9 Artsy & Cheap DIY Wall Decor Ideas

1. Make your own wall decals
Decals work best on a clean white space, but even if your walls are brick, a mess of pipes, or otherwise unsuitable for decorating, your ceiling is also a great area for a DIY mural. Using cardstock, cut out an easily repeatable shape, like a triangle, and tape it in a pattern on your wall.

2. Window art
Not all of us can afford to live in homes with original stained glass, but GelGems, Window Art, and vellum make for a pretty good alternative. While personal experience has shown GelGems to have the shortest lifespan, they’re also the least effort to acquire and apply, available at plenty of local and corporate retailers. Window Art, meanwhile, is a pricier option, but makes for a fun art project and can last for decades (at the risk of having to chisel the material off your windows)

3. Paint chip collages
Using the free paint chips available at your local hardware store, create a gradient mural or mini collages by designating a background color and a front color. Cut the front color, as you would with a paper snowflake, and paste it on the background one. Easy peasy!

4. Smash a mirror
Find a mirror, break it, coat the shards in rubber cement, and securely tape, paste, or otherwise fasten them to your wall in a design of your choosing. Sure it’s taboo, but it’s neat, so burn some lavender and enjoy your creation. It’s worth the risk of bad luck.

5. Add greenery
Whether it be a single mini succulent, a window box of perennials, or a full indoor garden, plants will bring oxygen and literal life to your apartment. For those with limited window space and not a lot of light, try setting up a grow light for your plants (yes, these can be used to grow things besides marijuana). Put it on a timer, leaving you responsible only for watering them. Here’s a full list of plants suitable for apartment dwellers.

6. Paper taxidermy
Cheap, animal-friendly, and fun, paper taxidermy is a growing trend with kits increasingly available for purchase at local art suppliers. An added bonus is that they are light and easily mountable.

7. Hang Plates
Decorative plates are another easy and cheap way to dress up a plain white wall. Use sets that you already have, or if you don’t have a collection you feel you can show off, hit up your local thrift store, flea market, or even Target for some inexpensive but attractive options.

8. Washi Tape Frames
Can’t afford to frame your art? Consider creating Japanese washi tape frames. This handy tape comes in all sorts of colors and costs just a few dollars a roll.

9. Tie dye
Sure you haven’t done it since summer camp, but the fact that you were able to tie dye shirts back then proves that tie dying is pretty difficult to screw up. You’ll need white sheets within your price range, a tie dye kit, and somewhere to put your creation as its drying. Follow instructions (they’ll be more pleasant to follow outdoors, in warm weather) and voila, you now have a lovingly made, posi-vibed bed spread (it works for throw pillows and couch covers, too!). Pro tip: Thinking beyond the typical swirl tie dye pattern of psychedelic rainbow colors will keep you from looking like a Dead Head. Instead, carefully choose your color palette and consider different folding styles like shibori, suburst, or ombre.

The Monthly Update - March 2017

As the U.S stock market continues its steady climb to as-yet unexplored heights, real estate brokers are finally starting to see the fruits of the upward trajectory in our day-to-day activity of buying and selling New York City property.

Leading with the luxury market, the Oshlan Luxury Market Report, which focuses on properties at the $4 million mark and above, noted that February 2017 was the second strongest February on record for contract signings. The bulk of those luxury market contracts were in a sweet spot between $4 million and $6 million, specifically.

The Hoffman Team at Compass, indeed felt the same surge in business with 10 contracts signed in February. We are also seeing an increased number of online website views of our listings — a good indicator of future business — and at the water cooler, other agents are talking about a general buzz industrywide.

Is it the Trump effect? Is spring finally in the air? Is it because the Fed all but guaranteed that interest rates will be given a hard look during their March meeting? I'd say all of the above are, at last, bringing buyers to the point of purchase, so let's all ride this general wave of optimism while it lasts, shall we?

But alas, there are future hurdles ahead for markets around the word. Take a look at France's elections in late April, for example. Another Nationalist is leading in the polls, and if Marine Le Pen wins, there could be another blow to the EU as she would like to go the way of Great Britain and exit (Frexit?). And, our own Fed has given us mixed singles as to what exactly they intend to do with rates over the long haul.

These type of pluses and minuses point to a general rule that one cannot look too far into the future. It's best to just capitalize on what is happening right now, which is cautiously positive if you are in the real estate market.

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Real Estate Is Latest Target for Would-Be Disrupters


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Gwyneth Paltrow’s All-White Tribeca Penthouse Hits The Market For $10M

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Though not notable for leading a private lifestyle (might we mention her very public “conscious uncoupling” and certain intimate products that she’s touted on her blog Goop), Gwyneth Paltrow has been reticent to showcase interior photos of her Tribeca penthouse. She first listed the pad at 416 Washington Street last March for $14.25 million; after chopping the price to $12.85 million in November, she self-published a few images on Goop; but now that it’s taken a third cut to $9,995,000, it looks like Gwynie is loosening up. LL NYC first spotted the new listing with Compass, which now has plenty of views, from the famous fuzzy nap zones, to the living room swing made of an antique Indoor door, to endless swaths of white marble and ethereal hand-painted wall coverings.

Gwyneth enlisted celeb designers Roman & Williams to outfit the 3,892-square-foot home, requesting a departure from their usual dark and moody interiors. According to Robin Standefer, principal at the firm, “Gwyneth saw how we could instead channel this ethereal palette: light delicate whites, palest lavenders, grays, silvers, embroidery details.” On Goop she was sure to note that it’s unlike those Tribeca lofts with ““rough-hewn wooden beams and exposed lightbulb filaments,” but rather “floats above the cobblestone streets like a pale, dreamy cloud” thanks to “pastel silks, hand-embroidered wallpapers, and cool swaths of marble.”

