Westchester County New York Real Estate Blog

Coyote Attack in Greenburgh

2010-01-27T08:23:38-05:00

In the Town of Greenburgh a women walking her dog was attack by a coyote at 3:15pm in the afternoon yesterday. Her dog was also attacked. The following is from the Town of Greenburgh Police Deparment web site about what to do if you encounter a coyote.

The Police Department has recently recieved and investigated Coyote Sightings.

All residents are reminded to keep all pets inside, eliminate food sources, and keep a distance from coyotes. Report all coyote conflicts to the police department.

The Eastern coyote is firmly established in New York. They live in New York as an integral part of our ecosystem. People and coyotes can usually coexist if the natural fear of people that coyotes have is maintained.

Some tips on dealing with coyotes,

Do not feed coyotes

If you see a coyote, be aggressive in your behavior - make loud noises, wave your arms, throw sticks and stones.

Do not allow pets to run free.

Do not feed pets outside.

Make any garbage inaccessible to coyotes and other animals.

Eliminate availability of bird seed. Coyotes are attracted to the concentration of birds and rodents that come to feeders. If you do feed birds, clean up waste seed and spillage.

Teach children to appreciate coyotes from a distance.

Ask your neighbors to follow these same steps.

A Rye Brook Castle from Years Ago! Does Anyone Remember?

2010-01-26T17:32:42-05:00

This afternoon I received the most interesting email. I am posting it here and if anyone remembers and can help please let me know, you can comment on the post.

Good afternoon Miriam,

Years ago, I lived at 8 Sleepy Hollow Road., Rye Brook New York (off Ridge Street)

As a young girl, approx 12 years old, I remember my best friend Lisa R. and I, used to walk up the hill to visit an old castle that was in our neighborhood. We used to sit under the tree and do our homework. We would spend hours just walking around the property and loving every second. My parents mentioned that ElizabethTaylor almost purchased the castle, but she wanted more acreage. Soon after the castle was torn down and more homes were built.

You could imagine the grief and crying that went on for a long time between us. The castle was breathtaking.- a large gargole sat on top where the enormous wooden doors were. The grounds had shrubs (topiary) an olympic swimming pool, etc.

The inside had marble floors, a water fountain in the foyer etc. It was hugh!

My question is;

Can you find the history of this castle?

This question has been in my mind since I first laid eyes on it and never forgot. I am now 56 years old and this is
one of my quests.

Can you please help us?

Open House 33 Lawton Avenue, Hartsdale 10530

2010-01-23T19:21:54-05:00

Reduced to $669,000

33 Lawton Avenue
Hartsdale, New York 10530

Tremendous Space and Property
I promise you have never seen such a unique home -walk
to the Hartsdale Train (35 minutes to NYC)

Virtual Tour

FHA Rules on Mortgage Insurance to Change

2010-01-22T07:45:33-05:00

Rules for obtaining FHA loans will be tightening. Where there is no minimum credit score now a credit scor of 580 will be necessary to obtain FHA funding. Sellers concessions will top out at 3% and to read the entire article from the NY Times, here.

"Borrowers who get an F.H.A.-insured loan will soon have to pay a higher initial insurance premium. The new premium will be 2.25 percent of the value of the loan, up from 1.75 percent.

Starting this summer, sellers will not be able to offer as much help to buyers to pay their closing costs. The maximum amount of assistance will drop to 3 percent of the value of the property, from the current 6 percent"

Westchester Board of REALTORS 4th Q Market Report

2010-01-21T07:03:17-05:00

The Westchester-Putnam residential real estate market endured deep recession throughout 2009. The 5,824 Westchester sales reported through the Multiple Listing Service were 12% fewer than in 2008, which itself was a recessionary year. Putnam County sales (643 units) also were down by 12% from 2008 to 2009. Such low sales volumes for the Westchester-Putnam region were last recorded in 1993.

At the same time, sales activity increased with each passing quarter of 2009. In the first quarter Westchester’s sales volume had plunged 37% below 2008 levels. In the second quarter the negative year to year difference was 31%, followed by 10% in the third quarter. In the fourth quarter, sales volume finally surpassed that of a year ago, and by significant amounts. Westchester’s reported fourth quarter closings of 1,823 properties constituted a 31% increase over the fourth quarter of 2008. The single-family house sector posted a 36% increase. In Putnam County the fourth quarter house sales were 14% more than in 2008.

