Manhattan Condo Living: Morgan Evans-New York City Real Estate Expert (Prudential Douglas Elliman)

Gramercy Starck Condominium Sales and Rental Experts

Gramercy Starck Condominium located at 340 East 23rd Street New York NY 10010 designed by world renowned designer Philippe Starck. Philippe Patrick Starck is a French Product designer and probably the best known designer in the New Design style. His designs range from spectacular interior designs to mass produced consumer goods such as toothbrushes, chairs, and even houses.

Gramercy Starck Condominium is a 21-story, 207 -unit development built in 2007.  Many of our foreign buyers and savvy investors have purchased multiple units in this high amenities building. We have both sold and leased multiple size of units from one bedrooms, two bedrooms, skyhouses and penthouses.  This is a building that was very well received by many European buyers because of their admiration for Philippe Starck extended to Starck's Real Estate creation.

Gramercy Starck Condominiums Sales and Rentals

Why Rent at Gramercy Starck?

Gramercy by Starck condominium is one of those buildings that makes a statement. If you don't like those plain vanilla cookie cutter rental buildings you are going to love Gramercy Starck. Unlike most rental buildings there is a high level of finishes and amenities that hard to find elsewhere. When you walk in and are face to face with the huge Renaissance portrait and standing underneath the mega-lampshade-chandelier you know where you are at. The apartments are outfitted with high end appliances, washer/dryers in ALL of the the units, and full access to all of the amenities without any additional costs.  You will have full access to the completely outfitted fitness room with sauna and steam rooms in the his and her locker rooms.

Gramercy Starck Condominium Frequently Asked Questions

Is Gramercy Starck pet friendly?

As of now, Gramercy Starck is pet friendly, but the individual owner of the condominium may not be, so it depends, call us to find out if the type of apartment you are interested in is pet friendly or not?

How soon can I move in?

Gramercy Starck Condominiums has an application process.  This application process can take at the very minimum two weeks up to 30 days depending on how quickly the application is submitted with all of the necessary documentation and board approval.  So if you call us today looking to move in tomorrow or a few days from now, we won't be able to accommodate.

How much is the security deposit and is it first and last months rent upfront?

There is no umbrella answer to this question as each owner will have a different requirement based on their preferences and your   but generally expect at least the first months rent upfront and at least 1 months security

What about the broker fee?

Again, there is no umbrella answer to this question because you will be renting directly from an owner, this is not a big management company, so there will more than likely be some type of broker's fee involved, whether you or the owner is paying it.  The structure of the broker's fee will be dependent on each apartment, this is something that we will be able to tell you once we know we know what you are looking for.

Are they any other fee's involved with renting?

I am going to outline the application fee's involved in renting, there is a $50 credit application fee, a $1,000 move in deposit that is refundable if no damage takes place at the time of move in.

Who is the management company?

Douglas Elliman Property Management is the current manager of the building.

How do you get a hold of us to talk about your future apartment at Gramercy Starck?

****You can email us directly at Morgan.Evans (@) elliman.com or call us at (917) 837- 8869.****

To read more about Gramercy Starck:

1. Gramercy Starck Rentals: Featured 2 bedroom/2 bath 
2. Gramercy Starck : January 2010 Report
3. Gramercy Starck Rental and Sales Expert
4. http://www.GramercyStarckRentals.com

For a complete list of the current apartments for sale or rent at Gramercy Starck or for condominium apartments for sale or rent in Downtown Manhattan call Morgan Evans (917)837-8869 for further details.

Seward Park Cooperative

The Seward Park Cooperative is one of the most established cooperative complexes in the Lower East Side of Manhattan.  The Seward Park Cooperative is made up of four 20 story buildings of roughly 1700+ apartments.  The buildings were designed win a way that all the apartments and buildings have views of midtown Manhattan(Empire State) downtown, and the iconic New York city bridges and waterways.  The complex located next to Seward Park and in the Lower East Side takes advantage of all the neighborhood has to offer: noteworthy restaurants and cafes, shopping, food stores, nightlife and shopping.

