Decent 2/3 bedroom on UWS for under 2M

I am bullish on the market, so I would say jump now rather than later, but honestly I doubt you can find anything that meets your checklist (I would like a pony). I would advise finding something in poor condition and gutting it, but realize that there is a lot of prewar housing stock that won't support W/Ds.

Ali r.
{downtown broker}

and also that won't support central air. You're high as a kite if you think you can find something with the bells and whistles you describe anywhere under $2.5

Yes I know its near impossible to find the above, but here is an attempt:

Search for 2 bedrooms or more and 2 bathrooms or more on the UWS gives me 435 listings:
http://streeteasy.com/for-sale/uws/beds%3E=2%7cbaths%3E=2

Filtering further by decent schools (lets say PS87, PS9, PS199, PS166, PS452,PS84) gets me 264 listings:
http://streeteasy.com/for-sale/uws/status:open%7Cschool:ps87-manhattan,ps9-manhattan,ps199-manhattan,ps166-manhattan,ps452-manhattan,ps84-manhattan%7Cbeds%3E=2%7Cbaths%3E=2

Filter further by w/d gets me to 120 listings. The filtering by price (<2M) gets me to 25 listings:
http://streeteasy.com/for-sale/uws/status:open%7Cschool:ps87-manhattan,ps9-manhattan,ps199-manhattan,ps166-manhattan,ps452-manhattan,ps84-manhattan%7Cbeds%3E=2%7Cbaths%3E=2%7Camenities:washer_dryer%7Cprice:-2000000

Now of course, I have to filter by open views and sunlight, open kitchen, and central air. If I relax the central air constraint, its indeed very hard, but not impossible to find something.

Yes I know its near impossible to find the above, but here is an attempt:

Search for 2 bedrooms or more and 2 bathrooms or more on the UWS gives me 435 listings:
http://streeteasy.com/for-sale/uws/beds%3E=2%7cbaths%3E=2

Filtering further by decent schools (lets say PS87, PS9, PS199, PS166, PS452,PS84) gets me 264 listings:
http://streeteasy.com/for-sale/uws/status:open%7Cschool:ps87-manhattan,ps9-manhattan,ps199-manhattan,ps166-manhattan,ps452-manhattan,ps84-manhattan%7Cbeds%3E=2%7Cbaths%3E=2

Filter further by w/d gets me to 120 listings. The filtering by price (<2M) gets me to 25 listings:
http://streeteasy.com/for-sale/uws/status:open%7Cschool:ps87-manhattan,ps9-manhattan,ps199-manhattan,ps166-manhattan,ps452-manhattan,ps84-manhattan%7Cbeds%3E=2%7Cbaths%3E=2%7Camenities:washer_dryer%7Cprice:-2000000

Now of course, I have to filter by open views and sunlight, open kitchen, and central air. If I relax the central air constraint, its indeed very hard, but not impossible to find something.

Something wrong with the previous message I posted:

filtering by price (<2M) gets me to 25 listings:
http://streeteasy.com/for-sale/uws/status:open%7Cschool:ps87-manhattan,ps9-manhattan,ps199-manhattan,ps166-manhattan,ps452-manhattan,ps84-manhattan%7Cbeds%3E=2%7Cbaths%3E=2%7Camenities:washer_dryer%7Cprice:-2000000

Now of course, I have to filter by open views and sunlight, open kitchen, and central air. If I relax the central air constraint, its indeed very hard, but not impossible to find something.

Ok this site obviously does not work well. My point as that I got down to 25 listings, and then have to further filter by open views and sunlight, open kitchen, and central air.

Thanks for these searches, Gandu. I'm convinced the market is moving toward a buyer's market, and may be in a balanced market already. I see little arrows pointing down, DOM moving up, open houses. But market timing in real estate is kind of a tough, because even "fast" transactions take weeks. Real estate goes up and down a LOT but most people don't notice because they don't watch their property value the way they watch the market indices.

In answer to your original question, my take is "make your money when you buy" regardless of where the market is going---since nobody ha a crystal ball anyway. If you can keep your emotions in check, and can do deep research so you don't buy a pig in a poke, buy an overlooked/undervalued property in any market. I like Front Porch's advice about an estate sale, and I found one like that in your list. That said, January is the best month for buying, generally, because the buyers are fewer (but serious) and you're more likely to find a highly motivated seller.

Id love to see the 2/3 bed (assume you mean classic six) with good light, open views, open kitchen and central air (which in a prewar would mean a very significant renovation had already been done) in the 70s 80s or low 90s for no more than $1.5mm. Seriously ? this is 2015 not 1995, It would be a real challenge to find all that for $2.5mm much less $1.5mm.

Many pre war two bedroom apartments are really classic six apartments. It's hard to find a pre war that's only two bedrooms. For your price range I would check out Lincoln Towers. Also on the UWS it's more convenient to be near an express subway stop.

Many pre war two bedroom apartments are really classic six apartments. It's hard to find a pre war that's only two bedrooms. For your price range I would check out Lincoln Towers. Also on the UWS it's more convenient to be near an express subway stop.

How many bathrooms are needed?
What are the ages of the people who will live there? Will any outgrow a small room? Any anticipation of additional people in the future, or, will there be any future downsizing potential?