Every week, in the New York Times “Real Estate” section, you will find questions regarding everything that has to do with properties.  Jay Romano is the man behind the answers, and has been helping people in the search for all kinds of answers through the New York Times paper since 1995. Here is a question [...]

Jan. 28, 2010 Webinar Summit Schedule Time: 10:30 a.m. EST Title: Feast or Famine? The 2010 -2011 Economic Forecast Presenter: John Tuccillo Summary: What does the next two years have in store for the real estate industry? In this information-packed, 30- minute session, leading economist John Tuccillo will share his 2010/2011 forecast and will discuss emerging trends that will [...]

NEW YORK — For a homeowner who needs to sell but has a mortgage balance higher than the property value, one option is something called a “short sale.” And don’t let the name fool you. This type of sale is complicated and can drag on for months.

United States – Mr. Malkin, 47, is the president of Wien & Malkin, which, through its divisions and partnerships, owns about 10 million square feet of commercial property in the New York area, including the Empire State Building. The firm, started by Mr. Malkin’s grandfather Lawrence A. Wien, is soon to be renamed Malkin [...]

United States – Post Real Estate editor and author Elizabeth Razzi discussed the local housing market — from condos and investment properties to contracts and mortgages. The transcript follows. Elizabeth Razzi: Hi, everyone! I thought President Obama said nobody’s left in Washington in late August…and that those of us who are are a little loopy. So, sounds [...]

United States – Some of the most difficult questions I receive from readers concern the relationship between making extra mortgage payments and refinancing. I have never been very happy with my answers, and recently took a harder look at how making extra payments and refinancing are related. My hope was that if I understood it better, [...]

Post Real Estate editor Maryann Haggerty and author Elizabeth Razzi discussed the local housing market — from condos and investment properties to contracts and mortgages. The transcript follows. ____________________ Elizabeth Razzi: Hello, everyone! Maryann Haggerty is still on her amazing 29-day trip around the world. Today she is in Jordan, then heading westward. Post real estate reporter Dina [...]

Question – In today’s market, is it possible to negotiate on co-op maintenance fees? Answer - “No,” said Richard Siegler, a Manhattan co-op and condominium lawyer. Maintenance charges under a co-op proprietary lease are customarily determined by multiplying the co-op’s annual cash requirements by a fraction that represents the shareholder’s proportionate ownership interest in the co-op [...]

Question I live in a Bronxville co-op, and we have had our maintenance fees increased twice in the past two years to account for the drastic increase in energy costs. With energy costs having recently reached five-year lows, shouldn’t my board decrease the maintenance obligations? It seems as though boards rarely ever consider decreasing maintenance fees, [...]

Question: My friend’s mother passed away, and now the landlord is trying to evict him from her apartment, which is rent controlled. She and he had started the paperwork to add him to the lease, but she died before it was completed. While she was sick, he took care of the rent. Is there anything he [...]