For the past 8 years the Hudson Valley has celebrated the renewed presence and vibrancy of our national bird  in the Hudson Valley.  Many are too young to remember, but in the 1970s the American bald eagle was an endangered species.  Now they are thriving and I have witnessed their presence on more than a couple of occasions.  The photo at the right is one I took at Kingsland Point Park about a year ago.  Apparently, the majestic soul in the portrait was watchful but not fearful of me or my telephoto lens….But the photo shows that my presence did not pass unnoticed…he was well aware of me and watching my every move – with his eagle eye!

This post is more than a bit tardy – and for that I apologize.  The bus tour is sold out. However, there are still ways to participate and learn more about some of our most majestic birds of prey.

The event is hosted by the Teatown Reservation   but the epicenter is at Croton Point Park – There are many ways to participate:

Eagle Theater Schedule:

• 10 AM, 11AM & 12 PM -  Close Encounters with Wintering Eagles and Owls
• 1 PM, 2 PM  – Exclusively Eagles
• 3PM – Flight of the Raptors

Advance Ticket sales are $5.00/person and $10/person when purchased at the door.

Eaglet Stage Schedule:

These shows are free of charge!

• 9 AM – Eagle Identification Tips
• 10:30 AM & 2:15 PM – Jonathan Kruk – Master story teller
• 12 PM – Teatown Birds of Prey Program
• 12:45 – Physics of Flight – Beyond Feathers
• 1:30 – Birding Optics

Additional eagle viewing sites along the Hudson River…

Each area is staffed by eagle experts with spotting scopes.

• Croton Boat Ramp at Croton-Harmon Train Station
• George’s Island Park – Montrose
• Riverfront Green Park – Peekskill
• Kathryn W. Davis Riverwalk Center – Sleepy Hollow
• New Croton Dam – Cortlandt
• Bear Mountain State Park Trailside Museums & Zoo.

• The Event - Crazy Super Bowl Hat Making 
• The Place - The Larchmont Library – Larchmont Ave.
• The Time - 10:30 AM Sat. Feb. 4
• The Cost  - FREE!

Enjoy!

©2012 – Ruthmarie G. Hicks – http://thewestchesterview.com – All rights reserved.

Buying the Lifestyle – Not Just the Home!

In addition to the convenience of being steps from just about everything, there are plenty of amenities to keep you right at home.   There is a lounge, a fitness center which is very complete.  There is also a spa,  a pool and media room as well as a terrace. There is room service through the hotel as well as maid service.  A jitney whisks commuters to the Metro-North Train Station which is about 0.5 miles from the complex.  Everything is close at hand and very convenient.

The Ritz Carlton Residences of White Plains NY:

The floorplan is open and the floor to ceiling windows expose magnificent views of the Long Island Sound or the Manhattan Skyline.  The kitchens are open and boast walnut cabinetry and Viking appliances, including a wind fridge.   The master bath has Aurora Rose Marble throughout and Kohlar fixtures. There are walk-in closets with custom storage systems  in the Master BR.  Ceilings are generally 9 ft in height giving a feeling of added space with 10 ft ceilings in the penthouses.

The Ritz Carlton – White Plains NY – Pricing and Sales History:

The official opening of the Ritz Carlton could not have happened at a more inauspicious time for the Westchester Housing market.  The complex opened at the end of 2007 – just as the fall out from  the sub-prime loan debacle was hitting the fan.  Sales were sluggish though  the sales volume indicated my figures are artificially low since like most new construction – most sales though done through agents dose not end up on the MLS.  Prices actually inched up during 2008.  But once the financial crisis of 2008 and the stock market crash happened – prices started to fall – reflecting the rest of the market.

The chart below depicts the pricing patterns for 2 BR units at the Ritz from the time of the construction of the first tower in late 2007.   The red bars depict the market before the crash in 2008 and the green bars reflect pricing in the years following.  The median sales price is down about 38% from the highs in 2008.  Some very high-end units made their way into that mix in 2008. So in an apples to apples comparison, the prices are down about 25-30% depending on the type of unit.  Over the past 18 months prices have held steady and have even edged up just a bit.