A large entry gallery is filled with storage, as well as a fireplace, skylight, and powder room. Next, the great room is topped by an 11-foot-tall, custom-pressed tin ceiling and lined with oversize arched windows and French doors leading to a charming 500-square-foot terrace. There’s a marble gas fireplace, the aforementioned sofa swing, and a super-low, zen-like dining table.

Another oversized banquette-style dining area is off the kitchen, which is covered in book-matched white marble, custom white cabinetry, and white-painted wood floors.

The master suite has access to another terrace and also boasts four custom closets and a sky-lit bathroom with heated floors, a steam shower, and deep soaking tub.

There are two more bedrooms, both with large closets and en-suite bathrooms, joined by a pocket door.

As 6sqft previously explained, “Gwyneth and then-husband Chris Martin bought the apartment as a pied-a-terre in 2007 for $5.1 million after selling a nearby loft at 13 Harrison Street that they’d bought in 2005 for $7.95 million.” Since the family is now based full-time in LA, she decided to sell.

‘The Daily Show’ Host Trevor Noah Buys $10M Hell's Kitchen Penthouse

It looks like Trevor Noah’s $15,000 rental at Stella Tower was just a space for him to kill time while waiting to move upstairs into a $10 million penthouse. The Journal reports that Noah closed today on the top-floor duplex apartment that spans the 17th and 18th floors of the 1927 Ralph Walker-designed skyscraper. In all, the star’s new spacious abode measures 3,600 square feet and comes encircled by a large, 930-square-foot terrace with sweeping views of the city.

Per the Journal, Noah scored quite a deal on the three-bedroom home, which was most recently listed at a discounted $11.5 million, down from an initial ask of $13 million.

The penthouse is surely a stunner with 14-foot ceilings and oversized windows with jaw-dropping views of Midtown and Downtown NYC. There’s also an eat-in kitchen, large closets, and solid oak flooring, details resulting from a recent conversion and renovation by JDS Development.

Amenities in the building include a 24-hour attended lobby, fitness center, media room, resident’s lounge with piano and bar, and outdoor garden.

The Hell’s Kitchen home is also close to the 52nd Street and Eleventh Avenue studio where “The Daily Show” is filmed, making for an easy commute for the TV star.

3 Things to Know About Selling a House on Your Own

3 Things to Know About Selling a House on Your Own

Do-it-yourself sellers hope to save commission fees but will have to work at it.

By Jeff Brown | Contributor Feb. 27, 2017, at 10:39 a.m.

The internet is full of sites that help homeowners sell property on their own, promising thousands in savings by avoiding commissions, but the National Association of Realtors says commission savings on a for-sale-by-owner transaction, or FSBO, are more than offset by lower sales prices.

The truth lies somewhere in between, according to most objective analysts. So for most sellers, deciding whether to go FSBO is a tough call.

Ali Wenzke, a Chicago writer with a blog called the Art of Happy Moving, says do-it-yourself transactions have worked well for her.

"My husband and I have sold two houses FSBO and purchased one home without an agent," she says. "Be objective. Work hard. Be flexible to do showings at any time."

"Anyone can do it and the average home is shown five times or less," says Sissy Lappin, co-founder of the FSBO website ListingDoor.com. "The notion that no buyers or sellers can understand or manage what happens in a transaction is simply absurd."

One thing is sure: the average seller's experience does not necessarily apply in any specific case. What matters is whether you can succeed with a FSBO, regardless of whether your neighbor has.

Adjust your expectations. Experts do agree that FSBO novices should be realistic. Even if you get top dollar and avoid the agent's commission, the process can be a time-consuming headache. And even if you don't have an agent of your own, you may have little choice but to pay one representing the buyer, cutting the savings in half.

"While listing on your own seems easy, you are in fact replacing a job which you usually employ a broker to do full time," says New York-based real estate agent Dylan Hoffman, who is not a fan of FSBOs. "You will need to organize showings, tours, previews and open houses. Plus all the back-end work, like maintaining photos and descriptions on websites, checking for a clear title, etc. An owner would also take on the role of marketing, both digital and print."

The internet has made the process much easier, with many sites now offering listings, advice and services like printing signs. For a fee, usually several hundred dollars, some services will get your home on the multiple listing service used by real estate agents and buyers, though Lappin says it's good enough to list on a site like Zillow.com, which is free. The goal is to save the agent's commission, typically about 6 percent of the sales price, or $18,000 for a $300,000 home.

"FSBO has grown up and sellers don't have to settle for a red-and-white generic yard sign," Lappin says.

She says the seller of a $400,000 home with $60,000 in equity would spend 40 percent of that equity if they paid a real estate agent 6 percent commission, or $24,000.

What kind of homes sell without an agent? The National Association of Realtors says about 10 percent of home sales are conducted without an agent, though some critics say the figure is higher. The association says the average FSBO sells for 13 percent less than the average agent-assisted sale. Again, critics like Lappin disagree, with many noting the association's studies do not look at comparable homes and lump in mobile homes and other inexpensive properties, as well as intra-family deals that tend to have low sales prices. Association figures do show that FSBO is less common with high-priced homes.

FSBO advocates generally agree that doing it yourself is more difficult for the seller, and can take longer. Though you might catch a buyer's eye right off the bat, the FSBO approach is relatively passive, as you won't have an agent steering buyers your way. Obviously, the seller must be available to show the house, and that can require weekdays, not just Sunday afternoons.