To read the complete report from the Westchester - Putnam Multiple Listing Service:
Download SR4th09_Final-1

January Realty Times

2010-01-13T06:33:31-05:00

Move-Down Buyers Can Be Eligible For Tax Credit Too

  Move up, move down, move sideways; it just doesn't matter. Whichever direction you move, financially, you may still qualify for the new tax credit available to current homeowners. It is unfortunate that the credit has too often been characterized as a credit for "move-up" homeowners. The phrase carries the implication that the new home must cost more than the sale price of the former one. Indeed, even the November 6 White House Press Release said that the credit would be available to qualified homeowners who "wish to step up to a new home." Same implication.

Mortgage Rates
U.S. averages as of December 24, 2009:

30 yr. fixed:   5.05%
15 yr. fixed:   4.45%
1 yr. adj:        4.38%

View current rates

      So, it is worth emphasizing that the credit is equally available to homeowners who are moving down, cost-wise.
      The move-down homebuyer is not an unusual phenomenon. For years retirees
CONTINUED >>>

Buying, Selling, Relocating, Senior, First Time Buyer?

Call me at 877-881-0626 or locally at 914-907-1922

Real Estate Resolutions 2010

     Sure you can lose weight, get in shape, launch a business or find a new job. But haven't you also procrastinated long enough about buying a home?
      How long has it been since you upgraded your home with a new roof, spiffed up landscaping or pulled some other home improvement?
      And that post-World War II ranch home of yours could certainly use a few energy efficient do-overs.
      Look to low mortgage interest rates, bargain home prices and other favorable market conditions to give you the resolve to consider home sweet home in your list of must-dos next year.
Join the nearly 18 percent of Americans who say they've resolved to become a first-time homebuyer in 2010, according to a new Move.com survey. That's both a smart move and a timely one. Mortgage rates are at record lows, prices are down and the $8,000 first-time home buyer tax credit has been extended until April 30, 2010. It's also been expanded to include a $6,500 tax credit
CONTINUED >>>

How to Save to Buy a Home

     It can be one of the hardest things to do -- save money for your first home. But now, more than ever, there's incentive to buy. Government housing tax credits have been extended and that's sparking buyers' interest.
      Reports show that U.S. homes sales increased 10 percent in October to the highest level since February 2007. The tax credit, less expensive homes, and lower mortgage rates are being credited. However, while the government is helping to support the purchasing of a home, many Americans still can't afford to buy one.
      "Most Americans are spoiled. Most Americans spend a lot of money on discretionary items," says Eric Tyson, co-author of Home Buying for Dummies, 4th Edition. "What it really comes down to is you have to be motivated to look at where are you currently spending money and what discretionary spending can you cut off," says Tyson.
      So how do you get in a position to buy a home? For some the process can seem nearly impossible. First-time homebuyers are often fearful they'll never be able to accumulate a down payment now that stricter guidelines are being enforced for taking out home loans.
      Tyson says to look over your finances and see where things can be cut
CONTINUED >>>

Please visit my Blog!

News, opinions, school and community information about living in Westchester County, New York

Brushing Up On Money-Saving Painting Tips

     A new federal law beginning April 2010 will require all contractors performing renovation, repair and painting projects that disturb lead-based paint in private homes, childcare facilities, and schools (built prior to 1978) to be certified in the prevention of lead contamination.
      According to the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) document titled What You Need to Know About Lead Poisoning, "Despite laws established in the 1970s to make people aware of the dangers of lead and its poisonous effects, lead poisoning in children remains a common, yet
CONTINUED >>>

Daily News and Advice

Read about the events shaping the Real Estate market today, find current interest rates, or browse the extensive library of advice and how-to articles written by some of the top experts in Real Estate. Updated each weekday.

More Articles

December Round Up: Rates Still at Incredibly Low Levels

2010 and Rebuilding or Protecting Your Credit Score

Real Estate Investors Returning to Market

Avoiding 7 Costly Mistakes of Selling Your Home

Why RE/MAX International?

2010-01-09T10:57:18-05:00

With some nifty facts and figures this video is a plug for RE/MAX International and will explain why I have chosen to affiliate with RE/MAX for the past six years. Truly an international force in Real Estate. For sellers this is why RE/MAX is the way to go with your listing. For other agents, some food for thought.

Hartsdale, New York 10530 Markets Stats 12/31/09

2010-01-09T08:08:39-05:00

As of 1/1/2010 45 Active Single Family Houses are on the Market
   3 Houses are in Conditional Contract
   1 is in Pending Status
   48 Houses during the calendar year 2009
   Low price was $265,000
   High price was $1,262,500
   Average 604,980
   Median 542,500
   Average Days on the Market was 174
9 Sold During the Month of December 2009 and the absorption rate at the end December was 21.7 weeks of inventory which is a neutral market. The time of year historically has lower inventory and there was a push to close before the end of the year for tax and home credit issues driving the number of up.
During 2008 61 single family houses sold, compared to the 45 in 2009 and compared to the 80 in 2008 which shows that close to 20 fewer houses sold. The median price in 2008 was $610,000 as compared to a median for 2009 of $542,500 which is an 11% decline.


