With the economy in decline and the housing market more so, real estate agents are leaving the industry. This is first and foremost a sad thing for anyone who loses a job or has a business fail; I never like to see anyone suffer or have financial problems. Overall, however, there is a silver lining […]

J. Philip Faranda | J. Philip Real Estate LLC | 914-762-2500 15 Orchard, Putnam Valley, NY Mint Floradan Estates Ranch 2BR/1BA Single Family House offered at $225,000 Year Built 1950 Sq Footage 1,016 Bedrooms 2 Bathrooms 1 full, 0 partial Floors 1 Parking Unspecified Lot Size .23 acres HOA/Maint $145 per month DESCRIPTION ——————————————————————————– Lovely […]

J. Philip Faranda | J. Philip Real Estate LLC | 914-762-2500 1001 Brentwood, Tarrytown, NY Rare 4 Bedroom Watch Hill Townhome 4BR/2.5BA Single Family House offered at $575,000 Year Built 1995 Sq Footage 2,421 Bedrooms 4 Bathrooms 2 full, 1 partial Floors 2 Parking Unspecified Lot Size .06 acres HOA/Maint $175 per month see additional […]

J. Philip Faranda | J. Philip Real Estate LLC | 914-762-2500 1124 Frost Lane, Peekskill, NY 4 Bedroom 2 bath Cape on a Double Lot 4BR/2BA Single Family House offered at $395,000 Year Built 1955 Sq Footage 1,500 Bedrooms 4 Bathrooms 2 full, 0 partial Floors 2 Parking 1 Car garage Lot Size .31 acres […]

I don’t know what the full story is, and we’ll perhaps never know, but Caroline Kennedy has withdrawn from consideration to replace Hillary Clinton as a New York Senator.  My money is on the idea that once Caroline Kennedy found out that she wasn’t Gov. Patterson’s choice for NY Senator, she took her ball and went […]

My last post mentioned the importance of having a Unique Selling Proposition, or a characteristic that sets you apart from the competition. Having a USP that you can explain in under a minute is more effective than a 30 minute listing presentation with all the bells and whistles. One of the comments stated that having […]

This post is not directed toward my respected colleagues who have posted recently on listings they failed to get, or clients they couldn’t convert. Those people are no strangers to rejection but they are also extremely well -acquainted with success. This is for those of you who have made 10 consecutive listing appointments and come […]

If I want to read spam, I can read my junk folder. I can blog anywhere; I blog on Active Rain in part because I feel my expertise and presence will be appreciated by my colleagues and that will yield some referrals. Overall this is a very vital and enriching community. Except for the referral […]

Full disclosure: I did not vote for Barack Obama. However, he won the election, he is my president, and I wish him well; the better he does, the better it is for us all. Even though Mr. Obama did not get my vote last November, he has my respect. I am 41. I never thought […]

The reports of our demise seem premature. Even in this horrendous economy, there is no groundswell, grass roots change from traditional brokerage to virtual office, online, discount/FSBO brokerage despite the chatter to the contrary. Contrast that with the almost overnight decimation of stock brokerage and travel. The Internet hammered those professions, yet, as Active Rain and […]

Buying any foreclosure is tricky, and a short sale is probably the longest process. Is purchasing a short sale right for you? Perhaps you rent in Westchester, Rockland, Putnam or Dutchess and are considering a short sale purchase in one of those areas. Here are some things you ought to know: You can’t be in a […]

Chesley Sullenberger is the pilot who saved all aboard yesterday’s Flight 1549, which you have no doubt seen and read about by now. The local news calls it the “Miracle on the Hudson” and I agree. The man  faced a freak occurrence, made a life or death decision, warned the people, exercised heroic skill, and […]

CLICK TO VIEW LISTING WEBSITE Description and Features If you can’t make your mortgage payments and owe more than what you owe, we have a proven solution. J. Philip Real Estate specializes in helping our clients avoid foreclosure and deficiency judgements by brokering a SHORT SALE. We can negotiate a lower payoff with your lender […]

I overheard an agent recently lamenting the difficulty of a short sale they had listed. They couldn’t reach anyone at the lender, they were unsure of how to handle a somewhat tricky issue with the file, and they wished it were easier. Nobody in their office was helping them, and they doubted a competitor would either.  Think about that […]

In some markets, people who only borrowed 80% of their home’s value are waking up to the fact that they actually have no equity. It is happening in all communities- Yonkers, Yorktown, Scarsdale, Somers, White Plains, Wappinger Falls, you name it. No demographic, neighborhood or school district is immune from the ripple effect of the […]

I relate to people that bought a house in the boom, spent thousands improving it, and then are told that it is worth the same or less than the price they paid, even with the improvements. Very discouraging stuff. What sellers need to realize, however, is that home buyers today are not buying roofs, windows, bathrooms or […]

I will be the first to say that staging is important. A home should be tidy, well-kept, and laid out in an sensible way. There are lots of simple things people can do to raise their appeal- scented candles, clearing off kitchen counters, removing unneeded furniture, and TURNING ON THE LIGHTS (pet peeve of mine. Hard […]

The stereotypical view of people who face foreclosure is that they are irresponsible or unintelligent. But sometimes, they are good, intelligent professionals who have had bad things happen. My own older brother, a Cornell alum, lost his house in the early 90’s due to illness. One couple I listed was in similarly bad circumstances. She […]

Some transactions stay with you your whole life. This occurred almost 2 years ago and seems like it was last week. The clients lived in Orange County, an exurb of NYC about 40 minutes north of White Plains. They were desperate, and their situation was compelling. First, they were restoring an older Georgian. Even in […]

If you’ve ever arrived at a closing and been informed that your commission was being disputed, withheld, or otherwise not being paid, you’ll appreciate New York State’s newly-minted Commission Escrow Act.  It requires the commission money to be deposited in escrow with the county clerk pending resolution. The great thing about this law is the certainty of getting […]