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 […]

I have written before that I do not recruit or solicit first-time investors. Real estate mistakes are expensive, they can ruin you, and I don’t want to go head to head with a newbie who won’t take my advice, gets hurt,  but still reserves the right to blame me. Not my idea of fun.  There […]

I understand the importance of voice mail. As a broker, I value it as a tool to retrieve and leave messages since I and my fellow agents cannot always be available to answer calls.   Some of the messages I get are priceless. Greetings amuse me too.   Like, for example, the agents who have […]

According to the Journal News, the legendary Leatherman will be reburied today in a more fitting place in Sparta Cemetary, further from Route 9. His original burial place was mere steps from the ever widening highway. The controversy that stemmed from the issue is now meaningless, as the Times reports that little more than coffin […]

The best posts featured on the front page on Active Rain, the ones I love to see on the dashboard even more than my own, are those written by my own agents and invitees. This past September, I almost had the vapors when the firm’s own Tom Ricapito wrote a terrific post that was featured […]

There has been quite a bit of discussion within Active Rain membership about the changes in the corporate team. I have to say that in an industry known for high attrition and where we see a ton of movement among our own, it is a little ironic to see any hand wringing.  The years of […]

I first heard the word “cantilever” when the renovations to old Yankee stadium were described. The old support columns holding up the upper deck were removed because they blocked the view of the field, and the upper deck was thereafter a cantilever. A cantilever is something like a balcony or deck that is supported only […]

I got a call this morning from a seller client who had two showings scheduled for the day. She was concerned she might have to postpone the appointments. It seemed that she discovered an ant colony outside a window of her condo, and was concerned that the development might repel the prospective buyers. “NO!” I […]

We’ve just listed a very special home in Armonk on 2 Anthony Court, 3 minutes from the downtown area and close to the highways. It is a 3415 square foot 4/5 bedroom  3.5 bath center hall colonial built in 1999. It has a large granite kitchen with an island, family room with fireplace, formal dining […]

In New York, attorneys prepare real estate contracts. I’m no fan of this, but when in Rome, well, you know. I am involved in one particular transacton where contracts have been held up for a month while the buyer’s attorney contemplates her navel. This morning, after reading an email from this lawyer, I had enough. […]