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 […]

Groups and Channels and Categories Oh My Unless you are already making too much money, the name of the game with this blogging thing is to get found. If you want readers to find you, you need to maximize your exposure. Often, I find blog postings that are fantastic but under read, not because they […]

How not to price your home: Take your mortgage balance. Add your credit cards. Throw in your cars. Add a generous portion of all the money you borrowed from relatives.  Pile on your down payment for that other house you have your eye on. Last but not least, give yourself an extra 50 grand just […]

Can someone second the motion? Isn’t it high time we can access Active Rain from our mobile phone? I can get the NY Post for goodness sake. It shouldn’t be that hard- it is a mostly text site anyway. Well, powers that be? what say you? sent from my mobile phone

The following was posted on the Mid Hudson MLS recently: SECURITY WARNING   Yesterday a home was robbed of cash and jewelry during an open house in the town of Poughkeepsie. Two woman entered a home and while one occupied the agent the other committed the crime. PLEASE! PLEASE! PLEASE! establish office policies that protect […]

Well, on reaching 100,000 points I was invited here to the Silver Star HOF by Kathy Clulow and here I am. $100,880 points ago I began blogging here, not to earn points or money, and not even to make friends, but to vent. I already had a WordPress blog, and I didn’t have any time anyway. I […]

Happy Thanksgiving to all who read this. I hope the holidays bring you peace and abundance, and may 2010 be filled with health, happiness and prosperity. 2009 has been a challenge, and my experiences with many of you have made the year easier. For that I am truly thankful.   

I should eclipse 100,000 points with this post, exactly a year after I began blogging in earnest. While I’ve certainly had my light periods, in the past 12 months I’ve made some good friends and made money as well. How has Active Rain helped me to get “found?” Let me count the ways:   Appeared […]

As happy as most of us seem that the housing stimulus was extended, I have heard and read a number of individuals express an opinion to the contrary. There are two main objections to the stimulus, and both are, in my view, fallacious. Let me preface my words by stating I am a free market […]

Originally posted 11/24/09 on Active Rain According to today’s Standard & Poor’s/Case-Shiller home price index, US home prices remain unsteady with more declines expected in some areas. Of the 20 areas examined, almost half experienced falling prices, including New York. While this is not good news, it is news and should be interpreted by our profession (and trade […]

According to today’s Standard & Poor’s/Case-Shiller home price index, US home prices remain unsteady with more declines expected in some areas. Of the 20 areas examined, almost half experienced falling prices, including New York. While this is not good news, it is news and should be interpreted by our profession (and trade organizations) without rose colored glasses. You […]

Welcome to 40 Somethings, the group for anyone in their 40’s in body or mind. Feel free to post anything a Forty Something can relate to. It can be content that is business or life related, so your thoughts on your aching back, unpredictable teenager or curmudgeonly in-laws are as topical as your latest buyer, seller or listing experience. You don’t have to […]

In between Gatorade and Geritol, there is a s strange in-between world that isn’t young but sure isn’t old. Being 40 something puts you in a multi tasking generation, in between your own kids and your aging parents, all while building your career in real estate. Remember when forty was old? Can’t get your mind […]

We often give clients a subscription to Westchester Magazine after they close on their home. The publication comes out monthly and does a good job of selling the county (and a great job of selling cosmetic surgery). 52 Reasons to Love Westchester is this month’s cover story, and here are a few of my favorites. My yapping is […]