This past Memorial Day I wrote a post entitled Memorial Day 2011: Giving Back To a Veteran in Need. In it, I announced that my company would sell a home for a US service veteran facing hardship for zero commission. My father was a veteran of World War II and Korea, and I asked for […]

Another year has come and gone, and the real estate industry continues to plug along under the malaise of the housing downturn that has yet to hear the word “recovery” since the 2007 Sub Prime domino was the first to fall. Our firm was only 2 at that time, and we are still standing. Actually, […]

I seldom reblog, but Doug’s post speaks to the nationwide crisis of confidence that the american consumer is experiencing. Doug is in Alexandria, Louisiana, about as different fom Westchester County as you’ll find. I lived in Louisiana in 1993-94 and it was a different world from New York, and indeed, much of the south as […]

Christmas was not long in our rear view mirror when the calls started up again today. We love inquiries on our listings; that’s what we work for. However, there are calls, and then there are calls. I can tell with some calls that these folks are first time buyers and just starting out. You have to […]

Those of us who have short sales as part of our brokerage business can relate to Mike’s frustration. Short sales allow distressed sellers to leave their home with dignity, get a fresh start, and avoid foreclosure or bankruptcy. But that’s not the reason for banks to streamline the process.  When a bank approves a hsort […]

 

It is always interesting to shift gears from figuring out a way to get my listings on page 1 of Google for certain hyper local keywords frequented by consumers in 2012 to a question straight from 1995. Specifically, I was contacted by someone whose house recently expired unsold and we discussed their options. As they […]

Perhaps my colleagues can relate to the following scenario: A buyer is interested in your listing. Their agent emails you a slew of questions, and you get all the answers. There might be one of those 2nd or 3rd showings where where half a dozen extended family members come by and stay for 90 minutes […]

Today was a first since I started my brokerage in mid 2005. I did something that I actually think more brokers and managers should do on occasion.  I informed an agent that they would no longer be with our company. I fired someone.  I’d love to say that it was difficult or that I was […]

Pop quiz:In the State of New York, if I as the listing agent bring my own buyer to the closing table, does that automatically make me a dual agent?   If you answered “yes” you’d be wrong. If a New York real estate agent sells their own listing to their own buyer they are NOT […]

Sometimes I regret asking a question because I hate the answer.  Just this morning, I saw that it was the last day to submit an entry into The One That Got Away blogging contest, and I asked myself if I could recall a good story on the theme. Unfortunately, my answer came in an email […]

You might notice in the Sidebar of my blog that I have some excerpts to client reviews I have received with a link to my Zillow profile and ratings. When Zillow announced their agent ratings system, I voiced some understandable skepticism. However, Sara Bonert, whom I like and respect, gave me some rather convincing reassurances […]

The town of Cortlandt has many moving parts: The villages of Croton on Hudson and Buchanan, the Hamlet of Verplanck, Cortlandt Manor, and right in the middle, the separate municipality of the city of Peekskill. Croton and Peekskill have their own school districts, so the vast majority of Cortlandt is served by the Hendrick Hudson […]

I knew Irene and met her a number of times at Blog and social media events. She was very warm friendly, and would have given you the shirt off her back. She also LOVED to kid around. There were some videos she used to do where she’d do a “commission check dance,” really her tongue […]

I don’t get  to out of town conferences much.  I eat up local stuff, like the New York City REBar camp, two Raincamps and those sorts of things, yes, but I have yet to go to NAR or other more far away events because it is hard to get away. One pilgrimage I am making […]

Hi all, for those of you who are in New York, Pennsylvania and New Jersey, and are planning on going to Triple Play, I’d love to catch up in person. I blogged about it earlier, and I know it is pandemonium when you get there, but let’s carve out some time in the rain.  NY, […]

Prices are down, but volume is up according to the data for single family homes in the Ossining school district for November 1-30 2011. All information is taken from the Empire Access Multiple Listing Service.  This past November, 11 homes closed at a median sale price of $332,000. In November of 2010, 8 homes closed at a […]

Anyone who is in sales and management learns over the years how to manage the styles of personalities we encounter. I have dealt with all types and consider myself fairly adept at interacting with people smoothly. The one that still gives me trouble, however, and probably you too, is the Jekyll and Hyde type- they […]

You seldom get to rub elbows with a $200 million producer, but when Keller Williams Scarsdale Team Leader and friend Jen Maher invited me to see the great Ilan Bracha yesterday, I wouldn’t miss it for the world.  If you have never heard of Ilan, he’s quite a story. An emigre from Israel, when he […]