Miriam Bernstein,Westchester County Real Estate

According to the New York State Association of REALTORS® the August 2008 sales fell 20% compared to August of 2007. The August 2008 median was $225,000 10% lower that the August 2007 median of $249,000. In Westchester County the numbers are:

The median prices in August 06 was $749,000
August 08 $730,000
July 08 $730,000

August 06-August 08 -2.6%
August 07-August 08 -1.4%
July 08-August 08 -1.4%
August 06-August 08 -3.9%

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I recently had an exchange with a young lady who was looking for a rental. She called and said she was going crazy trying to find a rental property. She had been using an agent who she thought was really sweet and nice and she felt badly. She called me on her way to see a rental she found on Craig's List at 6:30pm at night and she had another listing she wanted to see, could I show it to her then and now, WITH NO NOTICE, WITH NO DISCUSSION, JUST DROP EVERYTHING AND RUN OUT TO SHOW HER THIS RENTAL. I don't think so.

I told her to call me if she wasn't interested in the unit she was looking at and I would see if I could help her. She called the next day and we spoke I spent a few minutes online and found some properties that would suit her. Some of the properties were not paying the tenant's agent an appropriate amount so I emailed this tenant and explained to her that in order for me to help her I would need an agreement with her that I would be paid by her if the owner wasn't paying.

No, she said she would not pay a commission. She only wanted to see properties where the owner was paying the commission. So, I explained to her that I thought my expertise in negotiating a lease, scouting out areas she would like, my time working with her were all worth a commission and if she was unwilling to pay me a commission I was unwilling to only show her properties where the owner was paying a commission. I was sorry but under those circumstances I felt it was best if she moved on.

Here are the things that she and many individuals searching out rentals don't get:

• the commission is built into the price you end up paying whether you are the one writting the commission check or the owner is writting the commission check.
• agents need loyality from a consumer (tenant) or it is not worth the time helping find properties and running around showing them to you
• if you are looking for a rental and are on Craig's List or many of the other sites on the internet where you can find rentals and also calling an agent, don't be surprised if the agent doesn't respond or spend a lot of time with you
• rental negotiations are a lot of work and quite frankly if it is an apartment we can spend days and the pay is poor. Don't expect agents to jump through hoops to help you if you are running all over the place trying to find properties

If a tenant works with their agent, assures them they will be paid if they put the effort in then the public would get a better response from agents.

Westchester County, New York has it all. Check out our Orchards, our Nature Centers and our working farms where you can go apple picking or enjoy all of the fall activities for the kids. All within 20 minutes or so from mid Westchester County.

Outhouse Orchards, Hardscrabble Road, North Salem, New York through 10/31. 914-273-3188

Stuart's Farm - Everyday Apple Picking with 9 types of Apples, September to November, 10a-5pm 62 Granite Springs Road, Granite Springs, New York 914-245-2784

Wilkens Farm - Pumpkin Patch, Fridays, Saturday and Sundays 10-4:30pm
1335 White Hill Road, Yorktown Heights, New York

Greenburgh Nature Center - Pumpkin Parade on October 26 from 12:30-3pm, follow friendly scarecrows along the Pumpkin Trail, Hayrides, Cider.

Muscoot Farm - Fall Festival Day is October 12th from 11am-3pm. Take a Hayride to the Pumpkin Patch. Lots of stuff to do. 51 Route 100, Katonah, New York 914-864-7282

Teatown Fall Festival - Annual Festival, October 18, 10am-4pm, Hayrides, Face Painting, Pumpkin Carving plus much more. Teatown is located at
1600 Spring Valley Road, Ossining, New York 914-762-2912

Rye Historical Society - Family Pumpkin Carving Day 1p-4pm Square House Museum, 1 Purchase Street, Rye 914-967-7588 $20/family

After several years of discussion New York State granted the Town of Greeburgh $43,000 to build a dog park. This dog park officially opened this week and is a state of the art dog park. There is an area for small dogs and there is an area for large dogs. There are trails that dogs will love. This dog park is located in E. Runsbrook Park which is a Town Park and will be maintained by the Town. Private donations are being requested from dog lovers and pet owners.

There is proper etiquette for dogs and dog owners going to a dog park. Dogs need to interact and bully dogs are not welcome. To read what to look for, Dog Park Safety.

This park is located off of Dobbs Ferry Road. Taking the Sprain Brook Parkway South taking the Greenburgh/Ardsley Exit. Right at the Stop Sign (Dobbs Ferry Road) and then another immediate right.

Cab Calloway lived in Greenburgh, New York on Knollwood Road. His daughter and family are trying to repurchase the familyhome and turn it into a museum. In case you don't know who Cab Calloway is here is a segment from Wikipedia and a You Tube clip of him performing. From the Journal News today:

"The family sold the Greenburgh home after Calloway died in 1994 and has since begun a fundraising campaign to reacquire and renovate it. Calloway's daughter, Ceceila Lael Calloway, will hold a small gathering for friends and family with live music there Sunday to raise money for the Cab Calloway Music, Arts, and Cultural Preservation Foundation"

Cabell "Cab" Calloway III (December 25, 1907 – November 18, 1994) was a famous American jazz singer and bandleader. Calloway was a master of energetic scat singing and led one of the United States' most popular African American big bands from the start of the 1930s through the late 1940s. Calloway's Orchestra featured performers that included trumpeters Dizzy Gillespie and Adolphus "Doc" Cheatham, saxophonists Ben Webster and Leon "Chu" Berry, New Orleans guitar ace Danny Barker, and bassist Milt Hinton. Calloway continued to perform until his death in 1994 at the age of 86.