This Tall and majestic, co-op has terraces that allow you enjoy the great out of doors without leaving your apartment (technically), and breathtaking Manhattan views that rival any postcard.   You can purchase a studio apartment for as little as $165,000, a 1 bedroom from $275,000 to $329,000 (depending on renovation and so forth)  and a 2 bedroom for just under $400,000.

Here is a list of the other great features that makes Willoughby Walk an ideal place to call home:

1. 100% owner occupied.
2. Only 10% down required by the co-op!
3. Large windows bring a lot of light into the apartments.
4. This is a gated community with 24-Hour Security.
5. The Co-op is Pet Friendly.  Dogs and Cats are welcome.
6. Some apartments have terraces.
7. Some apartments have picture postcard Manhattan views.
8. The Co-op has great financials and cash reserves.
9. Brand new laundry facilities on campus.
10. Storage is available.
11. Parking is available (there’s a waiting list)

There’s nothing better than Willoughby Walk’s location.  Its steps away from The Pratt Institute’s Brooklyn Campus and St Josephs College.

All of the amenities that the Clinton Hill/Fort Greene area has to offer are in walking distance, Fort Greene Park, Myrtle and Dekalb Avenues, which are both lined with marvelous shops, restaurants and so much more.

There’s a quick commute into Manhattan from Willoughby Walk.  The  G train is a 10 min walk away and the C train is not much farther than that.  Several buses take you to downtown Brooklyn in no time.

You’ve seen all the pros listed above, and like most things in life, there are cons.  If you are looking for a large kitchen and want to seat a large number of people for dinner, then this coop may not be for you.  The kitchens tend to be on the smaller side and most apartments have no designated dining area to speak of.  However, if you rarely cook and don’t usually have a lot of sit down banquet style dinner parties, these cons are not deal breakers or you can simply renovate the apartment expanding the kitchen and creating a dining space.

If you are looking for a smart investment for your money then take a look at Willoughby walk.  If you are interested in viewing some apartments there, feel free to give me a call at the number below or email me by clicking here.  I look forward to working with you…

You can purchase a large one bedroom apartment with plenty of light in the $285,000 to $350,000 range and an even larger two bedroom apartment for between $375,000 to $450,000.  Due to the recent recession and housing marking bubble burst, this is a decrease in pricing for the coop, which is great for anyone looking to buy now.

The Clinton Hill Co-ops consists of 12 buildings split up into two campuses, the North Campus on Clinton Avenue between Myrtle and Willoughby Avenues and The South Campus Between Lafayette and Greene Avenues. There are so many reasons that purchasing at the Clinton Hill Apartments is a wise investment, but here is a list of just a few of the positives:

1. The co-op is financially sound.  Having just refinanced its mortgage the coop has $10,000,000 in its reserve fund.
2. For 2011 the coop Board was able to hold the maintenance fee at the 2010 level.  That’s right, a co-op with no maintenance increase!
3. The apartments are large, with good sized closets. One bedroom apartments are approximately 800 Sq ft and two bedrooms are over 1000 Sq ft!
4. All of the apartments have large windows that let in a massive amount of light.  Many of the apartments have fantastic Manhattan views.
5. There is 24 hour security and maintenance staff on call 24/7.
6. Newly renovated laundry facilities are on site. Storage and Parking are available.
7. The co-op has a dedicated board that meets all requirements for shareholder meetings and handles it fiduciary responsibility of making sure all of the co-ops bills are paid.
8. The co-op is located in a section of Brooklyn that is just minutes from Manhattan.  You can go from the coop to 34th street Manhattan in 30 minutes.
9. The Clinton Hill/Fort Greene area is booming with upscale restaurants and shops, with more and more opening every month.
10. Clinton Hill Co-ops is located on one of most beautiful streets in Brooklyn, namely Clinton Avenue, which has been called “Mansions Row” because of all the historic mansions that line the tree line street. Want more trees? Fort Greene Park is just three blocks away!
11. The Clinton Hill Co-op is pet friendly. Dogs and cats are welcome.

For the sake of balanced reporting, there are few things that you might find negative about the coop, but they are in the process of being corrected.  The elevators are badly in need of a cosmetic overhaul, and the board is planning to take care of that.  The lobby of all twelve buildings are being updated and a plan to up date the individual public hallways on each floor, which are sorely in need of updating as well, is being devised.  The exterior of the buildings are somewhat drab, but the interior space, cleanliness and first rate upkeep of the interiors and landscaping more than make up for it.

