What makes a co-op different from a condo, apps to unlock your best NYC life, & more

By Austin Havens-Bowen | November 8, 2019 - 2:00PM

This week, readers visited Brick Underground for a cheat sheet on co-ops and condos. Condos are typically newer and buyers receive a traditional deed as if buying a single-family house, but in NYC, there's a larger inventory of co-ops. While they are more affordable than similarly sized condos—it's trickier to get approved by a co-op board compared to a condo board.

Also of interest: How you can tell if a basement apartment in NYC is legal. From checking the building's Certificate of Occupancy, looking for exits in each of the bedrooms to having a fully functional bathroom and kitchen, there's many ways that you can ensure a prospective basement apartment is a legal, and safe, dwelling.

Here, in full, are the week's top stories.

1) What is the difference between a condo and a co-op?

2) The pros and cons of buying a penthouse apartment

3) The apps you need when you live in New York City

4) What's better for buying an apartment in NYC: A 15- or 30-year mortgage?

5) How to tell if a NYC basement apartment is a legal rental

And from this week's sponsors:

Ask Sam: When can tenants legally withhold their rent? [sponsored]

Westchester vs. Connecticut property taxes: What you need to know before buying a home in the suburbs [sponsored]

Austin Havens-Bowen

Writer

Austin Havens-Bowen is a writer and reporter. He previously covered local news for the Queens Ledger and The Hunts Point Express in the Bronx. He graduated from Hunter College with a BA in media studies. He rents a one-bedroom apartment in Astoria with his boyfriend and their two cats.

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