Where Is the Coolest Street In All Of New York City?
Park Slope's Fifth Avenue!
According to Time Out, an ultimate guide to all things New York City “this year we've picked Fifth Avenue in Park Slope Brooklyn as the city's coolest street”. Park Slope does have a family oriented feel, that means a high percentage walkability score, safe and something for everyone, which is very cool!
Park Slope's Fifth Avenue boundaries are Barclays Center to the North and Prospect Expressway to the South.
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A wonderful project is coming to the Flatbush neighborhood, located at 2366 Bedford Avenue. The site is the sprawling Sears Roebuck Catalogue Printing facility. Clipper Equity, the project’s developer has secured a $140M construction loan for a new 7 story residential building. The project is being designed by S. Weider Architects. In addition, the plans call for 354 multi family units, ground floor retail space, 236 parking spots and a variety of amenities including a cafe, a business lounge, saunas, a cycle studio and a golf simulator. Construction is being done by Manhattan Management Realty. Completion is scheduled for 3rd quarter of 2025.
In Downtown Brooklyn, NY foundations are progressing at the site of a 25 story residential building located at 150 Lawrence Street. The building is being designed by JFA Architects and Engineers and being developed by Solomon Schwimmer. Schwimmer purchased the property for $23M. The building will be 250 feet tall, 82,366 square feet with 101 units averaging 734 square feet, 8,201 square feet of commercial space, a cellar level and a 32 foot long rear yard. Twin Group Associates is the general contractor for the project. Completion date is expected to be September 2025. The nearest subway is at Jay Street - Metro Tech with the A, C, F and R trains.
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The market forces supporting Brooklyn Residential Real Estate projects moving forward into 2024/2025 remain strong. Go Brooklyn!
This is part 1 of 2 blogs summarizing a few projects planned and in various stages moving forward, in several Brooklyn, NY neighborhoods, including one amazing far south neighborhood, Brighton Beach.
Permits have just been filed for a 5 story, 53 foot tall, 16,479 square feet, 22 unit building located at 2954 Brighton 6th Street, between Neptune Avenue and Oceanview Avenue. The site is just steps from the Brighton Beach subway station where the B and Q lines are and 2 blocks from the beach and historic Coney Island boardwalk. Walkability for this location is very high. There will be 9 open parking spaces and 3 enclosed parking spaces. The units will most likely be rentals, as the average unit will be 749 square feet. Beekman Towers Holdings LLC is the owner. Isaac & Stern Architects is the architect of record. The completion date of the project has not been posted yet.
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Originally opened in 1928, the Brooklyn Paramount was the world's first theatre to show talking movies. Many illustrious performers appeared at the Paramount, to name a few, Ella Fitzgerald, Beddy Holly and The Crickets, Chuck Berry, Duke Ellington, Fats Domino, Frank Sinatra, Johnny Mathis, Little Richard, Miles Davis and Ray Charles.
This amazing venue will officially reopen on March 27th after a multi million dollar renovation, that will seat 2,700 guests. After 60 years, live music is coming to the Paramount with 2024 performances booked and include Nora Jones, Mariah The Scientist, Busta Rhymes and more.
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Developer LCOR's Coney Island Project Launches Leasing At 1515 Surf Avenue, Brooklyn NY
This project is not just any project! LCOR, a prominent investment and real estate development company has included the largest geothermal HVAC system built to date in New York City in 1515 Surf Avenue.
This 2 building residential waterfront complex has 463 units. The buildings will be both heated and cooled by this incredible geothermal system. The system is projected to reduce carbon emissions by more than 60% compared to other residential buildings with conventional heating and cooling systems which means lower energy bills for its residents.
1515 Surf Avenue will be certified as a “healthy building” by Fitwell a rating system. The healthy building concept encompasses the physical, psychological, and social health of people who live in them, with the focus on adequate ventilation, indoor air quality and natural lighting.
How geothermal systems work is steam is taken from deep underground and used to power generators that produce electricity. Steam is sent into the cooling towers and then goes back underground as water. Excess steam is used for heating.
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All electric housing is not a new concept. Many single family houses and small buildings use electricity for their energy needs, whether cooking, cooling and heating.
Alloy Development bringing this technology to a 44 story residential tower, at 505 State Street in Downtown Brooklyn, NY is truly an astounding accomplishment. Building 441 apartments presented many challenges for Alloy's architects and engineers. This brilliant team had to re imagine every aspect of the buildings infrastructure such as sourcing high capacity electric lines to designing entirely electric HVAC systems.
Alloy has announced the launch of leasing of the 441 apartments. The apartment design is a 9-12 foot ceiling height, oak wood flooring and exposed concrete. Tenants can optimize their energy consumption with Smart Home technology through their smart phone.
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What a great way to start 2024! New York City Department of Transportation Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez declared that “The Brooklyn Bridge received a major new year's “glow up”.
The 140 year old bridge called America's Eiffel Tower by historian David McCullough was lit with 56 brilliant LED lights illuminating the bridges extraordinary towers. The cost of the new lighting system was $2.4M.
In 2024 New York City DOT will finish a 4 year, $300M project to thoroughly scrub harmful dirt and soot from every single stone on the bridge, restore the mortar between each stone and bring out the original light gray color.
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Jemb Realty has reached an important milestone with their office building located at 1 Willoughby Square. The building is now 60% leased. Brooklyn's tallest office building is the 1st to be built since the 2004 rezoning of Downtown Brooklyn, NY. Considering the struggles Manhattan office buildings are having, losing tenants and unable to lease vacant spaces, 1 Willoughby Square is doing well. Companies leasing in the building are in architecture, healthcare and consulting industries. Some of the tenants are for example, FXCollaborative (the architecture firm that designed the building), Gemic, Big Spaceship and nonprofit for women called Ms. Foundation For Women. Not surprisingly, many of the tenants at 1 Willoughby Square were in Manhattan and chose to move over to Downtown Brooklyn, New York.
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If you are a New Yorker, you've probably visited or at the very least have heard of the North Brooklyn neighborhoods of Dumbo, The Navy Yard, Bushwick and Bedford Stuyvesant (aka Bed Stuy.) They are thriving, growing, transforming and innovating! Over the last number of years these neighborhoods have been unstoppable on their amazing trajectory of economic success!
Businesses of all kinds have made their home in North Brooklyn, from a small workshop at the Navy Yard producing electric motorcycles from recycled materials to nearby in Dumbo where 180 designers at BIG NYC work on urban projects like how to rebuild the Brooklyn/ Queens Expressway (BQE.) Pretty much all of the designers live in Brooklyn, walking & biking to the office year round.
In Bed-Stuy a group of partners opened a wine store called Bed-Vyne and have thrived through the neighborhood’s trendy transformation and evolution. Bed-Vyne have added both a craft brewing space and a cocktail lounge.
These businesses are in one of the most thriving economic centers of the city post pandemic known loosely as North Brooklyn.
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It was held, just this past weekend. This event in Gowanus was a WOW! Approximately 500 artists invited folks into their private studios at 100 locations throughout the neighborhood for one of Brooklyn's best Art Parties!
These amazing artists let people see their latest work, chat about their process of creating art or chatting about other stuff, grab a snack, enjoy a cup of wine, maybe buy a print or a painting and just have a grand old time roving around the neighborhood exploring this wonderful Art event.
The event was the 27th annual Gowanus Open Studios, organized by the esteemed Arts Gowanus.
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This award has been running for nearly 30 years and it is that time again! The Brooklyn Botanic Garden, BBG (my wife Jackie and I got married there this past May 9th!) celebrates The Power of Trees with this annual award. Other categories being judged and awarded winners are the greenest commercial block, the greenest storefront and best community garden.
Without any further ado, the 2023 residential block winner for 2023 is East 25th Street, between Clarendon Road and Avenue D! Judges chose from 190 entries from all over the borough, with both the greenery of each block and the community surrounding it. This year’s winner is the champion of both of those criteria.
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Two Trees Management has spent the last 10 years planning, rezoning, demolishing, and employing craftsmen level construction on the 300 Kent Avenue, mega project and crown jewel of Domino Park, the 15 story, 460,000 square foot Domino Sugar Refinery in Brooklyn, New York.
Back in 2012, when Two Trees purchased the proposed condo project for $185M, they decided to switch from a residential plan to Class A office space. Despite the challenges the NYC office market is facing with employees working a hybrid schedule of at home and in office, Two Trees feels confident. According to David Lombino, Two Trees spokesperson, “The presence of workers here 24/7 changes the character of the immediate neighborhood and makes it more lively. It allows us to attract different and better retail, not just dry cleaners, or drug stores, that in turn helps residential”.
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Last week's blog focused on a proposed new mixed-use real estate project centered around Altantic Avenue, Brooklyn NY. This week's blog will focus on the creative side of what is happening on Atlantic Avenue.
Atlantic Avenue Business Improvement District (AABID) has commissioned original artwork for new street banners to line the Brooklyn Boulevard. AABID was selected by New York City Small Business Services (NYC SBS) as a recipient of the Single District Small BID Support Grant, which funded the new street banners.
Mayor Eric Adams had committed to the “Rebuild, Renew, Reinvent: A Blueprint for New York City's Economic Recovery.”
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Mayor Eric Adams is proposing to update decades old zoning rules for new housing to be allowed in parts of Midtown Manhattan. The new zoning will include a 42 block area from 23rd Street to 40th Street and from Fifth Avenue to Eighth Avenue. Currently zoned and designed for manufacturing use, this proposal lines up with another of the mayor’s proposals to facilitate and expedite office to housing conversions in all NYC boroughs as we continue to face a housing crisis.
The Midtown South Neighborhood Plan would update zoning rules to literally transform four areas in Midtown South into a vibrant, live/work community with affordable housing and good jobs. This plan would boost economic growth, support local businesses, and create jobs.
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Especially today, when interest rates are so high, vacancy rates are at an all time high for office buildings, commercial real estate values have taken a hit.
Some of the ways investors are working toward stabilizing and increasing property value is a focus on Environmental, Social and Governance factors (ESG). What this translates into is reducing asset risk by being environmentally responsible, sustainable and reducing hazards and future costs associated with climate change.
By enacting energy efficient measures, property owners can realize measurable and significant cost savings in the long term. For example, a more energy efficient building can reduce utility costs and lowers operational costs and in turn increase Net Operating Income for a higher property value.
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New York City is facing a housing crisis now more than ever. There may be some relief in sight. There has been a growing trend of office to residential conversion, with some gutsy NYC developers taking on projects.
According to Jesse Schmidt, Senior Vice President of Sales at The Guarantor, ( a company servicing operators and renters) “We have been seeing this trend develop for years, the pandemic really accelerated the pace and made it a necessity for a lot of office owners to look for alternative ways to market their properties”.
According to recent research from the National Apartment Association (NAA) and the National Multifamily Housing Council (NMHC), the U.S. Needs to build 4.3M more apartments by 2035 to meet demand for rental housing.
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The Life Sciences sector in NYC has now enjoyed it's 2nd straight boom year in 2022 with tenants leases for 455,000 square feet. Leasing volume was up 5% from 2021 with 433,000 square feet leased.
Average rent in this sector also broke a record last year at $108.47 per square foot.
Manhattan's West End Labs came to market with very high asking rents. The biggest lease of the year came from King Street Properties 45-18 Court Square West in Long Island City. New York University took 92,000 square feet at the building known as Innolabs. New York University also took the 2nd largest lease of the year for it's School of Medicine with 56,000 square feet at Deerfield Management's 345 Park Avenue South.
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Linden Street, in Brooklyn, NY wonderful Bushwick neighborhood, has now been designated as a historic district by the City's Landmark Preservation Commission.
Linden Street has a wonderful collection of distinctive row houses designed by Brooklyn architects, which represents a successful integration of late 19th century architectural styles and stands out as a worthy historic district.
Deputy Mayor for Economic and workforce development, Maria Torres Springer said “I appreciate the work of the Landmarks Preservation Commission to celebrate our built heritage in all neighborhoods across the city and to designate Linden Street in Bushwick a historic district in recognition of it's exceptional architectural and cultural significance”.
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The three rules of real estate are location, location, location. A spectacularly scenic area of Dumbo, one of Brooklyn's New York waterfront neighborhoods, right next to the Brooklyn Bridge has 3 vacant lots sitting on it!
The New York City Parks Department has put out a (RFEI) Request for Expressions of Interest for the temporary and seasonal activation of Anchorage Plaza.
The Park's Department's goal is to hear the best ideas on how to use the space for events or amenities like a farmer's market, community garden or pickle ball fields.
The plaza consists of three sections: The Old Fulton Street yard, the Washington Street yard and Ash Alley, an alley below the Brooklyn Bridge connecting both yards.
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As a lifelong resident of Brooklyn NY, a real estate broker for over 34 years and a Brooklyn College (class of 1978) graduate, it is clear to me that Brooklyn is amongst the best places to live in New York City.
Many of Brooklyn's neighborhoods have a rich history and a vibrant diversity of residents. Each neighborhood enjoys a strong sense of community and strong, local dedicated engagement. It is because of this dedicated local engagement that community boards are an important part of local governance in Brooklyn and beyond.
Myself, being a front row observer of how Brooklyn has evolved over the decades, it is plain to see the power and influence of community boards in shaping neighborhoods.
To clarify what a community board is and it's purpose, make note of the following:
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According to Colliers (a leading diversified professional services and investment management company) citing MSCI (Morgan Stanley Capital International – an investment research firm) data, sales of distressed commercial real estate assets will soon spike.
MSCI estimates put the dollar volume of these assets at $2T + of debt maturities due by 2027. Refinancing is no longer the easy and cheap option that it was.
Interest rates are high and the Fed will not be cutting interest rates to provide easing any time soon.
