Property Ownership Research Tools
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A method for investigating true property ownership patterns in expensive neighborhoods, particularly focused on NYC brownstones worth $5M+.
Research Process Used
- Uses Melissa database to look up property records
- Googles names of property owners
- Investigates family records through public information
- Cross-references multiple data points to build ownership profile
Key Findings from Research
- 7 out of 10 owners were in modest-income professions:
- Teachers
- Artists
- Professors
- Most owners had incomes insufficient to afford properties independently
- Many properties had "hidden stories" behind ownership
- Family wealth
- Inheritance
- External financial support
Common Ownership Patterns
- Many owners receive significant family assistance
- Down payment help
- Full property purchases
- Ongoing financial support for expenses
- Traditional high-income professions aren't the primary owners
- Property ownership often doesn't align with visible income sources
- Many properties passed down through generations or purchased at much lower historical prices
Research Implications
- Surface-level ownership data can be misleading
- True affordability requires looking at family wealth connections
- Property ownership in expensive areas often involves hidden financial support
- Public records + additional research needed to understand true ownership patterns
This framework reveals that expensive property ownership often involves more complex financial arrangements than simple income-based purchases would suggest.
Sam Parr
Host of MFM and fitness influencer
Sam Parr is a serial entrepreneur and business media pioneer.
In 2016, he founded The Hustle, a business news media company that started in his kitchen with just $12 and grew to eight figures in revenue.
Sam led the charge in making newsletters popular when few believed in their potential.
After four successful years, he sold The Hustle to HubSpot, a publicly traded company. Now operating as HubSpot Media, The Hustle reaches 3 million readers daily, employs a team of nearly 100, and has been the launchpad for dozens of its staff to found their own media companies and newsletters.
Sam remains the host of the popular business podcast, My First Million, and continues to start and sell companies. He also co-founded Hampton, a highly vetted community for entrepreneurs, founders, and CEOs, and teaches people to write better through his platform, Copy That.