Hello everyone, this is the longest absence from my blog that I have had since I began it in late 2008. A brief illness kept me from writing. I am pleased to say that I am now back at work and just fine.
The Saint Patricks Day celebrations begin in earnest this weekend in lower Westchester. So I thought I would come back to my blog with some wearing of the green!
The White Plains 15th annual St. Patricks Day Parade begins at 12 noon – Saturday March 10 The parade begins at 12 noon at the intersection of Mamaroneck Ave. and Old Mamaroneck or Rd and continue downtown to Main Street.
Mamaroneck has picked this year to turn green! St. Patty’s Day green, that is. This is the first year that there will be a St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Mamaroneck. It will be on Sunday March 18, at 12 noon. The parade will begin at Nostrand Ave. (near Mamaroneck Ave.) and terminate at Harbor Island off of Boston Post Rd. There will also be celebratory mass at St. Vito’s Church at 9:30 AM.
Eastchester will celebrate St. Patricks Day on Sunday March 11 with their 8th annual parade. The parade will begin at 3 PM at the Immaculate Conception Church in Tuckahoe and work its way north on Route 22 to Lake Isle Country Club.
Don’t forget the river towns! Sleepy Hollow and Tarrytown will hold their 16th annual St. Patricks Day Parade on Sunday March 11. There will be a mass at Transfiguration Church in Tarrytown at 10 AM. The parade will start on Main Street in Tarrytown at 1:30 PM. and will continue on Route 9 into Sleepy Hollow and down Beekman Ave. .
© 2012 – Ruthmarie G. Hicks – http://thewestchesterview.com – All rights reserved.
Wearing the Green! Saint Patrick’s Day Parades in lower Westchester…
Yes, I know – everyone is gearing up for the Superbowl. But there are many who would like to share in outdoor activities this weekend.
For the past 8 years the Hudson Valley has celebrated the renewed presence and vibrancy of our national bird in the Hudson Valley. Many are too young to remember, but in the 1970s the American bald eagle was an endangered species. Now they are thriving and I have witnessed their presence on more than a couple of occasions. The photo at the right is one I took at Kingsland Point Park about a year ago. Apparently, the majestic soul in the portrait was watchful but not fearful of me or my telephoto lens….But the photo shows that my presence did not pass unnoticed…he was well aware of me and watching my every move – with his eagle eye!
This post is more than a bit tardy – and for that I apologize. The bus tour is sold out. However, there are still ways to participate and learn more about some of our most majestic birds of prey.
The event is hosted by the Teatown Reservation but the epicenter is at Croton Point Park – There are many ways to participate:
Advance Ticket sales are $5.00/person and $10/person when purchased at the door.
These shows are free of charge!
Each area is staffed by eagle experts with spotting scopes.
© 2012 - http://theWestchesterView.com - All rights reserved.
What would the Superbowl be without the crazy hats? I mean really – you gotta have them…Well the Larchmont Library is going to make things easy for you! They are hosting a hat-making event on Saturday – Feb. 4 for kids aged 7 and up…The event is free and the time is 10:30 AM
Enjoy!
©2012 – Ruthmarie G. Hicks – http://thewestchesterview.com – All rights reserved.
All buyers looking at Westchester condos for sale know about the Ritz Carlton of White Plains NY. Among White Plains NY Condos for sale the Ritz Carlton is at the pinnacle on the luxury scale. Just a block from City Center (1-5 Renaissance Square) the Ritz Carlton is at the center of everything. Getting much closer to the center of town would be difficult. You can easily leave the car behind and walk to shopping, fine dining, entertainment and the train.
In addition to the convenience of being steps from just about everything, there are plenty of amenities to keep you right at home. There is a lounge, a fitness center which is very complete. There is also a spa, a pool and media room as well as a terrace. There is room service through the hotel as well as maid service. A jitney whisks commuters to the Metro-North Train Station which is about 0.5 miles from the complex. Everything is close at hand and very convenient.
