Under Contract in a Weekend - Bronx, NYC
THE RELOCATION CLUB
We’ve perfected the art of finding a home in a weekend. Since 2015, we’ve helped folks from all over the world relocate to Chicago, and we love sharing our little slice of the city during our clients’ quick weekend trips to find “the one.” While we love calling Chicago home, sometimes life brings our clients to new cities, so in this series, we asked our network of top Brokers to share their insights into finding your place in the world in just 72 hours.
This month we’re catching up with our favorite Bronx Agents, Aaron & Geoff of Compass.
Before coming into town, be sure to coordinate your availability with your Agent. Many properties will require a minimum of 48 hours notice for showing requests, so you want to give your Agent enough time to ensure they can secure appointments for all the properties you’d like to tour.
Friday //
CHECK IN
We always recommend staying in or near the area where you’re hoping to move. Immersing yourself in the energy of the neighborhood always offers a true depiction of a local’s every day life. If you’re in between neighborhoods, try to find the most centrally located accommodations. Check out a few of our favorite hotels & Airbnb’s.
Did you stay somewhere else that you loved — tell us here!
DINNER
Start off on the right foot & dine at one of the neighborhood’s hottest restaurants. Make sure to snag reservations as early as you can!
TOBALÁ
🌮 Oaxacan Mexican Cuisine
🖤 Tobala is a new addition to Riverdale Avenue and is perfect for date night or a fun cocktail. The interior is gorgeous and very unique in this part of the city.
ENZO’S OF ARTHUR AVENUE
🍝 Italian
🖤 You can’t go wrong with anything on the menu here. This is an institution on Arthur Avenue. The vibe is great, the food is superb, and the service is everything you could want. Great people at Enzo’s.
Saturday //
BREAKFAST
Today will be a long one. Start your day with a heavy dose of caffeine & something on your stomach. Plan accordingly — you’ll want to be at your first open house by 10:00am.
Pro Tip: If you’re a snacker like me, pack a granola bar for the road.
MOSS CAFE
🍳 Cafe
🖤 Locally sourced ingredients featuring kosher farm-to-table dishes, pastries & brunch
TOURS
We usually tour our clients’ top six homes — any more than that and the day becomes quite long & properties start to blend together.
Deep Dive: Explore the Bronx with Aaron & Geoff here
COFFEE
A day of showings wouldn’t be complete without a quick mid-tour pick me up from a local café.
SAVOR COFFEE & MORE
☕️ Coffee & Matcha
🖤 I love the caramel macchiato, but all of their coffee is great. They offer pastries as well and the cafe has a chic atmosphere with plenty of seating indoors and out.
EARLYBIRD COFFEE
🍵 Coffee & Matcha
🖤 They have great, locally roasted coffee, including flavored coffee like snickerdoodle and snuggle nut. Locally women-owned.
SHEZA COFFEE HOUSE
☕️ Coffee & Tea
🖤 We tried the Pakistani coffee & it was incredible.
DINNER
After a long day of tours, laugh about a seller’s wallpaper choice & gush about the homes you loved in a neighborhood gem. Don’t forget your reservation.
KINGSBRIDGE SOCIAL CLUB
🥘 Specialty pizza and comfort food, with a great bar.
🖤 Specialty pizza and comfort food, with a great bar.
THE BRONX PUBLIC
🍔 Graffiti-covered walls and elevated bar food. Great atmosphere and sports bar.
🖤 Can’t go wrong with their burgers or wings.
JAKES STEAKHOUSE
🥩 Classic Steakhouse
🖤 One of the few Bronx restaurants in the Michelin Guide, this steakhouse is an awesome local favorite. The windows overlook Van Cortlandt Park.
TIN MARIN TAPAS
🥘 Spanish and Latin tapas
🖤 The datiles, mussels in white wine sauce, and mofunguito are not to be missed. Live music has the place bustling on the weekends.
Sunday //
BREAKFAST
With a shorter day ahead, keep your morning light.
MOTTLEY KITCHIN
🥗 Laid back cafe with roof deck, plus vegetarian and vegan options.
🖤 The roof deck is awesome and their brunch menu is one of the best in the neighborhood.
MON AMOR COFFEE & WINE BAR
🥐 Coffee, pastries, smoothies, and light bites
🖤 Their coffee is heavenly and they provide a cute Parisian cafe vibe.
BEATSTRO
🍳 Brunch & Beats
🖤 Weekends here involve 90-minute bottomless brunches with a live DJ, and the restaurant frequently hosts music-focused events.
