Press File 2

Press Notices The Clarett Group AUGUST 20, 2010 Press Notices The Clarett Group MAY 30, 2010 subsidized housing with his mother and He hoped for a one-bedroom in an elevator A Veteran Goes three of her grandchildren. “We lived in building with a doorman and a gym. “I an apartment without air-conditioning, so didn’t want to feel like I felt when I was House-Hunting on it was always hot,” he said. “It was in the living in government housing,” he said. “I the G.I. Bill worst part of town.” planned for a long time not to have to go back to that.” By JOYCE COHEN After high school, he joined the Army, “to elevate my standard of living,” he said. Beyond that, he didn’t want to live on a THOUGH Willie Holmes had been While serving, he received a degree in high floor. “If anything goes wrong, I want traveling back and forth to New York for a health-care management. “I wanted to help to be able to take the stairs,” he said. And few years, primarily for modeling jobs, he and not to kill,” he said. the bedroom needed to be large enough had little knowledge of the city’s housing for a queen-size bed. “I am 6-2, so I didn’t market — just vague impressions from his Most recently, living in a basement want to have to sleep in a small bed. I did New York friends, most of whom lived in apartment in Maryland, he “saved up enough of that in the Army. We slept in Harlem. everything and cut frivolous spending” to twin-size bunk beds with wool blankets.” make sure that he could afford the move, After six years in the Army, he was ready he said. He worked as a personal trainer The first real estate agent he contacted to relocate to New York, in order to further as well as a physical therapy technician, showed him tiny tenement-style places in his modeling career and attend graduate helping amputees. the East Village for around $2,500 a month. school. In March, Mr. Holmes arrived for an He insisted that the agent steer clear of His friends encouraged him to hunt for eight-day apartment hunt, staying with a unsuitable apartments. “I had to get stern,” a place in Harlem, with its relatively friend in the Bronx. The G.I. Bill, which he said. “He told me this is New York low rents, but Mr. Holmes nixed that provides educational benefits for veterans, living and you have to get used to it. He idea. Harlem was badly situated for him, includes a housing allowance based on rattled my nerves a little bit.” since he would be attending school way factors like the college’s ZIP code and the out in Brooklyn. “I would prefer to be veteran’s length of service. Mr. Holmes, Another agent showed him some nicer comfortable than to live in a place to save who is pursuing a graduate degree in places in Brooklyn, including a Brooklyn money,” he said. health service administration at a program Heights one-bedroom for a little less than $2,000 a month. But the management Mr. Holmes, 25, who has five older sisters, given at Fort Hamilton Army Base in company told him not to bother applying spent some of his teenage years living in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, receives $2,751 a month for housing. If a veteran’s housing because his finances would keep him from expenses are less than the allowance, being approved. the student still receives the full amount, according to Jo Schuda, a spokeswoman The pattern was typical. Mr. Holmes kept for the Department of Veterans Affairs. The hearing that he needed a job that earned allowance is granted for the length of time him 40 or more times the monthly rent. “I the veteran is enrolled, or up to 36 months. was denied so many times,” he said. “My credit score is great — I never even paid Mr. Holmes intended to spend somewhere a bill late — but none of that seemed to in the low $2,000s on a rental. He wanted matter.” a place convenient to Manhattan, for his modeling work, and to the R train, for class Other buildings required six months of in Brooklyn. prepaid rent. Press Notices The Clarett Group MAY 30, 2010 He developed a beef with real estate agents. Mr. Skeeters suggested Mr. Holmes check the cost per month to $1,938. (The building “I didn’t feel they were telling my story the out Insurent, a service that guarantees paid Mr. Skeeters’s fee.) right way,” he said. “They made it seem leases so that reluctant landlords will rent as if I was on some government program to people who do not meet their financial