Combination apt's: calling NYC10023, Kylewest,..

Hi, I couldn't fit them in the headline and I wanted to add, Front-porch, West 81st st, Alan Hart and any other property genius...Thanks

you phrase this as tho you have done this before and want to do so again--why wouldn't you just buy a wreck 9 or 10 room and gut it? your mntnce psf will certainly end up better, and often the original prewar layouts are quite nice, esp after combining a maids room or two with kitchen for big family space

I am not familiar with UWS/CPW. Best combos are probably those involving re-assembling large apartments that were broken up into smaller ones. In most cases, though, the resulting maintenance is crushing. Combining to make a 3 bdrm will invariably result in higher monthly charges than an apartment that is already born as a 3 bdrm. That's my impression. And too many combos yield bizarre unusable spaces or oddly configured hallways and bedrooms or weird access to bathrooms, or a bathroom in the entry foyer that should be a powder room but instead has a tub inexplicably plopped in it. You say you've done this before. So you probably know all this. Good luck. Perhaps others have better advice.

gabrielle:

1. you should look for Sponsor coops
2. if you buy regular "sold share" coops you will Coop consent to combine and renovate
3. sponsor coops are generally exempt from those requiurements
4. at least the alterations part, under paragraph 21(b) of standard Coop lease

I don't know if you consider this upper westside but we combined two big apartmens for a client at 401 west 71st. The apartment is now a 3 bedroom with an office and 4 1/2 baths. Plenty of room. The only downside was it cost my client close to 70k to purchase the hallway.

Another project was on 107th and broadway. We combined one apartment with two other apartments one was across the hall, the other upstairs. Great building but no doorman and no elevator. If you are interested let me know I will get the address, it's been a couple of years and i don't remember

Gabrielle: I have that info, but I need to be compensated for it :)

I don't really see why you would set out to combine apartments. That's usually a make-do sort of thing, usually quite arduous, and (as others have pointed out) generally only work well when recombining split-ups. And then you're recreating a floorplan and flow that might not work as well for today's lifestyle as that of our greatgrandparents'.

Additionally, if I'm not mistaken, maintenance is usually much higher after a combo than if the same space were configured at the time of coop creation. Maybe condos are different, but even then shares are not allocated based on straight square footage.

Thank you, everyone, it felt like Christmas seeing all the responses. Will respond in order. Not all at once as I want to keep this link currant, ( I know a little selfish).

1. Wbottom, Your right I have done this before and definitely want to do it again. The reason, I want to combine rather than just renovate it is purely to make more money. Yes there is money to be made by doing "renovations" however I think the real money is in the combining, then renovating.

I totally agree about the maintenance being more which is why it is important that it is a well run building. It is the "hitch" in the exercise, however I have experienced where the upsides over come it.

I also get your point about the layouts, and I get tempted to do what you outline, and still the numbers don't play out for me by doing that alone. It just isn't enough "value" increasing to me to pay the premium for a 3 bedroom square footage..even if it is a wreck.

2. Kylewest, like your point about re-assembling large apts that have been broken up. IF ANYONE KNOWS ANY OF THESE BUILDINGS I WOULD LOVE TO KNOW THEM!
[nyc10023 getting to you latter :), but briefly, if I buy based on being given info by someone, I would be delighted to compensate.]

I agree that you can get weird spaces if you leave and are guided by existing rooms and that layouts are vital, which is why I am delighted when I do a project to allow $5,000 in demo to knock every wall down before I start, to get a clean slate unless the wall is where I want it. I know it also adds about $8,000 to "my build up" cost, but by the time I have factored getting smooth, plumb straight walls, with ease of wiring, cable, installation, niches for flat screen tvs, etc in the proportion rooms I want, it is a definite for me (luckily I haven't come up against any beautiful old plastered walls or it would be tougher decision). Thanks for the "good luck" I think I will need it.
I appreciate the advice so far.

