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.

Market • October 9, 2012

September 2012 Westchester Real Estate Market Report

by J. Philip Faranda

The results are in for the month of September for single family home sales in the county and they are mixed. According to the Hudson Gateway MLS data, September 2012 was slightly weaker than the same time period in 2011, but overall 2012 is still well ahead of last year’s pace. Median price is down slightly, but we are almost 400 transactions ahead of the first three quarters of 2011.

For the month of September, 2012, Westchester had 363 closed sales at a median sale price of $545,000.
For the month of September, 2011, Westchester had 383 closed sales at a median sale price of $600,000.

Volume was down slightly, and median price was way down, but the transaction total for the year to date, 3428, remains far ahead of the 3044 that closed last year in the first three quarters. Median price for the year is down slightly, from $630,000 to $600,000, but that just means that the lower priced sector is moving at a more rapid rate.

There are currently 917 homes under contract or pending sale at this time, so the number of closings is not showing any signs of weakening. The last quarter does look to be strong in transaction totals. That said, the median asking price of the pending deals, just $524,000, means that less expensive starter homes are the bulk of the volume. What that means looking forward is that the median price for the first quarter of 2013 may shoot up as sellers of starters move up to more pricey digs. We’ll see if I am right and that happens.

I do not believe that values truly are down because of anecdotal experience in my own practice- buyers are far more eager to make deals in this environment than in years past. When buyers are more flexible, there is less downward pressure on prices. The more demanding buyers of 2009-10 created steep price drops. That is not happening now. There are just more starter homes selling than higher end properties.

I believe that overall, we are in the infancy of a modest recovery. That does not mean that happy days are back again, but it does mean that the decline is most likely behind us.

Industry News • September 29, 2012

On Preparing for NYSAR Fall Meetings

by J. Philip Faranda

The New York State Association of Realtors will hold their annual fall conference from Sunday, September 30 to Wednesday, October 3. I am a state director on the MLS and technology committees, so I will be in attendance. Association meetings cover a broad range of matters, and consumers should know that their interests are first and foremost. Crucial issues like equal housing, ethics, legislative matters like the mortgage interest deduction, and dozens of other subjects are addressed in depth in our sessions.

There was a time when I viewed participation at the association the way I viewed the high school yearbook committee- the cool kids patting each other on the back, perhaps subtly angling their own agendas, and mostly meaning well but not contributing meaningfully to the public or rank and file. I could not have been more wrong. I have recently been nominated for my 4th term as MLS Vice President. It has been eye-opening. The volunteers who fill these positions do incredibly important work to determine policies that set the tone for a better industry for both our trade organization and, more importantly, the public.

The biggest challenge is the fact that we don’t have a crystal ball to understand the ramifications of policy- for example, the recent controversies on listing syndication all came about because, years ago, NAR membership decided that our value as broker was greater than that of gatekeeper of data, and enormous transparency was promoted so consumers could view listings easily and ubiquitously. It was overall better for consumers, but there are growing pains like data accuracy and ownership of content. Zillow, perhaps the biggest and best known listing syndicator out there took notice of my thoughts on the issue and chose me to be on their Agent Advisory Board, and we had our first meeting in Seattle last week. I will write about that in the near future. Suffice to say, there is partnership and mutual interest in the industry across the lines, and in my view that is sourced by policy we create at these meetings.

Technology is tricky, however. Who knows how the growing information highway will best serve us? I think of Future Shock– change these days is so rapid most people can’t keep up. Think of parent with a 13 year old on Facebook. My parents were worried about me on the phone and 6 TV channels in the 70’s. Today, I have 1000 TV channels, the whole Internet, cell texting in the not too distant future, and who knows what else. The metaphor is the same for real estate in an industry where the flow of information is overwhelming and no online algorithm or vector can accurately warn the consumer of rugs that smell like cat pee and a thousand other issues.

Anytime hundreds and thousands of people gather together and collectively seek answers to the question of how to do our job better you can expect good things. It isn’t easy, I am not a fan of being 4 hours from home and business, but it is needed.

Commentary • Community News • September 23, 2012

Let’s Just Close Sing Sing Prison Already

by J. Philip Faranda

The Powers That Be must have had a different attitude about prime waterfront land in centuries past, at least in Westchester County. Just in our northern River Towns alone, we have had a nuclear power plant, a landfill, a maximum security prison, and an automobile factory on the banks of the Hudson. Those aren’t very prescient examples of land use or planning.

To Croton’s credit, the landfill is history, as is the GM plant in Tarrytown. I won’t touch Indian Point right now.

But what I will say is that I am not going to take “no” for an answer when it comes to making Sing Sing go away. A year or two ago, the local news published a few stories on the possible closure of the Big House, but the politicians killed the idea for a variety of specious reasons, such as the hardship of the inmates’ families for visitation. The local jobs idea hasn’t been compelling for decades- most of the correction officers live upstate, and another facility would actually be an easier commute for them.

