J Philip Faranda

I recently closed on a co op purchase with a young couple that reminded me of the silliness that most co op board approvals really are. This couple had nothing to worry about- both were professionals and graduates of one of the most highly regarded universities in America, and believe me when I tell you that the co op needed them more than the other way around. Yet, several times a year I find myself on the sidelines watching a condo or co op board looking down its nose at anxious applicants and prospective purchasers who have to sweat out board approval before they can close and move in.

I fully understand the need for planned communities to make sure prospective members are financially able to participate in their corporations and homeowner association. The irony, of course, is that most boards aren't exactly models of competence themselves. I have a few modest, recent examples.

• Insurance. One closing is delayed because the condo is, shall we say, "in between" insurance companies. Not only is this blatantly contrary to the law governing condominiums, it places the condo owners at a severe risk.
• The same complex just assessed every owner $10,000 for a new roof. Assessments are controversial enough for the unforeseen, such as the 2007 spike in oil prices. But a roof? How could anyone not plan for a roof replacement in the general fund and monthly fees?
• The cherry on top for the same complex is that the pool was closed this past summer by the board of health. Gag me. Obviously, the management of this community is inept and should be sacked.

A different complex had a double whammy:

• The parking garage was condemned, relegating half the community to street parking in a crowded village.
• The management company they hired embezzled hundreds of thousands in fees, putting the HOA on the brink of insolvency. Kind of rough when you need to spend millions to fix the garage. This is poor due diligence.

If you are a fan of the AMC series Mad Men, you probably know by now that Don and Betty Draper live in Ossining, NY. I am from Ossining. I remember first hearing Betty mention Ossining and thinking how neat that was, but now each episode this season is almost surreal. The producers clearly have done more than perfunctory research for historical accuracy.

For instance, last season, in a card game with the neighbors, it is mentioned that "they are going to build apartments up on Cedar Lane." Well, they did build apartments up on Cedar Lane. Why they would insert such an obscure, albeit true, reference in a casual throwaway line is beyond me, but it has me mesmerized. Not many "Mad Men" fans are real estate brokers from Ossining, so why did they go to such lengths?

The week before last, when Betty went to the hospital to give birth to her son, a nurse explained to her that her OB was unavailable, but that "Dr. Mendelowitz" would be delivering the baby. Dr Mendelowitz delivered me. His son (also Dr Mendelowitz) delivered my son Gregory. I have since learned that the producers did in fact contact the highly regarded local doctor to research how a 1963 birth would have been and mentioned his name in the episode as a shout out. Great stuff.

This past weekend's chapter had Betty meeting with an adviser to the governor about the "Pleasantville Road Reservoir" and the plans to erect a 3 million gallon water tower to replace it. They did. I blogged about the reservoir here. I grew up on Osage Drive West, a few hundred yards from the reservoir, which was a derelict pond most of my life. I rode my 5-speed around it as a kid when it wasn't overgrown. Older guys engaged in, shall we say, more risky conduct. The reservoir has since been rededicated as a park, and the water towers were re-painted to cover the decades of graffiti.

The history of the reservoir is sketchy, but it was the village water supply for many years. I knew the construction of the water towers were post war, but I thought it was earlier than 1963. Regardless, the way Mad Men so accurately portrays how it was in Ossining at that time is remarkable. The local paper has caught on, and it could reach Soprano's/North Jersey proportions if this keeps up.

A few other references:

Swenson's Bakery was probably on Main Street in downtown Ossining, near the old Woolworth's. Woolworth's is probably portrayed as "Wentworth's" for copyright reasons, although it would seem a stretch that that old (long since closed) variety store would sell a chaise lounge like the one Betty bought. Perhaps someone older than I can shed some light on that.

One prediction on Ossining history will be that they mention, at some point, the construction of Arcadian Shopping Center on Route 9, which adversely affected (killed, really) downtown commerce.

One quibble: The Draper's phone number is WIlson-4, 8032, or 944-8032. Not accurate. The WILSON exchange at that time was 941, not 944. 944 didn't arrive until the 1990's. Prior to that, Ossining exchanges were either 941 or 762. Regardless, I'll be tuning in next Sunday and blog about any more Mad Men/Ossining connections. They hit close to home.

I am a big proponent of taking a child to work to see how their mom or dad works. Sometimes, the child will even emulate their parents and become more task oriented afterward. Here, Mark clearly demonstrates how impressed he is with his Daddy.

The $8,000 first-time home buyers tax credit is going to go away after December 1, 2009. This means that if you are in New York and want to take advantage, you don't have much more than 60 days.

"How can that be?" you might ask, since December 1 is almost 120 days away.

Note that I said if you are in New York. New York, unlike many other states, takes far longer to close a real estate transaction, which means that if you wait until October 15 to buy a home you might not close until after December 1, which could cost you $8,000. Lawyers, lenders, title companies, underwriters, insurance, code issues, and a ton of other variables make the Empire State the Glacier State when it comes to timely closings.

We are closing on a house in Connecticut in which the client had their offer accepted 3 weeks ago. That is Connecticut, and it is a cash purchase. If the sale thing were to occur in New York we could possibly still not be under contract.

How much time do you really have? I'd say that to make sure you avoid a last minute delay, that you should make August THE month to get out there and find a home. You can go into September, but you are pushing it if you get too close to October. Remember, plenty of others are doing the same last minute thing and there will be delays from the backlog. 30 days is ample time to find a great house.

If you are in Westchester, Rockland, Putnam or Dutchess, I know of a really good firm to use! I have some excellent buyer agents right now who know how to advocate for their clients.

Forewarned is forearmed. Get out there and find a house. You've got 8,000 good reasons to act soon.

Search the MLS like an agent here. New York's Premier Short Sale REALTOR. Read my short sale bog here. See the New York Photo blog here. J. Philip Serves Briarcliff Manor, Ossining, the River Towns, Westchester County, and the bedroom counties of New York City.

I was caught up in the traffic jam resulting from that horrific wrong-direction accident on the Taconic Parkway that took the lives of 8 people last weekend. I was driving northbound myself, and I found it peculiar that northbound traffic would be so backed up at that time. When I saw that all the cars were diverted to the Saw Mill parkway, I knew this wasn't rubberneckers; there must have been a huge accident. I never imagined it would be so tragic.

I live very close to the entry ramp on Pleasantville Road in Briarcliff Manor where Diane Schuler entered the Parkway in the wrong direction. As the embedded video details, she must have been ill or disoriented; people attempted to get her attention to no avail. Every day I drive by the embankment between the north and south directions where the van crashed. There is s small makeshift memorial that borders on a large patch of scorched Earth in an otherwise green lawn. It is a terrible tragedy for the friends and loved ones of all 8 people who lost their lives that day. My heart aches for all of them.

Search the MLS like an agent here. New York's Premier Short Sale REALTOR. Read my short sale bog here. See the New York Photo blog here. J. Philip Serves Briarcliff Manor, Ossining, the River Towns, Westchester County, and the bedroom counties of New York City.