Commentary • December 18, 2012

What I Want in an MLS Platform: a Broker’s Perspective

by J. Philip Faranda

Since 1996 I have belonged to Multiple Listing Services from Long Island to Rochester. In full disclosure, I am about to start my 4th term as Vice President of what I believe to now be New York State’s second largest MLS. I have used over a dozen different platforms, and I know, all too well, the range in functionality. Some software is incredible user friendly, flexible and agile, and other systems are miserable to use and make the simplest of tasks frustrating.

And on mobile it is safe to say that they all leave a lot to be desired.

The software an MLS uses for their platform affects the job we do as agents on behalf of our clients. We don’t simply search for properties; we do comparative market analysis, we tally market statistics, and we need to use the data to advocate for our clients on negotiations. Inflexible, hard to use, or less functional software puts clients at a disadvantage because their agents don’t have the necessary tools to do their job as well as they could. With that in mind, here is what I want in an MLS platform.

Ease of use. This falls under 2 categories: smooth operation and user friendliness. Some MLS systems are clunky and overloaded with flash and unneeded memory eating background programs that slow the computer down. That isn’t good. Others make it hard to do simple functions like print or look up an agent or brokerage. All agents should have a hotlink back to their profile. I shouldn’t have to stand on my head to print up a report or add an optional search criterion.
Search options. I want to be able to search with almost microscopic granularity. Number of bedrooms, towns, zip codes and square footage are common, but I want to be able to filter for almost anything: fireplaces, in-ground pools, municipal water, full basements, slate roofs, owner name, possible owner or assumable financing, and other very specific property characteristics. Anyone in the public can search bedrooms or square footage. I am a broker. I should have options that add value for my client.
Data crunching. Home searching is only part of what MLS data is useful for in the service of my clients. Not long ago, while representing a buyer, a listing agent made a claim that the property sold during a brief value spike several years prior in her efforts to justify their list price. I needed to go back and verify the median price for properties in the locale during that period. I could not. No deal was made because buyers do not act when there is ambiguity. That’s a problem-for both sides. I need to be able to drill very deeply for data to get answers. I need to show how homes offering a higher commission sell for a higher percentage of list price. I need to ascertain whether short sale closings in the past 90 days trend below the overall median price. There are many other permutations needed.
WHY DO I NEED SUCH THOROUGH, SPECIFIC DATA?
-Because I need to advise sellers better on how to price their home taking into account more than bedrooms, bathrooms and square footage.
-I need to advise buyers better on what a smart offer would be on a property they are considering.
-And I need to be armed with better facts when dealing with the claims made on the other side of a transaction by my counterparts that, under current conditions, cannot be verified.
Better Mobile. Buyers are out there with iPads and tablets. They have questions and want immediate answers. I have to have agility in the field with my client and I have to provide a better value add than unlocking the door and commenting on the open floor plan. I have to have better tools. I can’t just look up a property we drive past on my phone; I have to do a quick CMA on in the driveway if my clients are ready to act. I have to get back to clients from my car with answers from the field, not make them wait until I get home. My device has to function like my desktop.

In short, if it is a fact, I need to be able to find it and sort by it. If it is a collection of facts, I need to be able to demonstrate how that correlates to price, time on market, and percentage of asking price paid by buyers. I have to be better than what is currently available.

The MLS is not simply a home search database any longer. Is is the single most important tool brokers have that allows us to serve our clients better via the interpretation of all existing data. While consumers may view the MLS as a simply the homes for sale, they don’t realize that it is actually a massive database of all activity in archive- including sold homes, unsold homes, pending sales, and what they see available. This should enable me to do extensive research on their behalf. If we cannot do that, our clients lose and our value is not fully utilized.

And for MLS vendors: You may, after reading this, feel encouraged that your platform fits the bill or that you have some work to do. While some are pretty good, I can tell you that no system I have used does 100% of everything I have described. That is a problem, because the rate of change is staggering, and consumer demands are making last week’s better mousetrap next week’s example of obsolescence.

If I were to build an MLS from the ground up, these would be my design parameters.

Real Estate Tips • Selling • December 16, 2012

Ditch the Creepy Stuff When Selling Your Home

by J. Philip Faranda

True story: about 2 years ago, while looking at homes in Lower Westchester, my clients and I entered a place that must have had a collection of 200 vases on the shelves of the living room. While over the top, we considered it benign until we walked into the home office upstairs and a coffee mug that said the following:

“World’s Greatest Mortician”

Eeww.