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Brooklyn investment sales year over year, from 2021 to 2022 saw a 28% increase, reaching just above the $10B mark. Transactions in Brooklyn increased 20% year to year to 1,226 transactions.
The asset classes leading the way were Multi Family and Industrial/Warehouse, with their best year.
Multi Family investors have been shifting their preferences to smaller (fewer than 6 units) free market buildings with no rent stabilization regulations. These transactions accounted for more than 50% of total Multi Family transactions in 2022. Most likely this trend will continue into the future. Investors want value add opportunities.
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Mayor Adams proposed Atlantic Avenue rezoning in Crown Heights and Bedford Stuyvesant have the support of local Councilmembers.
The upzoning is part of the mayor's “Moonshot” goal of 500,000 new housing units. The “Get Stuff Done” plan is meant to speed up the land use planning process and make it less expensive for developers to build with changes to environmental review rules and Department of Building permitting requirements.
Adams says “We need more housing. We don't have enough housing to meet the need that we have”. “Safe, stable, affordable housing cannot be a privilege. It is the foundation of a prosperous society”.
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Samson Stages is expanding their growing operation into Red Hook Brooklyn, NY on the waterfront with more than 300,000 square feet of sound stage and studio space.
The site is currently home to Sunshine Lighting located at 744 Clinton Street. Samson will invest over $400M into the project. Hundreds of jobs for local folks will be created.
To be included in the development will be a new public park on the waterfront.
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Real Estate Developers have long been the target of elected officials in New York. Politicians would say they were protecting a neighborhoods character and property values while routinely quashing good projects.
What has changed is a real housing shortage and an affordability crisis. Politicians may not be such fervent critics of the real estate industry much longer if they want those serious housing problems solved.
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For profit developers have a history of getting first crack at purchasing and developing NYC owned land.
According to Council member Lincoln Restler, “Public land is a treasure that we need to maximize for truly affordable housing”.
Restler's proposed bill would prevent the city from selling off land to private, for profit developers, unless no qualified non profit group makes an offer. Restler wants things to change here, so that New York City Community Land Trusts and non profit developers get the first crack at securing publicly owned land for truly affordable housing.
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Brooklyn's, NY street art scene is huge and growing every day. Walk down almost any street in Williamsburg, Bushwick or Greenpoint and you are greeted with the sides of buildings or storefronts spray painted with incredibly colorful and beautiful street art. New artists are finding their message on blank walls all across Brooklyn, as street art has been popularized and turned into a commodity.
Whether it's public art or advertisements, over the last few decades exciting street art has come to specific neighborhoods in Brooklyn, New York.
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When we say Brooklyn, New York has it all, we mean it! Did you know that in the Marine Park neighborhood there is a 530 acre wild nature trail and salt marsh with amazing vistas and a place where ospreys and pheasants nest, turtles rest, herons swoop and swans paddle peacefully through the backwater? Yes, it's a fact and you can access this nature preserve just South of Avenue U, near East 36th Street.
Each season on the trail reveals it's wonders, the brilliant colors of Fall and Winter and the glorious Springtime wildflowers all accessible from an easy to follow trail that meanders for about a mile across gently rolling terrain.
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In case there was any doubt about Brooklyn as the center of the real estate universe in New York City, according to Greg Heym, chief economist for the prestigious real estate brokerage and consulting firm, Brown, Harris, Stevens and former chief economist for the Real Estate Board Of New York “Brooklyn had the most active 4th Quarter in the history of Brooklyn”, “continuing powerful growth and sustainability particularly in Condos and Coops”.
In addition, this Brown, Harris, Stevens market report indicates a price increase of 11% year to date for Condos and Coops.
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January 18th 2018, we blogged about Wood Design and Building Materials gaining popularity. Almost 3 years later Timber continues to gain popularity as mass timber engineering is used increasingly in the construction of low and mid rise buildings. Mass timber is growing as an alternative to steel and concrete construction in projects up to 18 floors.
Two important reasons for the growth are mass timber's sustainability and aesthetics. Developers are increasingly looking at the carbon footprint of a building and seeing that it is greatly improved using timber compared to a concrete and steel building. The benefits are environmental and sustainability. Wood is a renewable resource that holds atmospheric carbon.
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Happy Holidays - Veterans Day - 2021
Thank you to all the brave men and women for your service and sacrifice! We pay honor, we thank you, we are grateful each and every day.
Veterans Day (originally known as Armistice Day) is a federal holiday in the United States observed annually on November 11, for honoring military veterans, that is, persons who have served in the United States Armed Forces.
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According to a 3rd Quarter, 2021 report released from the prestigious Brown, Harris, Stevens real estate firm, Condo and Coop sales in Brooklyn, NY are strong as we emerge from the coronavirus pandemic.
Currently, the top Brooklyn neighborhoods showing resilience in sales and in pricing are Carroll Gardens, Dumbo, Park Slope, Windsor Terrace, Fort Greene, Clinton Hill, Vinegar Hill, Bed Stuy, Bushwick, Crown Heights, Williamsburg, Greenpoint, Flatbush, Midwood, Ditmas Park, Downtown Brooklyn, Bensonhurst, Borough Park, Bay Ridge, Dyker Heights, Sunset Park, Red Hook, Gowanus, Coney Island and Sheepshead Bay.
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Construction will begin on 4 park projects in Brooklyn, NY at a cost of more than $31M.
There will be a brand new park in Greenpoint, reconstruction of an Ocean Hill playground and the addition of a skate park, revitalizing a park in Downtown Brooklyn.
50 Kent in Bushwick Inlet Park is a brand new park coming to Northern Brooklyn, New York. This new $7.7M park will have new seating areas, gathering areas, expansive lawns, an overlook with beautiful views of the city and a water play area to keep cool in the summer months.
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The proposed development of 960 Franklin Avenue in Crown Heights, Brooklyn NY is planned as a mixed income residential rental which addresses the dire need for affordable and workforce housing for individuals of all income levels.
Approval of the developer's rezoning request would make way for housing assistance to 789 individuals and families currently at risk of housing instability. Workforce housing is housing for essential workers (teachers, grocery clerks, bus drivers, nurses, firefighters) union workers, community entrepreneurs and others who are rent burdened but don't qualify for “low income”/affordable housing.
960 Franklin Ave is currently zoned an R6A zoning district in which buildings are relatively uniform and low in height.
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Brooklyn, New York Real Estate is always in forward motion. Today the Brooklyn market is very exciting with investors and lenders eager to buy and finance projects and accomplish their dreams and goals.
Here is a brief overview of a groundbreaking 2 phase project planned for Downtown Brooklyn, NY.
Alloy Development in partnership with the New York City Educational Construction Fund is beginning construction on New York City's 1st all electric residential tower, along with 2 public schools that will meet passive house compliance which have the highest standards of energy efficiency and indoor air quality.
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As many Real Estate Brokers and Real Estate Agents come to know, some transactions are much more difficult to keep on track towards a closing, through many twists and turns, ups and downs than other transactions.
We at Accord Real Estate Group are pleased to announce that the sale of 636 and 640 West 158th Street, New York, NY which closed in 2019 has now been accompanied with the sale of the most critical part of the assemblage, 638 West 158th Street which includes a townhouse and a 50x150 rear lot which closed yesterday, Thursday, April 8th 2021.
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No, the office isn't dead, but building owners face the challenge to optimize the digital revolution of work. Office designed from a pre covid status quo must change. While some will resist change, other owners must offer work spaces that embrace the neighborhoods they are located in. Owners are increasingly realizing the value of fluid spaces that allow for an urban campus that represents the future of work, not a field of desks.
The best example of this digital work transformation can be taken from Apple, Google and Amazon who have built campuses for their employees with variety and flexibility to suit a range of work styles.
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Architecture firms have helped reshape Brooklyn, NY by transforming environments and strengthening communities through collaborative, thoughtful planning and creative design. These firms have worked closely with developers to overcome the challenges unique to every project.
The scope of the project can be from planning luxury condominiums, a branded workspace, tall towers, hospitals, affordable housing, a hotel, a renovation to a rehabilitation adaptive reuse project.
The challenge is to create dynamic spaces where people can live, learn, work, play and heal. The ultimate goal is for a lasting positive impact on people's lives and the world.
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The New York Hotel Industry has come under tremendous pressure due to the Coronavirus Pandemic and has almost completely stopped travel to New York City.
Construction at 159 Broadway, across from Peter Lugar restaurant, planned as a 26 story tower with apartments, 235 room hotel with a restaurant, sky bar, pool and condominiums has filed for bankruptcy. Just as the Tillary Hotel in Downtown Brooklyn at 85 Flatbush Avenue has also filed for bankruptcy.
It is estimated that possibly 20% of New York City hotel rooms could close permanently. According to The Wall Street Journal, hotels such as the W Hotel at 8 Albany Street and the Maxwell Hotel at 541 Lexington Ave have closed permanently. According to the Real Deal Magazine, Sunstone Hotel investors gave the 478 unit hotel The Hilton Times Square back to it's lender, saying it would not reopen.
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In 2021 many Brooklyn, New York neighborhoods will continue to see innovative and brilliantly designed residential and mixed use projects get underway. Some of these projects taking shape are as follows:
Surf Avenue in Coney Island has several new developments underway and the next chapter will include 1515 Surf Avenue, located between West 15th and West 16th Streets, between Surf and Mermaid Avenues. LCOR has obtained a 99-year lease on the land owned by the Russo family who are the owners of Gargiulio's Restaurant across the street from the site.
The project calls for a mixed use building with 461 apartments and 139 will be affordable units. There will be 11,000 square feet of ground floor retail space. Studio V Architecture is the architect of record. Amenities offered will be an ocean facing outdoor pool, deck and gym, tenant lounges, flex co-working spaces, basketball and handball courts and over 20,000 square feet of landscaped outdoor space as well as off street parking.
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In our blogs dated December 4th 2019 and January 11th 2020 we noted that Bushwick, Brooklyn NY residents had banded together and joined with Councilmembers Antonio Reynoso and Rafael Espinal to craft a community led rezoning plan. At that time, Mayor Di Blasio's administration has come up with their own rezoning proposal for Bushwick which differs from the community's plan for affordable housing and manufacturing spaces.
The original rezoning outline from Department of City Planning called for stricter zoning to curtail development and landmarking initiatives to preserve historic areas. The Bushwick anti gentrification community plan calls for a downzoning of the neighborhood. The community is battling against the displacement of low income communities of color in favor of luxury developments.
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At the beginning of May, Mayor Di Blasio and all of the NYC Bids, as a response to the Covid 19 pandemic, created Open Streets. According to Gregg Bishop, Commissioner of the NYC Department of Small Business Services says “open streets is an example of how resilient New Yorkers and the business community can work together in challenging times”. Assembly member Joanne Simon has said “this crisis has highlighted our need to distribute street space more equitably”.
Open Streets have allowed restaurants to take a few extra feet into the road for tables as well as drawing neighbors to the newly car free areas.
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There was a time in Brooklyn, New York, probably 20 years ago more or less, when parking garages and parking lots were a great convenience and in terms of a Commercial Real Estate investment, a safe bet. The attraction of owning and investing in this asset type was the ability to adjust parking rates and the garage or lot had low upkeep compared to an apartment building or an office building.
As new residential condominium buildings sprouted up in many prime Brooklyn's neighborhoods, garages gained in value. However, as land and development sites in prime locations became scarce, investors had to look elsewhere for opportunities to build.
According to Jeff Grandis, broker at Accord Real Estate Group and a lifelong Brooklyn resident, “In the Midwood neighborhood, specifically the Kings Highway East teens area, over the last 15 to 20 years several parking lots and parking garages have been sold to developers”. For example, the huge parking lot between East 14th Street and East 15th Street, between Kings Highway and Avenue P was purchased from the city by developers who built a 4 story commercial building with the tenants T.J. Maxx on the 1st floor retail, New York Sports Club on the 1st floor and Visiting Nurse Service occupying the top floors. Also, between East 13th Street and East 14th Street, between Kings Highway and Avenue R, there was originally a parking lot that was purchased by developers who built a multi level outdoor parking garage, which was 6 or 7 years later sold to another developer who build a commercial building which now houses a Target Store on the 1st and 2nd floor, a Marshalls Store in the basement and offices on the several remaining upper floors with a separate lobby entrance on East 13th Street.
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Many Brooklyn, NY developers have chosen to forge ahead with their residential, commercial and mixed use projects despite the current trauma Covid 19 has inflicted upon the New York real estate market. By all accounts Brooklyn Real Estate has been weathering the storm better than the other outer boroughs. Just a few of the projects planned are:
J associates and the project team of CW Realty, Owner/Developer and MHM engineering are planning a 10 story, 98 unit rental building located at 1499 Bedford Avenue, corner of St. John's Place, bordering Crown Heights and Prospect Heights. The total buildable square footage is approximately 160,000 square feet and renderings reveal a striking and handsome design combining dark brick with white or light tan brick and balconies at the corner. The timeline for completion is yet to be announced.
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Residential Developers are planning their new projects based on the current and future needs of buyers and renters coming from a pandemic experience.
How long will the pandemic remain a part of our culture or fade away? Those questions go hand in hand with the questions of what design layouts and amenities will buyers and renters’ value and pay a premium for?
Some of the must have amenities being considered and planned for by developers are multiple gym rooms, a home office, re engineered ventilation systems, windows that open, lounges with glass dividers, balconies on all units, multiple lobbies with elevators, touchless entry, wider lobby stairs and separate entrance for deliveries.
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On February 6th of this year, we blogged about Brooklyn New York Real Estate Brokering Pre Covid 19 – do's and don'ts.
Since February 6th, the business of doing the real estate brokerage business has changed, yet it has remained the same in many ways. In this especially challenging time for our industry due to the Covid 19 pandemic, the biggest asset we have is our attitude.
