REALTOR Magazine, March 2008 - 02/29/08 03:48 PM
Congratulations to all the people from Active Rain and other sites around the blogosphere that were quoted in this month's REALTOR Magazine. All the agents here will receive their own copy in the mail. This is for those who won't receive it.
The name of the articles is Welcome to Real Estate 2.0 and it discusses the major Real Estate 2.0 tools that are available now and how the web has changed the world of Real Estate.
BlogsWikisMash-UpsVideosTeresa Boardman discusses how she started blogging. When I started blogging Teresa Boardman's blog was the number 1 site that I found interesting. I would bet … (3 comments)
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Buy, Sell or Hold from Barbara Corcoan and the Today Show - 02/28/08 09:04 AM
Barbara Corcoran was on the Today Show this morning and a lot of you probably saw the segment, so, for those of you who didn't here is the clip and a link to the text.
I like this particular segment because I think the public is getting confused about what to do, buy, sell or wait it out. This sets some parameters. Buy if you will live there for five years or more. Buy because interest rates are low now and it is cheaper to buy now than it is to rent. … (4 comments)
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Neuberger Museum of Art, Purchase, New York - 02/28/08 05:53 AM
"Presenting 12 changing exhibitions annually in addition to ongoing exhibitions from the permanent collections, the Neuberger Museum of Art offers visitors insights into the work of 20th century masters, and mid-career and emerging artists, as well as exposure to the county's only permanent exhibition of African art"
Miriam Bernstein, CRS, ABR, GRI, e-Pro, SRES Associate Broker, Licensed in the State of New YorkRE/MAX Prime Properties, Westchester County, New York 10583www.MiriamBernstein.com"Content of this blog is solely my opinion"
… (0 comments)
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9th Annual Westchester County International Film Festival - 02/25/08 04:56 PM
Annual Film Festival March 7, 8 and 9 at the City Center 15: Cinema De Lux in White Plains Come to the 9th annual Westchester County International Film Festival! The event kicks off Friday, Mar. 7 at the City Center 15 in White Plains. Films will run back to back starting at 1 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and from noon on Sunday. On Sunday, come to the special screening for the first-ever "Future Filmmakers" competition. About two dozen aspiring filmmakers from local high schools will get a chance to have their production shown in a professional theatre, on a full-size screen, … (0 comments)
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Paramount Center in Peekskill, New York - 02/25/08 04:39 PM
The Paramount Center in Peekskill has a history in Westchester County that dates back to the 1930's. Some programs of note are:
March 8th, 2008 Savion Glove with McCoy Tyner Trio
March 22, 2008 The Four Tops
April 26, 2008 Jessye Norman
June 21, 2008 Patti LaBelle
For Special Events, Programs, to buy tickets and directions please check out their web site:
The Paramount Center for the Arts
Miriam Bernstein, CRS, ABR, GRI, e-Pro, SRES Associate Broker, Licensed in the State of New YorkRE/MAX Prime Properties, Westchester County, New York 10583www.MiriamBernstein.com"Content of this blog is solely my opinion"
… (0 comments)
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The Purchase CEMA in New York State - 02/24/08 08:05 AM
So what is the Purchase CEMA? CEMA stands for Consolidation, Extension and Modification Agreement. CEMA's are typically used to avoid the second payment of the New York State mortgage tax by mortgagees when refinancing a mortgage. This an be used in the sale of property and both the buyer and the seller can reap benefits.
The Seller can save ,4% in New York State Transfer tax up to the first 500,000 of assigned mortgage up to $2000.00 dollars for signing an authorization. Savings are based upon the continuing lien deduction achieved because of the assignment.
The Buyer can save 1.8% to 2.55% in … (2 comments)
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Greenburgh Nature Center - 02/24/08 06:36 AM
Right in the middle of Westchester County, one minute from strip malls on Central Avenue is the Greenburgh Nature Center.
