Author Archives: Doug Heddings

The Numbers Say It’s Becoming Condo City

Posted on April 20, 2006 by Doug Heddings

Jonathan Miller really knows his stuff. Look at his most recent research and you’ll see that by some important measures, condominiums have moved to the forefront in the New York City market which has long been dominated by co-ops. And … Continue reading →

Posted in Market Insight | 4 Comments

Hiring a Broker 101: Signed Marketing Plan

Posted on April 19, 2006 by Doug Heddings

From time to time on TrueGotham we’ll be offering tips for buying and selling apartments in New York. Today my advice is simple, but frequently overlooked: when you are selling your apartment, get your broker to print out, present, and … Continue reading →

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Posing as New

Posted on April 19, 2006 by Doug Heddings

The blog Bubble Markets Inventory Tracking shows how brokers take listings that have been on the market for a while and re-list them to make them look new and more appealing. We’re lucky in New York that this doesn’t happen … Continue reading →

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Anonymous Agents and Brokers Tell It Like It Is

Posted on April 18, 2006 by Doug Heddings

Interesting summary of anonymous real estate bloggers’ thoughts on the market. In short: it’s not pretty. (via the RealDeal)

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A New Equilibrium?

Posted on April 18, 2006 by Doug Heddings

Martin Wolf of the Financial Times has put together some hard-hitting analysis of real estate markets, without falling into the common trap of making predictions. It concludes this way: Either prices have moved to a higher equilibrium level, in which … Continue reading →

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What’s the Story with 7 and 8% Commissions?

Posted on April 17, 2006 by Doug Heddings

With properties spending more time on the market, many brokers have convinced sellers to increase commissions to as much as 9%. Rather than lower the asking price, they are hoping to increase the number of showings by the brokerage industry … Continue reading →

Posted in Dirty Real Estate Tricks, Market Insight | 2 Comments

A Milestone: The Treasury Rate is Above 5%

Posted on April 14, 2006 by Doug Heddings

The yield on the government’s benchmark note surpassed 5 percent yesterday for the first time in four years. Vikas Bajaj wrote the story that’s on the cover of The New York Times: “Where you are going to feel the pain … Continue reading →

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Running the Numbers on Investment Properties

Posted on April 13, 2006 by Doug Heddings

Jonathan Clements of the Wall Street Journal writes about trouble for landlords: Got caught up in the real-estate fever? Let’s start with the painfully obvious: If you have no choice but to sell, then you ought to sell — and … Continue reading →

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The Book on Real Estate

Posted on April 13, 2006 by Doug Heddings

I can’t walk one block without overhearing a conversation about apartments–buying, selling, renting, moving, or something else. New York City is fascinated with real estate. There must be a million reasons: the city is incredibly transient, everyone is always seeking … Continue reading →

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The NAR’s Sunny Outlook

Posted on April 12, 2006 by Doug Heddings

The latest housing forecast from the National Association of Realtors. Home sales should generally level-out and remain at historically high levels, according to the National Association of RealtorsÆ. David Lereah, NAR’s chief economist, said mortgage interest rates are trending up … Continue reading →

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