Blog
WHEN WILL THE GRIDLOCK END?
On January 1st (for the most part). If you are anything like me, you make the same mistake of thinking a cab or Uber will get you there faster than public transportation—even after living in New York for almost 33 years. Sometimes it is true ...
SHOULD YOU PAY YOUR MORTGAGE OFF?
If you are asking Oprah, then the answer is yes. I once heard Oprah say that her wealthiest friends (and I don’t believe she was referring to the same type of wealth that she enjoys) own their homes outright. I have carried a lot of mortgages...
HOW MUCH SHOULD I TIP MY BUILDING STAFF? | MJF Weekly Newsletter
This is a question I get from numerous clients, friends, and neighbors almost every year. This year, I seemed to get more than usual. I am always a bit reluctant to answer the question, and most people, in my experience, also keep their tip fig...
IS LANDMARK PRESERVATION IMPORTANT?| MJF Weekly Newsletter
It is if you value the wildly diverse landscape of NYC architecture. I recently attended a fundraiser for the LGBTQ Historic Sites Project, an organization co-founded by a friend of mine. The organization was started about 10 years ago with a m...
ARE YOU GRATEFUL? | MJF Weekly Newsletter
I certainly am. I’ve been “practicing” gratitude for many years now by creating gratitude lists regularly. Sometimes I forget to do it, sometimes I get too caught up in work, and sometimes I simply get too caught up in myself. I’m lucky...
WHAT IS THE GREAT WEALTH TRANSFER?| MJF Weekly Newsletter
The “Great Wealth Transfer” refers to the massive, multi-generational shift of assets from the baby-boomer generation to younger generations such as Gen X and millennials. It is expected to be the largest transfer of wealth in history, with...
WHAT CAN MAMDANI DO? | MJF Weekly Newsletter
We just lived through one of the most emotional mayoral elections I have ever seen in all my years in New York—and it ended with a historic first. A 34-year-old democratic socialist has been elected the 111th Mayor of New York City. The impac...
SHOULD I PERFORM A HOME INSPECTION? | MJF Weekly Newsletter
Outside of New York City, the answer is a resounding yes! Inside New York City? It depends. My clients often ask about inspections, and I explain to them that they are the norm with townhouses but rare with co-ops and condos. I would never disc...