"The Center is a 33-acre woodland preserve with trails, pond, orchard, maple sugaring site and gardens. Our Manor House contains a live animal museum with over 120 specimens, a "hands on" discovery room, greenhouse, changing nature-arts exhibits, and a nature store"
Greenburgh Nature Center
Miriam Bernstein, CRS, ABR, GRI, e-Pro, SRES Associate Broker, Licensed in the State of New YorkRE/MAX Prime Properties, Westchester County, New York 10583www.MiriamBernstein.com"Content of this blog is solely my opinion"
… (0 comments)
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Jacob Burns Film Center - Something Wonderful in Pleasantville - 02/24/08 05:56 AM
Beginning in 1998 a group of inidividuals because interested in creating a cultural arts center in Westchester County, New York and more specifically in Pleasantville. In 2000 a capital campaign was launched to the raise the funds. A local foundation, Jacob Burns Foundation, donated 1.5 million of the initial $5 million and in their honor the name was chosen.
Opening its' doors in 2001 they now show films from around the world, there are art exhibitions, book signings, live performances, interviews with filmmakers. They have developed after school enrichment programs.
To see the films that are now showing, NOW SHOWING, to see … (1 comments)
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Should You Get A Tax Break if A Sex Offender Lives Next Door? - 02/23/08 11:02 AM
I am listening to Fox News and they just did a segment about a Town in Connecticut that wants a reduction in their home assessments because a sex offender has moved in. They claim that the presence of this offender has lowered their property values.
A rather lively discussion on Fox. Jeannine Pirro, the former Westchester County District Attorney feels that because of the recidivism of this particular criminal there is a real issue. It is more than likely that a sex offender will re-offend. Another commentator asked whether parents would feel better and more comfortable living next to an offender if … (14 comments)
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Conforming Rate to Rise Helping Owners Lower Costs - 02/23/08 08:16 AM
Last week President Bush signed into law a stimulus package that will lower the monthly payments for borrowers on more expensive homes.
The limit on conforming loans will be raised from $417,000 to $729,750 temporarily, beginning of March through the end of the year. Individuals with existing JUMBO loans will be able to refinance and lower their monthly expense.
"For years, rates on jumbo loans, those for more than $417,000, were only slightly higher than rates on conforming loans at or below that limit. But now, with the interest rate on conforming loans at around 6 percent, sometimes less, jumbo loans are at … (0 comments)
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Does A Pre-Approval Take you Off the Hook? - 02/20/08 12:16 PM
While recently negotiating a deal something new came up. Something new always comes up but this I thought was timely. So I am negotiating on a house. We have agreed on price, closing, etc. This is my listing. The selling agent sends along a letter, a pre-qualification from a mortgage company. It says that blah, blah, blah, if all is confirmed this bank will provide financing to this buyer. The usual.
So we proceed. All is moving along well. I call the selling and in the course of the discussion she says oh, well they are getting their financing from a different … (5 comments)
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Negotiating in this Market - What Buyer's Should Know - 02/20/08 05:14 AM
I have recently gone through a few negotiations. In this market it isn't so easy. Things have changed. During the seller's market that we just came out of it was much easier. Often buyer's got caught up. A seller would price their home, the buyer's would come along, would want the house, would pay the seller his price, often jumping through hoops to "win".
In this market, a buyer's market things are quite different. Buyer's expect seller's to work with them. Buyers expect the sellers to counter offer any bid they put in, to not be insulted no matter how low the … (7 comments)
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Rules of the Road - 02/18/08 07:39 AM
I have a website and a couple of blogs. I offer property searches. I offer information. How to buy, how to sell. I offer to answer questions for consumers. I get inquiries from both my website and blog. Consumers are afraid to be trapped. Don't really want to sign up and give away their email addresses. Afraid to be spammed or worse yet called. It is a fine line between having a lead call you or calling them if they give you a number. I have been on Active Rain for a while now. I love the site. I have learned … (4 comments)
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In This Changing Market - Being a New Agent - 02/18/08 07:23 AM
Having been in real estate for a while in both up and down markets I have had an opportunity to see how the powers that be, the large offices operate in both markets. In a downward market where a lot of agents leave you will see real estate offices with signs in their windows, they are hiring. In a downward market why would they hire, because they want listings. They want sales. They need floor time coverage. Some offices need clerical backup during floor time. So they hire new agents and then they hire more new agents.
But what is the real … (2 comments)
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An Ethical Dilemna on A Referral - 02/15/08 03:42 PM
Two weeks ago I got a referral from an agent in another state. This fellow calls and says I have a buyer for a multi family home in Westchester County are you interested in a referral. Sure I say tell me a little about the client, what is she looking for? A multi family he says. I say can you tell me a little more about the client. Well he says I really can't. I say why not?