Have I convinced you that Clinton Hill Co-ops is a still a fantastic place to purchase an apartment?  Here’s a sample of one of the apartments currently for sale – 209 Clinton Avenue, Apt 14E.

If you would like to see even more apartment, give me a call at the number below or email me by clicking here.

Why are there so many apartments for sale at the coop you might ask? Well, considering that the coop has 1,220 apartments, seven is not a large number. Also the real estate market downturn that has caused apartments to sell more slowly in recent years has caused a lot of shareholders to wait before selling, but now that the market has started to “heat up” the retiree moving down south and the family that has outgrown their current space is looking to sell.

Because of that factor, we have a variety of coop apartments for you to choose from.  We have one and two bedroom apartments available which range from fully renovated, with granite counter tops and stainless steel appliances, to apartments that need a little TLC and allow you to put your own personal stamp on them.

There are plenty of amenities that make purchasing at the Clinton Hill
Coops a great buy: 24 Hour Security and Maintenance, laundry rooms on site, storage and very limited parking available.  The coop’s very close proximity to Manhattan, downtown Brooklyn and all the shops, restaurants and nightlife the Clinton Hill/Fort Greene area has to offer.

Of course, my favorite apartment, 209 Apt 14E, which is has with 7 closets and spectacular Manhattan views, will be one of the properties available for viewing.  At $325,000 and 800 Sq Ft of living space, it beats a cramped space in Manhattan hands down.

For more information about the apartments where an open house is taking place this Sunday, click here.

Come out and take a look, you won’t be disappointed.  If you have any questions about the Clinton Hill Coops, Clinton Hill/Fort Greene neighborhood or coops in general, feel free to give me a call at the number below, or email me by clicking here.

• Heat - The Co-op is required by the City of New York to provide heat between Oct 1 to May 31 if the temperature drops below 50 Degrees in the Day and 40 degrees at night.   If the co-op has boilers that use oil, then you can expect heating to be a big expense. 
• Water – If you’ve been watching the news, I’m sure you’ve seen that the cost of water  has increased constantly over the last few years.
• Cooking Gas – Gas is still less expensive then oil, but it still does cost.
• Property Taxes – These might well be a one of the largest (if not the largest) expense that makes up your maintenance costs.
• Garbage Pickup and Recycling
• Building Management Fee – This covers the collection of maintenance and the handle of the day-to-day management of the Co-op.
• Building Maintenance – Which covers interior and exterior repairs to the common areas.
• Building Cleaning – Mopping, buffing, polishing, washing and wiping of the common areas.
• Grounds Maintenance – This includes lawn care in the summer, leaf removal in the fall and the shoveling of snow in the winter
• Window Replacement – The replacement and repair of windows are the Coop’s responsibility. Cost should only be involved when theirs shareholder negligence.
• The Repair or Replacement of the Sidewalks surrounding the building.
• Pest control in the common areas, and bed bugs extermination in any part of the building.
• Enforcement of the House Rules – Which typically include rules on how early in the morning, or how late at night, music can be played, whether pets are allowed, what kind and so on.

As you can see, co-op maintenance fees cover a lot, so the next time you see co-op maintenance fees and think to yourself that that’s a lot of money, keep in mind how much you would have to pay for each of these services individually.

4 Blocks for the G Train. 6 Blocks for the C Train. 20 mins to Downtown Manhattan. 5 Mins to Downtown Brooklyn. Bus service – B38, B52 and B54. Pratt, St Josephs College, Metrotech and Long Island University all in walking distance!!

It has 7 Closets, that’s right 7!!

Formal dining area.

24 Hour Security.

Laundry Rooms on site.

Storage and Parking Available

Manhattan Views!!

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I like the complex and the apartments so much that it has prompted me to write this little update about the coop.

Pros:

The lobbies in the coop are very well maintained, the hallways are beautifully carpeted and painted, and the elevators seem like new.  The laundry room is spacious, clean and has a good number of washers and dryers of various sizes.  Add 24 hour security, good financials and location, location, location, and Willougby Walk falls at the top of my list of the best places to live in Brooklyn.  You can get a great 1 Bedroom for between $250,000 to $300,000.   Maintenance payments are typical for Clinton Hill, which is between $600 and $700 a month.

Cons:

Like most things in life, there are cons, but they are not deal breakers in my opinion.  The main con I can think of is that the kitchens tend to be on the small side, but if you’re not much as of cook, that’s probably irrelevant.  The other con is that most apartments have no designated dining are to speak of.  If you don’t usually have a lot of sit down family meals, that’s not much of a con either.

