Owner: Westchester Real Estate Blog URL:http://www.westchesterrealestateblog.com Join Date: Tue, 13 Mar 2007 16:28:34 -0500 Rating:0 Site Description: Buying, selling, school, community, property searches, senior, first time buyers, relocation comprehensive information about buying and selling in Westchester County, NY Site statistics:Click here
Guide to Hartsdale, New York 2007-03-15 13:33:00 Hartsdale is an area of approximately three square miles located in central Westchester County, New York
. Hartsdale is a hamlet, an unincorporated area, within the Town of Greenburgh which has six incorporated Villages. Hartsdale has its’ own zip code, post office and fire district.There is a “Village” of Hartsdale with a Metro-North Station, as well as a row of apartment buildings that are walk to the Village and train. Hartsdale also has several neighborhoods of single family homes with something for everyone and is centrally located in mid Westchester County, a 30 minute train or drive to Manhattan.Hartsdale is part of the Greenburgh Central #7 School District with three Elementary Schools, one Middle School and one High School. There are several private/religious schools in the area.Historic TreasuresOn Ridge Road there is Odell House which was built by a wartime aide to George Washington in 1765 and deeded to the Town of Greenburgh by the descendents in 1965. Currently there Read more:Guide
Why Should I Use a Buyer's Agent when Purchasing Real Estate 2007-03-15 11:49:00 It important to understand what a Buyer
's Agent
can do for you. The following is the paragraph from the New York State Agency Disclosure form that all buyer's are asked to sign when they have their first substantive meeting with a real estate agent (broker) in New York State. In Westchester County out of approximately 7800 agents only 133 are Accredited Buyer's Representatives, less than 2%."A buyer’s agent is:an agent who is engaged by a buyer to represent the buyer’s interest.The buyer’s agent does this by negotiating the purchase of a home at a price and on terms acceptable to the buyer.A buyer’s agent has, without limitation, the following fiduciary duties to the buyer: reasonable care, undivided loyalty, confidentiality, full disclosure, obedience and duty to account.A buyer’s agent does not represent the interest of the seller.The obligations of a buyer’s agent are also subject to any specific provisions set forth in an agreement between the agent and the buyer.In Read more:Purchasing
, Estate
Indoor Farmers Market 2007-03-13 13:05:00 Pride of New York - Farm, Food and FunWestchester County Center, White PlainsIndoor Farmer's Market
March 17th and 18th, 2007Saturday 9am-4pmSunday 10am-4pmFree Admission, Parking in the County Center Lot $4.00New York State produced foods and products, fresh products, baked goods, flowers, plants, honey and jams, dairy products, wine and meats.
Edgemont School District Proposed Budget 2007-03-12 14:23:00 The Edgemont SchoolDistrict
is proposing an 8% increase in its' budget for next year. Adding more teachers and reducing class size are are of the proposal. Edgemont is part of the Town of Greenburgh and school taxes make up about 2/3's of the total taxes paid. This year 1927 students are in the district but the number of teachers is based on a student population of 1869.The budget will be voted on May 15th and for a copy of the budget please click here. Further information can be obtained from the Edgemont School District directly.
