Just trying to get some color into what people are seeing in the JC real estate market. Have been following it as a resident for quite some time - specifically brownstones - and have seen quite a few price reductions over the past week - is the market really that slow? I recognized it was not going gangbusters but these prices are $699K to $629K and $699K to $595K over a matter of 30 days or so.

thoughts?

It's a legal two family - Garden floor for 1BR apt and top 3 floors for owner's triplex. Anyone worked with any architects in the area? What's the process - do they generally give you a few design concepts and then if you decide to go with them, they draw full designs?

I did not see a lot of threads.

We will not be living in the home during the renovation.

It is not in the Historical District as confirmed by the folks in City Hall.

It is a multi-family and we are retaining it that way - we are looking to keep the garden apartment and the upper three floors will be the owner triplex.

We are not adding on more space - save a deck - just doing a gut rennovation.

We are about to undertake a gutting of a brownstone in JC - any advice from the many of you who preceeded us would be appreciated:

Dealing with City Hall? Permits?
Contractors - any suggestions of good ones, things to watch out for, etc.
Any horror stories or success stories?

Just trying to be as educated as possible prior to embarking.

Thanks.