• 50 West 96th Street, 8D - Upper West Side, New York

• 1^st open house: Sunday, April 14^th, 1:30 PM - 3:00 PM

If you cannot make the open house, please email me for a private appointment:

pzweben@elliman.com

PARK BLOCK GEM! Don't miss out on this bright, renovated, 2-Bedroom, 1.5 Bath prewar home. A gracious entry foyer leads you into this comfortable apartment with spacious living room featuring quiet, south-facing windows and charming prewar details including elegant hardwood floors, high beamed ceilings and decorative picture frame moldings. The large windowed kitchen is great for the home chef with Connemara marble counters and breakfast bar, excellent storage, stainless steel appliances and 2 Frigidaire dishwashers. Both bedrooms are spacious and serene and set apart from the living room and kitchen for added privacy and quiet and the master boasts an excellent walk-in closet as well as a gorgeous half bath with marble vanity and Toto toilet. The full bath has been updated and features attractive subway tiles and pedestal sink. 50 West 96th Street is a beautifully maintained Coop with 24-hour doorman, common roof deck, and live-in Super. Enjoy Central Park only half a block away, the convenience of public transportation just outside your door, and top retail stores at Columbus Square Shopping Center including Whole Foods, Crumbs Bakery, Sephora and many others. Pets are welcome.

http://www.elliman.com/new-york-city/50-west-96-street-unit-8d-manhattan-xrlxwoy

350 East 62nd Street, 3C - Upper East Side, New York

$579,000

This mint, over-sized Studio with Bonus Loft and Private Outdoor Space. Keep as an investment or move in this striking loft-like home with soaring high 14' ceilings! The spacious living room has sunny Eastern Exposures with floor-to-ceiling windows leading to a private balcony perfect for enjoying your morning coffee. The well-designed open kitchen with recessed lighting features a Miele Stove Top, LG Refrigerator, Dishwasher, and breakfast bar. The expansive open layout has wide-plank hardwood floors throughout, central A/C, excellent storage space, and boasts plenty of room for both a dining and living area, while the bonus loft area could be used for sleeping, storage, or a home office. 350 East 62nd Street is a full-service Condo with 24-Hour Doorman, live in Super, Central Laundry and is ideally located moments away from all the amenities of both the Upper East Side and Midtown.

http://www.elliman.com/new-york-city/350-east-62-street-unit-3c-manhattan-ciryaaz

320 West 86^th street #5C $425,000

OPEN HO-- -- USE TODAY 6.23.13 11:30am-1pm

If you cannot get to the open house, please email me for a private appointment: pzweben@elliman.com

Move right in to this MINT, fully renovated and stunningly restored One-Bedroom, One-Bath Coop on one of the loveliest blocks on the Upper West Side. Enjoy the balance between modern comfort and prewar detail in this charming home boasting high ceilings, hardwood floors, crown molding, beautiful kitchen with stainless steel appliances, skim-coated walls, updated electric, and a completely renovated bath with new plumbing. 320 West 86th Street is a boutique, Full-Service Cooperative with 24-Hour Doorman and excellent live-in Super and is moments away from Riverside Park, the Soldiers and Sailors Memorial, public transportation, and all area amenities. Pets are welcome!

MINT CONDITION 2 BEDROOM CONDO! $649K

First Open house is Sunday, March 10^th, from 1;30-3pm

If you cannot make the open house, please email me for a private appointment-

pzweben@elliman.com

A great home or investment, this Mint Two-Bedroom, 1-Bath home features bright northern views across 95th Street and a private Juliet balcony off of the living room. This stunning and sophisticated apartment has been fully renovated with Brazilian Hardwood Floors throughout and an Open Kitchen with Granite Countertops, attractive tile backsplash, limestone floor, and Stainless Steel Appliances including Wine Refrigerator, full-sized Dishwasher and built-in Microwave. The soothing spa-like Bath features honey Onyx natural stone tiles, sleek modern finishes and a Toto toilet. 300 East 95th Street is an intimate boutique-sized postwar condominium built in 1986 with only 2 apartments per floor, central laundry and is located close to public transportation and all area amenities.

444 E 87th St - 2A Renovated 1 bedroom

CALLING ALL SAVVY BUYERS!

$349,000

Our first open house will be this Sunday, March 10^th from 11:30am-1pm.

If you cannot make the open house, please email me for a private appointment….

pzweben@elliman.com

Move right into this charming, renovated 1-Bedroom Home with bright, northern, tree-top views onto a quiet Upper East Side block. The windowed kitchen boasts granite countertops and sleek tile backsplash and is open to the Living Room for a comfortable, modern layout. This beautifully maintained home boasts brand new double-pane windows in the living room and an attractive, updated Bath. The private, cozy bedroom offers a serene and pin-drop quiet space for relaxation. 444 East 87th Street is an intimate boutique-sized elevator Cooperative currently undergoing a complete face-lift with a new façade that is expected to be completed this summer. Don’t miss out on this excellent opportunity to live in one of the most charming neighborhoods in the city. Pets are welcome!

“Bidding Wars” “Best and Finals” Unless you are the seller, it is a grueling process~

Yesterday I wrote about the importance of having a solid team behind you in this wild real estate market that we are in.

If you are a buyer in today’s market, I do not need to tell you that inventory is at a historic low and Open houses are having record attendance and most sales are ending up in bidding wars and going to best and final. Let’s face it, unless you are the seller …..being in the “War” is not fun….Unless you win~

Here are our tips on how to go into a best and final scenario:

1-I know that real estate is an emotional process for most people, but try to remove the emotions from “Best and Final” scenarios. Remain calm and focused.