Top Ten Favorite American Houses 2007-03-09 13:48:00 The American
Institute of Architects is celebrating their 150th Anniversary and have come up with a list of the top ten buildings that were designed as family homes.1. Biltmore-Asheville, North CarolinaArchitect: Richard Morris Hunt, Built in 18952. Monticello, Charlottesville, VirginiaArchitect: Thomas Jefferson, Built in 18083. Fallingwater, PennsylvaniaArchitect: Frank Lloyd Wright, Built in 19354. Taliesin, Spring Green, WisconsinArchitect: Frank Lloyd Wright, Built in 19115. Hearst Castle, San Simeon, CaliforniaArchitect: Julia Morgan, Built in 19476. Gamble House, Pasadena, CaliforniaArchitect: Greene and Greene, Built in 19087. Glessner House, Chicago, IllinoisArchitect: Henry Hobson Robinson, Built in 18958. Dana Thomas House, Springfield, IllinoisArchitect: Frank Lloyd Wright, Built in 19049. Taliesin West, Scottsdale, ArizonaArchitect: Frank Llyod Wright, Built 1937-195910. Douglas House, Harbor Springs, MichiganArchitect: Richard Meier, Built in 1973To see further informatio Read more:Favorite
, Top Ten
Sales Statistics, Westchester County, YTD 2/28/07 2007-03-08 12:19:00 According the Realist Tax program on the Westchester-Putnam Board of Realtors site. For Single Family Homes:Date/ # of Sales
/ Median PriceJanuary 2007 / 540 / $575,000January 2006 / 319 / $625,0002007 YTD / 770 / $565,5252006 / 6809 / $620,000For Condominiums:Date/ # of Sale/ Median PriceJanuary 2007 / 154 / $408,500January 2006 / 127 / $366,6932007 YTD / 208 / $398,2902006 /2157 / $395,000From these numbers I would surmise the sales are strong, prices are down. Read more:Statistics
, County
The RE/MAX Collection 2007-03-07 15:11:00 Announced this week at the Annual RE/MAX Convention in Atlanta the RE/MAX Renowned Properties program has been revamped and with new logo's, advertising opportunities, and marketing online as well as in print has reemerged as The RE/MAX Collection. To see a promotional brochure please click here. Properties will appear in Unique Homes, the duPont Registry and the Wall Street Journal as well as others. You can access The RE/MAX Collection from www.REMAX.com, search residential properties where you can also search all properties throughout the United States.
Metro Card Coming to Westchester 4/1/2007 2007-03-06 15:45:00 For individuals 65 and over or handicapped starting April 1st Metro Card is coming to Westchester County."MetroCard is the automated regional fare collection system managed by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority. It allows transit riders in New York City, Long Island and, starting April 1, in Westchester, to buy a card with a fixed number of rides or one with unlimited rides for a specific period, both at significant discounts. It also offers a free transfer to a Bee-Line bus or to a New York City subway or bus.For more information on MetroCard, call the Bee-Line hotline at 914-813-7777 or go to www.westchestergov.com"
Transparency in Real Estate 2007-03-05 15:06:00 I have been thinking for several weeks about a Client's Bill of Rights. Naturally I just read a Bill of Rights from Frank Llosa, FranklyRealty.com, Arlington, VA. This is a broker who I respect for exposing his business practices and I want to give him credit for posting his Bill of Rights.It is difficult for the public to know what goes on behind the scenes and to be comfortable and informed about the business practices of an Agent or Agency that you may work with. So with that in mind this is how I practice Real Estate
. First and foremost, you the buyer/seller are informed.Affiliated Business Arrangements.I do not steer any buyer to any vendor. Vendors would be Home Inspectors, Home Warranty, Mortgage Brokers, Title Company's, plumbers, electricians or anyone else. I will recommend any of the above but have ABSOLUTELY NO RELATIONSHIP with them nor do I receive ANYTHING in exchange for giving you a name. I make my money on the commission and don't need to make a few hundred dollars Read more:Transparency
, Real Estate
Spring Ahead - Change Your Clocks 3/11/2007 2007-03-05 14:33:00 On Sunday, March 11, 2007 thanks to Congress we will be getting additional sunlight hours. More time to look at houses. Don't forget to move your clocks ahead one hour. This is not a mistake it is three weeks earlier this year. Read more:Spring
, Change
, Clocks
