Edition: U.S. / Global

Wednesday, December 23, 2015

Real Estate

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Building Blocks

Church With Ties to Famed Christmas Poem Is in Need of Repair

A donation two centuries ago from the author of “The Night Before Christmas” helped to create St. Peter’s Church in Chelsea, which needs an estimated $15 million.

The Appraisal

As a New High Society Climbs in Manhattan, It’s a Race to the Top

Promotional materials for the new towers on Billionaires’ Row, emphasizing unobstructed views, sometimes omit photos of their stratospheric neighbors.

N.Y.U. President’s Penthouse Gets a Face-Lift Worth $1.1 Million (or More)

New York University, where pay and perks have generated criticism, is preparing to welcome a new leader with a renovation costing at least $1.1 million.

Welcome to Provincetown. Winter Population: Dwindling.

Like many summer havens, this town on the tip of Cape Cod is threatened by a shrinking, graying population and scarcities of housing and year-round jobs.

Living In

Manhattan Condos Amid the Offices

Housing in NoMad — which stands for North of Madison Square Park — is not abundant, with apartments limited by zoning.

What I Love

Restaurateur Mark Barak’s Home as an Elegant Scrapbook

The owner of La Pecora Bianca lives in a one-bedroom in a Greek Revival townhouse within walking distance of his Italian farmhouse restaurant.

Trash Never Looked So Stylish

There’s a solution for those unsightly trash bins that mar the neighborhood: modular, durable trash enclosures, and some even have an option to add integrated planters on top.

Big Ticket

NoHo Mansion With Room for Some Warhols for $18.58 Million

A pair of triplex ‘mansions’ at the Schumacher condominium conversion in NoHo was the sale of the week.

The Hunt

This Time, Make It Brooklyn

Moving to New York from California, Mick Magsino and Cara Barrese wanted an apartment in Brooklyn.

East Village Condos in a Synagogue

Three condominium apartments have been carved out of a historic synagogue in the East Village.

Ask Real Estate

Recourse for ‘Blacklisted’ Tenants

Topics include the dreaded tenant blacklist, new rules for a pianist, and a noisy neighboring co-op.

Mortgages

F.H.A. Loans Preferred

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have introduced mortgage programs requiring only 3 percent down, trying to put homeownership within reach of more first-time buyers. But the product has not enticed those buyers as hoped.

$5.45 Billion Deal for Stuyvesant Town Completed After Threatened Lawsuit

SL Green Realty said it would move forward with a suit if challenges to a skyscraper it hopes to build near Grand Central Terminal weren’t dropped.

House Approves Bill to End Tax-Free Real Estate Spinoffs

The tactic has been popular among activist investors, who have pushed companies to unlock cash by separating themselves from their real estate holdings.

The Curators of a Home’s ‘Brooklyn Look’

The Taffera brothers, Robert and Eric, are the “it” contractors of Brooklyn Heights, having remade 40 brownstones there in the last few decades.

Fenway Park’s Neighborhood Changes, but Keeps Its Character

Samuels & Associates has spearheaded development in Boston’s Fenway neighborhood, home to the Red Sox, while it has kept some of its grittier nature.

Towers of Secrecy

A Mansion, a Shell Company and Resentment in Bel Air

In the booming high-end market of Los Angeles, where hidden ownership is common, one house stands out.

The Appraisal

Fearing a Mission’s Betrayal as Union Theological Seminary Plans to Sell Its Air Rights

The seminary’s president says the money from the sale is needed to bring the campus’s crumbling structures up to code, but faculty members and students say the plan presents a moral quandary.

Bonnie Schnitta, an acoustical consultant, measures how much sound is coming through a wall outlet.
Daniel Gonzalez for The New York Times

Bonnie Schnitta, an acoustical consultant, measures how much sound is coming through a wall outlet.

Noise-control companies are endeavoring to make life a little quieter in a very loud city.

iPhone App

The New York Times Real Estate App

A recently overhauled free app that now allows users to read new stories every day and search for homes at the same time.

On the Market
On the Market
Homes for Sale in Manhattan and Brooklyn

This week’s properties are in SoHo, the Upper East Side and Bay Ridge, Brooklyn.