"It takes a lot of people skills to sell your own home," says law professor David Reiss, director of The Center for Urban Business Entrepreneurship at New York's Brooklyn Law School. "Can you engage with potential buyers even as they are criticizing your house and the choices you made about it? Can you distinguish serious buyers from window shoppers? Can you negotiate without giving away the farm or playing too hard to get?"

Anti-discrimination laws limit what you can tell buyers about issues like the ethnicity of neighbors, or even the number of school-aged kids or seniors on the block. And you have to be willing to show to all comers.

Going it alone also means you won't have an agent's advice setting the home up to it up to look its best, though you could hire a professional stager.

Pricing a home can be difficult. While online services like Zillow and Realtor.com show asking prices and recent sales prices in the neighborhood, your home might need an adjustment up or down for the age of the roof or presence of a pool. So it may pay to hire an appraiser for several hundred dollars.

Generally, the title company handles the nuts and bolts of the closing, like paying off property taxes and title insurance, though many experts say the FSBO seller should have a lawyer.

"I think by doing FSBO you are going to increase your days on the market unless you are incredibly well priced – most likely under market," says Kevin Lawton, an agent with Coldwell Banker's Schiavone & Associates in Bordentown, New Jersey. "The reason for this is that unless you work really hard to market the property the exposure will not be so great. On top of not having as much exposure, you run the risk of agents not showing FSBOs to their buyers as options. "

The FSBO seller can get agents on board by offering a buyer's agent commission of 2.5 to 3 percent.

Experts also say DIY sellers should require prospective buyers to show they have been preapproved for a mortgage large enough to buy the home.

Haggling over terms can be draining. The two parties must agree on a closing date, a penalty if the buyer pulls out and contingencies such as what happens if the buyer's appraisal comes in too low or the buyer doesn't get a mortgage.

Full Article HERE

Brooklyn Farmers Are Growing Crops Inside Shipping Containers

Square Roots first broke ground by financing and mentoring local entrepreneurs who are growing tasty, nutritious greens in, of all places, a Brooklyn parking lot. Now it’s taking things a step further — right to your New York City office. 

The new “Farm to Local, by Square Roots” initiative delivers snack-size bags of salad greens to workplaces. It already has subscribers at Vice Media and Kickstarter, said Square Roots CEO and cofounder Tobias Peggs.

“Your farmer will literally come to your desk and drop off same-day-harvested greens,” he said.

These farms aren’t your traditional sprawling upstate acreage tended by laborers or a guy on a tractor in bib overalls. Set up near where Jay Z grew up, they’re 10 steel shipping containers converted into hydroponic vertical farms, meaning crops grow in tower formation with recycled water and without soil.

Inside the LED-lit modular containers are rows of panels sprouting pesticide-free plants in a controlled climate — so freezing temperatures and snow pose no problem. Each container produces an annual harvest equivalent to an estimated two acres of land.

Square Roots raised seed financing to build the campus, which cost more than $100,000. Then, 10 young farmers were chosen from more than 500 applicants for a yearlong stint that started in November.

One of them is Electra Jarvis, 27, an Alphabet City resident who grows kale, mustard greens, and Salanova lettuce and is working on cilantro.

“At farmers markets, people are always impressed with the shelf-life and the taste,” said Jarvis, who had been a master’s student in sustainable environmental systems at Pratt Institute and interned with a hydroponic research and development company and an urban farming consulting firm.

The farmers work about 30 hours per week, splitting their time between working on the crops and sales, Peggs said.

“They build a big network of mentors and learn how to build a sustainable business,” said Peggs, whose background is in technology. “Then they are in an incredible position to go off on their own entrepreneurial journey.”

Germination of the idea

Peggs, 44, arrived in the U.S. in 2003 from the United Kingdom. A few years later, he met Kimbal Musk (whose brother is the entrepreneur Elon Musk). Musk, a chef, had cooked for firefighters at ground zero after 9/11. “That’s when he began to see the power of real food and its ability to strengthen communities,” Peggs said.

Peggs and Musk worked together in social media analytics, until Musk broke his neck in a skiing accident and, “realizing life can be short,” shifted his focus to The Kitchen, a farm-to-table restaurant group that started in Colorado, Peggs said. In 2014, the duo began developing the idea for Square Roots.

“What we saw was that millions of people, especially in our biggest cities, were at the mercy of industrial food,” Peggs said. “This is high-calorie, low-nutrient food, shipped in from thousands of miles away. The results are awful, from childhood obesity to adult diabetes to a total loss of community around food.”

For example, Peggs said, a supermarket apple may have been traveling for nine months and is coated in wax. “You think you’re making a healthy choice, but in that time the nutrients have broken down, and you’re basically eating a ball of sugar.”

Square Roots aims to expand to 20 metropolitan areas by 2020.

Until then, in Brooklyn, they’re growing mainly leafy greens (spinach, arugula, chard) and herbs (basil, shiso). Peggs believes berries and tomatoes could follow.

“At the end of the day, if the food doesn't taste amazing, no one will buy it,” Peggs said. “So we focus every day on making sure the food tastes amazing. And it does.”

125-Year-Old Cathedral Finally Declared a City Landmark

On Tuesday the Landmarks Preservation Commission voted unanimously to designate the 125-year-old Cathedral Church of St. John The Divine, the world’s largest cathedral; in addition, 115 neighboring buildings became the Morningside Heights Historic District. The designated district runs from West 109th to 119th streets between Riverside Drive and Amsterdam Avenue and includes the famously unfinished cathedral and surrounding campus. With the designation, calendared by the LPC in September, comes a 3-D online map that provides more information about the buildings in the district, most of which were constructed between 1900 and 1910, including townhouses dating back to the late 1800s as well as pre-war apartment buildings.
 