Impediments to the clear-cutting approach to renovation include immovable plumbing/electrical stacks/risers/ and the wet-over-dry restrictions. Plus I suspect many buildings would thumbs down public spaces over bedrooms, but that's just a guess.

gabrielle904, did you happen to do a renovation at the park royal on west 73rd? It seems to me that I remember a discussion with your name involving an apartment we saw there. If so, well done! We went back several times to see the south facing terrace and beautiful renovation even though the apartment was not for us. As far as buildings on the west side, I would look at ones that originally had been apartment hotels like the Alden on 82nd and CPW. There are draw backs of course but many beautiful large apartments have been made of unit combinations. Interesting configurations too. Good luck.

alan, you always fall for the trolls. could the archetype cantankerous cynical new yorker be just a big sincere softie who believes in the best in people and who is really just....nice? the evidence is stacking up.

Hi rb345, interesting point with the sponsor units, I will explore more the advantages of them. I must admit in the past they didn't allure me as I always thought there was a premium in them for people who weren't quite solid enough to pass a board.

Primer, thanks for contributing, yes it is interesting if they let you buy the hallway, also I appreciate your offer to look up the previous jobs, however please don't worry this time.

NYC10023, Hi there, so what do you have???? ie the floorplan diagrams of buildings?, buildings that do great combination's, that I don't know?, or the holly grail my 2 apt's to join?. Also let me know how/ what would make you happy with the deal. Additionally I have a generous nature that if someone does something to help me I instantly want to give straight back.

Alanhart, Hi, I 100% agree with the "arduous" which on the other hand is why I think you get so well rewarded for it. I know there are alot of challenges and that is what makes a successful renovation a love of finding solutions for all the "impediments" that you mention (believe me I know they exist.).

Your right it isn't necessary about easy, as easy would be buying the existing 9 room. To me it is making a space even more beautiful and functional, the pleasure of creatively finding solutions and the financial reward at the end for the recognition of it.

slgslc, WOW, I am impressed you have a great memory. Thank you for the kind the words, I loved that South terrace too! Are there any other hotels besides "the alden" as that buildings maintenance scares me, (especially for combining )yet I love the idea of previous hotels, I will put in a search, thank again.

Sorry gabby, but I think the money to made in combos ended in 08...combos worked well where large, high quality apts were getting snapped up before ads for them hit the paper..quite the opposite in happening now...there are plenty of existing apts of this type for buyers to shop...if you can do Reno well you can be compensated, but with transaction costs as high as they are for high end, and with ongoing uncertainly for wall ST comp and NY re generally, combo/flip and Reno/flip are no longer good trades, in my humblest of opinions

I dunno, Wbottom. Go look up what she did at the Park Royal. Bought at the tippy-top early 2007 and sold at the bottom early 2010, still made a few shekels when all was said and done. A large sum relative to cost of capital and compensation for her labor? Probably not. On the other hand, if she can pull that off during crisis that led to a 20% market drop, I'd put my money on her being just fine on her next project.

Hi Wbottom,
We are in more agreement than you probably think. With transaction costs and the uncertainty in the market what they are I would NOT just do a renovation in an existing apt, too financially close to the line for me, and as much as I love doing renovations I don't want to do them for free.

Whereas the extra premium that the combination gives you on top of the renovation, gives me enough "protection" to feel remotely comfortable in this market. If you don't mind I am going to use your words for what I want:
combo/reno/flipo. Rather than just one or the other. Your comment helped me get more clarity what I want.

does this thread answer the question if we are still in a re bubble? yes, ma'am

you are on the hunt for 2 "affordable" apts, which you want to outbid from under someone who may actually want to make those their homes and FLIP to another sleezy slimy "investor" from a far who care nothing for this city, it's people, it's 'culture, it's vibrancy..blah blah blah' whatever the hell you people pretend to care about instead of just f*ucking someone for and extra dollar. do you understand that this is a real city, with real people, who live here, who have roots here. you make me sick. fuck it, i'm a troll now, too. grey me out, bitches.

whatever drew you to new york, whatever made this city what it is, you are killing it. do you understand that?

