The atmosphere is informal and in keeping with the turn-of-the century flair of Tarrytown’s Main Street.  The paintings and facade reflect the artistic nature of the village perfectly.   Dining outside is terrific, but on that evening it was actually quite warm so air conditioning won over the great outdoors.

The restaurant offers a seasonal menu and uses as much locally grown produce as  is possible.

Janet enjoyed the lamb cooked two ways.  A shoulder which which was actually ground up like a meat ball and a braised loin. They  were accompanied by a spicy carrot sauce that includes carrots currents and chives.  Added to the dish are lentils Twhich she told me really added flair and flavor.  Janet is a true foodie and a great cook in her own right  – so for her to be duly pleased is impressive.

Yours truly had a yen for a burger. I rarely eat red meat  – perhaps once every other month -  but that night I had a craving for one.  The burger was done to my instructions – medium and was lean and fresh.  The greens that came with it were fabulous.

After our meal, we could easily see how Sweet Grass  was voted one of Westchester Magazine’s top new restaurants in early 2010.  It truly has earned a place as one of the best restaurants  in Tarrytown.  It takes courage to open a restaurant in the middle of a major recession, but this one has what it takes to attract many a hungry patron.  I wish them the best of luck and will be returning there for seconds.

Sweet Grass
24 Main St., Tarrytown NY

Open Daily:
Lunch: 11:30 – 4 PM daily
Dinner:
Mon & Sun 5-9:30 PM
Tues-Thurs – until 10PM
Friday & Sat until 10:30 PM with the bar remaining open later.
914-631-0000

© 2010 – Ruthmarie G. Hicks – http://thewestchesterview.com – All rights reserved.

Hartsdale NY Single Family Homes

The median price of a single family home is down 17% from Q2 of the previous year to $433,000.  This follows the pricing trend seen in White Plains homes for sale, but not in areas like Scarsdale.  As some of the higher end areas have come down in price, they have started to compete with areas like White Plains and Hartsdale – causing further stress on these home prices.  Volume was up significantly from the previous year – (up over 30%) but the inventory overhang of about 9-12 months is keeping prices in check.

Hartsdale NY Condos

The chart below paints a very rosy picture of condo prices in the area – but a closer look  indicates a price drop.  Like White Plains NY condos  and Westchester condos generally, the median price for a sold condo in Q2 2010 was $415,000. The 37% price increase has more to do with the type of unit sold in 2010 then with an actual price in crease. In 2009, only one 2BR unit sold during Q2.   This year, there was a much larger percentage of larger units sold.  When comparing the sales price of 1 BR units in 2009 to 2010- we actually see a 6% drop in prices.  Volume is up over 100% from the previous year but there is still a six month overhang of inventory.

Hartsdale NY Coops:

Westchester Coops are down in price across the board Hartsdale is no exception with a 30% drop in median price. However, more 1 BR units sold this year than last year.  When comparing the median price of 1 BR units a 7% drop in price was noted.  The median price overall is $166,000 for Q2.   The inventory overhang is around 9-11 months depending on whether you look at current contracts or closed sales.

Further Reading:

Hartsdale Housing Market Statistics – Q4 2009

© 2010 – http://thewestchesterview.com – All rights reserved.

Westchester residents were very girding themselves for the strong possibility of a major tropical storm or the remote possibility of a level one hurricane.  After the “hurricane without a name” earlier in the year which downed trees and disrupted power throughout the area – Westchester was bracing itself.   Last March there were many left without power for over a week. Trees were downed and the live wires were everywhere.  Our area had little  appetite for more of the same.   Mamaroneck NY – which includes Larchmont Village – being on the Long Island Sound was reight in the cross-hairs.

But Earl made only a token appearance:

But yesterday – I was showing property near the harbor in Mamaroneck just as the big storm was supposed to hit and be at its peak.  After the showings were over I went down to the harbor and took a few photos.  The clouds had that ominous look of a pending storm, but all was quiet.  The water was calm and the trees were so still they looked like stage props.  The amount of rain produced would barely fill a teaspoon.  Happily – Westchester dodged a bullet this Labor Day weekend -freeing us to enjoy this last blast of summer.

Further Reading:

Aftermath – Views of White Plains after the storm

Post Black Out Musings: Hooked Up or Simply Hooked?

© 2010 Ruthmarie G. Hicks – http://thewestchesterview.com – All rights reserved.

