Getting your new condo building approved by the FHA seems to be about the best way to ensure some traction in the God-forsaken market. (The Times trumpeted the growing popularity of FHA loans a couple of weeks ago.) The success of 15 Judge Street is a sign of just how much juice being able to offer 3.5 percent down deals can add to a marketing effort. If the FHA thing can work for a bland building in East Williamsburg, then we imagine it will be quite a hit for a glassy new building on the Northside of the Burg. That's gotta be the hope at least at 229 North 8th Street, a seven-story, 54-unit project that hit the market a couple of weeks ago. The units range from 670 square-foot one-bedrooms starting at $425,000 to 1,150 square-foot two-bedroom, two-bathroom units, priced at $659,000. Bottom line: You could be owning one of these pads for only $15K down. GMAP