That home was not purchased by my clients. Much like the house that had 20 deer heads being sold by the avid hunter, the distraction was too much. Was the home really filled with the ashes of non-paying customers? I rather doubt it. But was the damage done? You bet it was.

I’ll add another one for the books that occurred today: While looking at a turn of the 20th century home, we noticed a number of hand crafted, creepy masks and dolls that made my clients start immediately referring to the place as “the voodoo house.” Yes, buyers label homes with the most memorable characteristic: the artsy house, the pool house, the patio house, the spaceship house, and yes, less positive descriptors.

The “voodoo house” had another fun trait, which was that some of the rooms, and the cellar, had no obvious or easy way to find a light switch. In the cellar, we saw in the dim lights of our cell phones a workshop with what appeared to be an assortment of teeth where they made these creepy dolls. Not far toward the back at the edge of the crawlspace were two masks that looked like props in a Vincent Price movie. I am sure those weren’t really teeth and that it was all innocent, but nothing about the place said “home” to my clients, who wrote the place off immediately.

This is not so much about staging as it is about common sense. People want to switch on a light. People notice it when a shrunken head is staring at them in every room they enter. You don’t have to hire a renowned home stager (although it will sure help), but at least dispense with the creepy stuff and mark where the lights switches are. Better yet, leave some lights on; it is worth the extra few dollars on the utility bill. If these folks were my client I’d have them put all the dolls and masks in a box marked for their next house.

Dark and creepy don’t mix, and they certainly don’t help sell the house.

Commentary • December 13, 2012

The Protocol of Home Inspections

by J. Philip Faranda

We do things a little different in New York from the rest of the country, so a Westchester real estate transaction will have the home inspection prior to contract as opposed to being a contingency of the contract in most other markets. But the basics of what I am about to share probably apply to 99% of all real estate markets.

First, when buying residential property every buyer should get get the house inspected by a local, established inspector.

Every Buyer.
Every House.
Always.

Not Uncle Hank the contractor, but a licensed home inspector.

OK, now that we’ve got that out of the way, let’s suppose that the inspection yielded some discoveries that have to be addressed before going forward. The inspector found what may be evidence of termites in the basement, the water heater is on its last legs, and the roof is at the end of its useful life. And, just for fun, let’s also say that there are some double tapped breakers in the circuit panel.

First, here’s what the buyer agent should never do:

_______________________

TO: Phil@jphilip.com
FROM: Wanda.Schmidlap@xyzrealty.net

Phil:
The inspector said the house needs a new roof, has termites, needs a new water heater, and there is a problem with the circuit panel. The inspector gave us a $15,000 estimate for a new roof, and with all the other repairs my buyer got nervous and is asking for a $25,000 reduction in price and a $15,000 repair credit at closing.

Thanks and have a nice day. Please let me know.

Wanda Schmidlap
1982 Agent of the Year

_______________________

Communicating the above in a phone call is a no-no as well.

As 2013 nears, we have things known as “Digital Cameras.” Inspectors issue “reports” which can be “emailed” to the other side; as a matter of fact, that is the purpose of the inspection report, to document the findings. Our friend Wanda should get her client’s consent and send the listing agent the excerpts of the report, with photographic proof, of all issues the inspector found.

Moreover, in Westchester, and I daresay every other place, NO INSPECTOR should ever quote a price for repairs. Roofing estimates should come from roofers. Electrical estimates should come from electricians. Water heater estimates should come from Plumbers. I am sure you get the picture.

Of course, in lieu of documentation of the issues, the seller is likely to see this as a lame attempt to renegotiate a price arrived upon in good faith.

This is what Wanda should do:

_______________________

TO: Phil@jphilip.com
FROM: Wanda.Schmidlap@xyzrealty.net

Phil:
Please find attached to this email the portions of the report that document the issues found in our inspection of your listings. You will note what appears to be termite damage, evidence of three layers on a roof at the end of its life, an installation date of April 12, 1997 for the water heater and lots of rust, and a picture of 4 double tapped circuits.

I am attaching an estimate from Miller Roofing for a $7500 tear off, an $1100 estimate from Royal Flush Pest Control, a $300 estimate from Galcor Electric, and a $500 estimate from Ace Plumbing to replace the water tank. My buyer is therefore asking for a $9,500 reduction in price to address these issues so that we may proceed.

Kindly present this information to your client and assure them that if we can make this arrangement my clients will sign the contract tomorrow.