The Ritz Carlton Residences of White Plains NY:
The floorplan is open and the floor to ceiling windows expose magnificent views of the Long Island Sound or the Manhattan Skyline. The kitchens are open and boast walnut cabinetry and Viking appliances, including a wind fridge. The master bath has Aurora Rose Marble throughout and Kohlar fixtures. There are walk-in closets with custom storage systems in the Master BR. Ceilings are generally 9 ft in height giving a feeling of added space with 10 ft ceilings in the penthouses.
The official opening of the Ritz Carlton could not have happened at a more inauspicious time for the Westchester Housing market. The complex opened at the end of 2007 – just as the fall out from the sub-prime loan debacle was hitting the fan. Sales were sluggish though the sales volume indicated my figures are artificially low since like most new construction – most sales though done through agents dose not end up on the MLS. Prices actually inched up during 2008. But once the financial crisis of 2008 and the stock market crash happened – prices started to fall – reflecting the rest of the market.
The chart below depicts the pricing patterns for 2 BR units at the Ritz from the time of the construction of the first tower in late 2007. The red bars depict the market before the crash in 2008 and the green bars reflect pricing in the years following. The median sales price is down about 38% from the highs in 2008. Some very high-end units made their way into that mix in 2008. So in an apples to apples comparison, the prices are down about 25-30% depending on the type of unit. Over the past 18 months prices have held steady and have even edged up just a bit.
Right now this is not a buyers market paradise. Sales volume is up 35% from 2010 (from 13 to 20 units sold) which is a good indicator or a recovery in progress. Buyers need to get real. I’ve been getting a lot of lowball offers at the Ritz and Trump. Its not that kind of market. Buyers already have 25-30% savings baked into the cake and a stable market. You are still getting a great deal. But pushing the envelope will not fly. Sellers can get market value and do not have to entertain lowball offers.
Sellers need to be realistic. It will be a while before they see the heady prices of 2008. If you need to sell, bite the bullet. Don’t wait for prices to move up 25-30% – it could be a very long wait. Nevertheless, if your unit is in good condition, you can expect to get market value for your unit.
Larchmont homes zoned for the Chatsworth Ave Elementary School feature the best of what a Westchester bedroom community has to offer. Homes in this particular school zone cover two distinct neighborhoods.
Homes in the village of Larchmont feature tree-lined streets and pre-war homes packed with Old-World charm and character. They range in style from rambling Victorians with wrap-around porches, graceful colonials and impressive Tudors. Typically, the homes in the village sit on smaller lots, though there is still a feeling of space and privacy. These are mature neighborhoods with old-growth which adds to a sense of privacy.
Convenience is a very big amenity of this part of Larchmont. It is easy to leave the car behind and walk to shops and fine dining. Many leave the car and walk to the train and end up doing their shopping on their way home. Most locations in the village are eaily accessible by foot to Metro-North. Walk Scores range from very walkable to walker’s paradise – which is very unusual for single-family home neighborhoods.
As a general rule, Larchmont Manor features bigger more expensive homes on larger lots. The streets are graceful and meandering with the mature growth that characterizes a long-established neighborhood. Located on the other side of Boston Post Rd., the area is slightly less accessible to shopping and dining withou the car. It makes up for it with more spacious homes, some feature water views of the Long Island Sound.
The area boasts the beauty of Manor Park and the Larchmont Yacht Club.
The walk score in this neighborhood ranges from very walkable to car-dependent.
All data comes from the Empire Access MLS (EAMLS). This first chart shows the pricing before the crash and following. The red bars are the years prior to the crash of 2008 and the green bars are 2009, 2010 and 2011 respectively. In 2006 the median sales price was $1.226 million and that peaked in 2008 to $1.343 million. In 2009 that number abruptly “corrected” to $907k and rose to $1.243 million in 2010 and now rests at $1,053,000 for 2011. The decrease in median reflect a decrease in 3-4 BR homes. Larger homes with 5+ BR’s have actually gained back the ground that they lost. There was in an increased number of sales in the fixer market at the entry level this year. But median prices were indeed down slightly in an apples to apples comparison. This may have been a reflection of the the expiration of the first time homebuyers tax credit which would impact smaller homes more than larger homes. Median prices for 3-4 BR homes remain about 17% below the values attained near the peak in 2007.
