Those of you well know me well, know that I love Starbucks.  I'm there virtually everyday...and multiple times a day.  I go to most of the Starbucks in the county in between appointments.  I love the coffee and the everything bagels and the fact that I can get wifi and get my work done.  It's a great place to relax, refuel and get some work done.  I even do some networking there.  I prefer to go to the ones where it's easy (and free) to park.   Anyway, yesterday I had a long break between appointments - probably 3 hours.  I was very excited about this.  I went to the Starbucks in Eastchester.  It's on White Plains Rd (I think Rt 22) right near Lord & Taylor.  Recently (within the last year), they redesigned the place (which is usually a good thing). The new tile work looks great, the ne... 01/24/2013

Sandy storm damage and heavy snow predicted for this winter may be the new normal, but we don't have to live with mold in Eastchester, NY 10709!   Mold can be seen as a four letter word that makes most of us cringe because of allergies and just "ick!"  But, be aware, after extenisive water damage cleanup from recent storms and snowfall in Westchester County that mold can grow if your property is not completely dry.   But, contrary to popular belief, not all mold is dangerous.  In fact, some mold is even quite useful, like those healthy mushrooms in our salads and favorite meals.   However, after Superstorm Sandy damage in some Westchester County homes, your home, business or listed properties may NOT be mold free.  Mold growth is microscopic and grows at different rates, based on the hu... 01/03/2013

Flooring Articles - Part 26 Here's the 26th installment of my flooring posts.  It's a helpful way to find my higher quality educational posts as well as giving these articles a bit more google juice.   Ecofriendly Flooring Trends for Westchester NY This post discusses green options for your flooring - both hard surface and carpet options.   Hardwood Floor Refinishing - FAQ's | Westchester County This post took me a while to write.  It is a collection of the most common questions I get about refinishing hardwood floors and my answers.  It should come in handy for anyone looking to refinish their floors and links to several other useful posts for more specific answers.   Basement flooding? Looking for a water proof solution? Mamaroneck NY Of course following Hurricane Sandy, I though it w... 12/15/2012

Flooded in Eastchester NY 10709 - Hurricane Sandy has left her mark   Did your basement flood from the Hurricane Sandy in Eastchester NY? Many low lying areas of Westchester, got hit hard from the Superstorm, including Eastchester, Bronxville, Larchmont, Rye, Mamaroneck, New Rochelle and Scarsdale. We've had a lot of customers calling due to drenched carpets. And, if you don't remove them soon enough, they really start to smell...and if they sit too long they could develop that forbidden word...mold. Yuck!   Sometimes, the water damage is covered by insurance, especially if it was due to an electrical failure. Usually, the insurance will compensate you for replacement value of what you had. We've had many customers in Eastchester who were so disgusted by the smell and ordeal associated ... 12/14/2012

Interlaken Gardens Whitehall Road, Eastchester, NY Here is the first post in the series The Street Where You Live. I am starting with the streets in Interlaken Gardens, a beautiful garden style cooperative apartment complex located in Eastchester, NY just 30 minutes from Grand Central Station.  Whitehall Road is a dead end off California Road. Easy to find, it is the first street on the right coming in from White Plains Post Road or the last street on the left coming in from California Road. Most of the buildings on this street are only two stories. A unique feature is backing up to Eastchester High School. The school track is at the end of Whitehall Road. It is wonderful to hear the sounds of the games being played throughout the school year.  Addresses 1 through 9 are all two story b... 11/26/2012

The Day I Decided My Future Something magical has happened this month. I have been blogging daily here on ActiveRain because of a 30 in 30 Challenge. I admit that I missed my post on Thanksgiving Day, which I posted today in the hopes that it will still count. I have become hooked on blogging again. The best things about this platform: I am required to write original content. This forces me to think, to plan and to write from my experience. In previous posts I have mentioned my struggle with real estate in today’s market. And here is where the magic begins! I have evaluated my strengths and my passions. I asked myself where do they fit as Principal Broker of Catherine Cornelia Real Estate? I have the answer and the direction my career will take in 2013! Like this picture of Rusty Cat, I... 11/22/2012

Admittedly, there isn't a lot to do this Veteran's Day weekend in Eastchester, NY. The link will take you to the Eastchester Daily Voice page and a list of available activities.  I plan to take some time to think about the meaning of Veteran's Day and thank those who fought and continue to fight to keep America safe from harm. We don't always agree on things but there is one thing we can come together on - America is the country it is today because of the commitment our veterans and their families have made to the United States of America.  Thank a vet! 11/09/2012