So, he says I have a friend who is a mortgage broker. He gave me this client to refer so I can get … (15 comments)
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Market Changing and Stuff Happening - 02/15/08 08:52 AM
As the market turndown in parts of the country continues I have heard that up to 400,000 agents throughout the country did not have one sale last year. I am not sure what this will translate into in terms of agents needing to find other sources of income. But what I do see is a shift. I am seeing more and more emails coming my way from new and innovative company's being formed by prior agents.
Now there are company's contacting me, they want me to sign up on their sites and pay them monthly fees. It used to be we were … (2 comments)
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In A Storm a Ride Home - 02/13/08 03:25 PM
So, what do you do when you get off the train after a long hard day at the office and need a ride home in a snowstorm? During last nights storm a commuter hopped onto a village truck and drove himself home.
" A 50-ish man approached a public works employee shoveling snow near his running DPW truck loaded with salt and sand just before 10 p.m. and asked for a light, Detective Lt. Bryant Clark said. The next thing the worker knew, the man was climbing into his DPW truck on Chase Road and driving off toward the Bronx River Parkway, Clark … (4 comments)
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A Shocking Death of a Young REALTOR - 02/12/08 06:28 AM
From the RE/MAX Mainstreet site a reminder again to be very careful. This is so very sad.
Canadian Associate's Slaying Highlights Realtor Safety When 24-year-old Sales Associate Lindsay Buziak went to show an upscale home on Feb. 2, she reportedly told colleagues she had an uneasy feeling about the meeting.
Buziak, of RE/MAX Camosun Westshore, was found dead that evening after she was allegedly lured to the vacant house in the Victoria suburb of Saanich by a phone call from a woman with a strong accent, according to reports from the Saanich Police Department and Canadian news media.
Her death is being … (5 comments)
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Project Life Line and Credit Card Debt - 02/12/08 06:15 AM
Six banks, Countrywide, Wells Fargo, Bank of America, Citigroup, Washington Mutual will announce a new program today called Project Life Line. This program is to help homeowners who are seriously delinguent on their sub-prime mortgage payments, at least 90 days delinquent.
This program will be announced by the US Treasury and the Housing Department. These banks have agreed to give homeowners 30 extra days to negotiate a new payment schedule. These banks also state that they have helped 545,000 in the last six months. This is the 2nd effort by banks and governmen to try to keep people in their homes. … (7 comments)
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Aging, the Internet and Real Estate - 02/11/08 04:27 PM
One of the nice things about being in Real Estate is/was the ability to work as long as you want. I knew an agent who worked into her 80's. She was healthy, her mind was intact and if the truth be told she let the buyer's drive and didn't always go upstairs and downstairs with them but she was fine. That was a few years ago.
Yesterday I was talking to a homeowner. She said she was considering selling her house. She said that she was going to call the agent who sold it to her 25 years ago. Now I know the agent, … (5 comments)
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120 Frederick Street, Cortlandt Manor, New York 10567 - 02/11/08 11:58 AM
Have I got a house for you? In Northern Westchester County, from the Croton-Harmon train station a 55 minute commute down the Hudson River to New York City. Fabulous almost new construction. Sweet! All for $449,500. This house is waiting for you. MLS #2735547. Listed by RE/MAX Prime Properties. What are you waiting for?
For complete information and more pictures, please check here.
… (0 comments)
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Getting To and Around Westchester County, New York - 02/10/08 11:27 AM
One of the things I like about Westchester County, New York is that because of the number of Interstates, Parkway's and Route there is never a reason to get stuck in traffic. Westchester County is served by:
Interstate -87 the New York State Thruway (north-south)Interstate -95 (north - south)Interstate -287 Cross Westchester (mid Westchester east-west)Interstate -684Sprain Brook ParkwayBronx River ParkwayCross County ParkwayHutchinson River ParkwayTaconic State ParkwayThe Metropolitan Transporation Authority (MTA) provides train and commuter service from Westchester County to New York City. There are three lines, the Hudson, the Harlem, and the New Haven lines. Each stops in the Bronx on the … (0 comments)
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Active Day on Market vs. Cumulative Days on Market - 02/10/08 10:54 AM
There is an old adage "garbage in, garbage out". This applies to a lot of things in our lives but mostly I am concerned with what it means vis a vis the statistics from the Westchester MLS. Every quarter we get a statistical report summarizing, with lots of graphs, charts, year over year over year stuff. We do not have cumulative days on market in Westchester County. I do believe that there are legitimate reasons to cancel a listing, withdraw a listing, temporarily withdraw a listing and then place it back on the market. I also believe that some agents are … (4 comments)
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Fortunoff's and White Plains, New York - 02/10/08 05:21 AM
Growing up on Long Island Fortunoff's in Westbury was always the go to store for jewelry, household items, dishes, silverware. They always had hugh sales and bus loads of people would be brought in from Brooklyn and points north. The store was always packed. This was before the Bed, Bath and Beyond chain and before Linin and Things. Several years ago they took down my beloved Saks Fifth Avenue in White Plains and built a Fortunoff's. A little bit of home. They also built a Cheesecake Factory, Morton's Steak House moved in and the came Whole Foods. Wonderful for the community.