Thanks and have a nice day. Please let me know.

Wanda Schmidlap
1982 Agent of the Year

_______________________

Wanda has now done things right. She has

Provided documentation instead of making an arbitrary demand
Gotten estimates from legitimate contractors
Not allowed panic to influence her client and advised them professionally
Covered her rear end so as not to appear silly, amateurish, or unprofessional.

She has also put us in the position that, if we don’t do business with her, we are compelled by law to disclose these findings to every prospective buyer going forward. In short, she has followed protocol, which is becoming all too rare. Now, I can respond accordingly.

_______________________

TO: Wanda.Schmidlap@xyzrealty.net
FROM: Phil@jphilip.com

Wanda:
Thanks for the information. As you recall, the roof was already a negotiating point in the arrival at the current price. I am attaching paperwork provided to my client from the previous owner showing the termites predated their ownership and treatment was already made with a warranty in effect. My client has arranged for their electrician to repair the double tapped breakers. Thank you for bringing that to our attention. The water heater will be replaced Tuesday.

We can proceed at the current price with the repairs promised, as my client can engage a backup offer waiting in the wings if you choose not to proceed.

Please advise your client that they can be in their new home before the football playoffs start and celebrate Festivus in their new home if they sign the contract.

Best regards

Phil

_______________________

The above has all happened many times in many forms, but the takeaway for buyers and their agents is that inspection results cannot be treated like classified state secrets. Pictures are worth 1000 words. The buyer need not give the whole report over, but the better the documentation, the better informed both buyer and seller are, and best chance the transaction has of proceeding with integrity.

Market • Market Statistics • Uncategorized • December 3, 2012

Stronger November Confirms Westchester’s 2012 Market “PREcovery”

by J. Philip Faranda

You cannot call a market with so many homes underwater, flat to mildly declining prices and a swollen shadow inventory of distress a recovery. However, with prices no longer falling, transaction totals surging, and inventory declining, we are no longer in the downward spiral that punctuated the crash from 2007-2011. The strong November numbers from the Hudson Gateway MLS for Westchester single family homes certainly point to what I would call a “precovery”, where the worst is behind us, as the results continue our strongest year since 2007.

For the month of November, 2012, 311 single family homes closed at a median sale price of $527,000.
For the same period in 2011, 252 single family homes closed at a median price of $520,250.

It is hard to find bad news here. Median price for the month is up slightly. The 24% increase in sales points to a resurgence at the most robust pace we have seen since before the crisis. Inventory is also shrinking (which happens when more homes sell), and, most importantly, the number of pending sales remains high at 880.

For the year to date, 4,088 homes have closed at a median price of $590,000.
For the same period in 2011, 3,564 homes closed at a median price of $610,000.

Transactions are up year to date 14.7%, which is the highest total since 2007. Median price for the year is down slightly, indicating more first time home buyers entering the market. I do not believe for a minute that real values are down in any substantive way. When we do get what those smarter than myself call a recovery it will be punctuated more by stability than crazy appreciation in values. That said, values will creep up eventually as the market gains strength from the higher sales pace. So we are in that time after the crash, prior to a recovery.

Think PREcovery.

Market Statistics • November 27, 2012

Strong October for Westchester Real Estate Market Continues Improved 2012

by J. Philip Faranda

The Hudson Gateway MLS statistics for single family home closings for the month of October indicate that the market is markedly better this year than last year, and is the most robust it has been since 2007. Both median price and the volume of closed transactions are up considerably and the number of pending sales is also up as well.

For the month of October, 2012, 348 homes closed at a median price of $561,500.
For the same month in 2011, 268 homes closed at a median price of $515,000.

That is a 10% increase in median price and a whopping 23% increase in transactions. It puts the yearly total well ahead of last years pace as well:

For the first 10 months of 2011, 3312 homes closed at a median price of $620,000.
For the first 10 months of 2012, 3777 homes closed at a median price of $600,000.

Transactions closed for the year overall are 14% ahead of 2011 and the median price is steady, albeit down slightly.

Another good sign is the number of transactions under contract and pending sale. There are 926 homes under contract at a median price of $521,950. Last year at this time there were only 674 homes under contract at a median price of $499,000. That is a 37% increase in homes under contract, and it is perhaps the best indicator of where we are headed than any other metric I know.

Median price is not the perfect barometer for true home values, but it does speak to the trend of price category that buyers are acting on. For example, the $521,950 median price of homes under contract does not mean that values have plummeted from the $600,000 median of the year to date; it does mean that more buyers are buying lower cost homes this time of year.

