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A 2019 housing law wiped out billions in wealth-building opportunities for New York’s rent-stabilized tenants — and no one is talking about it. On June 14, 2019, state lawmakers unintentionally wiped out $50 billion in wealth-building opportunity for the very people they claimed to protect. New York City has roughly 3 million apartments, fairly evenly divided among rent-regulated units, free market rentals, and condo/co-ops. Protecting the city’s poorest residents is noble — but when legislation is driven by ideology instead of logic, the consequences can be devastating. The Bad Apples…

What’s happening in the multifamily market today? The answer depends on what type of building you’re talking about. In this article I’ll paint with a broad brush and simplify five different types of deals, the challenges they each face, how buyers respond to what’s available for sale and things to consider when debating if you should hold or sell depending on what you own. 1. Inherently Free Market 2-5 Families Which Are Also Tax Class Protected There is seemingly an unlimited supply of these buildings, mostly in brownstone Brooklyn. Rents…

As the debt market goes, so goes the real estate market. Banks play a pivotal role in driving transaction velocity and pricing power. However, many banks are slow to adjust their strategies to shifts in the rent-regulated market, either failing to recognize changes or lagging a full year behind in response. With COVID-era financing reaching maturity over the next 18 months, banks must take proactive steps to facilitate refinancing, workouts, note sales, deeds in lieu, or short sales. The Challenge with Rent-Stabilized Notes When a borrower defaults, a lender’s first…

Dear Governor Hochul, We share the same mutual interest in the success of the New York City housing industry. I’m one of many salespeople representing property owners of rent regulated apartment buildings. I’m writing this letter to you on behalf of an entire industry inclusive of landlords and lenders who are too afraid to publicly tell the truth in fear of reparations, vilification, or rent strikes. We love New York City. We work, play, live, and pay taxes to the greatest city in the world, and we are here to…

The Problem In the past five years the New York City multifamily market has experienced tremendous fluctuations. The passing of HSTPA in June of 2019 was the starting point of a transformative marketplace.  COVID ushered in new regulations and record low interest rates. This was quickly replaced with rapid rates hikes causing valuations to drop precipitously. Minimal rental increases for rent stabilized properties combined with upwards pressure on costs have created a distressed situation for both borrowers and lenders. Cash flow constraints, depressed valuations, and rates doubling when loans roll…

Despite being in the commercial real estate business and not the residential market there is a surprising amount of emotion involved in my day to day. Many of the clients our team has represented in 2024 have been selling long-held family heirlooms disguised as rent stabilized apartment buildings. My goal is to clarify the underwriting norms for rent-regulated buildings in 2024, easing emotions and setting realistic expectations from the onset. How We Got Here New York is different than the rest of the country. Vacant buildings can often be more…

My team and I often get asked: who are the buyers and sellers, and are deals actually getting done? Transactions are happening but there are more obstacles than ever before. Our team has taken on a record amount of new inventory and the pace seems to be increasing each month. The motivation behind new inventory is driven by maturing or rollover debt, sellers not seeing a path to profitability, inability to complete or pay for compliance mandates, and general management fatigue. Rent stabilized buildings aren’t selling themselves. The broker, as…

People decide to sell real estate to solve a problem, capitalize on an opportunity, or realize a profit.  Management fatigue is also motivating people to transact. Our team receives countless requests for opinions of value and often the client says, “I can’t sell at that price.” What I’ve noticed is that the people who are contemplating selling are looking for a mathematical reason why it makes sense. The math doesn’t look great, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t sell. We continue to sell rent stabilized buildings at negative leverage on…

Listen to an audio narration of this article I’ve been helping clients sell apartment buildings and buy triple net leases for almost 15 years. In almost every scenario the client is initially hesitant to get into something new. After all, the devil you know is better than the devil you don’t. With the challenges facing property owners in New York, this sentiment has started to shift. Private clients are starting to look for the exit ramp but don’t know exactly where to go or how to get there.  I wrote…

Multifamily operators today are finding themselves playing defense more than offense. They wake up each morning thinking about which fire to put out first rather than how to grow their business. A rising market allowed mistakes to go unnoticed or erased with a refinance or a sale. As Warren Buffett said: it’s only when the tide goes out that you learn who has been swimming naked. This article offers a roadmap of how to prioritize the important items related to expiring debt today. Until the laws change to allow rent…