Let me preface my words clearly that I have no beef with franchises and treasure my many colleagues at other firms, large, small, independent and corporate. Everyone should hitch their trailer to the train that they feel best about. My choice is that of an independent broker with no franchise or
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01/23/2012
With apologies to Bill Clinton. My firm sells a wide range of properties: upscale 7 figure estates right over to a $7500 trailer. Among our niches is the area broadly described as the distressed property market. This could vary from short sales to bank owned foreclosures to property that is owne
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01/21/2012
Tonight was the installation party for the Hudson Gateway Association of Realtors. Executives and directors of both HGAR and the Empire Access MLS (EAMLS) were sworn in for 2012, along with drinks, dinner and dancing. This will be my 3rd term as MLS Vice president, and it doubled as date night fo
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01/19/2012
Month by month, I have watched the 2011 Westchester Real estate market in comparison to the same month in 2010 to see how we'd stack up. Would values rise? Would transaction totals improve? 2011 started out behind the curve compared to 2010, but my theory was that 2010 started out artificially hi
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01/16/2012
What is market share in real estate? Market share could mean percentage of closed transactions in a given area. Market share could mean the percent of closed dollar volume in a given area.Market share could be the amount of inventory for sale in a given area. At around 11am today, market share
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01/15/2012
I remember the conversation like it was yesterday, even though it was 1997 or 1998. The typically sweet, warm and cordial client and I were discussing our next move on a purchase offer, and I was advising them against what struck me as making a rash response. "Well if you don't agree, Phil," she
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01/11/2012
I have a conference all day in Manhattan tomorrow, so my Sunday was even busier than usual. At 9am I was at a kitchen table, discussing the next move for a new client. I seldom need "extra" motivation to get the job done for folks- I have 4 kids and a company to run. But sometimes, inspiration do
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01/08/2012
I'll be the first person to admit that I do a crummy job of leveraging my database of past clients. We don't have any regular communications like newsletters or emails, and that is a lost opportunity. The company will be 7 years old this June, and by that time I will have a good system in place t
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01/07/2012
I am a huge fan of the Lake Superior State University Banished Words list. It is an annual survey of overused words and perusing past lists gives some insight into the pop culture of the time. Things like this really scratch that BA in English itch I get sometimes! On New Years Day ever since 19
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01/06/2012
What can you buy in Yonkers for $350,000? So glad you asked. I happen to have a fresh example of just such a home that closed earlier today for $350,000 right in Yonkers a stone's throw from Bronxville. The property is a charming Tudor with loads of awesome, pre-war appointments like leaded glass
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01/05/2012