2- You need to have as much data in your hands to know what the comps are with the unit you are interested in. Don’t go in this blind. Have an experienced agent arm you with information.

3-How long are you planning on living in this unit. I tell my customers all the time, that if they are planning on only staying in the units for 1-3 years, it could be very risky to get into a “Best and Final” situation and ultimately win the bid. Remember- just to break even, you would have to sell the property for approximately 110% of the price you for the unit.

4-Whatever final offer you put in, you should always be ok if you lose the apartment, because you bid, $10,000, $20,000 or $30,000 lower than the winning bidder.

5-Visit the apartment at least 2 -3 times before getting into the bidding war.

6- If you are not 100% familiar with the neighborhood, I would take walks on the street and the immediate neighborhood at a few different time frames during the day and night….even late at night. It is amazing what you will learn about the building and the neighborhood.

7-Know exactly what is needed to be presented to the seller’s agent for “The Best and Final” scenario.

You would hate to lose out, if you sent your offer in at the wrong time or did not furnish the required information.

8- If you lose the “War”, remember, it will only make you savvier for the next apartment that you may want. There will always be more apartments….so enjoy the ride!

If you need any advice, please email me at pzweben@elliman.com or call me at 212.769.9807

My mind is constantly going 100 miles an hour and I am always thinking how we can help our clients navigate through the NYC real estate market.

The 1^st quarter of 2013 has started out with a roar and here is where you stand…

The lack of inventory has created an imbalance in today’s market.

If you are a seller of a 2+ bedroom apartment in a financially stable building, the chances of you getting multiple bids at the asking price or over the ask are almost guaranteed assuming it is priced properly. This is a seller’s market and sellers are in an excellent position to make top dollar while inventory levels remain at current lows and continue to push prices higher.

I am happy to go over selling strategy with you whenever you have time:

pzweben@elliman.com

If you are a buyer in a bidding war, the competition is fierce but not impossible.  However, the importance of having a great team—from your real estate broker, attorney, to mortgage broker/loan officer—to help you through the buying maze has never been more important!  Any edge on the competition will help you secure your future home in this challenging buying market.  A knowledgeable and savvy agent will be the edge that you need!  Here is what your agent *should* tell you in order to lock in your new home:

1. 1.     This market does not allow any missteps……. You need to be completely ready with the following items—PRIOR to making an offer.
   1. a.    Have a copy of the 1^st 2 pages of your last 2 years tax returns readily available.
   2. b.    Have a completed asset and liability statement – this form will give the seller your accurate financial picture.
   3. c.    You must speak to a smart mortgage broker (Unless you are paying all cash) in order to get a pre- approval  letter. We have used Lenny Holler of Vice President DE Capital Mortgage, LLC and he takes care of our customers 100%! lenny.holler@decapitalmortgage.com
   4. d.    You must have an experience Real Estate Attorney….

All three of these attorneys are phenomenal:

Steven Matz of Katz and Matz- steven@katzmatz.net 

Rachel Mulcahy- rachel@mulcahylegal.com

Robyn L. Eckhaus- robyn@realestatelawgroup.net

1. e.    You must be prepared to know how much money you will be putting down and how much you will be financing.
2. f.     You must also know that by putting an offer that is not contingent on financing will make your offer stronger. The quick and easy definition of removing the contingency is, if the bank won’t give you a loan, you need to come to the closing with your check book and write a check for the purchase.

Going into the process prepared will not only make a great impression on the seller, showing that you are serious and ready to move forward quickly but it will also help reduce the stress of trying to pull together all this information on the spot.  Once your savvy agent has submitted your formal offer, then, the ball is rolling and you could be just a couple steps away from signing the contract for your dream home!

Feeds 4

Ingredients:

• 4 1 ¼ pound live lobsters
• 1 small sliced Vidalia onion
• 5 cloves chopped garlic
• 6 ribs of sliced celery
• 1 can chopped tomatoes
• 2 liters of dry champagne
• 4 oz sweet butter
• 1 pinch of crushed dried chiles
• Sea salt and cracked black pepper to taste
• 4 oz Olive oil

Method

• Preheat sauce pot with Olive oil
• add onions, garlic and celery and sauté until tender
• add champagne and reduce by 1/3rd
• add tomatoes
• place 1 live lobster in your broth and cover the pot for about 3 minutes. Remove the lobster and repeat with all lobsters.
• Once the lobsters are cool, remove the meat and place the large body of the lobster that is not edible back in the broth for about 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, remove the bodies and then add the whole butter to your sauce.
• you now have your sauce ready. I suggest a risotto or white rice dish to go along with your lobster.
• just before you are ready to serve, heat your sauce again and place the lobster meat (season the meat with Salt and Pepper) into the broth and heat slowly for about 8 minutes. The trick of cooking shellfish is that you never want to overcook the protein, or your food will taste like rubber.

Yummy!

I have been hearing good things for quite some time about a restaurant called Casellula (Cheese and wine café).

The small restaurant is located at 401 West 52^nd street, just off of Ninth Avenue.

212.247.8137

We got there very early, because we were going to a 7pm Theatre start to see “The Heiress” in the Theatre District.  If you have not seen this show….GO! It was amazing.

Casellula is more than a wine and cheese café and if it were on the Upper West Side, we would be eating there once a week. The service is spot on, the place is clean and the food is really good.

You must try the Stuffed Pappadew Peppers (OMG) we had two orders…..just perfection.

The Chistorras in a blanket are yummy as well as the Pig’s Ass Sandwich with Chipotle Aioli.

The wine selection is solid and dinner did not break the bank.

It is now one of our new favorites!