Homeowners who have lost income or their jobs because of the coronavirus outbreak are getting some relief. Depending on their situation, they should be eligible to have their mortgage payments reduced or suspended for up to 12 months. Federal regulators, through the mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, are ordering lenders to offer homeowners flexibility. The move covers about half of all home loans in the U.S. — those guaranteed by Fannie and Freddie. But regulators expect that the entire mortgage industry will quickly…
Tag: housing
The New Rent Laws: What You Need To Know (For Now) by Jessica Feder-Birnbaum
The new rent laws that went into affect in June 2019 have been overhauled to protect tenants. Landlords and management companies are scrambling to be law abiding and stay profitable. As with any new system, there’s a learning curve. Landlord feedback is that the laws skew too highly in favor of tenants. How pushback will alter these policies remains to be seen. Whether you’re a rent stabilized or market rate tenant, read on to see what these changes are and…
Neighborhood Guide to Bay Ridge and Dyker Heights
When New Yorkers venture out of Manhattan and into residential Brooklyn, they typically stop heading south at Park Slope. Long time Bay Ridge residents rejoice, because they like the keep the neighborhood to themselves. Influxes of transplanted north Brooklynites and Manhattanites could mean increases in rent, property taxes, and crowds, but that doesn’t mean that Bay Ridge and Dyker Heights aren’t great places to live. Quite the opposite, in fact. Green Space Bay Ridge, on the western coast of south…
Real Estate Happenings
It is a great time to have a listing on the market in Long Island City – with the buzz surrounding Amazon’s decision to split their new headquarters between Long Island City, NY and Crystal City, VA attendance at open houses has shot up and investors are focused on these new hot neighborhoods. While homebuyers have often sought out more square footage for a smaller price tag in the outer boroughs there was a palpable spike in interest just after…
Neighborhood Guide to Greenwich Village
by Camille Coric. Known for its dynamic parks, lively nightlife, young population and prime position in Lower Manhattan, Greenwich Village is a gem of New York City. From food to what the locals won’t tell you, here is your complete guide to Greenwich Village. Housing Cheapest you can get At the moment, the cheapest listing on the market in Greenwich village is a studio on Houston Street for $2,050. The average rent price in Greenwich Village is $4,197 so this…
How to Have a Good Relationship with Your Landlord
Your relationship with your landlord in New York will be, at best, complicated. Because there is such a high demand for housing in New York, your landlord might be less than thrilled to do all the work to keep you as a happy tenant. After all, they probably can rent the apartment or house to someone else in a month. Does this mean your landlord is scum? Of course not, but there are several things you can do as a…
How to Land Your Dream Apartment in New York City
Apartment searching anywhere can start out being very fun and quickly turn into a very time-consuming and daunting process. Looking for apartments in New York City, specifically, can leave seekers feeling very helpless due to higher rents, smaller living spaces and the need to be near the ‘perfect train.’ I would know, by 30 I had lived in midtown East, the Upper East Side, Midtown West, Queens and two stints in Brooklyn. Why is NYC so desirable? • Proximity to mass transportation:…
A Complete Guide to Student Housing In New York
You think choosing the most suitable college was difficult? Well, wait until you get to the student housing part. There’s no denying that New York City is a schooling paradise. There are hundreds of world-class undergraduate and graduate colleges to choose from- including two Ivy League universities. Sadly, it comes at a cost. For starters, college tuition is astronomically expensive. Going by the 2017-2018 academic year report, the average cost of tuition for undergraduate students based in the state of…
Communal and Co-Living Options for NYC
Solo living is both financially out of reach and unappealing for many people, but finding the right people to live with, and the right place to live with them, can be a big hassle. Shopping the internet for roommates can be anxiety producing, and if you move in with the wrong one you could be stuck with them for the duration of the lease. Sharing expenses can be a total nightmare when one roommate is financially responsible and the other…