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! 
Posted in New Rochelle Area Information | Tagged | Leave a comment

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!

Posted in Harrison, Larchmont Area, Mamaroneck 10543 Area Information, New Rochelle Area Information, Rye | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Pet Friendly Coops in Larchmont & Mamaroneck 10538 & 10543

Posted on March 8 2012 by Gay E. Rosen

One of the many questions that I get from potential buyers for a coop, is “does the complex accept pets?” So, I thought to better assist everyone, here is a list of those complexes in the Larchmont area (zip code 10538), and the Mamaroneck area (10543) that allow dogs and cats.

  • The Stonecrest , 21 N. Chatsworth Avenue, Larchmont – no dogs
  • Larchmont Acres West, Larchmont (Richbell Road) allows cats and dogs
  • Larchmont Gables, 1440- 1448 Boston Post Road, Larchmont – no dogs
  • Alden House – 11 Alden Road, Larchmont – no dogs
  • Evelyn Court, 604 Tompkins Avenue, Mamaroneck – allows cats and dogs
  • Palmer Court, Palmer Terrace, Mamaroneck – no dogs
  • Mamaroneck Gardens, Richbell Road, Mamaroneck – no dogs
  • Orienta Gardens, Mamaroneck (1015 Boston Post Road) – no dogs
  • Lawn Terrace Mamaroneck, – no dogs
  • Larchmont Hills, 17 N. Chatsworth Avenue, Larchmont – no dogs
  • Washington Square, Larchmont – no dogs
  • Hawthorne Gardens, 910 Stuart Avenue, Mamaroneck – restricted weight (dogs), cats allowed
If I can assist you in your search for pet friendly coops, please feel free to contact me.
 
Larchmont and Mamaroneck are GREAT!
 
Posted in New Rochelle Area Information | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

On Oil Tank Removal

Posted on February 26 2012 by Gay E. Rosen
Practically every agent has had experience with their clients having older oil tanks, and everyone’s approach can be vastly different. I have heard some agents inform their clients to remove the tanks so there are no issues during the negotiation process…

I think differently on that subject. I usually advise my clients to wait for the buyer to test the tank (it is their expense), and should it “pass” the test, then there is no need to remove the tank… unless it is negotiated upon. Obviously, if the tank does not pass the inspection process, and it is determined there is a leak, then it is the responsibility of the seller to remove the tank, and remediate. Once a leak has been detected, it is reported immediately, and a spill number is assigned by the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency). The costs can be minimal to immense.

My husband and I were personally fortunate years ago as we had oil tank insurance, and so when our oil tank was removed- and it looked like swiss cheese, we were covered for that $5,000 expenditure. We elected to purchase another oil tank, and it is safely buried in our front lawn. Some insurance companies will offer oil tank insurance, and others will only cover any or a portion of a spill spill if the ground water has been contaminated.

It is important if you are thinking of selling your home, and you have oil heat, to check on your insurance coverage… If you opt to wait until the buyer tests the tank, make sure you discuss at length with your attorney the pros and cons of signing a contract before it is determined what the costs will/could be. Perhaps allow yourself an ‘out’ if costs exceed a certain amount. Many times, a buyer will want to convert to gas rather than have another oil tank installed either in the ground or basement/garage. This again is all negotiable, and the seller (I feel) should not have to bear all the costs of a conversion…Everyone’s needs are different.

I recently saw a geo-probe. This was a mining device used to extricate core samples of the contaminated soil in long tubes, marking each tube, and mining to different depths to determine exactly how deep and extensive the soil was contaminated. Very scientific but so simple in its approach… That testing took about a week to achieve the results. There are also many companies who will test the tank for you, and companies that will remove the contaminated soil and tank.

Ask your agent for some names, and call several companies for quotes, and to learn about the process. It can be daunting, but when you call the companies, they are well versed in walking you through the process, and your agent should be on hand for you during the process too!

No matter what you decide, discuss your alternatives with your agent, your attorney, and research on the internet is always good too!

New Rochelle is GREAT!

Posted in New Rochelle Area Information | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Many landlords do not seek Tenants with poor credit – what to do?

Posted on February 26 2012 by Gay E. Rosen

Renting in my area was really popular the last 2 years. Simply put, potential buyers saw home prices decreasing, and sincerely felt that if they waited another year or two, any monies they would waste on renting would be offset by the incredible savings they would obtain by buying after that time period.

