Closed Houses

Today I'm with my client and good friend, Steve Frank. Steve's been on the fence about selling his current loft, so I'm taking him out and see larger apartments... Yeah, it's nice. ...showing him options that he can afford so he can make the best decision for himself. This is some space. Oh, my gosh. Look at the Chrysler Building. Wow! This is a lot of apartment to take in. BARRON: I'm meeting my client, Jennifer, to show her the apartment I have for sale. Oh, my gosh. Look at the light. Isn't that fantastic? She is doing the legwork for her boyfriend, Dennis, and he will be purchasing the apartment. Oh, the bedroom is really nice. This is exactly what Dennis is looking for. But there's a little glitch. Do you think it would be an issue? This complicates everything. -- Captions by VITAC -- Closed Captions provided by Scripps Networks, LLC. [ Indistinct conversations ] Each ticket is $20, right? Right. Each ticket is $20. I'm here at the Brevoort on 5th Avenue and 8th Street in the Village. Tonight, I'm actually volunteering to participate in a fundraiser. In return, the building is allowing me to showcase a current listing that I have for sale in the building. If you buy $100 worth, you get seven tickets. I'm being respectful to the building's wishes of not having any open houses, so being invited to this fundraiser is an excellent opportunity to gently have the show sheet because someone coming to this building will perhaps either know someone or themself want to purchase an apartment. I know you have a lot of buyers. If you have someone, it's worth seeing. Well, I do have someone specifically in mind for this, and I will certainly make an appointment. People have lived here forever. But you find you do have apartments come up, They do sell. I feel very fortunate to have the opportunity and the history that I have in the building with so many sales. So, I hope that I continue with referrals because it feels like home when I come here. This particular apartment is great because of the views. It's a one-bedroom. My boyfriend's looking for an apartment, and this looks like something he would really love. We have a one-bedroom just up the block. JENNIFER: We love this neighborhood, and we've been living here for four years, and we've been particularly looking on these just handful of blocks on 5th Avenue. Have you been looking for a while? We have, actually. We've been looking for about two years. So, is this something that maybe would be possible to see in the next couple days? It was fantastic that I met Jennifer at the fundraiser because I think she's a real buyer, and I'm gonna get her back in as soon as I can to see the apartment on the 20th floor. I'm gonna go sell some more tickets, but it was very nice to meet you. SAFT: So, when's the last time that you've been in here? It's actually been about six months since the tenant arrived. I'm with one of my favorite clients -- and I'm not saying that because he's one of my closest friends -- Steve Frank, at his loft at the Chelsea Mercantile. A lot of emotions going back in, or...? Yeah, I'm a little nervous. I don't know what kind of state it's gonna be in. I'm sure they left it in good shape. They seemed like they were really good and responsible. His most recent tenants just vacated the unit. We're here to do a walk-through to assess the condition of the apartment. Are you ready for the big reveal? I don't know. I'm a little nervous. A few years back, he had moved in with a partner and decided to sublet his loft. However, he's no longer living with that person, and we're discussing sort of the next phase of the apartment and what he would like to do with it. So far, so good. All right, no dead bodies. Yet. We haven't looked through everything. It looks pretty good, though. I forgot about the vaulted ceilings that you have in here. Yeah. No, it's a really airy room, really high ceiling. This was such a great space for entertaining. Do you miss that at all, doing that? I do. I miss it a lot. The kitchen looks pretty good, don't you think? Yeah, for a 13-year-old kitchen. I mean, thank God you never cooked in it. STEVE: Well, I did store sweaters in the oven. Well, the bedroom looks pretty good. It's a bit bigger than what you have now, though. It's much bigger than what I have now. The interesting thing is, this is the size of your average studio in Manhattan. This is the size of my new apartment, basically. I think it's definitely a great time for Steve to sell this apartment. He's at a point where he could make a very large sum of money. He can upgrade to something newer, bigger, and better, or just be able to put the money aside for something else. It's not broker speak. I think you do need to look at other stuff. I mean, the rental income's great, but how about if you were able to make close to $1 million on this? Often, clients are attached to their apartments. It's just a fact. You raise families, you have a life. There's so many moments in it. However, it's now about introducing a property to them that's gonna work for this next phase of their life. No, I hear what you're saying, and it's a good point, and I do trust you, as both a friend and a broker. So, I know you have my interests in mind. Maybe we could look at some other places. Awesome. Oh, hi. How are you? Hi. Nice to see you again. Thank you for showing me the apartment. BARRON: I'm at the Brevoort. I'm meeting Jennifer to take her upstairs to show her the apartment I have for sale. She's gonna take a look at it. She understands what her