Motsele.Property research, made useful
Property overview

161 East 78 Street

Manhattan, NY 10075

Who owns 161 East 78 Street, what the county and city have on record, and a measured sell-signal score — every fact dated and sourced.

Owner of recordJohn L Thomson Revocable Trust AgreementMailing address: not published by the CityObserved Sep 19, 2026 · NYC Department of City Planning ZoLa (MapPLUTO)
Parcel 1014130025 · Public research profile
Motivated Seller IndexDRAFT MODEL
31/100
About 0.5 in 100 homes with these signals sold within four months (0.4× the New York City rate)100% of model checks have usable evidence

A measured sell-signal score from public records: 1 positive signal observed. It is a base rate for homes like this, not a statement about this owner. How it works ↓

Aerial 2024 with parcel boundary · NYC OTI
Street View · © Google
Satellite · © Google
Assessed value$320,880 total (land $120,420); tax class 1 is assessed at 6% of market value
Tax statusUnverified
Ownership tenureUnverified
Property typeCity residence one-family (DOF class A4), 3 floors, 1 residential unit

THE INDEX

Why this MSI reads 31

Draft model

3 of 22 checked public signals observed, covering 100% of the model. The score is public; the signal-by-signal reasons, source documents, and owner details are in LienSuite.

Method and limits. MSI v0.2-nyc-2026-09 weights twenty-two public signals by how much each one changed the recorded four-month arm’s-length sale rate across all 636,000 privately owned one- to three-family lots in the five boroughs, checked on a holdout the model never saw (the top 0.5% of homes by score sold at 5.7x the citywide rate, the top 1% at 4.1x). Owner mailing addresses are not public in New York City, so absentee and out-of-state ownership are not part of this model.: new-building permit +27, trade permit +18, lien-sale notice (water/sewer) +13, lien-sale notice (property tax) +12, demolition permit +12, bought since 2024 +9, heat / hot-water violation +9, unsanitary / dirty / rodent complaint +8, hpd class b violation +6, construction / plumbing complaint +6, late-stage lien notice (30- or 10-day) +6, general-construction permit +4, star exemption (owner-occupied) +4, maintenance complaint +3, hpd class c violation +2, two or three units -3, structural violation -4, vermin / garbage violation -7, sidewalk shed / scaffold / fence permit -9, solar permit -12, structural / safety complaint -12, permit valued at $50,000 or more -14. The "in 100 homes" figure is the model's fitted probability for this combination of signals. It describes homes like this one in aggregate; it is not a claim about this owner's intentions, and it is not LienSuite's paid deal score.

THE RECORD

Property details

Dated sources
Property type
City residence one-family (DOF class A4), 3 floors, 1 residential unit
Observed Sep 19, 2026 · NYC Department of City Planning ZoLa (MapPLUTO)
Owner of record
John L Thomson Revocable Trust Agreement (mailing address not published by the City)
Observed Sep 19, 2026 · NYC Department of City Planning ZoLa (MapPLUTO)
Assessed value
$320,880 total (land $120,420); tax class 1 is assessed at 6% of market value
Observed Sep 19, 2026 · NYC Department of Finance property records
STAR exemption
None on file for tax year 2026
Observed Sep 19, 2026 · DOF property exemption detail (NYC Open Data)
Building area
2,052 sq ft
Observed Sep 19, 2026 · NYC Department of City Planning ZoLa (MapPLUTO)
Lot size
1,839 sq ft
Observed Sep 19, 2026 · NYC Department of City Planning ZoLa (MapPLUTO)
Year built
1861, altered 2006 and 2006
Observed Sep 19, 2026 · NYC Department of City Planning ZoLa (MapPLUTO)
Last recorded sale
Consideration not stated (non-arm’s-length transfer), April 5, 2023
Observed Sep 19, 2026 · DOF annualized and rolling property sales (NYC Open Data)
Building permits
2 DOB permits in the last 12 months: general construction (filed herewith to repair and replace the roofing system at 3rd floor penthoutse ) issued June 18, 2026; supported scaffold (installation of pipe scaffolding as per plans. all equipment shall comply with c) issued June 23, 2026
Observed Sep 19, 2026 · DOB NOW approved permits (NYC Open Data)

Parcel reference: 1014130025. Facts reflect the listed observation dates and may have changed since then.

OWNERSHIP AND TAXES

Research snapshot

Observed tax balanceNot verified
Delinquency periodNot verified
Last recorded transferNot connected
Transfer amountNot connected

Source details not yet connected. A tax balance is not proof that a property is for sale.

CHANGES OVER TIME

Property timeline

  1. Permit: Supported Scaffold

    INSTALLATION OF PIPE SCAFFOLDING AS PER PLANS. ALL EQUIPMENT SHALL COMPLY WITH CH #33 OF THE NYC CODE 2022. NO CHANGE IN USE, OCCUPANCY OR EGRESS UNDER THIS APPLICATION..

    DOB NOW approved permits (NYC Open Data) · checked Sep 19, 2026
  2. Permit: General Construction

    FILED HEREWITH TO REPAIR AND REPLACE THE ROOFING SYSTEM AT 3RD FLOOR PENTHOUTSE AND ROOF. NO CHANGE TO USE, EGRESS OR OCCUPANCY..

    DOB NOW approved permits (NYC Open Data) · checked Sep 19, 2026
  3. Recorded sale

    Consideration not stated (transfer).

    DOF annualized and rolling property sales (NYC Open Data) · checked Sep 19, 2026

NEARBY

More records nearby

Facts on this page reflect their observation dates. Confirm the parcel and current records with the county before acting.