Monthly Archives: April 2022

The VA’s little-known program for Native American veterans

Apr 20, 2022 |

A Department of Veterans Affairs lending program for Native American veterans has been severely underutilized, a government watchdog found. According to a report the Government Accountability Office published this week, the VA’s Native American Direct Loan program only resulted in 89 loans originated in the continental U.S. from 2012 to 2021. This represents less than […more]

Behind the Scenes — Why Agents Don’t Necessarily Love a Heated Market

Apr 20, 2022 |

Real estate these days is, in a word, nuts. And in this increasingly heated market, one of the number one things I hear is, “you must be loving this market!” Actually, you’d be surprised. When most people think about a hot market, they consider its effects on buyers — stress, anxiety, the roller coaster of […more]

5 Products AT Editors Swear By for an Organized Bedroom

Apr 20, 2022 |

Because an organized home is a happy home. READ MORE…

Selling Your Home Before May 15? Here’s Why You Should Still Protest Your Property Taxes

Apr 20, 2022 |

As property values increase, so do property taxes. Sellers who are marketing their homes right now should protest their property tax valuation before their county’s deadline. See More…

Kensington House Where Children’s Author Ruth Chew Brewed Her Tales of Magic Asks $1.99 Million

Apr 20, 2022 |

There are no guarantees the house is full of magic, but for decades this Kensington row house was home to 20th century children’s author Ruth Chew, who spun tales of enchantment for young readers. Those 29 adventures, the bulk published in the 1970s and 1980s, frequently took place on the… Read More > The post […more]

In the middle of Midtown, this $3.2M co-op feels like a house with a yard

Apr 20, 2022 |

Photo courtesy of The Corcoran Group Tucked into the garden floor of a classic Midtown East co-op at 240 East 55th Street, this four-bedroom home has more space than you’d usually find in a Manhattan apartment, with a lower level rec room, a den, and that covetable urban dream: a beautiful, landscaped private back yard. Asking […more]

Experience Matters When Selling Your Home

Apr 20, 2022 |

Many homeowners have no idea how much an agent’s experience matters when selling their home. Home sellers believe all agents do the same thing because they all sound alike. If all agents do the exact same thing, why not select the least expensive agent? It stands to reason the less you pay in commissions and […more]

Fannie Mae cuts origination projection, forecasts recession in 2023

Apr 20, 2022 |

Fannie Mae has lowered its mortgage origination forecasts for 2022 and 2023 due to the Federal Reserve’s (Fed) aggressive inflation-fighting monetary policy and corresponding volatility in the mortgage market. Fannie’s Economic and Strategic Research (ESR) Group dropped its projected single-family mortgage origination volume for 2022 from $3 trillion to $2.8 trillion. It also downsized the […more]

Commentary on Today’s Market

Apr 20, 2022 |

My thoughts on commentary seen in the news today: With rates rising, and prices significantly higher, the average borrower is paying about 38% more on the monthly payment now than they would have for the same home one year ago, according to Realtor.com. JtR: This is crushing the move-up/move-down market, with very few existing homeowners […more]

The history of New York City’s original rooftop bars

Apr 20, 2022 |

Casino Roof Garden, 1899 via NYPL Digital Collections How many summer evenings have you spent at a rooftop bar? While the rooftop bar was indeed born and bred in New York City, it’s nothing new. Even before New York was a city of skyscrapers, denizens of Gotham liked to take their experiences to vertical extremes. And […more]