As New Yorkers, we have already proven that we can do what was and is necessary to flatten the curve of this vicious virus and keep it down. New York has proven to the rest of the United States and to the world that we are a smart, focused, tough, resilient and caring city.
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There are signs of life for Brooklyn NY Real Estate as the Brooklyn Luxury Residential Real Estate market saw $30M in deals to contract last week.
The $30M breaks down to contracts on 11 homes, 6 Townhouses, 3 Condominiums and 2 Co op apartments.
This has beern the strongest week in terms of the volume in these type deals since the week of March 9th. The week of March 9th, 2020 saw $45.3M in deals to contract for Brooklyn New Yrok luxury homes in the range of $2M or more.
The average asking price for last weeks properties was $2.4M and DOM (days on the market) 181.
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Over the last several months, the lending market has been frozen. In many cases the banks that were doing loans had restricted commercial loans to 50% down clients with 1 to 2 years in reserves because of the wave of late or non payment on loans as a result of the pandemic.
As the pandemic has eased somewhat in New York due to New Yorkers focus and determination to shelter at home, social distance from others and wear masks in public, the banks have shown more interest in placing loans, especially with the multi family market. We seem to be headed back on track, hopefully to some sort of normalcy in the near future.
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Post Coronavirus, companies are looking at Brooklyn to fill their office needs. Having an office closer to their workforce makes sense, especially if the workers are faced with a 45 minute commute into Manhattan on public transportation. Regina Myer, president of the Downtown Brooklyn Partnership says “this comes perfectly timed with Brooklyn's millions of square feet of space that has come online or is set to open soon”.
Some of the spaces that are set to open soon are JEMB Realty's One Willoughby Square in Downtown Brooklyn and Two Trees Management's 10 Grand Street in Williamsburg. Myer continues to say that “in response to the health crisis, Downtown Brooklyn is really well positioned because we have some projects that are coming online that really represent the future”. “We are going to have state of the art products which we have not had”.
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Brooklyn, New York has such an amazing array of neighborhoods and lifestyles. We are all struggling with the coronavirus pandemic and are looking for outdoor places to be socially distant and safe from crowds.
A wonderful afternoon getaway option to consider is Bath Beach.
Strolling along Bath Beach's shoreline promenade (with a walking and bicycling path), enjoying a fabulous view of the Verrazzano Narrows Bridge, and meandering through the quiet streets admiring the amazing array of Victorian homes is a great way to safely spend a summer afternoon in Brooklyn.
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Over the past 2 months we've blogged about the Industrial Market as a bright spot, difficult changes coming for the commercial real estate market and mixed news for the residential market depending upon property type.
The fact is that no one, no matter how much wisdom they possess, has the answer to what the future has in store for New York real estate.
The 3 scenarios of the current market and potential outcomes are the following:
The worst case scenario is that major companies will downsize and fire thousands of workers. These thousands of workers will face evictions from their apartments.
Many retailers, big and small will not survive the economic fallout from this pandemic and will close their doors. J Crew, Neiman Marcus and J.C. Penney have filed for bankruptcy, Pier 1 Imports is out of business and brands are planning to close hundreds of stores.
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There are plans in place to connect the section of Brooklyn Bridge Park's Brooklyn Heights – Fulton Ferry section and the Dumbo section starting this Fall.
Currently, park visitors have to exit the park at Water Street to go from one section to the other.
A pedestrian plaza will replace a fenced off lot which separates the 2 sections of the park. The new $8M plaza, is expected to be completed by December 2021 and will conform to the current look with concrete pavers, planting beds and a lawn.
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It's still too early to make predictions in the face of the Covid 19 pandemic, but there are good reasons to believe that the NYC's industrial sector is well positioned to weather the Corona crisis.
Industrial and warehousing businesses have essential services status and are allowed to conduct their daily operations. These services include warehousing, distribution, logistics and fulfillment, the manufacture of food, medical & other essential goods, telecommunications and data centers, auto repair, select construction sites and construction supply, skilled trades including electricians and plumbers, business storage, mail and shipping services, trash recycling and building repair, maintenance, security and disinfection services.
A recent market report by Prologis indicates that the logistics sector is positioned to handle inventory supply and demand disruptions due to standard long term occupancy contracts which serve to buffer cash flows from short term disruptions. While property values in the Investment sales market peaked in 2014/2015, the Industrial sector continued in a steady climb in values through the start of this year. The average price per square foot has increased by 10% per year since 2011.
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There are many challenges to closing a deal in today's market, from underwriting to completing due diligence virtually, with social distancing restrictions. Many investors have halted all acquisitions, but for those still trying to transact, it can be a very tough road. How some investors are approaching their business is to do less renovations since they are getting less rent. What has gone away for now for some investors is buying a property and putting lots of money into it to achieve certain rents. Today's market is dictating to not over improve the property beyond market demand. You want to keep rents workforce affordable.
According to Gene Reilly, Chief Investment Officer of Prologis, a global real estate company whose portfolio spans approximately 1B square feet of space around the world “ we have stopped all spec development for now”. “ we are trying to figure out where the rents and occupying will be a year from now”.
According to Mark Weinstein, founder and President at MJW Investments “ this is not going to go on forever, but it's going to go on for a while”. “ Owners planning to sell assets this year have pushed back plans as part of a strategic shift to respond to the pandemic.
According to Bill Shopoff, President and CEO of Shopoff Realty Investments”many of our properties that we had planned to sell this year will now have their disposition timelines pushed back a quarter or two depending on the market's future recovery”. “ In addition, properties we are considering for acquisition will now have to be further evaluated as determining valuations is nearly impossible in the current market”.
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Brooklyn, NY Real Estate market Development continues at a steady pace.
The first commercial office building to be built in North Williamsburg in more than 40 years, located at 25 Kent Avenue is complete! This 500,000 square foot, 8 story building spans an entire city block. The architect on this project is Hollwich Kushner at Gensler and the developers are Rubenstein Partners and Heritage Equity Partners. The partners hope to find just the right anchor tenant and have the building fully leased by mid 2021.
A 17 story, 175,000 square foot mixed use project located at 329 Broadway in Williamsburg is progressing with exterior work being done now. The developer is Parkview Management and the project was designed by Syndicate Architecture. The layout of the building will be 59,000 square feet of retail on the 1st and 2nd floors, approximately 24,500 square feet of community facility on the 3rd and 4th floors and residences begin on the 6th floor. There will be 18,000 square feet of outdoor space and parking for 109 vehicles.
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Many Brooklyn, NY neighborhoods continue to evolve, expand, change and create a lot of interest for buyers, renters and investor/developers.
A few Brooklyn neighborhoods will be undergoing a zoning change in 2020:
Sunset Park- Industry City’s 35 acre campus will be rezoned. In October, owners Jamestown, Belvedere Capital and Angelo Gordon & Co. certified their rezoning application. The plan is to turn one of Brooklyn’s last waterfronts into a commercial destination. Andrew Kimball Industry City CEO says that “Industry City is willing to get done all that needs to get done in the next seven months”.
Gowanus is headed for a major rezoning which could transform an 80 block swath of low rise neighborhood into a hotbed of development projects. The 1st step is an environmental impact report which examines the potential impact of a land use change. Developers have been land banking properties for years in anticipation of the changes.
Bushwick residents have banded together and joined with City Councilmembers Antonio Reynoso and Rafael Espinal to craft a community led rezoning plan. Mayor Di Blasio’s administration has come up with their own rezoning proposal for Bushwick which differs from the community’s plan for affordable housing and manufacturing spaces. An environmental impact report is being prepared and the rezoning review process will begin next summer. Change is definitely coming to Bushwick.
Greenpoint has seen and will continue to see a gradual transformation and expansion with the introduction of new projects to the neighborhood. Greenpoint has for the most part has successfully retained a small village vibe with a real community feel. The addition of the NYC Ferry stop on India Street has improved transportation, made the area more accessible and has added to the neighborhood’s growth.
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Bushwick has evolved into an eclectic community with vibrant and diverse residents and businesses. However, Bushwick is at a crossroads. The Department of City Planning has released an outline for a rezoning plan for Brooklyn’s Bushwick neighborhood.
The outline includes new affordable housing developments, stricter zoning to curtail development and landmarking initiatives to preserve historic areas.
The new zoning laws would cover approximately 300 city blocks between Broadway, Cypress Avenue, Flushing Avenue and Broadway Junction. The plan creates opportunities for affordable housing units, Community and Commercial space along Broadway, Myrtle Avenue and Wyckoff Avenue. Plans for Knickerbocker, Central and Wilson Avenues will only allow medium density and mixed income housing.
Read more...Sheepshead Bay is a southern neighborhood in Brooklyn, New York. The Sheepshead Bay boundaries are from Ocean Parkway on the west to Nostrand Avenue, Gerritsen Avenue, Knapp Street, and Shell Bank Avenue on the east, from Kings Highway or Avenue P on the north to Sheepshead bay on the south.
Growing up in Sheepshead Bay in Brooklyn was great! We had a bike path to the Rockaways (my 1st big adventure), fishing off of the piers on Emmons Avenue and empty lots to run around in.
Now, after decades of delay the City is finally moving forward on a new Sheepshead Bay park. Superstorm Sandy delayed construction of Brigham Street Park but the $6.15M park is projected to be completed by May 2020.
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Industry City (formerly known as Bush Terminal) is a historic intermodal manufacturing, warehousing, shipping complex located on the Upper New York Bay (Upper Bay) waterfront in Sunset Park, Brooklyn, NY.
Industry City, once desolate rows of huge old forgotten buildings has been transformed into a magnetic and vibrant center for food, shopping, innovation and the home of hundreds of companies big and small growing their businesses.
Industry City wants to grow and evolve it’s 35 acre, 6M square feet in 16 buildings of space and invest another $1B into new uses which include large retail stores, 2 hotels and academic space. The first step in a 10 year plan is to get a zoning change.
The certified rezoning from The Department of City Planning will come before the community board this month or next.
One issue that’s being raised by the community is the type of jobs that Industry City plans to create. Local residents of Sunset park want jobs that provide a step ladder that helps people to get a leg up.
Andrew Kimball, CEO of Industry City has responded by saying that the new data with a more in depth look at the types of jobs to be created will be published soon.
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This past June the New York City legislature agreed on a package of tenant protections and rent regulations that are the biggest change in tenant law in decades.
Some of the changes in the new law are:
Repeal of provisions that remove units from rent stabilization when rent crosses a high threshold or when the unit becomes vacant or if the tenant’s income is $200,000 or higher in the preceding 2 years.
The elimination of the “vacancy bonus” provision that allows a property owner to raise rents as much as 20% each time a unit becomes vacant.
Tenants in rent regulated apartments would see
Read more...If you come into The Real Estate brokerage business with the idea that it's a glamorous career lifestyle, you are in for a rude awakening. Yes, if you develop a feel and a taste for the business, it gets into your blood and you come to really enjoy the tasks of doing the real estate business, that's a good thing. For most people, real estate is a bad career choice. Why?
The work of consistently doing the tasks to become a success in real estate can be tedious and painful until you become experienced to the point where you have honed and fine tuned your skills and you are experiencing a consistent cash flow of commissions from closings.
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There are many Brooklyn neighborhoods that boast Landmark Preservation Commission status of Historic Districts with tree lined gorgeous blocks of architecturally important homes such as Prospect Heights, Bedford Stuyvesant, Clinton Hill, Sunset Park, Victorian Flatbush and many others.
Just a few Brooklyn neighborhoods hold the distinction of being the most expensive Brooklyn neighborhoods for 2018 and 2019 based on median sales price.
Fort Greene topped the list in 2018, and The Columbia Street Waterfront District topped the list in 2019. The other Brooklyn neighborhoods that made the list in both 2018 and 2019 are Carroll Gardens, Dumbo, Greenpoint, Park Slope, Manhattan Beach, Gowanus and Boerum Hill.
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For 2019, rapidly gentrifying Brooklyn NY neighborhoods are transforming many areas. The growth of some neighborhoods and surrounding neighborhoods is due to great walkability and employment clusters that have developed outside of Manhattan in Sunset Park, Downtown Brooklyn, Williamsburg and Dumbo, Brooklyn New York.
Strong demand is fueling the rise of several key Brooklyn neighborhoods such as:
Sunset Park, where Industry City has grown to over 450 companies with 6,500 jobs and a great housing stock at reasonable prices compared to nearby Park Slope and Cobble Hill.
Bay Ridge, where competitive pricing on housing coupled with the beautiful parks, great shopping, many great restaurants and nite life are making Bay Ridge a popular choice for buyers and renters.
Gravesend where walkability, attractive purchase prices have contributed to the areas growth.
Flatbush and East Flatbush, where a wide variety of lifestyle choices such as Condo, Coop, Single family house or Multi family house and great pricing have fueled growth and have caught the attention of developers interested in building luxury rentals, new condominiums, mixed use buildings and affordable housing.
Greenpoint which has housing choices that are less expensive than Williamsburg, with larger spaces, great views of Manhattan, the NYC Ferry at India Street, great restaurants and great walkability is growing rapidly.
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Vibrant and thriving, Washington Heights has a rich history, cultural diversity and gorgeous parks.
Washington heights is located on the North end of Manhattan from 190th Street to 150th Street. It is bounded by the Harlem River to the East and the Hudson River to the West.
Washington heights has been hailed as the new hipster haven. There are more millennials in Washington Heights than any other New York neighborhood including Bushwick, Crown heights and Williamsburg.
Washington Heights draws nearby Columbia Medical school students, professors, young professionals and young families with children.
