I’m a data engineer who built a custom algorithm to uncover NYC properties that look occupied on paper but are physically vacant ("Shadow Leased").
My script cross-references Local Law 84 Energy Data with ACRIS Legal Records. It identifies buildings that report High Occupancy (>85%) but have extremely Low Energy Usage (EUI < 25).
Essentially, these are buildings where the lights are off, but the owner is claiming they are full—often to hide vacancy or avoid regulatory scrutiny.
I have a fresh list of properties that match this criteria. I’ve further enriched them by:
Checking for Distress: Flagged for pre-foreclosure signals (Lis Pendens) and "Zombie" debt.
Skip-Tracing Owners: Pulled the Buyer Name from the most recent Deed/ACRIS transfer.
Sorting by Motivation: Ranked by a proprietary "Distress Score."
These are not on Zillow or LoopNet. This is raw, computed data for serious wholesalers or investors looking for creative finance deals in NYC.