Informative Info in the Mamaroneck, Larchmont, Harrison, Rye, & New Rochelle, N. Y. area by Gay E. Rosen, ABR, CBR, CDPE, CRS, GRI, SRES, Licensed Real Estate Associate Broker, Julia B. Fee Sotheby’s International Realty, Larchmont, N.Y. 10538, 914.907.2645 (Cell), http://www.gayrosen.com, gay.rosen@juliabfee.com (email)
Not surprising that my company, with its worldwide marketing, and featuring a website with 14 different languages reaches everyone! I had listed a property for rent, and promptly received an inquiry from Japan! I forwarded the inquiry to my clients who were so impressed with our marketing efforts. Their goal had been to reach potential tenants who reside overseas, and this just confirmed their forward thinking. After the potential tenants arrived, and completed their quarantine period, they did visit the home and loved it!
Well, I tried for the first time to make Hot Cross Buns (2 days in a row), and as they say “don’t give up your day job!” My issue was the kneading and mixing. The flavors of the two different recipes were fine but I was remiss in the preparation. Always good to be honest in whatever we do so we can correct it!
Growing up in England, Easter was always a special holiday. My sisters and I would pop over to our grandparents’ home, and great Aunt’s home and there would be an Easter egg waiting for each of us. The eggs would undoubtedly be a Cadbury’s egg or Rowntree’s made, would be either white chocolate or milk chocolate and always filled with yummy chocolates inside. The caliber of the egg was whether it was filled with chocolates within. An empty egg was frowned upon! I can’t buy Easter eggs from other countries such is the significance of those wonderful memories. It just reflects a childhood long past. Oohh ! I shouldn’t say long past!
I found those Cadbury’s eggs in Yonkers at the Butcher’s Fancy where they import so many British/Irish goods. Going there is always a treat, and I find myself spending a small fortune each time I visit!
When I was in Primary School, I actually came in second in a writing contest that was sponsored by Cadbury’s and was run throughout England and the Northern Ireland primary schools. The subject was how the Easter bunny lost its tail. I certainly cannot remember what I wrote about but would love to know! He obviously lost the tail!
Who is the Easter bunny? History tells the story differently. Germany cites an Easter fox!
Different countries signify different traditions. Peter Carl Faberge created Imperial Eggs for the Czar Nicholas 11. The eggs contained no chocolates but rather exquisite jewels, mechanical toys and family pictures. Only 50 of the eggs were made, with only 42 only known to still exist. Malcolm Forbes owns 12 of these wonderful creations.
Easter also means to us Brits perhaps roasted lamb. I love lamb with potatoes, mint sauce, but alas, not all of my family likes lamb! I found myself making a carrot and ginger soup, stuffed artichokes, roast duck in a sour cherry sauce, turkey breast, roast potatoes, asparagus and a raspberry mousse for dessert. I complemented the meal with a 1975 Bordeaux, but more importantly I was with most of my family which was important to me.
Past clients and now friends gave birth to a baby son on Good Friday this year. SO, what to do ? I made a poor rendition of the Easter bunny bread style and delivered it on Easter Sunday with a bottle of champagne!
Whatever the holidays, there are always those who go without, and who simply shouldn’t. Whether we think of our animal friends at the various shelters, or people in need, making a small donation to those in need goes a long way while we celebrate our loved ones in church or at home.
I sincerely wish everyone a wonderful Easter, good health always.
Real estate should always be fun – or at least that should always be our goal! I wanted to let me friends and clients know what was happening in their area regarding recent sales and market stats, and so thought to deliver bags with the local area stats together with a bottle of wine! It put a smile on their faces, and I even got a ew invites to pop over and share the bottle with them! Cheers! Would you like to know what has been happening in your area? Please call me, and it would be my pleasure to prepare some area market stats for you also.
With the inventory being lower this spring market, homes are selling very quickly. While I listed one property last year (36 Avon Road, New Rochelle, N.Y. 10804 taxes approximately $22,000 and 4559 square feet), and we went into contract around Thanksgiving time, I was still able to obtain $995,000 for the home and for my friend. We had originally listed higher ( not my suggestion), but my friend needed to see where she stood in the market place. I had suggested one price, and she had wanted a much higher price. While I always advise against pricing too high, this was a friend of over 40 years, and I wanted to try. Appointments and no bids will soon let you know where you stand. In this particular case, the property was just under half an acre, offering a wonderful location, with 7 bedrooms, and we enjoyed many appointments. . However, some of the bedrooms were quite small, and the home had not been renovated in many years. As soon as we lowered the price to $995,000, we received multiple bids, and it sold for that final list price. She was very happy as were the buyers! We closed in March 2021.
In this instance, pricing higher didn’t detract rom the final price point as this home offered so much value but I would always suggest you listen to your agent when pricing a home. We know the market and only wish to obtain the highest price possible!