boyfriend's looking for. I hope it's a good fit. One thing I'd like to mention is that there are only three apartments on the floor. Oh, that's terrific. So it's much quieter. Oh, my gosh. Look at the light. Isn't that fantastic? It's really amazing. This is exactly what Dennis was looking for, where he could feel like he's not in an apartment, but really is, in fact, like, above the city. JENNIFER: I'm the right person to be looking at the apartment for Dennis because he really doesn't have that much free time. And I'm able to come after work. I also am really aware of what will work for us, and so, I think he trusts me to take a look. The terrace is, of course, one of the most appealing features. So, I'm a big gardener up in Connecticut, and so it would be so nice to be able to garden here in the city, and we could actually dine and live out here half the time. Dennis and I go back and forth between Connecticut and New York. My primary residence is in Connecticut, but I work here in the city a few days a week, and Dennis really likes to get out of the city on the weekends, and so we're usually up in Connecticut then. So, if you cook anything that's strong, you can just shut the kitchen. JENNIFER: It looks like these are the original cabinets. Oh, they are. They're metal. Yeah, they are. I love those. I love them, too. Here, you have all the built-ins with drawers. Oh, terrific. So, there's cabinets here, and then these are closets over on this side. Oh, the bedroom's really nice. Oh, it's great. So, would it be okay if I called him and spoke with him? BARRON: So, when I met Jennifer at the fundraiser the other night, she did disclose that they have been looking for some time. For a broker, if we hear that, that can make us a little nervous because then we wonder if they're not able to commit. But it could be that they just haven't found the right apartment. DENNIS: Yes. I'm here with Vickey at the apartment I told you about the other night, and it's really beautiful. Yeah. Do you think you might have time to come and meet with Vickey and see the apartment? I won't have any time. Work is crazy busy. I won't have time to see it. But if you can ask Vickey please e-mail me all the pictures. Do you think you can e-mail him the specs? Is that something that you could do? Okay, she said she can do that. And then, also, I think it would be good, if you have a chance, maybe Vickey can show you some other apartments, as well. That makes sense, just to be sure. I will look at a few more. I'll talk to Vickey about that. Perfect. Now I've got to take her out and show her two other apartments. So, that was kind of a curve ball I wasn't expecting, but seeing her in this space, I don't care if she needs to see five more, I think she's gonna return. Just something right here in the neighborhood. Well, thank you. This was terrific. I'm so glad you got to see it. I'm so glad you were able to get out of work today Yeah, I'm excited. It's definitely worth taking the time to see a few different options. SAFT: Today I'm with my client and friend, Steve Frank. We are at the O'Neill building on 6th Avenue, and we're gonna look at a larger apartment that would be a considerable upgrade for him. Wow, look at these floors, Jason. All right, good start. It's always nice when it starts off on a positive note. Well, we'll see when we get upstairs. Hey, how are you, Tim? Jason of Citi Habitats. Nice to see you. This is my client, Steve Frank. Steve's on the fence about selling his current loft, as it's the first property he ever purchased. It's been a great apartment to him and a good investment. You've got this great big living space. Yeah, it's nice. 13-foot ceiling. What I love is you're facing south. You face another loft building. Exactly. A little bit different than your old space, where it was a little bit darker. What I like about this kitchen for you is it's very utilitarian. It's very dark. It's a little dark. I think for you, for someone who doesn't really cook, it's a great look. It's classic and modern. STEVE: I totally understand why Jason brought me here. It's very similar to my current space. The decor, the design is very similar to my own. Let's take a peek at the bedroom. Isn't this great? Oh, it is nice. I like the high ceilings. Yeah, good light. I love this bathroom. Classic white New York-subway tile. You've got a great big soaking tub and, if you don't feel like taking a bubble bath after work... Oh, there's two showers. And then, I know you've really wanted another room for guests or an office. If you can call this a room. It's kind of little. You've got a nice-size room to do a desk. You could do a pull-out bed. STEVE: This is the first apartment that we've seen on the market. I'm anxious to see what else is out there and what Jason has in mind. I like the high ceiling, and I like the windows, but I just don't see how different it is from my current place. The second bedroom's nice, but it's really not a bedroom. It's kind of small. But keep in mind, for this one, because it's not a full second bedroom, you're not paying the price of a two-bedroom in the building. SAFT: The next step with Steve is showing him a few more properties and just continually educating him on the market. I've known Steve for a long time. He's a really smart, sharp guy. I know he'll be able to figure things out and make the right decision. Sort of at a good starting point. Yeah, absolutely. It's the first place we've seen. For the next one, we're gonna see something that's even more of an upgrade. It's