Real Estate Information

The 30th Season of Music in the Garden A free Jazz Concert Series begins July 15th at the Hopper House. The series of concerts run for six consecutive weeks thru August 19th Concerts 7:30 to 9:30pm - Bring lawn chairs and a picnic.

I attended a wonderful cocktail party for the lucky few brokers invited to preview a stunning new residential listing situated high above the Tappan Zee Bridge. It was presented by fellow Realtor Russ Wooley of Wright Bros in Nyack. I asked Russ if I might write a Blog entry about the home, as it's very special and quite unique, and worthy of some extra attention for discerning buyers. He agreed. Thanks, Russ.

The home was built this year by Rockland's SMK Home Builders to their highest standards. Its breathtaking views of the Tappan Zee Bridge and 30 mile vistas of Westchester and the Hudson River are equally as impressive as the quality workmanship I found inside.

In Great Britain (I was born in Wales), we have a slang term: “gob-smacked.” It’s used when you come across something so stunningly amazing that your mouth (your “gob,”) drops open and you instinctively cover it, or “smack” it with the palm of your hand. When I walked into this home, I was “gob smacked.” The wide-open contemporary architecture with its cathedral ceilings and walls of glass framed the spectacular outdoor vistas like an ever-changing art show.

The ultra modern chef's kitchen was just as impressive. It features the highest quality appliances and glass countertops, and it overlooks the main living area. I could easily picture how convenient it would be for entertaining - plenty of storage, logical layout and all the right appliances. The Realtors attending this event certainly gravitated toward the kitchen, but that could also have been due to the delicious food and wine from Nyack's Casa Del Sol that was served, courtesy of Scott Gunst of Wells Fargo Home Mortgage.

Let me tell you a little more about this wonderful home, because it really got me excited.

It is situated in one of the most prestigious neighborhoods in Rockland County, NY. The homes on Tweed Boulevard are all special in many ways. The obvious main attraction is their location, perched high above the widest part of the Hudson River, overlooking spectacular views. However, many of these homes are built on very little property and are literally "cliff hangers!" But unlike many of its neighbors, this property has over 2 acres of level lawns, lush landscaping and a wonderful pool, surrounded by a blue-stone patio. Water jets playing beyond the edge of the patio provide an exciting visual esthetic, and on a summer day, the soothing sound of pattering water can be heard throughout the house.

Back inside, there's a luxury main floor master suite with a gas fireplace and one of the most gorgeous bathrooms I've ever been in. The tub alone just has to be seen. I imagined myself settling into the bubbles, overlooking the pool with the expansive Hudson in the distance. Worthy of a Cialis ad. Somebody call the ad agency!

There are another 4 to 5 bedrooms, all with travel-magazine views. All have large closets, Brazilian cherry floors, and are interspersed with three and a half beautiful bathrooms, each one with different decor, glass tiles, amazing floors and top of the line hardware.

There is a "crow's nest" room with, again, more gob-smacking views - I'd love it as a home office, but probably wouldn't get much work done. I’d spend my time watching sailboats on the river, spectacular rainstorms and brilliant sunrises. It is accessed via a spiral staircase overlooking the pool. Except for the wonderful kitchen and stunning master bathroom, the crow’s nest room is my next personal favourite.

With all this glass and open space, privacy is assured by electric gates, a security camera system and by a surrounding perimeter fence. The double garage doors are made of opaque glass, and there is parking for more cars or guest vehicles on a sweeping driveway.

As one of the finest new homes to hit the market in Rockland for a long time, this is certainly worth seeing before it's snapped up! Contact me today and I'll be delighted to arrange a personal viewing and provide you with any other details you may need to make it yours!

It is sad that I have been driven to write this particular Blog as it highlights just how intrusive, pushy and downright rude Realtors can be. I am currently at the receiving end of an aggressive listing campaign by a Realtor in my community and am quite frankly appalled at his method of soliciting business.

Let’s start at the beginning.

Last year, my husband and I were in the process of opening another coffee shop, this one  in Oyster Bay Long Island. Our small coffee shop in Piermont, now 6 years old, is doing so well enough that we hoped to open a similar shop in an equally compelling location. Oyster Bay was an obvious choice. We were lucky enough to obtain a business grant for improvements to the building in the busy downtown area and what was to be a great location. We put our lovely 1790’s brick cottage in Piermont on the market and received an offer in a matter of days.

