What will $615,000 purchase in Putnam Valley? I’m so glad you asked! Located just across the border from Westchester County, Putnam Valley is a quiet, bucolic community that offers a 914 lifestyle at a Putnam County price. It’s also where 107 Oscawana Lake Road is located, which we just closed for our seller client last […]

Anyone who knows Westchester County real estate knows that Hartsdale, NY is not just the birthplace of Carvel Ice Cream, it has a huge number of cooperative apartments compared to other areas of the 914. Each complex has its own appeal, and the Highlands are, in my experience, one of the better ones. The grounds […]

I’ve intended to write a piece about this for quite some time, and a recent experience has inspired me to finish. We live in a digital age. Most people have bank accounts and a credit score, but there are millions who don’t use conventional banks or have any established credit. That may be hard to […]

The original title to this was “We’re not in a Hurry.” Real estate is a service industry. The consumers we serve typically hire us for our knowledge, communication, guidance, and a plethora of other service-oriented efforts to produce a result. We look to the client to tell us their needs so that we can plan […]

Can properties with killer river views still sell for under $500,000 these days? I’m glad you asked. 45 Riverside just closed for $489,000 and the name of the street fit perfectly. As described in the MLS: Dramatic Hudson River view that you can almost reach out and touch from this 3 bedroom ranch that lives […]

It is still very much a seller’s market in New York. Low inventory is causing an imbalance in the dynamic of supply and demand with no indications of change in the foreseeable future. Bidding wars are still common, and with even fewer homes on the market as we approach the holidays, we seldom see listings […]

I should preface this by saying that I do not loathe people who endeavor to sell their home without an agent, commonly known as “For Sale by Owner” or FSBO. I’ve actually listed hundreds of FSBO clients over the decades, and I even had a side business conceived to assist them from about 2006-2010. I […]

The north side of Yonkers off Fort Hill is one of my favorite areas of the city. It’s quite close to the border of the Edgemont section of Greenburgh (Scarsdale post office) as well as a stone’s throw from Central Avenue and the world famous Nathan’s hot dogs. Much of the housing there is post […]

I was recently asked to manage the White Plains office by Marsha Rand, our founder. It was a rare speechless moment, and if you know me, you can appreciate that statement. White Plains is the second biggest Rand office in New York by closed volume, and has over 100 agents. There was a bittersweet component […]

With home values still going ever higher, it is nice to see someone snag a great single family home in a fantastic community like Ossining for under $500,000 like the one at 25 Belleview our clients recently closed on. I’ll let the listing description paint the picture: Choose your Hudson view from your front porch […]

Tarrytown, like many of the River Towns of Westchester County, offers a pretty amazing lifestyle. The architecture is varied and stunning, parks and waterfront are plentiful with the Hudson River nearby, and the downtowns are super charming. Tarrytown has a breathtaking view of the Hudson and Tappan Zee bridge (Note: I will not call it […]

When I bought my home in 2007, its assessed value was $32,500. I paid about 20 times that amount, but that was how the municipality did assessments back then. Assessed values that do not reflect full market value can be extremely confusing for consumers. They also give real estate professionals a big headache, because it’s […]

Prices south of $500,000 for any structure over 2000 square feet are rare these days, and when they do happen the circumstances are atypical. That’s exactly what happened with the sale of 37 Fair Street in Carmel, which our seller client closed on last week. Often, lower price points are relegated to fixer uppers or […]

Two days ago I had an interview on camera for News 4 with Lynda Baquero. It’s always special to appear on TV, and there were some fairly good sound bytes that made it to the air. What didn’t make the broadcast is what I’d like to share here. The premise of the piece is that […]

I don’t remember the first time I was introduced to Leah Caro, but I do recall the early days of getting acquainted. I was a fledgling member of the MLS board of directors, and she had just completed her second term as President of the then Westchester County Board of Realtors. She was broker owner […]

If you are looking in or around Stamford Connecticut for your next home, here is an example of what $515,000 is in purchasing power. Last week we closed on this 2 bedroom townhome at 68 Hope Street in the small, charming Catalpa Terrace complex. The MLS description was as follows: Conveniently located townhome condo in […]

I just off the phone with a guy who initially sounded like a telemarketer, but claimed that he wanted me to list some acreage he owns about 90 minutes north of me to pay for an upcoming surgery. He must have done a little bit of homework, because he got the name right of the […]

Buying a home can be stressful. I mean, look at the picture: the largest expenditure of most lives, housing, borrowing, lawyers, mortgages, down payments, contingencies, credit, taxes, closing costs, monthly payments, inspections…does any of that sound soothing? Another decidedly NOT soothing word is “decisions,” and consumers have to make quite a few of them throughout […]

If you are in the market for a 4 bedroom, 3 bath colonial, this property would have been for you. Set on .8 acres, it backs up to Ryder Park in the town of Ossining. While technically a 1966 build, another home was previously built on the lot and the original fireplace and mantel were […]

Here’s a short cautionary tale. Many years ago I was representing a buyer client in their purchase of a home in Westchester County. We found a listing in Cortlandt that appeared to check all the boxes, but Mrs. Buyer Client had something last minute come up and I saw it with Mr. Buyer Client only. […]