Lucille, I don't see the problem here. She takes an old apartment, she spends her time and money renovating it, and she sells it to a family. Not everyone is interested in taking on a multi-year renovation. She is compensated for her labor. What is the issue?

of course you understand, you don't care. you'll cash out and go back to whereever the hell you came from. i just want to make something very clear to you. everything that new york is, everything that it means to people from here and all over the world, don't think for a second that you are apart of that. you are a bottom feeding parasite.

not you inonada!

bless her heart, then. jesus on a cross. doing the lord's work.

My favorite example of the big bucks made with combos back then is this 1BR+2BR at 246WEA:

02/27/2007 #10BC $3,850,000 -3.6% $3,995,000 Sold 4 beds 3.5 baths
06/17/2004 #10B .....$487,261
06/17/2004 #10C .....$944,872

The 2004 sales were by the sponsor, who apparently didn't have the cash or inclination to do the combo themselves. Not being prescient either, they didn't know they could've rented both out for a couple of years and then gotten 50% more even if sold separately.

I'll give this some thought, though of course I'd rather you contact me off board at ali [at] dgneary [dot] com

This one's too far north for you, but it's half of an original ten:

http://streeteasy.com/nyc/sale/566995-coop-404-riverside-drive-morningside-heights-new-york

with the kitchen in the former library.

Let me know if I'm thinking right..

ali r.
DG Neary Realty

I love the virtually-staged LR photo. They didn't match the scale and perspective of the furniture to the room, so the couch looks like a slide.

NWT: don't give away info for free :)

Lucille: you're a trust funder, no? I appreciate the disdain that native New Yorkers have for carpetbaggers. I too, would be resentful. But there are just as many people who don't feel warm towards trust funders who haven't "worked" for their own money and can just buy and/or pay private school tuitions with the help of family $. Apologies if you're not a trust funder.

Oh my goodness, firstly inonada, I adore you and your confidence in me and willingness to give positive feedback. Your analysis was insightful: buying at the very top :), selling at the low :( and still doing fine. Another favorable factor was the 20% down, 3% interest arm back in 2007.....remember those days?

Lucillemiss SE I don't even know how to respond.....except to the part of you that I sense does care for NYC and contributing. Some facts you would probably not be aware of on 23 West 73rd st, apt 1207.

1. With regards to the job site we had on average 8 guys a day on the site, all very appreciative and happy to be on the job, it may have been because.
- I had homecooked healthy meals at the site every lunchtime, as I saw some were hardly eating or eating rubbish like bagels/ slices of pizza because of finances.
- We had english classes at lunch time to improve there english so they could get better jobs at the end of the project.
- We had trade up learning skills, ie in particular I wanted the demolition guys to learn more skills so they wouldn't be hauling and sledging the rest of there lives (seeing how they were getting medical issues). So apprenticed one to the carpetner and the others to the plaster.
- When the apt was sold, and they had made the 7 month process of doing a renovation a joy that was on time and budget of course I wanted to thank them all with bonuses.
- Additionally , I am sure the US govt' appreciated the additional income on my tax return, etc....

Rather than "jesus on a cross" I will take "Gabrielle the angel" :). Jokes aside I think everyone wants to be in a space that they have the energy to contribute and care more than they do, to the people and environment around them, I know I do....

Gabrielle: there is a HUGE undertow of resentment among many native NYCers (all the almost-coulda-shoulda bought or kept the C10 family apt or WV TH) and also, it's a bit galling to see outsiders profiting from a bubble that has kept "normal" people out of the market. I respect that, I really do. But OTOH, many native NYCers who are able to stay in prime areas have been able to do so because of some insider thing ($, connections, whatever). Glass houses, everyone.

I'm with you on the healthy homecooked meals. Every time I see someone who could stand to save the $5 on McD junk and brown-bag it with a PBJ sandwich, I want to give them a lecture.

Gabrielle904,

You impress me. Your kindness is overwhelming.

easy on the flattery, primer---you are, after all, actively trolling for client here on SE--spare the rest of us

that said, want a date gabrielle?

