Brokers lead the way in finding place to live.

Publication: Daily News (New York, New York) (via Knight-Ridder/Tribune Business News)

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COPYRIGHT 2005 Daily News

Byline: Lore Croghan

Oct. 19--Blame it on the rain, maybe. But open houses for hot Manhattan apartments have become pretty tame.

I went apartment-hunting on Sunday, Oct. 9, and couldn't find a crowd anywhere.

To be sure, the weather was unappealing. It was a dim day with intermittent drizzle, during the city's first weekend of real fall weather.

But I was looking for a one-bedroom -- the most sought-after type of apartment in the city, along with studios. One-bedroom prices hit a record high at the end of September of $687,744 on average, according to appraisal firm Miller Samuel.

Until recently, apartments in prime locations sold fast. Often bidding wars broke out, and the most aggressive buyer won by paying more than the asking price.

But now flats sit for an average...

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