What $450K in Yearly Fees Gets You; Home Businesses

1) This week's hunt couple, Bonnie and Gary, are relocating from Pittsburgh and face a big obstacle in finding a place. Or, rather, three big obstacles: their three dogs, the largest of which is 150 pounds. "One of my dreams is, at the end of my life, I will be one of the little old ladies walking her dog in Central Park," says Bonnie. What a nice dream! They begin looking at places in the $1.5 million to $2 million price range and everything they see is great. Too great. Not wanting to feel ostentatious, they drop their price to as little as $1 million. (How great are these guys?) After being rejected from multiple buildings with a two dog limit, they finally find a duplex in the West 70s, for which they pay $1.235 million. They now walk their dogs three times a day in Central Park and are beloved by tourists. Best hunt couple ever. [The Hunt/'Accommodating a Three-Dog Lifestyle']

2) If you're lucky enough to be able to buy an apartment in The Carlyle, you're looking at not only a $10 million plus price tag, but $455,352 a year ($37,946 a month) in maintenance fees. So what would you get for the equivalent of shelling out the cost of an entire house in many parts of the country every month? Well, there's the twice-daily cleaning service (nice), daily newspapers (also available on this thing called the internet), bathrobes (okay), and discounts on laundry, personal training, and room service. So, instead of paying $7 for a San Pellegrino you would pay $5? Worth it! (Things you don't get: dog walking, couriers, personalized flower arrangements.) But most importantly, you get to tell people that you live in the hotel where JFK and Marilyn Monroe had sex. ['The Most Pampering, the Highest Fees']

3) It is unknown exactly how many New Yorkers operate a business out of their homes, partly because many of them try to keep it under wraps. Some are trying not to run afoul of the law—using your apartment as a hotel, for example, is "perfectly illegal," according a zoning consultant. Others don't want their landlords to find out, although that's not always a bad thing. One tenant/business owner has found that his landlord is very supportive, understandably, as he uses his apartment to make lots and lots of cookies. There are all kinds of home-based businesses that people run, from a children's consignment shop to a personal training studio to a magnetic baby clothing store. ['Sleepwalk to Work']