STATEMENT BY MAYOR BLOOMBERG ON NEW YORK CITY'S RISING POPULATION "Today's update of census data indicates that - despite the continued national economic downturn that's causing many cities around the country to shrink - New York City's population continues to grow to record highs. Since 2000, the City's population has grown by more than 383,000 people and is close to 8.4 million people, with each borough growing by at least 3.5 percent. That's great news for our City's economy and a tribute to everyone who is working to improve our city's quality of life and help New Yorkers live longer. The next official population count for New York City will come from the 2010 census effort currently underway, and we're urging all New Yorkers to stand up and be counted." More than $25 Billion in Ann... 03/23/2010

555 West 23rd Street   555 West 23rd Street is a luxury condominium built in 2005 in the burgeoning West Chelsea gallery district.  Located on the north side of West 23rd Street between 10th and 11th Avenues, 555 is removed from the hectic foot traffic of 6th-8th Avenues and is situated amidst some of the top contemporary art galleries in NYC, and only steps away from the newly opened Highline Park on 10th Avenue, Chelsea Piers , Red Cat , Cookshop and one of my favorite wine stores in the City, Appellation wines. What it was..................... 555 West 23rd was designed by Stephen B. Jacobs Group and Andi Pepper Interior Design, whose previous projects include the Hotel Gaansevoort, Hotel Giraffe, and Library Hotel.  Fittingly, 555 has hotel quality amenities, including both 24 hour ... 03/16/2010

Price: $575,000 FIZBER.com ID 15052508 Condo/Townhome/Co-op with 1 bed, 1.0 bath, in 875 West End Avenue 1F New york, NY, 10025 http://www.fizber.com/15052508/ 875 West End Avenue 1F - For Sale By Owner Property Details: Type: Condo/Townhome/Co-op Address: 875 West End Avenue 1F, New york, NY, 10025 Sq footage: 750.0 Floors: n/a Bathrooms: 1.0 Bedrooms: 1 Year built: 1923 View full property details and seller's contacts. View more New York homes for sale. Homes for Sale by Owner. Description: OPEN HOUSE: SUNDAY 12-2 PM This well laid out 750 sq ft 1 bed with original pre-war details is move-in ready. And, the EXTREMELY LOW MAINTENANCE (compare at less than $1/sq foot & 44%% tax deductible) makes it hard to beat. Before you step into the beautifully renovated unit, soak in the elegant p... 03/15/2010

  Homeowners across America are turning to loan modification programs to prevent foreclosure and stay in their homes. Loan modification has recently become a popular method for homeowners to get the assistance they need from their lenders to prevent foreclosure. Loan modification reduces the interest rate of the loan and defers a portion of the principal in some cases to lower the mortgagee's monthly mortgage payments to reasonable amounts. Loan modification services are a way to prevent foreclosure and are an option for individuals to reorganize their finances. Losing a job, having lower paying employment than when the loan was initially taken out, disability expenses, rising everyday expenses and bills, or a death of a spouse can all put a homeowner into financial hardship. It only ta... 03/12/2010

My crystal ball has a crack in it, and the image is fuzzy.  At least that's how it feels when I sit down to figure out where the real estate market is headed.  Every day we hear conflicting reports, and the prognosticators seem to change their minds regularly.  The stock market roller coaster has not made it easy to determine where the economy is headed.   So, that being said, I feel that the future is not as rosy as the spin doctors would like you to believe, but not bad enough to cause you to give up all hope.  Here are some facts to consider: The 4th quarter was strong in Manhattan Real Estate, with transactions exceeding the same period last year. Saleable inventory is low (down approximately 24%), causing sellers to solidify their price stance and buyers to find themselves in compe... 03/12/2010

Jerry Kowalski, founder of Kowalski & Associates, Law Firm Consulting Agency in New York and Washington DC, Featured in the Jewish Business Magazine. In 1995, after thirty years of practicing law in New York with some of the nation’s largest firms Jerry Kowalski formed Kowalski & Associates in New York and Washington, DC. Jerry Kowalski’s extensive resume includes distinguished legal work, and serving as counsel for the Government of Israel’s Departments of Defense, Department of Finance, The Bank of Israel (Israel’s Central Bank), the Government of Israel’s Bureau of Engraving and Printing, El Al Israel Airlines and Clal, the second largest corporation in Israel. Jerry Kowalski also served as an adviser to Prime Ministers Yitzhak Shamir, Yitzhak Rabin and Benjamin Netanyahu; as well as... 03/12/2010