By day, locals and tourists visit 8 parks in Washington Heights. Historic Bennett Park is located at 183rd Street and Pinehurst Avenue. The park was once home to the Munsee Native Americans and the headquarters for George Washington’s army during the revolutionary war. It is here that you can visit the highest natural point in Manhattan at 265 feet above sea level. Other must see attractions are the Little Red Lighthouse, directly under the George Washington Bridge and the High Bridge and the High Bridge Water Tower at West 172nd Street.
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Coney Island, Brooklyn NY is synonymous with Amusement park (aka Luna Park), The New York Aquarium, MCU Park (a minor league baseball stadium), the original Nathan's restaurant, landmarked Boardwalk and a magnificien public beach. Coney Island neighborhood slowly but surely is evolving and some great new projects are underway and several are planned for the near future.
Read more...A new hotel is coming to Stuyvesant Heights in Bedford Stuyvesant, Brooklyn New York. The planned 7 story, 49,199 square foot building will use 37,168 square feet for hotel space for 154 rooms. The hotel will be located at 9 Patchen Avenue, between Kossuth Place and Van Buren Street. Moris Yero shalmi of ABCNY is the project owner and Robert Bianchini of ARC Architecture is designing the project.
A 27 story residential tower called The Brooklyn Grove is coming to Boerum Hill, to be located at 10 Nevins Street, Brooklyn NY. The building will have
Read more...Downtown Brooklyn, NY is one of the 3 largest New York City’s CBDs (central Business Districts). The neighborhood is continuously developing and the number of upscale high rise apartment buildings is growing.
There are some exciting, innovative and ambitious new projects in the works in Downtown Brooklyn. Some of these projects are:
Brooklyn Point being developed by Extell, is one of the tallest buildings being built right now. The building is planned for 720 feet in height and the 49th floor is now taking shape. The project architect is SLCE Architects and the design is by Kohn Petersen Fox. Building interiors will be designed by Katherine Newman and the private outdoor landscaping is being created by MNLA. Brooklyn Point is the final part of the City Point complex of 3 buildings which have residential units, the Dekalb Market Hall, Alamo Drafthouse cinema, Target, C21 Department Store, Trader Joe’s and multiple small retail shops. There is easy access to the Dekalb Subway station where you can access the B, Q and R trains.
Another incredible new project in the works is
Read more...All 5 boroughs of New York City, Manhattan and the surrounding boroughs of Brooklyn, Queens, The Bronx and Staten Island are densely occupied with buildings of every property type whether single family residential, multi family residential, mixed use, commercial, industrial, condominium or cooperative buildings or skyscraper office buildings. For this reason, air rights have become so very important to property owners, investors and developers.
Air rights allow property owners to maximize the square footage that can be built on their property based on zoning regulations. The city has placed some restrictions on zoning in some neighborhoods and increased or up zoned in other neighborhoods. For example, the Downtown Brooklyn rezoning
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Whether you are a property owner planning on selling your residential, commercial or investment property in Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, the Bronx or Staten Island, you need every advantage possible to locate the best qualified buyers who are motivated to purchase your property.
Just a few weeks ago we at Accord Real Estate Group announced the launch of our latest website and mobile version. We continue to be a technologically advanced real estate brokerage company year after year. We are internet marketing experts dedicated to bring the absolute best exposure to our client’s properties to locate interested and qualified buyers.
Our company motto is Experience, Integrity, Results. What this means to our clients is a thoroughly professional, personalized experience with our real estate brokers and agents, who bring exceptional service and who have
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Wishing you a joyful holiday season and Happy New Year filled with peace, hope, happiness and love!
We are thankful for the privilege to serve our clients, and their continuous support and business! May 2019 be successful year for all of us!
Sincerely,
Accord Real Estate Group Team of brokers and agents
In this blog we will combine the 2 incredible waterfront Brooklyn NY neighborhoods of Dumbo and Vinegar Hill. While each neighborhood being very distinct, they are very close and flow into one another.
Dumbo is short for Down Under The Manhattan bridge Overpass and is split into two sections, one located between the Manhattan and Brooklyn Bridges and another that continues east to the Manhattan Bridge to the Vinegar Hill area. Neighborhood boundaries are Brooklyn Bridge Park to the North, The Brooklyn Bridge to the West, Brooklyn Heights to the South and Vinegar Hill to the East.
The Dumbo Historic District is bounded by
Read more...Greenwood Heights is a great Brooklyn, NY neighborhood with open green spaces, eclectic housing with several different lifestyle options and a booming bar and restaurant scene.
Greenwood Heights borders are approximately Prospect Expressway to the North, Gowanus Canal to the West, 8th Avenue to the East and 39th Street to the South. The surrounding neighborhoods to Greenwood Heights are Windsor Terrace, sunset Park and Park Slope South.
Train service into Manhattan from Greenwood Heights is on the D, N and R lines at 36th Street and 4th Avenue.
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Brooklyn New York neighborhoods have a rich history and Flatbush is no exception. In the early 1900’s Flatbush was a very swanky neighborhood with expensive retails shops and upper class residents. Today’s Flatbush is one of the city’s most vibrant and diverse neighborhoods.
Actually Flatbush is comprised of 12 small communities including Prospect Park South, Ditmas Park, Fiske Terrace, Wingate, South Midwood, Midwood Park and West Midwood. Neighborhood boundaries begin at Parkside and Ocean Avenues at the southwest entrance to Prospect Park, includes some of Coney Island Avenue and spans east to Nostrand Avenue and Kings Highway.
Flatbush subway service into Manhattan
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Manhattan Beach, Brooklyn NY almost completely surrounded by water is much more about tranquility than walkability. This quiet, sleepy area has the feel of the suburbs with many tree lined blocks and grassy lawns. Manhattan Beach was developed as a premiere resort destination for the city's upper middle class and wealthy elite with the famous, lavish and grandiose Manhattan Beach Hotel built in 1870 and followed by the even more grandiose Oriental Hotel built in 1880. In 1916 the Oriental Hotel was torn down and the land was sold for residential development.
The Manhattan Beach streets are named in alphabetical order from A to P (Amherst, Beaumont, Coleridge, Dover, Exeter, Falmouth, Girard, Hastings through to Pembroke) with the exception of the Ocean Avenue.
The Manhattan Beach peninsula is narrow and there are only three places to live, the bay block, the middle block and the ocean block. There are 8 ocean blocks and all are dead end streets with no thru traffic.
Many of the homes on these ocean blocks are the most expensive in the neighborhood. Manhattan Beach is hugged to the south and east by the Atlantic Ocean and to the north by Sheepshead Bay and Brighton Beach to the west.
There is hardly any
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Brooklyn Heights, Brooklyn NY was the first landmarked neighborhood in New York history as well as the first suburb in America.
It’s no surprise that Prospect Park South, Brooklyn NY was named in a Streeteasy report on The Top 10 up and coming NYC neighborhoods, being ranked #7 on the list. The reasons for PPS earning a spot on this list are clear, i.e. low rents compared to much more expensive rents in nearby Park Slope and Windsor Terrace neighborhoods, proximity to Prospect Park, conveniently located for
Read more...Gowanus, Brooklyn New York is in the South part of the borough, bounded by Wyckoff Street on the North, Fourth Avenue to the East, Gowanus Expressway to the South and Bond Street to the West.
Gowanus has exciting neighbors that it is adjacent to such as Park Slope, Boerum Hill, Cobble Hill, Carroll Gardens, Red Hook, Fort Greene and Greenwood Heights. Despite the issue of the
Read more...Park Slope, Brooklyn NY is one of Brooklyn’s gems of a neighborhood is located in Northwest Brooklyn. Neighborhood boundaries are Prospect Park and Prospect Park West to the East, 4th Avenue to the West, Flatbush Avenue to the North and the Prospect Expressway to the South.
Fifth Avenue and Seventh Avenue are Park Slopes primary commercial streets.
Park Slope is known for
Read more...Talk about a hot neighborhood - Bushwick, Brooklyn, NY is certainly that. Not only are Bushwick real estate values going up, with new residential and mixed use development projects underway, but Bushwick is also home to some of the most magnificent landmarked buildings.
The landmarked residential beauty Caterina Lipsius house aka Cook Mansion, built in 1889 & 1890, is located at 670 Bushwick Avenue on the corner of Willoughby Street. Cook mansion was designed and built by famous
Read more...Park Slope South, a beautiful Brooklyn New York neighborhood, is bordered by other beautiful neighborhoods of Windsor Terrace, Park Slope and Greenwood Heights. The neighborhood boundaries of Park Slope South are 4th Avenue to Prospect Park West, The Prospect Expressway or 18th Street to 9th Street.
This very lovely neighborhood has high real estate values. For example, in today’s residential market,
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The Fulton Ferry Historic District is in fact of great historical and architectural importance. This is where Brooklyn New York began! The history of this amazing area extends from the Ferry that served it. Tragically, the opening of the Brooklyn Bridge in 1883 caused the gradual decline in ferry service and the demise of this once vibrant and important area.
The Fulton Ferry Historic District is sandwiched in between Dumbo and Brooklyn Heights. The area boundaries are
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In many of our densely populated neighborhoods in Brooklyn, NY there are amazing development projects under way with beautifully designed high rise office buildings, cutting edge architecture used to build large mixed use buildings and a sea of new hip, high tech and fancy looking residential towers being built. But then there are the conjoined neighborhoods of Fiske Terrace and Midwood Park that could not be more different then
Read more...The Brooklyn New York real estate market is hot. With values and sale prices reaching new heights in today’s market in many Brooklyn neighborhoods, we are clearly in an up trending market. This uptrend includes many property
Read more...The importance of your personal and professional reputation in the Real Estate business cannot be overstated. I am sure you are well aware of it, however please let me share with you my thoughts.
Rome was not built in one day, however, ultimately how you build and develop your personal and professional reputation carries much more weight than any brokerage company or company brand that you choose to affiliate with. It’s all about you and only you and how you conduct yourself.
What are the character traits that make
Read more...The Landmark Preservation Committee has tremendous influence on Real Estate Development, building modifications in landmarked districts and landmarked buildings in non- historic districts.
We usually blog about LPC reviewing and approving plans from developers whose initial plans were rejected and how developers adapt and conform their plans more closely to the contextual look and feel of other neighborhood structures to get their plans approved.
Greenpoint is a booming Brooklyn NY neighborhood with many
Read more...One of several key elements in working towards your long term success in the real estate brokerage business today is the size and quality (we’ll get back to this) of your database. Your database can include a pipeline of perspective new client listing leads to be cultivated into a saleable inventory of great properties to be marketed and sold, your sphere of influence (past sellers and buyers who are your advocates) and the group of clients and customers who you are currently servicing.
Whether you are farming/prospecting all property types in a specific neighborhood or a specific property type across several zip codes, or if you are working with 5 different buyers with different criteria for
Read more...The ideal position to be in when choosing the best qualified buyers to work with who invest in existing properties or who develop ground up is having a property or properties in your inventory that suits the needs of a range of buyer types. If you are not in the position of having being hired as the broker with the exclusive right to sell, to handle the marketing and sale of an investment property for your client then you will need to contact other brokers with the listings on properties that your buyers are interested in purchasing.
At Accord Real Estate Group we mentor our agents, we offer professional training to our agents and we encourage our agents to become proficient at accumulating their own saleable inventory of properties to be marketed and sold.
Buyer/Investor types will generally
Read more...In the real estate brokerage business, we earn our income based on the commissions that we generate from closed transactions.
Truly, our time is our biggest asset or our worst enemy.
On the sales side of the business, working with buyers can be challenging. You do need to
Read more...This blog is a continuation in the series of blogs regarding the actual business of the real estate brokerage business.
In real estate brokerage there are two sides to a transaction, i.e. the listing side, where a broker is hired to represent the seller and their interests and the selling side where a salesperson works with the buyer to find a suitable property for that buyer’s needs.
For the purposes of today’s blog, we are focusing on the listing or marketing consulting side of a real estate transaction and what that job entails.
It may take several years to acquire the necessary
Read more...The importance of branding yourself in today’s real estate industry can not be overstated.
In our everyday lives we approach everything that we do and all of the daily interactions that we have with people in our own unique way, leaving our own personal touch and impression.
In business, no matter what the profession, whether it be Banking, Medicine, Law and certainly real estate marketing and sales, branding
Read more...The new New York City Ferry. Wow!
Brilliantly conceived, brilliantly planned but at least for now demand for The South Brooklyn Ferry Service has far outweighed the supply of ferries to accommodate the crowds of enthusiastic commuters, tourists and fun seekers.
The new NYC Ferry has a Rockaway Route Ferry service and South Brooklyn Ferry service. The cost of the fare is
Read more...Real Estate brokers in Brooklyn know that smart homes or automated homes is not a new concept. As early as the 1930’s at World’s Fair venues, T.V. shows and movies were showing home life of the future and the advantages of home automation.
Some Developers building today’s smart homes for example have small appliances becoming more connected to each other and the cloud to you. From your mobile device you can activate the security system in your home, control the lights, the temperature in each room and so on.
Not only has technology had a big impact on how
Read more...Real Estate Companies in Brooklyn, Real Estate Brokers and Real Estate Agents in Brooklyn all know that we are in a highly competitive business.
It is common knowledge that one way to succeed in this business is to set yourself apart from the crowd, have a distinct
Read more...From Red Hook with spectacular views of Downtown Manhattan and The Statue of Liberty to Bliss Park in Bay Ridge with sweeping views of the Manhattan Harbor to The William Vale Hotel in Williamsburg with a rooftop waterfront view spanning from Downtown Manhattan to Midtown with The Empire State Building and Chrysler buildings lit up at night in all of their glory, Brooklyn has the most amazing views of the Manhattan skyline.
Some North Brooklyn ferry stops have waterfront development projects that are in close proximity to those Ferry Stops and they have fabulous views of Manhattan to offer their residents.
