Blog
Did Compass Just Become the Largest Luxury Real Estate Holding Company?
Yes. Compass recently completed its acquisition of Anywhere Real Estate in a $1.6 billion all‑stock merger, many months ahead of schedule. The combined firm is now the largest residential brokerage in the United States by agent count and tran...
How Is the New York Real Estate Market? A Look at Q4 2025
The short answer: things are looking good. Heading into late 2025, there was a great deal of hand‑wringing in the New York real estate industry about what a Mamdani win might mean for the city’s wealthiest residents. The fear was that hi...
When Will New York City’s Holiday Gridlock End?
If you are wondering when New York’s holiday gridlock will finally let up, the practical answer is: right after New Year’s, for the most part. Every year, I fall into the same trap many New Yorkers do—assuming a cab or rideshare will get ...
Should You Pay Off Your Mortgage Early?
If you ask Oprah, the answer is yes. She has remarked that many of her wealthiest friends, wealthy by almost any benchmark, own their homes outright. There is a powerful psychological appeal to that idea. Having carried a number of mortgages ov...
How Much Should You Tip Your Building Staff in NYC?
“How much should I tip my building staff?” is a question I receive from clients, friends, and neighbors almost every holiday season. This year, it came up more than usual. It is also a question many people are hesitant to ask—and even mor...
Is Landmark Preservation Important in New York City?
Yes, if you value New York’s wildly diverse architectural landscape, its layered history, and the stories embedded in specific places. In a city under constant pressure to build, expand, and reinvent, landmark preservation is one of the key t...
Are You Grateful? Why Gratitude Matters in New York Life
Gratitude can feel like a simple idea, but its impact is anything but simple, especially in a city like New York, where pace and pressure are constants. Many of us move here for opportunity, ambition, and the energy of Manhattan. Over time, it ...
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...