The actual complex has a laundry list of amenities:

24-hour, fully equipped, state-of-the-art fitness center · 24-hour attended lobby · 24-hour laundry room · Hardwood floors · Spacious closets · New elevators · Private children's playroom · Brand new park, including water park for kids · District 1 and 2 schools · Centrally located. Adjacent to F, J, M, Z trains; M9, M14, M22 bus; East Village, Little Italy, Chinatown, bank, post office, shopping, New York Public Library · Maintenance includes gas, water, and heat.

The apartments at Seward Park are some of the most spacious and value based apartments in the neighborhood.

Studios-Start around $300,000

1Beds-start around $475,000

2 Beds-Start around $600,000

3 or 4 Beds-These are usually combined apartments prices and size vary

If you are interested in buying or selling an apartment at the Seward Park complex contact me today for a consultation at morgan.evans(@)elliman.com or at (917)837-8869.

Copyright Seward Park Cooperative 2010

Gramercy Starck Rentals at 340 East 23rd St- Summer 2010 Report

At Gramercy Starck you will be greeted by the 24-hour doorman in the Starck designed entrance lobby. The second floor has the 3,000 square foot lounge where you will be able to relax in the library, watch your favorite movie in the screening room, entertain in the billiards room, or relax out when you open up the doors from the lounge to an over-sized landscaped outdoor deck. The lower level houses the fitness room, saunas, storage, and laundry facilities.

Right now we have two applications pending board approval for rentals in the building and are showing customers this week. The summer rental season like usual is one of the busiest times of the year.

At Gramercy Starck, If that's not enough go up to the roof deck and relax in one of the cabanas. Right now there are a number of rental choices at Gramercy Starck in a number of categories. One of the features of Gramercy Starck that make living here and renting here a unique situation is the variety of types of apartments in the building. You don't just have studio's, 1 bedrooms, 2 bedrooms and 3 bedrooms because there are also duplexes and Penthouse apartments available. There is something for everybody, especially if you are looking for a more dramatic space.

To contact us about any of these Gramercy Starck apartments and receive a reply in the next few minutes, reach me on my blackberry at morgan.evans(@) elliman.com

• Studios-Starting at $2200 to$2700
• 1 Bedrooms-Starting at $3250 to $3600
• 2 Bedrooms-No Two Bedroom currently on the market but typically start at $5000
• 3 Bedrooms-Right now just the Top Floor Penthouse Unit for $15,000 is available

Commonly Asked Questions:

Are short term rentals available?

The building requires 1 year minimum leases, so a short term rental is not possible within the building by-laws.

Are pets allowed?

The building allows pets, but each individual owner might not.

Is there a broker fee?

This is a very commonly asked question, this is a condominium building and you will be renting from an owner not a management company.  So typically if the apartment is listed through a brokerage company there will be a broker fee involved, this fee varies but can be anywhere from 1 month broker to 15% of the first years annual rent.  Each apartment will be different.

How do you get a hold of us to talk about your future apartment at Gramercy Starck?

****You can email us directly at Morgan.Evans (@) elliman.com or call us at (917) 837- 8869.****

To read more about Gramercy Starck:

Gramercy Starck Rental Report: January 2010

Gramercy Starck Rental and Sales Expert

Gramercy Starck : January 2010 Report

For a complete list of the current apartments for sale or rent at Gramercy Starck or for condominium apartments for sale or rent in Downtown Manhattan call Morgan Evans or Eileen Hsu at (212)321-7122 or (917)837-8869 for further details.

**Copyright Gramercy Starck Rentals Summer Edition**

Dorchester Towers Condominium NYC

This spacious Junior 1 bedroom condominium at Dorchester Towers Condominium is the rarely available 21 line, one of the largest studio/1 bedroom lines in the building at 748 sq ft.  The living room alone is over 400 sq ft, the size of the average New York City studio.  The sleeping area has been partitioned off with pocket doors and comfortably fits a California King Size bed and two end tables.  The kitchen has been updated with brand new never been used appliances.  