Scarsdale Apartment Complex Sold for $19.5 Million 2007-03-02 13:19:00 From The Journal News this morning:"Stone Ridge Manor, an eight-building luxury townhouse complex in Greenburgh, has been sold for $19.5 million to a Queens investor who plans to convert the apartments to condominiums.The sellers are Rick Baker and Ken Piekarski of 347 Central Park Avenue Associates, who built the development in 2002. Melanie Keenan, a spokeswoman for Eastern Consolidated, a Manhattan-based real estate firm that represented the buyer and seller, said she could not reveal the name of the buyer. The apartment complex, at 343-359 Central Park Ave., has 40 units with one, two and three bedrooms. Rents range from $2,200 to $4,725.Because all the leases are set to expire within two years, the buildings are considered ideal for a condo conversion, said Eric M. Anton, executive director of Eastern Consolidated. Read more:Complex
Most Popular Search Terms in Real Estate 2007-03-01 13:09:00 Hitwise US - Top 10 Industry SearchTerms
- January, 2007The terms listed below are ranked by volume of searches that successfully drove traffic to websites in the Hitwise Business and Finance - Real Estate
category for the 4 weeks ending January 27, 2007, based on US Internet usage. www.REMAX.com is rising up in the rankings!It is a wonderful site, check it out.Rank/ Search Term /Volume1. realtor.com 1.76%2. remax 0.90%3. real estate 0.83%4. apartments 0.73%5. homes for sale 0.58%6. century 21 0.54%7. realtor 0.43%8. apartments for rent 0.36%9. coldwell banker 0.33%10. www.realtor.com 0.32% Read more:Real Estate
National Association of Realtors Market Report Jan '07 2007-02-28 13:20:00 So here's the thing. The latest report came out yesterday from the National
Association of Realtors
. I am providing a link here to this report if you are interested. I have found the first two months of 2007 to be a strong market, having lots of inventory throughout Westchester County at what I would consider to be good and adjusted prices. According to the NAR report:"the median existing home price in the Northeast was down 1.2% from a year earlier....."Does this mean that seller's are getting a bit more real in their asking prices? I believe so. Sellers read the papers and reports as we all do and understand that the market has adjusted. Buyers understand that prices have adjusted as well, it is not possible to predict further adjustments and we all have to live somewhere. Now is a wonderful time to buy. Low rates, high inventory and good prices!To read the entire report - click here. Read more:Market
Housing Statistics in Westchester County 2007-02-27 12:48:00 I am a bit of a news junky. I read all of the papers each morning, read reports from the National Association of Realtors, Wall Street Journal to keep abreast and be informative to my clients. I read all of the reports about the housing "bubble", the presumed housing "bubble", the possibility of a future housing "bubble", about the leveling of the housing market, about the strong spring market we are facing this year, etc. Then I look at my market and try to understand what is specifically going on in my market. How do all of the national reports apply. So I study local statistics which I thought I would share with you. These are through today 2/27/07. I looked at four communities where I have recently sold properties. If anyone is interested in a different community email and I will send along the information. This is by school district because of the mailing PO's we have in Westchester and are for single family houses per the Westchester-Putnam Multiple Listing Service.Scarsdale, Ne Read more:Statistics
, County
, Housing
Westchester County Film Festival 2007-02-27 11:31:00 Who Knew? Westchester County
has an office for Film and the weekend of March 9-11 at the City Center in White Plains we have our very own film festival. To see the schedule and a synopsis of each film please click below.WESTCHESTER COUNTY FILM FESTIVAL Read more:Festival
A Staging Video from Barbara Corcoran 2007-02-26 21:22:00 Barbara Corcoran posted this great video about home staging. She makes it simple, not overwhelming and completely manageable. If you are thinking of selling you should take a look it is about 4 minutes.HOME STAGING VIDEO Read more:Barbara
