Gregory is our 5-year old. He is on the spectrum for autism, and this is one of his mother’s and my greatest challenges. Last year Gregory learned to climb the rear yard fence, which caused quite a scare the first time it happened. I found him in the park a block away, happily playing on the jungle gym. The moments between discovering he was missing and finding him were among the worst I have ever experienced. We therefore have to keep an eye on him 100% of the time. It comes with the territory. He has wanderlust, and no sense of boundaries yet. 

Max is our German Shepherd. He is a purebred I rescued in late 2008. The story was that the family that had him didn’t think that a German Shepherd would mix with their new baby. Their loss, my gain. However, he was 9 months old when I brought him home, and didn’t know his own strength. It took some getting used to, especially for Ann. I don’t blame her. She has her hands full as the mother of 4, one on the spectrum, and helping me with the business. 

Since he came to us, there has been more of a tolerant detente than affection between Mommy and Max. I had a Shepherd as a child, and knew Max would be wonderful, but it has been a process. 

Yesterday we finally had the breakthrough. I was out, and Ann came into the kitchen to see the rear door ajar. It couldn’t be; she locked it so Gregory would remain safe inside, but the stool next to the open door told the story. Our crafty son figured out the lock. Ann ran to the door, and, to her relief, saw Gregory contentedly playing in the dirt.

And next to him, like a sphinx, was Max, watching our son closely. As she described it, when Gregory got up and moved, Max moved with him. Max got some serious praise from Mommy right then, and then returned to Gregory’s side, looking back at Ann, then Gregory, as if he were putting it all together.

The way to a Mother’s heart is through her children. Now, a wet lick or tuft of hair is no big deal in our home. Max earned his stripes, and I am still getting used to my wife smiling at (and being mushy with) the dog. 

One of the things we all dread in a transaction is an 11th-hour problem that delays or cancels a closing until it is solved. It could be a certificate of occupancy for a deck or addition, an open permit, or an unknown lien. When these things are discovered, it causes mad scrambles to get the code inspector out to sign off, an expensive rate lock extension, or dicey living arrangements for people who have given notice to a landlord, just to name a few problems. However, the stakes are now even higher: it could cost the buyer their $8,000 tax credit.

If you are purchasing a home right now, you should make sure that the title report is run and that the building department file is checked. That way, you then have 75 days from today to handle any problems that may exist on the compliance or title of the property. Often, if there is an illegal deck or bath, you need time to apply, file applications, draw plans, get or close permits, or get the town inspector out without delaying the closing past June 30th. These things take time to address, and there may well be a glut of last minute issues all over your market area, with municipalities ill-equipped to handle a rush or spike in activity. 

In a perfect world, listing brokers would check compliance and title prior to listing a property, and buyer agents would double check assessor cards as part of their jobs as well. However, all too often they don’t. And it could cause a delay that extends the transaction past June 30th. 

Forewarned in forearmed. Run title early. Check out that property card at the building department. Ensure there are no surprise liens, illegal improvements, or other costly problems. Don’t assume! Smart work could save that $8,000 tax credit. 

This evening was, at long last, “The Keys” home ownership seminar at Tuscan Grille in Briarcliff. About 25 people attended, and it was a lively session on the Westchester County home buying process, mortgage approvals, short sales, closing costs, and many other engaging topics. I spoke first (I was a little nervous) and am told I did fine. United Northern Bank, LTD was my co-presenter, and sponsored the event. 

I am very happy with the material we covered; ANYONE who was in attendance got some very good information (and some really good dinner. Tuscan served salad, penne a la vodka, chicken francese, and mixed veggies. The chicken was awesome) that would save them money and give them peace of mind going into the Westchester County home buying process. After I spoke I watched the group from the back of the room, and attendees were absolutely dialed in. I love that.

For me, the best part of an event like this is the conversations I have with attendees after the session, where I can relax and kibitz a little. I enjoyed speaking with new faces, fielding questions, and getting thank-you’s from folks who came to learn and left satisfied. One person drove up from the Bronx and shared with me that she wants to buy a home here in Westchester. She was glad she came. So was I! 

Everything I learned myself about putting on a seminar like this will be incorporated into the next event. I will do another session again soon, perhaps in June. I think we might do an event in southern Westchester, and perhaps make it a Saturday Brunch sort of event. Stay tuned.

Ossining can mean many things- it can refer to the Village of Ossining, the Town of Ossining, or an Ossining delivery address in the town of New Castle or Yorktown. In the market data I am referring to, it will mean all properties in the Ossining school district, which is pretty much all of the above. All data is taken from the Westchester-Putnam Multiple Listing Service for the past 180 days market activity for single family homes only. 

83 homes sold in Ossining in the past 180 days at a median sales price of $445,000.  

24 homes are currently pending sale or under contract at a median asking price of $439,111. 

145 homes are active and available. Median asking price: $469,222. There is just under a year’s worth of inventory available for sale, which is actually less than many other places we’ve checked out. That still makes it a buyer’s market, but not so out of balance as other locales. 