a two-bedroom. It'll be a little bit more expensive... ...but I think this will -- Yeah, just a little bit. You're paying for it. No, I'm not. What's a few hundred thousand dollars between friends? JENNIFER: Hi. BARRON: Hi. How are you? Good to see you. I was able to show Dennis the floor plan and the pictures the other night, and he really thought that 20A looks terrific. Oh, perfect. That's great news. BARRON: I'm with Jennifer. We're at 25 5th Avenue to look at another one-bedroom that's on the market. We're going to be comparing that to what I have for sale at 11 5th Avenue. Very nice to meet you. Thank you for showing us the apartment. Yeah, sure. Take a look around. I like this wall. That's really fun. Who would think to paint your living room orange? Although my dining room is orange. It's a great color. A woodburning fireplace -- that's unusual. Oh, that's fantastic. I think the mantel might be original. I like the woodburning fireplace, but I think Dennis would really like that terrace over at 20A. Today I hope, with looking at this other apartment with Vickey, that I'll get a little more clarity. This seems to be a good comparison, so I feel as though we'll know how good or not good we feel about the apartment we saw the other day. The kitchen's kind of open. I like that. Oh, that is nice, and they have a phone that matches the wall. I hope that comes with the apartment. Dennis would really like the countertops, for certain. He likes when something's been newly renovated. I liked, at 20A, that they had that period feel in the kitchen. But this is really beautiful. He would really love this. The only thing these two apartments have in common is the block. They're both on lower 5th Avenue, but that's okay, 'cause it doesn't mean that the same buyer cannot fall in love with either one of them. Ooh, it's nice and bright in here. This is a beautiful apartment, but it still feels like an apartment, and somehow, the terrace makes it feel a little bit more like a home. And so I'm still feeling that he would prefer 20A, and I feel like that still might be the better match for us. Well, I agree with you, but Dennis wanted you to look at a couple more, and I respect that, so we'll do it until you feel comfortable. This exercise was also helpful for me because I have a better idea of what they're looking for in a home, and it's all about bringing people and places together. So, we'll see something else. Hopefully, they'll come back to 20A, but we'll see. It's all about education. So, let's just continue. Excellent. BARRON: I'm with my client Jennifer at 40 Broad Street in the Financial District to look at another comparable apartment to 11 5th Avenue. Hi, there. Vickey Barron. Jennifer. Nice to meet you. Oh, thank you. It's nice and open. Yeah, light. Really great light. Nice high ceilings. There's not a lot on the market, and that's the challenge right now 'cause I know you love 11 5th Avenue, and Dennis wanted you to look at other things. There's just not a lot in the price point. BARRON: This comp is a bit of a stretch. This is all the way downtown in the Financial District. I'm not sure that the neighborhood is really what they're looking for, but you never know. Feels very different than both of the other apartments. Completely different. The finishes are nice in the kitchen, too. It's terrific that you can see the river. This is unusual down here to have this much light. Yeah. Look, I guess it has these pocket doors. They're great if you have company. And it still has great open views in the bedroom, as well. It's a king-size bed. That's pretty impressive for Manhattan. Nice clean lines. BARRON: It's a big bathroom. Good-size tub. That's really great. So, I think this is very nice, but we love the Village, and I have to say, we love the terrace, which this doesn't have an outdoor space. If we lost the terrace, I think George would be sad. No. No, George, our dog. I didn't know you had a dog. I never mentioned George, but we have a dog. Her name is George Eliot. She's a Great Pyrenees, so she looks like a big, furry polar bear. Yeah, she's a big dog. Oh, my gosh. That's, like, a really big dog. I thought she mixed up Dennis' name, calling him George. No. George is a dog, a very big dog. The way 11 5th's co-op works is the dog -- if it visits -- how -- I mean, you come -- Weekly. She'll definitely be down. So, here's what we need to do -- get Dennis into the apartment soon. And then, if it's a green light, then we need contracts signed. We need to get the board package together, and we need to get George's package together. Oh, wow. The reason I hadn't mentioned to Vickey earlier that I had a dog was because it's my dog. And primarily, during the week, she's in Connecticut with me. We didn't think there'd be an issue. Yeah, if I look shocked, it's just I can't believe I didn't know that. This complicates everything. This co-op says a dog is approved case by case. You don't know exactly what will get the dog in or out. So, how's your day? I'm exhausted. It was a long day. I know. I'm having a crazy day, too. Today, I'm with my client and good friend, Steve Frank. We're at the Onyx in Chelsea, looking at a 2-bedroom, 2½-bath condo apartment. It looks nice. Steve's been on the fence about selling his current loft, so I'm taking him out and showing him options that he can afford so he can make the best decision for himself. I'm Jason from Citi Habitats. Nice to meet you. Thank you. Look, you don't even need to go to Brooklyn. You've got the bridge right here. Oh, this is