This Dorchester Towers Apartment is a must see if you are looking for a Junior/One Bedroom Condominium in the Upper West Side. Right now in the Upper West Side the average asking price for a condominium of this size is $869,000 with monthly carrying charges of approximately $1,025/month.

Dorchester Towers Condominium is a full time doorman building located in the prime Lincoln Center area of the Upper West Side.  Building amenities include a concierge desk, separate mail and package room, management on site, live in super, laundry rooms on every floor up to the 22nd floor, a beautiful roof deck for the residents to enjoy, and an on site garage.

Call today (917)837-8869 for an appointment.

To sign up for the Dorchester Towers Reports Click Here!

TO READ MORE OF DORCHESTER TOWERS NYC BELOW:

Dorchester Towers NYC Condominium-May 2010 Report

Dorchester Towers NYC Condominium-January 2010 (2009 Year in Review)

Dorchester Towers NYC Condominium-Feburary 2010 Report

Copyright © 2010 By Morgan Evans, All Rights Reserved.*Dorchester Towers NYC Massive Junior 1 Bedroom Apartment for Sale*

Gramercy Starck Condominium located at 340 East 23rd Street New York NY 10010 designed by world renowned designer Philippe Starck. Philippe Patrick Starck is a French Product designer and probably the best known designer in the New Design style. His designs range from spectacular interior designs to mass produced consumer goods such as toothbrushes, chairs, and even houses.

Gramercy Starck Condominium is a 21-story, 207 -unit development built in 2007.  Many of our foreign buyers and savvy investors have purchased multiple units in this high amenities building. We have both sold and leased multiple size of units from one bedrooms, two bedrooms, skyhouses and penthouses.  This is a building that was very well received by many European buyersbecause of their admiration for Philippe Starck extended to Starck's Real Estate creation.

Gramercy Starck Condominiums Sales and Rentals

Why Rent at Gramercy Starck?

Gramercy by Starck condominium is one of those buildings that makes a statement. If you don't like those plain vanilla cookie cutter rental buildings you are going to love Gramercy Starck. Unlike most rental buildings there is a high level of finishes and amenities that hard to find elsewhere. When you walk in and are face to face with the huge Renaissance portrait and standing underneath the mega-lampshade-chandelier you know where you are at. The apartments are outfitted with high end appliances, washer/dryers in ALL of the the units, and full access to all of the amenities without any additional costs.  You will have full access to the completely outfitted fitness room with sauna and steam rooms in the his and her locker rooms.

Gramercy Starck Condominium Frequently Asked Questions

Is Gramercy Starck pet friendly?

As of now, Gramercy Starck is pet friendly, but the individual owner of the condominium may not be, so it depends, call us to find out if the type of apartment you are interested in is pet friendly or not?

How soon can I move in?

Gramercy Starck Condominiums has an application process.  This application process can take at the very minimum two weeks up to 30 days depending on how quickly the application is submitted with all of the necessary documentation and board approval.  So if you call us today looking to move in tomorrow or a few days from now, we won't be able to accommodate.

How much is the security deposit and is it first and last months rent upfront?

There is no umbrella answer to this question as each owner will have a different requirement based on their preferences and your   but generally expect at least the first months rent upfront and at least 1 months security

What about the broker fee?

Again, there is no umbrella answer to this question because you will be renting directly from an owner, this is not a big management company, so there will more than likely be some type of broker's fee involved, whether you or the owner is paying it.  The structure of the broker's fee will be dependent on each apartment, this is something that we will be able to tell you once we know we know what you are looking for.

Are they any other fee's involved with renting?

I am going to outline the application fee's involved in renting, there is a $50 credit application fee, a $1,000 move in deposit that is refundable if no damage takes place at the time of move in.

Who is the management company?

Douglas Elliman Property Management is the current manager of the building.

How do you get a hold of us to talk about your future apartment at Gramercy Starck?

