Why Should You Hire a Professional Real Estate Agent? A well qualified, competent real estate agent will help you navigate the countless number of decisions that arise when buying and selling a home. An agent provides value to the homeowner in many ways:   They pay for all the marketing and advertising costs. We ads experience and expertise in all aspects of the sales process including marketing, financing, egotiations and more.  We co-ordinate all of the showings that atke place. Thay brings a system of known and trusted real estate professionals. If your agent doesn't have theanswer then he or she likely knows someone who does. Always has your interests in mind so you always have someone on your side. Can handle and advise you on all price and contract negotiations. Provides you with ... 07/20/2011

Marketing Tips #9, Westchester County real estate-What it takes! Marketing Tips #9, Westchester County real estate-What it takes! My tips are as basic as you can get. This is part of what makes them very doable for everyone!!! 27. I have spoken about the Internet, fliers, postcards and e-mail. These items all have a place in marketing your listings. Don't make a mistake by only using a couple of these items. You should use them all. 28. Photographs are very important! you should take a course or 2 to familiarize you with pixels and sizing for the Internet and for printed ads. 29. virtual tours have become very important. Most buyers will start their home sear.ch on line and if homes do not have a virtual tour they will be passed by. 30. What ever type of advertizing you use make sure yo... 07/20/2011

This Market Report is for the Yorktown school district and all data is for single family homes taken from the Empire Access (formerly Westchester-Putnam Multiple) Listing Service. In the 2nd quarter of 2011, Yorktown had 27 closed sales at a median sale price of $380,000. In the same time period of 2010, 45 homes sold at a median sales price of $465,000. Clearly, Yorktown is taking it on the chin this quarter. However, this quarter is being compared to the last stretch of the stimulus from last year, which artificially inflated the numbers.  Currently, there are 26 homes under contract at an asking price of $397,464. If they close at an average of 95% of list price, that will put median value at just under $380,000. Values, therefore, look steady.  There are 150 active and available lis... 07/10/2011

April 30, 10-2 PM, Yorktown Heights, NY - The SPCA of Westchester Wags & Whiskers Dog Walk & Pet Fair. Help the SPCA of Westchester raise much needed revenue for the shelter animals of Westchester at FDR State Park! Take part in a 2 mile walk, over 50 pet related vendors, crafts for the kids, music by 100.7 WHUD, food, drinks, games, and more. Canine companions welcome. Adults $20, Families $35. (914) 941-2896, ext. 22. www.spca914.org If you would like us to include your event, email me your event and contact information at  anthony.stokespereira@randrealty.com or Fax (845) 624-7137 Anthony Stokes Pereira, Better Homes and Gardens Rand Realty I can help you with every aspect of buying or selling your home because I'm experienced, because I am a Better Homes and Gardens Rand Realty Real... 04/28/2011

I posted a photo of a pie I got at Grandma's earlier this week and got over a dozen comments that gave me a collective sense of cyber salivation. With good reason: Grandma's makes the best pies around. They have been in business for decades and have quite a following.  I first learned of Grandma's last year when Luke's cub scout pack went on a trip there. We saw the kitchen, bakery, "back of the house" kind of stuff, and how they made their delicious, homemade pies, then we all had dinner and...what else? Pie.  It is a family restaurant with a menu that is thouroughlyy American fair; think of a bistro if June Cleaver were the chef. They have a private parking lot, close proximity to the Taconic Parkway (Grandma's is closely identified with Yorktown; however, the address is actually Cort... 02/25/2011

February 22, 2011 Today's Real Estate Forecast By Joe Monaco Real estate in the news today has been dominated by the insights and findings of the S&P Case -Shiller index of 20 large metropolitan areas across the nation. The Case-Shiller index, a unique and comprehensive analysis of the real estate market, has become a single favorite of most major media sources and companies.  Just as real estate differs from location to location, and is as local and different as the weather forecast from Yorktown to mid-town, so is the spin on the subject matter we get from the media. My review of this most recent Case-Shiller index from various sources ranged from doom and gloom to hope and positive signs of recovery. The collective data of the S&P Case -Shiller  index of 20 large metropolitan areas p... 02/24/2011

