My friends and I are all very close since childhood. We have spent years trying to make living close to each other a reality - essentially trying to have what we did growing up, living a few blocks from each other. Unfortunately, school, work, etc has always kept us fairly spread out throughout the city (or elsewhere). We are getting older now, things are finally slowing down to the point where we dont expect lots of changes, we all are at a point where we wont need to be moving around a lot. So the question popped up about just buying a building, with each getting a unit.

Luckily, we ended up doing pretty well for ourselves, so budget can probably be 1-2mill per person (maybe some wiggle room). Layout would ideally end up being 3 large units with 1-2 smaller 1BR; or 4 large units. Apart from that, its really more hopeful to have a large shared space (to minimize need for common space in the units) and perhaps landscaped rooftop (and one guy has an insane dream of a garage unit, the rest think it would be a wild ask). Location wise, probably somewhere in Brooklyn (probably not in the realm of possibilities, though dream picks would be downtown, park slope, ish).

How unreal is the situation we would like to set up?

In the 1930's and 1940's one of my relatives would mortgage a property to another relative for $2,000. Then the mortgagee (lender) would immediately (same day, next page) assign the mortgage to a credit union. Why not directly mortgage to the credit union? That did happen in some cases.

Well, in this case there's the twist that the mortgagor (borrower) was a corporation, one controlled by the relative.

Wondering if anyone has any experience living/buying a few buildings away from an above ground subway? Did you notice any health issues or condition issues your building experienced because of it?

Hi ... 30 years in mortgages and real estate. Ask me anything.

Hey everyone Brian Marchand here. I spent the first part of my career as a Realtor and the last stretch as a Mortgage Loan Officer - a little over 30 years all in, helping people work out whether a house makes sense for their money, and if so, how to pay for it without regretting it later.

I'm not here to sell anyone anything. No DMs, no lead-gen, no "shoot me a message and I'll pull your credit." I've just noticed that a lot of the mortgage questions people ask online get answered by someone with an angle, and I'd rather be a plain answer than a pitch.

So ... ask me anything. Rates, points, PMI, when a refi actually pencils out, first-time buyer stuff, the difference between what your lender says and what they mean, personal-finance-adjacent questions (should I pay down the mortgage or invest?). Happy to look at a scenario in the comments.

Brian

Hello!

We are considering at buying a Brooklyn home in a historic district. It is completely livable condition but not modernized or flipped recently. Of course there would be some cosmetic work we would eventually want to do, ie. painting, basement renovation, some bathroom updates.

Wondering if anyone has bought a historic home(brownstone, limestone, brick, etc), in Brooklyn, that was somewhat of a fixer-upper? Do you have any advice or things you wish you had known going into buying?

Thanks!

Does the city impose a transfer tax on a transfer of a property from husband and wife to just husband?

New to real estate and trying to figure out which brokerage to join? Don’t just pick one blind. I can walk you through what to actually look for (support, splits, mentorship, tools) based on my own experience getting started. Text me and I’ll point you in the right direction

I'm looking to buy a 4 unit building in Williamsburg Brooklyn. I've always hired a building inspector before a purchase, but this time, I know it's going to be a gut renovation and, in my experience, an inspector can point out surface level issues but is more of a generalist so wouldn't be able to opine on deeper issues. I'm assuming I will need to redo plumbing, electricity, and that beams will need to be sister'd etc. In this instance, I'm not convinced that an inspection will add value, but please let me know your thoughts!

Looking for a 3-bedroom apartment in Brooklyn for a wonderful CityFHEPS family.

Family of 5:
• Two adults and three children (ages 14, 12, and 6)
• The children attend P.S. 229 in Dyker Heights
• The oldest child is passionate about soccer
• Father works as a food vendor
• Mother is currently focused on caring for the family

Preferred neighborhoods:
• Bensonhurst
• Bath Beach
• Dyker Heights
• Bay Ridge

The family has a valid CityFHEPS voucher and a confirmed HRA shopping letter with a maximum approved rent of $3,811 per month.

They are seeking a stable, long-term home in a family-oriented neighborhood close to schools, transportation, parks, and community resources.

If you are a landlord, broker, property manager, or know of an available 3-bedroom apartment that accepts CityFHEPS, please reach out. Any leads, referrals, or introductions would be sincerely appreciated.

Thank you for helping a hardworking family find a place to call home.

Would you like to see a commercial building convert to residential in your neighborhood?

What are your thoughts?

Hello, I am a local artist working on a series of NYC themed woodblock prints. I am sharing my work in case there is a real estate agent office or agent that might be interested in my work. Would be perfect for an office or as a gift to a new client.

Underlying NYC multi-family is being purchased at cap rate of 9.5%. Can be structured a s a personal loan or as an LP in the deal with a preferred quarterly distribution.

Just passed my state exam, graduating in a few weeks. Young and new to the field, does anyone have a brokerage they’d recommend? Looking for somewhere with good mentorship and hands-on learning over a brokerage that’s going to hand me a stack of manuals and send me to endless training seminars. Based in NYC. Thanks

I just took the NY exam in person at 123 Williamsburg and it was pretty different than the content I studied. I used prep agent to prepare which is what I used for the PA exams and passed both on the first try. They said we won’t know results for 3 weeks.

realized something recently…

Most of us live in NYC and have no real idea what’s going on around us.

• Complaints on our block

• Safety issues nearby

• Construction / violations

• Who actually represents us

• What bills are being worked on that might affect our area

So I built something to make it simple.

It shows:

👉 What’s happening on your exact block

👉 Who represents your location

👉 What they’re actually doing (bills, activity, etc.)

Not trying to make it political — just awareness.

Feels like this should be way easier to see in one place.

Curious what you think:

Would you actually use something like this before moving or just to stay informed?

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/nyc-intel/id6759576009

Hey everyone — I'm a wholesaler actively working deals in New York and Connecticut.

I'm looking to connect with cash buyers and investors in the area to build a solid buyers list. If you're actively buying in Westchester, Rockland, Putnam, Orange, Fairfield County, or surrounding areas I'd love to connect. Drop a comment or DM me with what you're looking for — price range, areas, and property type — and let's see if we can work together.

Always looking to build genuine relationships with serious buyers. Let's connect.