If one of the signs of maturity is that people cease to take themselves too seriously – then I guess I’m very mature – bordering on ancient.  Making fun of  real estate agents appears to be a favorite indoor sport of many. But of all the videos out there that make fun of agents – these two are favorites.

The first is about an agent that takes “pushy” to a whole new level.  Its amazing how the actor morphs from a jolly young man into a Boris Karloff look-alike.

The second is truly a study in how an how a sales person can deflect the negative – in this case the negative was an obviously haunted or “possessed” house.

© 2010 – Ruthmarie G. Hicks – http://thewestchesterview.com – All rights reserved.

Friday, Sept 3

New Rochelle Farmers’ Market

Huguenot Street and Lawton Street

FRIDAYS 8:00 AM TO 3:00 PM

Stone Barns Farmer’s Market

Seasonal Farmer’s Market

2-4 PM for the general public.

630 Bedford Rd – Tarrytown, NY 10591

Westchester Broadway Theater

“Rent” has had rave reviews – for details including pricing call 914-592-2222

Playland’s famous fireworks display - Season Finale
Friday 9:15 p.m. – Parking $5

Playland Parkway
 – Rye, NY 10580
(914) 813-7010

Saturday, Sept 4

Tarrytown Farmers Market
Next to the Tarrytown Public Library,
121 N. Broadway
 8:30 AM – 1:00PM

Larchmont Farmers Market
Metro North Parking Deck #3 just off Chatsworth Ave.
8:30 AM – 1:00 PM

Scarsdale Farmer’s Market

9 AM – 1:30 PM
1 Christie Place – Scarsdale
Hartsdale Farmers’ Market
Hartsdale Train Station

8:30 AM – 1:00 PM

Historic Hudson Valley – Philipsburg Manor

Green Corn Festival – 10 AM- 6PM

Explore the history and culture of the areas Native Americans – Includes folk tales, story telling, dancing & open hearth cooking

For tickets go to www.HudsonValley.org

An insiders guide to Stone Barns.

http://www.stonebarnscenter.org for tickets

630 Bedford Rd – Tarrytown, NY 10591

Hudson River Recreation Kayak Rentals

11-12:30 PM

Hands on the Farm – Gardening.

1 PM – 2 PM

http://www.stonebarnscenter.org for tickets

630 Bedford Rd – Tarrytown, NY 10591

Stone Barns Insider Tours

Free for  adults/Youth $7

Kayaking on the Tarrytown Lakes

12- 4 PM

Quiet water – home to a great deal of wildlife. A great way to be introduced to Kayaking.

Single kayak: $33/hour, $50/2 hours; Double kayak: $55/hour, $75/2 hours

http://www.kayakhudson.com

Phone: (914) 682-5135

Email: info@kayakhudson.com

Stone Barns Farmer’s Market

Seasonal Farmer’s Market

2-4 PM for the general public.

630 Bedford Rd – Tarrytown, NY 10591

Local Rockers Someday Radio

J.C. Fogarty’s Pub – Bronxville, NY

9:30 PM – 1 AM – FREE

Free Outdoor Movie Night –

North by Northwest

Parkway Field – Marble Ave – Pleasantville NY  – 7 PM

Sunday, Sept 5

Rye Farmers Market
Parking Lot 2 on Theodore Fremd Ave.
Behind the Purchase St. Stores.
8:30 AM – 2:00 PM

Green Corn Festival – 10 AM- 6PM

Explore the history and culture of the areas Native Americans – Includes folk tales, story telling, dancing & open hearth cooking

For tickets go to www.HudsonValley.org

Hands on the Farm – Gardening.

1 PM – 2 PM

http://www.stonebarnscenter.org for tickets

630 Bedford Rd – Tarrytown, NY 10591

Stone Barns Insider Tours

Free for adults accompanying youth/Youth $7

Hudson River Recreation Kayak Rentals

12-4 PM

Kayaking on the Tarrytown Lakes Quiet water – home to a great deal of wildlife. A great way to be introduced to Kayaking.

Single kayak: $33/hour, $50/2 hours; Double kayak: $55/hour, $75/2 hours

http://www.kayakhudson.com

Phone: (914) 682-5135

Email: info@kayakhudson.com

Stone Barns Farmer’s Market

Seasonal Farmer’s Market

2-4 PM for the general public.

