J. Philip's Westchester Real Estate Blog: October 2009

****Caution: Bragging Father Alert*******

One of the neat things about parenthood is seeing your son or daughter do well at something, especially if it is unexpected. This morning our oldest son had to put in a shift, in the rain, at the local grocery for a cub scout fundraiser. They had a table set up outside the Stop & Shop in Ossining, where they were selling popcorn to benefit Pack 49. Luke was part of the first shift, from 11-12am, and the first 10 minutes was punctuated by 2 other scouts sort of mumbling to passersby with limited success. 

Now, you have to sort of appreciate the setting; it is raining, people are in a hurry to get to their cars, and nobody really wants to part with more money after leaving the store, especially for popcorn at double what they just passed in aisle 7. Moreover, Luke was a little slow to get started this morning, a bit shy with strangers, and very sensitive. I sort of hoped he'd blend into the background to avoid rejection, frankly. 

However, I can't not sell. I knew the kids could do a better job with their pitch, so I stationed Luke right by the exit and had him get the line down cold:

"Would you like to buy some popcorn to support our pack?"

Then, yes, no or maybe, say "Thank you!" cheerfully. 

The first 2 or 3 people walked on by, but after about 5 minutes of practice, Luke was a natural. Every person who left the store got a faceful (and earful) of the little guy's well-articulated pitch, followed by that adorable tooth-deficient grin. Even many of the people who didn't want to buy anything would look right at him and say "wow, aren't you cute!" or something like it. The little bugger stole the show. 

As every parent will attest, our children do the cutest things right before or after we turn on the camera. However, I was able to capture on my cell phone, Luke turning around a "NO" with his cheerful attitude. As you can see, he is standing right at his little station, and the lady compliments him on his politeness and sweetness, and then heads over to the table to make a purchase. The quality is a bit Zapruder-like, and another scout puts his hand up in front of the camera to be a wise guy, but you can still make it all out. 

Whats the moral of the story? Attitude is everything. It could have been a rainy, boring hour but Luke's decision to give his all made my day. I am very proud of him. He might end up being a better salesman than his old man. 

• We Are Westchester County, NY Real Estate. Reach Phil at (914) 723-8900.
• J. Philip Faranda, Broker-owner, J. Philip Real Estate, LLC. 2010 Vice President, Westchester-Putnam Multiple Listing Service. 
• I am one of New York's premier short sale REALTORS. 
• J. Philip Serves Briarcliff Manor, Ossining, Croton, the River Towns, Westchester County, and the bedroom counties of New York City.
• Free MLS Search! Register for a Free Listingbook account and search the MLS like an agent. 
• I am hiring agents. 

All content/images, unless noted, are the property of J. Philip Faranda & may not be used without permission

I have a listing that is a "mystery." Nice house, aggressive price, well exposed location, and no deal. We've had two offers, but neither went together. One factoid: I get more lawn sign calls on this property than any other. What to do? 

Hold an open house? Are you crazy? I HATE open houses.

An open house on a weekday afternoon? Are you nuts?

Well, I guess I'm nuts. Given the close proximity to a local school which dismisses at 3pm and the nice weather, mortgage broker Trevor Curran (who came up with the idea) and I held 180 Weyman Avenue, New Rochelle, open from 2:30-4pm yesterday. No print ads, just web-driven stuff.

The tally? 4 visitors, one of whom has already scheduled to meet with the mortgage broker for a formal pre approval. Every one of them told me they had been watching the house and waiting for an open. Every one of them complimented the house, as it is very nice

Go figure. So we'll do it again next week.

 180 Weyman Avenue, New Rochelle, NY 10805. $449,900, 3 BR, 1.5 Baths

OPEN HOUSE Thursday, October 29, 2:30pm-4pm

• We Are Westchester County, NY Real Estate. Reach Phil at (914) 723-8900.
• J. Philip Faranda, Broker-owner, J. Philip Real Estate, LLC. 2010 Vice President, Westchester-Putnam Multiple Listing Service. 
• I am one of New York's premier short sale REALTORS. 
• J. Philip Serves Briarcliff Manor, Ossining, Croton, the River Towns, Westchester County, and the bedroom counties of New York City.
• Free MLS Search! Register for a Free Listingbook account and search the MLS like an agent. 
• I am hiring agents. 

