136 Powers Street

Robert Scarano Jr. was the architect of record on both new-building applications, filed in June 2004. Because the fourth floor sits only on the 136 side, it holds just two apartments. The other 18 are split across the first three floors of both buildings.

The residences. The Department of Finance roll records apartment areas from about 600 square feet to just under 1,500 square feet, and most fall between 900 and 1,400. The first floor holds seven units lettered A through G, the most of any floor. The roll does not record bedroom counts or outdoor space, and we did not find either in the records reviewed. Confirm the layout and any private outdoor space on the floor plan for the specific unit.

No elevator. The Department of Finance classes every unit as a condominium apartment in a walk-up building. That matters for upper-floor pricing and for some buyers' plans.

The 421-a clock. The Department of Finance exemption roll records code 5114, "421-a, 25 years, no cap," on all 20 unit lots, with a 2004 base year and a benefit start of 2009, still at 100 percent of the benefit on the 2026/27 roll. Under the statutory 25-year schedule, the benefit runs at full value for 21 years and then drops to 80, 60, 40 and 20 percent over the last four. On that reading, full exemption continues through about fiscal 2029, the step-down runs from fiscal 2030 through 2033, and full taxes start with the fiscal 2034 roll, which takes effect July 2033. Confirm the schedule against the current bill. Because the exemption covers roughly nine-tenths of the assessment today, the tax increase at the end will be large compared with the current bill.

Sponsor position. The sponsor sold 15 apartments between October 2007 and March 2008. It held the remaining five for several years under a 2008 loan and sold them in 2012 and 2013. No sponsor-held apartments remain. Every unit is individually owned, and the building has had a steady resale market since 2012.

Certificate of occupancy. The certificates for this building predate the city's online certificate dataset. A buyer's attorney should pull them from the DOB file and confirm they match the as-built floor count and unit count.

Reserves and budget. We did not find a budget, financial statements or house rules on file. Ask the managing agent for the current budget, the reserve balance, any open or planned assessment, and roof and façade condition. Those are the items that matter most in a small walk-up with no staff.

Recent sales

Recent closings at this building, from The Roebling Research Library. Prices are the transfer amounts recorded with the NYC Department of Finance; apartment-level detail is checked against the building’s own file in The Roebling Research Library before publishing.

Market read. Most recent trades (2026 to date) cleared a median $1,411/sf (floor-adjusted) across 2 sales. Floor-adjusted means each sale is restated to a constant mix of floors, so the figure can differ from the plain median of the sales listed above. Median listing discount 0.0% from the last ask.

Sales sourced from NYC Department of Finance recorded transfers (BBL 3-02782-7501; each condominium apartment is its own tax lot). Apartment-level facts (line, condition, asking-price context) curated and cross-verified in The Roebling Research Library. Not all transactions cross-verify with ACRIS records — sponsor and LLC purchases sometimes record at stipulated values rather than market price; square footage from recorded condo declarations and offering plans.

Confirm the ownership form first. This is a condominium. If a listing or lender file says co-op, correct it before contract, because the approval process, financing and closing costs are different.

Model the whole tax clock. Run the True Monthly Carrying Cost twice: at today's number and at the fully taxed number that arrives around fiscal 2034. Then weigh both against how long you expect to own.

Pull the certificate of occupancy. It is not in the online dataset. Have your attorney confirm that it matches the four-story, 20-unit building as built.

Ask for current financials. We found no budget or statements on file. Request the budget, the reserve balance and the roof and façade history.

Sell the abatement with dates. Show buyers the current bill, the step-down years and the year full taxes arrive. That schedule lets buyers model the change in carrying costs over their expected ownership period.

Fix the listing data. If a listing carries "co-op" or a 2005 year built, correct it. The first causes lender and attorney confusion. The second understates when the building was completed.

Have the documents ready. In a 20-unit building without staff, a buyer's attorney will ask for the budget, reserves and minutes early. Having them on hand shortens diligence.

If you're considering 136 Powers Street, also evaluate:

• 1 Powers Street — a 31-residence elevator condominium at the Union Avenue end of the same street, also on a 25-year 421-a
• 14 Hope Street — a 23-residence condominium of the same vintage near Grand Street, also on a 25-year 421-a
• 26 Broadway — a 32-unit condominium from 2006 with an active 25-year 421-a
• 710 Metropolitan Avenue — a larger East Williamsburg condominium in a converted 1930 building
• 100 North 3rd Street — a 24-residence 2008 condominium whose shorter 15-year 421-a has ended
• 120 North 7th Street — a 27-residence 2007 condominium, now fully taxed
• 20 Bayard Street — a mid-2000s condominium facing McCarren Park, with its 15-year 421-a burned off
• 88 Withers Street — a newer small condominium with no abatement, the fully taxed benchmark