Question: “I’m single and have a good job. I’d like to stay in New York and own my own apartment someday, but I don’t see how I’ll ever be able to. I don’t make a six-figure salary, and I don’t have a trust fund. How can I ever save enough for the down payment?”
— Forever paying rent in Boerum Hill
Dear Forever,
It’s not easy. You don’t say how much you make, but let’s start with the median New York income, which, believe it or not, is under $60,000 a year. And let’s say you’re a determined saver who’s spent five years squirreling away $30,000, which is not nearly enough for a $750,000 Manhattan one-bedroom, but it’s a 20 percent down payment on a $150,000 place.
What could possibly be available in New York for that kind of money? You’d be surprised. It all depends on where you look, how far you’re willing to walk to a subway stop, how adventurous you are and, often, how handy you are.
Here are apartments for sale for $150K and under. Some of these are “restricted-sale” co-ops, for which you might qualify. I’ll talk at length about these places in a future column, but, for now, just know that if you have a five-figure income, money to put down and a willing lender, you can score some super deals.
But even paying market-rate prices, you can find apartments in neighborhoods that you might otherwise overlook, such as this one-bedroom in Homecrest for $139K, this one-bedroom in Briarwood for $148K or this one-bedroom in Bedford Park for $127,500. (Yes, they all have good coffee and Fresh Direct delivery.) Commutes are longer, to be sure, and you may have to rely on buses more than you’re accustomed to. And you could end up renovating the kitchen or replastering the living room yourself. But at these prices, you won’t be house poor and homebound: You’ll still be able to afford a social life… and a lot more cab or Uber rides.
One final thought: When you trek out on the co-op frontier, remember New York is a very safe city today. Just because you’re unfamiliar with a neighborhood doesn’t mean it’s dangerous. It wasn’t so long ago that the only people who ventured into Alphabet City were looking to buy drugs. And Hell’s Kitchen wasn’t named for its restaurants.
David Crook is a veteran journalist and author of The Complete Wall Street Journal Real-Estate and Home Owning Guidebooks. Have a question for David? Write him at askus@streeteasy.com. Nothing in this column should be considered professional legal advice. If you have a legal issue, consult an attorney. For verification purposes, please include your name and a phone number; neither will be published.
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