Happy Holidays!!!

I just wanted to take a moment to wish everybody a very Happy Holidays! Please be safe, be courteous to others, try not to stress out too much with last minute shopping, and enjoy yourselves and your time off!!

I think I speak for all of us here at UrbanDigs when I say this: ITS BEEN A WONDERFUL YEAR FOR THIS SITE AND ITS ALL BECAUSE OF THE READERS! LETS MAKE IT EVEN BETTER IN 2008!!

You have my word that I will continue to put my all into this site, tell it like it is, and enhance the site so that you have a bit more transparency for your Manhattan real estate investments. In case you don't know who writes for this site, here is an updated breakdown:

NOAH ROSENBLATT - Me, UrbanDigs. I'll continue to write based on my experiences from trading on wall street and understanding of macro economics. Most of the content will be focused on the macro issues we are currently facing that may ultimately affect the broader economy, lending, and housing. I'll also get back to reporting on the state of the Manhattan real estate market now that the site has been upgraded and my move to Halstead is complete. I consider this site my baby, and as such, a living thing. I will continue to care for it so that you guys have an open forum and a useful resource for staying 'in touch' with the most important issues as they unfold.

CHRISTINE TOES - Toes. Christine will continue to write for this site and will discuss what she sees on the front lines of NYC real estate. Topics will be directly from personal experiences and include new developments, buyer tips, seller tips, state of the market, and predictions. Christine has proven to be brutally honest, a great characteristic of content on this site in an industry known for sales talk. Her posts are always real time and invaluable insight into what is going on in Manhattan housing right now.

JEFF BERNSTEIN - The developer. Jeff works with a development company in LIC and works as a research analyst for future projects. His mindset is mostly macro and his investment thoughts are dead on. He has proven to discuss topics in a timely manner before mainstream media picks up on them, and in my opinion translates what he learns in his little world wonderfully to this site. I look forward to Jeff's posts as an insider in the development world for insight into changes that are taking place that we would not otherwise hear about.

BETH OLARSCH - New Gal. Beth was a long time reader of UrbanDigs and contacted me a number of times before we discussed her writing for the site. Her experience as a bank analyst with the Fed and how regulatory actions affect businesses and markets is perfect as an additional contributor for UrbanDigs. Beth will discuss what is going on inside Congress, the Fed, and future regulations as they occur and how that may affect the housing market, homeowners, and investors. A great angle and invaluable addition!

I hope you guys can see the direction I am trying to take this site! For 2008, I plan on getting charts out of BETA testing, expanding charting options of data collected for trend analysis, adding the live chat again, adding more writers that fit the mold of this site, and keeping the content high quality so that you will want to come back daily to read what is on all of our minds for any given day! In the end, it's all about providing what you guys want! So, never hesitate to email me at nrosenblatt@halstead.com with any suggestions to further enhance UrbanDigs!

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