New construction causes new headaches

From the February issue: Maria Hoffman knew what she was getting into when she signed the contract on her condo at the Leah, a new development on East 117th Street in Manhattan, last October. The 30-year-old New School graduate student had heard horror stories about long construction delays, and had even let a friend crash on her couch after the new apartment the friend bought was still unfinished when her lease was up. Along with Hoffman’s attorney, her broker, Michael Eisenbrown of Pari Passu Realty, advised Hoffman to make sure her lease allowed her to stay put several months past the expected close late last month. “I have a clause that says if it’s not finished within four months of the projected date, I have the option to exit my contract and get my money back,” she said.