CELEBRATORY EVENT PAYS TRIBUTE TO LOCAL BUSINESS OWNERS (Brooklyn, NY) – Hey, Brooklyn Philharmonic Orchestra – move over, you’ve got competitionfrom the Ptex Group! A celebratory launch dubbed the “Perfect Harmony Event” by the Brooklyn-based marketingagency aims to redefine the meaning of harmony, corporate-style. The occasion will highlightthe rebranding of Ptex Group’s four different divisions that operate in (what else?) perfectharmony to help small businesses grow bigger. “In essence, we’re celebrating the achievements of our valued clients – the small businessowners of Brooklyn,” says Mr. Meny Hoffman, Ptex Group’s president. “Because truthfullyspeaking, there’s nothing small about small business!” Founded in 2001 by Mr. Hoffman, a proud Brooklynite and noted entrepreneur, Ptex G... 03/11/2010

Kips Bay is a quiet, understated neighborhood in New York, situated between Murray Hill and Gramercy Park on Manhattan's Eastside.  One of the most notable residential properties is the I.M. Pei designed "Kips Bay Towers."  Built in 1961, the complex surrounds a beautiful three-acre garden. Kips Bay is a diverse area, with several medical facilities (including Bellevue Hospital and the Rusk Institute), many ethnic restaurants; and is close to the Midtown Manhattan business district.  Kips Bay was named for a Dutch settler named Jacobus Henderson Kip, whose farm ran north of 30th Street to the East River, and around a bay in the river. Kip built a brick and stone home in 1655 near what is now East 35th Street and Second Avenue, which stood until 1851. As a matter of fact, the only surviv... 03/09/2010

Price: $299,000 FIZBER.com ID 14892138 Condo/Townhome/Co-op with 2 bed, 1.0 bath, in 58 West 105th Street #5C New york, NY, 10025 http://www.fizber.com/14892138/ 58 West 105th Street #5C - For Sale By Owner Property Details: Type: Condo/Townhome/Co-op Address: 58 West 105th Street #5C, New york, NY, 10025 Sq footage: 500.0 Floors: n/a Bathrooms: 1.0 Bedrooms: 2 Year built: 0 View full property details and seller's contacts. View more New York homes for sale. Homes for Sale by Owner. Description: Beautiful totally renovated 2Br coop in UWS. Eexcellent layout. Low maintenance, Excellent condition, hardwood floors, jacuzzi tub, dishwasher, brand new kitchen. High ceilings. Kitchen and bathroom has windows. Please reply for details and shovings. Will not stay at this price! 03/08/2010

Parkours anyone?  I was recently in Central Park, and saw what I thought was a woman chasing a man; and he was trying to escape.  They were climbing over rocks, running over benches, and running over the tops of railings. If he was running behind her I may have tried to do something chivalrous, but I came to find out that they were participating in a physical discipline called Parkours. Parkours is a French word, and it seems that the activity has a long history, and was first practiced, in France.  The object is to overcome any obstacle that comes up during a free running outing using different skills along the way.  Almost ninja-like in its ability to adapt to the many different public structures that are available, it can best be compared to a random obstacle course.  Although it is ... 03/08/2010

  "United We Stand & Divided We Fall" The Statue of Liberty at Ellis Island in N.Y.C    I wanted to share with everyone a comment that was left on a story I wrote to the Activerain network. The post was featured and some very wonderful comments came in, but there is a very special comment that came from a "Newbie" at Activerain.  Her name is Linda Alexander, here is the link (below )if you missed it and here is her comment below. I would like to personally thank you Linda for leaving such a "Patriotic" comment to my post.  Photograph of "The World Trade Towers" from Statue of Liberty & Ellis Island  And here are some more photos with Linda's comment within the post (above)!     If you look real close at this photograph taken back in 1982 you can see a little boat in front of "The Statu... 03/06/2010

Increased Rental Property Profit Allows You to Take Yourself on Vacation. New York, NY Take yourself on holiday using your expanded rental property income. I was driving home in 11-degree temperatures from a meeting with one of our rental property owners. He was telling me about his upcoming vacation to warm and sunny Mexico. While some of you reading this are in warmer climates, most of us have been hit by an bizarrely cold winter and our thoughts turn to vacation more often than our bodies! We all could use a holiday to break up the winter months. Our student mentioned that he trimed a little off his rental income every month to add to his vacation fund. Not a bad idea I thought as I watched the snow blowing along the side of the road. In most rental situations, the property owner doe... 02/18/2010

Precisely what do the changes in today's Housing market mean to you? It makes me more focused on the positive ways I can assist with moving our Economy back into the Black! 02/11/2010