630 Bedford Rd – Tarrytown, NY 10591

Monday, Sept 6

Tuesday, Sept 7

Wednesday, Sept 8

White Plains Farmers Market
8 AM – 4 PM
Court & Quarropas St. White Plains

Noon Day Concert:
Renaissance Plaza White Plains NY
12 – 2 PM

Thursday, Sept 9

©2010 – Ruthmarie G. Hicks – http://thewestchesterview.com – All rights reserved

So what gives?

Did 10 families living at Trump suddenly say “I’m outta here?”  No. All save one of these listings trace back to Mr. Cappelli’s headquarters in Valhalla.  The last units that have not been sold are on the market now.  Most of these units were on the market at various times over the past four years.  This time, the asking price has been reduced significantly.  They range from $565k – $1.449 million.

The Downtown White Plains Condo Market:

Added to the 10 listings already on the market at Trump (most of them resales) this doubles the number of listings currently on the market.  Since only five units have sold so far this year – with two currently under contract, these new listings create an inventory overhang of about 26 months  at Trump.  Taking the downtown collectively, including Trump Tower the Lofts and the listings at the Ritz Carlton – the high end downtown condo market in general has about 19 months of inventory overhang.

People trying to sell to sell their units in the resale market have a tough road ahead.  This amount of inventory can definitely be an issue because buyers will have plenty to pick from and can afford to be choosy. If you are selling under these conditions  you need to price your unit realistically.   For buyers, this is an opportunity.  The prices have been trending downward.  With this inventory on the market, and prices lowered -the entry point at Trump has never looked better.

Further Reading:

Trump Tower White Plains

White Plains NY Housing Market Statistics – Second Quarter 2010

White Pains NY Housing Market Statistics – First Quarter 2010

Selling Your Condo or Coop

© 2010 Ruthmarie G. Hicks – http://thewestchesterview.com – All rights reserved.

Friday, August 27

New Rochelle Farmers’ Market

Huguenot Street and Lawton Street

FRIDAYS 8:00 AM TO 3:00 PM

Stone Barns Farmer’s Market

Seasonal Farmer’s Market

2-4 PM for the general public.

630 Bedford Rd – Tarrytown, NY 10591

Sleepy Hollow Jazz Concerts

Vanderlei Pereira & Blindfold Test – Free

Rick Stone Quartet- 6:30-8 PM

Westchester Broadway Theater

“Rent” has had rave reviews – for details including pricing call 914-592-2222

Tarrytown Music Hall – Movie Classics

“The African Queen” - Katherine Hepburn & Humphrey Bogart  7:30-9:30 PM

$5.00 at the door – Tarrytown residents 1/2 price.

Playland’s famous fireworks display
Friday 9:15 p.m. – Parking $5

Playland Parkway
 – Rye, NY 10580
(914) 813-7010

Saturday, August 28

Tarrytown Farmers Market
Next to the Tarrytown Public Library,
121 N. Broadway
 8:30 AM – 1:00PM

Larchmont Farmers Market
Metro North Parking Deck #3 just off Chatsworth Ave.
8:30 AM – 1:00 PM

Scarsdale Farmer’s Market

9 AM – 1:30 PM
1 Christie Place – Scarsdale
Hartsdale Farmers’ Market
Hartsdale Train Station

8:30 AM – 1:00 PM

An insiders guide to Stone Barns.

http://www.stonebarnscenter.org for tickets

630 Bedford Rd – Tarrytown, NY 10591

Hudson River Recreation Kayak Rentals

11-12:30 PM

Hands on the Farm – Gardening.

1 PM – 2 PM

http://www.stonebarnscenter.org for tickets

630 Bedford Rd – Tarrytown, NY 10591

Stone Barns Insider Tours

Free for  adults/Youth $7

Kayaking on the Tarrytown Lakes

12- 4 PM

Quiet water – home to a great deal of wildlife. A great way to be introduced to Kayaking.

Single kayak: $33/hour, $50/2 hours; Double kayak: $55/hour, $75/2 hours

http://www.kayakhudson.com

Phone: (914) 682-5135

Email: info@kayakhudson.com

Stone Barns Farmer’s Market

Seasonal Farmer’s Market

2-4 PM for the general public.

630 Bedford Rd – Tarrytown, NY 10591

Local Rockers Someday Radio

J.C. Fogarty’s Pub – Bronxville, NY

9:30 PM – 1 AM – FREE

Sunday, August 29

Rye Farmers Market
Parking Lot 2 on Theodore Fremd Ave.
Behind the Purchase St. Stores.
8:30 AM – 2:00 PM

Hands on the Farm – Gardening.