‘The Street Where You Live’ is a favorite song of mine from the musical My Fair Lady. I decided now will be a great time to write a blog series with ‘The Street Where You Live’ as the central theme.    To give you a flavor of what is to come, the streets are all located in Eastchester, NY with homes, town houses and cooperative apartments built around Lake Innisfree; also known as Lake Isle. The detached homes are in Lake Isle Estates and many are located directly on Lake Innisfree or the golf course at Lake Isle Country Club. The town houses were built in the 1980’s and feature a guarded/gated community with a private pool situated on Lake Innisfree. There are two garden cooperative apartment complexes that share a private beach on the lake; Interlaken Gardens and Channing Place.    Ea... 11/09/2012

It's the end of the car show season and one of the last shows in the area happens on the rain date for the show (Hurricane Sandy changed a lot of plans). On Sunday, November 4, cars and motorcycles converge at Lake Isle Country Club. Come out and spend some time among the muscle cars of yesterday. Plan your garage redo or, think about getting a new home with a bigger garage.  Weather looks great for a perfect fall day! 11/03/2012

It is easy to criticize the utility companies for not restoring power fast enough, or taking your power down while they try and restore the local grid. I am frustrated being without power but more importantly, I am scared of the cold and what it will do to our property if the pipes freeze. That being said, I started thinking about the utility worker and his frame of reference. Yes, he has a job to do but he is working many hours, has left his family alone and some of them may be without power. It's not his/her fault the lights are out. Hurricane Sandy did a number on the infrastructure. I am confident the men and women working for the utility companies are doing the best they can as quickly as possible to "get the lights turned back on." I am sure they want to get back home. I think abo... 11/02/2012

In the aftermath.... Hurricane Sandy left major problems in New York City and the surrounding communities. Although we have power, WiFi started acting up yesterday. Thankfully, my iPad has 3G and I am connected on a screen larger than my iPhone.  What is all this doing to real estate? I am concerned the holiday slow down will begin even sooner than usual. I have created a very exclusive niche working to help buyers find their dream home but others are not as focused and I truly hope Hurricane Sandy doesn't bring market interest to a screaming halt in the Northeast until sometime next Spring.  How has Hurricane Sandy impacted your family and your community? 11/02/2012

  Passing on some good information from Mr. Jensen in Eastchester, below, after we'd been without power for three days, too! We never lost power at our office and are "2nd responders" for Eastchester home and business owners and those who call us from anywhere in Westchester County.  But, my parents live with us, are older and their cold...so I called everyone in town, Con Ed at the number below and became a "squeaky wheel."  It worked and we got our power back this afternoon. Stay safe and warm everyone, if you can.  Call us if you experience any water or other damage, or for advice...we're in storm mode and on 24 hour call.   Eastchester Police Alert System               From: Robert Jensen Storm Update     Residents  contact Con Edison directly at 1-800-752-6633.  Advise them about a... 10/31/2012

Sandy should be a wind vs. a water damage event for Eastchester, NY 10709   Hurricane Sandy’s high winds may cause water and other damage to homes and businesses tonight in Eastchester, NY. LERT: Town Hall and the Eastchester Library are closed today, October 29th, due to storm.   EMERGENCY SERVICES REMAIN OPEN. UPDATE: ALL TRASH PICK-UP ON TUESDAY, OCTOBER 30th, HAS BEEN CANCELLED.    A list of local American Red Cross shelters is listed below, with the closest one to Eastchester, NY 10709 in nearby Mount Vernon.  Lincoln Middle School is right across the street from our Servpro of Scarsdale / Mount Vernon.  We’re listed on the Preferred Vendor list for the School District to help with floods, fires and any other disaster response. This morning, Sandy was still centered far south off o... 10/29/2012

  Severe storms are expected to impact and flood the area tonight near Eastchester, NY 10709      In Westchester County and the lower Hud, meteorologists expect our area to become ground zero for these powerful thunderstorms. That includes cities, towns and hamlets all the way to the Appalachian Trail. LIVE: Severe Threat Increasing North Carolina to New York   Tonight, flooding rain and high winds could ground air travel and impact major highways, coinciding with rush hour from Bronxville to Scarsdale, NY.  Weather pros are predicting a huge zone of flooding rain from the lower Appalachians, across Westchester County to our Long Island Sound towns, and that could stall traffic in some areas.     One Meteorologist predicted that enough rain can fall fast enough, to cause rapid rises on ... 09/18/2012

