There is an article in today’s NY Times asking the old question of whether using a broker is right for some home sellers. The piece invited comments, and I shared my thoughts. I’ll adapt them for this post.  I am a broker who does business in Nyack, where the first two homes in the report […]

Given the number of blogs on the difficulties agents experience on short sales, I thought I’d take another shot at a canard that banks are now using to justify more delays, and that is the following: “The investor is reviewing the file.” This is typically followed by 60 days of nothing.  Now, I don’t argue […]

Today is the 5th birthday of Gregory, our 3rd Treasure. Gregory is on the spectrum for Autism, and attends a special school with an extensive ABA (applied behavioral analysis) program. It has help him enormously. He is great with eye contact, affection, and being “there.” We are still working on boundaries, executive functions, and meaningful speech.  Gregory […]

When I graduated college in 1989 (ouch), I decided that I wanted to follow my older brother in sales. So, I interviewed insurance companies and financial planning firms, only to find that I was ill-suited to that industry. I was advised to make a list of my 100 closest friends and relatives and tell them I was […]

One of the great neighborhoods in Ossining is known as the Indian Village. All of the streets have tribal names, such as Mohawk and Seneca Roads. I happened to grow up on Osage Drive. Although most of the streets are pre war, the majority of the homes are baby-boom era housing. In that respect the […]

I’ve got Croton on Hudson on the mind lately. It isn’t because my older brother has lived there for 30 years or because I camped at Croton Point Park as a young scout dozens of times. It could be because the only Bed and Breakfast in all of Westchester County is here, or maybe the […]

                 

Terms are often overlooked because people are so preoccupied with price in this economy. However, they are, in many cases, just as important as price. I often have buyers question what difference the size of their down payment makes to the seller, since the money is just as green if it comes from the lender […]

Peekskill, NY now has a wonderful Dog Park! Opened October 31, 2009, the project was started by Peekskill homeowner (and dog owner) Michael Sellers, who devoted a year and a half to getting the city to dedicate unused park land to the project. The park now has a board of directors, a terrific website with […]

If this isn’t protocol already, it should be. If you are an agent with a buyer interested in a listing, by far the best way to get their questions answered is to email the listing agent. There are many reasons to do this, not the least of which is that you’ll get answers in writing, […]

I grew up in Ossining and still reside in the Ossining school district. Ossining is the fictional home of the Draper Family from the AMC Series Mad Men, and is also home of both Sing Sing Prison (the origin of the phrase “up the river” from the old gangster movies) and Maryknoll Catholic Mission. It […]

I have blogged about Croton on Hudson previously. Croton is a beautiful river village just about an hour north of Manhattan by train, and is a popular commuting point. I spent much of my youth there, as my older brother and his family have resided there since about 1980.  Of the 42 single homes sales […]

I suppose I should have blogged earlier about an article published last month, but when the subject property has been vacant since 1966 it seems only right. IN my experience, the most enigmatic downtown area in all of Westchester County is that of my own hometown of Ossining, NY. It has been punctuated by old, derelict and […]

From today’s NY Times: Houston is the Largest City to Elect an Openly Gay Mayor My hometown of Ossining (pop: 29,000) also has an openly gay mayor and was one of the first municipalities to elect one. This is a tremendous step forward for everyone, gay and straight, as we progress toward a better, hate-free […]

After 3 days away this week there is nothing like being back home. My kids, my wife, my dog. Ann’s chicken thingies with the bread crumbs. Yummy. Last night was the first really cold night of the season, so I lit a good fire.  I have to say that my fireplace is one of my […]

From my humor consultant, Tiffany Pratt: Question: Why are there so many toxic waste dumps in New Jersey and so many lawyers in New York? Answer: New Jersey got to pick first.  I love that one. 

I got the following email today:    Dear Customer, This is the reminder note to let you know that your order at <company> is almost two years old. Your order Reference I.D.# 100-9113361 will be automatically deleted in 10 business days. We want to let you know in case you plan to re-order a product […]

The Good Faith Estimate (GFE) is among the most important documents in your life in my view. When you apply for a mortgage, you have to, by law, be given one, and it is aptly named- it is an estimate of the costs associated with your mortgage, itemized and estimated, deemed in good faith to be […]

Let me preface my remarks by stating that when I act as a buyer agent I truly enjoy negotiating the best deal I can for my buyers. But make no mistake; we make a deal. I’ll explain after I list a few examples of what I don’t mean: On a $450,000 listing, an offer of […]