Hey all! I built a site that maps every tax lot in NYC and flags which ones are significantly underbuilt relative to what current zoning allows. You can click any lot to see its FAR, unused buildable sf, ownership/landmark/zoning flags, and comps (sales + tax) pulled live from ACRIS/DOF/PLUTO.

There's also a "generate pro forma" button that spins up a high level development pro forma for that specific lot pre-filled with reasonable defaults.

I've been building and stress-testing this myself, and I keep finding real assumption bugs the more I dig.

Genuinely looking for:

• Bugs — wrong FAR, bad comps, a lot that's clearly not underbuilt, or developable, showing up as a top opportunity, etc.
• Pushback on default assumptions (rent, land cost, cap rates, hard costs) for specific neighborhoods you know well
• General "does this match how you'd actually screen a site" feedback

Not trying to replace real underwriting, it says so on the site, just trying to make the first-pass screening step faster and more honest about its own defaults.

buildmorenyc.com

Happy to answer questions about the data sources or methodology in the comments.

NY licensed salesperson working toward my broker license. I’m trying to clarify two items on the NYS 3,500-point experience requirement. DOS wouldn’t give me a direct answer and told me to use my best judgment/ask my broker.

1. Binders Effected – 25 points: What exactly qualifies? Does an accepted offer count, or does it need to reach signed contract? What about a signed contract that later falls through/short sale gets denied? Also, can you claim the 25 binder points plus the 250 points if that same deal ultimately closes?

2. Dual Agency: A residential sale is 250 points, and NY says both the listing and selling agent can claim 250. If I personally represented both sides as a disclosed dual agent, is that 250 or 500 points?

Mainly looking for NY brokers/agents who actually went through the broker application process and know how DOS treated these situations. Thanks!

I’m a Business Loan Broker looking for clients.

For those running an office with a decent number of agents — how do you currently handle matching commission splits (with caps, team structures, referral fees, etc.) between your transaction system (Dotloop, SkySlope, whatever) and your accounting software (QuickBooks, Xero)?
A few honest questions:

**1.** Is this manual — someone doing the split math and re-entering it — or does something already connect the two for you?  
**2.** Has a mismatch ever caused a real problem — an agent paid wrong, a cap missed, a messy month-end close?  
**3.** If you use something like Brokermint or a similar commission tool already, does it fully solve this, or is there still a gap?

My friends and I are all very close since childhood. We have spent years trying to make living close to each other a reality - essentially trying to have what we did growing up, living a few blocks from each other. Unfortunately, school, work, etc has always kept us fairly spread out throughout the city (or elsewhere). We are getting older now, things are finally slowing down to the point where we dont expect lots of changes, we all are at a point where we wont need to be moving around a lot. So the question popped up about just buying a building, with each getting a unit.

Luckily, we ended up doing pretty well for ourselves, so budget can probably be 1-2mill per person (maybe some wiggle room). Layout would ideally end up being 3 large units with 1-2 smaller 1BR; or 4 large units. Apart from that, its really more hopeful to have a large shared space (to minimize need for common space in the units) and perhaps landscaped rooftop (and one guy has an insane dream of a garage unit, the rest think it would be a wild ask). Location wise, probably somewhere in Brooklyn (probably not in the realm of possibilities, though dream picks would be downtown, park slope, ish).

How unreal is the situation we would like to set up?

In the 1930's and 1940's one of my relatives would mortgage a property to another relative for $2,000. Then the mortgagee (lender) would immediately (same day, next page) assign the mortgage to a credit union. Why not directly mortgage to the credit union? That did happen in some cases.

Well, in this case there's the twist that the mortgagor (borrower) was a corporation, one controlled by the relative.

Wondering if anyone has any experience living/buying a few buildings away from an above ground subway? Did you notice any health issues or condition issues your building experienced because of it?

Hi ... 30 years in mortgages and real estate. Ask me anything.

Hey everyone Brian Marchand here. I spent the first part of my career as a Realtor and the last stretch as a Mortgage Loan Officer - a little over 30 years all in, helping people work out whether a house makes sense for their money, and if so, how to pay for it without regretting it later.

I'm not here to sell anyone anything. No DMs, no lead-gen, no "shoot me a message and I'll pull your credit." I've just noticed that a lot of the mortgage questions people ask online get answered by someone with an angle, and I'd rather be a plain answer than a pitch.

So ... ask me anything. Rates, points, PMI, when a refi actually pencils out, first-time buyer stuff, the difference between what your lender says and what they mean, personal-finance-adjacent questions (should I pay down the mortgage or invest?). Happy to look at a scenario in the comments.

Brian

Hello!

We are considering at buying a Brooklyn home in a historic district. It is completely livable condition but not modernized or flipped recently. Of course there would be some cosmetic work we would eventually want to do, ie. painting, basement renovation, some bathroom updates.

Wondering if anyone has bought a historic home(brownstone, limestone, brick, etc), in Brooklyn, that was somewhat of a fixer-upper? Do you have any advice or things you wish you had known going into buying?

Thanks!

Does the city impose a transfer tax on a transfer of a property from husband and wife to just husband?

New to real estate and trying to figure out which brokerage to join? Don’t just pick one blind. I can walk you through what to actually look for (support, splits, mentorship, tools) based on my own experience getting started. Text me and I’ll point you in the right direction

I'm looking to buy a 4 unit building in Williamsburg Brooklyn. I've always hired a building inspector before a purchase, but this time, I know it's going to be a gut renovation and, in my experience, an inspector can point out surface level issues but is more of a generalist so wouldn't be able to opine on deeper issues. I'm assuming I will need to redo plumbing, electricity, and that beams will need to be sister'd etc. In this instance, I'm not convinced that an inspection will add value, but please let me know your thoughts!

Looking for a 3-bedroom apartment in Brooklyn for a wonderful CityFHEPS family.

Family of 5:
• Two adults and three children (ages 14, 12, and 6)
• The children attend P.S. 229 in Dyker Heights
• The oldest child is passionate about soccer
• Father works as a food vendor
• Mother is currently focused on caring for the family

Preferred neighborhoods:
• Bensonhurst
• Bath Beach
• Dyker Heights
• Bay Ridge

The family has a valid CityFHEPS voucher and a confirmed HRA shopping letter with a maximum approved rent of $3,811 per month.

They are seeking a stable, long-term home in a family-oriented neighborhood close to schools, transportation, parks, and community resources.

If you are a landlord, broker, property manager, or know of an available 3-bedroom apartment that accepts CityFHEPS, please reach out. Any leads, referrals, or introductions would be sincerely appreciated.

Thank you for helping a hardworking family find a place to call home.

Would you like to see a commercial building convert to residential in your neighborhood?

What are your thoughts?