BLK 03 — Holdings

What we hold.

Residential buildings in New York City, and the reserve that keeps them well.

BLK 03.1 — Residential buildings

A red-brick pre-war building with a carved cornice and a wooden water tank on the roof against a teal sky — Fig. 06Built to last

Built to last

Solid structure, honest materials, and a roofline and façade that have already proven themselves. We look for buildings whose bones are better than their cosmetics.

Warm late-day sun falling through a window onto a dim wall — Fig. 07Easy to live in

Easy to live in

Rooms that take furniture, windows that bring in light, stairs and halls that feel safe at ten at night. Comfort is a form of durability.

A tree-lined New York street of brownstone houses with black iron stair railings in dappled light — Fig. 08On streets worth staying on

On streets worth staying on

Near transit, shops, parks and schools. A good address gets more useful over time, not less.

BLK 03.2 — Lots

Every lot has a temperament.

The shape of a lot decides how much light a building gets, how it is reached and how it ages. We are comfortable with four kinds.

Lot A

Corner

Two street fronts. Light and access from two sides, and more exposure to weather.

Lot B

Mid-block

Narrow frontage and a simple plan. Windows front and back; easy to understand and to repair.

Lot C

Through-block

Streets at both ends. Light both ways, and two entrances to keep in good order.

Lot D

Irregular

Odd geometry that cannot be rebuilt. Often the most characterful building on the block.

Plans are diagrammatic and are not drawn from any specific property.

BLK 03.3 — The reserve

Cash that has one job.

Alongside the buildings, we keep a conservatively managed reserve in high-quality, liquid instruments. Its job is simple: pay for repairs, taxes and surprises, so that a hard year never forces a sale.

01
Liquid enough to useMoney we can reach in days, not quarters.
02
Conservative by designWe are not trying to win with it; we are trying not to lose.
03
Spent on the buildings firstRepairs have a claim on the reserve before anything else does.

The Manhattan skyline on a clear morning seen across a wide field of low brick rooftops — Fig. 09A long horizon

For information only. This website describes how Landmark Quest Inc. thinks and works. Landmark Quest Inc. is privately held and does not solicit investments through this site. Nothing here is an offer to sell, or a solicitation of an offer to buy, any security.