The charm of the whole “up the river” thing dried up for me years ago. Someone from California might think it is cute after renting Breakfast at Tiffany’s, but locally, pragmatism trumps history. The prison is an eyesore. It repels people from wanting to live in our community. It does not help property values in the neighborhood, unless you know someone who wants to live next to a 20 foot wall with convicted murderers and sex offenders on the other side. It certainly doesn’t help the tax base, as the property does not generate the same tax revenue as private development would. It doesn’t enhance Ossining’s stature among Westchester municipalities. There is no upside.

The historical angle is a non-starter for me as well. If someone wants to make part of the older cell blocks a museum and put up plaques about how everyone’s dinner light would flicker during an execution they can do so. But the 130 acres the facility currently occupies could be put to far better use than housing 1700 felons in the heart of a vibrant village.

Build condos.
Build a mall and movie theater.
Build a new school for Ossining’s bulging, over capacity student body.
Build all of the above.

We’d put more people to work, raise tax revenue, and ease the tax burden on other properties if we get rid of the place. Oh, and we’ll also rid ourselves of one maximum security prison. That’s not bad either.

Community News • September 20, 2012

Honoring George Groves

by J. Philip Faranda

I wrote last year on the sad passing of fellow broker George Groves, who was a well respected figure for decades in Westchester real estate. Yesterday, George was honored with the dedication of park benches in his memory at the Eastchester Public Library. Several dozen people attended, including a number of public officials and industry colleagues, both in brokerage and from the Hudson Gateway Association. I was humbled to be among those who said a few words.

George’s legacy will that of an absolutely honorable man. Every one of the people there was there because he was a man of integrity. I had a conversation with one of his long time agents, and we agreed that it is easier to do the right thing, especially in light of some of the garbage we witness sometimes, knowing that there are guys like George out there to emulate.

People sometimes assume that licensees at competing companies have disdain for each other, or that we are adversaries outside the lines of a transaction. Nothing could be further from the truth. We are colleagues, we have respect for each other in most cases, and people like George were emblematic of that ethic. Almost a year later, it still feels like a loss, and I say that as a guy who really was not particularly close to George on any personal level. No matter the connection, and in my case it was a favor he did me years ago, you just knew that you were dealing with a good man.

The takeaway is to pick up the mantle and be the best person you can be.

Concluding the ceremony, George’s grandchildren released a number of balloons into the sky. I was honored just to be there.

Commentary • For Agents • September 15, 2012

STOP Posting Your Listings on Social Media for the Love of God

by J. Philip Faranda

I just discovered Sulia, a this cool, channel based social media platform that allows people to follow subjects instead of people. It is a phenomenal idea. Clicking on the real estate channel, I found the same social media fail by my esteemed colleagues that plagues every other platform: spam. They think people will want to see their advert for a home they have listed. Forget that the offending party doesn’t disclose the name of their company or that they are a real estate broker, which is compliance 101. It speaks to the tone deaf obtuse nature of real estate firms who consider “exposure” in any form, to be good marketing. It isn’t.

When a real estate agent lists a property, they become just the second person on the planet to care in an invested way about that property: it is now them and their client. In their quest to find that third person, the buyer, some licensees make the mistake of pushing their listing in inappropriate forums when they should be pulling. You do not push in a pull world.

I’ll repeat: Our job is not to push. It is to pull. Do we have an obligation to give our listings vast exposure? You bet we do. Does that mean we pass out flyers at cocktail parties, send out spam email or post spam? No, because all that does is annoy people. No one ever said “I am going to log onto Facebook and search for a house.” People go to Facebook to catch up, socialize, look at kittens and huff at political rants. They don’t care about a 4 bedroom colonial 5 states away. You don’t solicit there. You don’t advertise there.

The way you sell real estate is to make sure it is everywhere people who are looking for real estate would find it. If a platform is where people go to search real estate, then that is where you put your marketing. You never post on social networks unless it is a company page. Doing so is spam, it is annoying, and it undermines the very presence you are trying to build in the social media word. Oh, and it is against the Terms of Service on every platform I know of, and that can get your account suspended.

There is business, and there is social. They don’t mix. Posting your listings on social media is spam. Just say no.

Mortgages • September 13, 2012

How Will The Fed’s $40 Billion Monthly Bond Purchase Affect Westchester Real Estate?

by J. Philip Faranda

Perhaps you’ve heard the news that the Federal Reserve announced today that it will buy $40 billion per month of mortgage backed securities to keep rates low. Lots of terms have been thrown around, like quantitative easing, QE3, short term rates, and I even heard one guy mention Malaysian nutmeg, but I think he was talking about his lunch. But the fact remains that the news, which sounded good, is still difficult to understand for many.

That is why I am in your life. I make the complex incredibly simple. So here’s the deal.

For decades, banks would loan money in the form of mortgages and then sell the loan to GSEs, or Government Sponsored Entities, like Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Then, in 2008, when the financial crisis hit, many large financial entities failed or were gobbled up in government brokered acquisitions. The government passed the TARP bailout bill which was supposed to inject close to a trillion to bail out many banks and enable them to continue to loan money. Regardless of what your opinion of that move is, the money supply suffered greatly, and the banks became historically stingy.

As an aside, if they were 10% as careful in 2004-2005 as they were in 2008-2009 after the crash, we’d be in a far smaller mess than we are now.

