The Housing Information and Referral Service is an initiative of the Office of Work/Life. The service provides individual consultations on renting or purchasing apartments and homes within commuting distance of Columbia University campuses. The service is available to all faculty, including faculty being recruited to the University, and to all other Columbia University employees.
Services include:
General Real Estate and Housing Information
- Metropolitan New York area overview
- Housing challenges in the New York area
- Neighborhood information for NYC, Westchester, New Jersey and other areas
- Map of local area with rental, co-op and condo building locations
- Definition of real estate terminology
- Issues of buying vs. renting
- Information and contacts for realtors, attorneys, inspectors and other real estate professionals
- Eligibility and requirements, including Dean's approval, for The Provost's Faculty Housing Assistance Program
Rental Options
- Landlord and managing agent information
- Lease information
- Tenant information
- Short term and temporary housing options
Purchasing Options
- The process of purchasing a property
- Mortgage information and options
- Affinity Lending Program
For more information or to make an appointment, please contact:
Alice Lesman, Director of Housing Information and Referral
Columbia University
516 West 112th Street
New York, NY 10025
Email: al2775@columbia.edu
Telephone: (212) 851-1893
Fax: (212) 851-1886
For all housing information pertaining to Columbia University Medical Center, kindly contact Adele Selik at (212) 305-4930.
Through the lenders in the Affinity Lending Program, you may be eligible to refinance your current mortgage, consolidate debt, or purchase a new home. Current interest rates are lower than they have been in over 30 years, and if qualified, you may be able to secure mortgage financing to either purchase or refinance at a favorable interest rate. For qualified faculty, there may be additional housing and mortgage assistance.
Currently there are two lenders in the program, Bank of America Home Loans (formerly Countrywide) and ICC Mortgage Services, and while Columbia University does not endorse either lender, we have received positive feedback from our employees regarding both of these lenders and their programs. We also recommend that you thoroughly research all your options prior to making a decision.
Bank of America Home Loans
1155 Avenue Of The Americas, 17th Floor
New York, NY 10036
Contact: Sean McPartland - Mortgage Banker
Phone: (212) 508-2233
Mobile: (646) 957-7828
Fax: (866) 611-0106
Email: sean.mcpartland@bankofamerica.com
ICC Mortgage Services
New York Regional Office
1600 Stewart Avenue, Suite 404
Westbury, New York 11590
Contacts: Jason Rappaport - jason.rappaport@iccmortgage.com;
Dean Sourial - dean@iccmortgage.com
Phone: (516) 766-3400
Fax: (516) 766-1630
Web: http://www.iccmortgage.com/