Each calendar month carries a distinct meaning. September has a few;  Back to school. Labor Day Weekend, the last three day weekend of the summer and a signal that the laid back days of summer vacation are over; time to get serious about work again. Days begin to get shorter, nights are cooler and trees begin to rustle more as they dry out and prepare for their winter sleep. Wardrobes begin to change. We exchange our flip flops for closed toes; tanks and tees for long sleeves and cardigans; too cool for shorts we head out in slacks.  We soak in every last bit of sun and relish the last few days at the beach. This is September.  One more thing about September, it is one of the best months to buy real estate. My passion is a remarkable lake front community known as Interlaken Gardens. 44 ... 09/01/2012

Water Main breaks may flood some homes or businesses in Eastchester, NY 10709 Today's water main breaks in Eastchester, NY 10709, on the New Rochelle City line  could affect home and business owners with flooding in  basements.    There are multiple water main breaks in both towns, according to the Bronxville-Tuckahoe Patch.    Courtesy Bronxville-Tuckahoe Patch    This type of water damage can be devastating and I just hope that no property owner, recovering from Sandy's storm damage, is affected.  We are on 24 hour call this weekend as always for advice or help with a basement full of water, for example. Whether your home or business – or a client’s listed property -- is on a hill or not, water main breaks can send so much water through the streets that anyone can flood.  Be sure to g... 08/27/2012

All eyes are on Isaac that could track north up the East Coast to Eastchester, NY 10709 Hurricane Isaac is on his way...  ...and most professional projections for the track of this "tropical cyclone" show a path that could track over -- when our amazing crews worked 20 hour days / 20 days straight to dry out flooded homes, businesses and even fire stations throughout Westchester County, NY. A year ago, almost to the day, Hurricane Irene swung our way and came north to Westchester County, with a vengeance.  She was slowing down to wind speeds below 70 mph, from the Category 1 version that hit New Jersey.  But, wind and water damage to homes and businesses in and near Eastchester, NY 10709 were historic!  Property damage was in the millions, even to our public buildings. Irene was a large... 08/23/2012

Our New York City ~ Tri-state region MEETUP was a blast, from local Westchester Co;unty folks to Roger from OHIO!   We had a super time as the pictures below and Janis’s great blog reflect. No rain, no storms, no fires to put out...got the afternoon off from my husband/our startup and so enjoyed meeting our 18 Rainmakers in NYC! Our Tuesday lunch at a seafood hotspot, on July 31st, was a super celebration of Rainmaker connections and support. Just look ~ with apologies about my poor,pitiful Blackberry pics...the little camera "that thought it could!":   This is Sheila, Kristina and J. Phil from the NY / NJ region -- all fabulous people...hey, it the "Fab trio!" -- like our gold medalist gymnasts in London! At our table, Laura above has a Fen Shui design company and helps with hoarding, ... 08/01/2012

Cleaning fire & soot damaged homes or businesses can mean staying in business in Eastchester, NY 10707    HELPFUL FIRE SAFETY HINTS FROM HILLARY:  Everyone will have a least one fire or flood in their home or place of business in a lifetime.  See some important Do's & Don't below: Hi Rainmakers -- writing about fire this week because we've been called to five tragic fire situations at homes and one business in the past week.  Most involved oil on old flammable rags or towels that basically and spontaneously combusted -- or, burst into flame.    These fires ocurred in restaurants or home basements and garages, and allegedly were started because of flammables and our recent, extreme heat.   So, throw your old refinishing or restoration project towels and rags away, preferably in a metal b... 07/23/2012

Selecting carpet for your home in Eastchester NY has never been easier...now, you can Shop at Home for your carpeting in Westchester NY. Have you ever gone to a carpet store and just felt lost and overwhelmed?  Sometimes, there are so many options that you don't even know where to start.  Sometimes, you may go into a store and find so many choices that you leave more confused than you felt when you entered?  How do you know what's the best type of carpet for your home in Eastchester NY?  What's the right one for your budget?  And, what's the right color? We make shopping for carpet in Westchester fun and easy. Everything starts with the area you are looking to carpet.  Is it for a bedroom or a lviing room or a family room or basement or the step?  Different rooms require different types... 05/10/2012