First stop, India Street Greenpoint Ferry Landing where
Read more...The charm and uniqueness of this Brooklyn gem of a neighborhood cannot be overstated. There are many Brooklyn real estate brokers and real estate agents who sing the praise of Bay Ridge for many reasons.
Bay Ridge is in the southwest corner of Brooklyn, bounded by Sunset Park on the North, Dyker Heights on the East, the Narrows and the Belt Parkway on the West, The Fort Hamilton Army Base on the Southwest corner and the Verrazano Bridge on the South.
There is a wonderful variety of housing choices and
Read more...The Fenimore Street Block Association (FSBA) is seeking to protect 21 lots on the south side of Fenimore Street, between Bedford and Rogers Avenues in Prospect Lefferts Gardens, Brooklyn. The group is against developers changing the character of their street.
Lefferts Manor located directly across the street has received historic district
Read more...Hurricane Sandy proved to us how completely unprepared we were to deal with a superstorm of such magnitude that caused an estimated $32B in damages to New York.
There are projections that more super storms are in our future.
Some property owner/developers are taking measures to
Read more...Just blocks away from amazing Brooklyn Bridge Park, with a unique urban small town feel and in an industrial waterfront location, the Columbia Street Waterfront district or CWD is one of Brooklyn’s New York smallest and fastest growing neighborhoods! CWD is sandwiched between Red Hook and Cobble Hill (what wonderful neighborhoods to be next to) and going from East to West is just 22 blocks wide.
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For years we’ve been blogging about Brooklyn’s booming residential, multi-family and mixed use market.
The office building market in Brooklyn, NY has become a big part of the borough’s growth in popularity as not just a great place to live, but a great place to work as well.
Over the last year or so we’ve blogged about several key commercial projects planned and underway in Brooklyn such as:
Thor Equities Red Hook project with 600,000 square feet of office space planned;
RFK and Kushner Cos. Purchase of the Jehovah’s Witness’s buildings in Brooklyn Heights and Dumbo to be converted to
Read more...Lush tree lined blocks, incredible walkability to everything, amazing restaurants, cafes and bars, great shopping and a wonderful selection of affordable, fabulous and expensive lifestyles in residential living to choose from. Which wonderful Brooklyn NY neighborhood could I be describing? The answer is Kensington which even has a lovely name to it unlike Gravesend (great neighborhood, not such a great name in my opinion). One and two family fully detached houses with private parking and outdoor yard space range in
Read more...Whether you are a a property owner or an experienced investor who is planning to sell a property we have the following top 9 real estate tips for you. We hope that you will find them useful.
1. Make absolutely sure that all parties involved in the decision making
Read more...One year ago we blogged about Developer Hidrock Realty’s plan for a condo conversion of the Pavilion Theater on Prospect Park West in Park Slope, Brooklyn, NY.
Well, it does happen, but rarely a developer switches gears on a purchased and planned for project, and Hidrock Realty facing steep local opposition to their project has sold the 1928 Pavilion Theatre to Williamsburg based Nitehawk Cinema for $28M. Hidrock purchased the Pavilion in 2006 for $16M.
The new theatre will be called Nitehawk Prospect Park.
Read more...There is no other place in the world like Brooklyn New York. Go pretty much anywhere in the world and when people ask you where do you live and you say Brooklyn NY, their response is mostly Wow or Ah Ha Wow!
Brooklyn New York is truly a global brand. Whether it’s Brooklyn’s gloriously diverse cultural mix of people, restaurant choices and cuisines, cultural institutions, amazing walkability of it’s neighborhoods, the many lifestyle choices available such as
Read more...Brooklyn NY has the most dynamic and diverse neighborhood markets to be working in as a real estate broker. Jeff Grandis, broker at Accord Real Estate Group has been appraising, marketing and selling Brooklyn properties for over 28 years.
Market forces are so strong and demand for all property types is
Read more...The looming shutdown of the “L” train has helped to shift some market forces to a certain extent in favor of the Bushwick, Brooklyn neighborhood. Similar to the boom in Williamsburg and Long Island City, waves of new residents are drawn to the easy commute into Manhattan and relatively reasonable pricing for housing.
Read more...Developer/Investor Thor Equities had purchased the 7.7 acre Revere Sugar Refinery site located at 280 Richards Street in 2005 with a mixed use building in their plan. Today, they have decided on a 4 story, 623,000 square foot Commercial complex. The project will have 600,000 square feet of office space featuring 100,000 square foot floor plates. There will also be a retail and restaurant space, a public waterfront esplanade, rooftop terraces and a central courtyard. Award winning British architect
Read more...Bedford Stuyvesant, Brooklyn New York continues to attract New Yorkers with an easy commute into Manhattan, great shops, restaurants, a great mix of new condominium developments and an existing housing stock of gorgeous brownstone, limestone and brick homes on tree lined streets.
There are several new developments
Read more...In every direction that you face in Metrotech, Downtown Brooklyn there is a new project either breaking ground, already completed or being planned. The explosion in development in commercial, residential and mixed use buildings in this amazing Brooklyn neighborhood is truly exciting.
A few years ago there were not many restaurants in Downtown Brooklyn and now
Read more...On April 21st of 2015 we blogged about the proposed rezoning of East New York / Cypress Hills in an effort by City government to revitalize this Brooklyn NY neighborhood.
As of yesterday a plan was approved by the City Planning Commission to rezone, revitalize and
Read more...For those Real Estate Companies in Brooklyn, Real Estate Brokers and Real Estate Agents in Brooklyn who follow the latest news in the Crown Heights North Historic District, the Landmarks Preservation Commission is very close to approving the development of a new 4 story residential building at 906 Prospect Place.
The building currently occupying the
Read more...Quinlan Development Group and Joint Venture partner Land & Technology have purchased a 10 story building located at 41 Flatbush Avenue for $89.4M.
There will be ground floor retail and Class A office space that will occupy the remainder of the 266,866 square feet building. There are some wonderful period details
Read more...To all Brooklyn Real Estate Companies and Brooklyn Real Estate Agents, let’s start out with the good news.
The Department of Education has plans to build a public pre K facility to be located on 3rd Avenue and 9th Street. According to The School Construction Authority, the school will be open in 2018. This school will serve
Read more...Attention all Brooklyn Real Estate Companies and Brooklyn Real Estate Agents who service the Crown Heights neighborhood.
The last several years have seen Crown Heights skyrocket in popularity as one of the hottest Brooklyn neighborhoods to live in for so many reasons. The diversity of culture, the gorgeous tree lined blocks with magnificent homes, the food and so on…
Read more...I’m sure that many hard working real estate agents in Brooklyn working with busy real estate companies need to relax and clear their mind from time to time.
If you are looking for a truly lovely experience, consider The Brooklyn Navy Yard’s Urban Farm, Brooklyn Grange located on the roof of building 3. Installed in 2012, the farm is a massive 65K sq ft roof towering twelve stories over the East River.
Read more...Many Brooklyn real estate companies and their agents are familiar with the magnificent Brownstone homes in the historic districts of Brooklyn Heights, Crown Heights North and Prospect- Lefferts Gardens. The New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission will most likely at some point in time designate several wonderful streets in Sunset Park as a historic district.
Brooklyn’s Bay Ridge neighborhood (where the famous Gingerbread House is located on Narrows Avenue), has several magnificent streets,
Read more...The Brooklyn Navy Yard Development Corporation has as a part of the $140M redevelopment plan for Admiral’s Row, agreed that Wegmans, an upstate 85 store family owned supermarket chain and industry leader, will open a 74,000 square foot store. Steiner NYC the developer in this project will
Read more...Real Estate companies, brokers and agents in Brooklyn have witnessed the rezoning of many Brooklyn neighborhoods such as Williamsburg, Downtown Brooklyn, Greenpoint and Bushwick. This rezoning has brought about a tremendous boom in residential, commercial, multi family and mixed use development
Read more...In our blogs dated May 10th 2013 and September 19th 2013 we have been following the transformation of a section of the Fort Greene neighborhood formerly known as the BAM Cultural District and is now called Brooklyn Cultural District.
In this blog we will update our readers on the progress of this neighborhood into a cultural district for the 21st Century.
Several Residential and Mixed Use and Hotel projects
Read more...Most of Pier 6 in Brooklyn Bridge Park (BBP) is undeveloped at this time. There are plans for a lovely area with a lawn, a large field of gorgeous flowers, wonderful shade trees, places to sit and stroll and a triangular wood covered platform. The platform will raise
Read more...The Economic Development Corporation and developer Salmar Properties are investing in an innovation hub in Sunset Park. Located at Liberty View Industrial Plaza in a 1.1 million square foot, 8 story Industrial building. The space will be subdivided and the hub will occupy 160,000 square feet to provide space for projects in
Read more...The Packer Collegiate Institute, located at 170 Joralemon Street in Brooklyn Heights is in contract to purchase the retail property located at 100 Clinton Street at the corner of Clinton Street and Remsen Street. The 12,000 square foot Clinton Street building will be home to Packer's Preschool and Kindergarten program beginning in the Fall of 2017.
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East New York in Brooklyn is the focus of a revitalization effort by Mayor Bill Di Blasio and his administration. A big step towards the mayor’s goal to create affordable housing in New York is that recently ground has been broken on Livonia Commons, phase one of a multi phase project that will eventually, when complete create 791 units of affordable housing.
Read more...On Saturday August 16th, the 24th annual Sand Sculpting Contest was held in Coney Island. The proceeds from the contest go to help Coney Island residents still rebuilding from Super Storm Sandy. The sponsors of this year’s contest were Astrella Development Corporation and Brooklyn Community Services.
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Dixon Advisory USA (an Australian yet N.J. based Investment Company) has a different plan for the storefronts at 132 Kane St. and 6-8 Cheever Place in the historic district of Cobble Hill. They are converting two retail storefronts into two residences for rent.
According to Carol Santana, Dixon's building code and permit manager they do not do commercial leasing. Asking rents have not been decided yet.
The Landmarks and Preservation Commission has proposed a plan for the storefronts restoration. At the moment both stores have graffiti, plastic and plywood on them.
Read more...Investment Property sales for the 1st half of 2014 is up 38% from the first half of 2013.
Brooklyn Real Estate Brokers have a lot to be proud of so far this year. In addition, the dollar volume of these sales rose 73% to more than $3,033 Billion. Property types included in the investment property category are development, multi family, industrial and other commercial property sales over $850,000.Multi family sales led the way with 66% of Brooklyn's investment property transaction volume. For example, a newly constructed 49 unit rental building in Williamsburg sold for $35.6 Million,
Read more...A developer from Milan, Italy “Est4te Four” with offices in London and West Hollywood has their eye on purchasing a 4th development site in Red Hook, Brooklyn. Their new acquisition 44-62 Ferris Street is a parking lot which also fronts Wolcott St. and Sullivan St will be coupled with 219 Sullivan St. These combined properties have incredible waterfront views of the lower Manhattan skyline.
Est4te Four had also purchased 160 Imlay St. the former New York Dock Company building, which will be developed into luxury residential condominiums. This development project estimated to be completed
Read more...This time of year in Victorian Flatbush, Brooklyn New York the grandeur and elegance of the homes here are accentuated by the magnificent roses, hydrangeas, cherrywood, dogwood and lilac trees that are blooming throughout the neighborhood.
The 10 wonderful Brooklyn neighborhoods known collectively as Victorian Flatbush have the largest concentration of Victorian wood frame houses in the United States, according to the Historic Districts Council. Victorian Flatbush includes Caton Park, Prospect Park South, Beverly Square West, Beverly Square East, Ditmas Park West, Ditmas Park, West Midwood, Midwood Park, South Midwood and Fiske Terrace.
Read more...Two pollution plagued properties in Greenpoint Brooklyn have been sold to developers who must go through a costly cleanup process.
The vintage Arte Modern style former Harte & Co. factory building property located at 280 Franklin St. has been sold. The buyer, Bo Jin Zhu plans to build a 400 unit apartment building with 200 parking spaces. The building will have affordable apartments as well as market rate units.
The property was sold for $23.25 Million. The seller, 49 Dupont Realty Corp
Read more...If you read our blogs you know that as Brooklynites Anna and I truly enjoy the uniqueness, history and wonderful energy and diversity of Brooklyn New York neighborhoods. We as real estate brokers marvel at the tremendous demand and interest there is in Brooklyn Real Estate.
We at Accord Real Estate Group are proud to say that our services are sought after by and respected by property owners who reach from one end of Brooklyn to the other. At any given point in time we handle the marketing and sale of properties in Sheepshead Bay, Fort Greene, Bedford Stuyvesant, Stuyvesant Heights, Midwood, Homecrest, Red Hook and East Flatbush, just to name a few.
Many years ago when I worked for another brokerage company,
Read more...As a kid growing up in Brooklyn, I first saw this truly unique and fairytale like home as a teenager. I didn't know then, that I would become a real estate broker, but I loved showing this curious and unusual home located at 8220 Narrows Avenue in Bay Ridge to my friends, from the outside, of course. We called it different names and one name is the gingerbread house.
Now, many years later this wondrous homemade of natural rocks and boulders, with an Arts and Crafts style architecture is on the market to be sold and has an asking price of $10.5M. This one of a kind home
Read more...According to a Gallup Poll conducted in April of 2014, people owning real estate properties and people who are homeowners have what is viewed as the best investments for the long term.
This comes as no surprise to us, your local real estate brokers who have listed and sold thousands of Brooklyn properties over the course of 27 years.