1 PM – 2 PM

http://www.stonebarnscenter.org for tickets

630 Bedford Rd – Tarrytown, NY 10591

Stone Barns Insider Tours

Free for adults accompanying youth/Youth $7

Hudson River Recreation Kayak Rentals

12-4 PM

Kayaking on the Tarrytown Lakes Quiet water – home to a great deal of wildlife. A great way to be introduced to Kayaking.

Single kayak: $33/hour, $50/2 hours; Double kayak: $55/hour, $75/2 hours

http://www.kayakhudson.com

Phone: (914) 682-5135

Email: info@kayakhudson.com

Tarrytown Music Hall – Movie Classics

“Mary Poppins” – Julie Andrews & Dick Van Dyke – 2- 4:30 PM

$5 at the door. Tarrytown residents 1/2 price.

Stone Barns Farmer’s Market

Seasonal Farmer’s Market

2-4 PM for the general public.

630 Bedford Rd – Tarrytown, NY 10591

Tuesday, August 31

Wednesday, Sept 1

White Plains Farmers Market
8 AM – 4 PM
Court & Quarropas St. White Plains

Playland’s famous fireworks display
Friday 9:15 p.m. – Parking $5
Playland Park
Playland Parkway
Rye, NY 10580
(914) 813-7010

Noon Day Concert:
Renaissance Plaza White Plains NY
12 – 2 PM

©2010 – Ruthmarie G. Hicks – http://thewestchesterview.com – All rights reserved

Just the other day I was pulling comps for a seller in a specific neighborhood. Normally, this shouldn’t be like pulling teeth, but a trend that I have been noticing has been accelerating. Half of the listings in this neighborhood failed to mention the name neighborhood in either agent remarks or pubic description.  This forced me to search by zip code. Since the neighborhood in question straddled two zip codes – I ended up digging through mountains of actives and solds – not to mention contracts/pendings as well as expireds.

Since the neighborhood I was researching straddled two zip codes  – I had to go through a mountain of actives, contracts, pendings and solds, expireds and cancelled listings to fish out the relevant information.

So I have to ask the moronic question – Whatever happened to including the name of the neighborhood on the listing?

I don’t mean to sound snarky – but this is NOT rocket science.  HEY!  LISTING AGENTS!!!! Include the $#%!ing neighborhood in the listing!!  This is quite literally the LEAST you can do.  How hard can that possibly be?

Not local?  It’s your job to find out for God’s sake.  If you don’t have enough knowledge of  the area you are listing in to find this information – then you have no business listing there.  Do yourself and the seller a favor and decline the listing.

Why is this important?

Well – it’s not because yours truly would like to do neighborhood stats without going listing by listing through one or two zip codes….although that would be a nice perk.

But….

1.  Most serious buyers are shopping by neighborhood.  If they want a specific neighborhood, but don’t KNOW the house you are listing is in that neighborhood, they aren’t going to ask to see it.  Your seller’s are missing out on some of the most serious buyers this way.

2. Counting on the buyer’s agent to know?  Are you kidding me?  If agents are listing further from home, buyer’s agents are certainly showing further from home.  You are counting on the blind to lead the blind. Further, you shouldn’t be asking the buyer’s agent to do your work for you.

Look, I realize times are hard.  I have been expanding my range for a while now.  There is no longer enough business for most agents to stay purely local.  But when agents  spread your wings, they need to do it responsibly.

Message to Sellers:

A lot of agents are spreading into new areas.  In most cases this is a good thing.  There are a few villages in Westchester NY where one or two brokerages are still the only game in town.  But that is changing.  Furhter,  as much as the primary players in these towns and villages hem and haw and argue that only they know all the nuances  of the area -  this  “new blood” can be a breath of fresh air.    Agents new to the area know they have to offer something fresh and unique.  They will often offer a new approach and more alternatives than the established brokerages in order to attract buyers and sellers.  This can force those who thought they had the market cornered to step up their game and offer more than the same-old, same-old.

But, sellers have to make sure that the “new blood” knows the area well enough to be effective.  Make sure your listing agent at least knows the neighborhood in which the home you are selling is located.  They also need to be aware of school zoning and issues such as if the area is flood prone. If they don’t know that – find another agent.  Seriously.  I don’t care what they promised.    If they don’t know the area at all then they probably don’t know enough to be effective.

