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. […]

Straight talk for consumers:  When you hire a real estate agent, in the eyes of New York law, you are hiring their brokerage. The broker, owner or manager is directly accountable to you, and is, by contractual obligation, the “go to” guy if something seems amiss. In a sense, you are quasi-married for the term […]

What can you buy in White Plains, New York for $400,000? I’ll tell you.  $400,000 could get you a great 2 bedroom 2 bath ranch on a quiet street with a stucco/tudor exterior, beautiful pre-war appointments inside, such as a gorgeous woodburning fireplace, hardwoods, wood trim, and glass doorknobs like the one we just closed […]

What can you buy in Chappaqua, NY for $443,000? Well, just today a buyer found out. They closed on my listing at 374 Quaker Road in Chappaqua and they got a 3 bedroom ranch in move in condition with a new granite and stainless steel kitchen, 2 new bathrooms, a den, formal dining room, and […]

I was recently asked by Bob Stewart of Active Rain on how I’d raise the standards of practice in the real estate industry, a discussion which raises passions among my colleagues. I didn’t have a thought; I had about five thoughts. Higher licensure standards, better oversight by local boards and many other things are often discussed. […]

At the risk of sounding like a stereotypical 40-something whining about the utility company, I have to ask who is at the wheel of these work crews Con Ed has working in my neighborhood.  Obviously, some digging in the road is required this week, and that means the usual trucks, diversions, and jackhammers. No problem […]

A not so deep drilling of sales data from the Empire Access MLS yields some interesting information on how 2011 stacks up to 2010 in the Westchester County single family home sector.  In April 2010: 284 sales, median price of $590,000.  From Janurary 1, 2010 through April 30, 2010: 1041 sales, median price $598,500. In […]

Mr May (I love saying that-it evokes an image of him on a calender in a Chippendale get up) has thrown down a challenge to me, sharing that my recent idea on blog radio (not really radio…it was the Interwebs) of making a game of things like blog subscribers has inspired him to catch up, […]

I am told that Westchester County property taxes are the highest in the nation. After reading this article in the New York Times on the effects of tax grievances in the County, I was inspired to make the following comment:  People aren’t grieving their taxes because of the companies selling the service; companies are selling […]

I’m a foodie for sure. One of the great things about Westchester County is our vast array of incredible cuisine, and other than a good steak house my preference will always be Italian. This past week I had the good fortune to enjoy lunch with a fellow broker at Angelina’s of Tuckahoe, a wonderful place […]

There is nothing in the water in New Rochelle; this is just an English Mastiff, all of 250 pounds, that I met this past weekend while showing its master’s home. I have never seen a dog this big. Never. He was just huge. This pooch was quite a gentle giant, however, and happily let me […]