Full Morningside Heights Historic District interactive map here.

Commission Chairwoman Meenakshi Srinivasan said in a statement, “The Cathedral is among the most famous church buildings in the world and is visited by hundreds of thousands of people each year who want to experience this 125-year-old masterpiece and complex with its varied and unique architectural styles…Preservation is not static; it can look towards the future.”

The first phase of construction of the iconic 124-foot French Gothic cathedral happened from 1892 to 1911, and the second phase, from 1916 to 1941, saw the nave completed and connected with the choir; a third phase was begun in 1979 on the western section, which remains unfinished.

Commissioner Shamir-Brown said, “It’s meaningful and important to designate the cathedral as a building that is unfinished. We’re recognizing not only what it was but what it will become. That says something about the potential open-endedness of preservation.”

Enclave at the Cathedral; image: CityRealty

In 2002 the City Council overturned a decision to designate the unfinished cathedral in an attempt to preserve the entire Cathedral Close. Two rental towers known as Enclave at the Cathedral that flank the cathedral’s northern exposure were excluded from the site’s designation. As 6sqft previously reported, the new rental buildings developed by the Brodsky Organization were involved in a controversy for their position obstructing the cathedral.

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Jason Biggs & Wife List Stylish Tribeca Loft For $3M

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“American Pie” and “Orange is the New Black” actor Jason Biggs married actress and author Jenny Mollen in 2008, after they met filming “My Best Friend’s Girl.” Five years later, the trendy couple bought a sprawling Tribeca loft at 288 West Street for $2.55 million, enlisting designer-to-the-stars Cliff Fong (with whom they’d worked previously on two L.A. homes) to outfit the space with a combination of modern furniture and accessories from Wayfair.com, their extensive art collection, and playful and comfortable pieces to accommodate their three-year-old son Sid–all of which blend seamlessly with the loft’s brick walls, exposed timber framing and beams, raw pipes, and open floorplan. They’ve now decided to put the apartment on the market, and it’s asking a not-especially, marked-up price of $2,995,000.

The 2,200-square-foot home is currently configured as a three-bedroom plus home office. Throughout are high ceilings, hardwood floors, and sleek recessed lighting. Fong used patterned and textured rugs to divide the open space into separate functions; he also thoughtfully mixed colorful statement pieces like the orange chairs in the sitting area with more classic choices like the Danish-style dining table and chairs. In a feature on their home, Biggs told People magazine that his style is “eclectic, rebellious and comfortable,” which certainly comes through in the interior design and artwork.

The kitchen is outfitted with all stainless steel, high-end appliances, as well as custom concrete countertops, a wine fridge, and industrial-style open shelving.

The master suite is quite large and has two window seats, an updated bathroom, and a washer/dryer.

In addition, the building has a 1,000-square-foot common roof deck with a gas grill and panoramic Hudson River views.

Snapchat Started Selling Its Camera Glasses Online

Until now, the only way to buy Snapchat's Spectacles has been through yellow vending machines that appear unannounced in random cities for 24 hours.

Snapchat's "Snapbot" vending machines are going on hiatus while the company starts selling its Spectacles online.

Starting Monday, Snapchat will also sell its camera-equipped sunglasses on its website. Anyone in the US can order a pair of the $130 glasses, which record 10-second video clips and connect to the Snapchat app.

Snapchat maker Snap Inc. is also shutting down its Spectacles pop-up store in New York City that's been open since late November. A spokesperson confirmed that the company's "Snapbot" vending machines will continue to appear throughout the US after going on a "brief" hiatus.

Snap made a big splash with the unexpected debut of Spectacles last fall. The product garnered long lines during the weeks leading up to the holidays, and pairs were quickly resold online for thousands of dollars. Demand has since slowed, and Snap likely feels confident that it can finally fulfill online orders.

Spectacles represent Snap's first hardware effort to rebrand itself as a "camera company" ahead of its $22 billion public offering in March. Snap said it had planned to "significantly broaden the distribution of Spectacles" in its IPO paperwork earlier this month, although the product "has not generated significant revenue" yet.

Removing Garbage Cans Led To More Trash On The Tracks and Tack Fires

For those who thought removing subway station garbage cans as a means to decrease litter and rats seemed counterintuitive, you were right. The Post looks at how things have fared since the MTA took out cans in 39 stations in 2012, and since this tactic was nixed by the state Comptroller’s Office in 2015. Despite the latter attempt to course correct, a new state report shows that the situation is still just as bad in many stations, with the amount of litter on the upswing and an increased number of track fires.

As 6sqft previously reported, “This past May the MTA recorded 50,436 subway delays, 697 of which were caused by track fires that could have been ignited by the 40 tons of trash that are removed from the system every day.” The build up of garbage isn’t exactly rocket science; with nowhere to dispose of their waste, subway riders end up leaving things like coffee cups and newspapers on benches and stairways or throwing it onto the tracks.

In response, state Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli said, “The clearest progress in the MTA’s pilot program so far is that they’ve returned garbage cans to some of the stations,” referencing the seven stations where they were replaced on the mezzanine level when track fires there had “become rampant.” However, there are still no garbage cans in high-trafficked stations like the Eighth Street stop on the R line in Manhattan, Flushing-Main Street stop on the 7 line in Queens, and all the above-ground stops on the J, M and Z lines in Brooklyn and Queens. And the MTA doesn’t have a system in place for alerting riders about which stations don’t have trash cans.