Right now this is not a buyers market paradise. Sales volume is up 35% from 2010 (from 13 to 20 units sold) which is a good indicator or a recovery in progress.  Buyers need to get real. I’ve been getting a lot of lowball offers at the Ritz and Trump.  Its not that kind of market.  Buyers already have 25-30% savings baked into the cake and a stable market.  You are still getting a great deal.  But pushing the envelope will not fly. Sellers can get market value and do not have to entertain lowball offers.

Sellers need to be realistic. It will be a while before they see the heady prices of 2008. If you need to sell, bite the bullet.  Don’t wait for prices to move up 25-30% – it could be a very long wait.  Nevertheless, if your unit is in good condition, you can expect to get market value for your unit.

For the Latest Information On Sales and listings at the Ritz Carlton:

For the latest on sales stats and current listings  -  feel free to contact  me by phone – (914-374-5529) or email – ( Ruthmarie.Hicks@gmail.com) or  you can simply fill out the form below – whichever method you prefer.  Don’t worry  – I do not sell, spam, or otherwise abuse your information!
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© 2012 – Ruthmarie G. Hicks – http://thewestchesterview.com – All rights reserved.

Homes in the Village of Larchmont:

Homes in the village of Larchmont feature tree-lined streets and pre-war homes packed with Old-World charm and character.  They range in style from rambling Victorians with wrap-around porches, graceful colonials and impressive Tudors.   Typically, the homes in the village sit on smaller lots, though there is still a feeling of space and privacy.  These are mature neighborhoods with old-growth which adds to a sense of privacy.

Convenience is a very big amenity of this part of Larchmont. It is easy to leave the car behind and walk to shops and fine dining.  Many leave the car and walk to the train and end up doing their shopping on their way home.  Most locations in the village are eaily accessible by foot to Metro-North.   Walk Scores range from very walkable to walker’s paradise – which is very unusual for single-family home neighborhoods.

Homes in Larchmont Manor:

As a general rule, Larchmont Manor  features bigger more expensive homes on larger lots.  The streets are graceful and meandering with the mature growth that characterizes a long-established neighborhood. Located on the other side of Boston Post Rd., the area is slightly less accessible to shopping and dining withou the car.  It makes up for it with more spacious homes,  some feature water views of the Long Island Sound.

The area boasts the beauty of  Manor Park and the Larchmont Yacht Club.

The walk score in this neighborhood ranges from very walkable to car-dependent.

Larchmont Homes – Median Sales Prices:

All data comes from the Empire Access MLS (EAMLS).  This first chart shows the pricing before the crash and following.  The red bars are the years prior to the crash of 2008 and the green bars are 2009, 2010 and 2011 respectively.  In 2006 the median sales price was $1.226 million and that peaked in 2008 to $1.343 million.  In 2009 that number abruptly “corrected” to $907k and rose to $1.243 million in 2010 and now rests at $1,053,000 for 2011.   The decrease in median reflect a decrease in 3-4 BR homes.  Larger homes with 5+ BR’s have actually gained back the ground that they lost.  There was in an increased number of sales in the fixer market at the entry level this year.  But median prices were indeed down slightly in an apples to apples comparison.   This may have been a reflection of the the expiration of the first time homebuyers tax credit  which would impact smaller homes more than larger homes.  Median prices for 3-4 BR homes remain about 17% below the values attained near the peak in 2007.

Larchmont Homes – Sales Volume from 2006-2010:

The sales volume before the crash  went from 78 sales in 2006 to 48 in 2008.  Once the crash of 2008 happened sales volume stayed nearly the same for 2009 but at severely reduced prices.  That ground was recovered in 201o and increased again in 2011.   These numbers indicate that this market is shifting from a buyers to a sellers market.  The increase in sales volume is a key indicator of a recovery in progress.

