From the Strange World of Real Estate…

Real estate agent Brad J. Lamb has been seen on HGTV’s Big City Broker, but he has been getting more publicity as of late for a bizarre poster ad for his business.

Playing off of his last name Lamb, his head is photoshopped onto a lamb’s body, and he is shown with his “team of experts,” which I guess are the four other normal lambs in the ad. Online, his ads have been called “totally creepy,” and some have suggested that Brad Lamb “needs help.”

What do you think? Is Brad Lamb’s campaign funny or creepy? Will it attract new customers or scare them away? Comment below and let us know what you think!

Derek Jeter’s $20 Million Apartment for Sale

There have been rumors about Derek Jeter proposing to girlfriend Minka Kelly, and with Jeter putting his apartment on the market, those rumors are looking more likely.

Jeter has been living in his 4 bedroom, 5.5 bath penthouse apartment at Trump World Tower since 2001. He originally purchased the apartment for $12.6 million, and it comes with a chef’s eat-in kitchen, dining room, den, and living room with fireplace.

To see pictures inside the apartment, go to http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/09/09/derek-jeter-lists-apartme_n_710534.html, and check out other apartments in Midtown East at Neighborhood NYC at http://neighborhoodnyc.com/category/midtown-east/.

Renter’s Rights: Getting Out of a Lease

Finding and moving into a new apartment takes a lot of work, time, and money. It is supremely frustrating when after all this hassle the new apartment has all sorts of problems, especially after paying a security deposit, first month’s rent, and fees to a broker.

In this week’s Apartment Guru, Bitten and Burned paid out a sizable amount of money for her new apartment, but when she went to move, she discovered that the apartment has a flea infestation and severe water damage in the kitchen. Instead of moving in, she took pictures of the apartment and then compared them to the pictures of the apartment when she went to see it with her husband.

Go to http://wwfefw.rentedspaces.com/2010/09/03/how-to-get-out-of-the-lease-for-a-flea-bitten-water-damaged-apa/ to read Apartment Guru’s advice, and go to Neighborhood NYC at http://www.neighborhoodnyc.com to find your next home.

NY1 Teaches Buyers and Sellers How to Counteroffer

Rented Spaces, The Real Deal, and NY Curbed get a lot of attention on our blog, but we wanted to point out a great news story put together by NY1.

When purchasing or selling an apartment, it can be difficult sometimes to know when you are asking too much or not enough and when to say yes to an offer. NY1’s video and written news story walks buyers and sellers through the negotiation process and offers advice to both sides on reaching a fair deal that will leave everyone satisfied.

To read the full story, go to http://www.ny1.com/content/ny1_living/real_estate/. Also, you can read about residential buildings on our informational website Neighborhood NYC at http://www.neighborhoodnyc.com.

Trend: The Real Estate Entourage

A recent trend at bridal shops is a suggested limit on the bride’s entourage because having too many voices and opinions can be overwhelming. Lately, many New York City real estate agents wish that they could put a similar limit on their clients’ entourage as folks are bringing their parents, friends, decorators, and casual acquaintances before deciding on an apartment.

Last month, New York Magazine covered this trend in their article Just One More Look. They interviewed Jeffrey Schleider of Miron Properties and Adriano Hultmann of Prudential Douglas Elliman, both of whom have experienced wishy-washy buyers.

Schleider tells New York Magazine, “I had one person come back three additional times. First he came with his mother, then a girlfriend and co-worker, and then an interior design and a painter. This is all before putting together a number.” The most frustrating part was that after all this work and time, the client decided not to buy the apartment.

Why are clients feeling more comfortable taking their time? Schleider thinks that the poor economy is a major factor. Buyers want to be more cautious with their investments, so they want confirmation that they are making the right decision from lots of people who have their best interests at heart. Schleider explains, “They want to make sure that if they’re going to do it, they’re going to do it right.

To read more about this trend, check out New York Magazine’s full article at http://nymag.com/realestate/realestatecolumn/67486/.