MAMAJUANA CAFE PRIME
🥘 Latin American Fusion
🖤 Everything is great. Don’t miss the weekend bottomless brunch.
TOURS
Sunday showings are for the last minute “can we add this to the schedule,” the backups, or simply the homes we couldn’t get into on Saturday. Usually, this is a lighter schedule than the day before.
LUNCH
Take some time to really think about where you see yourself living — as we always say, “Who you want to be & what kind of life do you want to live?”
BRONX BURGER HOUSE
🥪 Classic Burger Joint
🖤 We love the Spencer burger, it's a classic cheeseburger with bacon, lettuce, tomato and special sauce.
HUDSON GRILL AT THE NEW YORK BOTANICAL GARDEN
🌮 American
🖤 Grilled chicken sandwich, Hudson burger
CLAUDY’S KITCHEN
🍜 Peruvian Food
🖤 Shrimp chaufa, yucca fries, and empanadas- make sure you grab a pint of the green sauce to go with it all. Claudy’s is known for their incredible flan, which they started out selling at the legendary Zabar’s.
SUBMIT AN OFFER
So, you found “the one!” Submitting an offer on a co-op in the Bronx typically requires a pre-approval letter or proof of funds if you’re putting in an all-cash offer, along with your completed REBNY financial statement, outlining your financial picture.
EXPLORE
As you continue to day dream about your new home, you’ll either want to keep movin’ & groovin’ or be ready to take a nap back at the hotel. If you’re not a napper, continue exploring the neighborhood. It can take some time to hear back from a seller (sometimes a few hours, sometimes a day or so), so lean into the present & take your mind off things.
NEW YORK BOTANICAL GARDEN
🌲 Botanical Garden
🖤 The 250 acres of gardens, collections of plants from around the world, and the beautiful Enid A. Haupt Conservatory, a Victorian-style glass house, that showcases a variety of tropical and desert plants.
ARTHUR AVENUE
👜 Shopping & Commercial District
🖤 The Little Italy of the Bronx, where you can find a variety of Italian restaurants, bakeries, and shops, as well as a bustling street fair on weekends.
THE BRONX MUSEUM OF THE ARTS
🖼 Museum
🖤 The museum has a collection of art that highlights the works of artists of African, Asian, and Latin American descent, as well as temporary exhibitions of contemporary art.
CITY ISLAND
⚓️ Island
🖤 City Island is a small island in the Bronx that has a nautical atmosphere, with seafood restaurants, a marina, and a small beach. It's a great place for a day trip, and it also offers a great view of the Long Island Sound.
DINNER
Cheers to submitting an offer on a home! Clear your head of the anticipation & celebrate with an easygoing evening. You may even hear good news over dessert.
Under Contract
After you sign a contract on a co-op apartment in the Bronx, you begin on your board application and loan application. Usually this process takes about a month. Then you’ll submit your application to the management company and, if the board likes your application, an interview will be scheduled. After you receive your approval from the board, the attorneys will schedule a closing date for you.
Next Steps
Sign off on the contract
Coordinate your home inspection
Hire an attorney
Deliver your earnest money
The Aaron & Geoff Team
Partners in both life and business, Aaron Kass and Geoffrey Weiss know how stressful real estate transactions can be in the Bronx. That’s why they’ve made it their mission to make the process as clear, focused, and easy as possible for their clients. Whether you’re buying your first home, selling your home of 30 years, renting an apartment or finding the perfect investment property, Aaron & Geoff will be with you every step of the way.
When you work with Aaron & Geoff, you get two experienced agents for the price of one. Grossing $5 million in sales in their first year in business together, the duo exceeded expectations while helping their clients find their way home.
Geoffrey, who holds an MBA focused in finance, has consistently exceeded his client’s expectations with fierce negotiation tactics and a relentless spirit. In his first year in real estate, Geoffrey managed to smash a building sales price record by over $100,000 for his client and close over $3,000,000 in closed sales volume. A South Florida native with family roots in New York, Geoffrey loves helping New Yorkers achieve their real estate goals no matter what they may be.
The son of an antique collector and dealer, Aaron is obsessed with historic architecture, antiques, and homes that tell a story. He is a creative at heart, having spent years at top new development marketing firms in NYC overseeing branding, marketing, and advertising campaigns for top-selling buildings throughout Manhattan and Brooklyn. He now leads the team’s marketing, advertising, and design efforts, whether it’s writing listing descriptions, managing photoshoots, or designing eye-catching email campaigns, his goal is to get your home to stand out in the marketplace and sell for the highest price in the fastest amount of time.