As you can see from the prices, Ossining is a fantastic place for starter homes. Taxes are on the high side, but the prices are very affordable for Westchester County. BY the way, I know a fantastic, superb, fabulous, amazingly good REALTOR who is from Ossining and he knows the place like the back of his hand. 

Ann and I have lived in Briarcliff Manor since 2007 but the fact of the matter is that I have known Briarcliff as long as I have been alive; it is one of two villages in the town of Ossining. A small portion of Briarcliff lies in the Town of Mount Pleasant. This post will cover the Briarcliff School district, and not the small part of Briarcliff that is served by Ossining Schools. All information is taken from the Westchester-Putnam Multiple Listing Service for single family homes. 

There have been 17 homes sold in Briarcliff in the past 180 days. The median sales price was $660,000. The average length of time on the market was 130 days. Here is the breakdown of percentage of asking price homes sold for broken down by time on market:

61-90 days: 98.4% of asking

91-120 days: 95.5% of asking

121+ days: 92.6% of asking price

Clearly, the more aggressively a home is priced, the higher percentage of asking price is paid by the buying public. This is the best argument for pricing it right to start with I know of, and it is not unique to Briarcliff. 

There are 6 homes under contract or pending sale at a median price of $923,185.

There are 47 active available listings with a median asking price of $849,000. 

Less expensive homes are selling more than higher priced homes, and there is over a year’s worth of available inventory on the market. 

As contrary as “Horses” and “The Bronx” might sound, there is in fact a very notable riding club in Riverdale, right on Broadway. Riverdale Equestrian Centre is right there at the Intersection of Broadway and 254th Street, with an enormous facility at the north side of Van Cortlandt Park. 

It is an impressive set up. The club itself is on 21 acres, with 62 horse stalls. They have 8 paddocks, 4 riding rings, an indoor arena, and there is immediate access to Van Cortlandt Park’s 1000+ acres with miles of trails. They offer a summer camp, an after school program, and lessons for all ages. 

Obviously, this is one of those things a guy like me views as one of those amazing, unexpected things New York City has that never fails to amaze me. I first heard of the facility in the early 2000s from a co-worker who lived in the Bronx. I found it hard to believe, but when I drove to the city once I did exit 9A at Broadway in Riverdale and there it was. As you’ll see in the video, it is right there on Broadway with a fence and hedge between horse farm and Gotham.

As you’ll see in the video I took, the place could be anywhere-Kentucky, Upstate, you name it. That is, until the camera pans out toward the street. If you thought the Bronx was just a concrete jungle, you were wrong.   

The Hendrick Hudson School District is located in northwest Westchester County, spanning from the northern tip of the village of Croton on Hudson to the southern part of the city of Peekskill. It includes the village of Buchanan and the hamlets of Montrose, Verplanck and parts of southern Cortlandt Manor. This is River Town country, which means that there are homes and neighborhoods with water views. The area is home to the Indian Point Nuclear power plant and the VA hospital in Montrose. It is served by the Hudson Line of the Metro North railroad.  

On a personal note, Hen Hud High and my alma later played each other in all sports. It should come as no surprise that their mascot is the Sailor. 

There have been 35 single family homes sold in the past 180 days in the Hen Hud school district. The mean and median prices are very similar:

Average Price: $489,662

Median Price: $485,000

17 homes are pending sale or are under contract to be sold. The median asking price is just under $477,000. 

There are a whopping 72 homes actively available for sale in the Hendrick Hudson district, suggesting year’s worth of available inventory, and a significant imbalance between homes for sale and homes sold. The reason may very well be that the average asking price is just under $550,000. Since the average sale price is roughly 95% of asking price, that means that the buying public is waiting for many homes to reduce their prices before they will attract a buyer. 

It happens. My buyers had an accepted offer less than 24 hours old and were preparing to call their home inspector when the listing agent called me. A competing offer raised their bid to a number higher than ours, and the seller was giving us the courtesy of a chance to match or beat before they considered switching horses. 

We do it a little different here in New York; attorneys prepare contracts, and until they are signed, anything can happen. Most times you get one buyer. No issues there. But even in this market, nicer homes can get competing offers. Often, if all offers come in at the same time one decision is made and it is clean going forward. However, sometimes you get a late entry, and that is when it can get dicey. Many sellers never switch buyers because they gave their word. Some let the math guide them and do switch. 

Occasionally, I have seen the seller bump Buyer A in favor of Buyer B, and when Buyer B falls through Buyer A has moved on. They’ve gone from 2 buyers to zero. That isn’t a nice feeling. 

In our case, we are buyer A and all indications are that Buyer B will get the house. My people elected to stick with their bid, because they felt that the seller should honor their word, but spoken words don’t hold up prior to contracts being signed. There is nothing I could have done short of beating them up to raise their bid. I couldn’t speak with the seller, and nothing I said to the listing agent could change the seller’s mind. In their view, we had our chance to raise our number and didn’t. 

Still, they are now very discouraged. It is part of this business; sometimes you lose a house you really wanted. They have laid low the past week, and while I certainly hope they don’t blame me, emotions run high and anything can happen going forward. 

There really is a “wild west” component to real estate that is rough on people- buyers, sellers, and yes, brokers.