The First Time Buyer Intervew

2010-01-04T07:45:22-05:00

Yesterday after showing houses in the bitter cold (-8) wind chill I had an appointment to meet a new buyer at my office. This buyer is a first time buyer who has spent time on the internet for the past few months and is trying to get a handle on the process of buying. While there is a lot of information on the internet it is hard to put all of the information in order. I met this buyer and we spent two hours getting to know each other. When you are a new buyer you don't always know all the questions you need to ask.

You Don't Know What You Don't Know

After chatting for a while we had a nice conversation going and this buyer started to feel more comfortable and asked the questions they wanted to ask. It can be difficult for buyers to sit across from a broker and ask questions about their experience, how they represent buyers, what is it that a buyer's agent can do for them, will they work as a dual agent? It is uncomfortable to sit across a table and ask the questions you want to ask without feeling that you are insulting the agent or asking inappropriate questions.
I tried to make them comfortable and told them to please ask their questions, it was okay. I would answer them. I would say the same thing to any buyers out there who are looking for an agent. I will be glad to answer any questions you may have, you have a right to know how an agent you are considering works. If you don't have a list of questions or aren't sure what you should ask, call me and let's have a chat.
Since I am an experienced broker I know the questions you want to ask, really I do.

Move your Money, Don't Let the Big Banks Bully You with Charges

2010-01-02T17:27:21-05:00

With new bank regulations around the corner a lot of Americans are feeling helpless. We are captive. The reports state that the banks are going to increase fees and charge new fees and create new fees. The folks at The Huffington Post came up with a rather ingenious idea. The small guy can do something about this. You can move your money to a community bank or credit union and take it away from the big guys.
JP Morgan Chase, Bank of America, Wells Fargo and Citibank are the culprits. Don't just take it!

"And as we contrasted that with the efforts of local banks to show that you can both be profitable and have a positive impact on the community, an idea took hold: why don't we take our money out of these big banks and put them into community banks? And what, we asked ourselves, would happen if lots of people around America decided to do the same thing? Our money has been used to make the system worse -- what if we used it to make the system better?"
Here is the full article, Move Your Money. View the clip and then check out www.moveyourmoney.info. Then tell everyone!

Uncle Jay's Year in Review

2010-01-01T17:23:50-05:00

This is courtesy of a blogger I know by the name of Missy Caulk. It has some funny parts and is worth a look see.

New Good Faith Estimate for 2010

2010-01-01T08:38:28-05:00


Real estate chit chat is centering on the new Good Faith Estimate (GFE) which is mandatory with any new mortgage loan applications after January 1, 2009. Since I am a real estate broker I am not an expert on the new GFE and I am learning about it. From what I can see the form is an improvement over the previous version but buyer's should not be lulled into thinking they can rely on it 100%. It is not perfect. It applies to the loan and not to some of the other expenses you may incur at the closing table. In the past the monthly payment of a buyer was the PITI which stood for "Principal, Interest, Taxes (property) and Insurance (homeowners). Now the monthly expense does not include the property taxes. Ask lot's of questions when you apply for your loan!
Here is a link to an excellent article on the new GFE, good place to start to learn about this.
2010 GOOD FAITH ESTIMATE OVERVIEW

The New Form
HUD's Settlement Cost Booklet

Happy and Healthy New Year!

2009-12-30T18:11:52-05:00
Miriam Bernstein

10 Houses? 20 Houses? 298 Houses!

2009-12-29T10:01:36-05:00

I often tell buyers that finding the right house is a process that can take time and that seeing 20,30,40 houses is not all that unusual. This article appeared in the Wall Street Journal and is the story of a buyer who viewed 298 houses. It states that several agents gave up and it is no wonder. A bit excessive. I have to wonder if the house search became a hobby, if the search was the point and not actually finding a house.

The National Association of Realtors says the average buyer visits 10 to 12 homes before buying. Over two-and-a-half years, Ms. Pringle personally inspected 298 homes in Marin County.
Collecting flyers along the way, she amassed enough data to fill a two-by-three-foot box.
Buyers have more choices but when does it get a bit obsessive - 298? To read the article from the WSJ, here.

2009-2010 Homebuyers Credit

2009-12-25T19:21:17-05:00

Yes, I have the SFR Certification mentioned in the video!