Buying

The NYC Home Closing Process, Step by Step

From an accepted offer to keys in hand, a New York City closing runs about 60 to 90 days and moves through a sequence most first-time buyers have never seen. Here is the full map: attorney review, mortgage commitment, title search, the co-op board (if it applies), the walkthrough, and the closing table itself — plus a plain-spoken look at who is involved and what it all costs.

Si Zhang (Sunny)

Buying NYC Real Estate as a Foreign or Non-Resident Buyer

Non-citizens and non-residents can absolutely buy NYC real estate. The real work is in the structure: foreign-national financing, getting an ITIN, the 15% FIRPTA withholding that hits when you sell, LLC vs. individual ownership, and the $60,000 estate-tax trap most buyers never hear about until it's too late.

Queenie Zhuang

NYC Mansion Tax & Transfer Taxes, Explained

In New York, closing a home sale triggers three separate taxes — the NYS transfer tax, the NYC Real Property Transfer Tax, and the progressive "mansion tax" the buyer pays above $1M. Here is who pays each, the current brackets, and a worked example.

Kevinn Li

Passing a Co-op Board: Package, Interview, and Approval

In New York, signing the contract is only half the deal. For a co-op, you still have to win over the building's board. Here is what goes in the package, the financial bar boards quietly hold you to, how the interview really works, and the new 2026 law that finally puts a clock on the whole process.

Michelle Li

Fair Housing: What Every Buyer and Seller Should Know

Federal Fair Housing protects seven classes — but New York State and New York City go much further, adding source of income, immigration and citizenship status, lawful occupation and more. Here is what steering is, what an agent legally cannot do, and where to file if your rights are violated.

Emma (Qian) Niu

Building U.S. Credit From Scratch

A practical, plain-spoken guide for newcomers to greater New York: how an SSN or ITIN fits in, how secured cards, authorized-user status, and credit-builder loans actually work, why your score matters for a mortgage, and a realistic timeline — verified against CFPB and IRS guidance.

Lina Feng

Getting a Mortgage Without a Green Card: Foreign-National and ITIN Loans Explained

If you don't hold a green card, you still have real paths to a U.S. mortgage. Here's how foreign-national loans, ITIN loans, and conventional loans for visa holders differ — and what each one asks you to prove.

Si Zhang (Sunny)

A Buyer's Guide to Long Island City: Waterfront, Transit, and What to Look For

Skyline views, parks at the water's edge, and a one-stop ride to Midtown make Long Island City one of New York's most considered places to buy — here is what to study before you do.

Michelle Li

NYC vs. Long Island: Where Should a New Family Settle?

A practical, needs-based way to weigh apartment vs. house, subway vs. LIRR, taxes, cost, and space — so you can reason through the choice instead of guessing.

Michelle Li

Buying Near NYC-Area Universities: NYU, Columbia, Cornell Tech, and Stony Brook

A neighborhood-by-neighborhood look at buying near four major New York-area campuses — housing character, price level, rental demand, and transit — framed on logistics and investment, not who lives where.

Emma (Qian) Niu

Buying Into Long Island's Sought-After School Districts

On Long Island, the school district line can move a home's price and its tax bill more than the house itself. Here is how districts shape value and taxes, the named North Shore districts buyers ask about, and exactly how to verify which district and attendance zone a specific address belongs to.

Si Zhang (Sunny)

Interest Rates and the Fed: What They Mean for Your Budget

A plain-spoken guide to how mortgage rates shape your monthly payment and total buying power — fixed vs. ARM, discount points, and the rate-versus-price trade-off — with the mid-2026 rate environment from Freddie Mac and the Fed.

Michelle Li · Jun 2026

What "City of Yes" Zoning Means for Buyers

In December 2024, New York City adopted its biggest zoning overhaul since 1961. Here is what "City of Yes for Housing Opportunity" actually changes — backyard units, apartments near transit, office conversions — and how it could shape supply, prices, and the blocks you are shopping on.

Heidi Liu · May 2026

Co-op vs. Condo in New York: A Practical Buyer's Guide

Two New York apartments at the same price can mean very different ownership, approvals, and monthly costs — here's how co-ops and condos actually differ.

Heidi Liu

Flood Risk and Insurance Before You Buy Waterfront

A water view adds charm and cost. Here is how FEMA flood zones work, how NFIP and private flood insurance differ, what drives premiums, and how to check any address before you make an offer.

Emma (Qian) Niu

A First-Time Buyer's Guide to New York Real Estate

Buying your first home in New York isn't a maze — not with the right order of operations. Here's the path we walk every first-timer through.

Heidi Liu

The First-Time Buyer's Mortgage Roadmap

From pre-approval to the closing table — a plain-spoken roadmap through debt-to-income, down payments, FHA and SONYMA programs, rate locks, and underwriting for first-time buyers in greater New York.

Michelle Li

Great Neck & the North Shore: A Buyer's Guide to Long Island Living

From the villages and the LIRR run to Penn Station to Steppingstone's waterfront and a housing stock that spans classic colonials to modern builds — here's what buyers should know about Great Neck and Long Island's North Shore.

Jingjing Feng

Closing Costs in New York, Explained: A Buyer's Plain-English Guide

Beyond the purchase price lies a second number every New York buyer should know — here is a calm, line-by-line look at what closing actually costs.

Emma (Qian) Niu