Miss Brooklyn gets a makeover

According to the Daily News, Miss Brooklyn, one of the centerpieces of Atlantic Yards, has been redesigned. Also, once it’s built, it will house only offices, not the original mixture of condos and offices. With all due respect to architect Frank Gehry, this looks like milk crates stacked outside a bodega.

Seven deadly selling mistakes

I don’t have any statistics to back it up, but my experience leads me to believe the Brownstone Brooklyn market is turning down. In a buyer’s market, a seller has to do everything well to get the best price. Here are seven mistakes that can kill a deal or cut a price.

1. Refuse the first offer. Very, very often the first offer is the best you’ll get. Usually the longer a property sits on the market the less it is perceived to be worth.

2. Don’t counter a low bid. Even if an offer is “insulting” in your view, counter it. The would-be buyer may only be trying to determine the lowest price.

3. Price high. Everyone wants to get the most for their home. But it’s the market, not your expectations, that drives the sale price.

4. Hold off on repairs. Not only will repairs make your place look better, they’ll probably cost less than if you have do them in a rush after a buyer’s inspection.

5. Pretend there’s a bidding war. Maybe you do have another offer, but these days few home-shoppers are liable to believe you.

6. Adhere to – or worse, advertise – a “firm” price. You might as well just tell your buyers to go somewhere else.

7. Attend your own open house – You don’t want to know what people say about your home; that’s why an agent keeps the process professional. And would-be buyers want to see the place as their home, not yours.