Halstead Property Manhattan Residential Q3 2014 Market Report

The average price for all Manhattan apartments was $1,675,021 in the third quarter, 18% more than a year ago. While this is slightly below the record level of 2014’s first quarter, it is the second highest average price ever. Much this increase over the past year has been due to luxury activity, as the median price rose only 3% during this time to $898,500. Lower inventory combined with rising prices led to fewer sales than a year ago, with reported transfers down 15%.

Resale apartment prices averaged $1,545,875, or 13% more than in 2013’s third quarter. Helped by a record-tying sale, the average resale co-op price was 15% higher than a year ago, at $1,311,093. Prices for previously-owned condos set a new record in the third quarter, reaching $1,952,403.

Apartments in new developments sold for an average of $2,672,066, a 43% jump from the third quarter of 2013. This figure was down from the second quarter of 2014, as luxury closings declined. Downtown south of 14th Street accounted for 24.4% of new development closings in the third quarter, the most of any area. This was helped by a large number of closings at The Jefferson, at 211 East 13th Street.

The full version of the report can be found here

Superheroes Help Stomp Out Bullying With Halstead’s Ross Ellis

Superhero greats like Captain America and Spider Man are here to fight the battle of their lives against the meanest villain of all – bully’s.

As of 2014, 1 out of 4 teens are victims of bullying and for every 7 minutes that goes by, a child is bullied on the playground. It is a cause that is near and dear to everyone’s hearts, even Hulk Hogan and Legendary Star-Lord were once afflicted by menacing acts of injustices known as bullying that today, affects millions of students across the country. Needless to say the nationwide fight to end bullying is of the utmost importance, and in support of this universal goal we are proud to share news of another great achievement for our award-winning agent and founder of STOMP Out Bullying, Ross Ellis.

Multiple award-winning non-profit STOMP, the nation’s leading anti-bullying and cyber bullying prevention organization for kids and teens in America and has joined forces with Marvel Comics to spread awareness for the growing epidemic during October, National Bullying Prevention Month. STOMP’s partnership with Walt Disney subsidiary Marvel Comics, one of the world’s leading character-based entertainment companies, will feature a month-long campaign of special edition magazine covers featuring custom designed images that “send a clear message about how our heroes feel about bullying in all its forms.”

Avid superhero comics and kids of all ages may be surprised to learn that Spider Man formerly went by the name of “Punky Parker,” a moniker gifted to him by his snickering teenage classmates before he was able to courageously leap tall buildings in a single bound, and he was not alone. Axel Alonso, Editor in Chief of Marvel Comics states that “the center of Marvel’s storytelling history is the eternal struggle between good and evil, with many of its greatest super heroes having to contend with – and rise above – bullying, in all its forms,” and as STOMP Out Bullying president Ross Ellis said in an interview with TODAY.com, “many comic book superheroes, and particularly those in the Marvel universe, were victims of bullying, felt isolated, and were ridiculed and shunned as kids and teens.” Ellis went on to explain that a team of the most talented artists at Marvel Comics successfully created an arsenal of emotionally charged magazine covers in partnership to spread awareness that October is National Bullying Prevention Month and to,

“convey the message that no matter who you are, you can be a superhero in your own right by standing up and taking action by joining the fight to eradicate the bullying and cyberbullying epidemic.”

In making strides to eradicate the evil perils of bullying, Captain America will grace one cover in a scene that depicts a heroic intervention during a locker-room brawl to represent clear, physical forms of bullying. We are also reminded by Ellis that “bullying transcends all boundaries,” and some of the most cruel and hurtful acts of injustices come in very subtle forms which Marvel demonstrates through another cover that stars Gamora of the Guardians of the Galaxy who befriends a child that is sitting alone on the sidelines watching peers play a joyful game of soccer. While in another, her teammates Rocket Raccoon and Groot join a boy who has been exiled to his own table in the school cafeteria reflecting a scenario that is all too common today, one where it is evident that although “physical bullying results in bumps and bruises, the psychological effects are what really stick with you.”