Buyer's Rights at Open Houses! 2007-02-26 12:17:00 So, what's the deal with Open Houses? I am driving around and see a sign for an Open House. It is a nice day so I decide to go take a look. I don't know if the property is in my price range, or the type of house I am looking for but why not?So I pull up to the house, it looks nice and I want to take a look. Wow I really like this house and after searching for several months I am ready to buy. I have all kinds of questions. There is an agent who is only too happy to help me. So now how does this work?Generally speaking the agent at the house is a Seller's Agent. Representing the seller to buy the house and to buy it for the most amount of money and terms that are acceptable to the seller. Hey, but I am the buyer! What about me? I want to know if the roof leaks, there is water in the basement, the appliances have warranties, and so I ask the agent some of these questions. As a seller's agent this agent is limited in terms of the information they can give me. They can't tell Read more:Buyer
, Rights
The Real Estate Market in Westchester County - February 2007 2007-02-24 12:32:00 The spring real estate market in Westchester County
has arrived early this year. With the mostly warm weather we experienced in January and the beginning of February
, and with mortgage interest rates still low, buyer are out looking. The good news as well is that some sellers are now becoming more realistic.While prices may still adjust in the 3-5% range before stabilizing the housing market has calmed. Buyers are buying. Properties including single family houses, condo's and co-op's that are overpriced are still languishing. Properties that sit on the market for too long are discounted by buyers. If you are selling, pricing it correctly is the most important part of the equation. The temptation to price it high and "see what happens" is a mistake.From Sunday' Real Estate
Section - The Buyer's are Out - The Market
Is Strong
Westchester Golf Courses Open 3/21 2007-02-23 01:25:00 The 2007 Westchester County Parks department will open all of the publicgolf courses on Westchester 3/21. For applications, locations of Golf Courses,phone numbers to call for information, please click here.
New BIll Regarding Co-Op's Proposed 2007-02-21 13:33:00 Cooperative and Condominium Owner’s Bill of Rights Senate bill S.2386, by Senator Vincent Liebell (R-Brewster), would enact a bill of rights for owners of residential cooperative and condominium units. Among other things the bill would require cooperative and condominium boards to respond in writing to applications and other matters which require board approval. The bill would also require a board to provide the reasons for its decision. Co-op or condominium shareholders would also have the right to inspect their board of director minutes, as well as financial statements and inspector reports related to their building. Further details on all of the bills requirements can be found here.
The Psychology of Pricing 2007-02-17 12:18:00 If you are thinking of selling your house the price you put on your home tells a story. There is a psychological message you send to buyers. This article from the New York Times is an excellent discussion of the different messages you send at different "price points". Remember that it is not what you want for the house that will determine what it sells for, but it is what the buyers perceive the value to be. Buyers more often than not see a multitude of homes and can then compare what you home has to offer against properties of similar value. 4 bedrooms vs. 3 bedrooms, 1 car garage vs. 2 car garage, eat in kitchen vs no eat in area, new windows vs. original windows, etc.A price point is the range that offers come in at. If you have a property on the market for $899,000 and several buyers come with offers of $860,000 that is the value as perceived by the buyers. It is the number you will probably end up.The Psychology of Pricing
from the New York Times
Where is Jeanine Pirro going? 2007-02-16 21:23:00 Albert and Jeannine Pirro are liquidating their Westchester County house in Harrison, New York as well as a property in West Palm Beach, Fl. From the Journal News:"Their 7,873-square-foot Italianate mansion in Harrison is listed for sale on the Westchester County Board of Realtors web site for just under $4.3 million. It's described as an "impressive home with exquisite architectural detail" and "a luxurious ambiance for large-scale entertaining." Highlighted features include six bedrooms, seven bathrooms, a pool, cabana and small guest house.The Pirros' Florida vacation home is also listed for sale for $795,000 on the Breakers West Realty Corp. web site.That 3,892-square-foot ranch house, in the Breakers West gated community, has four bedrooms and four bathrooms and is being offered "as is," according to the listing."
