The Market

The Open House Scorecard: Pay cash or not -- but get it for under a mil

By Sara Alessi  | December 10, 2012 - 12:28PM
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If the sight of seven-digit price tags puts you in a panic, take notes on this edition of the Open House Scorecard (the 10 open houses StreetEasy users saved to their open-house planners more often than any others this past week) and breathe a sigh of relief that you are not the only one looking for apartments under a million.

Pay $399k in cash for a one-bedroom, one-bathroom duplex co-op in a postwar doorman building on Columbus Ave. between West 89th and 90th on the Upper West Side. The apartment is suitable for first-time buyers or pied-a-terres and has a fairly low maintenance of $542. The lower level features living and dining space, as well as hidden storage, while the top floor has the bedroom, bathroom and a walk-in closet. Pets are permitted.

If you can’t shell out cash but still want an apartment under a million bucks, there’s a $799k two-bedroom, one-bathroom co-op on West 66th (between Freedom Place and West End Avenue) to consider. The unit has open garden views and relatively low monthly costs, with gas and electricity included in the $1,310 maintenance. The community room has been renovated, but there’s a waiting list for the parking garage, and though cats are allowed, dogs are not.

Downtown Brooklyn is another neighborhood to turn to for apartments with six-digit price tags. A $670k one-bedroom, one-bathroom loft condo located in the BellTel Lofts on Bridge and Willoughby Streets features an open kitchen with Bosch and GE Profile appliances. The building has a doorman, concierge, fitness center, valet parking, a media room, a playroom and two roof decks. An added bonus: Until the building's J-51 tax abatement expries in 2019, you will pay no real estate taxes.

Back on the UWS, a $750k two-bedroom, one-and-a-half-bath co-op on West End Avenue between 96th and 97th needs some TLC (which could explain why it’s priced under a mil, and why there are no pictures in the listing). While the kitchen is fully renovated, the listing notes that the inlaid floors and wainscoting have “potential beauty,” and the current owner has restored most back to the original mahogany. Some pluses: There’s an in-unit W/D, sublets are allowed with board approval, and the building is one block from the express subway.

Over in Lincoln Square, a more expensive option is a $950k junior-4 that can be converted into a two-bedroom (one-and-a-half bath) co-op on in postwar doorman building on 70th and Amsterdam Avenue. It's been freshly painted, and features a balcony, as well as new stainless steel appliances and refinished hardwood floors. It’s located near the 1, 2, and 3 trains and is a short walk to Central and Riverside Parks. Plus, the building offers a common roof deck and a fitness room.

For more apartments under a million that you can pay cash for (or not), check out the rest of the Scorecard below. 

  1. 33 West 56th Street—3-bed condo, $6.5m
  2. 48 Laight Street—2-bed condo, $1.878m
  3. 49 West 72nd Street—2-bed co-op, $1.1m
  4. 749 West End Avenue—2-bed co-op, $750k
  5. 609 Columbus Avenue—1-bed co-op, $399k
  6. 121 West 17th Street—2-bed co-op, $1.25m
  7. 290 West 11th Street—2-bed co-op, $1.4m
  8. 201 West 70th Street—2-bed co-op, $950k
  9. 303 West 66th Street—2-bed co-op, $799k
  10. 365 Bridge Street—1-bed condo, $670k

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