Perhaps the most significant takeaway from the results is that we are past the low point and entering a period of some stability and-brace yourself-some certainty. I do not expect prices to rise; I foresee flat values for the time being, but the number of sales is growing at a healthy pace. It is hard to argue with the talk of recovery in housing at long last. We were due for some
good news, so we should enjoy it while it lasts.

Recovery might be premature. My label: PREcovery. Write it down.

Ready to dig in? If so, here are some homes still for sale.

[idx-listings community=”Area 3″ minprice=”595000″ maxprice=”620000″ propertytypes=”2467″ orderby=”DateAdded” orderdir=”DESC” count=”20″]

Commentary • Selling • November 23, 2012

On Open House Thefts: What Can a Real Estate Agent Do?

by J. Philip Faranda

Last week I read in Agent Genius about a homeowner that was suing their real estate broker after the theft of $162,000 worth of jewelry from their home during an open house. The homeowners claim that they are entitled to damages because the crime basically occurred on the agent’s watch, and that the agent was negligent in not preventing the property from being stolen. This hits close to home for me, because a few years ago I hosted an open house where a theft occurred.

No one should ever have to endure this sort of loss, especially jewelry, which can have meaning that transcends appraised value. That said, I have a question for those debating what role the agent could or should have played in foiling the crime:

What should the agent do once they catch the crime in progress?

We are there to sell the home, so being in “prevent crime” mode strikes me as being rather antithetical to making a deal happen. You can’t exactly sell someone while at the same time being suspicious. Have you ever walked into a retail store and been “watched” by a suspicious shop keeper? It doesn’t exactly make you want to stay very long and buy something. That, coupled with the fact that the odds of a theft occurring in a properly prepared house being remote, mean that all we can do is catch thieves in the act.

Then what?

Tackle them?
Citizen’s arrest?
Subdue them somehow?
Chase them off?

In my own situation, it was two people who stole from a number of open houses in the area, and they were traced to another state. My client’s belongings were never recovered, and I don’t think the two were ever prosecuted. They signed in with fake names and numbers, and worked fast. One asked me some questions while the other cleaned out jewelry in under 2 minutes that was not under lock and key. I don’t know what would have happened if I somehow caught them in the act of committing the crime, and frankly I don’t want to know. People who stumble onto active crime scenes seldom tell happy tales.

Having already been attacked once in a house years ago as a new agent, I have to say as a husband and father of 4 children whom I REALLY want to see grow up, it is not my responsibility to take one in the gut for someone’s unsecured jewelry. It just isn’t. We take enough risk being alone with strangers in our efforts to sell your home.

I am no lawyer and have no interest in discussing the legal nuances or theory. I just value the pragmatic and my well-being. I find it ironic that if the agent slipped down the seller’s stairs that the seller would be liable, yet the agent is somehow supposed to possibly risk their life with a criminal for …things.

If you are selling your home, lock up your jewelry. Install a nanny cam if you want. But don’t add “crime prevention” to your agent’s job. We can’t prevent crime, we certainly cannot stop it, and we shouldn’t be responsible for valuables that should have been locked away. Lock away your valuables. Everything-and everyone- is safer that way.

Commentary • November 20, 2012

What I Learned From a Week Without Power

by J. Philip Faranda

Note: It has been a solid month since I last wrote a blog entry. We endured 8 days with no power after hurricane Sandy, then another week with no phone or Internet. The disconnection and subsequent mad rush to catch up on lost work forced me to put many of my writing efforts on hold. I hope that this will be the start of more frequent offerings.

If you are one of the lucky ones who quickly regained or never lost their power during Hurricane Sandy, good for you. We endured 8 consecutive days with no electricity, easily making it the longest blackout of my lifetime. As tempting as it was to complain, the knowledge of more catastrophic loss in nearby communities, not just of property but of lives, made me bite my tongue. Our family made the best of it, and as much as it was a teachable week for our 4 children, I have gotten some new insights as well.

For one thing, I now know more about candles than I ever knew as a boy scout. Take it from me, the long skinny ones give the best light. The fat candles may last longer, but once the flame sinks into the middle, forget it.

Gas fueled utilities are flat out superior. Crazy as it sounds, we never lost use of the kitchen stove or even hot water because our stove and hot water heater did not have electric pilot lights. I found out the hot water thing quite by accident; most people never run their water long enough to know it, or mistakenly assume that hot water is just some fortunate leftover that will run out and must be rationed. Not true. A gas fired mechanical hot water heater will allow you to have hot showers a week into a blackout. Drying off is chillier, but few things are as miserable as a cold shower.