That’s when things began to go wrong. Long story short, and not wishing to bore you with the personal trivia, we changed our plans, stayed in Piermont, and withdrew our home in Piermont from the market. The Greater Hudson MLS (in it’s infinite wisdom) shows a listing’s expiration date to all Realtors when the original contract ends, regardless of whether the home is taken off the market for any reason other than selling. 

Our listing “expired” June 30^th. Since then I have received no less than 20 calls from The Realtor In Question. The voice-mail recorded messages tell me that he is so confident he can sell our house that if it doesn’t sell in 120 days, he will buy it from me at a price I agree to.

Hmmmm, I doubt that somehow….The next phase of our one-sided conversation included a personal call. Not from a licensed Realtor but some poor chap with a script that I patiently listened to (taking notes of the content of course!) At the end, I asked if he was a Realtor,

“No maam, just working part time for one.” He said.

“Are you looking at the MLS listing on-line right now?” I asked,

“Yes,” was his quick response.

Hmmmmm, again… Only licensed Realtors and broker’s administrative staff are supposed to have access to the extremely personal details contained in a listing. We pay a lot of money to protect ourselves and our clients. To discover a non-licensed person actually accessing this information was extremely disconcerting. “Can you see the Listing Agent’s remarks at the bottom of the page,” I ventured?

 “Yes I can,” he said, hesitatingly.

“Can you read them to me please?” I continued.

And he did, verbatim. When he finished I asked if the term ‘Agent Discloses Interest’ meant anything to him.

He replied that it didn’t and if I wanted clarification I should speak to his boss.

I informed him very politely, a little sarcastically, but very succinctly that it means I am a Realtor, and not just any Realtor, but the owner of the property in question.

“Oh, what should I do then?” he responded.

I suggested he ask his “boss” to train him better so that this situation wouldn’t cause him further wasted time and embarrassment. I also asked him to take me off the calling list, as my home number is listed as a “Do Not Call” number.

That’s when the barrage of calls started.

I presume they are recordings as obviously no-one is listening to my greeting, which always opens with “Vanessa Saunders, Broker Associate, Baer & McIntosh Real Estate”. But now for SEVEN days straight I have returned to my home office to be greeted with several versions explaining how this “gentleman” will do more for me than any other Realtor can hope to offer. Saying this to me once is OK. Twice, is annoying, and now a full count of 20 calls is downright RUDE…and while I’m at it …plain STUPID.

I called his broker today but she was unavailable and as yet has not called back.  I called the number referenced in the recordings 5 times but only got another recording. So far, he hasn’t returned my call. So much for exemplary service! I really would have liked to have spoken to him in person, but when the phone rang for the 17^th time, this time while I was writing my daily Blog and I got yet another recorded message, I broke down. The blog will wait. This needs attention…

While I understand that Realtors are under great stress in this market, it is no reason to barrage unfortunate home owners/would be sellers with pushy calls using bully-boy tactics, including inflated offers which can’t possibly be substantiated in the way they are portrayed. I am disappointed in my colleague for going to these great lengths to get a listing and for using harassment and misrepresentation. This is especially hard on those people that have been listed previously and sat and watched the values of their homes continue to drop. Desperate times call for desperate measures. Sure, but not by using bullying tactics. Professionalism, creativity, service and diligence will get the results sellers are looking for.

I hope that those of you who have succumbed to the bullying realize that you are able to complain if you are unhappy. You are even able to make a formal complaint, first to this persons broker, and ultimately to the New York State Association of Realtors Professional Standards Committee. (If you need contact info call me.) However, if you are just in the process of being bombarded with these guerrilla tactics and are fed up, and want to make them go away, here are some ways to prevent the noise from continuing, compliments of EHow.com.

How to Report Phone Harassment

Phone harassment is a general term used to describe repeated, unwanted calls that cause grief, distress or invasion of your personal privacy. Abusive or threatening calls are a criminal offense in some states and should be immediately reported to the police. Any one phone call can be considered harassment, but a local phone company will usually not take complaints unless there have been numerous transgressions. There are several steps you can take to avoid phone harassment, including putting your home telephone number on the "do not call list" for telemarketers. Your mobile phone can also be placed on this list as well.

