Ken Griffin's $238 million condo purchase distorts picture of ailing NYC real estate market

``The average home sales price in Manhattan was $100,000 higher than it would have been in the first quarter, thanks to a $238 million condo purchased by hedge fund billionaire Ken Griffin... In fact, the number of sales in Manhattan in the first quarter dropped year-over-year for the sixth straight quarter, marking the second-longest streak of declines in 30 years, according to the report. The longest stretch -- seven quarters in a row -- occurred from the first quarter of 2008 through the third quarter of 2009 during the height of the financial crisis.''