All content/images, unless noted, are the property of J. Philip Faranda & may not be used without permission

Having lived in Rochester, Austin, Philadelphia, New Jersey, Boston and Maryland, I am sometimes curious about those markets. I do have the occasional pipe dream about getting a condo in Center City Philadelphia or vacation home outside Rochester. Until now, my only option was Realtor.com. Now, consumers and licensees alike can find the official public MLS search for dozens of markets, sponsored by the local associations with MLSCloud.com. 

Billing itself as a "Network of MLS Public Web Sites" with the listings of almost 600,000 agents, the site links, in one comprehensive place, a growing list of areas across the country. Hawaiians can price an Alaskan Moose lodge. Landlocked Mid-westerners can peruse the Florida coast.  So, if you are relocating, getting transferred, researching a new life or just curious, check out MLSCloud.com to see if they have the MLS portal for the area that suits your fancy. 

• We Are Westchester County, NY Real Estate. Reach Phil at (914) 723-8900.
• J. Philip Faranda, Broker-owner, J. Philip Real Estate, LLC. 2010 Vice President, Westchester-Putnam Multiple Listing Service. 
• I am one of New York's premier short sale REALTORS. 
• J. Philip Serves Briarcliff Manor, Ossining, Croton, the River Towns, Westchester County, and the bedroom counties of New York City.
• Free MLS Search! Register for a Free Listingbook account and search the MLS like an agent. 
• I am hiring agents. 

All content/images, unless noted, are the property of J. Philip Faranda & may not be used without permission

I have been meaning to write about this for quite a while, and two recent incidents have moved me to do so.

1. While inspecting the basement of an older home, I saw old furnace pipe insulation that was probably asbestos. When I pointed this out to the homeowner, he said "Oh, that isn't asbestos," and promptly flicked at it with his bare hand. I was halfway up the stairs in a jiffy. 
2. I met a buyer at a home in the Bronx. We walked in the kitchen, and a nice pile of obviously recently dumped asbestos like material was right in the middle of the floor. Some rocket scientist had obviously put it there out of carelessness or worse. Who knows how long before or what was in the air. If this isn't criminal, it should be. 

Asbestos insulation is harmless. Asbestos dust that is airborne is a carcinogen. If I were to disturb asbestos every time I saw it, I could be breathing in huge amounts of the stuff. So I don't touch it, ever. I've actually gotten into arguments with people over disturbing the stuff. "Please don't touch that" isn't enough for some people, who will often deny it is asbestos, or say something dumb, like "I know what I'm doing." Yeah, I know what you're doing too, and it can make me sick. 

Think about this: If you take your pen and poke at asbestos in a basement of a home for sale, you might not breathe it in. But if some poor slob has a showing right after your viewing and they come down the stairs a few minutes later, even if they don't touch it and figure they are OK, they just breathed in your cancer-causing stupidity. So don't even touch it. 

There is no reason to touch it. Touching asbestos doesn't confirm it's existence, make it less lethal, or help in any way. It just increases the chance that particles will become airborne. Most people would never knowingly harm another. Yet they are drawn to asbestos like a moth to a flame. Here's the thing: You might see it once, but I see it several times per week, maybe more. And I like being alive and watching my kids grow up. So, as a personal favor, if I am showing you a house and we see what looks like asbestos, leave it alone. I thank you in advance. 

• We Are Westchester County, NY Real Estate. Reach Phil at (914) 723-8900.
• J. Philip Faranda, Broker-owner, J. Philip Real Estate, LLC. 2010 Vice President, Westchester-Putnam Multiple Listing Service. 
• I am one of New York's premier short sale REALTORS. 
• J. Philip Serves Briarcliff Manor, Ossining, Croton, the River Towns, Westchester County, and the bedroom counties of New York City.
• Free MLS Search! Register for a Free Listingbook account and search the MLS like an agent. 
• I am hiring agents. 