Instructions

Step 1

Find out your phone company's policy regarding reporting phone harassment. Some companies mandate that you file a formal complaint with local police first; others recommend that you call the phone company's complaint department before speaking to police.

Step 2

Keep notes on harassing calls that have been made to your phone number numerous times. Write down what was said and when the call came in. You may need this as evidence later.

Step 3

Report repeated harassing calls to either the Phone Company or local police, according to your phone company's policy. Extremely malicious calls or calls with direct threats of violence should be immediately reported to the police. Use the notes you recorded on the harassing calls as evidence when giving police a statement.

Step 4

Have a "trap" installed on your phone line---if you do not have caller ID or the feature doesn't indicate where the call is coming from---by your phone company for particularly frequent harassing calls or extremely threatening calls. This "trap" will allow the call to be traced, and will help local police apprehend the perpetrator. A more advanced version of a trap can be installed also, using a service called "Call Trace."

I hope this has been informative and not just a rant from my end. My goal is to serve clients with exemplary service that gets results. I expect nothing less from my colleagues, and many of them are more than able to provide the results you need in a difficult market without resulting to such desperate measures.

Greenwood Lake at nine miles long is the largest motor boat lake in Orange County, New York.  Enjoy fishing, kayaking, jet skiing, water skiing, swimming, ice fishing, ice skating, hiking and lakefront dining. The three acre public beach provides weekly summer concerts and theatre events. The village has restaurants, pubs, shops, inns, and motels. Some of the areas events include a decorated boat parade, sailing and rowing regattas, a triathlon, Winter Carnival, Independence Day fireworks display, weekly summer movies, theatre & musical events at the beach, the Halloween Parade, and much more.                   

Nearby attractions include local wineries, skiing, snowboarding and tubing at Mt. Peter, Tuxedo Ridge and Mountain Creek;  The Warwick Drive-In movie theatre, farmers’ markets, apple and fruit picking farms, Woodbury Commons Shopping Outlet Mall, Sugar Loaf Crafts Village, Museum Village, the Lycian Theatre, New York’s Renaissance Festival, Mountain Creek Water Park, Hickory Hill golf course, Warwick Country Club and Crystal Springs Resort. Also nearby are the Bear Mountain State Park , Harriman State Park , Ringwood Manor and West Point Military Academy .

There are several homes currently available to rent or for sale including the superb Tranquility Point. Only 45 minutes to NYC, commuters enjoy the convenience of the NJ Transit bus to NYC. Alternatively,  the Metro North train is only 10 minutes away.   See our homepage for school information and bus and train schedules and rates.

For further information on currently available homes for sale or rent contact Vanessa at 845 598 5083.