“Five years after they started this experiment, there’s still no evidence that it’s benefited riders by reducing trash or rats in stations,” DiNapoli continued, despite the MTA’s assertations that workers have had to pick up less trash in those stations targeted by the initiative. The agency also cites the success of their “Operation Trash Sweep.” Under the three-phase initiative, the agency employed a more vigorous cleaning schedule, instituted a system-wide cleaning blitz during which all 469 stations were completely cleaned over just two weeks, and, most recently, tested individually-operated Mobile Vacs that allow workers to quickly suck up trash. MTA spokesman Kevin Ortiz said track fires decreased at the targeted stations by 41 percent since the Sweep began.

Meg Ryan's Stunning SoHo Loft Just Came To Market For $10.9M

Fresh off a cover feature in the holy tome of celebrity interiors, the impeccable Soho loft of actress Meg Ryan has hit the market for $10.9 million. Ryan purchased the apartment from fellow celeb Hank Azaria in 2014—and he from artist Cindy Sherman—dropping $8 million on the 4,100-square-foot abode on Mercer Street. The classic loft was fine in its own right when Ryan moved in, but its been elevated with a gut renovation by architect Joel Barkley and designer Monique Gibson.

Ryan’s no stranger to redesigning spaces. The When Harry Met Sally actress told Architectural Digest that the loft is the ninth home she’s renovated. “I know it sounds crazy to most people, the idea of renovating that many houses. But I love renovating,“ she said. “I think it’s tied to living the actor’s life. As an actor, you are so rarely in control. [W]ith decorating I am in control; it’s a chance for me to bring my vision into the world.” She does it so often, in fact, that her son Jack has a name for it: the Megan-ize effect.

The Megan-ize effect is on full display on Mercer Street, where brooding hues and antique finishes meet. The apartment is a classic loft in that it has a flowing yet funky layout suspended by seven architectural columns. The keyed elevator opens up onto a 40-foot entry hall with five windows overlooking Mercer Street on one side, and a set of high gloss black french doors that lead into the living area on the other. A separate formal dining area with a marble mantled decorative fireplace can be found behind another set of french doors at the far end of the living room.

The loft’s kitchen includes custom cabinetry by Fine Woodwork, marble shelving and countertops, subway tile, and tons of built-in shelving. The appliances are what one would expect: a six-burner Viking range with a grill, two stainless steel refrigerators, and a Bosch dishwasher.

The master bedroom is found off of the formal dining room, and doesn’t include the oversized walk-in closet that has become so desired, but has eight smaller closets as well as a massive en suite bathroom with a free-standing tub designed by Water Monopoly and vanities by Urban Archaeology. The two additional bedrooms are smaller, each with their own bath. A media room can be found off of the living room.

Welcome To The Team!

Welcome To The Team!

Jaclyn B. Treinkman

Licensed Associate Real Estate Broker

jtreinkman@compass.com

M: 646.678.1889

For Jaclyn Treinkman, New York City real estate is a natural fit. She hails from a family of shrewd real estate investors and agents, and her parents are NYC natives. "Both of my parents are from the city, and my grandparents lived in the Village my whole life," she explains. 

With that solid base of city and real estate know-how, Jaclyn is devoted to thoroughly educating clients and calmly guiding them through the challenging New York real estate landscape. That means being accessible 24/7 and always striving to be the hardest working agent around. 

Former roles in ad sales and hospitality have honed Jaclyn's marketing savvy and elite customer service skills, but at its core, her hands-on approach is all about getting to know people's wants and needs, and matching them with the perfect New York City home. Known for her perseverance and meticulous nature, she gives 100 percent to every client interaction and prides herself on the long list of clients who have become close friends. 

A graduate of Penn State University, Jaclyn is an artist and maker at heart. In her free time, you'll find her indulging her passion for painting, travel, and flea markets.

Yellen Says More Interest-Rate Hikes Might Be Coming

Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen said more interest-rate increases will be appropriate if the U.S. economy meets the central bank’s outlook of gradually rising inflation and tightening labor markets.

“At our upcoming meetings, the committee will evaluate whether employment and inflation are continuing to evolve in line with these expectations, in which case a further adjustment of the federal funds rate would likely be appropriate,” she told the Senate Banking Committee in prepared remarks Tuesday.

Yellen’s semiannual report on monetary policy is her first since Donald Trump became president vowing to boost U.S. growth, which could push the Federal Open Market Committee to pick up the pace of rate hikes if such steps fan higher inflation. She reiterated that falling behind on inflation could harm to the economy and possible cut short the expansion.

“Waiting too long to remove accommodation would be unwise, potentially requiring the FOMC to eventually raise rates rapidly, which could risk disrupting financial markets and pushing the economy into recession,” she added.

Read Yellen’s Opening Statement

Yellen gave no indication of the timing of the next hike in her prepared remarks. Investors see about a 34 percent chance of an increase at the next meeting of the FOMC on March 14-15, up from about 30 percent before she spoke. Treasuries fell, U.S. stocks pared losses and the dollar rose.

The Fed, which has only raised rates twice since the recovery began in 2009, has penciled in three quarter-point rate increases in 2017, as the economy closes in on the central bank’s goals for maximum employment and 2 percent inflation.

Moderate Growth

Yellen said the Fed panel’s outlook for a “moderate pace” of growth is based on continued stimulative monetary policy, and a pick-up in global activity. She did not mention Trump administration proposals as a key element in the central bank’s forecast.

