"All Real Estate is local"---is a phrase that we all have heard for some time now. This is the real truth about real estate and yet we are still bombarded with reports about the devastation that is still in the pipeline, especially where subprime mortgages are concerned, on a national level.New homes or housing starts are in pretty bad shape nationally yet on my block in Southampton Village, in New York there are three new builds and one completete renovation going on as we speak. Here on Activerain I read all the time about how business is active again in a lot of areas....some even say the phone will not stop ringing right now---just a FEW DAYS BEFORE CHRISTMAS!!!! Last week I offered up an article on the projections made by NAR for 2008---this was the ONLY report that was positive in... 12/21/2007

                                                                                                                                                                                                    How perfect---does anyone know who said "You can not solve a problem with the same thinking that created it"?When you examine the housing situation and the sub-prime catastrophe in particular, this must be applied....in other words, don't get caught up in the idea that we need to get back to business as usual before we change our thinking.The government has come forward with several things to help out during this very difficult time for home owners. They may even have to do more later on as things start to wash out into the open and other segments of the financial markets are found to be in tro... 12/16/2007

I have attached the latest news from NAR---looks far more positive than other 2008 reports: Existing-Home Sales to Trend Up in 2008 WASHINGTON, December 10, 2007 -  Existing-home sales are projected to trend up in 2008, with pending home sales showing a slight near-term rise, according to the latest forecast by the National Association of Realtors®.  However, a recovery for new-home sales is unlikely before 2009.Lawrence Yun, NAR chief economist, said the worst part of the credit crunch has already worked its way through the data.  "The unusual mortgage disruptions that peaked in August were clearly seen in lower home sales that were finalized in September and October, so the market was underperforming," he said.  "Now that mortgage conditions have improved, some postponed activity shou... 12/10/2007

Thats what came out  in our meeting at Prudential Douglas Elliman last Tuesday, we were told of at least 7 deals that are happening right now. One house is a lovely 1930's 4 BR on .36 of an acre that will close at the end of the month. The asking price was $4.2 Mil and the deal is being done at just under that.On my street here in Southampton Village, there are two new houses being built right now, and around the corner from me there are 2 renovations and 2 new builds underway. This is just one part of one quadrant of the village. The village of Southampton is an anomaly; downturns in the real estate market here don't happen the same way as the rest of the country. Sales taper off to a degree but because we have such pent-up demand......and "there is only so much village" most buyers wh... 11/19/2007

Naming a new business is crtical to it's success!!  Knowing this, I would like to tell you a story that may give you something to think about if you are opening a new business; it certainly gave me something to think about for many years and now it comes up again:I had my first job after high-school and before college, in a very large x-ray office in Flint, Michigan. My job was to "book-in" patients before they were to have their x-rays. On this particular day I opened the window into the waiting room to a middle-aged couple standing right at the window, arm in arm. They told me their last name and I laughed when they explained that just because their last name was "Pigg" didn't mean they were!  When I asked them which one was the patient, they both stepped back and there was the tinies... 11/18/2007

Everyone that I know who does not live here in the Hamptons asks me: What is it like to live in that place? Do you really see a lot of famous people? Or they will name drop like crazy and ask if I have met Christy Brinkly or Billy Joel; or if I ever run into Renee Zellweiger (sp) or Jerry Seinfeld.The Hamptons is famous for a lot of things but most of all, people think of the Hamptons when it comes to really expensive properties. So most of the famous people that I get to meet are usually those who are buying or selling in the Hamptons. Which leads me to the point that I wanted to make about this really difficult housing market that is happening right now.I told myself that when the market cools off I will take a long vacation and go to Canyon ranch in Tuscon or maybe take a trip to Eur... 10/19/2007

So its almost time to put away the winter clothes and get ready for summer.  If you were interested in possibly spending some time in the Hamptons you may need to shell out some serious dollars.  This past weekend the NY Times article Get a Bonus, Buy a House? discussed the bidding wars for summer homes in the Hamptons.  According to brokers on Long Island the bidding wars seem to be fueled by colossal Wall Street Bonuses.  It seems as though sales are outpacing last years and these sales will more than likely close in March or April with Wall Street bonus money.So how much does it cost to have a summer home in the hamptons?   Well if you are looking to buy a summer home get ready to put up the big bucks if you want to spend your summer in luxury because it seems as though you will be u... 02/19/2007