some space. Isn't it nice? You've got all the exposure -- two sides facing west, facing south. Nice open, modern kitchen. I love all the exposure, all the glass. Yeah, this is nicer than my current place. Oh, my gosh. Look at the Chrysler Building. That is very New York. Go to bed at the top of the world. Wow. This is a lot of apartment to take in. It is quite a phenomenal apartment. So, what's great about this master is you've got the king-size bed. There's space to walk around. There's nice big south-facing windows. Yeah, it's definitely more space than I currently have. So, this is clearly the Central Park room. It's very "Into the Woods." It's very "Into the Woods." It's very Central Park. If I was to move forward on this apartment, I would absolutely keep the Astroturf wall. It's something I've been looking for for a really long time. This is a lot to take in. I get it, but listen. Look past that. This is a good-size room for a guest. For Central Park. This apartment has a lot to offer, and when Jason crunched the numbers, it does seem to make sense. Two bedrooms, two and a half bathrooms, new building, condo. You could sublet it whenever you want. I'm confident that Steve's seen enough to make a decision that's right for him, but in the meantime, I've got the furniture back in his apartment. We're starting to show, And if he does decide to sell, we've got it ready to go, on market, no time wasted. Why don't we get going, and we'll talk? All right. Out of the park and into the city. Oh, hi, Vickey. Nice to see you. And this must be George. This is George Eliot. George, you are big. I'm here with Jennifer, Dennis' girlfriend. They have an accepted offer, they have signed their contract, and he has been board-approved. There's a little glitch. She's really a lot of fluff, actually. And she has a quiet personality, so, hopefully, they'll think so. The glitch and the surprise to all of us is that the board is requesting that their dog, George, go through a board interview. She really does like people, so I think she'll do all right with them. JENNIFER: Dennis and I are a bit nervous today. You know, he's put so much into the application process, and it's all seeming to ride now on just the dog. It seems, really, kind of crazy. They're basically gonna ask you some questions, and I believe that what they're looking for is just temperament, to make sure that a dog's not too aggressive. BARRON: The deal is not done, and George could not be approved by the board. It's not the first time that I've seen this process end up with a board rejection because of a dog. Bye-bye. Bye, George. Come on, George, let's go. SAFT: [ Hums fanfare ] Oh, my goodness. Here we are. Oh, all my old things. Did you guys miss me? SAFT: Today I'm with my good friend and client, Steve Frank. We're back at his loft at the Chelsea Mercantile. The difference now is that it's been fully furnished -- and to talk about his plan of action. So, got everything back in, loaded in very quickly. Emptied out your whole storage unit. Oh, my old bed set. We're all good and ready to go. Steve kept throwing out hypotheticals of what he should do with his apartment. So, I decided, as a good friend and as a real-estate agent, to take him to see potentially what he could be moving into so that he'd finally be able to make a decision. I really appreciate all the time you spent, all the energy you spent on showing me around. I've learned so much about the market. I just don't think I'm ready to sell, and I know that's heartbreaking, and I'm sorry. It's just not the right time for him, and I understand that. I've known him a really long time, and I know that he's making the best decision for what's going on in his life right now. So, now we're gonna put this back up for rent. I need you to rent it, like, immediately. Like now. Go downstairs and find someone now. I'm relieved to know that Steve has a clear vision of what he wants to do, and if he decides to sell, I'll be here to help him out. When I am ready to put this place on the market, I can afford to put down a really big deposit on something. Spend even more! I'll spend even more! Hi, Vickey. How are you? I'm well. How are you doing? I'm fine, thanks. Hey, George, how are you? I know this has been a long process for you and Dennis and now even George, and the good news is George is accepted, also. Hey, George, good job. BARRON: I am at Washington Square Park, and I'm with Jennifer. I'm about to have a conversation with her, and it's not gonna be an easy conversation because I got a crazy phone call. Now it's like I don't even know how to tell you this part of it because it really, really makes me sad. Apparently, the owners now don't want to sell the apartment. Can they do that? They've already signed a contract with Dennis. You know, never, ever have I had this happen. JENNIFER: This has been such a long journey. We finally found the apartment that was the dream we had in our mind, and now it just seems impossible that we might have to start all over again. I've had buyers change their mind, but I've never had a seller change their mind after -- All of this. I don't even know what to do. I don't know. I honestly -- we're on hold. Well, that's really disappointing. I know. The attorneys, I'm sure, will be talking. They signed a legal contract. What does that mean? I don't know. I'm speechless. Here I was coming to give you this really so exciting, let's go celebrate, George got approved, and then I was, like, hit with this. Wow. I mean, I think maybe we need a drink.