In response to questioning, Yellen said Fed policy makers will be discussing in coming months their strategy for the balance sheet, which swelled to about $4.5 trillion after the crisis from less than $900 billion in 2006 as the central bank sought to hold down long-term market rates.

She said she expects the balance sheet to end up being “substantially smaller” than it is now, with policy makers wanting to shrink in an “orderly and predictable way.” The Fed doesn’t want to use the balance sheet as an active policy tool and it should eventually be comprised primarily of U.S. Treasuries, she said.

On the economy, she said in her opening statement that consumer spending has continued to rise at a “healthy pace,” supported by gains in household income and wealth, favorable sentiment and low rates. The recent rise in mortgage rates “may impart some restraint” on housing markets, she said.

The Fed chief said changes in fiscal and economic policies could affect the outlook, though she declined to speculate how, adding that it’s “too early to know” what policy changes will be put in place. She urged lawmakers to focus on investments that would improve living standards and raise productivity while noting that she hoped any changes would keep fiscal accounts “on a sustainable trajectory.”

Reform Push

Trump’s victory could expose the U.S. central bank to reforms favored by his Republican party, which still controls both chambers of Congress. Yellen could previously rely on President Barack Obama, a Democrat, to shield with his veto any perceived encroachment on Fed independence.

The shift in power may force her to engage more with lawmakers than in the past. Republicans want to roll back post-crisis banking regulations enshrined in the Dodd-Frank Act, arguing it hurts growth by making credit scarce for small businesses. While Yellen did not mention financial regulation in her remarks, lawmakers had many questions on the issue as the hearing progressed.

In his opening remarks at the hearing, Senate Banking Committee Chairman Mike Crapo said “it is time to reassess what is working and what is not” with financial regulations, which need to “strike the proper balance” between the safety of the system and economic growth.

Trump’s opportunity to influence regulatory policy improved last week when Fed Governor Daniel Tarullo, who oversees bank regulation, announced his departure in early April. It also means that Trump can fill three of the seven Fed Board seats, where there are two existing vacancies, while Yellen’s own term as chair ends in February 2018.

Yellen gave an upbeat description of the labor market saying gains in recent years “have been widespread.” The unemployment stood at 4.8 percent in January.

The personal consumption expenditures price index, the Fed’s preferred price benchmark, rose 1.6 percent in the 12 months through December.

110 Third Avenue, Unit 10D

110 Third Avenue, Unit 10D

East Village, Manhattan

2 Bed  |  2 Bath  |  1,103 SqFt

Offered At $7,900 / mo.

Condo  |  Doorman  |  Gym  |  Roof Deck  

Enjoy open city views south and east from this corner unit with floor-to-ceiling windows.

This open and modern unit features upgraded quite soundproof windows as well as motorized blinds. The beautiful oak floors run throughout the entire apartment. The true chef style kitchen opens to the dinning area and living room which creates a downtown loft feel to the apartment. Perfectly located between Union Square and the East Village. With amenities such as a fully equipped fitness center, landscaped common rooftop terrace, Fresh Direct certified refrigerated storage, full time concierge, and bike storage, its a perfect a fit. 

 

One-third Of All Manhattan Apartment Leases In January Included Concessions

New York City residential landlords are continuing to rely on renters’ incentives to keep vacancies at bay, a trend that is expected to become more widespread throughout 2017.

The number of leases with concessions reached new highs in January, according to the monthly rental report from Douglas Elliman. In Manhattan, 31 percent of all new leases included some form of concession last month, nearly double what it was a year ago. In Brooklyn, 18 percent of leases had concessions, compared to just 5 percent last year.

“Landlords are trying to strike a balance and that means fine tuning rents to fit market conditions,” said Jonathan Miller, CEO of appraisal firm Miller Samuel and author of the report. He predicts landlords will use concessions even more aggressively in 2017.

“I don’t think we’re at the end of this — nothing is changing and there’s a lot of product coming in,” he said. “The rental market is going to get weaker before it gets stronger.”

In Manhattan, the vacancy rate fell slightly from 2.3 percent from 2.8 percent in January 2016. That’s a sign concessions are working, although they are “painful for landlords,” said Miller.

The borough’s median rental price, after concessions, was $3,259, essentially the same as January last year. Softening in the market continues to be particularly acute at the high end. The median rent of a Manhattan studio was $2,600, a negligible change from last year. But for three-bedrooms, the median price was $5,500, a drop of almost 7 percent. While non-doorman median rent went up 2.8 percent to hit $2,800, the median price for doorman rentals fell back 1.2 percent to $3,750.

Luxury rentals, which account for the top ten percent of the market fell again this month, dropping 5.5 percent year-over-year to a median price of $7,595.

In Brooklyn, the effects of vast amounts of luxury rental product is also being felt. The median rent in the borough was $2,702, after taking concessions into account. That’s a fall of 2.8 percent compared to January 2016, when median rent was $2,779. Just like in Manhattan, the lower end of the market held firm or saw modest gains. But the two-bedroom median rental price was $3,025, a fall of 4 percent year-over-year. For three-bedrooms, it was $3,318, a fall of 8 percent. The luxury market dropped just under one percent to $5,119.

“In the last six months in 2016, you started to see a run-up in Brooklyn in the use of concessions,” said Miller. “Even though the concessions are still less than in Manhattan, the amount of concessions tripled over the year, whereas in Manhattan it doubled.”

The market in northwest Queens continues to be “choppy,” according to Miller. The median rent fell 2.4 percent year-over-year to $2,700. Out of all the leases signed last month, 38 percent included concessions. The concessions are driven by the uptick in new development rentals, which had a market share of 34 percent last month, more than double what it was this time last year.