Read more...When representing property owners in the marketing and sale of their Brooklyn property the most direct answer to this question is of course exceptional results and outstanding service. Beyond the obvious qualities that make for the best real estate brokers are the following that will ensure even the toughest client's satisfaction:
1. Superior real estate market and product knowledge will always separate the best brokers from the rest. Knowing what is selling and for how much is crucial information for a client to hear from their broker. Being knowledgeable about neighborhood trends
Read more...Just stroll up and down the tree lined streets of this wonderful Brooklyn neighborhood, very close to Prospect Park and you will be very pleased to see magnificent housing stock of Romanesque Revival, Colonial Revival and Neo-Federal style Limestone, Brick, Brownstone and Victorian homes. Priced out of nearby Park Slope and Crown Heights, many people looking to purchase a house found that Prospect Lefferts Gardens offer great value homes with terrific amounts of living space, gorgeous period details and nice backyards to plant, play or just relax in. The neighborhood of Prospect Lefferts Gardens is bordered by
Read more...As we reported in December of 2013 the presence of the Barclay Center a tremendous increase in interest and foot traffic has spurred the development of new hotel construction in the area. Two new hotels coming to the neighborhood are the Marriott Autograph Collection Hotel and the Intercontinental Group's Even Hotel. Along with this spurt of luxury hotel development, there is also an expansion of the BAM Cultural District taking place with the construction of The Polonsky Shakespeare Center and plans for 1,000 apartments to be built in this area in the near future.
There is clearly a Barclay Center ripple effect that has been and continues to be underway on Fifth Avenue.
Read more...On July 18th of 2013, we reported that developers RFR and Kushner Companies had purchased 6 buildings in the Dumbo neighborhood of Brooklyn from The Jehovah Witnesses. It is expected that this project will produce as much as 1.2 million square feet of commercial space. This commercial space would be a tremendous boost for the Brooklyn push to create a Tech Triangle in the Dumbo, Brooklyn Navy Yard and Downtown Brooklyn neighborhoods where technology companies large and small could find a home.
According to the latest information on this project, the buildings will include a residential component. So far the building department has approved plans for removal of interior partitions at 55 Prospect St., 81 Prospect St., 117 Adams St., 77 Sands St., and 175 Pearl St. This deal also includes a hotel
Read more...In Downtown Brooklyn, on the corner of Boerum Place and Atlantic Avenue, there are currently 3 projects planned with 2 projects of the 3 already underway that will dramatically spruce up this corner of the neighborhood.
At 66 Boerum Place Midtown Equities is building
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Red Hook, Brooklyn, New York has been a growing and expanding neighborhood with real estate in high demand before hurricane Sandy occured. Home to a Fairway supermarket on the water,an Ikea superstore with a waterfront park as well as a ferry to Manhattan, the demand is still strong for Red Hook properties and Red Hook continues to attract homebuyers and investors despite hurricane Sandy.
Some buyers with a vision of building both residential housing and commercial buildings believe in the unique and trendy feel of Red Hook. Two brothers, Robert and John-Tom Seetin who for years have been doing high end custom metal fabrication,architectural metals and millwork are building a new home for their business on Coffey Street in Red Hook.The Seetin brothers decided to Relocate their business from Williamsburg, where have been running their business for the last 15 years. Sandy was not going to stop them from relocating to Red Hook. Their new three story building will have a fortified foundation, strong grade beams and piles, flood vents on the walls and a crane to lift up factory equiptment if there is a threat of flooding.
We at Accord Real Estate Group are happy to report that we had been retained by the United States Bankruptcy Court Eastern District of New York, the law firm of La Monica, Herbst and Maniscalco LLP and a court appointed Trustee to handle the marketing and sale of two properties which we successfully closed on in December 2013. The properties are located in the Bedford Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn New York.
One of the properties is
Read more...Merry Christmas and A Happy New Year From Accord Real Estate Group. This is such a great time of year in New York. We have such a festive looking city. There is no other quite like it. Brooklyn is in a class all it's own. Brooklyn is one heck of a festive looking borough.
Just take a drive to the Dyker Heights neighborhood where the Christmas lights, annimated Santas, Elves, Raindeer and Snowmen are world class in their presentation. From 75th Street to 86th Street and from 10th Avenue to 14th Avenue you will be truly amazed at the passion and enthusiasm this neighborhood and it's residents have for Christmas and The New Year. If you are with family, friends, all of your loved ones (especially kids) for the holidays and you want to see how Brooklyn does Christmas, come and take a drive around Dyker Heights to see the lights. There may be a lot of cars oogling the lights and sights, but it is very civilized. Everyone is so friendly, you will have a great time.
Read more...On Sunday December 15th a wonderful Duke Ellington/ Billy Strayhorn arrangement of The Nutcracker Suite, originally composed by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky was performed by The Brooklyn Jazz Orchestra at The Lafayette Avenue Presbyterian Church located at 85 South Oxford Street in Fort Greene, Brooklyn.
Read more...Brooklyn's Barclays Center has created a synergy of Real Estate forces in Downtown Brooklyn which is undeniable. The neighborhood is undergoing an amazing transformation as a result of Barclays being the #1 concert venue in America today. Many investors, developers, small and big retailers want to capitalize on the tremendous amount of travel traffic that Downtown Brooklyn now attracts.
There are two new trendy hotels being planned for construction just blocks away from Barclay's Center.
Read more...or Happy Thanksgivukkah as it has been playfully nicknamed this year. The first day of the eight day festival of Hanukkah falls the day before the secular American holiday of Thanksgiving. This once in a lifetime convergence between the two holidays won't happen again until the year 79,811.
We are deeply grateful and thankful to our clients who have placed their trust in us and our real estate brokerage company and listed their properties for sale with us.
We have also had the good fortune to work with other professional real estate companies,
Read more...The Gowanus neighborhood situated between Park Slope and Carroll Gardens is gradually becoming gentrified and attracting the attention of investors. Large developers have been land banking commercial properties hoping for a rezoning of the neighborhood and thus allowing mixed use and residential projects to take the place of old warehouses and loft buildings.
Two developers named Aaron Lemma and Asher Abesera formerly with Two Trees Management have purchased 68 and 80 Third Street (The former New York Vitrified Tile Co. building) off of Hoyt Street with the intention of creating boutique office space and artisanal shops. The location of these buildings is excellent, as a connecting street between Park Slope and Carroll Gardens.
Another project
Read more...In recent blogs we have focused on real estate in some of the more high profile, hot neighborhoods in Brooklyn New York such as Fort Greene, Downtown Brooklyn, Dumbo, Bedford Stuyvesant, Clinton Hill, Prospect Heights etc... With the popularity of neighborhoods near Prospect Park, Prospect Lefferts Gardens is being recognized as a great neighborhood to live in.
A much more reasonably priced alternative to Park Slope on the other side of Prospect Park, Prospect Lefferts Gardens real estate has gotten the attention of Investor/ Developers as well as first time home buyers.
A few reasons for the growing interest in this wonderful Brooklyn neighborhood are a great housing stock consisting of many gorgeous blocks of beautiful, well kept brick and limestone
Read more...Before we get to talk about Real Estate, let’s just review the background and history of Sunset Park. Since the 1980's until today Sunset Park Brooklyn, NY has the largest Chinese community in New York City and has been known as Brooklyn's Chinatown. Sunset Park was at one time called Little Latin America, with over 50% of the neighborhoods population being Hispanic in cultural background and origin. These days Sunset Park is home to a wonderful diversity of not only Asians, but Hispanics, Finns, Norwegians, Italians, Orthodox Jews and others.
Now on to Sunset Park real estate. The borders of the Sunset Park neighborhood are between 65th Street and 42nd Street and from 3rd Avenue to 8th/9th Avenue. The two main hubs of Sunset Park are
Read more...One of the topics that we write blogs about is the evolution, emergence, sometimes reemergence and transformation of various Brooklyn neighborhoods. On July 18th we focused on the emergence and forward progress of Brooklyn's Tech Triangle which encompasses the neighborhoods of Brooklyn Heights, The Brooklyn Navy Yard and Dumbo. On May 10th we touched on the Future of Fort Greene/Downtown Brooklyn.
Today's blog is a continuation from that May10th Blog and is an update of specifically The BAM Cultural District a mini neighborhood whose boundaries consist of Flatbush Avenue, Fulton and South Oxford Streets and Hanson Place.
Read more...We frequently blog about Real Estate news in Brooklyn's wonderful neighborhoods and the lifestyles that people enjoy in those neighborhoods. This blog is devoted to some of many Brooklyn's neighborhoods such as Sunset Park, Homecrest, Coney Island, Midwood and Bensonhurst that are a treasure trove of amazing restaurants from one end of the borough to the other to be experienced.
Sunset Park is one such neighborhood.
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Every summer in Valencia Spain party seekers from all over the world flock to the town of Bunol to fight in a battle, called La Tomatina, where old rotten tomatoes are thrown in the streets.
The New York City Tomato Battle which took place last Saturday July 20th at The Aviation and Events Center located at Floyd Bennett Field 3159 Flatbush Avenue, Brooklyn New York. Inspired in part by the La Tomatina festival in Spain, this is the first time New York City has hosted a Tomato Battle event.
Brooklyn has been an attraction for tech companies for decades. Now with the plan to create millions of square feet of commercial space in Brooklyn Tech Triangle it should change New York City position in the country as the second largest tech hub after the Silicon Valley to number one! The Brooklyn Tech Triangle consists of the space between Downtown Brooklyn, DUMBO and the Brooklyn Navy Yard.
The Jehovah's Witnesses' just sold six buildings in Dumbo with a total of 1.2 million square feet of commercial space that gives a tremendous boost in the creation of Brooklyn's Tech Triangle. The buyers are New York City developers RFR and Kushner Companies. Office space has been so scarce in Dumbo that if these buildings are used for office space, the buildings
Read more...Accord Real Estate Group is a boutique size Real Estate Brokerage Company, representing property owners planning to sell their properties. We are experienced and have a successful track record of selling Commercial, Residential and Investment properties in many Brooklyn neighborhoods.
What makes a top real estate broker? It is not what real estate brokers say but it is what their clients say about them. Over the course of many years our clients have been very happy with our dedication to providing them with the best personalized and professional brokerage service and we often exceed their expectations. How are we able to provide our clients with service and results that they expect from a top real estate broker? The answer to this is simple. At Accord Real Estate Group we specialize in one extremely important part of the real estate profession that is representing property owners in the marketing and sale of their properties. We proudly stand for our company motto – Experience, Integrity, Results.
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Amongst Brooklyn's many historic and wonderful neighborhoods, Coney Island has a rich and varied history. Coney Island was at one time the playground for the very wealthy, then a gathering place for the masses and then experienced a decline. Today Coney Island is attracting a new wave of retailers and restaurants. According to Mr. Zane Tankel, owner of the Applebee's restaurant chain, "Coney Islands time has come. It's the renaissance of the neighborhood". Mr. Tankel has just signed a 20 year lease on a Surf Avenue spot and this newest Applebee's location was set to open on June 17th.
Read more...Commercial Real Estate in Brooklyn New York is more exciting than ever before. Today's blog touches on three different brilliantly creative, innovative and entrepreneurial, newsworthy occurrences in Brooklyn Commercial real estate news.
Mr. Baldev Duggal invested $5 million to transform a dilapidated ship repair facility located in The Brooklyn Navy Yard, into The Duggal Greenhouse,
Read more...In our blogs we occasionally like to glowingly describe some of Brooklyn's many amazing neighborhoods. The subject of today's neighborhood blog is Boerum Hill. There is an incredible variety of homes for sale in Brooklyn, NY.
Read more...Bedford Stuyvesant is one of the 5 quickest growing neighborhoods in Brooklyn at this time. With a 19.4% population increase, there is no other Brooklyn neighborhood growing quite as quickly as Bedford Stuyvesant. As a result of this tremendous growth in population the demand for housing is very high and cannot match current inventory levels of both rentals and residential properties for sale. The reasons for this boom in population growth are a short commute by subway into Manhattan, prices for apartments for rent that are 10 to 30% cheaper than in Manhattan. Gorgeous tree lined blocks with magnificent and historic Brownstone, Limestone and Wood Frame houses on the market for sale have
Read more...Fort Greene Brooklyn, a historic neighborhood, considered to be part of Brownstone Brooklyn, has many gorgeous tree lined streets exhibiting an absolutely magnificent array of homes in the Neo Grec, Romanesque Revival, Queen Anne, Italian and Federal style.
The price range of these incredible homes has gone up dramatically and is in the multi-million dollar range. The rental prices in this neighborhood have also skyrocketed. For example, a studio apartment now rents for approximately $2,500.00 per month, one bedroom asking $3,500.00 and two bedrooms asking $4,700.00. Because of Ft Greene's popularity with renters and new home buyers there is high demand for new housing and several major residential projects are underway and set to launch in this neighborhood.
Read more...The Empire warehouses are located in the Empire Fulton Ferry section of Brooklyn Bridge Park at 53-83 Water Street. These buildings were built by architect Thomas Stone in 1869 and feature distinctive brick walls with round arch openings and iron shutters. The warehouses consist of seven contiguous buildings, four and five stories in height.
Ten design firms have submitted proposals to the Community Advisory Council (CAC). These proposals are aimed at generating income for the Brooklyn Bridge Park maintenance, preserving, restoring and reusing the landmarked buildings and transform the buildings into an exciting and dynamic destination that will work well with the park and the surrounding area. The designs include retail, office and cultural space.
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If you want to have a wonderful, fun and interesting day whether on the weekend or during the week please come to visit Prospect Heights in Brooklyn New York. Prospect Heights is one of many beautiful Brooklyn neighborhoods.
The two main streets that run parallel to one another through Prospect Heights are Vanderbilt Avenue and Washington Ave. You can stroll for hours amongst the magnificent trees, pastures and gardens at the 52-acre Brooklyn Botanical Garden or take a walk or bike through the gorgeous and sprawling Prospect Park designed by Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux after they completed Manhattan's Central Park.
