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Wordless Wednesday: On the Brink…with Cheerleader
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“But That’s Not Capitalism”

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 […]
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Case-Shiller: We Aren’t Out of the Woods Yet

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 […]
Active Rain

Case-Shiller: We Aren’t Out of the Woods Yet

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 […]

Active Rain Wordless Wednesday: On the Brink…with Cheerleader

Active Rain “But That’s Not Capitalism” 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 […]

Active Rain Case-Shiller: We Aren’t Out of the Woods Yet 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 […]

Active Rain Case-Shiller: We Aren’t Out of the Woods Yet 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 […]

Active Rain Welcome to 40 Somethings! 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 […]

Active Rain New Group: 40 Somethings 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 […]

Active Rain Westchester Magazine: 52 Reasons to Love Westchester 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 […]

Active Rain The Day of Extremes I have listed two houses in a day before, but in 13 years I have never seen such contrast in a day. 10am: Listed a double wide mobile home in Middletown, NY for $39,900. 4pm: Listed a 3,500 square foot 6 bedroom English Tudor in New Rochelle for $975,000. Two different counties, two altogether different communities, and […]

Active Rain What is a Buyer’s Market Anyway? Now is a great time to buy real estate. I was quoted 3.75% on a 7/1 ARM today (great if you are putting a lot down and plan to move in 5 years or less), and 30 year fixed are getting deliciously close to 5%. The high inventory and low prices are all in the […]

Active Rain Debunking Short Sale Misinformation A home buyer found me on google and wanted to pick my brain about a short sale she was purchasing. She already had an accepted offer with her sister representing her as her buyer agent and wanted the opinion of a 3rd party with knowledge of the subject, and she found my blog. Evidently, the […]

Active Rain Helping Avoid Foreclosure in Philadelphia I may be in New York, but I know the exact Philadelphia neighborhood where the guy in this article in today’s NY Times lives. He’s in Frankford, off Roosevelt Boulevard, and about 10 blocks east of St Martin of Tours Catholic School. The City of Philadelphia has instituted a program that, while not perfect, is making a difference […]

Active Rain New Buyer Bill of Rights Passed! Did you hear? It was actually signed into law by President Bush but hasn’t been publicized much. However, I’m sure you’ve had buyers invoke their rights recently. A few highlights of the law: Buyers are allowed to refer to any kitchen or bathroom renovated prior to 2003 as “outdated.” In accordance with findings of […]

Active Rain Have We Lost our Compassion? By and large I am pretty convinced that most Active Rainers are a sensitive, compassionate crowd. I have read posts from REO brokers lamenting that they have to evict people around the holidays. I have read posts wringing their hands over ethical dilemmas because they wanted to do the right thing without a word spoken about “commission.” […]

Active Rain BE CAREFUL: Mixing Clients and Facebook There are two very good reasons to take extreme care in mixing clients and your Facebook friends. You may not want to grant certain people access, and you may see certain things you wish you hadn’t. First, the access thing. Recently, I posted about a client that I had to let go. I didn’t post […]

Active Rain Yet Another Thing for Sellers to Watch Out For It was a bizarre phone call this afternoon. The lady on the phone swore that her home had just come off the market with another broker, but I couldn’t find it on the MLS. I changed statuses, spellings of the address (1st? First?), and anything else I could think of. Nothing. The home is in […]

Active Rain 2 Ways to Kill the Sale of Your Home I can’t speak for every agent, but if I were your broker and I advised you to lower your price it is because you need to reduce your price. Most of my clients see the light; I’ve given them the market data as well as our showing and feedback logs. Some sellers don’t get it, […]

Active Rain How do You Define Success? Defining success is almost like talking politics or religion. Everyone has their own view. I gave it some thought last night, and here is what success means for me: You know what you are made of, you like what you see in the mirror, and you like what you do every day. Simple. Self knowledge, […]

Active Rain The Secret to Getting a Bidding War Do you want to get a bidding war going on your home, even in this slow market? Do you want to get multiple buyers, all competing against each other over your home, driving the price to tens of thousands above asking price? It can be done, you know. Is that what you want? Are you […]

Active Rain Sometimes it is Easy “Luck is when Opportunity meets Preparedness” -Branch Rickey After one of my more difficult meetings with a seller today, I had an appointment at a Yonkers condominium that had expired previously with another broker. Not long into out interview, the lady’s cell phone rang and she informed me that she was not actually the […]

Active Rain Tiffany Pratt: Rock Star First, a little Kipling. This is one of my favorite poems: If you can keep your head when all about youAre losing theirs and blaming it on you,If you can trust yourself when all men doubt youBut make allowance for their doubting too,If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,Or being lied about, […]