Azure Releases a Limited Collection of Residences at Alluring Prices

The development teams at Azure – The DeMatteis Organizations and the Mattone Group – have released 11 new residences to the market at attractive prices and great value. Azure, a spectacular 34-story glass tower located at 333 East 91St Street on the Upper East Side, offers prospective buyers a range of options, from a 1,006-square-foot one-bedroom home priced at $799,000 to a 2,597-square-foot four-bedroom home  valued at $3,299,000. Each residence is designed with exquisite finishes, top-of-the-line appliances and panoramic views of the East River.

“Azure represents the very best this area has to offer – a combination of the finest quality residences, generous floor plans and unparalleled value,” said John Caiazzo, vice president of Real Estate Development for The DeMatteis Organizations.

In addition, Azure recently added Citibank to an impressive line-up of preferred lenders, which currently features Wells Fargo, Chase, HSBC, Investors Savings Bank and PNC Bank. These well-known financial institutions provide homeowners with a variety of loan products, such as variable rate ARMs and 30-year fixed rate instruments. As a confirmation of the increased availability of credit in Manhattan’s mortgage market, Citibank has expanded Azure’s mortgage portfolio to better serve its customers.

“Citibank truly has the expertise to satisfy our clients’ borrowing needs, and we are thrilled to have the assistance of an organization of such high caliber,” said Douglas Maclaury, senior vice president of the Mattone Group.

Many of Azure’s residences offer generous layouts with floor-to-ceiling windows, natural light, ceilings that soar up to 11 feet, and panoramic city and river views. Residences also feature imported kitchen cabinets, marble master baths and Brazilian Afromasia wood floors.

Moreover, Azure offers the best of cosmopolitan living with more than 6,300 square feet of amenity space, including a residents’ lounge with private dining room and catering kitchen, a game room, a children’s play room, a fitness center and two landscaped roof terraces. Residents come home to a magnificent lobby designed with walnut wood paneling, marble floors, a fireplace and are greeted by a full-time concierge and valet service.

1,000-square-foot one-bedrooms with home offices start at $775,000; 1,198-square-foot two-bedrooms start at $1,195,000; 1,810-square-foot three-bedrooms start at $1,981,000 and a 2,968-square-foot four-bedroom home starts at $3,540,000.

For more information about Azure and the newly released residences, please contact the sales office at (212) 828-4848, e-mail info@azureny.com <mailto:info@azureny.com> or visit the website at www.azurenyc.com <http://www.azurenyc.com>

be@schermerhorn Sees Strong Sales Continue Through Fall-Reaches 70-Percent Sold

As our readers know, we rarely cover buildings off of Manhattan, but our friends at be@schermerhorn shared good news about their lovely Brooklyn building recently that we just had to post. We hope you’ll enjoy the rare trip off the island!

Downtown Brooklyn’s be@schermerhorn continues to post impressive sales numbers through the fall as the 246-unit condominium reaches several milestones less than a month after closings begin.  The first group of be@schermerhorn residents will soon have plenty of new neighbors as the building is nearing 70-percent sold.  In addition, Jamestown Properties anticipates that it will close 100 units by the end of 2010 and has signed on new lenders Wells Fargo and Bank of America to accommodate the impressive influx of new buyers.

“The sales pace at be@schermerhorn has been uplifting and we are now seeing a lot of interest in our two-bedroom homes, which are priced at incredible values,” said Aaron Lemma, vice president and associate broker at The Corcoran Group, be@schermerhorn’s exclusive sales and marketing agent.