For the Latest Information on Sales and Listings:

For the latest on sales stats and current listings  -  feel free to contact  me by phone – (914-374-5529) or email – (Ruthmarie.Hicks@gmail.com) or  you can simply fill out the form below – whichever method you prefer.  Don’t worry  – I do not sell, spam, or otherwise abuse your information!

Larchmont NY PO – Median Sales Prices:

The big bad bear market has actually been very kind to Larchmont Village and the Larchmont PO. While other areas of Westcehster NY are still in the doldrums, Larchmont homes have been selling at a fairly brisk pace and prices have increased. This first chart shows the pricing before the crash and following.  The red bars are the years prior to the crash of 2008 and the green bars are the years following the crash.   In 2006 the median sales price was $998k and that peaked in 2008 to $1.125 million.  in 2009 that number came crashing down to $905k and has risen steadily to nearly $1.1 million this year.  This has been a strong come-back.

Although the market in the area has recovered quite briskly, the pace of recovery has varied somewhat between smaller and larger homes.  This chart contrasts the differences between 3 and 4 BR homes. In general, with a few caveats, the homes under 2000 sf with fewer bedrooms have recouped less ground than their larger counterparts.

Larchmont NY PO – Home Sales Volume:

The sales volume before the crash  went from 94 sales in 2007 to 72 in 2008.  Once the crash of 2008 happened sales dropped to 51 for 2009 but recovered in 2010 when it went back to 95 sales.  2011, although slightly lower in volume, was noted for its competitive sales.

©2012RuthmarieG.HicksAll Rights Reserved.

You have a friend who just got licensed.…and he/she acts as if she already owns your listing….so why not?

Watch out here…your friend may be very competent – but  competence and excellence are things that are often learned on-the-job in this field.   Does your friend know the market well?  Have they marketed a home for sale before?   If prices are depreciating and your friend doesn’t know how to market and price your home, you are losing money every week you have this person as your agent.   This should not be a decision based on friendship.  A lot of money is at stake.  But take heart – I do offer a possible solution to this dilemma later on.

You look for someone who is a top producer:

This can be done in various ways.  You can look for an agent who has fliers out saying they are #1. You can count yard signs or you can try to find out who has made the most in gross commission or who has the highest sales volume in your area.  This is all well and good.  But you need to know what you are getting.  Being #1 in listings is meaningless unless they sell.  In fact everyone can be #1 for something if they think about it long enough.  Many top producers built their businesses on trust and did it the old-fashioned way – they earned it.  But others, not so much.

You Go to Zillow, Trulia  or some other “trusted site” to pick an agent:

People trust these sites far more than they should.  Ask yourselves just how trustworthy any site that features  “Zestimates” that  have a 25% margin of error can be? Picking an agent this way is a crap shoot.  Don’t do it.   We all seem to have a child-like trust of high ranking websites. They found it on the web, so it must be true.  The public seems to have a vision of some nice person at Zillow or Trulia hand picking and vetting agents in every location in the country. Not so.  Agents PAY for these spots.  If they have the green – no questions are asked.  This is not a good way to pick an agent.

These are issues that are often overlooked by sellers, but they can shed light on who is best suited to list and sell your home.

Ask to look at previous or current MLS listings:

In my previous post about what rocks and what flops in terms of marketing – I put the MLS at the top of the list.  So ask to see some examples of MLS listings.   PHOTOS sell homes. Is it full of great photos of the home and even the neighborhood? Is there a slide show?  Buyers want pictures, pictures, pictures!   Is the copy decent?  Remember that they have very few words for a description – but look to see if it is informative and not filled with cliches like “won’t last long” or “a must see.”  If this is well done, then it is a sign that your home will be well-marketed.

