, the real estate broker that represents you will among many other things owe you confidentiality. So anything that you disclose can be kept to himself unless you instruct him otherwise.

So next time you meet an agent for the first time, see if they disclose to you who they represent and if they do not, ask them. It is the law.