Westchester Real Estate Talk

During the first two weeks of July hundreds of short films were submitted for considersation in a contest sponsored by local corporations. Out of these hundreds are 15 finalists that you can view and vote for your favorites, here.  To see all of the videos, here. 

If you are thinking of selling your home you will have a discussion with your Agent about how to provide access for showings.  The easier you make it for buyer's to see your home the more showings you will get.

In Westchester County our Multiple Listing Service uses the Sentrilock System.  Each member of the MLS has a card that is about the size of a credit card.  We have to "renew" this card every three days through a card reader.  The showings are recorded on this card which is encoded and when we renew it on the interenet it records which properties we have accessed.

You and your agent wil know at all times who has been in your house, it is recorded.  Appointments need to be made prior to showings.  There are some agents who belong to our MLS and may be from another area so they don't have a "Sentricard".  These agents have to call the listing agent for special instructions on how to access the property.  At all times we need to verify that the individuals calling for access are indeed licensed with the New York Department of State.

There Sentrilock boxes hang on fences, front doors and I have even seen them hanging up a tree because a homeowner felt more comfortable that this box not be in plain view from the street.

When I call to make an appointment at a property the last thing I want to hear is that there is no lockbox and I need to pick up a key.  I know that for some homeowners the thought of a lockbox is uncomfortable but truthfully when there is no lockbox I can't always show the house.  Sometimes my buyer is pressed for time and I can't make it to your listing agents office to pick up a key and return it after the showing - too time consuming. 

Easy access equals more showings which in turn equals more offers.

Copyright © by Miriam Bernstein, All Rights Reserved*Allowing Brokers Access to Show Your Home*

I received a referral from an agent out of the area this week.  The agent says they are a "rent with an option to buy" client of his and can I please speak to them.  Sure.  So I call the client (Lucy for purposes of this post)and we have the following discussion:

Lucy: Hi

Me:  Hi

Lucy:  I have had a terrible time, my fiance has been commuting and it is too time consuming and costly so we need to move closer to his job.  I LOVE where I live now but we have to move.

Me:  You said you are having a hard time?

Lucy:  Yes,  I have gone out and seen properties with several agents and they are showing me junk. 

Me:  Lucy, if you have been going with many agents I probably can't help you but I wish you luck.

Lucy:  Wait, I want to go see apts with you, I am finding that each agent interprests what I say differntly and shows me different properties.  I want such and such.  We might buy but would rather rent for a couple of years and then buy.

Me:  Ok Lucy.  I am really not interested in getting involved with someone who is jumping around using many agents.  Starting at the beginning if you want to "rent with an option to buy" have you been to the banks and gotten a pre-approval?

Lucy:  Oh, let's just make this a straight rental.

I am finding that potential tenants believe if they say that it is a rent with an option they get to see better properties and attract the attention of more experienced agents.  They will say whatever it takes.  If Lucy wants to find a rental she would put herself in a better position working with one agent and helping them understand what she is looking for.  That agent will spend the time to work with her, research properties for her, call her back, if they believe that they will earn a commission and end up renting her a property.  Jumping from agent to agent tells an agent that they are spending their time and effort for possibly nothing, wasting their time.

Hilltop Hanover Farm was purchased by Westchester County in 2003 to preserve open space and provide Westchesterites with a place to become educated in environmentally sensitive practices.  There are daily school visits, pre and after school programs and summer and vacation programs. 

There are 134 acres of hiking trails in the forest, trail maps are availabe on the website.  No dogs are allowed. On Septembe 1 each year the farm stand opens Thursday - Saturday from 10am - 6pm.  The Farm Stand offers fresh farm grown produce, vegetables and fresh flowers.  If you wish you can pick your own.  This weekend check out the following:

English Dancing - Friday, August 22, 11:00 a.m. - 12 noon
The American Travelling Morrice will perform a lively English country tradition, the morris dance.  Morris dancers wear bells on their legs, dance to a musical accompaniment of the accordion, fiddle or ancient pipe and are directed by a Fool, whose antics amuse onlookers and harass the dancers.   

Pick Your Own Vegetables - Saturday, August 23, 9 a.m. - 12 noon
Pick your own fresh produce in the fields and pay at the farm stand.  All produce is grown using organic methods with no synthetic fertilizers, herbicides or pesticides.

Tomato Tasting - Sunday, August 24, 10 a.m. - 12 noon
Taste a variety of tomatoes grown at the farm and vote for your favorite.

Canning 101 - Sunday, August 24, 1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Learn the art of canning vegetables.  8 participants maximum; by reservation only; $10 fee.  To register, call 245-2520.

Hilltop Hanover Farm located in Yorktown Heighhts, New York

This post is from Jessica Horton who is a Broker out in Bellevue, Washington.  I agree with her and you can search for properties in Westchester County, New York without registering either.  No catch, no registration.  I would love to hear from you voluntarily.  Don't want to call you, don't want to pressure you, don't want to annoy you. So,  Westchestser County Multiple Listing Service property search, here.

What's amazing about this story is that even at a $1.00 price tag this house still took 19 days to sell and cost the bank $10,000.  Remember that real estate is local and this did not happen in New York.