That said, the simpler life dumbed me down terribly. Focusing so much energy on compensating for lack of creature comforts and enduring more knocked me down a notch or two on Maslowe’s Hierarchy. I found myself less on the ball, less decisive, and almost behind in regular conversation. It is just tough to be on my mental A-game when so many distractions, incoveniences, and unfamiliar efforts weigh me down.

I am not too dull to notice how adversity seems to bring out extremes in behavior. I observed both the best and worst in people when I saw neighbors helping each other and strangers get into shouting matches on gas station lines. Society is a fragile ecosystem. Take away a few components and some of us are primitive and barbaric. And a few of us ought not patronize self serve gas stations either (it isn’t rocket science!!).

Perhaps most of all, I’ll never take some basics for granted. Running water is a blessing. A hot cup of anything means more when you boil it in a kettle. A recharged mobile phone and a half tank of gas can make you feel invincible. And if you want to talk style, the new suburban status symbol isn’t a sports car in the garage- it is a generator.

Selling • October 23, 2012

Why Price Points Matter

by J. Philip Faranda

It is no secret that anyone selling their home in Westchester County, or Iowa for that matter, wants to get as much money as they possibly can for their property. There are a variety of things a seller can do to maximize their price, such as staging the home, having the broker do a good video, professional photography, keeping the place tidy, and making sure all showing requests are accommodated. Pricing strategy is among the components of a strong plan, and part of that strategy is understanding price points as they relate to consumers.

The most frequent myth in my experience is the belief that, all things being equal, asking for more money will attract a higher offer. That is seldom the case. The current market, while no longer in a crash, is still incredibly price sensitive, and the typical buyer proceeds with great caution.They often do not even look at a property that is over their price point.

If a property is priced higher than comparable properties, the buyers will not make a higher offer. They will, as a matter of fact, engage in a war of attrition with the seller, watching on the Internet and waiting for the price to come down before they even take a look. Over priced homes tend to remain on the market longer, become “stale,” and, once the seller become hip to the need for a reduction, often “chase the market” where a reduction still has the property behind the value curve of the competing homes.

Here is a typical scenario:

A home owner, seeing comparable sales to their own property of $475,000, $465,000 and $480,000, is advised that the best price for their home would be $499,900. Instead, they elect to price the home at $509,000 to “building more negotiation room.” However, instead of selling in the first 60 days, they have a dearth of showings and experience frustration.

When they finally do lower their price to $499,000, they have missed their mark and get a low offer of $450,000, which does not result in a contract. Eventually, the house does sell, but after several more months on the market than expected and for $20,000 lower than originally thought.

How does this happen?

One of the big reasons is missing the mark on price point. A home priced at $509,000 may not even be seen by buyers who are looking no higher than $500,000. Part of the reason is the drop down menus on real estate sites where price increments are typically $25,000; the other part is psychological. Even if a consumer can type in their own numbers, they still use round numbers like $x00,000, $x25,000 and $x50,000. That is strike 1. Then in any market, there is a finite number of buyers for that locale. If the competing homes sell to that finite number of buyers, then the only way to compensate and attract a newer buyer to the area is via a price reduction. That is strike 2. Starting at $499,000 in the above scenario would get more eyeballs on the house, more showings, and more opportunities to attract an offer.

Starting out with 2 strikes is inadvisable. It is not an exact science because no one can predict the future or what will happen in the economy, but understanding how best to price the home can avoid these headaches and get the seller packing sooner, and for more money.

Commentary • October 16, 2012

On Closing Indian Point: What Options for Energy are There?

by J. Philip Faranda

All things being equal, I think most people would prefer to not have nuclear fission occur in their own back yard. I have often stated that if Indian Point were to cease operations, the property values in Verplanck would skyrocket. The debate about the renewal of Indian Point’s license rages while I believe that most people are unsure of what options they really have.

Most people, I would assert, are neither for nor against Indian Point operating, but they are all for having energy. So, as a person who would prefer to not have a nuclear reactor a few miles north of me, I have to ask: If Indian Point were closed, where would we get the energy to replace that which the facility produces?

I have asked this question before to folks who are vocally against the plant. The typical answer was a meandering double talk about “the grid,” the need for conservation, and graphic descriptions of radiation poisoning. That does not answer the question. I know how gruesome auto accidents can be, but I drive my car daily. It is the risk of existing in society. The same goes for energy. What are the alternatives?

