You would think that all the stuff published by financial advice websites would have some consumers more educated about the role of real estate agents, especially in the case of a short sale. They don’t. I have to educate many who reach out to me and set them straight on certain ideas in their head that they […]

Often, good service can be distinguished by what it isn’t. I am in a service industry, and my bones are made based on my communication, responsiveness, ability to troubleshoot, and getting the job done. All of this melds together for the currency of any good business, which is good will. I’m sure you could add […]

Every so often, I have a listing celebrate an anniversary. I hate anniversaries. No broker wants to have a listing that doesn’t sell for a year. Every year-old listing has a story of old offers they regret not accepting and a journey of chasing the market. Recently, I had a year-old client dismiss my recommendation […]

I had the opportunity to attend a Yankee game the other day with a fellow broker owner (we don’t all hate each other) at the New Yankee Stadium. We took the brand new Metro North Hudson line down from Croton on Hudson and arrived in about 40 minutes. The stop was a long time coming […]

The old joke goes something like this: The Engineering major asks “how shall we build it?” The Business major asks “how much will it cost to build it?” The English major asks “Do you want fries with that?” Since graduating college with a BA in English, I get kidded about the fact that my degree […]

This is for single family home activity in the Ossining school district for June of 2010. All information is derived from the Westchester-Putnam Multiple Listing Service.  The numbers are far better for June 2010 than they were in June 2009 for Ossining. In May 2009, there were 13 sales at a median price of $410,000. Therefore, the […]

This is for single family home activity in the Pleasantville school district for June of 2010. All information is derived from the Westchester-Putnam Multiple Listing Service. I blogged last month about the anomaly of no May sales in Briarcliff or Pleasantville, and true to  my expectation sales recovered strongly in Pleasantville in June. Compared to June 2009, Pleasantville sales volume […]

This is for single family home activity in the Briarcliff Manor school district for June of 2010. All information is derived from the Westchester-Putnam Multiple Listing Service. I blogged last month about the anomaly of no May sales in Briarcliff or Pleasantville, and true to  my expectation sales roared back in June. Compared to June 2009, Briarcliff Manor sales volume more […]

About a year ago, while driving a client and her toddler up from Manhattan around Westchester looking at homes, I got a flat tire on North Avenue in New Rochelle. This is not a welcome occurrence for obvious reasons, but North Avenue is also very busy. As I began to put my car in jacks, several workers […]

I had a nice day yesterday at my 84-year old uncle’s home in Connecticut. He was a graphic artist in New York City for decades and had a chance to rub elbows with some very big names. He had a penchant for that; as an adolescent he caddied a number of times for Babe Ruth (excellent tipper; […]

The following email thread is cut and pasted with the address redacted. I left the “reputable” guy’s name etc be, since he’s so reputable and ethical. For the record, a Google search of the two companies yield only their web pages, and although the author claims to be in business for 6 years, the Better […]

This post is inspired by Mark Boyd’s thoughts on short sales. I don’t understand why agents say no to business they are perfectly capable of handling (or referring). Mark’s beef is with short sales, and having done plenty, I agree. I would also add rentals to the mix. I often hear agents say they don’t […]

I have blogged about the Ossining reservoir before. I grew up a block away and rode my bike around it when it was an overgrown mess. It was rededicated as a park about 10 years ago. It was mentioned in the TV series Mad Men, as the Drapers live in Ossining in that program. I […]

 

I suppose I could title this “for spouses,” but having never been a wife I felt it best to come from my perspective as a husband.  It is not easy being married to a real estate licensee. We aren’t just on straight commission; what we go through for that commission typically takes months and often […]

The Edgemont is a co op apartment complex located at 370 and 372 Central Park Avenue in Scarsdale, NY. It is served by the Edgemont School District and receives municipal services from the Town of Greenburgh. Amenities in the complex include a beautiful inground swimming pool, a children’s playground, and a fitness room. Every apartment gets one parking spot, and a […]

I appreciated Michael Thornton’s thoughts on featured blogs and the many great blogs out there that seldom or never have shown up on the dashboard. Sadly, some people who write great stuff have stopped their efforts on Active Rain, and it could be that they were discouraged by a lack of recognition. As much as […]

Parts of the Bronx and Queens have been deemed by NY Secretary of State to be “cease and desist” zones where it is unlawful for real estate licensees to make phone calls, mail flyers or engage in any other activity soliciting business. This is far more wide a prohibition than a Do Not Call list. It is […]

With so much being written on Facebook, Twitter and other social media’s real estate applications, many people are choosing different camps. You have those who embrace social media, many of whom are deriving business from it, and then there are those who are either skeptical or prefer in their words, to separate business and personal. I see […]