Scott's Blog

Have you been looking for a condo or town home but are concerned about privacy and noise? Often times, many stacked units have less privacy or don't "feel" like home. Not this beautiful, completely remodeled condo at Oakridge, which feels like a true home. Only share 1 wall, and have a basement for storage! It is a great investment and currently has great rental income. It is a stones throw to the New Canaan and Stamford, CT borders, as well as being walking distance to Greenwich Produce, nail salon, cleaners, pizza, wine shop and more. Minutes to Cross River, Bedford, Mount Kisco and Ridgefield, CT.

Don't Let this beauty pass you by!

Offered for just $356,250

Featuring a 1st floor master bedroom and remodeled bath, plus a large, newly-carpeted loft, AND Finished BONUS room with large closets, windows and pergo flooring! Oversized rear deck overlooking private woods perfect for watching the foliage turn or deer.

One of only a handful 'townhouse style' condos at desirable Oakridge condos.

Completely new ductwork, heat pump, compressor and air handler, PLUS IQ Air filtration system.

It's perfect for someone looking for a new "home" at a great price, with tons of amenities and a fabulous location. Could it be for YOU?

MORE PICS AND INFO HERE!

EMAIL RichardsonRealtyTeam@gmail.com FOR SHOWING

Apple Picking & Orchards in and around Westchester county

Westchester, known as the Golden Apple itself, has some incredible, local Orchards with apples that are ripe for picking! Gather up your family and friends for this great fall excursion and enjoy a fun day of apple picking, hot cider drinkin and fresh cinnamon donut eatin! Do you have a favorite orchard? Feel free to discuss in the comments area below.

Click here for Apple Picking in and around Westchester

It's that time of year again.. the air is crisp, the leaves are turning shades of bright red, burnt orange and gold. Time to hang your fall decorations and pick your pumpkins.

There are a host of local farms that Westchester county has to offer for your family fall outing. Some are more well known, and others may not be so known.

Happy Pumpkin Pickin!

Click for Westchester Pumpkin Patches for Picking!

ARMONK OUTDOOR ART SHOW

Come and view some fine art at the popular Armonk Outdoor Art show in Armonk, NY. Located conveniently off i-684, and is sure to please all lovers of arts & crafts. THIS WEEKEND! Saturday & Sunday September 27-28th, 2008 10:00 am to 5:00 pm Map of Art Show Location CLICK HERE FOR A DISCOUNT COUPON FOR ADULT ADMISSION! Must do while your in town....

After you attend this fine art show, be sure to stop by our Open House just down the road. This special home will be featured in Westchester Magazines speculator home blog! Located on 2.38 rolling acres, original charm and detail throughout.

35 High Street * Join our Open House Sunday Sept. 28th from 1-4:00pm. Light Refreshments served.

ADDRESS: 35 High Street Armonk, NY 10504

PUBLIC OPEN HOUSE 1:00 - 4:00 PM

Offered for $639,450, taxes: $4,500+/- after star!

QUESTIONS? Call: 203-273-0055 for more info/directions.

Scott Richardson, Associate Broker

www.RichardsonRealtyTeam.com

CLICK HERE FOR VIRTUAL TOUR OF THIS HOME!

For a copy of the MLS listing with full details, please click here! (Yes, those taxes are that low!)

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THE ARMONK OUTDOOR ART SHOW, CLICK HERE!

Scott was recently featured in the Westchester County Business Journal. Scott was part of a panel of leading Realtors in Westchester County. The Westchester Association’s Young Professional Advisory Committee (YPAC) continued its “Home Buyers Series” Sept. 9 when a panel of leading Realtors and attorneys discussed the “ABC’s of Real Estate Agencies.” Read more here.

Scott also runs a Newlywed home buyer site here.

The Fall market is a great opportunity and season for home sellers. If you are thinking about listing your home for sale this fall, you should really consider your approach to make your home stand out. Maybe your home recently expired and you are taking a few months to perform some updates. Hopefully your agent has given you some advice and pointers on how to make your house more appealing. Here are some tips to make your house stand out this fall once your ready to put it on the market:

Click Here to Read full article and learn Top Selling tips!

Looking for a custom, in home consultation and no-obligation CMA? Contact us today to learn how we implement the above tips and much more so you can relax!

Buying a Short sale property in Westchester, NY allows a buyer or investor to buy a home at a great price. There are many variables and reasons why one is selling in a short sale. A short sale is when a home owner sells a home for less than what is owed on the mortgage. Someone who got in over their head, is facing financial trouble or possible foreclosure may opt to sell as a short sale. This is a deal in which the lender who is holding the mortgage forgives the remainder of the debt. When one is negotiating on a short sale, you should deal with an agent who has short sale experience. It is quite different than negotiating on a traditional home. There are banks to deal with as well as home owners and agents. It can often be more time consuming, however, if a buyer has both time and patience, it is a amazing opportunity to buy a home in Westchester in this market. 

If you are looking to buy or sell a home in any state or market, please contact us and we can let you know how we can help or refer you to a qualified short sale specialist in your area.  If you would like to have a custom report of available Westchester and Fairfield, CT short sales emailed to you, please click here and we will email you the report promptly. If you are a home seller or looking to learn how a short sale might help you and your situation, please contact us here for a prompt reply.

To rent or to buy....This is a very common question we hear at our monthly real estate meetups. In certain markets and situations, it might actually make more sense to rent. If you are currently working on building your credit, for instance, or if you need a larger down payment and are saving your money, an inexpensive rental may be the way to go. NYTimes has a great table that calculates if renting or buying makes more sense. So, what about our current market in Westchester? Lets use White Plains for an example. The average rental price in White Plains, for a 2 bedroom rental is around $2,500/month. The average home price for a starter home is around $400,000. According to the table, it makes sense to buy if you plan on living in the home for 3-7 years depending on appreciation rates for the next few years. Considering most families live in their homes for an average of 7 years according to the National Association of Realtors, it would make sense to buy in White Plains/Westchester area taking these factors into consideration. The main factor is the rate of appreciation. Considering recent market events, it is very hard to predict the actual appreciation for the next 3-7 years. For our example, we used 1-3%.

We had seen large gains and then a correction over the past few years even in Westchester. Presently, most towns in Westchester are classified as being a "Buyers market" due to the market correction. The plus to this market is that it is increasing affordability, allowing more first time buyers to better afford their Westchester dream home. It would not be unreasonable to predict positive appreciation for Westchester over the next 3-7 years considering the long term stability of real estate in our area.

In addition, the tax benefits of home ownership, and the historically low interest rates make it a great time to get in the game and buy in Westchester! Search the MLS today for your Westchester dream home!

(Information and examples are provided as a helpful tool, but numbers are not guaranteed and should be independently verified. Properties subject to prior sale or rental.)

Looking to get away, but don't have the time or resources for a long vacation? Plan a "staycation" instead! For some locally grown fun and great ideas, check out our feature "To Do in Westchester"... from nearby beach island getaways, to local hiking trails and more, we personally recommend them because we tried and loved them!