Look at production – but get the full picture:

On questions of production – let’s get back to basics.  You are calling an agent to help you sell your home not just list it.  Looking at raw sales is only half the picture. Ask to see expired  listings as well.  This will give you an idea of the listing to sales ratio.   Some agents with lower sales volume actually have excellent, if not superlative, track records when it comes to actually getting what they listed sold.  Sometimes they leave top producers in the dust. Anyone can take a listing. If you have a “name” the chances are greater that you will have a lot of opportunities to list.  Throw enough things up against a wall and something will stick eventually.  But that doesn’t help you if 75% of what they list fails to sell.  Agents can get overextended.

A caveat is needed here.  Know that where this agent lists and what they list impacts those values.  An agent who is taking on a lot of distressed property is going to have a higher failure ratio.  Do not hold that against them. Ask for clarification and why the numbers are what they are. Listen carefully to what the agent says.  You are not trying to create the Spanish Inquisition, but you are asking for clarity.

Look at the ratio of list to sales price:

Ask for listing histories.  Did this agent promise one thing and then jawbone the price down inch by inch? This is particularly important when you find an agent that promises the moon and the stars.  Remember, agents don’t have the power to create or make a market.  We can only respond to what the current market conditions are. We all make mistakes.  What you are looking for is a pattern not an individual instance.  If you see rapid price drops at the beginning of a listing, that’s a clue that the agent was honest with the seller, but the seller needed to see the reality of the market for themselves.   They probably agreed to a rapid price reduction if they didn’t get showings and offers.  If some one is listing things 20-30% above the final sales price on a routine basis for months – that’s a problem.  Ask agents to clarify what happened.  Once again, you want to understand the pattern not be accusatory.

If you have a friend who really needs business…

I understand the desire to work with them – and offer a possible solution.   If you feel you want to give your friend a break, suggest a co-listing with an experienced agent.   If they will agree to that – then you can help your friend and rest easy that the listing is in the hands of someone who knows what they are doing.  Remember that new agents are trained to cling to their friends who might be selling like crazy glue.   So don’t let that put you off.  One of the problems in our industry is that there are far  too many agents for the business available and getting started is treacherously difficult.

© 2012 – Ruthmarie G. Hicks – http://thewestchesterview.com – All rights reserved.

Ruthmarie Hicks.

The Genesis of Staging (OR – in the beginning, there were breakfast trays, and it was good)

I have been wrestling with how the very word “Staging” resonates…with buyers, sellers and agents…and just yesterday I wrote about choosing to use PREPARING as the verb of choice to describe what I do.

Then today a Realtor I respect writes about his buyers’ noticing-then becoming pre-occupied with the ‘faked’ elements in a Staged property, instead of the property itself, and asks if a property could be Over-Staged?

Boy, people give this word a lot of power! But I get it, I really do.   Here are some thoughts I’d like to share from 30 years of working with people, in their space and with their stuff. 

First, it can not be underestimated how intimidating it can be to have a stranger in your house, touching your stuff, and asking you questions about all  you hold near and dear: your family, your stuff, money, your values/goals/etc. For people who care about how their house looks, it’s hard to care only a little, easier to care a lot…. and even maybe too much.

Second, Staging is not a new word or concept. There are probably as many ways to stage as there are practitioners, which is not necessarily a bad thing.  However, during the almost 40 year history of Staging, there have been many changes in the world around us. Staging, I would suggest, is on at least it’s third version.  Sadly, many people-agents, sellers, and otherummm, preparers stopped paying attention after the first.  So to clear the air for us all, here are how I would explain the genesis of Staging.

In the beginning, there were breakfast trays…and pastel bath salts, and candles. LOTS of candles. Furniture was trucked into empty trophy houses, and made to look pretty. It was an up market, procurement was big. Buyers wanted to dream about how they might live in their new home. Baths suitable for Roman nobility became the norm, and manufacturers of all said accouterments leapt for joy. It was the 1.0 version of Staging, and it was good…at the time.

Then a pall was cast over the land.  The pendulum swung all the way over, and excess was a testimony to bad decisions. While there was still a passion for domicile-feathering, now every coin was squeezed as hard as possible. DIY shows, pros and tips proliferated like dandelions on a sunny May weekend, and finished projects reminded us of a kinder, gentler time…like when we were in Ye Olde Shop, or Home Ec class… or had a dorm mate.  Many agents, already beaten badly, railed against bath salts and candles, or shrunk from insisting on any proper preparation of properties. It was the 2.0 version of Staging, and it was BAD.

