The start of a new year, January is a great time to look at your world by the numbers. Many of us set new goals for ourselves, which are best reached when measurable. If your agenda for 2016 includes keeping track of your current real estate investments, or finding a new one, read on to catch up on how we ended 2015, and what to watch for in 2016. As always, if you have specific questions you may reach me at julia.boland@corcoran.com

  What happened at the end of 2015?

• The Corcoran Q4 2015 report revealed a record breaking median price of $1,150,000 for a Manhattan apartment.
  The Corcoran Report - Q415 Manhattan

• Inventory is still in short supply with 4.1 months of supply, making it a seller’s market. (Six months’ supply is considered balanced.)

• The average time an appropriately priced property was on the market was approximately three months.

• The average price/square foot in Manhattan is $1,736, up 5.6% from last year.

  What to watch for in 2016

• Low inventory and low interest rates are well-established trends by now. Mortgage rates have been falling the past three weeks.
  Mortgage Rates Fall for Third Straight Week

• Bifurcation of markets: Don’t be surprised if you start reading about high priced inventory in the $10 million and above range taking price cuts, while well priced units under $3 million go into bidding wars.
  Global luxury resi markets feeling macro uncertainty

• Strong demand for Harlem townhouses. The days of finding a steal in Harlem are long gone, but there are some gorgeous renovated classics for anyone looking to purchase a one to two family home at a relative bargain.
  Record-Setting Harlem Townhouse Sells For Just Under $5M

• The reinvention of the Upper East Side. A number of new developments are coming to the market, bringing cutting edge design to a neighborhood previously dominated by stodgier pre-war coops. Some of my favorites so far include 180 East 88^th Street, 389 East 89^th Street, and Citizen 360 at 360 East 89^th
  The Old Upper East Side's New Development Boom, Mapped

• Hamilton Heights emerging as a neighborhood, which is as much a destination as the South Central Harlem location below 125th 
  Fasten your seatbelts
  The Target Neighborhood: Hamilton Heights

• Upper Carnegie Hill becoming a real thing. New developments planned between 96^th – 110^th St., East of Fifth Avenue are creating exciting new options for those priced out of adjacent locations. The 103^rd St. subway station is being revitalized, and there are a number of enticing low-key dining options along Lexington Ave.
  Upper Carnegie Hill Real Estate & Apartments for Sale