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Open House Agenda: 3 Summer Deals to See This Weekend

By Amy Zimmer | July 21, 2016 4:08pm | Updated on July 22, 2016 6:53pm

MANHATTAN — Summer is considered a slow time for the city's real estate market, which means it's a good time to get a deal. Those who list their homes this time of year tend to want to sell quickly, which is why they may offer what these three properties have: incentives, price cuts or prices that aren't outrageous to begin with.

54 st

Photo courtesy of Corcoran Group

431 W. 54th St., Apt. 4C, Hell’s Kitchen
One bedroom/One bath
Approximately 750 square feet
Co-op
$449,000
Maintenance: $980 a month
Open House: Sunday, July 24, 11:30 a.m. to 1:15 p.m.

54 st booksPhoto courtesy of Corcoran Group

Lowdown: In the second quarter of 2016, the median price of a one-bedroom in Manhattan was $849,000 and for a studio it was $544,000, according to Corcoran, which puts this new-to-market one-bedroom on the more “affordable” spectrum.

Though relatively small — with a kitchen fit for frequent Seamless user — the unit has a big charm factor: beamed ceilings stretching 10-feet high, exposed brick, a decorative fireplace and a large built-in bookcase in the living room. Each room has a window, making it feel more expansive, and there’s through-the-wall air conditioning.

“It’s a really nice apartment at a non-insane price,” said Corcoran’s Alex Mahgoub.

The apartment is three flights up and faces the back, which means, "You don’t have a killer view,” Mahgoub said. “But you are getting light, and it’s quiet.”

The building is a no-frills pre-war walk-up, but there's laundry and storage in the basement.

The co-op, which is a pet-friendly, non-smoking building, allows co-purchasing, pied-a-terres and subletting on a case-by-case basis.

54 st kitchenPhoto courtesy of Corcoran Group

Location: Sitting between Ninth and 10th avenues, it’s close to Hudson River Park, the Time Warner Center's shops and the transit hub at 59th Street/Columbus Circle.

Bars and eateries abound on Ninth Avenue. Lincoln Center and John Jay College is also nearby.

54 st BrPhoto courtesy of Corcoran Group

Why put it on your open house calendar?  "It can work for a lot of people — one person or two people who aren’t millionaires," Mahgoub said.

54 st Br

Photo courtesy of CORE

11 E. 36th St., Apt. 606, Midtown East
1 bedroom/2 bath
Approximately 1,130 square feet
Condo
$1.395 million
Common charges: $1,257 a month
Taxes: $1,144 a month
Open House: Sunday, July 24, noon to 1 p.m.

36 BRPhoto courtesy of CORE

Lowdown: After a recent deal on this pre-war loft fell through, it’s back on the market with an incentive for a speedy sale: The seller will pay a year of the common charges for an offer accepted by Aug. 31.

Though legally a one-bedroom, the office is currently set up as a second bedroom. It has no window, but it does have a closet.

“The fact you can get a two-bedroom Downtown for under $1.5 million, I think is such a deal,” said Alyssa Soto Brody, CORE.

Plus, she added, the space has no load-bearing walls so it's flexible.

“You can literally, if you wanted to, open up the entire apartment,” she said, “or if you wanted to create a dining room or third bedroom, you could do that. It allows you to grow into the unit.”

This sixth-floor apartment sits in the back of the 66-unit building and has no neighbors on either side, so it’s quiet, Brody said. Though it’s north-facing, the 6-foot-tall windows let in plenty of light.

When this office building went condo about a decade ago, renowned interior designer Andres Escobar overhauled the spaces, including the kitchens and baths, which still feel very modern. (Plus there’s central air conditioning and a vented washer-dryer.)

“His style is timeless,” said Brody noting that the open kitchen has high-end appliances and Calacatta marble countertops.

The doorman building has an “amazing” rooftop with a gym on it, Brody said.

36 kitchenPhoto courtesy of CORE

Location: The Morgan Lofts, between Madison and Fifth avenues, are a block from the Morgan Library.  The building is an easy to walk to Bryant Park, Midtown and Murray Hill.

There are plenty of transit options in the area, like the 6 train at 33rd Street, the hub at Herald Square or Grand Central Terminal.

36 BRv2Photo courtesy of CORE

Why put it on your open house calendar? “You are really getting a two-bedroom, two-bath for such an amazing value,” Brody said.

 

fenimore livingPhoto courtesy of Corcoran Group

399 Fenimore St., Prospect-Lefferts Gardens
Five bedroom/Three-and-a-half bath
Townhouse
$1.349 million
Taxes: $272 a month
Open House: Sunday, July 24, noon to 1:30 p.m.

fenimore kitchenPhoto courtesy of Corcoran Group

Lowdown: The price of this gut-renovated semi-detached single-family home dropped this week by $50,000. That’s on top of a $51,000 price cut from May.

The townhouse mixes modern touches, like a gas fireplace and stainless steel appliances, with traditional details, like a princess staircase and inlaid hardwood floors, according to Corcoran’s Brooke Safford.

“Everything is brand-new and well-done and rock-solid,” Safford said. “But it still has a warm, cozy feeling.”

It has "almost" four floors. There’s a finished basement and a finished attic (at full ceiling height) with two bedrooms.

The main floor has a sprawling living room and elegantly appointed gray-and-white kitchen with Carrera counters. Upstairs there are three bedrooms.

There are two full baths and two half baths.

“It feels like a real home, which is special in New York City,” she said. “It has a lot of space and a lot of privacy.”

When compared with a condo, the price per square foot is a deal, Safford noted. “And you don’t have high taxes and maintenance."

But you do have a porch and backyard.

fenimorePhoto courtesy of Corcoran Group

Location: The house, on a quiet tree-lined residential block, is a short walk to the 2 and 5 trains at Winthrop. There are new cafes and shops popping up nearby, like Midwood Flats and Bluebird Food & Spirits.

fenimore bRPhoto courtesy of Corcoran Group

Why put in on your open house calendar? “Value and privacy are the two biggest selling points,” Safford said.