No,  your agent doesn’t have to be local – but your agent does need to have local knowledge.

© 2010 – Ruthmarie G. Hicks – http://thewestchesterview.com – All rights reserved.

For Q2 2010  prices for White Plains NY homes for sale were down from the previous year.   Single family homes – which took  the brunt of the housing decline last year – had less of a correction this year.  The good news here is that as far as single family homes in White Plains goes – we may be still trending down, but the steep declines apparent between 2008-2009 are not present.   The story is different and more discouraging for condos and coops.

Single Family Homes  in White Plains:

White Plains NY homes for sale declined 4% from Q2 of the previous year to and median price of $559,000 – (down from $583,000 in Q2 2009).  The price range went from $245,000 for a short sale to $1,300,000 for a high end home.   The prices – particularly at the higher end are still trending downwards.  Stiff competition from areas such as Scarsdale, Rye and Larchmont – which have had major price corrections are perhaps contributing to further declines in the higher end single family market of White Plains.  Previously out of reach for many, these other markets are back on the high end home-buyer’s radar.

Fueling the competition with other  communities are the property  tax hikes  that have taken away the tax advantage that White Plains homeowners could point to in previous years.    Property taxes have risen disproportionately in White Plains over the past several years and single family homes have been hit hard. The present trajectory of taxes on White Plains single family residents is unsustainable and must be reigned in or further declines in value directly associated to this issue are likely.  I hope some of the city officials are reading this…

There appears to be a bit more than 7 months of inventory overhang on the market – which puts it into the buyer’s market territory – but just barely.  This is a big improvement from past quarters and is a good sign.   Sales volume is up significantly from 2009 – but the effect of the tax credit may create a false sense of security.  The 3rd quarter numbers on volume will be informative.  But contracts and pendings indicate that the market has maintained momentum – with the caveat that price declines are continuing.

Condos in White Plains

Median Condo prices in White Plains NY are following the downward trend of Westchester condos generally.  Prices are off 10% from the previous year with a median price sitting at $355,000.   At  the lower end of the spectrum was a 1 BR condo with street  parking in the downtown area for $160,000, while the high end was $1,300,000 for a unit at the Ritz Carlton.    Volume was up over 2009 due to the tax credit, in fact it nearly doubled.  But contracts and pendings indicate that we are rapidly heading back to 2009 levels.  The inventory overhang is high if you look at current contracts and pendings as a measure of future activity.  If that’s the direction sales are heading – there is an 18 month inventory overhang.  The Q2 sales results indicate an 8 month inventory.  Reality probably lies somewhere in between with at least a year of inventory on the market.

Coops in White Plains

Westchester coops represent an important entry point to the housing market.  Even with the tax credit prices tumbled 22% over the previous year.  The median price for Q2 2010 was $185, 000 down from $238,000 the previous year.  Sales volume was up significantly – over 40% due to the tax credit,  but current contracts and pendings show a marked decrease in activity – back to 2009 levels.  The inventory overhang ranges from 10-18 months depending on whether you look at Q2 sales or current contracts/pendings.  Like White Plains condos – there appears to be well over a year of inventory on the market.

All in all, condos and coops throughout Westchester still have a way to decline. Single family homes which declined far further earlier in the correction could be poised to recover or at least stop declining. However,  much of that depends on White Plains getting its house in order and getting property and school taxes under some kind of control.

Further Reading:

Gedney Farms – White Plains NY

Jefferson Place – White Plains NY

Trump Tower – White Plains NY

The Broadlawn – White Plains NY

White Plains NY Housing Market Statistics Q1 2010

White Plains NY Housing Market Statistics Q4 2009

White Plains NY Housing Market Statistics Q3 2009

© 2010 – Ruthmarie G. Hicks – http://thewestchesterview.com – All rights reserved.

Recently, I got a listing in a cooperative where there were nine lockboxes.  This time I decided to think outside the box (no pun intended.)  In the past, I’ve put little tags on the keys,  ribbons on the box and on the keys.  But all of these things can – and DO – fall off.  So – I decided to spend a couple of extra $$ for “designer keys.”  Now, if an agent puts the keys to my listing in the wrong box, I can easily find them and “fix” the problem.  No tags or ribbons to fall off  – and none of the other keys are going to look like mine.  It’s a colorful and even “fun” solution to  a dreary problem.

© 2010 Ruthmarie G. Hicks – http://thewestchesterview.com – All rights reserved.