****You can email us directly at Morgan.Evans (@) elliman.com or call us at (917) 837- 8869.****

To read more about Gramercy Starck:

1. Gramercy Starck Rentals: Featured 2 bedroom/2 bath 
2. Gramercy Starck : January 2010 Report
3. Gramercy Starck Rental and Sales Expert

For a complete list of the current apartments for sale or rent at Gramercy Starck or for condominium apartments for sale or rent in Downtown Manhattan call Morgan Evans (917)837-8869 for further details.

Morningside Heights Studio $219K: 100 La Salle Street #21E

Morningside Heights Studio: This large, sunny, top-floor  (21st )quiet studio apt. is located in
what I consider to be an oasis in upper Manhattan;  a 5-acre garden filled, ethnically diverse, community called Morningside Gardens. (http://www.prudentialelliman.com/1152718)

Morningside Heights Studio apartment has eastern exposure with morning sun, overlooks beautifully
maintained gardens and has refrigerator, 3 closets, full bath w/tub, separate kitchen area, large windows, AC and cable access. There is 24- hour security, new elevators, laundry machines in building and extra-large mailboxes for packages received.

Morningside Heights Studio features: Morningside Gardens also has storage rooms, parking facilities,
fitness center, game room, bicycle storage, playground, clubs and workshops, children's learning center and the Morningside Retirement and Health Service-providing services to seniors.

Morningside Heights Studio apartment is ideally located just north of the campuses of
Columbia University, Barnard College and Jewish Theological Seminary, and just east of the campuses of Manhattan School of Music and Union Theological Seminary in the northern section of Morningside Heights.
It is bordered by Broadway on the west, Amsterdam on the east, 123rd street on the south, and LaSalle street on the north. It is only 1 block from the 1/9 subway line and walking distance to
the ACE line.  Also near to Morningside and Riverside Parks, the uptown Fairway with new piers and walkways ,public library, shops and restaurants.

Morningside Heights Studio: 100 La Salle Street Highlights:

    * Top-floor apartment with sunrise views, overlooking gardens
    * 24/7 security on site including security cameras and patrols
    * Columbia infrastructure and community.
    * New windows, new Air Condition       

* Good water pressure and drainage from all sinks and tub.
    * Lots of built in storage throughout apartment.
    * Private gardens and walkways
    * Indoor and outdoor parking plus 30-minute parking for visitors.
    * Proximity to large market (Fairway), public library, banks, pharmacy, etc.
    * Laundry in building.
    * One block from 1/9 subway line, proximity to A/C line
    * Proximity and easy access to Hudson River Park,  NY Riverbank
State Park and Recreation Center, Morningside Park and Central Park.

FULL LISTING INFORMATION HERE: http://www.prudentialelliman.com/1152718

To Read more about other neighborhoods or any other Manhattan Condos, please read our blog series below:

• Buying Manhattan New York Condo Must Read Part I - Parents Buying for Children
• Buying Manhattan New York Condo Must Read Part II- First Time Investor
• Buying Manhattan New York Condo Must Read Part III- Foreign Nationals 

If you are looking to sell or buy your Manhattan New York Condo, we are the Manhattan Condo Specialists. Please contact us as we will be able to access ALL the Manhattan Condo listings in area of your preference. To receive prompt response, please email us at Morgan.Evans(@)elliman.com. Call us at (917)837-8869.

Dorchester Towers NYC : May 2010 Report

Dorchester Towers NYC has been active during the New York City spring selling season.  We have seen a number of apartments enter the market, have offers accepted and closed in the last couple of months.  Let's get right into what properties have sold for so far since our last report, Dorchester Towers NYC: February 2010.