Additionally, in 2008 STOMP successfully orchestrated the first ever Blue Shirt Day® World Day of Bullying Prevention that enlists kids, teens and adults across the nation to come together and unify in solidarity against bullying. However most importantly, after a month of being in the spotlight hopefully America’s greatest superheroes will have ingrained in our minds that “the power of standing up for others, for being a friend, for having empathy, for being kind to others, for being tolerant, and for having understanding,” is the greatest gift of all.

The Halstead Property family is proud to acknowledge Ross’ commendable humility and generosity and praises Ross for demonstrating such amazing commitment to an even more worthy cause. Not only an award-winning and accomplished agent, among being named one of the Top-Rated Nonprofits for 2012 and 2013 by GreatNonprofits and a top charity by Conscious Magazine, Ross has been honored as 1 of 3 recipients of the Longines Town & Country Award for Women Who Make A Difference. We’re further elated to help spread news that under her direction, STOMP Out Bullying has helped over 8,900 students and has saved an incredible 114 lives over the course of just last year. It’s important to note that albeit such inspiring progress, these numbers are consistently changing on a daily basis thus requiring ongoing continued support from individuals and organizations alike.

Click here to read the entire interview with Ross Ellis on TODAY, and preview the exciting line-up of Marvel Comic magazine covers here.

Visit STOMPoutbullying.org to learn more about how you make a difference by getting involved today, and follow STOMP on Facebook and Twitter for continued updates.

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Connect with Ross directly and contact her over email at rellis@halstead.com or visit her agent website to learn more.

Source stompoutbullying.org

The Newest In Home Luxury

According to the Business Insider, Luxury home owners want the most energy-efficient appliances and now they’re even installing foot-massaging floors and lighting synced to their circadian. The new WELL Building Standard has been developed by Paul Scialla, founder of the real-estate company Delos. Although WELL is in its beginning stages, these posh amenities can already be found in CBRE’s headquarters in Los Angeles; LYFE Kitchen, a health-food chain with locations in Chicago and California; Las Vegas’ MGM Grand; and downtown L.A.’s forthcoming mixed-use development, The Bloc. The program’s crowning glory is Manhattan’s 66 East 11th Street, a residence that opened this summer whose units range from $14.5 to $50M.

The WELL Building Standard includes:

1. A particle-and-carbon-removal system, built into the central A/C, eliminating allergens, toxins, pathogens, and pollen, while UV sanitizers sterilize harmful particles that make it into the O2 circulating through your pad.

2. Soundproof Sheetrock walls and double-glazed windows block noise from even the busiest streets and loudest neighbors, while cork-and-rubber sound-damping floor underlays and all-natural foam insulation help keep the peace inside.

3. Circadian-Rhythm Lighting Overexposure to static light (which is what’s in most interiors) throws our circadian rhythms out of whack and drastically reduces melatonin (the sleep hormone) levels. These lighting systems can be tailored to the occupant’s sleep habits and—coupled with a dawn-simulating nighttime blackout-shading system—gradually brighten or darken to help you doze off and rise naturally.

4. Vitamin C–Infused Showers The nutrient does wonders for hair and skin, and after 15 minutes under a tricked-out faucet, you’ll be drenched in it.

5. Light-Therapy Mirror Perform your morning grooming ritual basking in waves of blue light (similar to those emitted by an iPad). Colors at this “temperature” slow the melatonin flow that started at night and boost attention, reaction times, and mood—making you more alert.

6. Reflexological Tiling Heated Carrara-marble flooring in the bathroom delivers a mini-rubdown with every step; the raised tiles can be arranged in patterns modeled after foot-reflexology maps.

7. Steam Oven A reservoir boils water, generating a low-temperature cloud of steam heat (more intense than electric heat) that covers food instantly. The resulting rapid cooking preserves the fiber, color, and flavor of produce, as well as B vitamins . . . vitamin C, calcium . . . and zinc.

8. Germ-Free Countertops Single-slab quartzite countertops are treated with a photocatalytic coating (an invisible layer of titanium oxide that can be applied to any high-touch surface—faucets, light switches) that destroys chemicals, killing odors and bacteria. With no gaps between slabs of marble for micro organisms to settle, your clean-eating habit is that much cleaner.