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An insiders look at all things Downtown and beyond – our neighborhood, our home, our community. March 2023

Out and About With Scout and Archie

Buyers Are Back, But Taking Time Scout, Archie and I are loving that the weather is slowly starting to feel like spring. And with the change in season the real estate market has also picked up. We are learning a lot as we hit the busiest time of the year for RE in New York Cit, With hopeful buyers increasingly concerned about affordability, a competitive pricing strategy is even more important now than last year. With limited inventory, well-priced homes can still expect strong demand from buyers. Beautiful, well-priced homes sell - work with an expert to style your home because it really matters. While some buyers may think it’s best to wait out the market, a sharp drop in home prices is unlikely this year. Inventory of homes for sale will increase in spring and early summer, but not enough to significantly slow the growth in home prices. Now, fewer new listings are entering the market than last year as current homeowners, who locked in low interest rates prior to 2022, remain hard pressed to put their homes on the market. As a result, any declines in home prices should be modest. Mortgage rates may be bumpy in the coming months, but any sustained decline in rates related to a less tight labor market this year will lead to an increase in competition among buyers.

Neighborhood Buzz

This Café In The Village Is Now Owned By Its Own Employees  Banter, a cozy café with locations in the West Village and Greenwich Village, can now lay claim to more than some of the most delicious Australian fare across the city. As of January 1, in fact, the brunch spot has been partly owned by its employees—a pretty unique set up within New York's competitive culinary world. Jaimen Sfetko, a Banter representative, explains that, at the beginning of 2023, the company opted to take on a new financial model called Teamshares, through which all employees were granted an initial 10% of the business. No one ever needs to buy into the model and, as the business grows, the percentage of available ownership expands. Read More >

Producer Scott Rudin Asks $26M For NYC Townhouse Award-winning film and Broadway producer Scott Rudin and his husband John Barlow, a former theater publicist, just listed their historic home at 22 Bank St. in the West Village for $26 million. Rudin and Barlow bought the four-bedroom, 19th-century townhouse on the street — named for the Bank of New York, founded by New York Post founder Alexander Hamilton — for $17.42 million in 2019.  The then-seller was Toronto-born editor Graydon Carter, the current founder of Air Mail, and the legendary former editor of Vanity Fair who famously received an interest-free mortgage to buy the Bank Street townhouse from his then-employers at Condé Nast. Read More > This Exclusive Workspace Blends Design With An Artistic Heritage When asked to describe the experience of walking into any location of The Malin, founder Ciaran McGuigan shies away from the term “co-work space.” Instead of muted walls and uncomfortable plastic chairs, the members-only workspace provides members with a fountain of inspiration by being surrounded by stylish design. After successful openings in New York City’s SoHo neighborhood and at Brooklyn’s William Vale, the latest space in the West Village holds a history as creative as its surroundings. Finding home within Charles Street’s storied American Railway Supply Building, the address also served as the art studio of late artist Jennifer Bartlett, who passed last July. Read More >

‘Hate Has No Home in New York’: Chaos Ensues At West Village Drag Story Hour Read-A-Thon Protesters clashed in the West Village on Sunday afternoon over a first-of-its-kind Drag Story Hour Read-A-Thon hosted by Attorney General Letitia James, resulting in one opponent being cuffed. The concept of Drag Story Hour, public children’s readings in which local drag queens read books to families, has galvanized New Yorkers and Americans alike over the last few years. The scene outside the The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center on March 19 was no different. Sunday’s event — hosted by James in partnership with a coalition of advocacy organizations and supported by a bevy of other elected officials — turned the traditional hour-long reading into a four-hour event brimming with inclusive, LGBTQ+ friendly arts and crafts. Read More >

Martha Stewart’s Daughter Leads Manhattan Luxury Deals Lands buyer for her West Village triplex asking $37M Martha Stewart’s daughter, Alexis Stewart, snagged the top offer last week in Manhattan when her triplex went into contract asking $37 million. The apartment at 165 Charles Street once housed four families on the 12th, 14th and 15th floors (there is no 13th), but the units were purchased in 2006 and 2007 for $35.5 million and combined, according to Olshan Realty’s weekly report of signed contracts for homes in the borough asking $4 million or more.  The 9,600-square-foot apartment has six bedrooms, six bathrooms, three powder rooms and four terraces that total 600 square feet. Read More > Every Coffee Bar in NYC’s West Village - Perhaps NYC’s Best The West Village must be the city’s best neighborhood to find an independent coffee shop or branch of a local chain that has not been hounded out of business by Starbucks, Dunkin’, or Blank Street. Each has its own unique ambiance — some have enough seating that you can perch for hours with your laptop, while others are so small that a dash-in for an espresso or a drip coffee is more advisable. Some mainly stick to coffee in its many permutations, while others have magnificent displays of munchies, sometimes running to entire meals. But the thing all these places have in common is a primary focus on coffee. Read More >

Another One In Contract 148 West 23rd Street Unit 4B Completely staged and reimagined by my team with 6 over-ask offers in the first week. Pin-drop Quiet Chelsea 1-Bedroom Loft w/ Home Office Soaring ceilings over 11 feet high with stunning beams and oversized windows greet you as you enter unit 4B at 148 West 23rd Street. This pin-drop quiet, beautifully curated home has room for everything. Learn More >

Giving Back! Raising Nearly $6,500 For Cancer Research I am so proud of my mighty team of four who rode in the annual Cycle for Survival Cancer Fundraiser. This was my 15th year with this amazing organization. Cycle is dedicated to providing quick and effective cancer research to battle rare cancers. Team members include Shuki Hasson, Amy Miller and Larry Seltzer. If you want to learn more or donate to our team, "Compass NY - Raise It, Ride It, Cure It" click the link below. Learn More >

*** If you are considering selling your home, I would love to share with you my "front loading"marketing strategies and staging.  ***

Scout and Archie's Scoop

Board Us? Hell no! Archie and I are very lucky to have great friends that come to stay with us when our dads are out of town. But we know many of our furry four legged friends do need to be boarded at times. When boarding your pets, take the time to do some research first. Safety is paramount, so look for secure, clean, chemical-free, and temperature-controlled spaces. Click here to learn more. xo - Scout and Archie

A Bit About Me A New York City resident for over 25 years and a West Village homeowner for over 16, I am passionate about this city and am devoted to making each client interaction an exciting and rewarding experience. It is a passion of mine to assist buyers, sellers, renters and investors to help them achieve real estate success. An expert in marketing, communication and negotiation, I skillfully guide clients with extensive market knowledge and my unfailing can-do attitude. A full-service agent, I work closely with top-tier real estate attorneys, mortgage bankers, financial advisors and stagers to facilitate all aspects of of my clients' needs. For the past 13 years, I have served as a member of my coop board and have a deep knowledge for running a building in NYC. I currently live on Charles Street with my husband, Shuki, and our rescue dogs, Scout and Archie. I am passionate about giving back to our NYC community and continually support and volunteer with many charities and nonprofits include AIDS Walk NY, Cycle for Survival and the Sato Project. I am here to help in any way I can with your real estate needs. Please reach out - I would love to hear from you and buy you a coffee at Blackstone Roasters. I can also connect you or your friends and family with top-notch real estate professionals all across the country. Click here to read my Google reviews.

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