It Might Cost The City $28M To Clean Up Yesterday’s Storm

For fiscal year 2017, the city budgeted $88 million for snow removal and has already spent $26 million. But yesterday’s dump of the white stuff could bring that number up to $54 million. DNAinfo reports that Comptroller Scott Stringer estimates it could cost NYC taxpayers between $19.9 and $27.9 million to dig out from Winter Storm Niko, which is based on the average of $1.99 million per inch of snow that the city has paid over the past 14 years.

Though parts of Queens got close to eight inches of snow, Central Park saw only five and most of Brooklyn between five and seven. Taking a median of six inches, this leaves the city with enough money to dig out 24 more inches of snow before the end of the year based on the average of $1.99 per inch. However, in fiscal year 2016, it cost an average of $3.28 million per inch of snow, and in 2014, removal costs hit an all-time high of $130.6 million.

These costs come in addition to the $21 million the city spent purchasing new equipment like smaller salt spreaders and snow haulers to accommodate narrow streets in Queens and Staten Island, bringing the total number of pieces of snow equipment to 2,300. In a statement Stringer said, “It’s always important to remember that snowstorms cost money, and the more transparent we are about those costs, the better we’re able to budget in the future,” Stringer said in a statement.

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Biggest Price Cuts On Luxury Units This Week

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Price chops in the city’s ultra-luxury market are showing no signs of slowing down.

In total, 15 properties in the over-$10 million market saw a discount of more than 5 percent in the period between Jan. 31 and Feb 6, according to data provided by StreetEasy. 

The biggest reduction was at One Madison Park, where a two-floor condominium had its asking price slashed by a whopping $5.5 million, or 17 percent.

Here’s a look at the biggest price cuts in New York City’s luxury market last week:

23 East 22nd Street, 55/56

23 East 22nd Street, 55/56
Previous Price: $32 million
Current Price: $27 million ($4,070 per square foot)
Percentage Drop: 17 percent

This five-bedroom, five-bathroom “showcase” apartment at One Madison Park was first listed in May 2015, asking $37 million. It was pulled from the market just a few days later, and returned in April last year with a $32.5 million price tag. Last week, the apartment at the Related Companies, CIM Group and HFZ Capital Group-developed property was reduced by $5.5 million, or 17 percent.

The 6,620-square-foot apartment, offered as raw space only, spans across two full floors, according to the listing. If you do happen to have $27 million to spare, buying this apartment would put you in pretty close proximity to Rupert Murdoch. In 2014, the media mogul paid $57.3 million for the four floors above this particular pad, including a triplex penthouse and a three-bedroom on the 57th floor. He listed the penthouse for $72 million in 2015, but yanked it from the market a year later.

CORE’s Jim St. Andre has the listing. He wasn’t available for comment.

151 East 58th Street, 47A

151 East 58th Street, 47A
Previous Price: $13.9 million
Current Price: $12 million ($3,922 per square foot)
Percentage Drop: 14 percent

The owner of this One Beacon Court condo is Scott Kurnit, chair of shopping website Keep.com. But if this recent discount is anything to go by, he may be keeping this 3,000-square-foot home.

Kurnit put the pad up for sale last November with a $13.9 million asking price. Last week, $2 million, or 14 percent, was lopped off the asking price.

The three-bedroom, three-bathroom apartment has floor-to-ceiling windows, 11-foot-high ceilings, custom flooring, views of the city and Central Park, a kitchen outfitted with top-of-line appliances and custom closet spaces.

The Vornado Realty Trust-developed building is also home to another notable price reduction. Billionaire hedge funder Steven Cohen has been trying to find a buyer for his apartment there since 2013. Its asking price has been dropped from $115 million down to $72 million over the years.

Compass’ Victoria Shtainer and Gabriel Zapata have the listing. The brokers could not be reached for comment.

535 West End Avenue, HiFlr

535 West End Avenue “Hiflr” 
Previous Price: $22.7 million
Current Price: $20 million ($2,366 per square foot)
Percentage Drop: 12 percent

This high-floor apartment — as it’s known for privacy reasons — spans 8,450 square feet across seven bedrooms and seven bathrooms, and features custom herringbone hardwood floors, a corner library, a formal dining room and a butler’s pantry. First listed in August last year, according to StreetEasy, the apartment at the Extell Development building was slashed by $2.7 million last week.

Adam Modlin of the Modlin Group has the listing. He declined to comment.

56 East 66th Street

56 East 66th Street
Previous Price: $17.9 million
Current Price: $16 million
Percentage Drop: 11 percent

This 8,000 square foot townhouse has eight apartments across five floors. It could, however, be turned into a single-family mansion with a limestone facade, six bedrooms, five bathrooms and an eat-in kitchen. There’s also potential for fireplaces, a “dramatic” open staircase, a private garden and an elevator, according to the listing.

Built in 1905, the townhouse was on the market for $17.9 million in October, but was dropped down to $15.9 million. It’s claim to 15 minutes of fame? Andy Warhol lived close by at number 57.

The current owner used an LLC to buy it for $14 million in 2015, records show.

Lisa Simonsen and Kristin Lukic of Douglas Elliman have the listing. Neither brokers were available for comment.

720 Park Avenue, #23C

720 Park Avenue, 23C
Previous Price: $22.5 million
Current Price: $20.1 million
Percentage Drop: 11 percent

The chance to own a pad in one of the city’s most exclusive co-op buildings just got a little cheaper — but it’ll still set you back $20 million. Apartment 23C at 740 Park Avenue is a six-bedroom, six-bathroom duplex spanning nearly 7,000 on the second and third floors. The apartment is owned by Mark Magowan, the president of publishing house Vendome Press, and his wife Nina, according to the New York Times. They bought the apartment in 1986. It features a circular staircase, four reception rooms, a gourmet kitchen and breakfast room.