Indian Point supplies about one third of the electricity to Westchester and New York City. Millions of people turn on their lights, cook their food, and watch the Yankees choke on their TVs thanks to the energy the power plant gives them. You can’t just conserve and not miss the energy the facility produces. You have to get another source of energy somewhere, somehow, at a commensurate cost. How?

Convert the plant to coal and bring a little Columbia County, PA to Westchester?
Put a wind farm on the Hudson or Long Island Sound?
Giant Habitrails with jaguars instead of hamsters?

What I’d like to hear from the advocates of closing the plant are pragmatic alternatives. I am sure they exist, but I simply don’t hear them above the vitriol.

Years ago, I lived in Rochester, NY, which, if you don’t know, is located right on the Erie Canal. Some towns outside of Rochester have their own municipal utility companies, such as Fairport, NY, which has harnessed the clean power of water and given residents electricity at absurdly low prices- I am talking about heating (yes, heating) and powering a 3000 square foot home for less than $150 a month.

Could we do that here? We don’t have an Erie canal but Croton has a river and a pretty powerful gorge, and Ossining is loaded with brooks and has an aqueduct. Westchester has the Saw Mill River. We have the Bronx River. We have the Hutchinson River. Could we solve our energy problems and flooding problems down county in one move with a bold reinvestment in infrastructure? Would it be folly to explore the power of water here? Would the folly be greater than that of exploding atoms? Why can’t Ossining and Croton, for example, determine their own fate and do what Fairport did?

Here is what I think we can all agree on but seldom discuss: Let’s put a little less energy on decrying whether the problem is a problem or not, and put a little more thought and energy on viable, sustainable alternatives. The vast majority of people, so long as they get light, recharge their iPhones, and can scream at Nick Swisher on TV, would be just fine with a new solution.

Community News • October 11, 2012

On the Proposed Reinvention of Playland

by J. Philip Faranda

Rye Playland has been a Westchester institution since 1927. We take our children there every year, and few places have a softer place in my heart. Unfortunately, 85-year old amusement parks (even when great pains have been taken to keep current, as they do in Rye) don’t attract the crowds they once did, and the model the park operated on has been losing money for quite some time to the tune of over $3 million annually. Since the park is county owned (the only one in the USA of its kind), that poses a unique problem.

Yesterday, County Executive Rob Astorino stated that an announcement would be made on the fate of the Park, and hearing that made me bite my lip just a bit, mostly out of fear that the venerable old place would go the route of Bronx Freedomland, Coney Island or the old Palisades, which ended up being lost in whole or in part to developers.

That would stink. My kids would lose it, and another piece of my childhood would go out to the ash heap.

To my relief, Astorino has announced a very forward looking initiative to “reinvent Playland” with the signing of a $34 million letter of intent with the nonprofit Sustainable Playland, Inc to substantially improve the facility and take the model out of it being solely a county-run money suck.

Among the proposed improvements (from the media release):

New water park
Outdoor ball fields
Renovated ice rink and new outdoor rink
New Restaurants
New entertainment facilities, including a great lawn overlooking the adjacent Long Island Sound
New Management and fee models

More details can be found in the link above.

The easy thing to do would have been to sell to the highest bidder and let people schlep out to New Jersey or Pennsylvania if they wanted to go to an amusement park. The gutsy thing to do, in my mind, is what Mr Astorino is proposing: keep the park, invest in the future, create some jobs, and look forward with some ambition.

This is not a slam dunk; there is red tape, politics, certainly opposition from rivals, and 100 other obstacles. Without a viable option that keeps the park for future generations ( and my own children!), I don’t see why anyone would oppose, but they will. As for me, I support the initiative and hope they can get started soon so we can ensure that Playland is around for another 85 years.

And of course, I’ll just lose my youth the good old fashioned way, with crows feet and achy bones.

What I Want in an MLS Platform: a Broker’s Perspective

Ditch the Creepy Stuff When Selling Your Home

The Protocol of Home Inspections

Stronger November Confirms Westchester’s 2012 Market “PREcovery”

Strong October for Westchester Real Estate Market Continues Improved 2012

On Open House Thefts: What Can a Real Estate Agent Do?

What I Learned From a Week Without Power

Why Price Points Matter

On Closing Indian Point: What Options for Energy are There?

On the Proposed Reinvention of Playland

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