Home staging does work! A two-bedroom apartment in New York City needed to be sold, and sold quickly, because the owners were being relocated down south.  And it happened in 8 days!     But, let's start at the  beginning of this amazing success story.     The furniture in all of the rooms was not showing off each room to its fullest potential (see the before and after pictures below): The dining room had a sofa in it The living room had two dining room chairs and not much else The master bedroom suite had a bunk bed for the children The children's room had a full bed and a desk set up as a home office In my home staging consultation I recommended that the sofa be moved to the living room in front of the bookcase and that a dining room set be rented from a furniture rental company. I als... 02/07/2010

Real estate lawsuit is on the top 5 legal services in 2009. The top five legal service requests for 2009 is based on the total volume of 2.3 million member requests for legal services to the 40 independent provider law firms that assisted Pre-Paid Legal members throughout the U.S. and four provinces of Canada for calendar year 2009.total requests for legal services, the top five requests account for approximately 45% or approximately 1.1 million of the total requests. The remaining 1.2 million requests were for a variety of other legal services such as traffic-related matters, employment issues and civil litigation. Real Estate, Landlord/Tenant Issues and Foreclosure - Approximately 358,000 requests for legal services that include residential and commercial real estate transactions, la... 02/04/2010

Internet STALKING.....I'm Being FOLLOWED Wherever I Go!  A RANT... Be CAREFUL who you do business with!  I was recently contacted by a Company that "specializes" in SEO and getting ‘Your Name to the Top'.  They are a Sponsored Search Company that also has ANOTHER SPECIALTY:  For only a "small" (LARGE)  per month they will pull blogs and articles from all over the Internet that relate to your site. They said all the major Search Engines such as Google and Yahoo endorse it.  It adds "fresh, new content" to YOUR site and pulls you up higher in the ranks.  When I specifically asked about if this "service" credits the ORGINAL AUTHOR I heard hesitation. Finally the answer she gave me was "sometimes."  I wondered aloud if in NOT crediting the Original Author wasn't that illegal?....In fact, is... 02/02/2010

   It's Restaurant Week in New York City:  Feng Shui Long Island's Favorite Pics  Restaurant Week in New York City!  Who doesn't love this time of year?  It's a chance to try a new place that you've wanted to eat in or return to an old favorite of yours.  This year Restaurant Week in NYC is being held January 25th through February 7th but don't wait-many are taking reservations right NOW. As a Feng Shui Consultant I am often in New York City but my fascination with this City goes back many years and I've been fortunate, through the years, to eat at most of the BEST places in New York City.  I've been to almost ALL of the restaurants I've selected with the exception of two I've heard rave reviews on and would really love to try. Sadly, some of my favorites are NOT participating this year... 01/18/2010

Memorial to Tavern on the Green, Central Park New York by Feng Shui New York Consultant Carole Provenzale Another New York City Landmark Institution is gone.  I couldn't be sorrier to see it go.  It was our own Grace Safrin Indiana : Porter County : Valparaiso  who emailed me to let me know that Tavern on the Green would be closing.  I hadn't heard and knew that Grace and Jeff had some very special memories of their time in New York City, Central Park and Tavern on the Green; it was the spectacular place that Jeff had chosen to propose to her! Tavern on the Green in New York City had been around for 75 years and was probably one of the Cities best known restaurants.  Located right in Central Park at West 67th Street and Central Park West, it had spectacular views of Central Park if you ... 01/14/2010

Hallmark Abstract Introduced Letter From The Executive SuiteMy name is Michael Haltman, and I am the Managing Partner at Hallmark Abstract Service. I wanted to take the opportunity in this inaugural article to once again speak to the committment of this firm, from my office on down, to serving the needs of our clients.Our firm motto, “We treat your title insurance and settlement needs as if they were our own” is more than just a catchy tagline. It is the mission statement that Hallmark operates by. Our goal is to provide a seamless title experience, each and every time.As in any transactional business, being blindsided, particularly at the closing table, is unacceptable. We pride ourselves on taking the headaches revolving around the clearing of title away from the attorney before closi... 01/12/2010

A few weeks ago, I shared with you what was in my staging kit.  I asked you what was in your kit that wasn't in mine.  I received over 40 comments on my blog and decided to consolidate your ideas into a list for all to easily see. Some of you decided to share the form of your staging kit.  Here they are: Double-decker rolling tookbox 5 gallon buckets Large blue bin Suitcase on wheels Here are the items that I don't have in my kit, but that you have in yours: Hangers (when staging vacant homes in the winter - this was my add-on after a recent experience) Bottled water Snacks CD/MP3 Player Black light to detect pet and other odors Steamer Extra lamp finials and harps Glue gun Plastic grocery bags for stuffing pillows that need help Restore-A-Finish A few home decorating magazines and fabr... 01/09/2010