Finally, balance and sensibility returned.  While budget mattered, everyone  saw that quality work attracted a quality buyers…and generally sold the castle quicker, for more coinage.  Savvy sellers and agents look to start conversations with clever preparers of properties, to see how they, too, could comfortably speak of such things. Afore-mentioned clever preparers found their voice, and made managing the peoples’ needs and expectations, as well as their stuff -just as important as creating an engaging visual.   People just chilled.  They decided it was time to make decisions and move on with their life. It is the 3.0 version of Staging, and IT IS GOOD.

Moral of the story:  Do not miss the carriage.  Stop thy whining and gnashing of teeth, forsake living in the past.  Before all craziness of the buying season hits hard, open thy mind, and get thee to your communication device of choice, and get to know a good preparer of properties.

Republished with permission of the author Marie Graham from TheRefreshedHome.com

The Genesis of Staging (OR – in the beginning, there were breakfast trays, and it was good)

Enjoy the reblogged article and check out Debbie’s blog The Flooring Girl

Ruthmarie Hicks

What types of flooring provide the best ROI? 

Often, customers ask me which types of flooring are the best investments, or which provide the best ROI (return on investment) for your home in Westchester County?  I also have many real estate agents and home stagers asking me this same question, so I know it’s an important question, especially if you intend to sell your home now or in the next 2-3 yrs.  I work with a lot of new homeowners right after they close on a home, so I see all the changes they make + I work with a lot of customers and stagers who are putting their homes on the market.

Also, more and more, I’m seeing a trend to fixing up the home 2-3 years before homeowners intend to sell.  I think this is really smart as you get to enjoy the improvements you make + sell at a higher value.  It also helps you balance out your expenses over a longer time period.

Of course everything needs to be evaluated in the context of the condition of the home and it’s neighborhood.  The “standards” are different based on what you are comparing against, but here are some general guidelines.

1.  Sanding and refinishing existing hardwood floors is almost always your best investment.  If you have hardwood floors, you are in good shape – hardwood sells and it helps define the value of your home.  If you have hardwood floors, and they are beaten up, your first consideration should be to refinish the floors.  Most real estate agents anecdotally tell me that you will get your investment back three fold on this…and, it makes sense.

First, refinishing your hardwood floor is not that expensive…and usually costs less than people think.  It is amazing how much better your home will look if you refinish the floors.  You have the option of changing the color or leaving the same color.  Lighter colors make the space look larger and more airy and informal; darker colors are more dramatic and give the home a more formal and sophisticated look.  Satin finish is usually the preferred sheen (90-95% of my customers choose this) and it tends to show the scratches less than a semi gloss finish.

Second, if you have pet stains in the hardwood, they can usually be fixed by replacing these sections and weaving the hardwood in, and after they are refinished, you will never even notice the new pieces (assuming you hire a professional).

Third, if you have hardwood underneath your carpet, by all means, rip up those carpets and refinish the hardwood…you have just found a gold mine.  Hardwood sells; very few customers want carpet…not to mention that your carpets are probably dirty and may include your smell…and the buyer will want to rip those out anyway.  And, believe it or not, it is almost always less expensive to refinish your hardwood than to recarpet.  A potential buyer who sees carpet is wondering “how much will it cost to rip out the carpet and add hardwood.”  This factors into whether or not they even make an offer not to mention how much that offer is for.  So, if you have hardwood under the carpets, show it off…and you will automatically improve the value of your home and how many people are willing to make an offer. It is usually a no brainer.

Fourth, if your floors are beaten up and you don’t refinish them, many will assume that you don’t take good care of your home, and that they are likely to find other hidden issues during the inspection.

