New York has always been a desirable place to own property. Even with political uncertainty and rising costs due to a stronger dollar, the city’s prime real estate is still highly sought-after. According to research from TheMoveChannel.com, New York accounted for one in four (24.6 per cent) of all US property enquiries in 2016, behind only Florida (24.8 per cent).
These figures highlight the USA’s general appeal, because property investors look for security and stability. Global consultancy AT Kearney ranks the US as the number one target market for overseas buyers, thanks to its clear and well-established legal system. New York sits comfortably in this bracket, due to its status as a global economic hub.
The USA’s strong appeal to major markets is increasingly fuelled by interest from China. Chinese buyers invested $27.3 billion in US residential real estate between April 2015 and March 2016, according to the National Association of Realtors (NAR). In the USA, the option to own a property on a freehold basis is a major attraction to Chinese investors, because China only allows a leasehold of 70 years. With the US home to the largest metropolitan Chinese population outside Asia, especially in New York, the city is particularly appealing to Chinese expats.
The potential for capital growth is also key to the city’s attraction. New York home values have gone up 11 per cent over the past year and Zillow predicts they will rise 4.7 per cent in 2017. The median price of homes currently listed in New York on the portal is $729,000.
According to Knight Frank, New York’s luxury sector has faced notable headwinds in recent months. The strong US dollar has made property more expensive, while the delivery of a large number of new luxury projects has inflated supply. But while sales slowed, prices still proved resilient.
With this in mind, we present five prime properties that show The Big Apple is still home to big deals in property: