Weekly Roundup: Renters, new market stats, dropping loan rates, foreclosure purchase risks, credit misconceptions, kitchen trends, and more

Renters don’t stay put for long in the financial district

New York magazine explores world of platonic urban cohabitation i.e. roommates

Housing signals mixed in metro region

Four things to bear in mind when buying an apartment for your kids

19 percent more building permits issued in 2012 than in prior year

Committee ranks Upper East Side tops for kids, Bay Ridge beats all other Brooklyn neighborhoods

Request for proposals to redevelop Lower East Side sites signals end of bitter renewal squabbling

Foreclosures in region higher in December than a year earlier

Estate in the Hollywood Hills finds friendly buyer but at greatly reduced price

Legendary rocker

Do you enjoy the sight of sausage being made?

This co-op in the west 60s is attractive and, below $600,000, pretty well priced. But notice its placement next to the entrance and essentially in the living room.

Some time ago, perhaps years, I wrote that kitchen trends inevitably change.

We can walk into a property and immediately classify that room as a product of the 60s, 70s, 80s and so on.  I predicted that the era of stainless steel and granite soon would end.

Apparently, I made the suggestion prematurely, though I am certain that, in time, I will be correct.  You know, like a stopped clock.

I also believe that open kitchens

The devil is–well, you know where to find him

Photo by phil.d on Flickr.

Of course, the devil is in the details.

But what are the details that purchasers of co-ops, condos and townhouses may, to their subsequent dismay, overlook sometimes immediately after closing or, not infrequently, months later?

In the kitchen, consumers may too late discover that the gleaming stainless steel of the commercial-style oven does not contain a self-cleaning feature or that the equally gleaming refrigerator does not come with a water dispenser.  Prospective buyers also should check whether: the drawers are self-closing, indicating highest quality; the cabinets are sturdy and composed of solid wood; the backsplash is not only attractive but also perfectly installed.  Is there under-the-counter lighting, evidence of leaks beneath the sink, an effective seal in the dishwasher?

In baths, it is a good idea to see