On the Market
Homes for Sale in New York and Connecticut

This week’s properties include a three-bedroom in Ridgefield, Conn., and a four-bedroom in Sea Cliff, N.Y.

Great Homes and Destinations
What You Get
$1,600,000 Homes in New Jersey, Texas and Illinois

This week’s homes include a Victorian in New Jersey, and contemporaries in Texas and Illinois.

International Real Estate
House Hunting in ... Grenada

As the country’s economy continues to improve following the global recession, Grenada’s high-end properties remain relatively affordable in the region.

Ask Real Estate

Answers to reader questions about real estate, home buying and renting, mortgages, insurance, leases, condominiums and co-ops and real estate law.

In Case You Missed It: November's Top Real Estate Stories

Catch up on the most popular stories of the month.

Living In

The inside scoop on New York City neighborhoods and beyond.

Graphics
Home Sales Around the New York Region

Information on sales in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut.

Calculator
The Upshot
Is It Better to Rent or Buy?

The choice between buying a home and renting one is among the biggest financial decisions that many adults make.

Manhattan Market Data

Data provided by Miller Samuel, Inc. Real Estate Appraisers & Consultants
2nd Quarter, 2015 by Zip

Parse the market by price and size.

  • Read "Matrix," a blog by Jonathan Miller

Real Estate Archive

Interactive Feature: 2015 New York City Real Estate Quiz

Record prices, skinny skyscrapers, celebrity listings and architectural debuts: It’s been an eventful year in New York City real estate. Test your memory with this quiz.

Commercial Real Estate
In White Plains, New Places to Live and Linger

The city hopes to attract millennials downtown with competitively priced housing, stores, restaurants and other amenities.

The 30-Minute Interview

A Conversation With Michael J. DeMarco

Mr. DeMarco, 56, is president and chief operating officer of Mack-Cali Realty Corporation, a real estate investment trust in Edison, N.J.

Recent Commercial Real Estate Transactions

Recent commercial real estate transactions in New York City.

In Case You Missed It

Tips for First-Time Buyers

Megan and Michael Bartolomeo’s first-home odyssey took them and their dog Enzo to South Park Slope, Brooklyn.
Nicole Bengiveno/The New York Times

Megan and Michael Bartolomeo’s first-home odyssey took them and their dog Enzo to South Park Slope, Brooklyn.

With the median price for a Manhattan apartment nearing the $1 million mark, buying your first home can be a daunting task. And don’t forget to add in the fees.

Supers Who Break the Glass Ceiling

Among over 3,000 unionized superintendents in New York City, perhaps a few dozen are women.

The South Bronx Beckons

The Bronx, particularly the South Bronx, has assumed the mantle of next frontier for renters, buyers and developers.

Big Ticket

Penthouse Owned by Joan Rivers Sold for $28 Million

The palatial Upper East Side triplex that Joan Rivers called home for more than a quarter of a century was the sale of the week.

Big Ticket

Sarah Jessica Parker’s House Sells for $18.25 Million

A Greenwich Village townhouse sold by the actress and her husband, Matthew Broderick, was the most expensive sale of the week in New York City.

When the 13-Year-Old Picks a $14 Million Condo

Teens and preteens are getting involved in finding multimillion-dollar homes for their families, and in a few instances, doing everything but writing the check.

Leonardo DiCaprio Builds an Eco-Resort

The actor has teamed up with the developer of an eco-conscious condominium in New York to build a resort in Belize.

How to Improve Your Cellphone Signal at Home

Good cellphone reception is a must-have for many in New York.

The 10 Most Cost-Effective Renovations

Here are some simple home improvements that may offer the most bang for the buck.

Five Things to Remember Before You Renovate

A home remodeling checklist for New York apartment dwellers.

Brooklyn’s Most Expensive Listings

To get to Brooklyn, win the lottery first.

Five Manhattan Alternatives to Pricey Brooklyn Neighborhoods

Suggestions for frustrated New York City home hunters.

Priced Out of Brooklyn? Try Manhattan

Brooklyn home prices have become so high that parts of Manhattan are starting to look like bargains.