This … (0 comments)
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Staging, In Reverse - 02/09/08 04:44 PM
Today I showed a house that reminded me of another house. I had a wonderful new client today. We went out and viewed 7 houses. They have a nice budget. Makes me happy. They really like older homes with character. Makes me happy. I got a chance to view every Victorian on the market in mid Westchester. It was great.
Until we got to the last one. This particular house has been on the market for a while. This particular house has dogs, dogs that are left alone in the house all day long. Yes, you guessed it. So, I arrived a bit … (5 comments)
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The Six Stages of Grief, or Selling a House in this Market - 02/08/08 12:50 PM
I have gone on several listing appointments in the last few days. I am beginning to see a pattern of disbelief on the seller's faces. A look of yes, I have been reading all the news reports, I have been watching on TV, yes I am informed and I know about the sub-prime, but does that mean me? Isn't that about everyone else? The stages of grief in selling a home seem to be:
1. Information gathering. This is the first step. This is when we are called in for a CMA. However in this current market if you use sales from … (6 comments)
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Is it Ok to Ask? - 02/07/08 05:46 AM
Way back when I started in Real Estate I was taught to ask lots of questions of buyers to determine their ability to obtain a mortgage. Especially if that buyer was considering a co-op purchase we needed to ask and then ask more questions. We needed to know. Where did the buyer work, how much did the buyer earn, how much savings did the buyer have, after the down payment on the mortgage and closing costs what savings would still be in the bank, and lots of other questions. We all worked for the seller back then, remember. When I started … (6 comments)
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Active Rain - 70,000 Strong - 02/07/08 05:18 AM
I just woke up and went to the computer. Right to Active Rain and I noticed that sometime between last night and this morning Active Rain passed the 70,000 mark. That's great. This is such a wonderful site. I have learned so much about real estate, the internet as it applies to my business, blogging, marketing, technology, and just so much more from all the wonderful people who share what they know on this site. The individuals who are new and have just joined are in for an interesting ride. Thank you all.
… (5 comments)
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Buyers In This Market Have the Wants....... - 02/07/08 05:03 AM
This is a difficult market as we all know. Westchester County which is directly north of New York City is a bit insulated because of the proximity to the city. House prices are down. When I bought my first property in Northern Westchester 25 years ago I remember paying 18% and now you can get rates in the 5.6% range. That's great. Coupled with the great rates are the reduced prices we see. Sellers have seen enough by now in the papers and on TV to understand what is going on with the market. They may not like it, may not … (19 comments)
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Unidentified Non Agent Blog About Real Estate - 02/04/08 05:24 AM
This morning I came across a blog and I am not sure what to make of it. It is unidentiifed. There is no name or any other identifing information as to who is writting the blog. This blog has posted the Annual Report from the MLS and also property listings with links to different office web sites. It is also offering comments on listings not all of which are positive.
It claims to be the only real estate blog by people not in real estate. They are commenting about a listing that is being sold with property with a link to the company … (8 comments)
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Aging and Boomers in Westchester County, New York - 02/03/08 05:28 AM
There were 187,043 people 60 years of age and older in Westchester County in 2007, including the 9,608 Baby Boomers who turned 60 this year. They comprised 19.5 percent of the county's total population. Just under 8,000 (7,988) Baby Boomers will turn 60 in 2008, which means that 20.5 percent of the total population or just over one in five County residents will be 60 years or older by the end of that year.
In view of these numbers and because studies show that the vast majority of Seniors would prefer to age in place Westchester County has set up a new … (1 comments)
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