Wbottom,

Again? Trolling? I, as a general contractor offering advice on years of experience, why is that bad? I have found new clients on here as a result of that, more then I could have ever imagined. What I do not understand why some people come on here and talk badly about someone. I dont really see the point of that. The only comments you ever make is either disagreements with the op or something rude. I would think you are the troll, no?

your comments and participation on the board are motivated by your desire to make money--you are using the board to market/promote/advertise your business--so when you get all heartfelt and altruistic, i get a bit sceptical

some consider your stuff spam

Primer05 - understand that little 'bottoms is threatened by what you do. You know, the part where you produce something tangible and provide value to homeowners. Keep up the good work my friend.

wow...now, in addition to marketing and promotion, we have the endorsement adevertisement--

not so good for business, primer, given that your endorsement comes from spinny--

whole thing may backfire given spinny's rep for poor real estate decisions

see, i troll for spam--spinny trolls for me--whatever

"We had english classes at lunch time to improve THERE english so they could get better jobs at the end of the project." I love it.

Wbottom,

The people that consider my stuff spam can use the ignore button if they would like, so can you for that matter. If someone asks for a contractor I do say that I am one but as far as coming on here to solicit business i do no such thing. I will say this much, for some reason when you comment on my posts I get a spike on hits on my website so I thank you for that. Alsoo, getting a bit sceptical is one thing, calling me a troll is another.

What would be the big deal if i did in fact come on here and yell from the rafters that I am a general contractor, here is my number, here is my website. What is the big deal?

I come on this site to help people. If they need a contractor and want to hire me great, if not that is great too.

Would it make a difference if i told you that several people(from here) have called me after they hired different contractors because they were having problems and I spent time either by email or phone with them to help them

What do you contribute? How do you help?

Spinnaker,

Thank you.

I just did a search of your previous posts Primer -all valuable advice without solicitation. In fact, anyone considering doing renovations would be well served by doing a search on primer05.

gabrielle904

in light of your last post, i want to offer you a most genuine and heartfelt apology. it was wrong and stupid and, believe it or not, out of character, to over react to your post and vent my anger at flippers and shady foreign "investors". i am embarrassed and ashamed. my only consolation is that my obnoxious and unwarranted attack led you to reveal some of the details of the way you work, and indeed, the way you think and live your life, hopefully resulting in some deserved positive recognition for you, both personally and professionally.

Just another of Wbottom's many runins, right W?

Gabrielle: if you are a non-resident alien, may I suggest looking at the tax code? It seems to me that non-resident aliens don't pay capital gains tax. I will waive my consulting fee if you find that you don't have to file.

Pretty sweet way for foreigners to make some cash (if they do). Many countries (not the U.S.) do not tax their non-resident citizens.

Ok Spinnaker I will do your complete renovation for free

Thank you Spinnaker

nyc10023

you're a mother of 3 young children who spends an alarmingly depressing amount of time over sharing on this board, no? that is, when you're not spending your weekends bizzarely and compulsively nosing around open houses for properties you have no intentions of buying? apologies if that description is incorrect.

don't worry about hurting my feelings. when a bored, spoiled mrs. financialservicesofsomesort wants to try to insult someone using a detestable stereotype, "trustfunder" is really one of the very few available to her.

May I lead a long boring life being spoiled, going to open houses and posting on the Internet! Knock wood.

that's a good sport. kiss and make up.

Oh, come on nyc10023 ... make it fun: invoke Philly and NJ!

CATFIGHT!

hi alan

alan, you're mixing up your bluths. mr. bluth is the mainliner, not me.

ah bj, get another axe to grind-there are so many options out there--or maybe some teamwork might help

With respect to the niche market I look at, it is more common to find significant amounts of family $ backing the purchase rather than banker-robber-baron or rapacious foreigners-looking-to-flip. Regardless of the exact breakdown of buyers, I just can't muster up any resentment or anger against each kind of buyer. I'm not sure and I don't care who is the greater contributor to either the RE bubble or the mallification of NYC.

gabrielle - you sound like a very kind and generous person. after you gather and pay for all of this info, could you kindly share it with me (for free, of course). I also accept homecooked lunches. Happy 2011!

lucillemissSE, that was big of you to apologize. Somewhere over the last decade, the words "flip" and "renovate" got mixed up. It seems to me gabrielle is doing the latter rather than the former, as evidenced by the fact that she still made a little something despite awful timing w.r.t. the market. That said, I can certainly understand the visceral reaction to the former.