Surrounded by some of the city’s most desirable neighborhoods including Brooklyn Heights, Cobble Hill, Boerum Hill and Carroll Gardens, be@schermerhorn provides residents access to all that Brooklyn has to offer: classic architecture, shopping at chic retailers, specialty food markets, and some of the city’s best restaurants and bars.  be@schermerhorn is just steps away from Smith Street’s Restaurant Row, beautiful parks including the Brooklyn Promenade and the newly opened Brooklyn Bridge Park, and live performances and exhibits at the Brooklyn Academy of Music.  Close proximity to public transportation, including the 2, 3, 4, 5, G, M, R, A, C & F subway lines, makes getting around town easy and convenient, while drivers are just a few blocks away from the Brooklyn and Manhattan Bridges, the BQE and the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel.

be@schermerhorn consists of studio, one-, and two-bedroom homes (many with home offices) ranging in size from 444 to 1,037 square feet, with prices ranging from the $200,000s for studio residences to the $500,000s for two-bedroom residences.  Homes feature oversized windows and white oak flooring throughout, and selected residences boast home offices and large balconies or terraces.  Two-bedroom homes also come with storage lockers for added convenience.  The open kitchens have CaesarStone© countertops and backsplashes, and GE stainless-steel appliances.  The stylish bathrooms boast honed-marble flooring, Corian® countertops and polished chrome fixtures.  All homes are wired for Verizon FiOS™ digital cable and Internet.

Amenities at the building include an attended lobby; a fitness center with cardiovascular and weight-training equipment featuring integrated cable TV and iPod docking stations; the be@ resident’s lounge featuring an entertainment center with a flat-screen TV, BluRay DVD player and iPod docking station; a landscaped courtyard with a beautiful greenhouse lounge; and an expansive roof deck on the top floor of the building’s 25-story north tower.  Wi-Fi service is available in select amenity areas.  In addition, private rooftop cabanas are available for purchase, offering sweeping views of Brooklyn, New York Harbor, and the Manhattan skyline.  A convenient bicycle rack, along with leased valet parking and optional for-sale storage units are also located in the building.

The Corcoran Group is the exclusive marketing and sales agent for be@schermerhorn.  For more information or to make an appointment to visit the on-site sales center and model residences, please call (718) 246-0189 or visit www.beatschermerhorn.com.

The Cammeyer at 650 Sixth Avenue Surpasses 50 Percent Sold

The Cammeyer, a distinguished luxury Pre-war loft conversion located at 650 Sixth Avenue in the Flatiron district, announced last week that is has surpassed 50 percent sold.

The recent achievement of this milestone sales mark – including 16 contracts signed and the sale of Penthouse B in the past few months – is a testament to a successful re-branding campaign that highlights the building’s rich history as a fixture of the former Ladies’ Mile District.

“Our focus on bringing the unique history of The Cammeyer to the forefront of the sales effort has allowed buyers to realize the full potential of the distinct architectural details and layouts that only a true loft conversion can afford,” stated Fredrik Eklund, Managing Director of CORE, who is heading up the sales and marketing of The Cammeyer with Senior Vice President John Gomes.

Once the world’s largest shoe store, The Cammeyer has been reborn as 67 luxury loft condominium that combines classic Beaux-Arts architecture with modern lifestyle enhancing amenities and features including 12 foot ceilings, oversized loft windows, open kitchens, dining rooms and living rooms that make the most of light and space, and distinctive pre-war details including cast iron decorative columns.

The Stylish kitchens feature high-gloss Poggenpohl kitchen cabinetry, Corian countertops, SubZero refrigerators, Thermador ovens and Miele appliances. Master baths include spa-like soaking tubs and separate glass showers with Waterworks, Duravit, Jado and Catalano finishes. Buyers have the option of automated window treatments as well as dark walnut stain flooring that serves as a fitting compliment to the building’s modern finishes and fixtures.

Amenities in the building include a 3,600-square-foot landscaped rooftop that provides stunning views of the Empire State Building and the ornate surrounding architecture, as well as a state-of-the-art gym with Cybex equipment, a fully staffed on-site management team, a 24-hour doorman and ample storage space.

In addition to the ornate architecture of the building itself, buyers have been drawn to the outstanding location of The Cammeyer. Convenient to Chelsea Piers and Union Square Park, residents of The Cammeyer are fully immersed in all New York City has to offer. Fine dining, shopping, museums, nightclubs, parks and beautiful architecture are just a few of the fabulous offerings of the neighborhood just outside The Cammeyer’s door.