In many of our Rockland neighborhoods where inexpensive homes were built in the late 50's after the opening of the Tappan Zee bridge, bringing young families from Brooklyn and the Bronx in droves to the area, fifty years on many of you will no doubt know a senior citizen who is a neighbor and one of those homeowners. Many are known somewhat as the "watcher of the block?" You'll probably have come to know them as the type of neighbors who are reliably quick with a set of very specific instructions on things like where you may park your car and when you can put out your garbage cans or even the days they prefer not to have your lawn mowed. These senior neighbors may also not be quite as vocal, but prefer to remain in the background of community affairs, coming out only on the rare occasion. Would you ever care to guess what’s going on in their backyards and living rooms during these most hard pressed of times?
Last week,  I was made aware of two seperate cases concerning the plight of our senior citizens and foreclosure action. The cases were as different as night and day but both were almost exactly of the same concern.   My interest was immediate, as these were golden-agers, people over 62 years of age, homeowners, and deeply involved in their own quest to keep their homes.
They told me that they received a notice several months ago. Maybe it was a summons and complaint and they had recently appeared in court, without an attorney. After submitting many papers to their lenders, their loan modification requests had been denied and their cases summarily transferred out of the safety of the foreclosure settlement part of the case. One of the clients phrased it that her home was "released" from that part of the proceedings and the foreclosure case was moving forward again.
With respect to seniors and the foreclosure process, I spoke with Richard Rubin an attorney who has become an expert in assisting people fight foreclosure. Mr. Rubin together with Martin Dekom, of Jacob Dean Mortgage, a senior reverse mortgage specialist discussed in great length on the topic of terrified senior homeowners who have paid their bills for decades and now have earned this most unjust reward of foreclosure. They have a solution, it refers to the Brooklyn Dodgers, and they aren't crazy.
Decom says, "Many older homeowners have a solution in the reverse mortgage. The basic qualification is you must be old enough to remember the Brooklyn Dodgers (that is, you must be of a certain age). This is a program without a monthly payment, available to those 62 and older who live in the house as their principal residence and want to keep their home. The loan only becomes due when the homeowner dies, sells or moves out. Foreclosure is not a part of this process. A homeowner in foreclosure can be saved with a reverse mortgage if the amount owed is 60% or less of the value of the home. This number varies with the age of the borrower: the older the borrower, the more money is available, up to about 80%, with a maximum of $495,000. Cases of negotiated short payoffs can also be developed to save the home and avoid foreclosure.
It can be nerve-wracking, but bear in mind that lenders don’t want the homes; the lenders want their money. Consider three things: experience, cost and cost. Comparison shop before moving forward with a reverse mortgage and keep it in the toolbox as a resource to save your home from foreclosure.”

These two clients are currently in the process of discussing a reverse mortgage loan analysis with Mr. Rubin. In addition he is reviewing the court documents and producing a functional defense to help keep their homes. Quick decisions rarely bring value to complex situations. Seniors were fair game in the years of free money, deceptive lending practices and sub prime loans. It is now our obligation and responsibility to peer over our fences and ask of our senior neighbors if help or consultation is necessary as they suffer silently the disease of the distressed loan.

If you, a family member, or friend and even a neighbor needs help, please have them contact me and I will be delighted to assist them by putting them in touch with the "right" people dedicated to helping people keep their homes whatever their age.

Vanessa Saunders | Certified Distressed Property Specialist (CDPE)

845 598 5083 |Vanessa@wesellny.com

Click the logoand someone that needs a free mammogram will get one! Why wouldn't you?

In my home county of Rockland, NY, there are so many people in danger of foreclosure a special moderator has been appointed to handle the cases. He has stopped proceedings by the lenders in their tracks until each and every case has had a chance to be heard. His is a kind man and puts the "lucky" ones at ease and makes sure that they know their rights, buying time for those who come before him allowing them to do all they can to save their home. I say lucky because these people are the ones that sought the help of an attorney to fight their case. Most are paralyzed by fear. The lack of knowledge and finances sending them down the slippery slope and the inevitable Marshall knocking on their door.

However, in a  a recent speech by Hon. Sheila Bair, the chairwoman of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC). Blair states, “Sustainable home ownership is a worthy national goal.  But……when there are other, equally worthy solutions……home ownership may not be the right answer”.

We find ourselves right in the middle of our nation’s absolute worst financial and economic crisis as it affects home ownership. The bigger numbers show trillions of dollars in pooled loans and investor and servicing agreements most certainly far beyond our imagination.  The more comprehensible figures detail hundreds of homes and thousands of families in default and at risk of losing their homes. But our Federal Government and its agencies' speechwriters and presenters now seem to choose phrases noticeably absent of the words which we have grown to take comfort from.  

Loan modifications and incentive plans designed for home owners to stay in their homes appear to have lost favor.   Chief executive John Taylor of the National Community Reinvestment “because of a home’s appreciation, which gave people the opportunity for wealth creation that would otherwise have remained out of reach”.  These are not causes and issues for debate at a time for a family in crisis.  Families don't debate whether the social pathos is a logical choice or if their belongings and children’s bedrooms should be emptied by a Marshall doing his job at a foreclosure auction.  

What happened to HAMP?

HAMP was designed to save our homes, our communities, our churches, stores and neighborhoods. Where are they now?  Do we care about the multi-million dollar loan pools and the model makers were right or wrong in buying, trading and selling our home mortgages.  The Wall Street creations dating back to the beginning of this century have left millions of Americans now searching for paths of solution when served with a foreclosure summons. 