Manor ParkThat was true in some cases, and I rented to many people last year who were in that category. However, that particular category of renter/buyer now realizes that with interest rates so low, if they have the down payment, it is in their best interests to purchase now. Even if they end up paying a few thousand dollars more on a home as opposed to waiting for that better bargain, they offset it by buying a house they perhaps would like far better and those mortgage payments would certainly offset any extra dollars they may pay now. So a goodly portion of would be renters are now looking to purchase.

I am now seeing people who have lost their homes, whose credit has been challenged in many areas, and who now are having difficulty finding a home to rent. Landlords understandably want someone who WILL PAY the rent, and not default…. but are they perhaps missing out on a potentially great tenant simply because they had a mistep along the way?

If I represent a person who has had a credit glitch, I tend to submit the bid, the information, but I also ask for the proposed tenant to meet with the landlord so he/she can be interviewed. If that isn’t an option, then I also ask the proposed tenants to write a letter explaining their circumstances, and submit that along with the bid. Sometimes, when you hear the exact circumstances, it bridges the gap, and makes everything a little more humanized, and the landlord can understand better. I have done this in the past, and it helped enable clients to rent a home with bad credit, but who were working hard to make things right.

I can remember cooking dinner for them, and delivering it to their new home as they were entrenched with the unpacking.. a monumental task for anyone, having just lost their home…so many emotions. Something like this can happen to anyone… and none of us can forget that small detail. We all have pride, and sometimes bad things happen to good people ….. and so I always ask any agent to submit ther bid in its best possible light, and I will submit it to my landlord accordingly.

New Rochelle is GREAT!

Posted in New Rochelle Area Information | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Igls Luge Track, Austria – Would you like to luge?

Posted on February 22 2012 by Gay E. Rosen

If you have ever thought of luging… click below, and join my son son, AJ while he travels down the Igls Luge Track in Austria. AJ, is the Number luge athlete in Great Britain, is the Luge Athlete of the Year 2011, and was in the 2006 and 2010 Winter Olympics, sliding on behalf of Great Britain. Funding has always been an issue, and he wasn’t able to slide in the 2010-2011 season… The International Luge Federation gave partial funding for this past season. Thank you FIL!

New Rochelle is GREAT!

Posted in Dutchess County, Harrison, Larchmont Area, Mamaroneck 10543 Area Information, New Rochelle Area Information, Rye | Leave a comment

On Square Footage to be or Not to Be? That is the question..

Posted on February 18 2012 by Gay E. Rosen

ValentineThis past week I encountered in two different towns, a similar problem with square footage. I was always taught to only list that square footage which was reflected at the Assessor’s office, and that which the home owner was being assessed on, and paying taxes on (heated, livable space). Therefore, since that was the ‘taxable’ square footage, that was the number I had to list in my listing on the Multiple Listing Service… Over the years, some home-owners have asked that I list the square footage their appraiser had found… and my manager would always reply ‘not to’, and to stay within the confines and dictates of the Assessor’s office. SO I did.

In recent years, there have been reported lawsuits when an agent over stated the square footage by 25%, and I know that I have lost listings when I would not overly state the square footage….I even heard of a lawsuit when a home-owner sued the agent because the square footage was understated and the new buyer claimed he was paying more in heating than he had anticipated… but perhaps that was just an urban legend!

Now, fast forward to 2012, and I showed a home last week that reflected 600 more square feet than what was noted at the Town Assessor’s office. The listing agent informed me (an old-time agent) that her client wanted the home to be presented in its best light, and wanted the square footage to reflect the appraisal.. and so she is stating that to everyone…. Okay…. Now, here is where it gets tricky as Larchmont is going to re access every home and have an updated, correct market assessment for all. This will mean that those homes that were under assessed will have their taxes raised, and those homes that were over-assessed will still have their taxes raised (just kidding..)…So, theoretically, this listing agent might be doing more harm than good for her client.. for if a buyer is informed that the correct square footage is some 600 square feet more… then what will be with the new tax assessment? In this case, the agent was being cute… With the square footage some 600 square feet more, the price per square footage, and estimate sales price is some $250,000 more than if it were listed at the lesser square footage… trying to subliminally inform the buyer of a higher value..

I ran into another home in a different town where the Assessor’s office does not include the basement, be it legal or not…. The agents had listed the house some 2000 sq. ft. more than what was reflected at the Assessor’s office, stating that it was all legal…. but so much additional square feet…As a buyer’s agent, all I could do was to inform my client what was reflected where, and to base our bid – if he wanted to proceed with a bid, on the legal square feet, (which came to 1400 square feet less than listed) and go from there.. I, of course ,would do my best to (subliminally) impress upon the agent that my bid would be based on that square footage noted legally not wanting any repercussions down the line for both she and myself… (smile!).

