Sue's News and Views, February 2026

Dear All,

exciting news about Compass, below. This will change the real estate world. I have full confidence in our leader and CEO Robert Reffkin.

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The FED did not cut rates, as expected: the FOMC statement and Powell’s commentary reflected expectations for solid growth, a near-term tariff-fueled boost for inflation that ultimately will recede, and a labor market in stasis as the labor force participation rate plus less immigration keep hiring in check while layoffs are also muted. Gold soared to a new record, up 25% in a month! The 10-Year Treasury is hovering around 4.25%.

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To return home buyer affordability to its pre-Covid level, one of the following must happen: wages must rise 56%, lifting the median household wage to $132,000/year, the 30-year mortgage rate must fall 2.65% (assuming no resulting increase in home prices), or home prices need to slide 35%. (econ70.com)

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 New York City delivered its promised 'worst landlords' list, and rightfully so. Too many landlords leave their properties in disrepair, making the lives of their tenants miserable. Sometimes this is a result of rent laws that do not allow rents to be raised to meet the rising costs of repairs. Ironically, the list excluded all City-owned and managed Housing Authority complexes from consideration:  those properties managed by the City would have far surpassed the bad landlords the mayor targeted.

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"Our hope is what can sustain us when things look bleak and difficult. And that is the reason why I believe that hopelessness is the enemy of justice... Hope is our superpower."

(Bryan Stevenson, Civil Rights Attorney)

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And this... is for certain: Meteorological Winter ends in 28 days..... astronomical Winter ends in 48 days.....already we have 41 minutes more light than on December 22nd.

Stay warm these days,

sue

Real Estate in the News

NYC Weekly Luxury Reports (click into the image to open)

NYC February Events

FEBRUARY 7, 5-10PM

First Saturday: Imitate No One

FI

In celebration of Black History Month, this edition of First Saturdays pays homage to the innovators—those fearless artists who reenvision tradition while building community along the way. Titled after the late poet Jayne Cortez’s rallying cry to “imitate no one,” the evening is inspired by our landmark exhibition Seydou Keïta: A Tactile Lens, which honors this legendary Malian photographer.

Brooklyn Museum

FEBRUARY 12 - 28

Hate Radio

Can words kill?

In April 1994, the Rwandan government orchestrated the massacre of nearly one million Tutsis and moderate Hutus. While the weapons were largely simple—machetes, sticks, a few guns—the most powerful weapon was RTLM, a wildly popular radio station that had been preparing the genocide for months before the killing started.

Inside an intimate, glass-walled studio, a radio broadcast unfolds in real time. Through our headsets, RTLM’s daily soundscape of upbeat music, news, and sports blends seamlessly with chilling calls to murder.

Hate Radio directed by Milo Rau is an exposé on how horrific language first becomes normal… and then lethal.

St. Anne's Warehouse

St. Ann’s Warehouse

Through February 16

New York City Restaurant Week

NYC Restaurant Week returns with discounted prix-fixe menus at hundreds of participating restaurants across the city. It’s a delicious way to spotlight the city’s culinary diversity from fine dining to neighborhood favorites.

FEBRUARY 17

Chinese Lunar New Year

The Chinese Lunar New Year is celebrated on February 17, where we step into the Year of the Fire Horse. According to Chinese astrology, Horse is confident, agreeable, and responsible, although they also tend to dislike being reined in by others. They’re fit and intelligent, adoring physical and mental exertion; they’re decisive but also easily swayed and impatient. 

THROUGH FEBRUARY 22

The Porch on Windy Hill

The Porch on Windy Hill - a new play with old music - blends Appalachian, Old Time and Bluegrass songs with a deeply personal, contemporary story of discovery and reconciliation.

Urban Stages,

259 W 30th St.

Museum of Broadway

The Museum of Broadway celebrated its 3rd birthday on November 15, 2025! The celebration included the launch of the Broadway Legacy Foundation, a new 501(c)(3) nonprofit designed to support theater education, and featured new, high-profile rotating exhibits. Lived in NYC for 20 years? And never been to the museum of Broadway?! It's time to visit now.

Museum of Broadway

145 W 45th St.

Times Square

FEBRUARY 27, 7PM

MOIPEI

“Nothing can prepare your ears for the remarkable harmonies, vocal dexterity, creativity, and sophisticated persona of the sisters Mary, Maggy and Marta MOIPEI.” – Stephen Sorokoff, BroadwayWorld

Don't miss it - MOIPEI are MAGNIFICENT!

54 Below, 254 W 54th St.

Lifestyle Tips and Tricks

The R-Team's

Featured Listings

Washington Heights

720 W 173rd St, Unit 23, 10032

1 BD 1 BA $300,000