Here in New York just about every buyer north of New York City working with brokerage uses a buyer agent. It just makes sense; the seller has an advocate in the listing agent looking out for them, so buyers should have the same advantage in the largest transaction of their life. Moreover, it almost never […]

I sent a buyer client a Dear John letter this evening, and it was sent with a heavy heart. I have been working with this couple on and off for 2 years now and after this afternoon I realized it was time to tell them I cannot help them. To paraphrase Abe Lincoln, a real […]

****Caution: Bragging Father Alert******* One of the neat things about parenthood is seeing your son or daughter do well at something, especially if it is unexpected. This morning our oldest son had to put in a shift, in the rain, at the local grocery for a cub scout fundraiser. They had a table set up […]

I have a listing that is a “mystery.” Nice house, aggressive price, well exposed location, and no deal. We’ve had two offers, but neither went together. One factoid: I get more lawn sign calls on this property than any other. What to do?  Hold an open house? Are you crazy? I HATE open houses. An open […]

I just listed the sweetest property in White Plains tonight. I was very jazzed to enter it on the MLS when I was reminded that I cannot. The Westchester-Putnam MLS has been down all day.   At first we scrambled to the ledger to make sure we didn’t miss paying a bill. We didn’t miss […]

Having lived in Rochester, Austin, Philadelphia, New Jersey, Boston and Maryland, I am sometimes curious about those markets. I do have the occasional pipe dream about getting a condo in Center City Philadelphia or vacation home outside Rochester. Until now, my only option was Realtor.com. Now, consumers and licensees alike can find the official public […]

I have been meaning to write about this for quite a while, and two recent incidents have moved me to do so. While inspecting the basement of an older home, I saw old furnace pipe insulation that was probably asbestos. When I pointed this out to the homeowner, he said “Oh, that isn’t asbestos,” and […]

   

It seems that anything the New York Times writes about suddenly becomes the fab new trend. Renting is now the chic thing in New York City. The upshot of the article is that renting is simpler, often cheaper, and has far fewer headaches. While one of the people interviewed did get a little misty eyed […]

Feedback.  Feedback feedback feedback.  Sellers want feedback. Listing agents want feedback. I’ve been out showing homes to people and had listing agents call me while I was still with the buyer for a showing 30 minutes prior and ask for it. I have sellers who have literally asked “Did they like it? Did they like […]

Many of my colleagues believe that a for sale by owner (FSBO) wants to eat their young, draw and quarter real estate agents, and own a broom with a glove compartment. My experience is that few do. FSBOs are not a different species. Consider this: Home Depot sold tens of thousands of drills in recent […]

“I don’t care to belong to any club that will have me as a member”- Groucho Marx In either a sign of the Apocalypse, recognition from my peers or a little of both, it is official: the 2010 Westchester-Putnam MLS board of directors will include me as a Vice President.  Although the term does not […]

My wife and I don’t have a horse in this race, but I recall in my childhood in the 70’s that everyone in my neighborhood had a clothesline. Most of my neighbors used them. Ann grew up in an apartment in which many people dried their clothes on their terrace, but that was forbidden when […]

In 1955, Dwight Eisenhower was president, the Dodgers were in Brooklyn, and there were 48 states in the Union. My parents were married only 5 years, and just 2 of their 4 sons were born. I wasn’t on the scene until 1967.  In 2009, Dwight Eisenhower is gone 40 years. The Dodgers have been out […]

I recently closed on a co op purchase with a young couple that reminded me of the silliness that most co op board approvals really are. This couple had nothing to worry about- both were professionals and graduates of one of the most highly regarded universities in America, and believe me when I tell you […]

As happy as I’ll be when the day comes that I don’t have to do anymore short sales, the fact is that I am in the midst of several. And even though the public by and large understands what short sales are about now more than they did 2 years ago, questions remain, such as how to […]

The one thing I have in common with George Costanza is that sometimes I think of the perfect comeback or response about 15 minutes after I could have used it. This happened just recently, when I was asked to take a look at a house on a street where the last sale 2 years ago […]

Most consumers sort of understand how real estate works. These days, if they see a home they are interested in, they’ll contact their buyer agent and have them arrange a showing. If that is THE place, that agent writes the offer, guides the transaction, and gets paid at closing. It is an uncomplicated process, and […]

If you are a fan of the AMC series Mad Men, you probably know by now that Don and Betty Draper live in Ossining, NY. I am from Ossining. I remember first hearing Betty mention Ossining and thinking how neat that was, but now each episode this season is almost surreal. The producers clearly have […]

I am a big proponent of taking a child to work to see how their mom or dad works. Sometimes, the child will even emulate their parents and become more task oriented afterward. Here, Mark clearly demonstrates how impressed he is with his Daddy.