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 […]

Two weeks ago a colleague asked me about Triple Play. I had no idea what he was talking about. Triple Play, he explained, is a convention put on jointly for NAR members from Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York, held in Atlantic City. I’m not a big convention guy, but I checked it out. The […]

I’m not the first to lament what stupid things some agents do to tarnish our profession. Incompetence, malfeasance, shoddy standards and putting their own needs ahead of the client’s have been well documented. It isn’t much fun being the first licensee the person speaks with after a bad experience with their last agent.  Earlier this evening […]

10 McDougal Lane in Cortlandt Manor closed Friday, December 4. I listed it September 5, we had 2 offers by mid October, and it went under contract  10/31. The buyers went FHA, so it was a little bit of a wait from there. This is not to pat myself on the back, but rather to […]

I have been on both sides of an offer in multiple offer situations. Whether I am the listing agent or buyer agent I often see buyers view the news of multiple offers with incredulity. More often than not, they just don’t believe it. If they think that the news is just a trick to get […]

After a mild autumn, a light snowfall has covered Westchester County. Like most of Westchester, Briarcliff is already quite pretty, so seeing it covered with snow adds to the beauty. We have friends in from out of town, so it is actually kind of idyllic. Kevin Crego, my old college roomie at Villanova just arrived […]

This was a video taken at my house after Thanksgiving dinner (and before dessert) by my older brother Tom. Clearly, my children have mastered the art of saying “cheese” when they see a camera. The oldest of our 4, Luke, makes only a brief appearance for some reason because he was preoccupied with some project. […]

Here’s one we don’t often ask: When an agent has a closing, how long before they get paid their commission? The reasons I ask is this: when one of my agents brings in a check, I pay them. I know some places they wait until the check clears, but that is really not a big […]

10. Oh, I was just about to call you (after 3 days of voicemails) 9. We’ve had 3 offers higher than yours and we said no to all of them. 8. I’ve been in the business for 35 years and… 7. Let’s just let the lawyers deal with it. 6. I can get them to […]

Home sales rose almost 10% in Westchester County this October compared to last October while the median price remained almost exactly the same at $575,000. The average (mean) sale price actually rose by $10,000. How can this be? How could prices remain steady yet the number of sales actually rise? Is Westchester that insulated from […]

10 years ago, during Thanksgiving week of 1999, I went on a lunch date. It went pretty well; we said goodbye at 1:30… AM. I lived upstate in Rochester at the time and she was in Queens, so by June of 2000 I was back home in Westchester to be closer to her. In December […]