I have delved into searching my ancestry so many times but life always seems to take over as we are always so busy. I find myself signing up for Ancestry.com, searching for an hour once in a while, and then getting so involved with work and family that I am oblivious to the membership until 6 months later and I receive the renewal notice! One issue that I have to resolve is to save everything. Since I don’t frequent it much, I seem to lose my info even though I think I am saving it all, but one of those things that one day, when I am old and grey (ha!), and can still function, I will hopefully correct.
The nice thing about searching out your ancestors is that you get to connect with distance family members, and that is always fun – trying to see who was related to who and how. You also get to understand so many different factors.
A cousin, John from my mother’s side, reached out to me many years ago, and I discovered bit by bit that he was dyslexic, could not write, and growing up found himself to be agoraphobic and it made me wonder was it because of his dyslexia and how children would make fun of someone with a learning difference and just learned differently. He was a grounds keeper at a private school, and his wife, Jackie would write on his behalf. Just as I was getting to know him, he had gone to hospital to have some teeth removed but he had a heart condition. He died two weeks later from not being given the correct medication prior to the surgery. However, in being in touch with John it made sense that my children had learning disabilities. Super smart, but one side of the brain just working differently than the other, and perhaps because of that, becoming more creative.
My mother always told me that my great grandfather was a famous detective in the Midlands and won a an award of 5 Pounds for solving difficult crime cases. I was also told that my great great grandfather came over from Belgium and changed his name to Reeves from Hans so he wouldn’t sound so Germanic. The interesting things is, I sent in my DNA for a test, and the results were amazing! Confirming what my mother told me, I was 87% Belgian/French/German/Netherlands, Swiss, Lichtenstein but mentioning Luxembourg so close to Belgium. 4% Scandinavian, 3% Irish and 2% Iberian/Spanish. This all came together when I recently researched my family name of Huzzey from my father’s side. I always thought my parents had a terrible sense of humor as my maiden name was Gay Huzzey. I mean. Please!!! My mom had a huge crush on Gary Cooper and so I was supposed to be a Gary but since I was born a girl, I was named ‘Gay!”. I did have a brother 14 years later, and of course, mom had the opportunity to name her Gary!
However, I researched the name Huzzey, and lo and behold, discovered that there was an ancient Coat of Arms, the family originally came from Normandy (hence my French lineage) following the Norman Conquest, and the name was found in the Doomsday Book of 1086! “William Hosed or Hostus held Charlcomb in Somertshire, of Bath Abbey, as well as other manors in the county, and the first Lords of Bath-Eaton were of this family. Reading this little bit of history then made all of the information i had garnered so much sense. There were Huzzeys in Ireland, and supposedly per the info I discovered, some of the Huzzeys moved to Ireland. I also read how the Husseys of Wilts were a powerful family during the 14th Century and traced their ancestry back to the Husees, of whom it said the original ancestor came over with the Conqueror!
So, with al of this newfound information, I MUST research some more on Ancestry.com but when? I hope my children will follow up on everything as it is so interesting.
I then researched the DNA of my pooch, Binky!!! I was told he was a Llasa-poo but we had a great reveal on Christmas day and it turned out he is part Bichon Frise, Shih-Tzu with grandparents being a Miniature poodle, Maltese, Shih Tzu and Bichon Frise! Wow!
So the point of my post? Research your history. It is fun and rewarding. A friend discovered a long lost relative who they thought was killed in Cuba, and whose family had emigrated to the Chicago area. They have now been in touch with those long lost family members and how great is that!
Past clients and friends were relocating to Europe, and wanted to sell their home at 17 Dennis Drive (4 bedrooms, 2.5 baths, 1906 square feet) , New Rochelle in short order! Oh my! I love a challenge. They wanted to move in March, and I was contacted shortly before Christmas. We immediately schedule a photo shoot, video, aerial photos, 3D tour, and floor plans. The works! With Covid 19 upon us, I wanted to make it as easy as possible to view the home in every format, and my clients were going to make it easy to show. While I did not schedule a Broker’s open house, I did schedule a public open house, and expecting a large turn out, we arranged accordingly. My middle son, A.J. was home, and so he ‘manned’ the door, registering everyone, taking their temperatures, taking their phone numbers and offering hot chocolate and cookies while they awaited their turn. We could only allow one couple in at a time , and so there was a wait! My son would call each group as their turn came We had so many people who attended the open house, most were represented but their agents had sent them to the open house. All good.
We received multiple bids, and the house which was listed at $940,000 sold for $981,627, and we closed on March 3rd, 2021! My clients were ecstatic!
Let me help you also sell your home! I love real estate, and as a top local agent, I am here to assist!
Gay Rosen is a Top Realtor in the Larchmont and New Rochelle, New York (Westchester) area. She is diligent, caring, driven and thorough (with a sense of humor). Call her!
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