  PRICE IS THE SAME, IT JUST COST MORE!!! KCM Blog   The Cost of Waiting for Prices to Fall Posted: 11 Feb 2011 04:00 AM PST   Many purchasers have been sitting on the sidelines waiting for home prices to hit bottom. They want to guarantee that they are purchasing at the best possible price. Like them, we also believe that prices still have some room to fall in most markets. However, we disagree that waiting is a good financial decision. The buyer should not be concerned about housing prices. They should be concerned about cost. The cost of a house is made up of the price AND THE INTEREST RATE they will be paying. Two different pieces of news released yesterday highlight this point. PRICES The National Association of Realtors (NAR) released their 4th quarter housing research report. In ... 02/14/2011

I'll be posting a market report on Yorktown in the very near future, but I thought I'd give a more specific snapshot at what $472,000 buys these days.  This is a 3 bedroom split colonial with a den and 1.5 baths on a quiet street in the Countryside neighborhood that just closed yesterday. It sits on a beautifully landscaped .4 acres with a rear patio and backyard that backs up to woods. It has new vinyl siding, new windows and a new roof. It also boasts an eat in kitchen with lots of cabinets, first floor laundry, hardwood floors throughout, formal dining and living room with bay window, updated half bath, lower level family room and a poured concrete basement. Countryside is walking distance to the Triangle shopping center and 5 minutes from the Taconic parkway. It is a fantastic locat... 12/02/2010

Vacant Land Owners! I know you are out there!!!! I see it all the time you own this piece of Vacant Land, sometimes you have never even seen the land! Maybe you inherited it and have no use for it! You keep paying tax on it! People say hold on to it, someday it will be worth a lot of money! Well things are going in the other direction as far as value goes because Towns are up-zoning! The Government is changing the Wet Land Regulations. Slope laws are being used to stop building on step slopes! If you don't sell your proprty soon it may not or might not now be worth what you are paying for taxes on the parcel. CONTACT ME AND LET ME EVALUATE YOUR PROPERTY AND GET IT SOLD BEFORE THERE IS NO VALUE LEFT IN THE PROPERTY!!!!!!!!! Thomas SantoreAssociate BrokerColdwell Banker845-590-5488  Westc... 11/20/2010

These tips are really basic except #25. This is part of what makes them very doable for everyone!!! 23. One of the easiest ways to get a home sold is to send copies of new listings to the top agents in your area. Sell them on the price and they will sell your home. An e-mail flier will get the job done. 24. This one is a recap, bit sometimes forgotten. Put your name, picture and all your contact information on everything. The exception to this is your closing gift. The followup items mentioned in the previous tips will get you the referrals. 25. Try adding a video to your Listings. If not Listings with many photos will ensure that Internet buyers will not pass you over. The more pictures the better the chances you will get a buyer from the Internet. 26. With these additions to your mark... 11/08/2010

This Market Report is for the Yorktown school district and all data is taken from the Empire Access (formerly Westchester-Putnam Multiple) Listing Service. It compares the sales of single family homes from October of 2010 to October of 2009. Prices of Active and pending listings are list price only, as contract prices are not disclosed until closing.  Very interesting occurrences in Yorktown.  First, last month, the highest priced home under contract was $1,875,000. That house appeared to have disappeared from the chart, because I couldn't find it as active, sold, or expired in October. The mystery was solved when I discovered that it closed November 3, so it will appear in next month's market report on November. I'll have to start crunching these reports out earlier in the month.  Nex... 11/07/2010

NOW IS THE TIME TO SELL YOUR VACANT LAND!!!!!!!!!!!! Builders are really out there now looking for that spring project. They can really see the way the land is with the trees having no leaves. The ground will be saturated most of the time, so they can see the wet areas easier. Some of them don't have any projects ready for the spring so some of them will pay well for a good parcel with approvals. If you have a land parcel with approvals or land that is dry and flat call me. 84-59-5488 Thomas SantoreAssociate BrokerColdwell Banker845-590-5488  Westchester County Real Estate Visit My Web Sites at;  http://www.realestatesallhere.com/   http://www.tomshouseofforeclosures.com/     http://www.icansellyourland1.com/ Westchester County Real Estate   11/04/2010

Marketing Tips #7 Being Remembered can be Easy!! 19. One of the more important things to remember to do when staying in contact with past clients is that when you address them you call them by their first name. 20. You can sometimes get a better responce if you hand write something, it will make all the difference. 21. Items like calenders and notepads with your picture and information on the keep you in their mind. 22. When you sell a home, you can give your buyers fifty postcards with the picture of their new home on it to send to their friends. Remember always include you contact information somewhere on the card.     Thomas SantoreAssociate BrokerColdwell Banker845-590-5488  Westchester County Real Estate Visit My Web Sites at;  http://www.realestatesallhere.com/   http://www.tomsh... 11/03/2010

