It's the eternal question for real estate obsessed New Yorkers: should you rent or buy? Now, we might finally have an answer. The New York Times created this awesome, interactive graph that calculates common expenses of buying and renting, spitting out precisely at what year you would be better off buying your apartment. For instance, if you're paying $5,000 in rent, and your place costs $1 million, you should think about buying after 11 years. But if you're only paying $700 a month for a place that costs $175,000, you'll pretty much never be better off buying. more ›

Reacting to a surge in foreclosures, the city will begin overseeing a program to turn boarded-up houses into renovated homes. Announced in October, the Neighborhood Stabilization Program will subsidize housing rehabilitation through a nonprofit group, which will hold title to the properties until they can be sold to families making roughly $80,000 to $90,000 a year. more ›

While most retailers are worried that Black Friday will leave them deep in the red, Christmas tree sellers are now sounding sanguine, with a perfectly objective source at the Pacific Northwest Christmas Tree Association telling the Post, "In times like these, it's natural to fall back on events that are comfortable, like traditional holiday celebrations." Adding to the optimism is the fact that lower gas costs will mean cheaper trees than last year. And then there's the green angle; one forestry professor opines: "Purchasing a real Christmas tree is a great way to make a positive impact on the environment." Of course, trees are great for the environment when they're alive, so many environmentalists recommend buying a living tree. Which doesn't really fly in New York, since most of us don't have a place to plant them. So here are details on the city's annual MulchFest. more ›

Those blissed-out Christmas tree sellers from Quebec who camp out on every other corner this time of year are worried that the economic tailspin is going to seriously harsh the holiday vibe. Scott MacKinnon of Elite Balsam Products tells the Daily News that everyone's "a little bit nervous." In order to appeal to budget-conscious tree buyers, vendors have cut prices by 25% by buying cheaper trees. But other sellers are exhibiting unshakable faith in New Yorkers' need to fill every cranny of their apartments with balsam fir needles. One big seller in the city, Dr. Jane Waterman, insists that after three decades in business, her best season was right after 9/11: "In bad years, we find people buy trees and cut back on what they spend on gifts." Plus, "We're thinking everyone is so excited about the end of the Bush regime and the election of the first black President that they'll buy trees." more ›