But You Said.....?

Believe it or not, there are some in this business that are less than ethical and honest with their advertising. Exaggerating square feet for example is a common "mistake" that many listing brokers make. Here are four tips to help prevent you from falling for some of the typical "Bait and Switch" tricks that brokers play.

1) Bedrooms....To be considered a bedroom, a room must have a window that overlooks the street or a garden". A bedroom must also have light and ventilation.

2) Square Footage....Because so few buyers actually do the math, Sq Ft is a commonplace cheat.
Square Footage is the fuzziest point of fact as there are many ways to measure. If the deal depends on the buyer knowing the exact number of feet in the property its always best to hire an assessor and be sure not to sign the contract of sale prior to receiving his results.

3) Building Policies....If you have a pet, plan on buying for your child, plan on using the apartment only part time, if the down payment is a gift from a friend or relative...or anything else that is slightly out of the ordinary.....check with the managing agent for verification that your particular situation is OK with the Coop or Condo board. More often than not the listing broker simply will not know.

4) Bedbugs, noise and other disruptor's....If you have even an inkling of a problem, you demand language covering bedbugs in the contract. As for un-neighborly noise, discreetly ask the building staff when you visit. Also, check with the dept of buildings to see if any complaints have been filed from the address you are thinking about buying at.

The bottom line is that purchasing a home anywhere is complicated. Purchasing one in NYC is exponentially more complicated because of the layers you need to peel away to get at the truth.
Its always best to work with an experienced, professional real estate broker.