2.  Add hardwood flooring to key rooms, if you can afford it.  Most homeowners in Westchester NY strongly prefer hardwood for the main living space or common areas such as living room, dining room and family room.  Many prefer hardwood for the master bedroom, too.  If you have hardwood in those areas, you are set, if you don’t, you may want to consider investing in hardwood for those areas – provided you have the budget to do so.  You will definitely get back that return on investment – probably at least two fold.  I understand that many selling their home do not have this luxury, but if you can afford it, by all means invest in the hardwood flooring (rather than carpeting) for those areas.

3.  If your carpets are dirty and/or smelly, it’s usually best to replace them.  Please note that trading up to hardwood, will usually get you a great return on your investment (unless of course you live in an area where hardwood is not the norm), but replacing the carpeting will not improve your selling value.  Rather, it will allow you to capture the potential selling price of your home in good condition.  It will probably also enable you to sell your house sooner as it will appeal to more buyers…or said another way, prevent buyers from being turned off by your home.  My guess is that you will get back this investment and just break even.  (But, if you don’t do it, you will likely need to lower the price of your home and it may stay on the market longer resulting in another price reduction).

Always select a neutral color for carpets as that will appeal to the largest set of potential buyers, and generally lighter is better as it will make the space look larger and cheerier, and it gives you a sense that the home is clean.

4.  Kitchens are tricky and it’s best to consult your agent and/or a stager for opinions.    We have all heard that kitchens and bathrooms sell…and this seems to be very true.  But, usually kitchens are the most expensive area of the home and a full kitchen remodel will not give you a full return on investment.  I’ve read many reports on this, and most claim that you get 70% return on your investment.  And, this is why it’s usually better to invest in your kitchen if you are just moving in or planning to stay put for a while.

However, if your kitchen is rather out of date, and the agent is seeing this as a hindrance to the sale, you should consider your options.  Sometimes, the agent will recommend that it is not worth it to do anything because they believe the next homeowner will completely gut and redo the whole kitchen (so why invest more money if it’s like putting lipstick on a pig?).  Other times, it is worth it to make some minor enhancements to either eliminate an eye sore or bring it up to an acceptable level.  For example:

- If the there is vinyl flooring and it’s coming up, consider adding laminate on top…or potentially hardwood (tile flooring can work too, but it is more expensive and hence usually a lower return on investment).

- Add a simple subway tile backsplash – if there is no backsplash…or if your backsplash is very taste specific

- Add granite countertops, if you have laminate countertops and they are falling apart.

- Add new up to date energy efficient appliances

Most likely, you will break even on these minor upgrades…but more importantly, you will have a much more sellable asset, as you’ve been able to eliminate major eye sores that scream money money money to the buyer.  You want the buyer to feel that they can live with the kitchen as it is for a few years.

But, as I mentioned, kitchens are tricky business, and there is no one size fits all since there is a whole array of how the kitchen can look and this all needs to be in the context of the neighborhood.  Your real estate agent is the best judge of what is needed and what will sell.

If you do make changes, make sure that they a neutral and taste specific…remember, you are trying to appeal to the widest audience.

These are my top recommendations on flooring improvements if you are selling your home soon…or in 2-3 years.  Every situation is different, but these tend to be the items that usually tend to provide the best return on investment.

Feel free to call The Flooring Girl, if you have any questions about Flooring in Westchester County NY

Reprinted from “The Flooring Girl – What types of flooring provide the best ROI?

Almost anyone with a pulse and half a brain can get a real estate license:

This was something of a shock to me.   I came from a field that garnered a great deal of respect, but it took YEARS of post-graduate education to be  considered a professional.  Yet, in just 8 weeks – attending class twice a week – I was licensed to help the public purchase or sell what is generally their biggest financial asset. Does anyone see a disconnect here?

The result has been a cadre of agents  – some with significant business – that appear to have nearly nothing between the ears.  This is simply because the process is not selective.   Many agents  have indeed applied themselves to the process and have acquired a great deal of knowledge through their licensing classes, CE classes and designations – as well as on-the-job.   The trouble is, since almost everyone passes, how is the consumer able to  evaluate these agents.

