Brooklyn, New York
Selling a home in Sheepshead Bay
Near the bay, flood zones and insurance shape the sale as much as the house does, and we plan for both.
Get my free home valueAbout Sheepshead Bay
The piers on Emmons Avenue and the B and Q trains
Sheepshead Bay wraps around the inlet that gives it its name, with fishing and party boats tied up along the piers on Emmons Avenue and Manhattan Beach across the water. The Belt Parkway crosses the neighborhood just north of the waterfront, and the B and Q trains stop at Sheepshead Bay station on the Brighton line, with Neck Road and Avenue U stations to the north.
The waterfront has its own zoning. The Special Sheepshead Bay District in the city's Zoning Resolution sets rules for development in the area around the bay. Low blocks near the water flooded during Hurricane Sandy, and much of the area close to the bay is mapped as flood-prone, which affects insurance and what a buyer can build.
Homes in Sheepshead Bay
What sellers should know
The housing runs from prewar and postwar co-op buildings and newer condos near Emmons Avenue and Ocean Avenue to attached and semi-detached two-family brick houses and small detached homes on the side streets. Co-op sellers need board approval for their buyer. House sellers near the water should expect questions about flood insurance cost, elevation and past flooding, and should have answers ready.
Look up your flood zone first
Check your address on FloodHelpNY and the FEMA flood map before you list. Buyers with a mortgage in a high-risk zone will need flood insurance, and they will ask what you pay.
Fill out the flood questions honestly
New York's Property Condition Disclosure Statement now asks house sellers about flood risk, flood history and flood insurance, and the old $500 credit opt-out is gone. Answer it fully with your attorney.
Gather repair records
If your home was repaired or raised after Sandy, keep the permits, invoices and any elevation certificate together. They reassure buyers and insurers.
Ready the co-op board package
Many Sheepshead Bay apartments are co-ops. Collect the building's financials and rules early so financing is not held up.
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Selling in Sheepshead Bay?
Tell us about your property. A licensed agent will look at recent sales near you and call with a realistic price range and a plan — free and without obligation.
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Tell us about your home
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We study real sales nearby
A licensed agent compares recent sales and current competition near you — not an automated guess.
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You get a realistic price range and a plan. Whether you list with us is entirely your call.
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Selling a home in Sheepshead Bay: questions
Will my buyer need flood insurance?
If the home is in a FEMA Special Flood Hazard Area and the buyer takes a federally backed mortgage, flood insurance is generally required. You can check the zone for your address on the FEMA Flood Map Service Center or FloodHelpNY.
What do I have to disclose about flooding?
New York changed its Property Condition Disclosure Statement so sellers must answer questions on flood risk, flood history and flood insurance. Sellers can no longer give the buyer a $500 credit instead of the form. Your attorney will help you complete it.
Can a buyer add a basement apartment here?
Generally not in high-risk flood areas. The Department of Buildings says subgrade ancillary units are not permitted in FEMA's Special Flood Hazard Area, the Coastal Flood Risk Area or DEP's 10-Year Rainfall Flood Risk Area.
What transfer taxes apply?
New York City's Real Property Transfer Tax on a home, condo or co-op is 1% of the price up to $500,000 and 1.425% above. New York State also charges a transfer tax, normally paid by the seller.
Official sources for Sheepshead Bay sellers
- NYC Zoning Resolution: Special Sheepshead Bay District
- FloodHelpNY flood zone lookup
- FEMA Flood Map Service Center
- NYC Flood Hazard Mapper
- Harris Beach Murtha: New York revises Property Condition Disclosure to address flood risk
- NYC DOB: Ancillary Dwelling Units (Local Laws 126/127)