Archive for the 'Villages/Towns' Category
There is a lot of competition with Westchester NY homes for sale. During this major housing recession we’ve learned that aggressively promoting the home from top to bottom is extremely important.
When I list a home I tell the seller a hard truth that permeates this market whether you are listing at the high end in Scarsdale or Larchmont to a small coop in downtown White Plains. That truth is that buyers are demanding and LAZY….Seriously, most buyers just don’t want to lift a finger to do anything. The thought of sweat equity has been left in the dustbin of the bull market along with no-doc, low-doc and stated income loans.
Given this atmosphere – where buyers are skimming the cream and leaving the rest – we think often of bringing in stagers to achieve a depersonalized move-in ready feel to a home. People make upgrades just to sell a home. New kitchens and baths are often installed just to appeal to buyers. But what about that all-important first impression? Before people even enter your Westchester home? Curb appeal is very powerful and if you miss out on plantings during this summer market – you are missing an opportunity – and perhaps leaving money on the table.
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It sounds obvious – with a river like the Hudson River hugging the western border of our county - that we have to have a significant police and rescue presence along the river – but I seldom gave that presence much thought. Recently there have been a couple of “jumpers” – people threatening to jump off the Tappan Zee Bridge. But even then – I was more preoccupied with the plight of someone who would go over the edge like that. I wasn’t necessarily thinking about the police presence on the river specifically. I just assumed that “they” -whoever “they” were would try and talk that poor soul out of ending it all. No more. A few weeks ago I was walking on the Tarrytown River Walk – I happened along some of the police and rescue boats. There they were – solid proof of law enforcement and rescue workers on the River…
It just goes to show you that there will always be the need for a public sector and the maintenance of infrastructure….
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When listing your Westchester NY home for sale - choosing a good listing agent is critical. One issue that you should consider in the selection is what kind of photographs they put into the MLS. Seriously, I am often shocked at what many agents seem to think is an acceptable presentation. Buyers are pouring over public facing versions of the MLS. Most will cherry pick the homes with the best photos and discard the rest. With many homes for sale at this time, the process of elimination begins on line. Poor photography means fewer showings and less offers. Its really that simple.
Photos should be warm – inviting and should include neighborhood photos so that buyers that are not purely local can get a feel for the area before even getting in their car.
Exteriors need to have curb appeal. I took these three pictures in Larchmont NY. One was of a house (not my listing) and the other two give the feel of the area immediately surrounding the home. Make no mistake – when listing your home a picture really is worth 1000 words…
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Last night I decided to spend some quality time at Coffee Labs on Main Street in Tarrytown NY. after dinner. It is often a very nice place to relax, grab some bandwidth and enjoy the live music that is offered on Friday and Saturday nights. I arrived fairly late because I had gone out to dinner with friends, but the band was still playing. They were from the Lagond Music School located in Elmsford NY. The performers were all very young to my middle-aged eyes and the quality of the music was excellent.
The Lagond Music School is a not-for-profit school dedicated to music education and performance. They teach contemporary music with the same rigor that is generally ascribed to classical training. The focus is definitely contemporary with jazz, Latin, funk and rock listed as primary categories of study. I studied music when I was in college and my late mother was a professional cabaret singer who sang her way through 28 countries. I was very impressed by the performance. This was not your typical high school or even college group. It was polished in a manner that is rarely seen in contemporary groups. If you go to their website you can see their calendar with an impressive lineup of public performances for their students.
Also – remember Coffee labs for an amazing cup of coffee. They also have a wonderful assortment of teas and other drinks such as smoothies for the summer months ahead.
© 2011 – Ruthmarie G. Hicks – http://thewestchesterview.com- All rights reserved.
It was a long, cold winter and very few buyers were out during the first quarter of 2011. If we weren’t having our weekly Noreaster – we were digging out of one. So Larchmont homes for sale tended to stay on the market longer than they did last year. The Larchmont NY housing market is a tale of two markets. Strangely some of the statistics are counter intuitive and I will explain why the raw numbers don’t tell the entire story. However, it is apparent that the single family home market in Larchmont NY continues to recover while the cooperative market is still languishing. Although the Larchmont PO does have condominiums – the sales volume was too low for me to draw conclusions from. Feel free to contact me for further information on condominiums.
