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. […]

Inventory may be historically low, but quality options are still out there. A good example is this awesome cape we just sold on behalf of a long time relationship seller client in White Plains, NY. 33 Prospect Street is a 4 bedroom home in a quiet neighborhood but only a few hundred yards from downtown […]

I am paraphrasing the great Yogi Berra when I say that predicting the future is easy, but getting it right is a bit trickier. Many of my colleagues have offered their prognostications in a market that is the perfect storm of black swans, judicial actions, economic uncertainty, and so many competing interests that there doesn’t […]

A quick one today while I have a moment: I’m a NY Giants fan from way back. I remember when Fran Tarkenton was the quarterback and the futile 1970s when the team stunk. Just about every guy I know has a team they follow, and I’ll share with you some dots I connected back when […]

Everyone lives indoors. I share this with my team fairly frequently in our weekly training, and while it’s always good for a smile, the facts are that our shelter needs don’t change with election maps unless you yourself just got elected to something and have to relocate to Washington DC. If you are expecting twins […]

If I hadn’t gone through this myself with my own mother I doubt I would write about it. I do think that my (and my brothers’) experience is worth sharing for those who are considering this as an option. First, it is worth noting that getting old is good fortune. Not all people get to […]

One of the more frustrating things for consumers to experience when searching for real estate to is to see a desirable property online for sale, send it to their agent to schedule a showing, and then not be able to get in. Sometimes the listing agent doesn’t respond, which is a violation of the rules. […]

September is a big month in property tax circles in New York, and courts throughout the state are receiving “tax certiorari” cases filed in considerable volume. That term is quite a mouthful (thankfully, my spellcheck recognizes the word), and it’s related to the assessed value of properties for tax purposes. It’s no secret that property […]

It’s no secret that even in a hot market like this one, home sellers want all the stops pulled out by their agent to get their home sold for the most money. As well they should. Business is business. One ironic request, however, is when the seller does not want a yard sign. Their rationale […]

Ah, north Westchester! The land of horse country, idyllic lake communities, winding roads, and spotty cellular coverage. When you find a home with lake rights that has good mobile phone signal like this one, you know you’ve got something special. Snark about cellular data aside, this 1500 square foot colonial set on nearly a quarter […]

For many years, there has been an awkward moment when consumers attending an open house are asked to sign in. It is understandable to not want to become someone’s prospect or lead, and it doesn’t seem necessary to many folks. We see this pushback everywhere: a cashier asks a customer at checkout for their email […]

This was the house that came back; I interviewed with the prior owner who sold it to my clients but we didn’t get the listing. This time we did! It just closed on July 31st for $800,000. Somers is known for its bucolic setting and this property didn’t disappoint, as the nearly 1.5 acre lot […]