Active Listings & Sold Listings By By Price Segment Upper Westchester (Cortlandt, Yorktown, Peekskill and Croton)These Stats are for Single Family Homes In Area 1 Thomas SantoreAssociate BrokerColdwell Banker Commercial NRT845-590-5488  Westchester County Real Estate Visit My Web Sites at;  http://www.realestatesallhere.com/   http://www.tomshouseofforeclosures.com/     http://www.icansellyourland1.com/ Westchester County Real Estate   11/02/2010

    My Latest Award For Online Marketing From Realtor.com Online Marketing Gets Recognized Realtor.com Thomas SantoreAssociate BrokerColdwell Banker Commercial NRT845-590-5488  Westchester County Real Estate Visit My Web Sites at;  http://www.realestatesallhere.com/   http://www.tomshouseofforeclosures.com/     http://www.icansellyourland1.com/ Westchester County Real Estate   10/29/2010

Every season, Anthony Stokes Pereira, Better Homes and Gardens Rand Realty collects information about community events throughout Westchester and the Hudson Valley for our clients, colleagues, and friends. If you would like to suggest events for inclusion in the summer, fall or winter guides, just email me your event and contact information at anthony.stokespereira@randrealty.com Ongoing thru November 28, 10-5 PM, Yorktown Heights - Farmstand. Pick your own apples and pumpkins at Wilkens Fruit & Fir Farm. Visit the farm market every weekend for jams, jellies, honey, pies, donuts, and cider. 1335 White Hill Road. (914) 245-5111. www.wilkensfarm.com  Anthony Stokes Pereira, Better Homes and Gardens Rand Realty I can help you with every aspect of buying or selling your home because I'm exp... 10/15/2010

Yorktown is a large town in northern Westchester County served by both the Yorktown and Lakeland School districts. It is one town over from our office and in the heart of our company coverage area. I have heard it characterized as idyllic suburbia, and I agree. We have just helped a buyer put a house under contract in Yorktown and they are scheduled to close next month.   This data is for the Yorktown school district only and is taken from the Westchester-Putnam Multiple Listing Service. It compares the sales of single family homes from September of 2010 to September of 2009. Last month, I wrote the following:  ...prices are on a downward trend in Yorktown. When prices do fall, transactions will bounce back. We just got an accepted offer in Yorktown this past week, and it was a tough ti... 10/10/2010

As the beads of persipration gathered on my furrowed brow, I - Wait, this is a market report. Sorry. *ahem* Yorktown is a large town in northern Westchester County served by both the Yorktown and Lakeland School districts. It is is very post-war suburban in character- the vast majority of homes are 60's and 70's era ranches, splits and raised ranches, with larger colonials in the newer developments.  This data is for the Yorktown school district only and is taken from the Westchester-Putnam Multiple Listing Service. It compares the sales of single family homes from August of 2010 to August of 2009.   As my grandfather would say, Yorktown's August market was not-ah so good. Transactions were about half of last August's closed volume, and the median price was down over $61,000.  July was... 09/18/2010

Second Annual Wine Tasting at Colonial Terrace, Cortlandt Manor, N Y 10567We are haveing are second annual Wine Tasting!!!!Come One Come All This is a Great Charity Event For Homeless and starving people!!! Thomas SantoreAssociate BrokerColdwell Banker845-590-5488  Westchester County Real Estate Visit My Web Sites at;  http://www.realestatesallhere.com/   http://www.tomshouseofforeclosures.com/     http://www.icansellyourland1.com/ Westchester County Real Estate   09/13/2010

COLDWELL BANKER of YORKTOWN located in Yorktown Heights, New York 10598 is the LEADING OFFICE in the YORKTOWN, CORTLANDT MANOR and PEEKSKILL Area!!! They lead all offices in TOTAL UNITS SOLD and TOTAL AVAILABLE LISTINGS in these areas!!! This is a result of Superior Internet Marketing, a Nationwide Referral, Management Support, training and a Team of Great Agents!!! They have closed on 73 Single Family Homes from 1/1/2010--9/3/2010. That is almost a closing every 4 days counting weekends. Overall they have closed 154 sides for that period of time, better than 1 every 2 days counting weekends!!! Based information from the WPMLS for the period of 01/01/2010--09/03/2010 http://www.free-press-release.com/news-coldwell-banker-yorktown-market-share-1283707019.html Thomas SantoreAssociate Brok... 09/05/2010