We are thinking about buying in the Trump building and wanted to ask people for their opinions. Please be civil in discussing the issues.

Pros:
1) Price: By far it seems to be the most affordable building. We are in market for a 2 Bed room and seems like Trump is the only building we can buy in for under $800K. 77 Hudson was about a million and CP was over a million.

2) Quality: It is good quality construction. Only think I would complain about is the lack of soft touch drawers and cabinets. But everything else is really good quality and well built. It is a concrete building most of all.

3) Views: From PH level, views are spectacular. Full views of entire NYC. But you must be on 50th floor or above to enjoy these views as the second building will be built there at some point and will block downtown views.

4) Amenities: Biggest gym and amazing amenities - but again given the high HOA, it better be best!

Cons:
1) HOA: HOA is ridic. It is almost 73 cents a sqft and does not include parking!! We cannot buy parking either in the building - must rent it at 260/month. If you assume this to be a perpetuity, it is worth $70K (based on 4.25% annual interest rate). I find this to be the biggest rip off but nothing one can do about it.

2) Size of Closets and bathrooms: It is almost sad to see the size of the closets in the rooms. They are tiny. Funny that BR 2 has a walk in closet and master does not. Also, the second bathroom has double sinks and is much bigger, but the master is tiny - barely enough space to stand for one person. Why would you design like this???

3) PH Level: So for units that are PH level, there is no difference from the other floors. The only thing that I can make out for why these are PH is the unobstructed views. I expected a little more.

Do you think this is a worthwhile place to buy for the price? Prices seem quite depressed compared to 2009 levels and is most affordable. I did not mention the neighborhood because I think it could be a plus - it is mostly vacant lots so there is a lot of potential for good development.

I will add with more thoughts as those come.

Thanks

My brother owns a unit there. So far no complaints. Building is well managed and construction quality is quite solid.