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House as Home or Asset Class?

0 Comments By Gay Prizio on August 26th, 2010
Tags: ,      Categories: Buying, Selling, Uncategorized

The New York Times recently ran a cover story headlined “Housing Fades as a Means to Build Wealth, Analysts Says”. The article states that amassing your nest egg based on the appreciation of your home may become a distant memory. 

Time will tell whether that prediction is accurate. What the article fails to mention is that prior to the real estate boom and double digit appreciation, a house was purchased to be a home, not an asset class. 

A home provided a safe haven for the family and a place where memories were created. Holidays and birthdays were celebrated in the home and terms such as yield, appreciation and return on investment were confined to stocks and bonds. 

The new reality is that homeownership may no longer be the ticket to easy money, but it remains the gateway to security and stability, the backdrop of family photographs, and the venue of your lifestyle. 

As a trusted real estate advisor to thousands Houlihan Lawrence provides transparent information and a network of experienced agents with insight that help homeowners and buyers ultimately make informed decisions. 

Ownership of a home represents different things to different people. Do you think of your house as an investment vehicle or a home for you and your family?

The Future of Rye Playland

0 Comments By Gay Prizio on August 5th, 2010
Tags: , ,      Categories: Uncategorized

NBC New York News recently reported on rumblings that Playland may close. Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino sees the amusement park as a drain on the county’s finances and is seeking more fiscally responsible alternatives.

Playland is a national historic landmark and a well-known an example of Art Deco architecture. Playland in the past tense brings a tear to many a Westchester resident. It is the venue of memories and evokes a simpler, easier time when a family outing was just that – the entire family going to one place at the same time to go on the same rides.

It is anyone’s guess what will happen to Playland, but its questionable status provides the perfect excuse to pay a visit to Playland, indulge in cotton candy and ride one of the oldest wooden roller coasters in America.

The Perfect Gift

0 Comments By Gay Prizio on July 30th, 2010
Categories: Uncategorized

What do parents of the bride – who happen to be a former President and current Secretary of State – give their only daughter and soon-to-be son-in-law as a wedding gift? 

A home near mom and dad would be lovely. 

This stone and shingle residence in Conyers Farm is set on 10 acres and exudes the beauty and spirit of a grand turn-of-the-century manor in its classical architecture and irresistible country setting.  Three levels of light-filled space showcasing a wealth of classical details throughout all the principal rooms, many opening to the wrap-around stone terrace and pristine surroundings that frame the home. Conyers Farm is a gated community, providing security that is a must-have when Mom and Dad visit the young couple.

Wingtree Farm is a treasured historical Bedford Colonial, circa 1800, is set on 8 magnificent private acres with a long driveway approach that runs past a fishing and skating pond, wood bridge, bird nesting island, an orchard and an abundance of white lilacs. It also features original stone walls, a pool and pool house, a tennis court, a two bedroom guest cottage and a separate artist studio with it’s own greenhouse. This spectacular antique with wonderful seamless renovations by O’Brien Architecture features six bedrooms, five and a half baths, five fireplaces, a state-of-the-art kitchen, and a wrap-around rocking chair porch.

The Ageless Profession

0 Comments By Gay Prizio on April 5th, 2010
Tags: ,      Categories: Uncategorized

Justice John Paul Stevens is thinking of retiring from the Supreme Court as he approaches his 90th birthday. What a gift to be wanted and needed professionally for so long and have the luxury to set your exit strategy on your own watch.

It got me thinking that real estate is also a place that admires and respects the elders of the profession. A “seasoned” agent is not forced out, and replaced with a younger model, as often happens in corporate America. In fact, agents who have been in the business for 30, 40 even 50 years in many ways have an advantage over their younger counterparts because their seniority and mastery is revered, not rejected, by their clients.

Their accumulation of  knowledge is an asset in a profession that rewards hard work, integrity and competency at any age.

The Happy Home

0 Comments By Gay Prizio on March 30th, 2010
Tags: , ,      Categories: Uncategorized

David Brook’s column in today’s New York Times examines the growing field of positive psychology and the pursuit of happiness. The desire for money to achieve happiness, he says, is disproved time and again, and studies reveal that happiness is not a commodity that can be purchased with an American Express card.

Our government he goes on to say, should pay more attention to what does in fact make us happy – interpersonal relationships and social trust – and not to what can be easily measured and quantified.

This leads me to posit the question: has the government, with all its well-intentioned (albeit ineffective) programs to help struggling homeowners stay in their homes, unwittingly acknowledged that our homes – where meaningful relationships with spouses, children, siblings, parents, neighbors and friends reside — are a principal source of personal happiness? As a homeowner, do you consider your home a vessel of  happiness, or a financial asset, like stocks and bonds?

Curb Your Enthusiasm

0 Comments By Gay Prizio on March 16th, 2010
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One of our favorite blogs, Curbed, has expanded into different business verticals, including food, shopping, and travel. Learn how Curbed founder Lockhart Steele turned his passion into a successful business venture.

http://www.businessinsider.com/business-news/mar-12-curbed-2010-3

Venus and Mars and Real Estate

0 Comments By Gay Prizio on March 12th, 2010
Tags: , , ,      Categories: Buying, Selling, Uncategorized

gender-symbol-300x299A survey recently found that women are three times quicker in making a real estate decision than men …  women decide intuitively while men are more measured and methodical.

