Ray Rice Day – 2012 New Rochelle

Posted on June 15 2012 by Gay E. Rosen

 

I love writing this post each year… Tomorrow marks Ray Rice day again at the New Rochelle High School’s McKenna Field. The event has been sold out for weeks, and will start at 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and there will be games, lunch, instruction, autographs, and fun for youngsters aged between 7 – 13 years of age. The event attracted over 600 youngsters last year, and is always a great success. Ray commented last year ” it’s a great opportunity to give back.” He has already done so much.

Ray has long been a hero of New Rochelle, has never forgotten his roots, and likes to involve the Pop Warner football athletes as much as he can – either by inviting them to the locker rooms at the Baltimore Ravens stadium, and offering a tour, or by calling the Pop Warner athletes. I can recall that when he went to Rutgers University, he would call the athletes on a Sunday morning offering them encouragement for their games that day. It was a weekly call the athletes looked forward to.

It was always with great pride that we would hear the commentator shout “Ray Rice from New Rochelle ‘ each time he would play at a Rutgers football game. To us, he put Rutgers on the map! Ray was a star from the early age of 10 when he played in the Pop Warner Football League in New Rochelle. He went on to become a star at the High School, and the team went on to win the New York State Public Schools Class AA football title in 2003.

Ray played 38 games at Rutgers, scored 50 touchdowns whilst there, and he finished third in the NFL in yards from scrimmage (1,776) in 2010 and rushed for 1,364 last season

Ray might only be 5’8″ but he is a solid 210 Pounds, and as a Running Back he is fast, making his presence count. An excellent player, an excellent young man.

Ray Rice is GREAT. New Rochelle is GREAT!

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College Choices by New Rochelle’s 2012 Top 25 Students

Posted on June 13 2012 by Gay E. Rosen

Once again, the New Rochelle High School students excelled. I attended one of the Award ceremonies, and here are the Principal Scholar’s Awards with an weighted GPA average ranging from 1.26 to 103.88.

One common recurring theme is the strong presence of math – which would mean New Rochelle has wonderful course instructors and programs….
 
 
 
1) Sophie Davis School of Biomedical Education
2) Columbia –
3) Yale University – Engineering & Political Science
4) Fordham University
5) Wake Forest University
6) McGill University- Biology
7) Cornell University Medical School
8) Yale
9) Harvard – Engineering & Math
10) Northwestern – Math & Science
11) Binghamton – Science Medicine
12) Columbia – Engineering
13) Michigan
14) Austin College- Communications
15) Macaulay Honors at City College of Medicine
16) Harvard
17) SUNY Stony Brook – FULL Tuition Scholar Biological Engineering
18) Johns Hopkins Economics
19) Yale- Film Making & Sociology
20) Austin College – Chemistry & International Relations
21) Cazenovia College
22) Northwestern – Business Economics or Psychology
23) SUNY Stony Brook – Biology
24) Middlebury
25) Pratt Institute – Engineering
 
New Rochelle is GREAT!
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All American Annual Soap Box Derby – New Rochelle 2012

Posted on June 9 2012 by Gay E. Rosen

Back in June , 2010, I wrote about the Annual Soap Box Derby in New Rochelle…. well, it is that time of year again, and time to mention the great local sporting event. Quaker Ridge Road will be closed from Sussex Road/Broadfield Road from 9-4 p.m. on Sunday (give or take an hour or so beforehand and thereafter)… and each year it becomes more competitive, exciting and THE place to be!

The event is FREE, and is being hosted by the Uniformed Firefighters Association Local 273 for its 10th year.

The contestants (who will be competing from all over the County and must compete at a race closest to t her residence) must build a soap box racing car from a AASBD (all American Soap Box Derby) kit, and the top 2 racers will then be invited to go to Akron, Ohio in July. The winner of the race today will be called “The Local Champion” and the race is for athletes 9 -17 years of age.

There are actually 3 ways to make it to Akron, Ohio. One is through the local derby, another is through participants to earn points by racing in various AASBD licensed Rally Races throughout the United States and Canada. A participant in this program races to win a “Rally Regional Title”. A winner of a Rally Regional Title is considered a “Rally Champion” and is eligible to compete in the AASBD World Championship in Akron, Ohio against other Rally Champions. The third is the Ultimate Speed Challenge – is when a participant designs a racing vehicle that embodies innovation, creativity, and craftsmanship in the design of a gravity powered racing vehicle while generating intrigue, excitement and engaging the audience at the annual All-American Soap Box Derby competition.