Dorchester Towers NYC Closed Apartments

• 1605-A Western facing Junior 4 apartment closed in the second week of May for $870,000.00  Its original asking price was $929,000 and had a contract signed in approximately 45 days.  The apartment is quoted from Property Shark to be 975 square feet, so the price per square foot was $892.00.  The listing discount(negotiability factor) from original price was approximately 6.4%.
• 707-A Western facing alcove studio closed for $560,000. At 546 square feet this apartment sold for approximately $1025 sq/ft.  This apartment originally came on the market for $625,000 in late August of 2009 and decreased the price 4% to $599,000 about 1 month into the listing period.  Approximately 3 weeks after the price was decreased it had an offer accepted and contracts were signed.  Once the contracts were signed it took approximately 7 months for it to close.  7 months is an above average amount of time to close on the property, there could be different reasons why it took so long, but one reason could be difficulty obtaining financing in Dorchester Towers because of the fannie-mae guidelines concerning sponsor ownership in condominium buildings. The listing discount(negotiability factor) from the original asking price was 10.4% and the listing discount from the last asking price was 6.5%.
• 302-This 1 bedroom facing the circular driveway closed for $672,500 the third week of May.  At 651 square feet this 1 bedroom Dorchester Apartment sold for approximately $1,033 sq. ft.  This apartment came on the market asking $695,000 in early March, had contracts signed in late March.  The listing discount(negotiability factor) was 3.2% from the original asking price.

Dorchester Towers NYC In-Contract Apartments

At Dorchester Towers right now there is only 1 apartment in-contract.

• 333-A South facing 1 bedroom facing the circular driveway.  This renovated apartment came on the market for $625,000 at the end of March and had a contract signed approximately 1 month later.  This is a 633 square foot apartment.

Dorchester Towers NYC Condominiums for Sale

• A 804 sq ft junior 4 1 bedroom on the 21st floor asking $925,000.00
• A 902 sq ft junior 4 1 bedroom 1.5 bath on the 29th floor asking $1,295,000.
• A 3 bedroom on the 18th floor asking $2,195,000.

For specific information regarding these apartments including condition, exposure, layout and pictures please contact us and we will provide all of the requested information.

What to take away from the report?

If you are an owner at Dorchester Towers NYC and are thinking of selling your apartment the numbers show that if an apartment is priced competitively within comparable Upper West Side condominium buildings your apartment will sell receive offers relatively quickly.  We see that buyers are still looking to negotiate a certain percentage off the asking price.  Sometimes its taking a price drop to get to the right price where the offers that are being made are willing to be accepted.

An extremely important aspect of the sale of the property will be how the buyer will be obtaining financing for their purchase.  Because the sponsor at Dorchester owns approximately 48% of the apartments in the building, obtaining financing has become extremely difficult.  We have developed relationships with a couple of the banks who do in indeed provide financing opportunities for prospective buyers in our building.  If you would like to speak in more detail about the difficulties of obtaining financing we will be more than happy to speak with you.

If you are a buyer and would like to receive all of the apartments that are available in the building or would like to be notified when an apartment does come available, call me today at (917) 837-8869.

TO READ MORE OF DORCHESTER TOWERS BELOW:  

• Dorchester Towers Condominium-January 2010 (2009 Year in Review)
• Dorchester Towers : May 2009 Month in Review
• Dorchester Towers Condominium Rental Report March 2009
• Dorchester Market Report-February 2009 Dorchester Towers Condominium
• Dorchester Towers Condominium 2008 Year in Review
• Dorchester Towers NYC Condominiums-February 2010 Report

To Contact us to talk about the Dorchester Towers, you can reach me at (917) 837-8869 or email at morgan.evans(@)elliman.com

We are in a competitive market, hence working with two agents that live in the building and that specialize in condominium sales will you give you an advantage when it comes time to sell or rent your apartment. Our approach to selling your apartment is intentionally unique.  We use strategies that most real estate agents do not use.  If you are interested in hearing our proposition, contact us immediately to see how we can help you achieve your goals.

For a complete list of the current apartments for sale at the Dorchester Towers Condominium or for condominium apartments for sale in the Upper West Side call Morgan Evans or Eileen Hsu at (212)321-7122 or (917)837-8869 for further details.

