| The price difference between various real estate | | | | Brooklyn Heights selling for about $750 a square. |
| markets is what many people try to profit from. | | | | Since Downtown Jersey City is at about $550 per |
| I call this the spread. For example, Manhattan | | | | square foot, then this would imply a spread per |
| residential real estate prices are roughly $1000 a | | | | square foot of $200 ($750 - $550) between |
| square foot. Downtown Jersey City and other | | | | Downtown Jersey City and Brooklyn Heights. |
| equivalent outlying urban areas of Manhattan, such | | | | I am looking for those spreads to narrow. A lot |
| as Brooklyn Heights and Park Slope, might be | | | | of development is transpiring in Downtown Jersey |
| $600 a square foot. That makes the spread | | | | City. This will probably keep prices down in the |
| between those markets about $400 ($1000 less | | | | near term (next couple of years) as a lot of |
| $600) a square foot. | | | | inventory comes on the market and requires |
| Bond traders or people that trade stocks look for | | | | market absorption. However beyond the next |
| or observe price spreads. Bond traders refer to | | | | couple of years as Downtown Jersey City |
| the spread in basis point and in yield to maturity. | | | | improves, I believe those spreads will narrow. |
| So if a corporate bond yields 8% and an | | | | As larger developers further their projects and |
| equivalent term US treasury bond yields 6%, then | | | | advertise their projects on an international level, |
| they would say that corporate bonds trade at a | | | | more attention should be brought to bear on |
| spread of 200 basis points or 2% (8% - 6%) to | | | | Downtown Jersey City. I speculate that Donald |
| US treasuries. | | | | Trump has every intention of marketing his |
| In real estate people reach out to more far | | | | Trump Jersey City beyond the local markets. Plus |
| reaching real estate markets in the hope that | | | | let's not forget about the new $130 million dollar |
| those markets may mature or improve and that | | | | international golf course over at Liberty State |
| the price may rise closing the spread between | | | | Park. This is all free advertising on the coat tails of |
| that market and another. | | | | these projects and I further speculate that these |
| Example: Brooklyn Heights versus Downtown | | | | projects will bring international attention to |
| Jersey City. | | | | Downtown Jersey City. |
| In Brooklyn Heights versus Downtown Jersey | | | | So expect to see some price spread movements |
| City, I observed there to be a significant price | | | | between the above mentioned markets over the |
| spread. The selling price per square foot for | | | | next ten years. Although there is no guarantee |
| housing in some comparable neighborhoods of | | | | that the spreads will narrow, I speculate (based |
| Brooklyn Heights can be significantly higher than in | | | | on the above circumstances) that the probabilities |
| Downtown Jersey City. | | | | point to the spreads narrowing rather than |
| Recently I previewed several properties in | | | | widening. |