It’s not the first time a expensive pad at the building has been slashed in price. In November, hedge funder David Ganek cut the price of his place at 6/7A, where a young Jacqueline Bouvier lived with her parents in the 1930s, back to $29.5 million. It’s still on the market, according to StreetEasy.

The Trump boost has been helping lately, so I’m encouraged,” said Kirk Henckels, of Stribling, who has the listing with colleague Jennifer Callahan. “The ultra-luxury market has not been good for the last six months or more, but we had as many showings in the past ten days as the first ten days after it hit the market.”

$60 Iceberg Water

Harrods, the famous department store in London, is a cabinet of curiosities when it comes to luxury. Now it is preparing to launch Svalbarði “luxury water”, at £50 ($63) a bottle if there ever has been such a thing. 

The product was conceived by Jamal Qureshi, a Norwegian-American Wall Street businessman when he visited a remote Norwegian island in the Svalbard archipelago in 2013 and brought back melted iceberg water as a gift for his wife.

A few years later, he got an approval from the governor of Svalbard and now charters an icebreaker and harvests the icebergs in Kongsfjorden, 1,000 kilometers from the North Pole. Once 15 tons of ice is collected by the crew, it’s melted and bottled by hand. The company says that only micron filters and UV light are used to preserve the water’s natural composition and pure taste. The water is almost entirely mineral free, with no nitrates or pollutants.

There are two expeditions per year, producing 13,000 bottles each time. Each batch will be sold as a limited edition.

The aerial view of Svalbard.

The 750ml bottle looks more like a bottle of wine than water. The mint-colored ring around the top symbolizes the polar rings and the wooden bottle top symbolizes drift wood.

Harrods was chosen as the first store to stock this product and the global launch is scheduled for February 15.

If you’re looking for something unusual other than packets of tea or chocolates on your next visit to the Harrods Food Hall, the Svalbarði water is certainly uncommon. Can a bottle of water be worth £50 ($63)? That’s for you to try and decide.

Svalbarði will be exclusive to Harrods for now but can be shipped worldwide.

Samantha Bee Gets New $3.7M Riverside Drive Co-op

Now that political commentator Samantha Bee is into her second season hosting “Full Frontal” it looks like she wants to put down some permanent roots near the show’s west side studio at CBS. According to city records, she and her husband, fellow comedian Jason Jones, dropped $3.7 million on a somewhat basic Riverside Drive co-op.

The top-floor home home has lovely details like beamed ceilings, picture moldings, and hardwood floors. A bright living space is anchored by a marble mantle that was original to the Plaza Hotel. Through glass-paneled French doors is a less formal den, which features a custom walnut wall unit.

Directly adjacent to the living room is the dining area, which is open to the eat-in kitchen.  Here you’ll find granite counters, a large island with a table attachment, high-end appliances, and a farmhouse sink.

Glass-paned French pocket doors lead to the other wing where there are four bedrooms–perfect since Bee and Jones have three children. The master has another custom built-in walnut wall of cabinetry and its own half bath.

It appears that the co-op is move-in ready, so Bee will have plenty of time to work on her Not the White House Correspondents’ Dinner.

Most Beautiful NYC Homes To Hit The Market Last Week

Every week, Curbed covers dozens of market listings that vary in price, location, size, grandeur, quirkiness, and other distinct characteristics. If they managed to capture our attention, that means there’s definitely something special going on. But some of these homes are so lovely that they warrant a special kind of notoriety as some of the prettiest homes currently up for sale in New York City. And so, here it is: five listing that have that special "je ne sais quoi" that separates them from the rest. Happy gawking!

↑The brokerbabble calls this Williamsburg two-bedroom duplex “the ultimate loft space, a rarity these days,” which, okay, sure. The apartment itself is pretty nice, if not the ultimate loft space: it has positively enormous 18-foot ceilings, with exposed brick walls that hark back to the building’s past as a former factory, and pretty stellar views of Manhattan and Brooklyn.

↑Designed by Parish & Schroeder and built in 1898, this magnificent Upper East Side mansion, asking a whopping $45 million, has six bedrooms, more than seven bathrooms, two galleries, a wine cellar, solarium, and even a card room linked to the library via a secret passageway.

↑With striking details, a celebrity pedigree, and views of the Met, the park, and the Chrysler Building, this $4.295 million pre-war co-op is about as Upper East Side as it gets. It was also once the home of pioneering TV personality Julia Meade.

↑$35 million buys you this 10,000 square foot Upper East Side townhouse featuring “elegant yet comfortable modern day living.” That means six bedrooms, including a master suite with his- and hers- dressing areas; endless living spaces; a grand spiral staircase; eight and a half bathrooms; and a caretaker’s apartment on the cellar floor. The home also boasts a “lush” rooftop garden, centrally controlled sound, heat, and lighting systems.

↑A Chelsea townhouse that we’ve previously labeled one of Chelsea’s strangest homes, and the Wet and Wild ‘Pool House’ is now back on the market for the umpteenth time, and it’s asking $13.8 million for its quirky spread. So what makes this six-bedroom townhouse so over the top? Take for instance the the saltwater swimming pool in the middle of the living room, into which an 18-foot high waterfall drains, or think of the double height solarium that leads to a manicured garden, and there’s more...

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