What do you think?

Out and About In Bronxville

0 Comments By Gay Prizio on March 5th, 2010
Tags: , , ,      Categories: Market Area, Out and About, Uncategorized, Westchester

Bronxville is just one square mile, but it is filled with treasures – beautiful homes, a charming downtown, eclectic restaurants and great shopping, rolling topography, and a 28 minute ride to Midtown on Metro-North.

Bronxville borders Yonkers, Mt. Vernon, Tuckahoe and Eastchester. Two colleges, Concordia and Sarah Lawrence, give the Village a special energy that only the collegial life can generate. A local in-town farmer’s market runs from May through November and features organic produce, freshly baked bread and artisanal cheeses. With so many homes within walking distance to the Village, places like the farmer’s market, Metro-North, shopping and movies are accessible on foot.

Downtown Bronxville has English-style architecture that give the Village a distinctive and cosmopolitan feel, with a plethora of unique retail stores. Mano A Mano features beautiful glassware, pottery, furniture and dinnerware. The Silver Spoon, owned by a Bronxville native, is the go-to place for baby and children’s gifts.  Locals and students flock to Slave to the Grind for a great cup of coffee, a friendly and entertaining staff, and its 1970s vibe.  A few doors down is Underhills Crossing, a sophisticated bistro with a vibrant bar crowd and a menu of oysters that come from Maine to Washington. 

PSTEPHANIEPicturesSchoolsUpstateK-12BronxvilleSchoolcompressedIt is the sense of community and fast friendships made between cradle-to-grave residents, and transient and relocating families that make Bronxville special. Bronxville High School, located in the heart of the village, brings residents together, whether they have kids in the school or not. Concordia College sponsors cultural events that residents eagerly attend. For sport enthusiasts, the Village of Bronxville offers it own staff paddle tennis pro, numerous paddle tennis courts and The Bronxville Gentleman’s Platform Tennis League, and The Bronxville Ladies Platform Tennis League, where the love of the game is on display twelve months a year. 

Bronxville may be small, but it has wide appeal for being known as the “suburb that is endlessly copied but never matched”.

Reports to Help You Sell and Find Your Home

0 Comments By Chris Meyers on February 23rd, 2010
Tags: , ,      Categories: Buying, Houlihan Lawrence News, Uncategorized

Houlihan Lawrence’s new website has been up and running for over a month and I hope you have had the chance to browse the site and try out some of our new features.  The site is a trove of information that will inform and educate you, and keep you abreast of changes and trends in your area.

We now offer two new reports that help you make smarter homebuying and selling decisions. For homeowners, Value Tracker monitors the activity in your area on homes comparable to your own. Emails provide active listings, recent sold and pending transactions, and average days on market on listings that meet your criteria. This up-to-the-minute information will help you gauge the value of your home based on the most current MLS data available. Call or email your Houlihan Lawrence agent to start receiving your personal Value Tracker.

For buyers, we know you want information now. Home Finder provides instant access to new listings, and price and status changes on properties that match your search criteria the minute they hit the market. Unlike most email listing alerts, Home Finder shows price reductions in both dollar and percentage values with mapping capabilities. Start your search with Houlihan Lawrence and sign up for Home Finder on our website.

Let me know if Value Tracker or Home Finder has helped you with the sale or search of your home.

Out and About in Bedford

0 Comments By Gay Prizio on February 12th, 2010
Tags: , , ,      Categories: Luxury Country Properties, Market Area, Out and About, Uncategorized, Westchester

It has bold-face name residents, a bed and breakfast owned by a movie star, and a picturesque village green. Bedford, which includes the hamlets of Bedford Hills, Bedford Village and Katonah, has a sense of authenticity and character that gives it it’s New England charm.farmhouseFromStreetWithSnow

The historic buildings that grace the Village Green set the tone for this Rockwellian community. Bedford Historical Society maintains 10 buildings including The Post Office, Bedford Free Library, Jackson House, and Loudsbery Building.  Galleries, shops and restaurants add sophistication and a sense of surprise.

The outdoorsperson will never tire of all ways in which to absorb the beauty of the area. Bedford Riding Lanes Association maintains 100 miles of trails and dirt for hiking and horseback riding. Drivers enthusiastically give the right of way to neighbors on horseback.

Music lovers flock to Caramoor Center for Music and the Arts, a performing arts center in Katonah. Caramoor’s outdoor music pavilion is surrounded by formal gardens and a Mediterranean style villa that houses year-round music educational programs.   The Katonah Museum of Art celebrates the visual arts with exhibitions and educational programs that explore ideas about art, culture, and society.

For foodies, there are local farms like Cabbage Hill, Daisy Hill, and Guard Hill that grow organic fruits and vegetables and are purveyors of artisanal cheeses and meats. Bedford resident Richard Gere may be lurking by the arugula or Martha Stewart could be declaring the peaches a good thing, which makes this rural area of Westchester County a pleasure for all the sense.

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