18 winners have gone from the past, and will be competing in Akron for scholarships, prizes and of course the winning trophy! There will be a concession stand at today’s event.at the association’s concession stand.

New Rochelle is GREAT!

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How Much Should I Bid? Buyer Facts..

Posted on June 5 2012 by Gay E. Rosen

 

I have found this year more so than other years, that many buyers will ask that question, only to then inform us to bid even lower than the amount we suggest as a starting point. Either they think they know more than we do, or they have read articles informing them that properties are selling for X amount lower than the list price, and want to act accordingly.

There are are several caveats to that rule though. Many times, a savvy seller in today’s market will have priced the property to sell, so it is imperative that you have your agent look at all of the recent sales in the area for similarly sized properties. Look at the price per square foot, how many days the home has been on the market, and listen to your agent. He/she is there to help and advise. Ultimately we must submit the offer that you want to bid on a property, but as we agents all know, if you start too low, then sometimes the sellers will not even counter…silly perhaps– but there you have it.. and if another bid comes into the fray, they may just look more kindly to the other buyers because of your initial low bid. SO make that opening bid wisely, just like the 3 bears and Goldilocks.. “just right” Not too high, low, but just not at list price . If the properties are all selling in the area for $100,000 more, it doesn’t make sense to start your bid at $100,000 lower… if the property in question is in in good condition.. it might well be that you only have a $5000 – $10,000 leverage… or even less depending upon the actual list price. I had written earlier how one client factored into his bid how much time he would be spending in the finished basement, how much time it would take him to travel into the city, and then lowered the bid accordingly. Yikes!

SO, listen to your agent of choice. We are there to make the buying process as stress free as possible.

Larchmont and New Rochelle are GREAT!

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Free Pit Bull Training 2012 – New Rochelle Humane Society

Posted on June 4 2012 by Gay E. Rosen

When you go into our local Humane Society, I would have to say that the vast majority of dogs are pit bulls. I am sure you could say the same for many animal shelters across the U.S. The New Rochelle Humane Society represents 17 neighboring towns with lost and stray dogs, and is a no-kill shelter which great. However, it is going one step further and is offering free pit-bull training at the Trinity Church, 311 Huguenot Street (corner of Huguenot & Division Streets), New Rochelle.

The training will be for 4 consecutive Thursdays, commences on June 7th at 6:45 p.m., and to register, please call the New Rochelle Humane Society at 914.632.2925. This free training is for owners of pit bulls and pit bull mixes, but registration is required.

New Rochelle is GREAT!

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How Many Buyer’s Agents should I Have?

Posted on June 4 2012 by Gay E. Rosen
One….. unless you are searching in different towns…Many buyers do not realize that it is to their advantage to have just one agent in any given area. Your agent will work hard on your behalf, and of course, if you are not entirely happy with that agent, then you should sever the relationship, and if your agent knows you are working with other agents, they might step back also. If someone informs me they are not happy with the agent and would like me to show them homes, then that is different.
In that case, I might have the buyers sign not only an agency disclosure form, but also a buyer agreement contract – listing every home I have shown to the buyer with the knowledge that should that home be purchased, it will be done so through myself. No agent wants another agent to appear out of the blue stating he/she had first shown a home and are deserving of the commission… so having a written agreement in a situation like that eliminates any problems down the road. In using just one agent..then there should no problems in that regard.

If you are looking at homes in different areas then it becomes a different situation. Your agent of choice might not cover the other town(s) and obviously you want someone who knows each area well. You want the best in representation. SO, it is perfectly okay to have different agents in adifferent towns, but you only need one (good) agent in each town.

Clients are currently seeking a home in a different state, and mentioned to me that they are using one agent, and yet when approached by another agent, they heard of more properties that the first agent had neglected to mention to them….so they felt that using the two agents was more beneficial to them… However, when I spoke to them a little more, it became known that both agents really covered different towns… so it was okay for them to use each agent for each individual town.

We as Realtors, are here to help.

Westchester is GREAT!

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Turtle Park, Larchmont 10538

Posted on June 2 2012 by Gay E. Rosen

I was very fortunate to be showing a property close to Turtle Park the other week, and was able to take photos of Turtle Park – probably the only time it isn’t’;t busy! It was 9 am.. and as a rule, it is a grand meeting place for young children and their parents/caregivers/family… It is so popular that I always include it in my Larchmont tour with new clients, and as you can see the families leave their toys there for everyone to use. But, hey! That is Larchmont!

