Yesterday I showed a foreclosure. Until fairly recently, Westchester hasn’t witnessed much in the way of “underwater” home ownership. We’ve always had our share of foreclosures, but they were far from commonplace. The house was a mess. The walls contained broken dreams of home ownership and you have to wonder about the people who lived there.
There have been a lot of blogs written lately about who is to “blame” for the housing bubble and its disastrous aftermath. Some bloggers blame lenders, some blame agents, brokers, NAR, the Fed, home owners…the list goes on and on.
But one common thread I find very discouraging are blogs which lay blame on the homeowner who was underwater. They should have KNOWN better. They were GREEDY. They were IRRESPONSIBLE, they were this, they were that…
In truth, the housing debacle is as much a result of the decimation of the middle class as it is about a housing bubble itself. Families have found the ground shifting under them faster than they could ever have imagined. Many homeowners have found themselves into the horns of a dilemma. This is the story of my generation. As a forty-something I’ve felt the sands shifting under my feet ever faster. I have found myself scrambling to earn those ever elusive extra dollars that will allow me to keep my own home – even as I help my clients sell theirs. Read the rest of this entry »
Larchmont restaurants are very popular places for the locals to gather. Larchmont is very much a bedroom community – and after a long day in the city, many of the residents like to eat out. One of my favorite places to eat in Larchmont is the famous Chat 19. Chat 19 is one of a cohort of Westchester restaurants by Mario Fava – who saught to bring New York City to Westchester. This is one of the most popular places to dine in Larchmont. The place is generally packed and in the summer, the crowd spills over to the sidewalk for outdoor dining. I particularly like eating outdoors. Larchmont is charming and its a wonderful experience to watch the crowds on the street on a warm summer night. Chat 19 is popular for a good reason: the food is wonderful. The cusine is American Grill. The decor could best be described as So-Ho style.
The food is excellent as is the service. I particularly enjoy the spaghetti squash where squash is shaved into “angel hair spaghetti” with diced vegitables, pine nuts and nice tomato sauce. It may sound a bit strange but it is a wonderful meatless meal. I’ve also enjoyed the Jambalaya which is nicely spicy without going over the top.
For more information and a menu go to www.chat19.net.
Zachys Wine & Liquor is a famous Scarsdale Landmark:
Located on 16 E. Parkway in the heart of Scarsdale Village Zachys Wine & Liquor is a landmark unto itself. They are in their 65th year and anyone who knows anything about wine, knows Zachys. Wine affectionados come from all over to shop there. They host exclusive and wine tastings. For example, the most recent was on Saturday with a big Italian wine tasting.
In truth, I was more than a little intimidated. I was certain that someone who knows something (but not a lot) about wine would be in well over their head walking into such such a famous place. Not so at all. They were actually very patient and helpful. As I was wondering through the maze of bottles I had started to feel a bit lost and a staff member rescued me and helped to find exactly what I was looking for. They weren’t the least taken aback that as a hard-working real estate professional – I wasn’t in the market for a $200 bottle of wine. In the end, they found a nice Zinfandel that suited my taste and my budget.
If you want to explore further, the best option is to take the time to go there. They also have an excellent web site which I found informative and fun – http://www.zachys.com/
The Residences at Jefferson Place in Downtown White Plains NY.
Jefferson place is a new and very desirable complex located in downtown White Plains. The complex spans an entire square block between Livingston Ave and Rutherford Ave in White Plains NY. The side facing Mamaroneck Ave is an eight-story urban mid-rise with a sophisticated brick façade. The Greenridge Ave side of the complex is built in low rise “town house” style which is in keeping with the suburban neighborhood of the Highlands which it borders. Jefferson Place is just steps away from all the shopping and dining that downtown White Plains has to offer.
Just across the street on the Mamaroneck Ave. side there is plenty of fine dining, take out and retail – all within easy walking distance of the complex. The heart of the downtown with all it has to offer is just a stroll down the street. Walk to almost everything: Shopping entertainment, fine dining and so much more. Walk score is 92 out of 100 – making it a “walkers paradise.”
My initial rant on this topic was posted both here – and on Active Rain where I have another blog. Active Rain attracts many from the industry itself – unlike this blog which is more consumer facing. So I thought I would paste a link over to that blog and I have put together a follow-up since that posting created such a stir.