Consumers are treated like shark chum:

If its easy to get started, why not try it? And thousands upon thousands of people do  just that every year.  If you can’t throw a rock without hitting an agent then there are simply waaaay too many agents for the amount of business available.  Since agents are only paid when a transaction closes, that creates fierce competition for every qualified buyer or seller.

Desperation is a powerful motivator and it will induce many agents to do or say literally anything to secure the buyer or the listing.   I always refer to the monthly list of expired listings as the “feeding frenzy.”   There are agents that are all over hundreds of  homeowners a month like a bad rash.

When buyers walk into open houses they often feel as though they are under assault by an army of agents all of them trying to convince buyers that they are the only buyers agent for them.

If agents have any doubts about how the buyers and sellers feel about the predatory behavior – the videos below pretty much sum up public sentiment:

Who benefits from all of this? 

Does this in any way benefit the consumer?  In a word, no!  Although it gives buyers and sellers lots of choices, with no obvious means of discrimination, it turns the selection process into nothing more than a crap shoot.  Meanwhile, agents pile on board plying any seller that will listen with their saying their “guru marketing package” that they promise will garner more than market value for their home.  Its absolute nonsense – and when it doesn’t work as advertised it feeds into the seething level of mistrust and anger.  No agent can beat the market because we don’t control the market. We can only respond to the realities of the market and get for our sellers the best price the market will bear.

Smoke and mirrors make navigating this minefield nearly impossible for consumers…

How on earth does the consumer know who to trust?  Many resort to the lowest common denominator.  Sales volume.  Buyers and sellers look to the agent with the most signs in the ground or the largest sales volume. Or some move to their favorite “trusted sites such as Trulia and Zillow and give a shout out to one of their “preferred” neighborhood “experts.” The trouble with each of these methods is that they don’t tell you much of anything.

Many top producers are excellent. However, some are not.  How did they get there?  Many got there through their own merit and built their businesses brick by brick.  Others not so much.   Ethically challenged agents come in the form of low, medium and even top producers.  If you have a name, they will have sales.  But how did they come by that production?  If the successes are hiding a carnage of cancelled and expired listings, then where does that leave the seller?

Trulia and Zillow? Forget about it.  Consumers mistakenly trust these sites.  Many seem to think that these “area experts” are carefully vetted and hand-picked for their competence and performance.  Ah…..no…. Agents PAY for those spots.  If your plastic is good, you have a license  and are willing to pay to play, then you too can be a preferred agent – even if you have never sold a home in that area.

Then there is the banking industry….

Don’t get me even started here.  Between the liar loans, the repackaged mortgages for whom the notes are missing, the unwillingness to proceed with short sales or loan modifications – it is small wonder that home buyers and sellers have had their sense of trust shaken to the core.

My point here is that the real estate industry has come by the public contempt the old -fashioned way…we have earned it.  The question is whether the industry has a whole is committed enough to make the changes necessary to restore the public trust.  I’m sorry to say  that I’m not holding my breath.

© 2012 – Ruthmarie G. Hicks – http://thewestchesterview.com – All rights reserved.

So after we saw the development, I went for a walk on the RiverWalk that runs right behind the complex.  (The complex – now in Phase II is right on the river.) and took some photos.  Basically I started with a wide-angle lens and moved to  a tele photo.

The first picture is of the Tappan Zee Bridge.  The Manhattan skyline can be faintly seen under the bridge with the wide angle. The second picture was with a zoom lens – it gives you a perspective of where the Manhattan skyline is in relation to the TZ bridge.  The final was when I zoomed in on the skyline itself.  I’ve taken photos from this perspective before, but it was such a clear – if blustery  day, that the skyline really “popped” particularly with the color of the sky.

Hope you enjoy these – they were fun to take.

© 2012  - Ruthmarie G. Hicks – http://thewestchesterview.com – All rights reserved.