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2011 Westchester Real Estate Market Wrap Up: Dead Cat Bounces and the New Normal

Month by month, I have watched the 2011 Westchester Real estate market in comparison to the same month in 2010 to see how we’d stack up. Would values rise? Would transaction totals improve? 2011 started out behind the curve compared to 2010, but my theory was that 2010 started out artificially high due to the […]
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Market Share: a Definition

What is market share in real estate? Market share could mean percentage of closed transactions in a given area. Market share could mean the percent of closed dollar volume in a given area.Market share could be the amount of inventory for sale in a given area. At around 11am today, market share took on a different […]
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Back to our Regularly Scheduled Programming

No one has asked me to, but I have taken down the post on the Hoax. I think I had a right to be critical of the way they handled this in Seattle, and I do think that we are owed an apology, but I also feel that the passions stirred are not going in […]
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Real Estate Transactions are Stressful Enough, Then Add Foreclosure *POP*

I remember the conversation like it was yesterday, even though it was 1997 or 1998. The typically sweet, warm and cordial client and I were discussing our next move on a purchase offer, and I was advising them against what struck me as making a rash response. “Well if you don’t agree, Phil,” she said […]
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The Little Things that Inspire

I have a conference all day in Manhattan tomorrow, so my Sunday was even busier than usual. At 9am I was at a kitchen table, discussing the next move for a new client. I seldom need “extra” motivation to get the job done for folks- I have 4 kids and a company to run. But […]
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A Good Sign of Progress

I’ll be the first person to admit that I do a crummy job of leveraging my database of past clients. We don’t have any regular communications like newsletters or emails, and that is a lost opportunity. The company will be 7 years old this June, and by that time I will have a good system […]
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ARE YOU USING “BANISHED” WORDS IN YOUR SALES OR MARKETING?

I am a huge fan of the Lake Superior State University Banished Words list. It is an annual survey of overused words and perusing past lists gives some insight into the pop culture of the time. Things like this really scratch that BA in English itch I get sometimes! Via Janet Jones, Kihei, Maui, Hawaii […]
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What Does $350,000 Buy in Yonkers?

What can you buy in Yonkers for $350,000? So glad you asked. I happen to have a fresh example of just such a home that closed earlier today for $350,000 right in Yonkers a stone’s throw from Bronxville. The property is a charming Tudor with loads of awesome, pre-war appointments like leaded glass windows, classic […]
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RE BarCamp Is in New York City January 9th!

My pals at the Lucky Strikers Social Media Club will be putting on the 2012 edition of Real Estate BarCamp this Monday, January 9th from 9am to 5 (ish) at Simple Studios at 134 w 29th St in Manhattan. If you are a licensee and have never been to a BarCamp, you should check it […]
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And it Felt Damn Good
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In 2012, I Will Sell a Home for US Veteran Facing Hardship Pro Bono

This past Memorial Day I wrote a post entitled Memorial Day 2011: Giving Back To a Veteran in Need. In it, I announced that my company would sell a home for a US service veteran facing hardship for zero commission. My father was a veteran of World War II and Korea, and I asked for […]
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State of J. Philip Real Estate, 2011 Edition

Another year has come and gone, and the real estate industry continues to plug along under the malaise of the housing downturn that has yet to hear the word “recovery” since the 2007 Sub Prime domino was the first to fall. Our firm was only 2 at that time, and we are still standing. Actually, […]
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Have You Noticed That Buyers Are More Nervous These Days?

I seldom reblog, but Doug’s post speaks to the nationwide crisis of confidence that the american consumer is experiencing. Doug is in Alexandria, Louisiana, about as different fom Westchester County as you’ll find. I lived in Louisiana in 1993-94 and it was a different world from New York, and indeed, much of the south as […]
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Wordless Wednesday: Foot Warmer
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If a New Home is Your 2012 Goal, Hire a Buyer Agent First

Christmas was not long in our rear view mirror when the calls started up again today. We love inquiries on our listings; that’s what we work for. However, there are calls, and then there are calls. I can tell with some calls that these folks are first time buyers and just starting out. You have to […]
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An Open Letter to Jamie Dimon – CEO J. P. Morgan Chase

Those of us who have short sales as part of our brokerage business can relate to Mike’s frustration. Short sales allow distressed sellers to leave their home with dignity, get a fresh start, and avoid foreclosure or bankruptcy. But that’s not the reason for banks to streamline the process. When a bank approves a hsort […]
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Wordless Wednesday: Triple Play Pics, Finally!
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“Do You Have an Office?”

It is always interesting to shift gears from figuring out a way to get my listings on page 1 of Google for certain hyper local keywords frequented by consumers in 2012 to a question straight from 1995. Specifically, I was contacted by someone whose house recently expired unsold and we discussed their options. As they […]
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The Rules of Engagement with Offers and Due Diligence

Perhaps my colleagues can relate to the following scenario: A buyer is interested in your listing. Their agent emails you a slew of questions, and you get all the answers. There might be one of those 2nd or 3rd showings where where half a dozen extended family members come by and stay for 90 minutes […]
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Hard Decision? No, Not Really.

Today was a first since I started my brokerage in mid 2005. I did something that I actually think more brokers and managers should do on occasion. I informed an agent that they would no longer be with our company. I fired someone. I’d love to say that it was difficult or that I was […]