OP, what about this one:
http://streeteasy.com/nyc/sale/387856-coop-315-west-86th-st-upper-west-side-new-york

Gabrielle: back to the original question. I have spent years collecting floorplans, checking out O/Hs, bought, renovated, combined, flip, sold, looking up sales data, profiling buyers & sellers. Mostly on the UWS. I am trying to make some $ out of my obsession and better my living conditions, whatever makes sense - and w/o being a broker. So yes, I may have some info that you would find interesting. But w/o us signing a contract (which would make me a broker? no?), I cannot hold you to any promise that you would compensate me and to leave it solely to discretion would make it feel like a tip.

If you are interested in discussing further, please email me at nyc 10023 a at yahoo.

nyc10023, how did you profile buyers & sellers? I mean, besides common sense and power of observation and deduction, did you have any specific access to information?

nyc10023
about 5 hours ago
ignore this person
report abuse With respect to the niche market I look at, it is more common to find significant amounts of family $ backing the purchase rather than banker-robber-baron or rapacious foreigners-looking-to-flip. Regardless of the exact breakdown of buyers, I just can't muster up any resentment or anger against each kind of buyer. I'm not sure and I don't care who is the greater contributor to either the RE bubble or the mallification of NYC.

all that really means is that people backed by family money are even dumber than everyone already suspects.
what a horrible thing to say to you. sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry

i think the greatest contributor to the mallification of nyc is the re bubble. good luck in your venture with gabrielle. may the 2 of you renovate this city, house its stupid rich people, and feed its construction workers. godspeed.

nyc10023
about 5 hours ago
ignore this person
report abuse With respect to the niche market I look at, it is more common to find significant amounts of family $ backing the purchase rather than banker-robber-baron or rapacious foreigners-looking-to-flip. Regardless of the exact breakdown of buyers, I just can't muster up any resentment or anger against each kind of buyer. I'm not sure and I don't care who is the greater contributor to either the RE bubble or the mallification of NYC.

all that really means is that people backed by family money are even dumber than everyone already suspects.
what a horrible thing to say to you. sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry

i think the greatest contributor to the mallification of nyc is the re bubble. good luck in your venture with gabrielle. may the 2 of you renovate this city, house its stupid rich people, and feed its construction workers. godspeed.

NWT Thank you! I agree that is a great example and even thou the sofa looks like a slide, doesn't it make a difference staging? Thank you for taking the time to post it!

Ali, you are right that is a great example and exactly what I am after, you are also right about being too far North....I looked up your website, I would like to contact you tomorrow. Thanks!

Lucillemiss SE Thank you, I totally received your heartfelt words....and appreciated them. You may have just saved me trouble without even being aware of it, for which I will be indebted.

nyc10023 After reading what Lucillemiss wrote about ...nyc10023 mother of 3 children, wife of financial... if your name is Jennifer M...... who was residing at the Alden CPW building in a 1 bedroom, with 3 children who put an "offer" into my apt and nearly drove me crazy with emails with no intention of buying, then I have no desire to discuss anything further (I obviously had no idea it was you under the name nyc10023 when I asked for your feedback).

gabrielle- if you've followed NYC10023's posts on SE, then you would know she is definitely NOT Jennifer M, but a very knowledgeable, informed UWS owner with an interest in the larger UWS apartment/ townhouse market.

nyc10023, I have to ask again, how did you profile buyers & sellers?

Gabrielle: there are lots of people who fit that profile. Wisely or unwisely, I have met enough SE posters IRL who can "vouch" for me.

Commoner: no more than what others on the forum have said over time w.r.t. particular transactions. I assume we all have the same methods. Don't know if it's cool to explain fully on a public forum.

nyc10023— scary scary stuff.