The sales volume before the crash went from 78 sales in 2006 to 48 in 2008. Once the crash of 2008 happened sales volume stayed nearly the same for 2009 but at severely reduced prices. That ground was recovered in 201o and increased again in 2011. These numbers indicate that this market is shifting from a buyers to a sellers market. The increase in sales volume is a key indicator of a recovery in progress.
For the latest on sales stats and current listings - feel free to contact me by phone – (914-374-5529) or email – (Ruthmarie.Hicks@gmail.com)
© 2012 http://thewestchesterview.com - All rights reserved.
 |
|
|
It is my pleasure to serve the real estate needs of buyers and sellers throughout Westchester County. In addition, I have a niche market for buyers and sellers with pets and their unique needs.
Welcome to Westchester, NY and thank you for checking my profile. I hope that I can be of assistance to you. Westchester is is an amazing county with many faces. Urban, suburban, with small villages, hamlets and parks as well as plenty of cityscape - you name it and we've got it. Located just north of New York City, Westchester is a highly desirable location and its varied nature means that it offers something unique for everyone.
Do you know those annoying agents that call you 24/7, knock on your door and make a general nuisance of the themselves? If you close the front door, they come in the back, if you close the back door they come through the window! Well, that’s NOT me! I do my best to work with people on their terms. In addition to providing my prospective clients with current listings, I keep everyone who contacts me up-to-date with current market conditions
Once a potential client is ready to act, they can be assured that as a life-long resident of Westchester, I am very well versed in what each town and village has to offer. This is important. In spite of all the hype about people buying homes off the internet, residential real estate continues to be a very local business. Understanding the nuances of pricing requires local knowledge. This is particularly true in a location like Westchester where the towns, villages and cities are each entities unto themselves. In Westchester, one minute you are in the middle a city standing next to the tallest buildings between Manhattan and Albany and five minutes later you can easily find yourself in a small village surrounded by single family homes and low rise buildings no more than three stories in height.
Beyond aiding in the actual transaction, my clients have a “team” of professionals at their fingertips. Contractors including plumbers, and electricians, moving companies, mortgage brokers, home stagers, decorators and much more.
Prior to selling real estate, I was a scientist. I mention this mostly because those who google my name will find several academic papers under my name. Rest assured this is an asset not a liability. Working as I did in the sciences means that I have a great deal of experience attending to details. That ability to follow up and nail down loose ends will help to ensure a smooth transaction through escrow - to a successful and happy closing.
Use this section to write about your specific areas of expertise. Do you specialize in first time buyers - listing high end homes - etc. Are there specific market area's that you specialize in? The more you write about your area's of expertise the more knowledgeable you'll sound to a potential buyer or seller.
"Selling your home and beginning the hunt for the perfect new one is a stressful experience. Ruthmarie Hicks helped alleviatethat stress and made both our home selling and buying experiences pleasurable ones. Ruthmarie is a kind, accessible and patient agent to work with....She was exceptionally flexible when it came to arranging Open Houses and she made certain that 
our property was well advertised. When it came to buying our new home we were very particular in what we were looking for and owning a dog onlymade our search more difficult. Ruthmarie...would always make herself available for showings that worked with our schedules.We have already recommended Ruthmarie to many of our friends and look forward to working with her ourselves again in the future." Katie and John O'Dea
ActiveRain Corp. is not responsible for the accuracy of the site's content (which is written by members of the ActiveRain Real Estate Network) and does not endorse the views of the real estate agents, mortgage brokers, and others listed here.
Powered by the ActiveRain Real Estate Network
© 2013 ActiveRain Corp. All Rights Reserved
