This is a photo of a recent lunch I took clients to after we closed on their property in Astoria, New York. I sold the house myself. The clients are Bill and Sam Runyon, and I have known Bill since about 1990 when I lived in Philadelphia after college. Bill was the stepfather of my […]

In two separate cases recently, I have had agents in my company attempt to list a home and lose the decision to another broker who promised a lower commission. In both cases, the homes were very expensive, and the homeowners justified their decisions based on how much they’d save if they paid 1% less in […]

I have had a number of discussions with home owners lately where they make a reference to the “market value” of their home, as in “well, the market value of my home is $500,000, so I won’t take that $475,000 offer.” This is faulty logic. The market value of a home is not some figure published somewhere. […]

I may have contributed to a small controversy yesterday when I suggested Alex Chang’s Placing all your online focus on Google SEO today…is like betting on Yahoo! 5 years ago for a feature. I’m probably not the only one who flagged the post, but it did start a “Google vs Facebook” debate which is probably the biggest non sequitor […]

Peekskill is one of the older River towns in Westchester County. I have blogged about Peekskill before, and I have done quite a bit of business there. It is by far the northernmost city in Westchester county, and in addition to being affordable, the quality of life there seems to improve by the week. This […]

I like White Plains. It is the county seat of Westchester, has a great downtown, lots of pretty pre war buildings, and for some reason, even though I am over here in Briarcliff, I sell a lot of houses there. I have 2 deals going as I write this.  It has several sections, such as North […]

Croton on Hudson is a charming village located in northwest Westchester County in the town of Cortlandt.  This market report is for single family homes in the Croton-Harmon school district, which is not coterminous with the village but is close.  All information is from the Westchester Putnam Multiple Listing Service.  Prices are up considerably in Croton, […]

While compiling the May 2010 market data for Briarcliff Manor and Pleasantville, two of my favorite places, I found an interesting thing.  Nothing sold in May. In either place. Granted, neither is a teeming metropolis, but nothing is , well, nothing. What does it mean? I’ll tell you.  Nothing. It means nothing. Well, maybe something: June will be a […]

The town of Yorktown is located in northern Westchester County, and is primarily split into the Yorktown and Lakeland school districts, with small areas located in the Croton and Ossining districts. All information is from the Westchester Putnam Multiple Listing Service.  Yorktown saw an increase in median price for May 2010 compared to May 2009 […]

Located in northwest Westchester County, the Hendrick Hudson School district is in the town of Cortlandt and encompasses parts of Croton, Cortlandt Manor, Peekskill, and all of Montrose, Verplanck and Buchanan. All information is from the Westchester Putnam Multiple Listing Service.  The district mirrors the uptick in activity and price for May 2010 compared to […]

This past week I had a day where the schedule actually allowed me take both Mark and Catherine with me to work. Mark was early in the day, and Catherine rode with me after school. It was the first time in a long time I was able to acquiesce to my her almost daily beg […]

Last time I looked, there are over 650 Active Rain members who are based in Westchester County. They include real estate brokers, agents, lenders, appraisers, inspectors, and many other real estate related endeavors.   Westchester County has close to 50 municipalities, about 1 million residents, almost 7000 licensed agents, and a diverse community, ranging from cities to […]

I belong or have belonged to the Greater Rochester Association of Realtors (GRAR), the Long Island Board of Realtors (LIBOR), Orange County Association of Realtors (OCAR) and MLS systems in Connecticut, the Hudson Valley and all through Metro New York spanning over one dozen counties or boroughs in 2 states. In my experience, the professionalism of Westchester […]

Jonathan Washburn has written a very good oath for licensees to aspire to, and, being the mischievous imp that I am, I have a few modest suggestions of my own to “raise the bar.”  I will limit my voice mail greeting to 20 seconds or less, and if I do not, I will tell you what button to press […]

I occasionally have clients who don’t have or have not committed to an inspector, attorney or mortgage company. They often ask me for a referral, which I happily give. I recommend good, experienced, local industry professionals who serve the clients well.  Upon occasion, the clients go their own route, with varying degrees of success. Sometimes it is fine, and […]

$500,000 can buy a great end unit 3 bedroom, 2.5 bath condo in the Scarborough Glen complex like the one we just closed on. As described in the MLS: Neat and clean Carlisle end unit with gleaming hardwoods and a beautiful rear view! Boasts a gas fireplace, sliders to the rear deck overlooking woods and […]

According to the Westchester-Putnam MLS, the market for single family homes in Westchester is getting healthier. Consider the following: In 2009, 217 single family homes sold at a median price of $568,000. In 2010, 279 homes sold at a median price of $610,000. That is an increase in median price of 7.4% and an increase […]

This is for single family home activity in the Ossining school district for May of 2010. All information is derived from the Westchester-Putnam Multiple Listing Service.  The numbers are far better for May 2010 than they were in May 2009 for Ossining. In May 2009, there were 9 sales at a median price of $380,000. Therefore, the […]

New York does not have one MLS (I belong to 7) and some of the localized practices strike me as a little crazy. Here is a list of selected silliness from some of the numerous market areas. Some are the agents themselves, some are actual policy.    In Dutchess County, the Mid-Hudson MLS publishes square […]

“We sleep safe in our beds because rough men stand ready in the night to visit violence on those who would do us harm.” -George Orwell On this Memorial Day, I would like to say “thank you” to the following people: My grandfather, Ivan Post, for serving in the first World War in France and […]