There is one rather immutable truth to real estate: if you write a commission check, you are at a closing table selling your property.  Which, I believe, is the point. Closing.  Often, when listing a For Sale By Owner (most end up listing), I am asked what happens if someone who expressed interest while the home was […]

I know I’ll hear dissent on this post, but it is my belief that the buyer agent (or listing for that matter) attending an appraisal is a waste of time in most cases. I have had situations where the borrower themselves wanted to go, and after they were ignored by the appraiser, who left 10 minutes after arrival, they […]

  This is the market data for September of 2010 for single family homes in Peekskill, and all information is sourced from the Westchester-Putnam MLS.   There was nowhere to go but up after a very poor August, and we may be looking at a “new normal” for this charming little city on the Hudson. […]

Your business IS our business if you wish to do business.  Buyers in today’s market are in many ways in the driver’s seat in the purchase of real estate. However, they answer to a lender prior to closing, and in the case of cooperatives in New York, they also have to pass the board application […]

Here’s one from the other side of the closing table, where I represented buyers on a 5-month odyssey to purchase a short sale in Yonkers. It made me appreciate the waiting game that buyers must endure, and how valuable status updates are to home purchasers of a short sale in order to stay engaged and committed to […]

Yonkers is the largest city in Westchester County with a population hovering near 200,000. It borders the Bronx to the south, Mt Vernon and Bronxville to the east, and Hastings and Scarsdale to the north. It has some fantastic Hudson waterfront all along the western border. It is also the former home of my parents, […]

I got an email this morning from a well meaning associate about a draconian tax on real estate transactions supposedly due to start in 2013, and of course the editorial message of the email decries President Obama, Speaker of the House Pelosi, Harry Reid,and the rest of the Democratic leadership. The email has an image of a […]

I still love helping buyers. I don’t do it as much as I used to because I am running the company and most buyer requests are given to my very good team of agents who give great service. Our buyers get their own Listingbook account for MLS home searches, automatic email updates when a home […]

What can you buy in different parts of Westchester County for half a million? Interesting question. I did a survey of closed transactions around the county in the past 30 days, and what I found speaks to the different characters of the many areas of our fair county. Bear in mind that these are closed […]

This is for single family home activity in the Briarcliff Manor school district for September of 2010. All information is derived from the Westchester-Putnam Multiple Listing Service.  Compared to June 2009, Briarcliff Manor sales volume is about even. Transactions are down one, and median price is down about 2%. 10 Homes are under contract, which indicates […]

This market report is for single family home activity in the Ossining school district for September of 2010. All information is derived from the Westchester-Putnam Multiple Listing Service.  In the wake of last month’s encouraging numbers, this September was way down from September of 2009. Sales are down by 40% and the median price tumbled $65,000. Not […]

In general, I love being number one. In 2007, I was the top ranked agent in the Westchester Putnam MLS for single family home closings. I was very proud. I also won a high school wrestling tournament my senior year of high school. Very gratifying. Westchester County is also number one in the USA in something, but […]

Realizing that they cannot ruin lives without, um, following the law, Chase has joined GMAC in suspending foreclosures while they sort out what has become regarded by Inman News as the “robo signing controversy.” Governing agencies have criticized the large lenders for sloppy procedures in pursuing foreclosures, requiring them to audit their files and make […]

The “Real Estate as an Investment” Canard

Paul Crego, my original broker and mentor, called costly mistakes “tuition in life.” Maybe he knew that spin was far more empowering than my own on my goofs. He had another turn of the phrase when not such good things happened, and that was “now you are in the real estate business,” as if those occurrence were […]

Two items of significance today: I have a closing at 1pm. This is very pleasing to my wife, who attaches importance to having funds in the company operating account.  Regarding the wife: Nine years ago today, Ann showed up. For our wedding. This was something that at the time was not an absolute certainty, as she had […]

I was first licensed in Rochester, New York in 1996. I remember receiving a paper memo from my mentor about what tools I’d need to start my career. Just the fact that it was a paper memo speaks volumes. Among the things needed: Beeper Voicemail account 3-ring binder Plastic sleeves for the listing presentation Day planner Copy […]

Earlier this morning, Margaret Rome called me and we had a very nice conversation about the business. I emailed her after she commented on a post and she picked up the phone to reach out and speak in person. We had never met prior, so it was unexpected and completely out of the blue. Margaret just wanted […]