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 […]

If you feel priced out of Westchester, fear not. Dutchess County, sometimes humorously referred to as “Nextchester,” often has what you need if you are open to living a little farther north. A great example is this renovated raised ranch on a 1.2 acre lot on a cul-de-sac street that we closed on today at […]

Contractual deadlines and “by when” dates are baked into industry practices. Listings have expiration dates. Buyer agreements do also. Purchase and sale contracts have mortgage contingency dates, closing dates, and other structures of fulfillment that are terms for principals to abide by. Deadlines are not exclusive to contracts. There is a reasonable amount of time […]

If your budget is in the range of $2.895 million, a recent sale by our company can illustrate what that will buy quite clearly. As the MLS description says, Welcome to the epitome of Bedford living. Meticulously crafted, this estate redefines opulence. Indulge in a serene exclusive haven offering 6 bedrooms, 8 baths and over […]

13 years ago I wrote a post entitled “How Salespeople Can Prevent Their Broker From Premature Gray Hair.” It was a fun piece on things that licensees do that range from driving their managers crazy to working smarter and not harder. With the evolution of the industry and technology, I’ve decided to update the list. […]

First, some backstory: When I joined Howard Hanna Rand, I had been based in Briarcliff Manor for almost 20 years. My company had other office locations in Pelham and Carmel, but I hung my hat near my home. This past December, I was asked to move a bit north and manage the Yorktown and Carmel […]

The quality of life in Patterson is mighty nice, and I’m sure our clients will agree after closing on this awesome townhouse for $410,000 last week. This 1700+ square foot home was technically listed as a one bedroom, 2.5 bath but it lives like a 3 bedroom with a 2nd quarters on the second level […]

$580,000 will go far even in this market, as this 4 bedroom, 3 bath raised ranch demonstrates. Set on a pretty 1.1 acre lot, this 1991 build has a two car garage, a rear deck overlooking the yard, and a wonderful primary suite. The remarks on the MLS said the following: Contemporary flair in this […]

NIMBY is an acronym for “not in my back yard.” It is a pejorative term, and, as I will explain, that is for a good reason. Real estate professionals with any involvement in their community will inevitably get exposure to NIMBYs, and, in my view this should be viewed as an opportunity to show some […]

I get an apologetic phone call from clients now and then, and I think its kind of sweet. They don’t want to transact but have a question they know I can answer, and feel like they are imposing. Post sale service is a legitimate thing to me, and I always tell them that their call […]

This was fun to make. I did it for fun on my iPhone, and I used iMovie to edit. You can’t ever go wrong with Mozart either, although this style might match better with Rossini. 29 Deans Bridge Road in Somers is now $849,900. Someone is going to get a wonderful house at this price, […]

You can still buy a nice 3 bedroom home in Putnam County for under $350,000 like the one our buyer client closed on last week. It is a fully renovated 1100 square foot 3 bedroom, 2 bath bungalow on a level lot with parking for at least 4 cars. The siding, roof, HVAC, walls, kitchen, […]

Decades ago when I was tending bar, we always knew to avoid any discussion of politics or religion because it was a powder keg. In real estate, that would also include any discussion involving Zillow, dual agency, and square footage. Ah…square footage. Where do I start? Broadly stated, residential square footage typically includes finished living […]

Escalation clauses are sometimes included in offers that essentially state that if the offer being presented is outbid by another competing offer that the buyer will raise their number by a set amount over the higher competing bid. Sometimes they are clever due to the confidential nature of closed bids in New York real estate, […]

The term “in law apartment” or “in-law space” has become misunderstood lately by both agents and consumers, so I’d like to clear up what should be fairly straightforward. First, if a home is a single family house, it is just that: a single housing unit. It is not a multi-unit building. If it has a […]

I LOVE THIS HOUSE! The dollar goes just a bit further in Ulster County than it does in Westchester, and this decked out cape that my clients closed on this week are ecstatic about their purchase. The prior owner did a marvelous renovation, and in addition to the wood burning fireplace and nearly an acre […]

If I were asked by a seller what separates me from other agents to get them the best price for their home, I’d answer their question with a question of my own. What type of mortgage do you have on the house now? If the answer were an FHA, VA, or USDA mortgage, I’d then […]