An exceptional luxury-contract week meets uneven demand and a new-development market with more inventory than public listings reveal. November 9, 2026 | Updated November 11, 2026 By Karen Kostiw Credit markets are becoming more cautious, yet Manhattan luxury buyers just produced the strongest week of aggregate asking-price volume since November 2021. Those realities are not Continue Reading
Karen’s View | Macro Lens | November 4, 2026 The Down Payment Opens the Conversation. Qualification Determines What Comes Next Qualifying to buy a home in Manhattan takes more than a substantial down payment. A buyer can want the apartment, have the funds upfront, and still be unable to qualify for the financing. That distinction deserves more attention than whether mortgage rates moved up Continue Reading
How Ownership Costs Shape Manhattan Affordability Manhattan's housing market continues to produce data that appears contradictory at first glance. Inventory remains about 10% below last year's level, mortgage rates stay above 7%, and contract activity continues to lag 2025. Yet liquidity improved 11% this week, weekly signed contracts increased to 195 deals, and several indicators Continue Reading
Manhattan’s late June springboard By the time this lands in your inbox, the city has baked through a 100° stretch, fireworks are either in the sky or in the rear‑view mirror, and half of New York has already decided they are “out east” in spirit, even if they are still standing on a Midtown sidewalk. It feels like the week when everyone stops thinking about square feet and Continue Reading
Manhattan’s Late‑Spring Balancing Act Manhattan continues to reside in that rare lane where the market is simply doing its thing. Supply remains structurally lean, and contracts remain strong. The spring season is tapering in an orderly way rather than falling off a cliff. The environment feels selectively competitive. Well‑priced, fresh listings command attention, while aspirational or tired Continue Reading
June Prints Feel More Like April June opened with the feel of a full spring market rather than a quiet handoff into summer. Buyers were still out in force at open houses, board packages kept moving through committee, and new listings continued to arrive across the core neighborhoods rather than trickle in. The pace felt deliberate. Sellers tested the market with pricing that nodded to Continue Reading
Spring Rhythm In Motion After a quieter Memorial Day week, Manhattan stepped back into a more familiar late spring rhythm for the week of May 25. Supply kept building as we are moving closer to the summer window, while buyers concentrated in the $1M to $3M range, where monthly payments still pencil in a mid‑6% mortgage world. The result was a market that felt busy again, more choices on the Continue Reading
Co-op contracts close above ask, downtown condos surge, and patience delivers townhouse deals. Manhattan this week feels confident. Buyers stopped waiting. The Upper East Side co-op market flipped the script. Contracts closed above asking prices for the first time in months. Downtown condos crushed expectations, with median contract prices 35% above asking price. Townhouse buyers who have waited Continue Reading
West Village gardens, landmark facades, and buyers who reward irreplaceable stories Manhattan this week feels watchful. The war in the Middle East keeps oil prices elevated. Some buyers wait for clarity before committing millions. Mortgage rates hold steady around 6.25%. Rents remain more than 20% above pre-pandemic levels. Beneath the macro noise, the market moves forward with purpose. Buyers Continue Reading
654 Madison Ave Fl 5
New York NY, 10065