Exactly. It's interesting to me because the market I look at is so small that if say, there are 50 sales in a year, it's useful to look at the money trail. I disagree with some of the bears on here as to all of the factors behind a market that has appreciated almost 5 fold in 14 years. As others have said, there is a lot of money chasing a few places. But ultimately, you can't defy historical rent-buy ratios forever either. In the meantime, there is always money to be made. Who knew, for example, that 15CPW would take off the way it has?

Going back to the original post in this thread, there is definitely a premium for larger apts in some buildings and in some locations. 1+1 > 2. Over the years, I've tried to figure out what makes 1+1=3 and not 2.
Location (park blocks rule on UWS), building (you don't necessarily want to create an outlier apt), flow (e.g. 1 exposure no good, scale important), X factor (say good usable outdoor space, pedigreed building) and rarity (balanced with not creating an outlier).

nyc10023, actually the "methods" is what I find scary. So far in all my deals, I didn't see any need to "profile" and investigate and so on. In my experience, it's always just 2 interested and able parties going into a pretty standard transaction. You identified the endeavor as an "obsession". I'd hate being a random subject of this ... er... research? without ever having any business with you.

commoner, don't be scared. nyc10023's "obsession" is with following a particular market, and figuring out where the money came from is one little part of that. Watching those patterns is useful to get a sense of how the market we've been seeing sustains itself. We've certainly all wondered how it could've.

None of us like the thought of being inquired into ourselves, but buying property is a more-or-less public transaction. There's always the chance that your transaction catches someone's eye and piques their interest, and they're going to be more or less thorough in following it through. One finding leads to another, so it's possible to find out quite a lot.

Your consolation is that on SE only movie stars and public figures are talked about by name. We do have privacy standards.

Gabrielle, I'll vouch that nyc10023 is not the Jennifer M you describe.

BUT, do spill the beans on that episode please ;).

we have a combo unit coming on the market soon. Our broker is Gordon Stanton with BHS if you'd like to contact him. Regards, Leslie

A little heavy on the drama commoner, no? It's naive to think that in this day and age people would turn a blind eye to the public record of a person with whom they are conducting a deal. At the very least it would be important to know whether they are negotiating from a position of strength or weakness. Don't let my fellow canuk scare you. If she manages to brutally whip your ass in a deal, at least she'll be nice about it.

spinnaker1, no drama whatsoever, dear. Let's not poke one another for now. A person declares an obsession with surmising others' finances, and offering to sell the information to the highest bidder. Anonymously, on both sides. OK.

Also, spinnaker1, "a person with whom they are conducting a deal" does not apply because so far there was no declaration of any deal being conducted by nyc10023.

"Let's not poke one another for now."

... get a room!

Commoner: Look, I don't like it any more than you do that all this personal information is now public. But it is. I would not put it on the Internet for all to see, and I would also not sell it to the highest bidder. I am interested in it, to analyze the extent of support for current and future prices. Partly because I'm a nervous owner-lemming.

What I am wondering about is how to get paid for the niche knowledge I have about various buildings, in terms of potential combos. There are others with the same interest in RE that I have who have decided to go the broker-route. That is not for me. What I'm sensing from this thread is that there is no good way that I can get compensated right now for the information I have (again, just to reiterate - potential combo info, NOT anything else).

i stick to my guns that the value of combos stems strictly from scarcity of apt's of resulting size--comboing is expensive to do and results in higher psf monthlies, and often not as nice layouts as those fit into a bldg in its original architecture--if there is planty of stock product of comparable size that that resulting from combo, economics of combo won't be there

often un-combo'ed apts are offered for sale in a pairing--ive never noticed them priced such that there is any more money to be made than one might in a well-executed renovation of a single apt--as in the small misery premium that should be paid for a freshly renovated apt, ready to move into--

and many renovations arent executed well, combo or not, such that money invested exceeds value in a sale

What I see are renovators who are so pleased that they've worked out the major problems in planning awkward combos that they turn a blind eye to the remaining oddities and go ahead with the project.