Studios, one-, two- and three-bedroom penthouses ranging in size from 700 square feet up to 2,035 square feet are available at prices starting from $845,000.

254 Park Avenue South Update

Earlier this year, closing commenced at 254 Park Avenue South, a neoclassical Beaux Arts building located on the northwest corner of Park Avenue and 20th Street, in the heart of Gramercy.

254 Park Avenue South is a 13-story building with studios, one- and two- bedroom homes. Several one bedrooms have home offices, and select units incorporate a lofted area that looks out to the living and dining areas. Currently, studios range from $690,000 to $740,000, one bedrooms range from $1.3 Million to $1.995 Million and the two bedrooms range form $1.915 Million to $3.8 Million.

Gramercy New Condominiums

This 123 condominium unit pre-war building features 24 Hour concierge, private fitness center, and a 1,400 square foot social lounge equipped with a bar, billiards tables and a poker room.

Many residences feature soaring 14’ ceilings.  Kitchens come completely with Bosch stainless steel cooktops, chef’s oven, integrated dishwasher and a Miele hood. Floors and walls in the master bathrooms are also clad in stone and Kohler bath fixtures and accessories with chrome finishes create contemporary accents.  Bathrooms in most of the larger homes feature a glass enclosed shower with a rain showerhead and separate soaking tub.

Gramercy Park Condos

In addition to the in-building conveniences, 254 Park Avenue South conveniently located steps from Gramercy Park, Union Square, and Greenwich Village. The neighborhood is also great for foodies with over 200 restaurants within a five-block radius — many owned by celebrity chefs and top rated by Michelin and Zagat — while the fashion-forward can enjoy the stretch of boutiques and shops along Fifth Avenue and the exciting nightlife of the popular neighborhood.

Investment Potential:

As we previously posted, investors looking for a great value may find better options in the city. Those looking for a great space in a great location will definitely be attracted to 254 Park Avenue South. The building seems to be selling well and as expected, these will not last long.

CondoDomain: Discount Brokerage Firm Enters NYC Market

One of the stories we have been sitting on for a few months has been the launch of a new brokerage company here in New York City. Just this morning, The Real Deal and Crain’s New York have reported  that CondoDomain.com has recently gone live offering buyers access to all REBNY listings through their Virtual Office Website (VOW) application. For those of you unaware, following a settlement in 2009 with the Department of Justice, the Real Estate Board of New York was required by law to provide these listings directly to VOWs who are REBNY members, provided they agree to certain guidelines and pay a fee for an audit by REBNY. It is not quite like the Multiple Listing Services (MLS) in other cities but it’s a better alternative than browsing each individual broker’s website (NY Condos).

While the VOW is enough to catch our attention, what really has us interested is the business model that provides cash refunds to buyers. CondoDomain offers both a full service option and a do it yourself (DIY) option. The full-service model has the brokers guiding the buyer through the apartment search in the traditional way but refunding 20% of the commission earned post-closing. (On a $1,000,000 transaction with a customary 3% commission, the buyer would receive $6,000 back) With the DIY option, the buyer finds the apartment on their own and hires a CondoDomain broker to handle the negotiations and closing, all for a flat fee of $10,000. (On the same $1MM transaction, the buyer would receive $20,000 back)

We were skeptical at first that this was even legal because we were under the impression that a broker is not allowed to share any portion of their commission with an unlicensed person. However, CEO Tony Longo sent us to the Department of Justice website that has a map showing all of the states that allow commission rebates.

We truly believe that not only will this type of business model work but that this company is destined for great things here in Manhattan. We met with both Tony and his City Vice President, Brett Malvin, and were impressed with their knowledge of the industry as well as the ins and outs of buying real estate in New York. At the end of the day, if you, as the buyer,  receive the customer service, knowledge and access to information that the big firms offer AND receive cash back, we felt it is our duty to bring this information to you!

We are interested in hearing your thoughts on this.

Feel free to read their full press release on their blog here.

Also you can visit their website at www.NY.CondoDomain.com

Cheers,

James