Is It a Buyer's or Seller's Market in Townhouses?
Here’s an email we received from a reader this week: I was hoping you could foment some sort of discussion on the summer brooklyn townhouse market. I can’t really figure out what’s going on. It seems like a lot of stuff is left over from the spring, but then some great stuff just flies off…
Here’s an email we received from a reader this week:
I was hoping you could foment some sort of discussion on the summer brooklyn townhouse market. I can’t really figure out what’s going on. It seems like a lot of stuff is left over from the spring, but then some great stuff just flies off the shelf. I’ve been to dozens of open houses the past few weeks, some are empty, some are thronged. I can’t tell if it’s a buyer’s market or a seller’s market. It seems like a lot of people are waiting for the fall to see what comes on the market. What’s your sense?
Seems to us like there’s not a lot of good inventory and that buyers aren’t desperate enough to go for the crap. Your thoughts?
Photo by Da Nator
“Good places” in terms of houses, get snapped up right away no matter where you are, be it Brooklyn or Scarsdale. The overpriced crap is what hangs around, city or suburb.
I also wanted to give props to Anonymous at 11 for a nice little support of the suburbs – they aren’t quite the death many folks here have convinced themselves they are, although I understand you have to try to use that as a justification for staying in the city – for some reason “I just prefer the city” isn’t enough for some people, and they have to denigrate others living choices to make themselves feel better. Most of the world doesn’t live in NYC and really, most don’t suffer for it. I like NYC a lot, but it’s an extremely close-minded attitude that some folks around here seem to have about the suburbs – yes, close-minded, even in NYC. VEnture out into the NYC suburbs one day and you’ll see that with the times, the suburbs have changed, and the people living in them.
We are leaving the city for suburbs, and even with the commute (which isn’t so bad considering people in the “city” I know have hour or longer commutes, depending on where they live and work), I couldn’t be more excited for a big backyard for my dog and baby, huge open parks (state parks in my area), a lot more space and cleaner streets and air. Also, I am going to be in a diverse suburb – only about 64% white, and the rest a mix of mostly latino, black and asian (similiar numbers to what someone posted above). And enough ethnic restaurants to keep me happy.
The suburbs – not a bad option, prospective buyer.
“standing for 45 minutes on the number 5 or whatever”
sorry if this sounds snarky, but it kinda is. if you’ve ever waited 45 mins for a number 5 train, you really belong in the suburbs.
sorry, but it’s true.
new york isn’t made for everyone. survival of the fittest should be the new city slogan.
1:49 – thank you. A voice of sanity in the wilderness. Sometimes I pray for a giant crime wave to wash these people back to the suburbs from whence they came.
i hope for the environment’s sake, if nothing else, that the burbs will never again be “hip”
please no.
just think of poor weiner dog. she couldn’t WAIT to run away to the big city!!!
in terms of commuting, I would rather be sitting for an hour in a Metro Morth train than standing for 45 minutes on the number 5 or whatever.
I also like the change of scenery between the city and the suburbs.
I looked at places in Brooklyn, the subways were awful -and slow! And when I got there I felt I never left the crowded, smelly urban environment where my office is. No thanks.
I like the commute on my train in the cell-free car.
i may be a humorless prig (or at least someone who doesn’t think that people on the verge of homelessness is amusing), but at least my bf helps to pay the bills.
sounds like you’re the one with the fun life, dollface.
So, basically, what’s going to happen is this….the suburbs are going to become the hip place to be because all the freelancers will move out there. The city will become (has already) a stale place for the overworked rich.
You got it. It sounds to me that you have very little familiarity with the world of freelance work (which certain fields, i.e., film, consist of almost entirely). It also sounds like you are a humorless prig. Have a fun life.
1:44.. what westchester RE website was that?