In a high cost area like Westchester County, one of the biggest obstacles to home ownership by otherwise qualified  buyers is saving for a down payment. With rates so low, it is a shame for some people to be forced to wait to save, only to have rates and affordability negatively affected by the time they have their money saved […]

You may have never heard of Hmart. So I’ll tell you why Ann and I are excited. Hmart is an awesome Korean supermarket chain that we  occasionally drive to Queens or New Jersey to patronize because their food (and prices) are so good. There aren’t many options for Korean food in Westchester, so if Ann […]

According to Empire Access MLS data, the number of Westchester County single family home closings for February 2012 was up by three deals over that of February 2011. After a weak start in January, this is welcome news. Not all the news is rosy, however, as median price is still down significantly over the number […]

After a discussion of market reports in a real estate discussion group geared at forwarding the industry, I am prompted to revisit what makes a market report good or bad in terms of consumer response.  First, if what you produce gets no consumer response, you need to change what you write. If what you do […]

Those of you who know Paul Slaybaugh know what I am talking about. Those of you who don’t can thank me later. Paul is a writer of uncommon talent with a wit that I adore. He quasi graduated from Active Rain and now self hosts his own platform at Scottdale Property Shop, and his latest […]

If you read Inman News, it is likely that you have seen the story on Redfin’s blog entitled “Sellers Lose in Dual Agency.” Glen Kelman, CEO of Redfin, had his firm look at the data covering 230,000 closed deals and concluded that homes sold in what REDFIN deems to be dual agent transactions sold for […]

There is a sinking feeling real estate agents get when we look up the history of a co-op or condo apartment we are listing for sale and see that our new client bought it as a 2 bedroom unit and prior transactions have it as a one bedroom. Obviously, two bedroom apartments are higher in value […]

Sometimes there is no pretty way to say it, so I’ll just say it: January 2012 was not a very good month in Westchester real estate. According to the Empire Access MLS, both the transaction total and median sale price of single family homes in the county were down from the same time in 2011. […]

For those of you not living in New York or who don’t follow NBA basketball, the toast of Gotham is Jeremy Lin, an unheralded, undrafted, and un-scholarshipped (is that a word?) point guard who just led the Knicks to their 4th straight win over the Lakers. He scored 38 points to pace the Knickerbockers, playing […]

Every so often I get a call from a home seller asking me a variation of this question: What will the commission be if I find my own buyer? It could be a seller client or someone considering listing their home with my company. Typically, the discussion that follows reveals that the questioner either wants […]

This past December I established a zero tolerance policy for uncooperative mortgage loan officers. In the past 24 hours I have faced the same issue. One of my agents is representing buyers in a particularly difficult purchase. The buyer clients were telling her things that she need clarity on, and over a week ago she […]

I have often said that nearby Pleasantville is aptly named. It borders Briarcliff Manor to the east and is idyllic: a picturesque, charming little village on the Harlem line of Metro North with shops, eateries, and culture. The latest feather in the village’s cap is that GQ magazine voted it the second best smelling city […]

   

For the third time in the past 4 weeks, I have been contacted by a buyer who chose to call me directly instead of having their agent call me because their offer was not accepted. In each case, I have told the agent-and the buyer when they called- that I’d be happy to know what […]

New York State has something known as settlement conferences for homeowners facing foreclosure. It is a good law. Distressed borrowers can go to the courthouse and meet with lawyers of their lender face to face in front of a judge or court appointed referee. The referee is there to make sure that the bank is […]

Inman news is reporting a Youtube announcement from ARG (Abbott Realty Group) that they are not  permitting their listings to be viewed on 3rd party syndicators such as Zillow, Trulia and even Realtor.com. The link is already behind Inman‘s paywall so I have embedded the video below. This comes in the wake of a similar […]

I have written before on what a buyer’s market is and what a buyer’s market isn’t. Westchester County and our surroundings are a sought after destination; even if a home has been on the market for a year, once the price is right it will sell. I wish I could impress this upon a few […]

This is one of those topics I have been meaning to write about for a dog’s age (sorry) and I finally have the time and inspiration to do just that. It is my view that an inordinate percentage of real estate agents are dog lovers. Canine devotees. Poochophiles. And they aren’t just dog owners, they […]

I’m seldom political-I’m a capitalist, not a ideologue- and while I like President Obama, I have to say that I am incredibly disappointed by the State of the Union speech this evening for one good reason: he barely touched on housing or what he’d do to fix the industry. It is among our biggest problems […]

Let me preface my words clearly that I have no beef with franchises and treasure my many colleagues at other firms, large, small, independent and corporate. Everyone should hitch their trailer to the train that they feel best about.  My choice is that of an independent broker with no franchise or corporate affiliations because that […]