Posted by
Elana Safronsky, Managing Editor
Thursday, October 7, 2010 5:40 PM EDT
Two things to discuss after last night's episode of Selling New York, entitled "Educated Decisions" (check out what people said in our live blog!):
1. From what I understand, between the time the show was conceived to the time it began to shoot, the New York real estate market kinda TANKED.
This may explain why there aren't so many deals made at the end of every episode. In my interview with Michele Kleier, when asked about the current state of the market she alludes to this very fact, "It's not 2007, but it's much better than 2009." 2009: The year when darkness fell.
I wouldn't lose sleep worrying about the agents from CORE and Gumley Haft Kleier, however, because as I'm sure you can surmise from their betrayingly sated demeanor, they're just fine. Still, don't judge me if I luxuriate in finding select properties featured on the show, changing hands from firm to firm, languishing on the still constipated market.
Case in point: 51 Walker Street, 1-A, Tribeca (above.)
Listed for $8 mil, the floor-wide, two-story loft really kills it with a private outdoor pool and garden. The catch? Well, the $8 million for one, but also a slightly embarrassing appendage in the form of a 'spa', which you can only get to via a dwarfed underpass akin to a mall bathroom for employees.
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The NOT-Shocker: 51 Walker Street, 1-A, is still on the market, except now, incidentally, relisted with CORE! And as they are nothing if not slick, no doubt CORE had something to do with lopping that weird space off of the floor plan and promptly restyling the loft as somewhat more normal. Behold the original floor plan and the one currently posted with CORE's listing:
Original floor plan via StreetEasy.com
I guess the severing of that space meant a drop in square footage and subsequently in price -- by a million. The loft is now listed for just under $7 million.
2. There was some buzz on Twitter that one of the "foreign investors" we saw hovering via Skype in last night's epi was none other than a cast member of HGTV's Big City Broker, agent Robin Pope. Well, it was him! I talked to him this morning and shook him down for the scoop: he didn't buy anything, though he is always looking as it's a very good time to buy in New York right now. Also, though he made like he liked the very expensive Park Ave. furnished apartment, he actually preferred the Tribeca Hobbit loft (above)! He just bought a completely customized new-built townhouse in downtown Toronto, with a very clean, modern aesthetic akin to the pool apartment.
If you missed last night's episode, catch it Saturday at 9pm ET and Sunday at 6pm ET.