Morgan Evans-New York City Real Estate Expert

"Why is it so hard to rent an apartment in New York City?" I had a young woman relocating from San Francisco ask me this question just a few weeks ago after we found her an apartment in the Upper West Side. The other statement I usually here is, "I'm so sick of looking for an apartment!" Despite the difficult nature of finding an apartment in Manhattan things might be getting a little bit easier.

As the Manhattan real estate market turns into a buyer's market, many buyers are becoming renters to wait out and see what happens to the market. Typically the summer market for rentals is very hot and properties get snatched up very quickly. Not so much this summer, properly priced units still rented quickly but more inventory sat until the prices adjusted. Now that we are into the fall season the rental market has started to slow down and the holidays now are just around the corner. Landlord are beginning to ease up on rents and offering more room to negotiate.

Many of the major management companies are offering one and sometimes two months free rent for 12-16 month long leases, offering built in gym memberships, and negotiating prices. I find that landlords would rather offer incentives, such as one months free rent, a free gym membership, compared to significantly reducing the rents because when it is time to renegotiate the rents when the leases are up they will be in a better position because the base monthly rents will be inflated. The net effective rent during the life of the lease was considerably less and when the leases are up they will expire in January to March when the rental market is seasonally stronger and the landlord will be in a better position to negotiate a new lease.

Overall this is a good time to be in the market for a rental apartment. Whether you are looking for a walk-up building in the Upper East Side, a full service doorman condominium in Union Square, or a prewar Upper West Side co-op there are plenty of opportunities to negotiate favorable terms and find the perfect apartment.

Check out my blog : http://NYCAptInfo.blogspot.com

Pet Friendly Apartments in New York City Part I

According to Animal Fair Magazine New York City was chosen as the nation's pet friendliest destination. According to Animal Fair Magazine, "The Big Apple is not just a tourist attraction for people anymore, but is inviting for their traveling pets too! Animal Fair is proud to present New York City the Pet-Friendliest Destination Award of 2008!"

So if New York City is so pet friendly for tourists why is it hard to find an apartment to rent or buy for the pet lovers who call New York City their full time residence?

Buying or renting an apartment in New York City can be a challenging process. Now factor in owning one or more pets and it can be overwhelming. Every building has a different pet policy, some won't allow any pets, some will allow only cats, others allow dogs below 40 lbs, others just one dog. So what do you do if you have two 150 lb Great Danes, or if you are moving to the city and you will be bringing with you a 95 lb Rottweiler that's been a part of your family for 10 years.

What buildings are pet friendly? Am I better off buying a co-op or condominium because I have pets? What buildings allow certain breeds? Did you know that certain New York City buildings cater to dog loving enthusiasts? Where are the most pet friendly dog parks?

If you are buying into a co-op you might have to bring your dog or dogs with you to the interview process so your pets can mingle with the pets of the current owners to make sure they get along. When renting an apartment we help our customers write a cover letter with pictures and description of their pets so the owner or management company can see the pet and get an idea of what type of factor or non-factor the pet may be.

We understand the difficulties with finding apartments that are pet friendly and navigating the maze. We know the buildings that are pet friendly in Manhattan.