112 West 72nd Street

Just for context, am married with 1 year old baby. We would like to raise our family in Manhattan. This condo seems to be a good deal given the proximity to train/park and I believe is zoned in good public school. Not sure of the approximate size of the apt, the layout does look a little odd with the bathroom next to the kitchen and the bedroom next to the kitchen too. But obviously, under $1M for a 3BR in a good location & condo (can't do co-op) & good public school - have to do some tradeoffs. No doorman, can live with.

I live a block away and really like the area. Have you seen the place? That is a pretty busy corner and right at the light.

Haven't seen the place yet. Just wanted to get a sense if anyone knew anything of the building itself (ie, condition, issues perhaps w/ mice, condo board financials, etc).

It's a great area.

This is the stranges layout that i've ever seen. Based on it's size, window location, etc, it looks like a large 1 bedroom chopped into a 3. Once you'll see it, you will understand that none of the bedrooms can fit a queen size bed.

So you wake up in the middle of the night and have to stumble through the living room, "dining room", "home office", and kitchen just to get to the bathroom.

Makes perfect sense.

You know it is not the perfect layout but the carrying charges are not too high and families starting out can compromise. Not everyone could --or should!--pay 2 million for a 2 bed apt with nice flow and ensuite baths. I say try and negotiate a good price and do your home work on the building. I'm too lazy to figure out the price psf but it is a great area and you could be happy knowing you have a reasonably priced home in the greatest city in the world. And one day, maybe you will gut it and have better "flow". Good luck.

True.

But for a MILLION DOLLARS you should be able to have at least one bedroom that can hold proper adult-sized bedroom furniture, and a layout such that you're not showering and pooping less than four feet from the food prep area.

million is ask. since there are many like you who would not find this apt appropriate, it is obviously going to be highly negotiable.

Sorry, but an apartment where the biggest bedroom is (in usable space) 10 x 11, the dining table is in the entry foyer, and the toilet is literally within pissing distance of the kitchen stove is worth at best $300K.

bad layout, doesn't worth the price

oh so greedy

price it for what it is, a large 1 Br. $600-$650K. remove the walls, put new ones up and make a small 2 br out of it.

We were interested in this apartment until we learned the cold reality - this condo building violates Fannie Mae / Freddie Mac rules regarding condo owner-occupancy ratios. Banks won't give mortgages in the building. You can't get a mortgage from a bank on this apartment.

Another funny thing is that the "B" and "C" portions of the apartment were never legally combined. You aren't buying a 3 BR apartment at all...you are really buying a studio plus a junior 2 bedroom that happens to have an (unlicensed) hole between them!

blatent scam. scr*w the city go buy a house and don't deal with any of this.

thanks everyone. great insight and input. we'll stay away then. although NYCMatt, would point out that there is a 2nd bathroom so you wouldn't need to poop/shower next to the kitchen.

and dmonesmith. that makes perfect sense! it's a studio on the left, and a junior 2 BR on the right. quite funny now that i see it.

apt23
1 day ago
ignore this person
report abuse million is ask. since there are many like you who would not find this apt appropriate, it is obviously going to be highly negotiable.

HOW DO YOU KNOW? DID YOU SLEEP WITH THE SELLER LAST NIGHT?

Nothing comes free, I guess. Being able to rent out your condo whenever is supposed to be a great advantange, but if enough of your fellow owners do it, the lenders don't like it.

Neither would the people who bought an apartment to be surrounded by fellow OWNERS, not to be stuck living with renters again.

Based on the number of transactions in ACRIS, it looks like the sponsor still holds a big # of units, presumably either RC or RS.

This one is in the "Three bedrooms for under $1M" story in today's RE section.

There has to be a story behind that layout. I'm a little amazed that this was the original layout. Looks awful.

yes...somebody bought two apartments and put them together inexpensively. what a story that is!

I just saw the apartment. It is in an awful condition, and the owners made no efforts to clean it up. Cat hair everywhere, and cat poop it the litter box. I know it shouldn't make a difference for me as a buyer, but it turned me off. No views to the back, the front goes out to 72nd street, i.e. you have the choice between loud or dark. The weird layout with the kitchen doesn't bother me at all, it actually created something like an open kitchen. All bedrooms are somehow depressing, but hey you get a 3 BR under a million.

Isn't this a brand new building?

"I just saw the apartment. It is in an awful condition, and the owners made no efforts to clean it up. Cat hair everywhere, and cat poop it the litter box. I know it shouldn't make a difference for me as a buyer, but it turned me off. "

I certainly hope you raised this comment with the broker.

It absolutely SHOULD make a difference to you as a buyer. If you can't be bothered with running a vacuum and scooping up the cat shit before showing your MILLION DOLLAR apartment to prospective buyers, those buyers shouldn't bother making an offer. And the broker should be called to the carpet for wasting YOUR time in showing an apartment that's clearly not ready to show.

Until we collectively start holding brokers responsible for this, they'll have no problem with showing us crap for apartments, with obscene price tags.

Would you pay $20,000 for a mink coat at Bergdorf's that has stains on it and was fished out from the floor under a display case?

Would you even want to try it on?

Why should this be any different?

If the owner lives in the unit then it seems outside of the Brokers control. Most the representative can do is advise the seller or decline the business.

Then what the broker can do is pass the comments along to the owner.

riversider: no it is a prewar, recently renovated lobby, 2 elevators, 66 units.

NYCMatt: not sure if I agree, I would rather walk through cat poop than paying even 1000 $ extra. At least this way there is not a bidding war, even though the apt. was featured in an article in the NYT. Being the seller I would obviously see things differently.

pyxis, I'm not sure I understand your comment.

I liken this kind of behavior to people who hold yard/garage sales (or here in the city, "stoop sales"), and bring out all their garbage without even bothering to clean it up. I've actually seen old dishes for sale that still had dried food encrusted on them.

Seriously?

When you put your home on the market, for God's sake, CLEAN IT UP. At the very least, run a vacuum and remove any visible animal excrement.

For a million dollars, the entire place should be gleaming, and should even SMELL fresh.

NYCMatt: I will take the 18th century Meissen porcellain plate with food encrusted on it, if it is a bargain. That is the reason why I like stoop sales.
I think if you can look through the poop and imagine the apartment after the renovation, you have an advantage over the potential buyer who is so engrossed by the cat poop that he leaves before even seeing the entire apartment.

"I will take the 18th century Meissen porcellain plate with food encrusted on it, if it is a bargain. That is the reason why I like stoop sales.
I think if you can look through the poop and imagine the apartment after the renovation, you have an advantage over the potential buyer who is so engrossed by the cat poop that he leaves before even seeing the entire apartment."

That's not the point.

This apartment is not an 18th Century Meissen. Never has been, never will be.

Again, if you can't be bothered to clean up the shit, buyers shouldn't be bothered with looking at it.

I agree, the apt. is not a spectacular find. The broker is providing a poor service showing the apartment in that condition. As a buyer I am interested in finding value (that is the latest buzzzword), so I do not care about the sophistication of the seller and broker. It would not stop me from bidding. The question in general is: does a poorly executed open house mean that the owner is not very motivated to sell fast?

i'm with the clean the place up vote. the unit could be woefully in need of a major reno but still presented clean/neat at an open house. messy/dirty unit, pasadena. broker should have gotten off his / her arz and either told the seller clean it up or i'm sending in a cleaning crew on your $.

"broker should have gotten off his / her arz and either told the seller clean it up or i'm sending in a cleaning crew on your $."

Agreed. NYC agents could take a few notes from THIS agent:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eJnwHJoWQkk&feature=PlayList&p=81023B2C70F81116&index=1