Disclaimer: All information in this post is subject to change without notice. Subject matter: is an opinion, is not guaranteed, may be time sensitive, and may be based on information collected from several sources which may or may not be reliable at the time of sourcing.

Dorchester Towers NYC : February 2010 Report

The first two months of this year have seen some activity in the Dorchester Towers.  Properties have closed and sold, gone into contract and also been brought onto the sales market.

Closed Sales in Dorchester Towers in the first two months of the year:

I am going to include a sale that closed in the very last couple of days of 2009.  

• Jr. 4- A high floor(31st) closed for approximately $1,040,000.00  There was about an 8% discount from the original asking price to the closed price.
• Another slightly smaller Jr.4 with a NE exposure on the 8th floor closed for $825,000.00.  There was approximately an 5.7% discount from the original asking price to the closed price.

-Keep in mind that both of these apartments had the extra half bathroom already established in the unit, a feature that not all junior 4 layouts in the building possess-

In-Contract Apartments:

1 Bedroom-A western facing 1 Bedroom on the 17th floor has a contract signed.  The asking price at time of contract signing was $689,000.  Until it closes the closing price is not published.  But something to consider is the time on market from when the property was first introduced to the time the contracts were signed which in this case were approximately 2.5 months.  

-Keep in mind that the median number of days on market to Contract Signed since last asking price was a little over 2 months in Manhattan-

Studio-A 546 sq ft western facing on the 7th floor studio has a contract signed at the last asking price of $599,000.  It was first listed for $625,000 and then decreased the price 4% to $599,000 about 1 month into the listing period.  Approximately 3 week after the price was decreased it had an offer accepted and contracts were signed.  Again it took a little less than 2 months from the time the property went on the market until it had a contract signed.

For Sale Apartments:

1 Bedroom w/ dining alcove- There is one higher floor Jr. 4 apartment with half bath available with an asking price of $1.295 million. There is a 16th floor Jr. 4 with just one bathroom asking $929,000.  

3 Bedroom- There is 1 Three Bedroom apartment available with an asking price of $2.295 million dollars.

For specific information regarding these apartments including condition, exposure, layout and pictures please contact us and we will provide all of the requested information.

What to take away from the report?

When a property is priced competitively we see a lot of activity at the Dorchester Towers Condominiums and we see buyers ready to make offers that are being accepted.  We see some negotiation from the last asking price to the closed price but is it well within the average discount spread across all residential sales in Manhattan.  

Another factor and rather large one is the time it is taking from contract signed to closing.  If a property in contract at the Dorchester Towers needs financing in order to purchase it, we are seeing longer and longer amounts of time to close.  This is something that we are going to focus an upcoming post next month specifically about.  Because of the structure of the ownership in the building getting financing can be an arduous process and one that needs to be handled by an expert that knows the Dorchester building specifically.  

To Contact us to talk about the Dorchester Towers, you can reach me at (917) 837-8869 or email at morgan.evans(@)elliman.com

TO READ MORE OF DORCHESTER TOWERS BELOW:

• Dorchester Towers : May 2009 Month in Review
• Dorchester Towers Condominium Market Report
• Dorchester Towers Condominium Rental Report
• Dorchester Towers Condominium, 155 W 68th St
• Dorchester Towers NYC : 2008 Year in Review
• Dorchester Towers NYC: 2009 Year in Review

We are in a competitive market, hence working with two agents that live in the building and that specialize in condominium sales will you give you an advantage when it comes time to sell or rent your apartment. Our approach to selling your apartment is intentionally unique.  We use strategies that most real estate agents do not use.  If you are interested in hearing our proposition, contact us immediately to see how we can help you achieve your goals.

For a complete list of the current apartments for sale at the Dorchester Towers Condominium or for condominium apartments for sale in the Upper West Side call Morgan Evans or Eileen Hsu at (212)321-7122 or (917)837-8869 for further details.

Disclaimer: All information in this post is subject to change without notice. Subject matter: is an opinion, is not guaranteed, may be time sensitive, and may be based on information collected from several sources which may or may not be reliable at the time of sourcing.