While a lack of a listing inventory of properties for local Brooklyn Realtors and real estate brokers to sell continues to be a problem, according to The Real Estate Board of New York in a recent published report, Brooklyn residential sales prices and activity are up.
Comparing the number of residential sales in first quarter of last year to the first quarter of residential sales this year, Brooklyn showed a 21% increase or $1.6 Billion while residential sales in New York City was up 23.4% or $8.1 Billion.
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Brooklyn's continuing popularity with buyers seeking a neighborhood with hipster appeal, great nightlife and close proximity to Manhattan has made Williamsburg Brooklyn a prime destination in New York. With Williamsburg's strong attraction to young singles and now young families local realtors, brokers and agents have seen an ongoing demand for properties for sale even in this difficult New York real estate market. With the purchase of the defunct Domino Sugar Factory on the Williamsburg waterfront for $186 Million last year the developer Mr.Jed Walentas, principal of Two Trees Management Company, is now planning to attract large companies such as Yahoo and JetBlue to Williamsburg Brooklyn, NY.
Read more...The construction of new Brooklyn residential properties had been greatly affected by the last recession. As a result, we are seeing much more development of rental units as opposed to condominium units. A slow economy and low consumer confidence along with the banks tight lending practices resulted in some development projects that were originally planned as condos to be switched to rentals. For example, one of the development opportunities that we at Accord Real Estate Group have in our inventory was planned as a high end condominium project.
Read more...The sadness of a loved one passing away is unmatched. Sometimes there is an additional burden of having to deal with the sale of the loved ones real estate property. This is where our experienced real estate professionals are here to help you and your family and lessen the weight of this important matter at this most difficult time. Professionalism and Compassion are the core of how we help our clients when selling estate properties.
Having marketed and sold hundreds of estate properties over the course of many years, we at Accord Real Estate Group have the experience to insure the sale of the property will be smooth and with least amount of distress for you. We are experts at the appraisal, marketing and sale of estate property.
The brokers and agents at Accord Real Estate Group bring solid guidance and close
Read more...How to decide on which Real Estate Company to Hire
The National Association of Realtors show through the years that 80-90% of property owners who sell their property worked with Real Estate Brokerage companies. Experienced realtors will achieve a much higher sale price for their client’s property compared to the sale price by the property owners on their own. What are the reasons for this high percentage of success that sellers have with experienced realtors?
1) The majority of real estate brokers and agents take pride in their profession and have years of valuable experience.
2) Many realtors are technologically savvy and have all of the latest gadgets to access information and communicate with buyers and sellers instantly.
3) Many real estate companies have a hardworking, dedicated staff of brokers and agents who provide personal attention to their buyers and sellers.
4) There are a select few real estate companies who have a custom built real estate website that is not a boiler plate web site and that truly communicates their company’s goals and message to their clients.
The above is true for many real estate companies and their brokers and agents. Now, you need to decide who to choose to be hired as your real estate broker to handle the marketing and sale of your most valued asset - your home and or your investment property.
The answer to this question is, believe it or not, relatively simple.
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There is no doubt that the housing market in Brooklyn New York has improved over the last 2 years. Sales of residential, commercial, mixed-use and investment properties have increased. However, many Brooklyn neighborhoods have a low inventory of properties available for sale at this time, especially Brooklyn neighborhoods in the Northern section of the borough such as the neighborhoods of Williamsburg, Greenpoint, Bedford Stuyvesant (Bed Stuy), Bushwick, Clinton Hill, Downtown Brooklyn, Brooklyn Navy Yard, Brooklyn Heights, Fort Greene (Ft Greene), Prospect Heights, Carroll Gardens, Cobble Hill and Boerum Hill. These Brooklyn neighborhoods are in very high demand for housing and investing because of their close proximity to Manhattan (NYC) and their uniqueness of character.
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The old time, traditional way that the real estate brokerage profession has worked, involved real estate brokers, realtors and agents sitting in an office and working with residential and commercial properties, servicing buyers, sellers and renters. The neighborhood where the office of the real estate brokerage company was located in was considered "their territory".
Fast forward to real estate brokerage today
Read more...Accord Real Estate Group is a licensed Brooklyn real estate broker that specializes in representing property owners in the marketing and sale of their Brooklyn real estate properties. The property can be a house for sale, commercial property, mixed use or investment property, land or development opportunity, co-op apartment and commercial or residential condominium for sale.
The services that we provide our sellers with are extensive including
Read more...Firstly, Anna and I want to wish everyone Happy Holidays and a Healthy, Happy and Prosperous New Year! The Accord Real Estate Group real estate brokerage company was blessed with a successful year of a great inventory of homes, investment properties and several development opportunities that we successfully marketed and went to contract on and closed on. We thank our wonderful clients for the opportunity to represent them in the sale of their Brooklyn real estate. We have experienced in this past year that the Brooklyn Residential and Development Opportunity segments of the Brooklyn Real Estate Market are strong and the new year will be a strong one as well.
Read more...Just this past Sunday, I attended a birthday party for a friend. The topic of conversation that dominated the afternoon was super storm Sandy. I am certain that the tragic loss of life and devastation of whole communities that Sandy caused will forever remain in every New Yorker's mind and heart. Most Brooklynites, who own homes in the Brooklyn neighborhoods not effected in any significant way by Sandy have long since gone back to their normal lives. The homeowners whose property is located in coastal neighborhoods in Brooklyn, that were badly effected by Sandy are gradually pulling themselves up by the bootstraps and working very hard to get their homes and lives back to normal again. An example of the fortitude of one woman who is a homeowner in Manhattan Beach (a neighborhood very badly hit by Sandy) is a real estate broker, the co owner of Accord Real Estate Group and my business partner and friend of 11 years Anna Kader. Anna's home was significantly damaged by the storm. Through weeks of negotiating with contractors and insurance companies, overseeing renovations, shopping for materials and working through the nightmare of a process of cleaning up and rebuilding her home, Anna and many other Brooklyn homeowners are getting the job done!
The effect that Sandy is having on the Brooklyn Real Estate market will vary from neighborhood to neighborhood and property to property. In the long term however, residential and commercial property sales in even the worst hit Brooklyn neighborhoods will rebound and the future of real estate in Brooklyn NY is still very bright.
For more information about Brooklyn Real Estate, call or email us. We will be happy to assist you in every way we can.
Thank you.
Read more...Dear Brooklynites
Hurrican Sandy has deeply affected the lives of so many people, it was the largest Atlantic hurricane on record. Most of us did not want to believe that it would be as devastating as it was. Although power has been restored to many areas affected by Sandy there are still thousands of Brooklynites without power or running water or even worse - without a roof above their heads.
As a lifelong Brooklyn resident, I lived with my identical twin brother Jay and our parents in Brighton Beach when we were young children. I have many very happy childhood memories of those years going to Manhattan and Brighton beaches, the boardwalk, Coney Island, Lundy's restaurant (designated as a landmarked building) on Emmons Avenue, in Sheepshead Bay for the best seafood dinners around. As an adult and a licensed real estate broker for the past 25 years, I have been servicing the coastal neighborhoods of Manhattan Beach, Brighton Beach, Sheepshead Bay, Sea Gate, Coney Island and Red Hook amongst many other non coastal Brooklyn neighborhoods that were also badly affected by the super storm.
After driving around these neighborhoods, seeing for myself, and talking to many neighborhood residents about the devastation that Hurricane Sandy left behind, at Accord Real Estate Group our hearts go out to the many, many folks whose lives were changed by Sandy from losing family members, having their home and personal property destroyed and dreams shattered.
We sincerely want to help our neighbors and friends and anybody in needs in any way that we can. Whether it be by giving helpful information, referring good plumbers or electricians or just to listen to you. We understand you maybe more because unfortunately some members of our team are also suffering the devastating effects of the hurricane.
Please click on the links below for some helpful information.
Hurricane Sandy Emergency Information:
For online registration go to www.disasterassistance.gov/ or
call FEMA Helpline - 1-800-621-FEMA (3362) (TTY -1-800-462-7585 for the hearing impaired) in addition to having a pen and paper, please have the following information ready:
your Social Security Number
A description of your losses that were caused by the disaster
Insurance information
A telephone number where you can be contacted
We will be honored to help you. Do not hesitate to call us at 917-804-3198 or 718-375-2065.
Thank you.
Read more...The popularity of Brooklyn real estate is undeniable and growing. In the last several years investors/ developers have shown increasing interest in purchasing vacant land and development sites.
We, at Accord Real Estate Group, are currently representing two property owners for large development opportunities in two Brooklyn neighborhoods, Park Slope and Prospect Heights. We have also recently closed on sales of 2 pieces of vacant land on Classon Avenue in Prospect Heights at 516 and 518 Classon Avenue, Brooklyn NY 11238.
If you interested to learn more about this trend in Brooklyn New York real estate please read this article from The Real Deal Magazine
If you have any questions please feel free to call or email us. We will be happy to assist you.
Read more...In the ever changing real estate landscape and the trend of shifting boundaries of Brooklyn New York neighborhoods, Prospect Heights is one such neighborhood. There are many Brooklyn neighborhoods that have already experienced this trend. They are South Slope, the neighborhood that got its name from its neighbor to the east Park Slope, in an effort to capitalize on the allure and prestige of Park Slope. The boundary shift has also happened in Borough Park that now includes part of the Kensington neighborhood such as Parkville Avenue and Dahill Road; Manhattan Beach which now includes Corbin Place that used to be part of the Brighton Beach neighborhood; Fort Greene and Brooklyn Navy Yard; Clinton Hill and Bedford Stuyvesant, Williamsburg and Bushwick also have gone through the neighborhood boundaries change.
Read more...Growing up in Brooklyn, New York as a kid and then young adult, graduating from Brooklyn College and now as a licensed real estate broker marketing and selling properties in Brooklyn for over 25 years, I have had a unique opportunity to witness the evolution of Brooklyn, New York real estate. Even as a young kid, my identical twin brother and I would ride our bicycles through different Brooklyn neighborhoods to visit our friends. Things were much different then. Real estate in many spectacular Brooklyn neighborhoods has a rich historic architectural mixture influenced by residents from countries as varied as new comers who came here to live. Brooklyn New York real estate is in high demand like never before! While Brooklyn real estate has seen years of incredible value appreciation and sky high prices as well as a decline in value as a result of the economic, mortgage and housing crisis of 2008-2009, the market forces unique to Brooklyn real estate have stabilized since late 2011. The Brooklyn real estate market continues to remain stable resulting in increased selling and buying activity in many neighborhoods.
Read more...Williamsburg is one of many spectacular neighborhoods in Brooklyn New York that is in high demand by young families who are looking for a great place to live, raise their families and put down roots. And it’s easy to understand why. Besides an easy commute to New York City, families can choose from gorgeous new condominium constructions that have a spectacular views of Manhattan as well as coop apartments and 1,2 or 3 family houses.
Read more...When you are planning to sell your Brooklyn New York property for the highest, yet a realistic price, it's best to get advice from experienced Real Estate Brokers and agents. Please keep in mind that your property is worth, the most that the real estate market will bear at any given point in time, according to where the property is located (location, location, location), what the property type is (residential, commercial, mixed use, co-op, condominium, vacant land or a development opportunity) and what the current market conditions are in your specific neighborhood in Brooklyn.
Read more...Spend the day or choose to stay. We recommend that you visit the Red Hook neighborhood in Brooklyn, New York and spend the day shopping, relaxing and having fun. A little bit out of the way via public transportation, but easily accessible by car or New York Water Front Taxi. Red Hook is one of Brooklyn's most historic and interesting waterfront neighborhoods.
At the intersection of Columbia Street and Sigourney Street lies Old Todd Memorial Park, which is now home to Red Hook Community Farm, an agricultural oasis in Brooklyn. 
As Brooklyn Real Estate Broker for 25 years and Broker/Owner of Accord Real Estate Group I would like to share with you my understanding of the disappointing year to date sales statistics in Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn. Even though the recent sales data for residential real estate indicates a decline in total sales from 78 in 2011 to 63 in 2012 for the period between May - August 2011 and May - August 2012, the sold prices have held steady for residential real estate in Sheepshead Bay Brooklyn, which is a good news. The breakdown for 2011 sales is as follows: 1-3 family homes - 28 sold, co-ops and condominiums - 50 sold. The breakdown for 2012 is 1-3 family homes - 22 sold, co-ops and condominiums - 41 sold.
Sheepshead Bay is one of many Brooklyn Neighborhoods that we service. The residential real estate market in Sheepshead Bay
Read more...The Real Estate and Development Committee of The Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce, held its 12th annual Building Brooklyn Awards Ceremony on July 12th.
The following are Brooklyn Building Award recipients for their innovative and neighborhood enhancing construction projects:
There has always been a group of "players" so to speak, that is in the business of Buying, Fixing and Selling properties and a group specializing in developing new condominium and mixed use projects in many established and emerging Brooklyn, NY neighborhoods.
We are seeing an increase in recent months in the number of people looking for investment and development opportunities in Brooklyn. There are several reasons for this like the weak economy and unpredictable stock market has created the necessity for many people to find alternative careers and ways to invest their money.
Read more...On May 4th of this year we posted our blog Historic and New Brooklyn NY Parks where we glowingly praised Prospect Park for its beauty and diversity of activities available to the public and Brooklyn Bridge Park for it's amazing location, innovative landscape design, neighborhood restaurant choices and the many ways to enjoy the park.
We have just learned and are happy to share the news that Toll Brother's City Living and Starwood Capital Group have been approved for a joint venture to develop an approximately 550,000 square foot luxury hotel complex on the upland of Pier 1 in Brooklyn Bridge Park.
