Where exactly to find old Manhattan purchase prices?

http://a836-acris.nyc.gov/Scripts/CoverPage.dll/lookup

Naturally, the farther back you go in time, the less information is in ACRIS.

you can get some history out of ACRIS, which is the city database system, online and free--

http://www.nyc.gov/html/dof/html/jump/acris.shtml (hit the button that says "Acris in new window")

However, it won't necessarily go back 20 years -- if you want to pay someone for past data, I think Yale Robbins will sell it to you.

ali r.
{downtown broker}

Going back 20 years, you probably won't get the purchase price, but you'll usually get the mortgage amount, which is a pretty good clue.

How do you enter a street address? I don't know the party names or lot numbers.

If you can find a copy of the recorded deed, look for the NYS tax stamps or transfer tax paid (it will be stamped right on the deed). The tax has not changed in 20 years so if you divide the tax paid by 0.4% you will arrive at the sale price.

lo888: From the main ACRIS search screen, there's a lookup tool where you enter the street address and it spits back the block and lot. Then you use those to run your search.

West81st - thanks for the reply. Sorry - I am having trouble finding it. What's the name of the tool?

"Find Addresses and Parcels"

OK wait. I found a deed which lists the Transfer Tax as $512. But then the deed itself states that the owner paid $180K, whereas dividing $515 by .4% gives $128K.

However, that $180K is a foreclosure bid, does that matter?

The forumla will work for most transacitons. There are some transfer tax deductions. For example, the Grantee might have owned a percentage before transfer, might have been able to take advantage of the continuing lien deduction etc.