What have your experiences been?

Posted in Dutchess County, Harrison, Mamaroneck 10543 Area Information, New Rochelle Area Information, Rye | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Christie’s Great Estates 2012 NYC Conference

Posted on February 14 2012 by Gay E. Rosen

As a Realtor who endeavors to continually learn, update and educate herself on what is new and happening in the real estate world to better aid her clients, I look forward to attending the yearly Real Estate Conference at Christie’s New York each year, and so it was yet again a great experience to have attended yesterday’s event. First, you might ask – if I work for Houlihan Lawrence, why would I be attending the Christie’s Real Estate Conference? … That is because Houlihan Lawrence is an affiliate of Christie’s Great Estates in Westchester, and as a part of that affiliation, it enables our company to have first hand knowledge, and access to the wonderful marketing tools that Christie’s offers, and to also market our high-end luxury properties in the Christie’s Magazine which is on hand at all of their world-wide auction houses, and other locations, on their web site, and to basically access even more exposure – and Houlihan Lawrence already offers a great deal! Our young owners are amazingly tech savvy, and knowledgeable about all aspects of marketing, and it has always been one of their goals to keep Houlihan Lawrence in the forefront of all avenues of marketing, and the tools and statistics we have at our fingertips are amazing.

It is no surprise that Houlihan Lawrence is Number One in Market Share in every price point in Westchester & Putnam Counties.

In fact, the award winning web site and integrated technology supports all aspects of the client’s real estate needs. Not only that, but we have special relationships with the affiliates that helps enable us to refer clients to each other, and just recently Houlihan Lawrence entered into a Tri-State Alliance with three other top Brokerages to better serve our consumers by sharing our listings and data to create an unique on-line experience which better serves our existing and potential clients and customers alike. The other companies are Coach Realtors which serve Nassau and Suffolk Counties in Long Island, Turpin Realtors which serves Somerset, Morris, Hunterdon, Essex and Union Counties, and Halstead Property serving New York City, the Hamptons, Fairfield County in Connecticut, Hudson and Essex Counties in New Jersey and Columbia County in New York . Houlihan Lawrence, of course, serves Westchester, Dutchess and Putnam Counties. Jointly, this alliance brings together 68 office locations, more than 2900 sales agents (and their clients) and nearly 8000 exclusive listings. That is quite monumental!

But I digress!!!! It was really interesting to learn at yesterday’s conference, that real estate is still the safe haven for global wealth (no surprise there), and that while there were some historic value propositions in 2011, and there is a 2012 global mind set for seller expectations. Properties are still hard to find in London, Paris and Geneva, but with London being the center this year for the Royal Diamond Jubilee as well as the Olympics that comes as no surprise. In fact, the market snapshot of London’s prices are up 40% from 2009, and in 2011 alone, the prices rose 15% with cash rich foreign buyers being in the forefront.

Accordingly, there is a shortage of housing in Hong Kong, with prices up 70% from 2009, and there has been an influx of buyers from all over the world. This is also interesting, as those of us in real estate have also seen a dramatic rise in cash buyers in the US from China as well as Russia. Rio, Ipanema and Leblon in Brazil have doubled their property prices too since 2009. It was indicated that Brazil has become very popular based on its huge middle class population, no credit crisis, and there will be the 2014 Soccer World Cup and 2016 Olympics bringing people and their money!

The prices in Toronto, Canada has remained stable, with home prices having doubled since 2002, and there is a shortage of properties…. Oh my!

In New York City, properties $5 Million and above showed the greatest price increases with townhomes increasing 116.3% between 2002 and 2011… Christies- always in the forefront, will be developing their strategic offices in London, Moscow, UAE/Saudi Arabia, and China..

There are 82 existing Affiliates in the Christie’s Bespoke Program.. Houlihan Lawrence being one .. and they projected an additional 20 additional affiliates… But what is Bespoke?

Individually tailored, made to specification, Offering a High Degree of customization and Service… I think that explains my company’s marketing plan quite nicely too!

68 Bespoke Properties were sold last year. It was very informative to hear speakers from across the country speak on their individual markets… Property prices over One Million Dollars are selling quite well in Florida… These were the original $2- 3 Million Properties … there aren’t many lesser price properties available, and once again the foreigners are buying many of the homes for all cash, with some Northerners taking the plunge too.

For me, it not only meant a day to absorb some great statistics, but to also network with fellow agents who traveled there from all across the United States and Canada, to exchange business cards, to offer referrals, and to basically discuss our individual market, our clients’ needs and to make new friends!

