PS - These condos ain't bad

It's been more than three months, that means it's time for your seasonal Harlem condo update!

Things are bad -- but not quite as bad as I was expecting.

I was impressed by two condos in particular:

PS90 (pictured) which is in an old abandoned elementary school and 1280 Fifth Avenue, which (in addition to being a new condo) is also home to the Museum For African Art. (Although, as much as I liked the units, I have yet to meet the buyer who will pay more than $1,200 per square foot to live across the street from a housing project -- even if it's on Central Park and 5th Avenue.)

If I sound skeptical, that's because I am. (At least slightly.)

However, Jonathan Miller's stats on Harlem did show an uptick. (And not an insignifiant one, either.) Price per square foot rose from $570 to $742 between the first and second quarter of the year. And the number of sales increased from 61 to 72.

I'm betting those numbers go down in the third quarter, but until I see them, here's hoping Harlem keeps it's head above water!

Take her for a test spin

In addition to working very hard at making sure every man, woman and child in America associates me with schlubbiness, I also have an actual day job. (Staff reporter for The New York Post's Home Section).

And today my fans out there can read my latest on test driving a condo before you buy.

Savvy readers will note: Max Gross has never gone onto a Mercedes lot and asked to test drive their best and most expensive... in fact, I don't even have a driver's license. But I hear that people do that on occasion. (My editors accepted it without much protest.)

The invaluable real estate web site, Curbed, linked to the story -- they were tickled that the President of Jimmy Choo rents a 440 square foot studio... where would he store all the shoes? (One of the commenters on the blog hit upon the answer: Brian travels a lot and he has another house in Jersey.)

Not In My House

Get ready to start groveling. If you follow New York City real estate, you've no doubt heard of its infamous co-ops and their maddening boards. They're notorious for making buyers beg and plead for a spot in the building - poring over financials, conducting background checks, wading through private matters, postponing closings and often shutting out potential residents altogether - without any need to explain themselves. And if you're lucky enough to get into a co-op building and then decide to renovate or (shudder!) sublet your place ... well, good luck.

Don't like it? Buy a condo.

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