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Friends, colleagues, neighbors,
July in New York—the heat is intense, and the tourists are aplenty, but that’s part of the city's charm! There’s nothing quite like watching the Wimbledon finals at Brooklyn Bridge Park, which is magically transformed to give you that authentic Wimbledon experience complete with strawberries and cream. This, among countless other activities, is a testament to why we love living here. July is brimming with exciting events and endless experiences.

As we pass the halfway point of the year, it’s a perfect time to reflect on your real estate goals. But then when have I said that it isn’t a perfect time! Understanding how the spring housing market has performed can help you reset and fine-tune your objectives for the remainder of the year. Let’s delve into the latest insights for Brooklyn and Manhattan apartment sales:

Manhattan: An overabundance of inventory has led to dips in both prices and closed sales compared to last year. While there remains strong demand for apartments, price adjustments are necessary to stimulate more transactions. 

Brooklyn: The narrative is quite different here. With not enough inventory, prices have risen, and sales have dipped only slightly. The demand remains strong, driven by the desirability of the area and the limited availability of homes.

For sellers in Brooklyn, this is a prime time to list your property, particularly if it’s in good condition and located in a sought-after area. Move-in ready homes are especially attractive to buyers who are eager but cautious due to ongoing economic uncertainties and rising interest rates.

For buyers in Brooklyn, finding your ideal home may require smart strategies, a bit of luck, and possibly some compromises. As economic reports suggest potential interest rate cuts in the latter half of the year, particularly around September, staying engaged in the market now will position you to act swiftly when the time comes. Manhattan for sure is a more nuanced situation.

Whether you’re a seller or a buyer, the key is to continue planning. Sellers should be preparing their homes to attract the best offers, while buyers should remain informed and agile, ready to make decisive moves.

As we navigate these market dynamics, remember to enjoy all the delightful aspects of summer in New York. From concerts and beaches to farmers markets brimming with local produce, there’s so much to savor. And while vacationing away is always delightful, returning to New York serves as a reminder of the unique vibrancy and love we have for this city.

Here’s to a wonderful July filled with sunshine, real estate success, and memorable moments.

Wishing everyone health and wellness, until we meet again.
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Neue Galerie New York, on Fifth Avenue’s museum mile, is a beautiful building and showcases the art of the early twentieth-century German and Austrian art and design. Of course, they have a room dedicated to Gustav Klimt but right now they have an exhibition of the work of Paula Modersohn-Becker (1876-1907), a major figure in the history of German Expressionism, whose work has never been featured before in the USA. She specialized in self-portraits and to promote the exhibition the museum invited people to submit their own self-portraits as part of a competition. A very clever idea. Exhibition runs through September 9th.
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An exhibition of an entirely different kind is opening on 27th July at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London right now. Calling all those Swiftie fans! The exhibition will showcase 16 looks worn by the star, with instruments, lyrics, videos and more on display. Each look will showcase a chapter in the songbook of Taylor’s career and spotlight a particular era of her music and prolific songwriting. The Taylor Swift Songbook Trail is on until the 8th September
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I am always looking for easy ways to unwind and gain some skills. This is my latest, the Clever Poppy teach yourself embroidery kits. I chose the beginner stitch sampler kit which has everything you need and teaches you all the stitches. They have beginner videos also. This is one of my summer projects. Watch this space!
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A recipe for summer, my strawberries and cream homage to summer cake. This is my summertime dessert. Fresh Strawberries and Cream Victoria sponge cake. Nothing better. So easy to make. Use the Mary Berry sponge cake recipe but then whip heavy cream with a little sugar, lather it between the sponges with a layer of fresh strawberries, layer the cream on top with another layer of fresh strawberries. Voila! Looks great and tastes even better. The one in this picture I made for my son’s birthday, hence the King for the Day birthday card!
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All the details on the closed apartment sales in Brooklyn and Manhattan this past quarter are in the reports.

Compare and Contrast

While Manhattan apartment closings picked up in the second quarter, they were still about 20% lower than the pre-Covid second quarter average. Even with a healthy level of apartments for sale, persistently high mortgage rates continue to keep many buyers on the sidelines. There’s no question there is still strong demand for Manhattan apartments, but for sales to really pick up, price adjustments will be needed in some segments of the market. Buyers will not overpay and with inventory sitting if overpriced, that is fueling buyers negotiating power but only if they know and understand the market dynamics.

Brooklyn apartment prices however posted healthy gains in the second quarter, even though the number of sales was down slightly from a year ago. Apartment prices averaged $1,084,679 in 2Q24, a 6% improvement compared to a year ago. Despite persistently high mortgage rates, the Brooklyn apartment market has remained very active the past few years

There is no doubt in my mind that expected lower rates, combined with the continued strength of the economy and stock market, should keep demand for Brooklyn apartments strong for the rest of 2024.

Be prepared is my motto always. Seller or Buyer. No head in the sand Read our reports, watch my videos and let’s talk about what that all this means for you and your real estate choices.

Connecting the dots across life’s decisions, through real estate
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This month’s story is about 111 Hicks Street Apt 8CD A 3-bedroom, 2 bathroom coop, in the heart of Brooklyn Heights, in an historic coop building.

Scan the QR code to hear about the journey from prelisting to closing.

You can sell your home with the right presentation, pricing and marketing.

As always contact me to hear more, and talk about selling your home
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Coming to market this week

This special one-bedroom apartment in Park Slope has the most amazing 400 sf roof deck with panoramic views of Manhattan and Brooklyn. Renovated, spacious and on the top floor of an elevator boutique coop building.

Oh, and did I say, washer/dryer in unit…

426 13th Street Apt 4C, Park Slope

Ask me for more information and why you should see this one

Call, text or email me to arrange your private showing
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