Since there was such a debate over my blog on designations and their relative value, I thought it would be nice if I culled through the responses in order to get a consensus and also offer up some references for further reading.
There were 41 responders to the blog – excluding those who posted more than once and of course my responses. There were three distinct camps:
1. 49% Felt designations were of dubious value (I included myself in that group.)
2. 29% Felt that having one or two made sense.
3. 22% Felt that felt multiple designations were valuable. Read the rest of this entry »
This was simply something I had to show people. I studied music in college. Sort of a family tradition – there are several professional musicians in my family (I am not one of them though!) In any case, when I was in school I took music theory where the underlying structure of the music was explored in depth. We would even compose music in the style of certain composers – for example I wrote a three-part fugue in the style of Bach. In any case, being able to visualize the structure can be challenging. This video really shows the underlying structure of Bach’s Tocatta and Fugue in d minor. Now the performance itself is not especially mesmorizing, but they way it shows – very simply – the underlying structure of the fugue in particular is just great…The process makes it look so simple and transparent. I have to thank Victoria again for sending me this.
Ok – so by the criteria in my title I could declare more designations than most – since my name is relatively long. But recently I ran into an agent that had the following designations on her card ….”Sally Smith, ABR, GRI, CDPE, CRS, & EPro.” Ya gotta be kidding me! This person has more designation letters then letters in their name. It must be exhausting to write all that after your name!
Personally, I have a problem with designations simply because the testing required doesn’t have any teeth to show that the agent actually learned something. Much of the testing is open book – and sustaining the designation involves paying your way and has nothing to do with learning new skills. Read the rest of this entry »
When buyers are looking for high-end single family homes in White Plains NY – A home with plenty of green space and old-world charm – Gedney Farms is the first neighborhood that comes to mind. Gedney Farms was named after John Gedney who bought the land in 1740. Gedney Farms was a working farm that remained within the Gedney family right through the Civil War. It has long ceased to be farmland and is now a well established neighborhood.
Through much of the Gedney area the zoning is for no more than three homes per acre, so most lots have at least .33 acres of land which for lower Westchester is very difficult to find at a decent price. The roads are fairly narrow the wind around giving the feeling of country roads. No checkerboard streets here! This is also a plus because the streets are generally quiet as this discourages cut-through traffic that sometimes occurs in other parts of White Plains. The homes are a mix of Tudors and colonials many of them built during the Great Depression or before with a smaller percentage being built in the 50s and 60w. This is a mature neighborhood with very little buildable land remaining.
The Ridgeway Golf Course:
The Ridgeway golf course defines the neighborhood and depending on your location. It bisects the Gedney neighborhood in several places and many of the homes have spectacular golf course views. Some even have the fairways coming right into their back yards giving an illusion of almost endless open space. This type of amenity is difficult to match in lower Westchester and is a world away from the hustle and bustle of the City Center and the Ritz Carlton of downtown White Plains. Some homes have their back yards extending right into the fairways. It looks like open space as far as the eyes can see.
Unfortunately, at this time the fate of the Ridgeway golf club is not settled. Although the club has no wish to sell its land to developers, difficult financial times may force that issue. So far they have been holding on. Much of the area is wetlands, so the quantity of building would be quite limited. Nevertheless, the loss of such a vista would be a blow to the area. Everyone is hoping that this issue will resolve itself as the economy continues to improve.
Ok, so one of the advantages of having a pet-friendly real estate practice is that my dogs can sometimes accompany me on my outings. They add something to the mix by actually calming my buyers during times of stress. Many like to pet them and play with them in between showings.
But Tundra has taken to wanting to be in the driver’s seat. I’ve told her that she needs to be at least 16 for a learners permit, but she just doesn’t want to listen. So when I get back to the car – it really looks like she’s driving the vehicle.
It reminds me of one of my favorite SNL skits from the late 80s. “Toonces the Driving Cat.” For those who are too young to remember – enjoy the clip. For those of us who were watching SNL in the late 80s and early 90s – this should bring back memories.
Yesterday I showed a foreclosure. Until fairly recently, Westchester hasn’t witnessed much in the way of “underwater” home ownership. We’ve always had our share of foreclosures, but they were far from commonplace. The house was a mess. The walls contained broken dreams of home ownership and you have to wonder about the people who lived there.