There is a fire engine, climbing apparatus, a slide and a seesaw – all inducive for a fun time, and all so close to Larchmont Village.

The correct name of the park is Vanderburgh Park, but since there is a large plastic turtle in the middle of the sandbox, everyone knows it as simply Turtle Park!

Larchmont is GREAT!

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New Rochelle High School AP Scholars & 2012 Academic Competition – 2012

Posted on April 21 2012 by Gay E. Rosen

New Rochelle has a very impressive school system. It is always nice to learn exactly how GREAT it is. The information below is from the New Rochelle High School Profile for the 2011-2012 School Year.

From the 2012 Academic Competitions

  • 2 National Merit Scholarship Semi-Finalists
  • 11 National Merit Scholarship Commended
  • 2 National Achievement Scholarships Semifinalists
  • 3 National Achievement Program Outstanding Participant
  • 1 National Hispanic Recognition Program Finalist

2011 AP SCHOLARS AWARDS

  • Scholars 56
  • Scholar with Honor 29
  • Scholar with Distinction 46
  • National Scholar 8

What can I say? New Rochelle is GREAT

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New Rochelle High School – Queen of the Sound

Posted on April 20 2012 by Gay E. Rosen

Many people do not realize just how great a city is until they see some pertinent facts…

Did you know that New Rochelle college acceptances for the 2012 Graduation Class include Harvard, Yale, Williams, Dartmouth, Amherst, Columbia, Middlebury, Georgetown, Cornell, Notre Dame, Northwestern, University of Pa? In 2011, New Rochelle sent more students to the Ivy League than any other District in Westchester this year!

Did you know that parents from New York City, Greenwich, etc. have been contacting our School Superintendent with regard to possibly paying our school taxes so their children could attend the bi-lingual program at Jefferson? There is both an Italian and Spanish bi-lingual program at that school. and the Superintendent has been contacted for the Italian bi-lingual program. The idea is thought provoking, and as long as it does not interfere with accommodating New Rochelle residents, the idea is under strong consideration.. Yes, parents seek out our school district..

Did you know that some Districts do not require testing on the AP courses taken by their students? New Rochelle does… The grade is P -5 … The District average is above 3.

Did you know that there was $22 Million in earned school scholarships this past year at the High School?

Did you know that while some see the graduation rate as being 80% this past year at the high school, some of those remaining students do graduate in five or six years bringing the average to 90%? Remember that evey child has different needs and New Rochelle strives to accommodate them all. That 80% graduation average is hoping to be 83% next year…

Did you know New Rochelle High School has some 3300 students, with 445 students taking taking AP courses this year and taking 830 AP Exams?

Did you know that many parents whose children who might have attended parochial and private schools are now entering the High School in 9th Grade simply because of the courses offered and the multitude of Clubs, Extra-curricular activities and sports?

Did you know 110 colleges visited the New Rochelle High School this past year to look for potential students for their universities and colleges? Did you know that they start their process as soon as school commences in September- requesting to visit at the College Fair and College Night?

New Rochelle is a great place in which to live.

Having lived in New Rochelle for over 33 years, please contact me all of your real estate needs.

New Rochelle is GREAT! 
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Properties that Might not Appraise – Bypassing the Emotion

Posted on March 31 2012 by Gay E. Rosen

On just reading a post on properties that did not appraise, and the sellers wouldn’t budge (much) on price, made me want to share what I have been doing for some time now… I think that we all have an idea whether a property will/will not appraise when we enter into the bidding fray… In best representing my clients, I always include into the bid the simple phrase “Should the property not appraise at full agreed upon sales price then the seller will offset any differential”.

Hey, the seller is claiming his house is worth so much.. why not sign off on that within a contract… It took my attorney a while to get my point.. He stated that if it shouldn’t appraise the buyer can ‘walk.’ That is true, but at that point, the buyer has invested his emotional connection to the house, the inspection costs, the mortgage application fee and the appraisal fee… It is sometimes much easier to just agree on an amount with the seller like halving the difference or whatever and continue on…. Going into the transaction with the knowledge that the seller will have to pay any differential will offer your buyer the satisfaction that he is being well represented, and will not be over paying for that home, and isn’t that we all want for our clients?

Larchmont and New Rochelle are GREAT!

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