The rent concession at the Brooklyner has that could be cut at any point, as if I was on standards. The company will provide a since shrunk, and is now one month free welfare or unemployment.” lease guarantee to anybody who has good on a 12-month lease or two months free on credit, said Jeffrey L. Geller, Insurent’s a 24-month lease, Ms. Di Lisio said. The Then Mr. Holmes met Patrick Skeeters chief operating officer. high-rise, with nearly 500 units, is about of Citi Habitats, who had the listing for one-third rented. an $1,800 Murray Hill studio. “I thought Mr. Holmes fell into the category of people it was in a centrally located area,” Mr. who don’t work but still have cash coming Mr. Holmes found moving day a hassle. He Holmes said. For some, maybe, but not for in, Mr. Geller said. He also had savings and and a friend, in a rented U-Haul, followed him. Mr. Skeeters suggested the financial a good credit score. its global positioning system, but the district and showed Mr. Holmes some suggested route was blocked. They spent buildings there. The Brooklyner, a new high-rise rental on so much time driving around that Mr. Lawrence Street in Downtown Brooklyn, Holmes was late for his lease-signing. But He especially liked 90W at 90 Washington was on the list of buildings that use he was grateful that the building was all set Street, but he couldn’t afford the one- Insurent’s services. Mr. Holmes checked it up with dollies and moving equipment. bedrooms, and he felt that the studios were out online, and he especially liked the fact cramped. that the gym didn’t cost extra. Mr. Skeeters, He gets a kick out of the building’s hotel- whose turf is generally Manhattan, went to like feel. “They have coffee in the morning,” “Willie was frustrated,” Mr. Skeeters said. see it personally. he said. “I don’t drink coffee, but it is still “I said, ‘Tell me exactly what’s going on cool to have it.” As for the doormen, “I here.’ ” And when Mr. Holmes did, Mr. Typically at the Brooklyner, the income have no idea how they remember who lives Skeeters said, “It is going to be a challenge.” requirement is 36 times the monthly rent, here,” he said. “They all know my name.” He had never before worked with a renter and a renter must have good credit, said Sometimes friends join him for workouts on the G.I. Bill. Ingrid Di Lisio, the leasing agent. in the gym. Mr. Holmes returned to Maryland empty- Mr. Holmes paid the Insurent fee, which He doesn’t plan to bring his car to New York handed, but also with an assurance from Mr. is 75 to 80 percent of a month’s rent, and until the building’s garage opens, probably Skeeters that he would get an apartment. rented a sunny one-bedroom, not on a high by early fall. “I am told something about floor. His rent is $2,290, but he received two the sweeping of the streets,” he said, “and I To circumvent the income requirement, months free on a 13-month lease, reducing don’t know a whole lot about that.” Press Notices The Clarett Group MAY 21, 2010 Press Notices The Clarett Group JANUARY 14, 2010 37 [email protected] CALENDAR OF EVENTS, PHOTO GALLERIES & MORE Real Estate Guide New York Post, Thursday, September 16, 2010 nypost.com INSIDE BASH PADS Rental buildings lure the young by bringing the fun GIMME SHELTER By KATHERINE DYKSTRA JOAN JETT CHECKS OU know a rental building has struck a chord with the younger set when the OUT $4.2M CONDO social spaces within it start popping up on Foursquare, the cellphone app AT SOHO MEWS that lets you keep tabs on friends and stake claims on places you frequent. Yes, you can now “check in” at a hot spot without even leaving home. Consider 505 W. 37th St. “All the amenities spaces are identi- fied as locations on Foursquare,” says Scott Walsh, director of market research at TF Cornerstone, Ywhich developed the 835-unit rental building that started leasing in early 2010. “People have labeled [the terrace] a scenic outlook. You can see the check-ins . People are giving each other tips, one of the mayors on Foursquare said that the second-floor roof deck is open 24/7, you just have to go through the piano room to get there.” While many New Yorkers would be content never knowing anything about their neighbors, 505 W. 37th St. is one of many rental buildings HARRISON HOME attracting young residents by setting itself up as more than a place to live.

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