The banks raised the bar so high for mortgage qualification that the housing market suffered a double whammy- the market was flooded with foreclosures, and many people who wanted to buy simply couldn’t because of the new crazy standards. Things have loosened up since then, but the Fed’s move today is actually a step in the right direction. In 2008-2009 when Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac teetered on insolvency, banks didn’t loan enough money and the recovery was sabotaged. Now, the Fed is committing to buy more mortgage backed securities-enormous amounts- and the money supply will benefit.

Now, to do this they will pretty much just print money, which causes inflation, but they have promised to monitor things to make sure that events can be controlled. We’ll see about that.

This will keep rates low and it will ensure that the mortgage industry has a more liquid money supply. Some of this is my own interpretation, and there are those who will believe that anything done under President Obama is wrong no matter what happens. These are the same people who would have praised the move if it were made by a Republican administration.

This move, coupled with the shrinking inventory and flattening out of the market, will be seen in future years as an aid to the recovery.

So how will this effect Westchester? As I said above, it will widen the pool of borrowers and make those who are currently qualified jump through fewer hoops to get their loan approved. More qualified borrowers leads to more ready, willing and able buyers, and that leads to more homes sold. Expect things to slowly improve. We are entering a flat period and exiting the annual declines which were so emblematic of the past 4 years.

Market • Market Statistics • September 3, 2012

August 2012 Westchester Real Estate Market is Strongest in 5 Years

by J. Philip Faranda

August of 2012 will be remembered for the completion of the first two thirds of a year which has been the first upward year in sales totals since the boom. According to the Hudson Gateway Multiple Listing Service statistics for single family home closings in August, we saw the highest sales volume since 2007.

Here are the breakdowns for numbers:

August 2012 had 575 single family home closings at a median price of $650,000;
August 2011 had 512 single family home closings at a median price of $724,000;

Year to date through August 2012 had 3,053 single family home closings at a median price of $610,000;
Year to date through August 2011 had 2,663 single family home closings at a median price of $635,000;

The decline in median price is almost meaningless, as the average home sold in 2012 was smaller than the average home sold the year prior. This tells me that the buyers are trending toward smaller homes, more often first time home buyers entering the market again, which is having a clear ripple effect across the board.

We are seeing a 15% increase in sales volume year to date and a 12% increase in August over the prior August.

More positive news:
987 homes are under contract or pending sale. Last year at the same time only 732 homes were under contract.
The median price of $549,000 is indicative of the smaller home trend, with the average square footage at 2100 square feet compared to over 2400 year to date.

3518 single family homes are for sale, which is actually a lower number for the same period from years past. More sales and less inventory pushes leverage in the direction of sellers. It remains a buyer’s market until prices rise again, but it is no longer the severe unbalanced buyer’s market from years ago. Well appointed, aggressively priced homes will sell faster and for more money than they did in the past in these conditions.

Bank owned foreclosures are down, and lenders are lending again, albeit more sensibly.

What can I say? I have been bearish all year, refusing to be a Pollyanna about the market. But you can’t argue with the facts on the ground- this market is getting healthier.

Community News • August 27, 2012

An Artist’s Legacy

by J. Philip Faranda

I’d like to take a moment from real estate and discuss art, beauty, and things that endure. After a terrible accident Sunday, our community lost a very good man when Noel DeGaetano very tragically died this past weekend.

I knew Noel from our BNI group, and got an opportunity to visit his studio in Tuckahoe earlier this year. When one is about to go to where an artist does their work, the preconceived notion is that of a fragile gallery with paint, canvas, and soft light. I was, instead, met with the tools of real manual work: anvils, chains, torches, and other things one might expect at a mechanic or engineer.

Noel worked in varied media, and among his most impressive works was sculpture. One such work, a man in a martial arts posture made of broken shards of mirror, was the center of this studio and workroom. I don’t possess the gift of seeing a bucket of shattered mirror and envisioning a 6 foot man in a tai chi position; Noel did. Soft spoken as he was, his hands did awesome work, and his heart spoke even louder after a lifetime of pursuing beauty and art instead of material gain. He possessed the smile of a man who did what he loved.

Noel’s father and late mother were noted local real estate brokers, and when I connected the dots we both laughed at what a small world it is.

While Noel is gone from us, his work is not. As I type this, in New Rochelle at the transFORM gallery, Noel’s work is featured among his peers at the Artwardly Mobile exhibition until October 20. I would encourage you to check it out. Go for whatever reason you wish- to support local artists, as Noel has a number of contemporaries as well present there, or to enjoy yourself. As for me, I’ll go to remind myself that while Noel is no longer with us, the beauty that he loved and worked with daily does endure.

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

On the Proposed Reinvention of Playland

September 2012 Westchester Real Estate Market Report

On Preparing for NYSAR Fall Meetings

Let’s Just Close Sing Sing Prison Already

Honoring George Groves

STOP Posting Your Listings on Social Media for the Love of God

How Will The Fed’s $40 Billion Monthly Bond Purchase Affect Westchester Real Estate?

August 2012 Westchester Real Estate Market is Strongest in 5 Years

An Artist’s Legacy

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