Archive for May, 2007

New York City Renters Get Creative

Posted by LaLa on 22 May 2007 | Tagged as: Blog, Manhattan Prices, The Industry

The New York Times ran an article last week about the plight of college students and young professionals trying to find places to live in Manhattan. Rents are higher than ever and vacancy rates are the lowest in years, but the city retains its irresistible allure for bright, ambitious young people from all over the world. “There’s still enough of a cachet,�? as one real estate economist puts it.

When it comes to securing housing, young people are coping as creatively as they always have. They’re crowding more roommates into their apartments and putting up extra walls for privacy. Some of them are even camping out in unused or underused office spaces. Maybe they’re even enjoying the adventures now — getting ready for work or preparing meals in overcrowded apartments — but the situation poses real problems.
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Can my landlord raise my rent by 30%?

Posted by LaLa on 20 May 2007 | Tagged as: Q and A

The unfortunate truth is that, unless your building is rent-stabilized or rent-controlled, your landlord can raise your rent at the end of your lease as much as he or she wants.

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I have a pitbull and a cockerspaniel. I cant get a landlord to even hear my plea. Most brokers I talk to laugh and hang up on me, or bring me to places I like and to find out they wont take me. So LaLa what do I do?

Posted by LaLa on 17 May 2007 | Tagged as: Q and A

Pet policies vary from building to building and sometimes from apartment to apartment. Your best bet is to work with a broker who specializes in finding pet-friendly apartments. One broker who has found homes to a variety of pet is David Calderazzo. David’s pet-centric site can be found at www.allpetproperty.com.

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U.S. Government Report Calls the Real Estate Industry “A Tragic Story”

Posted by LaLa on 11 May 2007 | Tagged as: Blog, National Issues, Reports, The Industry

Almost two years after holding a workshop on competition in the real estate industry, the Federal Trade Commission and Department of Justice have produced their report on the subject. The feds come down on the side of consumer choice, transparency and efficiency and in opposition to the collusion, conflicts of interest and ethical lapses that seem to emerge whenever large brokerage firms get together.

The FTC-DOJ report shows that while real estate prices have skyrocketed in recent years, commission rates have fallen very little. Why? The industry discourages price competition through anti-rebate laws, minimum-service requirements, restrictions on usage of the MLS, and even boycotts of alternative-model brokerages (all thoroughly documented in the report).
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