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#RealHumanRealEstate: The October Edition |
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Dear clients + community, Are we cozy yet? After a weekend of flaming leaves, scenic hikes, yoga and hot tubbing in the Adirondacks — possibly the most blissful four days of my entire existence, with only slight hyperbole — I can finally believe it's fall. Other indicators include: a swiftly moving buyer's market, a desire to stay in at night (and to rearrange furniture — does anyone else associate this urge with hibernation season rather than spring?), the smell of warming spices, and the stack of books I'm actually getting through (recently read and loved: Change Your Schedule, Change Your Life by Dr. Suhas Kshirsagar and The Art of Memoir by Mary Karr). How are you celebrating the season of crisp days and cable knits? For those of you who've changed homes with the seasons, thank you for trusting me to advise, guide, and enjoy the journey alongside you. Looking forward to hearing your stories over hot cocoa soon! Michaela |
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Buyer's Corner |
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As most of my past clients know, I often encourage my buyers to round out their offer with a letter to the seller, sharing a little personal background and perspective on their interest in the property, and most importantly, offering the seller a warm introduction to the voice and vision of the prospective buyer. And while these letters could be seen as just one more strategy in a competitive arsenal, the terms of war are all wrong. As I see it, a letter to the seller differentiates the purely competitive offers from the personally collaborative ones. We're all human, after all, and the selling and buying process is as emotional as it is logistical— so with a sharp market analysis guiding the offer's terms, a warmer voice can guide the offer's tone. |
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Friends & Neighbors |
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Fresh off ofBread and Yoga's fall retreat, I'm so happy to shine the spotlight on this uptown institution. More than a yoga studio, Bread and Yoga is a community center, with as much emphasis on holistic health, education, and connection as on the physical practice of yoga. Offering community acupuncture, cooking and nutrition workshops, new mom and breastfeeding support groups, and a range of afterschool programming, along with their full roster of yoga classes and trainings, Bread and Yoga has made a commitment to the health and harmony of uptown life since 2009. And after ten years in Inwood, they've now opened a second studio in Harlem, where you'll find me working the desk on Mondays (donation-based class at noon, followed by free meditation!) and practicing the rest of the week. Come visit — it's a conscious, vital, + joyful community. |
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Out & About |
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The Poet's Play - Act I@ TADA! Theater Thursday, October 17, 9PM As part of the Emerging Artists Theatre New Work Series, my dear friend and one-time director Rebecca Branscom is presenting the first act of her newest play, inspired by the life of Elizabeth Barrett Browning. A celebration of divine interruptions, unexpected restorations, and of course, poetry, this beaut of a new play in development will also make Rebecca my two-time (though never two-timing) director: I'll be playing E.B.B in tonight's staged reading, followed by a short guided talkback. Tix here! |
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Masked Networking @ TEEM Harlem Friday, October 25th, 7PM Look, I'll come right out with it: I'm not the trick-or-treating type. You won't find me in a Party City between Labor Day and New Year's Eve, and I am certainly not the resource you should turn to when looking for New York City's Best of Halloween — but, I will say: a Harlem local co-working space hosting a masked networking event sponsored by Girl Boss NYC on the (proverbial) eve of Halloween sounds, tentatively, pretty ok with me. |
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Saturday, October 26, 2PM Let me introduce y'all to Ron Louis Foster: interior designer, National Geographic-published photographer, lifelong Brooklyner, and one of the most impassioned community builders I've ever met. His monthly meet-up for amateur and professional photographers uses the beauty and variety of the city as a backdrop for shutterbugs to form new friendships and develop new skills. Past meet-ups explored LIC, Brooklyn Heights, and Dumbo; this month's walk-about will celebrate the glory of fall in Central Park. |
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This Month's Tip |
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Speaking of re-arranging furniture, if you're in for a wholesale overhaul and Craigslist isn't cutting it, my top tips for restocking your space are Chairish andAptDeco, the sexiest and simplest sites for finding high-design furniture at an affordable price (not that you can't go wild on mid-century pieces in the many thousands, but it's not required). They're both fab but AptDeco in particular takes the cake for ease and cost of delivery (ex.: their delivery team hauled a mid-century marble-based floor lamp up four flights to my place for only $35 on top of its already- steal-of-a-deal price). Not a fan of the online marketplace? Check out one ofHousing Works'many well-stocked (and public advocacy oriented) locations city-wide. Nothing beats the thrill of an unexpected find! |
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