Our government’s inventory of housing stock, through Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, represents the largest landlord in this great nation, with new foreclosed homes coming “every 90 seconds during the first three months of the year” according to numbers written in an article by Binyamin Applebaum in the NY Times. 

As a Certified Distressed Property Specialist I am meeting with more and more families involved in a foreclosure action. My goal is to save them by finding their best options to stop that from happening. Many of them have no recollection of the papers signed or the significance of the paperwork contained in their files.  I beg them to search for these documents and take them to an attorney that will find a way to stop the action and formulate a definite path and defense.  Loan modifications are not easy to negotiate, in fact most people are told by their lender that they don't qualify and give up. Don't.

As a former Brit but now proud citizen of the USA it still never ceases to amaze me at how little regard there is for historic buildings in this country. While I understand that old buildings, and I'm talking C. 17/1800's, are generally built of shingles & wood, not stone or brick, most are so run down that when they  come on the market they are immediatley torn down without a single thought of history,and a mcmansion put in their place.

This week one of my collegues was lucky enough to list a wonderful home in Nyack, Rockland County, NY. It is known locally as the Montgomery Schuyler Roosevelt house, because the Roosevelt's stayed there on several occasions. A former stage coach stop this wonderful property is situated on 9.1 emminently subdividable acres atop of Clausland mountain. Breathtaking 60 mile views to the west, adjoining Buttermilk Falls Country Park and yet only 12 miles to Manhattan, and a couple to the Palisades Parkway or the NYS Thruway, make this an ideal spot for a developer to snap up and place up to 8 homes on this wonderful property. Of course that means that the original property built by a former sea captain, with it's many intact architecural features that include a wonderful look out tower, stone fireplaces, carved mantels and railings, paneling from the old captains boat, secret rooms and so much more will be bulldozed. So sad that such a fine home can not be protected by it's fine and lenghty history or even it's quirky architecture and fine character.

I am an historic homes specialist and I'm trying desperately to find someone that loves old buildings, who would be willing to spend considerable time and money on this grand old gentleman and give him a new lease of life. He would provide in return, a great opportunity to live in a home that has been filled with love and history, on an amazing piece of property. It would even be possible to build several homes as an investment, then sell them off to pay for the restoration.

For more information about this home call me at 845 598 5083.

Desperate times call for desperate measures, but not at the expense of honesty.

I'm happy to report that things appear to be looking up finally in our area just north of Manhattan. What makes me say so? Well when multiple offers are forthcoming and bidding wars are happening once again I can only assume that the market is finally on the up swing once again. Of course not all homes in our market are experiencing such good news and those that are not selling are typically those that are still firmly stuck in the price rut of yesteryear. But for those sellers who listen to logic, absorb the market numbers,  and heed the advice of their Realtors, they are selling and moving forward with their lives.

I am amazed however, at how many potential sellers that I am presenting to these days are living in hope. False hope indeed, that the price their neighbor sold at two, or even three years ago, when we were at the top of the impossibly inflated market, will somehow return, and not too far in the future, either!  I despair for these people who refuse to listen and I despair even more for those Realtors that allow these seller to continue in their quest for the unattainable by buying in to the dream, then taking a listing that clearly won't sell and eventually will cause those sellers even more harm.

Do the math. I make it abundantly obvious to potential sellers that I have no intention of "giving their home away," but merely wish to provide them with a clear, concise picture of what price will not only bring buyers in a market that is controlled by buyers but even more importantly their home will appraise. I let them know that decent Realtors provide their buyers with all the facts and figures of the homes they wish to view in order to narrow down the search before heading out. That means obviously overpriced homes will be passed by. Why bother showing overpriced properties? There are hundreds that are priced right. Good Realtors spend more time providing their buyers with all the information they need in advance of viewings. This achieves several things. It saves time and gas, embarrassment and heartbreak and most importantly, clean transactions that go through.

Spinning wheels in this market is surely a sign of despair? Why waste time, and energy on listing or showing a non starter? Why give false hope to a desperate seller? Don't we owe fair and honest representation to ourselves and far more importantly to our clients?