Larchmont NY Single Family Homes:
The chart below shows a distinct decrease in median sales price over Q1 2010. However, this reflects more the size and condition of the homes sold. Prices appear to be inching up. Areas like Larchmont, Rye and Scarsdale have been among the first markets to recover and that recovery is continuing. The median sales price for the Larchmont PO was $829,000 down 12.7% from Q1 2010. However, more fixers were sold where last years buyer had the luxury of cherry picking the homes with the most upgrades. This the numbers run counter to the reality of this market. Sales volume was also down from Q1 2010 – but the terrible weather has a great deal to do with this. What is more significant is the current contracts and pendings which indicate a 4.5 month inventory overhang. That’s a bull market – not a bear.
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There are times when the light is just right and the blooms are at their peak. Sometimes you just get lucky. But then again – The Tarrytown NY Rivere walk provides me with a terrific subject. If I took bad pictures with all that going for me – I should just stop taking photos altogether. In any case, Jade, Tundra and I decided to take a walk along the River Walk around 6:00 PM about 10 days ago. People were out. There was plenty of activity – and who can blame them? Some areas just lend themselves to gatherings. This is one of them. Whether fishing, strolling, walking the dogs or reading on a bench – people can’t help but congregate in such a wonderful outdoor “room.” And if you live at Hudson Harbor – this is truly your back yard.
© 2011 – Ruthmarie G. Hicks – http://thewestchesterview.com – All rights reserved.
Each year around this time, people come from miles around to see the blooming of the Peonies at the Rockefeller preserve. Following the tragedy of September 11, 2001, Yatsuka Cho, a town in Simane Prefecture, Japan offered a gift of over 500 peonies to the United States as a healing memorial. It was also a gesture of solidarity and support from a former enemy of the United States who less than 60 years ago were locked in combat with us during World War II. The peony is considered to Japan’s most noble of flowers and is the “signature flower” for the region. The Rockefeller Preserve accepted the gift and renovated the entrance to the Preserve in order to accommodate the peonies.
This year when we go to the Rockefeller Preserve to admire the monument and see the awe inspiring site of 500 peonies plants all in bloom at the same time, we should remember the ongoing tragedy of Japan as they recover from a devastating natural disaster.
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Having featured the Hudson River and surrounds, I decided to pull a photo from the Long Island Sound side of the Westchester NY. Larchmont NY sits on the Long Island Sound and boasts wonderful views of the water. My father was a long-time resident of Larchmont NY and both he and I enjoyed walking in Manor Park. I took this picture on a midsummer afternoon in 2009. It was warm but not stifling and the good thing about being on the Long Island Sound is that there is always a nice breeze. Manor Park is actually a private park that residents of Larchmont Manor have generously kept open for the residents and guests. It is opened from dawn until dusk and many come to enjoy this wonderfully maintained space. Like the River Walk – it is a focal point that has taken hold with the residents in the immediate area and beyond. I attended the fireworks at Manor park for the 4th of July 2010 and they were spectacular.
©2011 – Ruthmarie G. Hicks – http://thewestchesterview.com
The other day I found myself near Tarrytown in early the evening and I decided to see what the was happening on the River Walk. When public monies go into planning a project -it is always hoped that the public will enjoy the space. Reclaiming the shore along the Hudson for a long River Walk was a brilliant idea and I was pleased to see that the public was taking full advantage of the weather and the area. There were many people walking, sitting, chatting and quite a few were taking advantage of the fishing. To think that when I was a child we thought the Hudson was polluted beyond repair. I found myself enjoying the scene so much that I actually spent over an hour taking pictures talking to passers by and reading.
The picture below was taken in Tarrytown right by Hudson Harbor - a condo complex that is building phase 2 of a large project. Imagine having this view as you step out your door. For more on Hudson Harbor – Tarrytown NY – Click here.
The photo was taken in very low light – so its not perfect – but I’m working on that.
© 2011 – Ruthmarie G. Hicks – http://thewestchesterview.com – All rights reserved.
After a long cold and snowy winter it is nice to see the spring and the corresponding Westchester events that emphasize outdoor activity.
Lyndhurst in Tarrytown NY is having its famous crafts fair this weekend. This famous Westchester event is considered a must-see for those interested in the work of fine artisans. This event goes beyond local attracting a varied array of artisans from all over that offer up an amazing variety of wares for the public to explore. From clothing, to jewelry to oil painting, furnishings, pottery – you name it. This is great fun for the whole family.
The photos are from the Lyndhurst Crafts Fair in the fall of 2010:
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