I’m not the biggest fan of attending appraisals, but sometimes I have to make the best of it when so conscripted. Today was one of those days, and prior to meeting the appraisor I ducked into the office of the listing brokerage to say hello to the broker and recharge my lockbox smart card. After […]

Quick one here. I am getting offers from agents who don’t have a pre approval for their buyers. This means that they are committing the real estate version of picking up hitchhikers- putting people in their car who have not been checked out, vetted, or qualified to buy a home, let alone be alone with […]

Ann is not pregnant.  The company, however, is attracting some excellent people. So here are a few welcomes: We welcome Leslie Miller, buyer agent extraordinaire, who specializes in Westchester county, including but not limited to Ossining, Briarcliff, Chappaqua, Pleasantville, and even as far south as Scarsdale and White Plains. Leslie is a very conscientious and […]

Affordability is seldom a word associated with a beautiful renovated home in southern Westchester County, but one gem recently closed that was just that. It is a 1700 square foot colonial with a beautiful updated ceramic and stainless steel kitchen, two updated baths, three roomy bedrooms with gleaming hardwoods and fresh paint, crown molding, a […]

For years, co ops have been considered the starter home of Westchester, with plenty of inventory in great areas for under $200,000. This 1 bedroom apartment is no exception. It is in a pet friendly building with an updated itchen, huge living room, lots of closet space, hardwoods, and 1 block away from Mamaroneck Avenue […]

Yesterday morning, as I was at the sign in table for the CDPE (Certified Distressed Property Expert) course, the agent behind me heard my name and said “Why are you here? You could teach this class.” I turned to her and said that was very kind of her to say. But believe me, I was […]

I just finished my first day of CDPE (Certified Distressed Property Expert) class, and am reflecting on one of the more profound insights given by the instructor, Mark Boyland. Mark, who is an excellent presenter, compared the difficult issues we have to sort out with distressed homeowners with the rather matter of fact way a doctor handles another […]

I had a newer agent ask me yesterday if his wearing an earring was a bad idea. He had friends who said he shouldn’t. It reminded me of my pre-real estate life as a sales manager for a publisher in the early 1990’s and the battles I had with some of my more youthful charges […]

You probably remember the Google commercial that told the story of the story of courtship and love through Google searches entitled “Parisian Love.” Thanks to Jackie Connelly-Fornuff, I got hip to the YouTube feature that lets you create your own search story. It is pretty cool, and it can take as little as 5 minutes […]

We’ve got gadgets aplenty around here- desktop computers, laptops, and Ann loves her iPad. I love it too, but there are two of us an one of it. I thought it silly to buy another when there are tablets out there for half the price and less which might be perfectly fine for my purposes, […]

I took Catherine out for a little drive with Daddy, just us two, so I could go to Best Buy and scout out my next piece of technology. I live in Briarcliff, so to get to Hartsdale you take the Taconic Parkway south, and Catherine asked me about that big building on the right, which […]

The other day I got a call from a rude and obnoxious representative from a well known template based provider of real estate websites who sounded like he poured red bull and expresso on his morning cereal. I’ve blogged about annoying telemarketers before, but this is the second time this company has had someone call […]

I have been asked in recent months about the market for building lots in Westchester County. While I am far from a high transaction land guy, I’ll tell you what I do would if I had a double lot, an adjacent building lot to my home, a spot lot nearby, or a small parcel that […]

Karen Crowson wrote a thought-provoking post asking whether it was a good idea or not for buyers and sellers to meet before closing. In spite of many examples of my own transactions where buyers and sellers did hit it off well, my vote would be “no.” There are two main reasons.  1. Potential for conflict. 2. […]

We held my listing at 8 Harwood Ave White Plains open yesterday, and I thought I’d take the opportunity to create a walking tour of the home, a marketing strategy which has been getting good feedback for me lately. I have blogged recently about the better results I have been getting at open houses; this was […]

Imagine you are in real estate. If you are reading these words, not a stretch. Now imagine you’ve busted your buns long enough to start your own firm, like I did after 17 years. You decide you’ll name your firm after something very personal about you- let say your dog. Not a stretch, right? I […]

I posted a photo of a pie I got at Grandma’s earlier this week and got over a dozen comments that gave me a collective sense of cyber salivation. With good reason: Grandma’s makes the best pies around. They have been in business for decades and have quite a following.  I first learned of Grandma’s last year […]

It won’t go to print until this Sunday’s paper, but the article that I blogged about expecting is now live online. Entitled “A For Sale Sign with Brains,” the piece discusses how real estate brokers are embracing technology to sell property. The story behind the article is actually not one of the reporter finding my […]

I got a call today from an agent who claimed to have an interested buyer in one of my short sale listings. I informed him that all offers, per the instructions of my seller, would only be considered if they were in writing and accompanied by a pre approval letter or proof of funds. He […]