Buying an apartment in New York City will be an exciting and also daunting experience. Because New York City offers a unique buying experience with many of its own quirks and differences the first step for any New York City first time homebuyer or first time investor is to become well informed and educated about the different real estate products you will be looking at to ensure your experience will be as calm and rewarding as possible.
1. Co-Op:
A phenomenon that's almost unique to Manhattan, the Co-Op Apartment, has been the traditional form of ownership in New York City for the last century. About 80% of all apartments available for purchase are in co-operative buildings. Co-ops are owned by an apartment corporation. When you purchase within a co-op building, you're purchasing shares of the corporation that entitle you, as a shareholder, to a "proprietary lease." The bigger your apartment, the more shares of the corporation you own.
Standard Co-Op apartments: Board approval is required. You are buying shares of corporation, you are required to put down 20% or more of down payment, there will be a full financial disclosure, debt to income ratio requirement and board interviewing process. Each Co-Op building has their own financial requirements and criteria, some are more flexible than others, such as allowing guarantor, co-purchase, gift money from parents, pied-a-terre, your debt to income ratio, work history, down payment required...
Subleasing a co-op can be difficult. The board of directors will have to approve the prospective tenant subleasing your apartment. Each building will have their own rules regarding for how long you can lease your unit and other criteria.
All prospective purchasers must interview with the Board of Directors. Prior to the interview, prospective purchasers prepare a detailed "Board Package" which usually contains personal and professional letters of recommendation as well as a great deal of personal information concerning income and assets.
Sponsor Co-Op apartments: NO Board approval is required. These are Apartments that are held as an investment by the sponsor , the original developer who built the building or converted the building to a co-op. Sponsor units command a premium because people who might not pass a board or don't want to go through a board approval process can buy them.
For example, a sponsor unit would be a good choice for parents who want to buy an apartment for a child who is a student. A sponsor unit may be the best apartment for someone who is not working, or only has a short job history. Buyers of a sponsor unit should take note that they will need to pay NY State and NY City transfer taxes, and often the seller's attorney fees. You still have to submit a board package (Homeland Security! The management company needs to know who is moving into their building) and you almost always have to abide by the building's house rules as far as sublet requirements and pets.
We have helped many buyers purchasing coop and condos in Manhattan New York. If you are a first time home buyer in Manhattan New York, it is important to team up with a market expert to help you navigate through it. Call us today at (917)837-8869 so we can discuss what will work best for you.
______________________________________________________________
Morgan Evans is a Manhattan New York Real Estate specialist in neighborhoods such as: Greenwich Village, Soho, Union Square, Upper East Side, Upper West Side, Chelsea, Midtown West, Midtown East, Nolita, Lower East side, Financial District in Manhattan. Morgan specialize in working with international buyer, high net worth buyers, parents buying for children and investors buyers. Contact him today by calling (917)837-8869.
Manhattan NY condos for sale
Dorchester Towers Condo
Gramercy Starck Condo