All content/images, unless noted, are the property of J. Philip Faranda & may not be used without permission

It seems that anything the New York Times writes about suddenly becomes the fab new trend. Renting is now the chic thing in New York City. The upshot of the article is that renting is simpler, often cheaper, and has far fewer headaches. While one of the people interviewed did get a little misty eyed at not having a Viking stove, overall he was at peace with it. 

This is not what I would call the best reporting from the Times. I could care less about yuppies with a "been there, done that" attitude about writing off their mortgage interest on their taxes. I thought initially it was more hard hitting reportage about people who lost their homes and had to rent, which would have been timely and relevant. Instead, it was fluff, no doubt pandering to some in the Times' ever shrinking base: limousine liberals who were victims of the economy who would love to hear that renting is cool because the Times says it is.

Why is renting the emblem of conservative republican oppression when a Bush or  Reagan is in the Oval Office, and the new cool fad when Obama is the Chief Executive?   

Of course, the subjects in the article are mentioned as paying $5000 per month in rent like that is some bargain. Would you (can you?) pay $5000 per month for 800 square feet? I'll bet the rest of the 99% of Americans who bother to read this just shake their heads and view New Yorkers like Martians. 

• We Are Westchester County, NY Real Estate. Reach Phil at (914) 723-8900.
• J. Philip Faranda, Broker-owner, J. Philip Real Estate, LLC. 2010 Vice President, Westchester-Putnam Multiple Listing Service. 
• I am one of New York's premier short sale REALTORS. 
• J. Philip Serves Briarcliff Manor, Ossining, Croton, the River Towns, Westchester County, and the bedroom counties of New York City.
• Free MLS Search! Register for a Free Listingbook account and search the MLS like an agent. 
• I am hiring agents. 

All content/images, unless noted, are the property of J. Philip Faranda & may not be used without permission

Many of my colleagues believe that a for sale by owner (FSBO) wants to eat their young, draw and quarter real estate agents, and own a broom with a glove compartment. My experience is that few do. FSBOs are not a different species. 

Consider this: Home Depot sold tens of thousands of drills in recent years to people who didn't want drills. 

They wanted holes. 

FBSO's may not want an agent, but nobody with their home listed on the MLS wants an agent either. You read that right: No home seller wants an agent. They have no use for them. 

They want a buyer.

That's the bottom line. Nobody wants an agent. They want a buyer. Agents are a means to an end. Real estate licensees are as good as our ability to attract a ready, willing and able buyer, period. 

• We Are Westchester County, NY Real Estate. Reach Phil at (914) 723-8900.
• J. Philip Faranda, Broker-owner, J. Philip Real Estate, LLC. 2010 Vice President, Westchester-Putnam Multiple Listing Service. 
• I am one of New York's premier short sale REALTORS. 
• J. Philip Serves Briarcliff Manor, Ossining, Croton, the River Towns, Westchester County, and the bedroom counties of New York City.
• Free MLS Search! Register for a Free Listingbook account and search the MLS like an agent. 
• I am hiring agents. 

All content/images, unless noted, are the property of J. Philip Faranda & may not be used without permission

"I don’t care to belong to any club that will have me as a member"- Groucho Marx

In either a sign of the Apocalypse, recognition from my peers or a little of both, it is official: the 2010 Westchester-Putnam MLS board of directors will include me as a Vice President. 

Although the term does not begin until 2010, myself and the other new board members were at this past week's meeting, which was actually pretty good brain food about where our association is going and how it will adapt to the changing times. 

Other newly-elected board members include:

President - Gary Leogrande, Keller Williams NY Realty                                                             

Vice President Southern Westchester- Vanessa Jones, Paddington Stone Realty, LLC

Vice President Northern Westchester-  J. Philip Faranda,  J. Philip Real Estate, LLC.         