When the next person looks at the floor plan, though, all they see are the oddities: the walk-through "dining room" or "office" that's really just an inelegant oversized foyer in the kind of apartment that wouldn't have or need a large elegant foyer; the out-of-place bathroom; the bedroom that's too much in the face of the living room; the windowless "media room" or "office" or "home theater" that really doesn't cut it.

nyc10023
What I am wondering about is how to get paid for the niche knowledge I have about various buildings, in terms of potential combos. There are others with the same interest in RE that I have who have decided to go the broker-route. That is not for me. What I'm sensing from this thread is that there is no good way that I can get compensated right now for the information I have (again, just to reiterate - potential combo info, NOT anything else).

don't know how this could apply to the re industry, but in my neck of the woods, we have trend forecasters. what about providing a service to existing firms that includes not just who bought what and how (in the most general terms), but also things like employment stats in relevant industries, compensation trends, anything else you can think of that could help predict who WILL be buying, where, what, and how.

Or at least the end of cocooning.

nyc1003:
I think Lucilles' thought is very good: you can sell your accumulated information to a RE-related business, pretty much like any freelance researcher would do. It's a very good, open model, I believe, and that way you'll see what information is sellable (not just valuable but legally sellable) and what isn't. Also, you'll know your legitimate buyers.
As an aside, obsession usually not a profitable thing, unfortunately. It would be really nice it it were.

nyc10023: don't sell your talents. Money is dirty. Ick. Bluth. Feh.

commoner, you don't think she could make it a regular gig? i'm not talking about long term predictions, but real time info packaged and sold on a regular basis. so, not wait for published statistics, but rely more personal sources and...gossip, for lack of a better word. she could include school info, any zoning issues, really there is so much out there. she seems to be interested in so many different things, if she just came up with the right model, it could easily be sustained by her curiousity and (obviously harmless) voyeurism.

LucilleIsSorry, from a practical point of view, selling your research trove is freelance per default, and potentially quite well rewarded.
I just think that when someone sells a "private" information without knowing the buyer, there could be several unpleasant fallout scenarios: abuse, theft etc., leading to, well, a law suit? Correct me if I'm wrong.

right, no names obviously. that aspect is definately creepy, but profiling "the money" that's moving doesn't have to get that personal. and once you anser the questions of why that money bought, where that money came from, who might have that kind of money next year. who has it, who is losing it, who is making it, who is spending it on other things that might indicate they would spend it on re. the "who" doesn't have to be a list of names. or, if 10023 could find a way to present this info in a way that doesn't violate the law and get her sued, it might be something.

the statement alone that only family money is buying, tells you pretty much everything you need to know about the market, no?

118 West 79th #6A/6B. This pair would make quite a museum-block combination, although it would be bigger than gabrielle904's vision and misses the mark slightly on some of her other specs.
http://streeteasy.com/nyc/sale/579622-coop-118-west-79th-street-upper-west-side-new-york
http://streeteasy.com/nyc/sale/561765-coop-118-west-79th-street-upper-west-side-new-york
The apartments basically mirror each other along forty feet of wall that divides their galleries and living rooms, so your architect could do almost anything with the floorplan. Total space would be over 3,500SF, with close to 100 feet of frontage on 79th, the northern side of which isn't built very high. Maintenance would be over $5K - stiff, but not surprising for a combo of this size.

gabrielly904, this came up again:
http://streeteasy.com/nyc/sale/580760-coop-315-west-86th-street-upper-west-side-new-york

Disclosure: I'm watching this block and this building in particular.

Somewhat off-topic: The owners of a corner seven at 285 Riverside Drive are putting together a spectacular combination:
http://streeteasy.com/nyc/closing/1795178
Close to 4000SF, with roughly 100 feet of river frontage, plus the northern view on the corner.

A true maven might say the ceilings could be higher, which is a little like Jerry Seinfeld nit-picking Teri Hatcher (circa Lois and Clark). Anyway, the view is real, and it's spectacular.

Gabrielle: I know of a project that meets your criteria. If you happen to see this and are interested in hearing about it, please let me know how you would like to get in touch.