There is a real estate axiom I was reminded of recently by Bill Lublin that goes like this: every piece of privately owned property in the country is for sale. It might not be listed, but it’s for sale. If you knock on the owner’s door and offer them market value plus enough of a premium, you […]

It is no exaggeration that getting transactions to close is far more work in this climate than it was 5 years ago. The most onerous pitfalls in my experience are related to title and compliance issues on the property. Old school agents often gloss over illegal bathrooms and decks, but title companies and lenders do not. […]

We see quite a bit of weird stuff in this business, which isn’t surprising when you mix home, large sums of money and the inevitable stress. It sometimes brings out a side of people that is unfamiliar, even to them. I have often said that you’ll see the best and worst of people  in what […]

I’ve never taken a staging class. I know little about staging and think it best left to the stagers by and large. But there are a few basics that it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out.  You tidy up. You shouldn’t leave dirty dishes in the sink. The dog that loves to bark or just, […]

Prospective clients (and occasionally, colleagues) often ask how, if I am in Briarcliff Manor, I will be able to sell their home in <not Briarcliff>. We sometimes aren’t even in Westchester, but in Rockland or Dutchess.  While I like to keep the tone of my blog more on the informative side, I have to admit […]

There have been several thought provoking articles written recently on open houses and why some agents really do them. The point that agents would offer to hold a listing open while surreptitiously using them to just prospect for buyer clients is actually a rather old modus operandi; however, my experience has been different. I have […]

I am posting this in response to a blog that suggests that the NAR misrepresented the truth when they lobbied against QRM initiatives. No apologist for the NAR am I, but I disagree that the NAR was wrong here. I am re-posting a PDF of the email the NAR sent all brokers in support of […]

If everyone put 20% down on their home that the housing market would probably be healthier. And in other news, if I french kiss a skunk, I won’t be the most popular guy in an elevator. It’s all theory. Not everyone can put 20% down. In practical application it is a terrible idea. And we’ve […]

Ossining/Croton on Hudson Patch just started here June 1 and I have been asked to contribute to the blogs. I was happy to oblige. I am gratified that two of the top 5 posts are my own contributions and I hope to continue the trend.  Ossining and Croton are two communities that are near and dear to […]

I worked the deli counter at a small market a block from Sing Sing Prison for much of my youth. The place was open from 5:30am until after midnight, specifically to serve the 3 shifts of prison guards from the Big House. They came in tired and burned after 8-12 hours or more with inmates, […]

On Friday morning I checked my email and found an online inquiry from about 11pm the prior evening asking to see one of my listings in what amounted to a few short hours. There are two offers on that property, contracts are out, and the homeowner could not possibly confirm the showing on such short […]

May 2011 marks the anniversary of the first month after the stimulus ended. That’s right, it has been a solid year since the mad rush to get a house purchase under contract by April 30. And as many of us in the industry remember, the market stalled after that. Closings in May 2010 were stimulus […]

A client forwarded me the link on Inman News to this broker in Nevada who blames short sale agents and sellers for the mess.  Prices keep falling because the short-sale agents are listing at 5 to 10 percent below comps in order to try to get an offer, and often are accepting offers at even […]

With apologies for the political and foreboding overtones of a silent majority lurking, the term applied to the real estate market is quite accurate. Having read Richard Willard’s excellent post on the reaction of people to the “disappearance” of a listing when he and his client strategically allowed to liasting to “expire and air out,” […]

The opportunity to hear me expel hot air in front of a crowded room is something that I KNOW some fellow agents are dying to attend. Just the sound of my whiny, nasal voice and suspect diction are a delight to trainwreck aficionados. So, if you are a masochist or considering penance for past sins, you’ll […]

It seems that the older I get, the more meaningful each Memorial Day becomes. When I was 23, it was a day off, and the marker for wearing summer clothes. When I was 33, it made me a little nostalgic for my father, who passed away when I was 25. Now that I’m 43, Memorial Day […]

Seth Godin’s 61 word post from 10 days ago is, in my view, the greatest economy of words on a deep throught I have read in quite a long while. You should really read it, print it, and tape it to your monitor or mirror. No blanket statement covers 100% of reality, but I concur […]

I recieved a call on a listing from someone who wanted to see one of my listings this weekend. I am booked, and with a holiday weekend, I didn’t have an available agent in the firm on short notice. Being the mensch that I am (and keenly aware that I work for the seller, not […]