Read more...In the last six months, Accord Real Estate Group, which primarily markets and sells an inventory of residential, commercial, mixed use, investment and development properties, has successfully sold most of their inventory. We are experiencing a noticeable increase in the number of transactions in all property types and investment opportunities. It is a clear indication that the Brooklyn Real Estate market is showing signs of improvement. We just closed on a lovely, brick two family house in good condition in Gravesend, where the purchaser's interest rate on their loan
Read more...You may never have heard of the Brooklyn neighborhood called Homecrest, but it is an incredibly exciting and vibrant place to visit, and explore and to live. Easily accessible via the Q train to Kings Highway, Homecrest is worth the trip for many reasons. Homecrest has one of Brooklyn's most popular shopping and dining destination called Kings Highway. Kings Highway at any given point in time filled with the sounds of different languages of its diverse residents, such as Russian, Spanish, Italian, Arabic, Tagalog, Chinese, Greek, Hebrew, Pakistani and let's not forget English. When you arrive at Kings Highway, if you realize that you forgot to go to the bank to get some cash to spend, not to worry, there are at least 10 banks large and small within a 15 block stretch. The shopping on Kings Highway attracts people from all over Brooklyn with many boutiques, clothing and shoe stores such as FOX’s, Designer Off-Price Department Store, Aldo, Chuckies, Steve Madden, Central Sports, Baker, Shoe Lab just to name a few.
Read more...Jeff Grandis and Anna Kader Broker/Owners of Accord Real Estate Group are very proud to introduce their new company website Accord Real Estate Group that was released in the beginning of May 2012. The main purpose of the new web site is to provide our clients with a cutting edge internet marketing exposure for their properties. Our website consistently achieves high search engine position results, which is a tremendous benefit to our clients. The new site is also very easy to navigate around and will provide visitors with a user friendly Real Estate website experience.
Read more...How lucky can Brooklyn residents get? There are several outstanding, historic and one still under construction, but amazing and very worth seeing park in Brooklyn New York today. Let's start with Prospect Park, which was designed by Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux after they completed Manhattan's Central Park in Manhattan. Prospect Park has an amazing bicycle path that twists and turns all through the park. This path is a bike riders dream and bicyclists can be seen year round riding through the park's wonderful bike path. There are pastures and lakes and an amazing abundance of gorgeous trees throughout the park. There are many events, cultural and otherwise held in Prospect Park, especially in The Spring and Summer time such as Bird watching, The Greenmarket, Dog events, Craft activities, Googa Mooga festival - a celebration of food and music on May 20th, The Food Truck Rally (a favorite of many) on May 28th, The Rhythm Revue Jazz and R&B concert June 25th and much much more!
Read more...Had a rough week? Looking to pamper yourself, explore an amazing Brooklyn Neighborhood, be entertained by world class, cutting edge artists, dine on scrumptious and healthy food? Well according to Jeff Grandis Broker Co- Owner of Accord Real Estate Group, a licensed Real Estate Broker, Boerum Hill fits the bill just fine.
Boerum Hill is easy to get to via the subway, with the F and G trains stopping at Carroll Street and Smith Street. What you can expect when you arrive is a treat for all of your senses. Smith Street, an incredible main street in this neighborhood, is lined with some of Brooklyn's finest restaurants such as Wild Ginger located at 112 Smith Street. Wild Ginger serves a wonderful Pan Asian cuisine. The ambiance is soothing and lovely. Take a table in the rear for more privacy. You may want to try the seaweed salad, ginger pumpkin soup and for the main course the Malaysian Curry Stew is out of this world! The deserts are equally as delicious. You should try the peanut mouse chocolate cake.
Read more...With Spring just around the corner, many Brooklyn home owners want to know about recent market changes regarding their Brooklyn property values. A home owner may want to know if the substantial number of short sales or foreclosures that are taking place in their neighborhood and surrounding Brooklyn neighborhoods will effect their home's value. Other homeowners who are more knowledgeable about the Brooklyn real estate market want to know if the real estate cycle trending down for the past 3-4 years has come to an end. Has the market finally stabilized or are we headed for a further decline in home values?
Read more...The vibrant and diversified Brooklyn Real Estate Market is not a recession proof market. Experts and everyday people agree that the poor condition of the economy has had a dramatic effect on the housing market. The Brooklyn Real Estate Market has experienced a downturn in property values for some time now as well as in other US cities. Some homeowners who can no longer meet their monthly mortgage payments for an extended period of time because of hardship, i.e. due to job losses or reduced income, medical emergency, etc. face the possibility of their property going into foreclosure, where the bank takes back the property to be sold.
Read more...Whether you are searching for a reputable and reliable Brooklyn realtor to give you an accurate opinion of your home's value in today's market and to assist you with the sale of your property or if you are planning to purchase a house, commercial property, mixed use building, vacant land to develop, a condominium, a co-op apartment or a multi family property Jeffgrandis.com might be your #1 web destination on the internet. We have in our company inventory real estate listings that have good value for what they are, where they are and for the kind of market that we are currently in. For example, we are now offering 2 parcels of vacant land at a very reasonable price with great zoning for development in Clinton Hill, a very desirable and up and coming Brooklyn neighborhood. Also in our inventory of properties for sale is a large brick vacant 4 family house with good income potential at a very reasonable price located in East Flatbush. This property is perfect for a handy, do it your self investor looking for a low risk high return first investment property or an investor with a large portfolio of properties. We also have several listings of great values in co-op apartments for sale. One apartment is completely renovated and 2 blocks from the beach in Brighton Beach.
Read more...With its amazing choice of neighborhoods and lifestyles, shopping and transportation conveniences, majestic parks, a rich diversity of architectural styles, world class entertainment and dining choices Brooklyn NY real estate has become the number one choice for home buyers, business owners and investors to buy real estate properties. At Accord Real Estate Group we are proud of our long standing track record of excellent results in representing sellers and assisting buyers with their sale or purchase of Brooklyn New York real estate. From Sheepshead Bay to Bensonhurst, from Dyker Heights to Sunset Park, from Brooklyn Heights to Windsor Terrace, from Manhattan Beach to BoCoCa and many other Brooklyn neighborhoods, we at Accord Real Estate Group know Brooklyn NY real estate and we know that you deserve only the finest personal attention from experienced real estate brokers and agents when you are planning to sell or to purchase a property. If you are planning to sell real estate in Brooklyn New York you can rely on us to bring you the best price possible in today's market. If you are planning to buy real estate in Brooklyn NY for the 1st time, shopping for a Brownstone, Co-op, Condominium, Brooklyn Townhouse or if you are an experienced investor looking for a multi family, mixed use or commercial property or if you are a business owner, looking for a building to set up your business, we listen very carefully to your needs and expectations to find just the right property for you. In addition to our brokers and agents we are working with a wide range of professionals, who can assist you with every aspect of preparing to sell or to purchase real estate properties in Brooklyn NY including cleaning out and cleaning up a property in preparation to sell, staging and making necessary renovations to make the best 1st impression when showing your property, real estate attorneys, movers, mortgage brokers etc.
Read more...The neighborhoods of Sheepshead Bay, Brighton Beach, Coney Island, Sea Gate and Manhattan Beach are all located right on or are surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean. According to Jeff Grandis, a lifelong resident of Brooklyn and a Brooklyn Real Estate Broker " For a truly relaxing ,fun, historic, interesting and delicious experience every New Yorker or tourist should visit these Brooklyn neighborhoods." Sheepshead Bay is the New York version of Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco. Sheepshead Bay has both fishing and party boats depart from the piers going out to sea morning and night. Restaurants, clubs,shops and expensive condominiums abound. Brighton Beach is the mecca of Russian culture in Brooklyn. Brighton Beach Avenue is a wonderland of specialty food markets, cafes, nightclubs and restaurants. The boardwalk stretches for several miles along the beaches of Brighton Beach and Coney Island ending at Sea Gate, Brooklyn's oldest gated community. Coney Island is at least for now still the home some great old amusement park rides that are a wonderful slice of Brooklyn history, i.e. The Cyclone and The Wonder Wheel.
Read more...Residential property sales for the first quarter of 2010 showed bright spots in several Brooklyn neighborhoods, based on the business transactions made through the efforts of Accord Real Estate Group. For example, a detached brick two family house in Sheepshead Bay, sold in one week at full price, and there were many other interested, qualified buyers in need of a good house. Another example is a brick 3 family house in Bensonhurst, that sold relatively quickly at close to asking price and again there were many other qualified buyers interested in this house. Still another example of a Brooklyn neighborhood bright spot is a handyman's special brick 3 family house in Ft Greene. The house is located just 2 blocks from Fort Greene Park on the Myrtle Avenue side of the park and it was sold relatively quickly for a great price considering the amount of work needed to bring the house up to good condition. These sales, in my opinion as a Brooklyn Real Estate Broker, are a direct indication that the Brooklyn Real Estate Market is improving.
Read more...The Brooklyn Real Estate market in 2009 was a year that most if not all brokers, agents and realtors are glad is behind us. As a broker for 22 years selling Brooklyn Real Estate in many Brooklyn neighborhoods, I've seen in the last year that few Brooklyn neighborhoods saw any price increases in property values. For most Brooklyn neighborhoods, since we have been in a downward trend price wise, for the last 3-4 years prices remain at the lowest level since last real estate boom. While the 2010 Brooklyn Real Estate Market is expected to bring an improvement in sales volume, meaning, there will be more people selling and buying properties, I do not foresee an increase in property values yet and commercial property sales will still be slowed. Most mixed use and commercial properties will be difficult to sell in this overly cautious lending environment and slow business forecasts.
Read more...Jeff Grandis, a Brooklyn Realtor for 22 years points out that across the spectrum of properties for sale in Brooklyn New York today, whether Commercial, Residential or Mixed Use, buyers are out there shopping for values and buying. For example, whether it is a 1,300 Square Foot 3 bedroom 2 bath Luxury Condominium in Brighton Beach for sale at $535,000 or a one family 3 bedroom 2 bath duplex home for sale in Midwood for $450,000, or an extra large 2 family 3 bedroom over 2 bedroom house for sale in Sheepshead Bay for $689,000,or a mixed use building with one store and one 2 bedroom apartment for sale in Flatbush for $499,000 there is plenty of activity from qualified buyers and deals are being made. Grandis further points out that there are so many all cash investors out there hunting for deals and finding them at all price levels and property types. Now is truly a great time to buy. Even with the economy in a shambles and so much uncertainty and insecurity that exists in many peoples minds about what direction to turn in for a safe investment, Brooklyn Real Estate is still a solid choice for the long run.
Read more...In the Real Estate Brokerage business having a great team behind you is crucial to one's success in properly and professionally servicing clients and customers. Jeff Grandis, a Real Estate Broker/Owner at Accord Real Estate Group has the good fortune of being the leader of a great team. The most important member of Jeff's team is Anna Kader, a Real Estate Broker and co-owner of the company. She is an incredibly bright, focused, professional and thoroughly pleasant person. Anna, originally from Russia, has been in the United States for over 20 years. A former A.V.P for Citibank, Anna has a very strong technical computer background as well as a strong background in customer service. In the Real Estate Brokerage business for over 7 years, earning her Real Estate Broker's license Anna has an unusually strong knowledge and passion for real estate. Anna and Jeff work very carefully and thoroughly in researching prices and trends in sales of Brooklyn properties to give their clients the most up to date and accurate information to base their pricing decisions on. A strong exposure for the properties always increases the odds of getting more showings to qualified buyers and in return more opportunities to receive written bona fide offers. Anna's strong computer background benefits our clients dramatically. She posts our client's properties on multiple websites popular on the major Search Engines, including Jeffgrandis.com to maximize the exposure to the marketplace.
Read more...Please visit the Brooklyn Neighborhoods individul pages on our website to get detailed information for: Bath Beach Bay Ridge Bedford Stuyvesant Bensonhurst Bergen Beach Boerum Hill Boro Park Brighton Beach Brooklyn Heights Canarsie Carroll Gardens Clinton Hill Cobble Hill Columbia Street Waterfront District Coney Island Crown Heights Downtown Brooklyn Dumbo Dyker Heights Flatbush Flatlands Fort Greene Fort Hamilton Fulton Ferry Georgetown Gerritsen Beach Gowanus Gravesend Homecrest Kensington/Parkville Madison Manhattan Beach Marine Park Midwood Mill Basin Park Slope Prospect Heights Prospect - Lefferts Gardens Prospect Park Red Hook Sea Gate Sheepshead Bay Sunset Park Williamsburg Windsor Terrace
Read more...In the fascinating and fast paced world of Real Estate in Brooklyn New York, occasionally we like to step back and comment on community related issues, special events, neighborhood trends, the business of real estate and important and not so important news in the form of blogs. I have been a neighborhood Real Estate Broker for many years and I would like to share my knowledge of the Real Estate business with you. I hope that you find that the blogs we are posting on this page to be helpful and informative. Please feel free to browse through these blogs and respond if you wish to. I welcome your e-mails with constructive ideas and comments. Thank You, Jeff Grandis
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Brooklyn New York has a stunning array of great restaurants!
If Italian food is your favorite and it is definitely mine I highly recommend “The New Corner' restaurant on 72nd street in Bay Ridge Brooklyn NY. Moderately priced and consistently great food, the following are some dishes that I highly recommend. Start out with the combo seafood salad & chef salad, it is to die for.If you are really hungry also go for the Zuppa di Clams or Mussels in a red sauce. The herbs and fresh sautéed garlic make it a real winner.For your main dish, whether you choose a traditional Veal Cutlet Parmigiana, Veal Chop alla Chef or Lobster Fra Diavolo with linguine, or you choose anything else on the menuit will be a great meal.
If you still have room for dessert the Profiteroles with ice cream, Ricotta Cheese cake (the Italian version) are a home run.
Your lifelong Brooklyn resident and also your Brooklyn Neighborhood Real Estate Broker,
Jeff Grandis