Throughout Westchester County we have a wonderful network of libraries.  These libraries offer a multitute of programs, storybook reading for tots, online and free homework help, senior programs, children's rooms in addition to the being able to take reserve and take out books, research school or work papers, and these libraries are just a wonderful resource to our communities.


The Westchester Library System provides essential support for 38 member libraries in 44 locations serving more than 940,000 residents throughout Westchester County.  Clicking on the link below you can see a list of the libraries and click through to see their programs and resoources.

These libraries provide books, movies, audio books, music, large print and magazine articles.  Downloadable audiobooks for the iPod will be available soon.  Westchester County has a bookmobile which travels around the county.  You can borrow books, return books, obtain a library card or brochures for Westchester County programs and services.  A schedule for the Bookmobile is on the site below.

The Hastings On Hudson library has "Catch the Reading Bug" with every student in that school district having a folder that the library with suggested reading in it, available for the summer.  The Scarsdale Public Library has a Young Critics Club with children being given books to read and then coming to the library to discuss these books for Grades 3-9.  The Rye Public Library as well as many other libraries throughout the county has "You've Got Homework, We've Got Help" links which is free online help with homework from real tutors available from 2pm-9pm. The Chappaqua Library has a pre-school story program.

For links to each library, schedules for the Bookmobile, programs, locations please click: 

http://www.westchesterlibraries.org

White Plains is the County Seat of Westchester County, New York.  White Plains is centrally located in south central Westchester County and 4 miles east of the Hudson River and 2.5 miles nort west of Long Island Sound.  Scarsdale is to the south, Harrison to the east and the Town of Greenburgh to the west. As with the rest of Westchester County it is easy to get around as there are several parkways and highways, trains, great bus line easily reachable.  You can get to Interstate 287 which runs through White Plains beginning at the Tappan Zee Bridge and heading into Connecticut.  The MTA trains are a half an hour commute to New York City. The Westchester County airport is 10 minutes away and has flights to Florida and Chicago among other places and is a large corporate airport servicing company's in Westchester County in New York and Fairfield County in Connecticut.

The population of White Plains according to the latest census is just under 60,000 residents with the population swelling to over 250,000 during the day. The area code is 914 and the zip codes are 10600-10699.

There is a lot going on in White Plains.  If you relocating to this area you will find a lot of the stores and shopping you are used to.  Seems everyone knows The Cheesecake Factory.  The Westchester Mall is anchored by Neiman Marcus and Nordstrom  and is upscale with Tiffany, Eileen Fisher (a local company), Tourneau (watches and jewelry), an Apple store (one of my favorites),  Across the street is Morton's of Chicago, Fortunoff's and a Whole Foods Market.  Down the road is Bloomingdale's.

Downtown White Plains has a new Ritz Carlton with two restaurants, BLT Steak and 42 on the 42nd Floor with views that are fabulous.  There is city center with a 12 screen movie theatre and party rooms for children's party's.  Legal Sea Foods, New York Sports Club, Filene's Basement and loads more.  All of your favorites are somewhere in Westchesteter County.

In terms of housing there is something for everyone.  There are co-ops buildings on North Broadway and you can walk to the train if you need to commute as well as condo's, new contruction condo's, Trump has built a luxury tower.  These properties are all price ranges from under $200,000 to over $1,000,000.

If you are looking for a single family house there are several areas throughout White Plains, Gedney Farms, Havilands Manor, the Highlands, Rosedale, Fisher Hill, Prospect Park to name a few.  Each having a different profile.  Prospect Park has some beautiful Victorians, Gedney Farms with Tudors and Colonials.

Some links:

City of White Plains
White Plains Performing Arts Center
White Plains School District
White Plains Hospital
White Plains Library
Westchester County Airport
Bus Routes Throughout Westchester
Commuter Trains

Miriam Bernstein, CRS, ABR, GRI, e-Pro, SRES       
Associate Broker, Licensed in the State of New York
RE/MAX Prime Properties, Westchester County, New York 10583
www.MiriamBernstein.com
"Content of this blog is solely my opinion

One of my clients expressed concern about bedbugs and that she is really worried about them.  I have heard of the problem but didn't realize the extent of the issue and knew nothing about bedbugs, how they infiltrate a home, their life cycle and how to try to get rid of them.  Oh so many years ago I lived on the upper West Side of Manhattan.  Cockroaches were the bain of my existence then.  I lived in a brownstone on West 85th Street, a walk up.  My friends and I who were all just starting out lived with these bugs. We were told they were the oldest living bug.  Now, it seems that the bedbug is the new roach.

In New York City there are more and more complaints being filed against landlords.  These bugs can cause significant disturbance to one's life.  This is no longer just an issue for travelers but is in homes across the country.

TYPICALLY, the problem starts with the bites: itchy, reddish welts that leave their victims wondering if they have a rash or have had an allergic reaction to something. Often, the next step is a visit to the doctor, followed by calls to the landlord, the superintendent and the exterminator.

The cause is the bedbug, the nocturnal, blood-sucking insect that is making a comeback in urban housing across North America. Complaints about bedbugs in rental apartments in New York City more than doubled last year and are on target to reach a record this year.

 To read the complete story fron the New York Times, here.