Upon occasion I get a call from a cooperating agent who is calling to show one of my short sale listings. I welcome these calls- anything I can do to equip the buyer’s agent with data to help the sale is something I am eager to do. They might have questions on the layout, condition, […]

Just over a year ago, Westchester County settled a lawsuit with the government that called for it to build 750 affordable housing units in mostly white part of the county. The background of the case is lengthy and the local discussion of the matter has been heated in some quarters. The bottom line was a promise from […]

Two parcel of land, one on the Byram River and another on Willett Avenue in Port Chester are being developed for a combined 183 apartments. According to the Journal News, The Mariner will be a 100-unit complex on the river and the castle will be an 83 unit project with street level retail units. Demolition […]

From 1945 until 1984, 60 Main Street in Sleepy Hollow (then known as North Tarrytown) was a battery factory operated by Duracell. It was a Superfund site due to toxic contamination, but was then de-listed after a 1993 cleanup. The village bought it in the 1990’s for $1 from Gillette, who had acquired Duracell in the interim, […]

In light of this article in Tuesday’s NY Times on the poor October in real estate sales, I thought it worthwhile to inject a little sanity into the implications for local market conditions. According to the Empire Access MLS, in Westchester County in October 2010, there were 285 closed sales of single family homes at a median […]

I have a day where I can catch my breath and veg out. I am surrounded by things I am thankful for, so I’ll share some of the reasons for my gratitude.  I am thankful that my parents made the sacrifices they made so I could build the life I now enjoy.  I am thankful […]

It sort of amuses me to see questions asked by people online these days, such as on Trulia Voices. I was inspired to comment on one with the “foreclosure mentality” of many buyers, but it was actually posted a long time ago. Everybody wants a foreclosure. The perception that they are a wonderful bargain is overblown, but […]

The time around Thanksgiving and Christmas is typically when the inventory is often at its lowest level in general, as people tend to get more into the holidays. Homes buying often resumes after the holidays, and there is a phrase that says that spring begins January 2nd in real estate. This past July, Ossining had 146 active […]

There are times when I wonder if the public really knows what it takes to run a decent business when they bring up our real estate commission. Today, for example, we got our error and omission (E & O) insurance premium for fiscal 2011 and it was over double what I paid in 2010. And […]

I have a listing that recently expired. A deal fell apart on it and my client lives out of state. That’s all I can tell you. Apparently, Central Hudson Gas and Electric can’t reach him, so they harass me. They want me to let them in the house so they can cut the power.  One problem: I’m not authorized […]

White Plains condominium 15 Stewart Place 1C will be help open today from 1-3pm.  Spectacular 1,238 square foot 2-bedroom condominium at Heritage Towers! Features a bi-level first floor with a step-down living room, high ceilings, glass wall of windows, and patio, plus a lovely dining room & eat-in kitchen. Sprial staircase takes you up to […]

cd=400,000. Roman Numerals.  I have posted on each of my millennial milestones, and with each marker I am more humbled by the impact on my business than the point total. What a trip.  I discovered Active Rain while researching a scam out of Colorado. I created a profile and little else for about a year. I began […]

Not long ago, I decided to create a new website for a specific niche I wanted to focus upon, and an idea for a new website was born. It is currently under construction, and the need of a good logo arose. There is only so much a busy guy like myself can do with Windows […]

My Saab story has a happy ending. My last car was a beige 1996 Saab 900 that I drove for many, many miles. It was a 5 speed with a huge trunk and groovy windows. I loved that car. I was driving on route 6 to a showing in Orange County midway between Bear Mountain […]

OK, perhaps I’m being a tad dramatic, but this is a plea to all you anxious home sellers out there: Stop declining showings. I have been on both sides of this today, and in both cases the cost of the declined showing outweighed any benefit the seller might have perceived in passing on the appointment.   […]

Name: James XXXXX Email Address: unclejim@XXXX.com Subject: I am a cash buyer of short sales IP: XX.XX.XX Message: I am a cash buyer of short sale properties. I must deal with the listing agent and also be able to communicate directly with the property owner. If you are between me and the listing agent it will […]

CNNMoney has published a piece entitled It Doesn’t Pay to Remodel Your Home. Overall, I couldn’t agree more, and I have banged this drum for a while. Am I against home remodeling? Of course not. I am against the expectation that you’ll cash out handsomely in the current economy. One of the toughest jobs I have had […]

Making an offer in New York is different from most parts of the country because purchase and sale contracts are not prepared by agents, but by attorneys after agreement and inspections. Therefore, offers vary from nice clean memos with clear terms on company letterhead to a phone call. Memos are great. Emails are OK. Phone […]

I read the events in the local paper and my jaw keeps dropping.  Two 13 year old boys in Chappaqua had their bake sale stand shut down for not having a permit. The police officers who had to stop the little venture were very polite, but the parents were incensed, and eventually the local paper filed a Freedom of […]