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.

  1. 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.

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

  1. 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.

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

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

  1. 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.

Forecast cloudy for Atlantic Yards

Much of Atlantic Yards is at best delayed says developer Bruce Ratner in an interview with the New York Times. That article and another that discusses what the delay will mean to the proposed Nets’ stadium raises the possibility that the site may never see affordable housing. The housing was the big selling point to city officials, especially those representing the abutting neighborhoods.

Go 4th and prosper?

According to the New York Sun, the condo boom on 4th Avenue is being helped by Park Slopers buying up the new units. The result could make a 1.4-mile section of the avenue the most densely populated area in the borough.

What’s been sold and how much?

Everyblock now reports recent real estate sales as recorded by the city’s Department of Finance. The data are updated once a month. You can search by sale date, neighborhood, borough, ZIP Code, building class category, year built or building class.

‘Sky parking’ comes down to earth

A Chelsea condo project that promised “sky parking” has run into structural problems. The perk was to deliver owners and their cars right to their front doors (on whatever floor). Now the city has a stop-work order on the site at 200 11th Ave. after finding “questionable construction practices.” See the full story.

Local ‘Wades’ in on Oscar win

Park Slope Oscar winner Cynthia Wade had her local moment in the sun last week with a profile in the New York Times. It’s amusing and humanizing and you can read it here.

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