Wrap-up:

Over all, I like Willoughby Walk Coops a lot.  If you’re looking to move to Brooklyn and want to live in Clinton Hill, a neighborhood I also like a lot, then the Willoughby Walk Coop is a great place to consider. For more information about the coop and its amenities, click here!

Want to see an apartment or two. Give me a call or send and email me.

Standing tall at 1655 Flatbush Avenue just steps away from the now vibrant Triangle Junction Mall, the Philip Howard Apartments has 640 units and some of the most fantastic panoramic views you’ll find anywhere in Brooklyn.

Getting into Manhattan from the Philip Howard Apartments couldn’t be easier. It’s a 5-minute walk to the #2 and #5 trains Flatbush Avenue Station, and since it’s the end of the line for both of those train lines, you’ll always get a seat on your way to work.

If you are planning on attending Brooklyn College and you would like to live off campus, this coop is ideal. Its well within walking distance of Brooklyn College.

The coop is very affordable. At the time of this writing, a 1 bedroom can be purchased for about $190,000 and a 2 bedroom for about $230,000. The maintenance charges for this coop is reasonable and includes everything except electricity.

Besides location, here are some of the other great features of the Philip Howard Cooperative Apartments.

1. Fantastic Parquet Floors
2. Some Apartments have terraces.
3. Parking Garage
4. Full Time Doorman
5. Fitness Room
6. Beauty Salon
7. Laundry Facilities
8. A Playground for the kids
9. Management Onsite

Philip Howard is a wonderful coop in a fantastic location. If you’d like to find out more about the coop or the properties available for sale, please feel free to give me a call at 917-544-2662 or click here to send me an email.

As a member of the board of directors of the Coop where I live, the conference was a great way for me to increase my knowledge so I can help steer the coop’s course successfully through these difficult economic times. There where seminars about the responsibilities of the Board President, the Treasurer, the Secretary, enforcing the house rules, budgeting and so much more.

I highly recommend anyone who sits on the board of a coop or condo to take advantage of this wonderful educational opportunity. Its well worth your time, and your coop or condo will probably pay the modest $70.00 admission fee.

The Housing Conference also helped me gain even more knowledge about coops and condos so that I can better help any of my clients looking to purchase or sell one. After all, the key to being an expert in real estate agent, coop management, or any other profession is having as much knowledge as possible.

For more information about the Council of New York Cooperatives and Condominiums click here to go to their website.

One of the things that I’ve found most impressive about the complex is the 5 1/2 acres of beautifully manicured lawns and stately trees that are accented by a charming gazebo.

The apartments are quite spacious with wood flooring and large windows that let in a lot light.  Take a look at the many amenities that the co-op provides, and you’ll see why University Towers is a great choice for fine living in Fort Greene.

1. 549 Apartments
2. Huge cash reserves of 6 million dollars (in 10/08)
3. 75% Owner Occupied
4. Hardwood Floors
5. Laundry facilities in the building
6. 24 Hour Security
7. Fitness Room
8. Onsite Parking Available
9. Playground
10. Barbeque Pits for residents use
11. Two blocks from the Dekalb Avenue Station
12. 5 minutes to Metrotech, Polytechnic and Long Island University

With prices that are still are very reasonable for Fort Greene (a 1 Bedroom/ 1 Bath apartment was selling for $473,000 in 10/08), University Towers is a great place to get a good bang for your buck and still enjoy high-end amenities.

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If you would like to find out more about the apartments for sale in University Towers, please give me a call at 917-544-2662 or 718-338-3380 or click here to email me.

Many shareholders are under the impression that the co-op corporation’s insurance policy should be all the insurance that they need. So, what does the co-op’s master insurance policy cover? Typically, it covers any liabilities that occur in the common areas of the co-op. For example, if some one slips in the hallway outside your apartment, the co-op’s insurance policy would cover any bodily injury that occurs. However, if that same person slips and falls in your unit, the co-ops insurance does not cover any liability, you would be responsible.

A co-op insurance policy will cover any losses to your unit as a result of a burglary, if fire damage ruins the walls in your apartment, or if someone is injured when he trips and falls over an object in your living room.

Protect yourself and your belongings and get a co-op insurance policy (if you’re a renter, you should have a renters policy). They’re not that costly. I personally pay about $300 a year for $50,000 worth of coverage. Better safe then sorry.