Sale at 118 West 87th Street

http://streeteasy.com/closing/83464

This is like an analysis by a 20 year old up and coming college reporter for MSNBC or Fox, or possibly an uncertified accountant who translates for a living and moved to Florida because he couldn't make it here.

The 2006 listing specifically says - if you bother to read the description rather than just the square footage placed into the cell - "In addition to the four stories & 4,456 square feet, the home has both a full basement & a cellar with plenty of usable space. The backyard garden is 19' x 36' & gets plenty of light."
You can then review the current floor plan to add visual confirmation to the written statement. Then you can use your common sense knowledge about townhouses in NYC (and Brooklyn and the Bronx).

So add to the 4456 sq ft covering 4 floors, the 5th floor, the basement, and then the backyard. Do you get to 8k? No, I think you are still a bit short short, but the difference is materially less than the author would have you believe with his ignorant misleading snark.

the listing description notes a new finished cellar and the addition of a 5th floor along with two terraces measuring a 1000 square feet. Adding all of that still doesn't get us to 8000 square feet though you're right.

Snezanc, While it is fair to include 680 sq ft of the top floor, not sure fully below grade (ceiling is below grade) basement should be added to the sq footage. The same for outdoor space.

Of course, that should be free.
Why would a seller want to put its best foot forward?

C snezan, I guess as a broker, you have to try to support shady broker.

The square footage seems really personal. But not enough for 300 Mercer to remove me from ignore. So the miscalculations and poorly placed blame will continue.

I guess price cuts are reflecting real sq footage of max 5500 including expansion.

yes that's it, the owner was visited by the Bureau of Weights and Measures and made the price adjustment based on that visit, not based on the amount of time on the market and market feedback.