The Bonus Bounce

IF the mix of optimism and uncertainty that pervades the New York residential real estate market right now can be symbolized by one property, a leading candidate may well be the penthouse at 1055 Park Avenue.
The two-bedroom two-bath duplex, atop a new all-glass condominium building on the narrowest of lots in one of the most exclusive of neighborhoods, went on the market on Oct. 5, at an asking price of $9.3 million. Within 17 days the price was slashed, to $7.5 million. And there it has stood.
Now, at last, a buyer has come along who wants to make an offer. But one thing is holding him back. He won