Leigh Kamping-Carder

Forget cups of sugar. Here in New York, neighbors rely on each other for real estate strategies, apparently. Apartment owners are seeing fellow residents of the building sell, and are following suit, The Real Deal reports. The thinking seems to be that, as prices go up, it’s a good time to test out how much their places are worth, even if they weren’t planning to move. (“Everyone is a seller at a certain price,” quips one broker.)

One of the city’s biggest landlords has launched a new offensive in the battle against illegal sublets, by training staffers to use short-term rental sites like Airbnb, Craigslist and HomeAway--and its advice is actually pretty useful for any annoyed neighbor of an Airbnb junkie.

For a number of months now, it’s seemed like sellers are in control when it comes to the Manhattan real estate market: prices are going up, bidding wars are increasingly common, and deals are happening in near record time.

No credit? Bad credit? No problem! We came across one potential solution for the would-be renter with a spotty credit history: a landlord in Carnegie Hill willing to take on tenants, so long as they cough up cash at the lease signing. “We accept no credit and bad credit with 4 months security, or prepaid rent with only 2 months security!” say several listings posted to StreetEasy. “Call or text Sol ... to see it today!”

Transforming two apartments into one is the dream, isn’t it? Not only do you get double the space, you also have a rare chance to design your ideal layout. 

Q. I'm moving to San Francisco and renting out my Fort Greene condo. Do I have to pay income taxes on the rental payments I get? And how can I minimize the taxes I do have to pay—should I set up an LLC?

A. Yes, you’ll have to report the income you make from your tenant, but a LLC is probably not the way to go, our experts say.