Vice President Putnam County- Edward Scrivani, Century 21 Anita Ferri Realty

Secretary- Kimberly Ware, Bronxville-Ley Real Estate LLC              

Treasurer- Jason Wilson, Better Homes & Gardens Rand Realty

I'm hopeful I can make a meaningful contribution. All kidding aside, I appreciate the acknowledgement of both the nominating committee and my peers. I will give the position my best.                                                             

• We Are Westchester County, NY Real Estate. Reach Phil at (914) 723-8900.
• J. Philip Faranda, Broker-owner, J. Philip Real Estate, LLC. 2010 Vice President, Westchester-Putnam Multiple Listing Service. 
• I am one of New York's premier short sale REALTORS. 
• J. Philip Serves Briarcliff Manor, Ossining, Croton, the River Towns, Westchester County, and the bedroom counties of New York City.
• Free MLS Search! Register for a Free Listingbook account and search the MLS like an agent. 
• I am hiring agents. 

All content/images, unless noted, are the property of J. Philip Faranda & may not be used without permission

My wife and I don't have a horse in this race, but I recall in my childhood in the 70's that everyone in my neighborhood had a clothesline. Most of my neighbors used them. Ann grew up in an apartment in which many people dried their clothes on their terrace, but that was forbidden when the building went co-op. In my corner of the world they gradually phased out with cheaper technology and busier lifestyles, but I always viewed clothes drying in a suburban back yard as, well, suburban. 

Evidently, some communities don't view it that way, and many have banned clotheslines altogether. Some people have fought back and overturned the bans, and the debate has reached the New York Times. Ann said that an apartment building with rows of terraces with clothes is unsightly and depressing. I view a back yard with clothes drying as a calling card of happy memories when people didn't need their appliances to look like a rocket ship. 

Ann freely admits that clothes dried in fresh air just feel better, but she associates them with squalor. I am different- I like them and have more positive associations with them. 

Debate away. I didn't know there was one going on, but I guess I wasn't paying attention. 

• We Are Westchester County, NY Real Estate. Reach Phil at (914) 723-8900.
• J. Philip Faranda, Broker-owner, J. Philip Real Estate, LLC. 2010 Vice President, Westchester-Putnam Multiple Listing Service. 
• I am one of New York's premier short sale REALTORS. 
• J. Philip Serves Briarcliff Manor, Ossining, Croton, the River Towns, Westchester County, and the bedroom counties of New York City.
• Free MLS Search! Register for a Free Listingbook account and search the MLS like an agent. 
• I am hiring agents. 

All content/images, unless noted, are the property of J. Philip Faranda & may not be used without permission

In 1955, Dwight Eisenhower was president, the Dodgers were in Brooklyn, and there were 48 states in the Union. My parents were married only 5 years, and just 2 of their 4 sons were born. I wasn't on the scene until 1967. 

In 2009, Dwight Eisenhower is gone 40 years. The Dodgers have been out of Brooklyn for over 50. Ann and I just celebrated our 8th anniversary on what would have been my parents' 59th, and we've had 50 states in the USA for 51 years.  

One of my listings pending sale had a closing delayed recently because the title report indicated an open permit...this does happen sometimes. But what us unique is that the open permit is from 1955. Yes, in 1955 the then-owner of this house had work done requiring a permit around the time my father was still trying to figure out Mom (he never really did).  

The current owner bought the house in the 80's, so there was at least one transaction where this obscure, open permit slipped through the cracks. Until now. Evidently, in 1955, the then owner of this home had the heating system re-done, and even that furnace is long since gone. The process here is that the work on an open permit has to be reinspected by the building department so the permit can be closed and the title declared ship shape. My client wisely decided to have a heating specialist take a look at the heating system prior to the building inspector, and the contractor did see one small thing that needed to be done to close the issue. 

It would have already been done and the deal closed by now, but there was one small delay, and you can't make this stuff up. He couldn't make the repair right away. It required a permit!

• We Are Westchester County, NY Real Estate. Reach Phil at (914) 723-8900.
• J. Philip Faranda, Broker-owner, J. Philip Real Estate, LLC. 2010 Vice President, Westchester-Putnam Multiple Listing Service. 
• I am one of New York's premier short sale REALTORS. 
• J. Philip Serves Briarcliff Manor, Ossining, Croton, the River Towns, Westchester County, and the bedroom counties of New York City.
• Free MLS Search! Register for a Free Listingbook account and search the MLS like an agent. 
• I am hiring agents. 

All content/images, unless noted, are the property of J. Philip Faranda & may not be used without permission