I am here for all of your real estate needs. Luxury and beyond!

Larchmont is GREAT

Posted in Larchmont Area | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Yes, Real Estate is still Local…

Posted on February 11 2012 by Gay E. Rosen

IMG4As I had written in my early January 2012 Newsletter, with the economic concerns in Europe, more anticipated foreclosures, there will continue to be an affect on the U.S. real estate market. News this week from London, France and the continuing turmoil in Greece all will have an economic trickle down affect here be it in the financial market, the art market or finally the (local) real estate market…

That being said, it was reported at this year’s Christie’s Real Estate Conference on February 13th, just as the economic market affects real estate (unless you are that privileged immensely wealthy percentage and you can afford those higher priced properties and works of art), it would also seem that while there is a little bit of fractioning in the high end art market (such as the immensely successful Elizabeth Taylor auctioned works or art and jewelry which sold for a record 156 million dollars), the art market is truly global, and when certain pieces or art are desirable, it makes no matter whether the auction is held in London or New York. The buyers will come.

Dr. Paul R. Provost, Deputy Chairman at Christie’s, & Senior Vice President Director of Trusts, Estates & Appraisals at Christie’s New York commented on Monday that Impressionist and Modern Market art was down in 2009, up again in 2010, and slightly down in 2011, totally reflecting the global market… The same with Post War and Contemporary Art. It was extremely in demand in 2007, not as sought after in 2009, up in 2010 and slightly down in 2011.

The interesting point is that American Paintings and Sculptures are considered more “local” and not as saleable right now as Impressionist, Modern Market, Post War & Contemporary art. Some 140,000,000 Million of American Art & Sculputes were sold in 2007, 60 Million in 2010 and approxiately 40 Million in 2011. Once again, reflecting global demands. Just as London is in demand for real estate 2011 and now due to the upcoming Diamond Jubilee and the Olympics, when “energy” was being touted the other year, an American Western landscape brought forth some 20 Million Dollars at an auction.

It would seem that Asian Art sales were around 400 Million in 2009, and 875 Million in the 2010 -2011….

SO, just as certain real estate markets are continuing to perform well due to demand such as in Montreal, Toronto, Vancouver, London, Paris, Geneva and Hong Kong as I mentioned in my 2/14 post, the global market reflects trends, demands, and our local real estate is affected too – in being, well – local….

As we state to all of our clients and customers, real estate is always local, and no matter what we hear on those wondrous sales in the city, Jackson Hole or beyond, or those disastrous sales in California, etc. when it comes down to estimating the price of a home, we must always look to what has been selling in the area, the zip code, and then the same elementary school and finally the street.

Larchmont is great!

Posted in New Rochelle Area Information | Leave a comment

The Russians are Coming..

Posted on February 11 2012 by Gay E. Rosen

file0001222000038Those of us who are of a certain age will recall a movie a ‘few’ years ago entitled ‘The Russians are Coming!” Well, while this is written tongue in cheek, it would seem they may very well be popping over!

With everyone being able to access their website visitors through analytics, it is always interesting to discover which countries those web site viewers (and potential buyers) are coming from… Houlihan Lawrence just released their statistics, and it would seem that not only were international visits up 12% from 2010, the actual internet visits from the Russians were up 2300% !!! ‘oh moya dobrota chto sdyelalo vi dyelayetye to dlya.’ (Oh my goodness ) – I hope it says that!

There was also another large increase from India – up 12% from 2010 . The Brits came in second after the Russians….perhaps because there are so many of us already living here! Ha! (Larchmont has many French, British and European residents as it is simply a wonderful place in which to live, and so close to New York City. Larchmont was also rated the 49th best town in which to live in the United States..)

Not surprisingly the majority of internet visitors are coming from the city – escaping those high priced apartments for some quiet enjoyment in Westchester! There were 2,368,373 internet visitors from the city, followed by Connecticut, New Jersey and then Massachusetts, California, Florida, Pennsylvania, Texas, Illinois & North Carolina.

Another interesting statistic was how the analytics program was able to determine the mobile device overview.. There were 300,000 mobile visitors with the majority of visits being from the I-Pad, IPhone and then the Android, followed by the Blackberry.

Lastly, and no surprise, the majority of the 3,000,000 internet visitors (some 37%) went directly to the Houlihan Lawrence web site, and 35% were directed to H/L from Google.

Larchmont is GREAT!

Posted in New Rochelle Area Information | Tagged , | 1 Comment