4th Quarter Metro Home Prices Likely Have Hit Bottom 2007-02-16 18:33:00 According to David Lereah, the National Association of Realtors Chief Economist it appears that the 4th Quarter of 2006 is the bottom for the current housing cycle."Examination of the data within the quarter shows home prices stabilizing toward the end of the quarter......."Read the Full Report from the National Association of Realtors Read more:Prices
, Bottom
, Home Prices
Lead Generators in Real Estate - Some Thoughts 2007-02-16 13:08:00 Lead Generators
in the Real Estate
Business came into being because there are a hugh number of buyers searching the internet for properties and information on buying and selling. The public is in most cases not aware of the different types of web sites that are out there. The access to information that the internet has provided is tremendous and has exploded over the past 5 years or so. There is the company web site. The national companies, RE/MAX, Century 21, Sotheby's, ERA, GMAC, Coldwell Banker, etc. all have national websites. Then each of their regions have sites and then local offices have sites. Then you have sites like REALTOR.com and REMAX.com where you can search all listings throughout the country from one location. The difference between these two sites is that on REALTOR.com the flashing advertising is distracting where on REMAX.com you can see all of the same listings but advertising free. Then individual agents have websites. From these sites you are dealing directly wi Read more:Real Estate
Ice Your Phone! 2007-02-16 13:02:00 In the aftermath of 9/11 www.IceYourPhone.org was developed. It is a very simple concept, has nothing to do with Real Estate, is something I post from time to time, and you should do it. With over 50,000 accidents last year what would happen if you had an accident, weren't with anyone, how would anyone figure out who you are or who to contact? Create a New Contact on Your Cell PhoneName the New Contact "Ice"Enter Your Emergency Contact informationEmergency workers are now trained to check for this information and it can save your life. How Simple, why not?
A Yonkers Neighborhood - Park Hill 2007-03-17 12:29:00 The Park Hill neighborhood in Yonkers
overlooks the Hudson River. The architecture is from the 19th Century with Victorians, Gothics, Revivals and Georgian Colonials. There are about 1200 properties that comprise this community. About half of the residents want to preserve with municipal lankmark status the feeling of the area. Half oppose that idea. From the New York Times please read about the pro's and con's of living Yonkers.Yonkers, the Schools and Historic Neighborhood
s
Housing Market in Scarsdale, New York 2007-03-20 23:50:00 Scarsdale, New York
is located in mid-Westchester. There is Scarsdale with the Scarsdale School District and then there is Scarsdale as a mailing address for properties in Ardsley, New Rochelle, Yonkers, and Eastchester which each have their own school districts. I am only looking at properties on the market in the Scarsdale School District. I thought it would be interesting to see if rather than expressing what I think is going on that I would take at look at the houses on the market. If you are interested in seeing the school reports and information about other communities in Westchester County please go to my site http://www.miriambernstein.com/ For school reports click on the yellow triangle. There are 4 elementary schools, 1 middle school and 1 high school in the Scarsdale District. Upscale shopping, central location, 30 minute train to Manhattan and excellent schools all make this one of Westchester's very attractive communities. There are currently 115 single family houses on t Read more:Housing
, Market
Housing Market - Westchester County 2007-03-24 10:39:00 The National Association of Realtors yesterday released a report on the housing market.Existing home sales rose strongly in February following a gain in January reaching the highest level since last April. Total existing homes sales, single family, townhouses, condominium's, co-op's rose 3.9%.Regionally existing home sales in the Northeast sureger by 2% to a level of 1.21 million in February. Median existing home prices were down 1.4% from a year earlier.According to Freddie Mac the national average committment rate for a 30 year conventional, fixed rate, mortgage was 6.16% last week down from 6.29 in February, 6.22 in January and 6.25 in February of 2006.Buyer's see a window now with historically low mortgage interest rates and competitive pricing by sellers. Read more:Housing
, Market
, County
An Environmentally Healthy Lawn in Westchester County 2007-03-26 17:52:00 Grassroots Healthy Lawn Program The Grassroots Healthy Lawn Program is an award winning environmental educational project designed to train land professionals and educate the public. The pilot program was introduced in Westchester County
in 2004. Some tips for homeowners: Feed the soil Feed the grass - leave grass clippings on the lawn, provides nitrogen and reduces the amount of fertilizer needed;Re-Seed Annually - seed in the late summer and early fall;Water less - but longer - once a week in the early morning for several hoursPlease visit the website for full information, click here. Read more:Environmentally
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