Sell Your House Fast in Jackson Heights, Queens

Jackson Heights: Garden Apartments and a Historic District

Much of Jackson Heights was planned and built by a single firm, the Queensboro Corporation under Edward A. MacDougall, mostly between the early 1910s and the early 1950s. According to the Landmarks Preservation Commission, the neighborhood was one of the earliest in New York to introduce the “garden apartment” and “garden home” building types, and the Corporation began offering cooperative ownership in its garden apartment complexes in 1919. The Jackson Heights Historic District was designated on October 19, 1993.

For a seller, the useful questions are whether the actual building is inside the district and how it is owned. A cooperative apartment sale follows different rules than a house sale, including board approval. Check the address on the LPC map and confirm the ownership form before comparing offers. Landmark status can affect approvals for alterations. It does not mean every change is prohibited or that every nearby building has the same status.

What to put in your sale file

• Ownership records, including co-op share and proprietary lease documents where applicable, plus any estate or trust paperwork.
• Current leases and the occupancy of each unit.
• Known repairs, permits and any documentation for earlier alterations.
• Your priorities: price, timing, an as-is sale, or avoiding a renovation.

Ask your attorney and buyer how the actual condition and documents affect the proposal. Do not use the price of a renovated apartment on another block as a guide to yours. Source: LPC, Jackson Heights Historic District designation report (1993).