http://westfaironline.com/westchester-county-business-journal/article/7560-the-deliberate-tourist.html
THE DELIBERATE TOURIST
Georgette Gouveia
|
Apr-30-10, 10:55 AM
|
Topics: Business Relocation
Not every real estate agent teaches executives how to parallel park, shops for bridal gowns for their fiancées or buys car seats for their kids.
But then, not every real estate agent is Carmela Sirico.
An associate Realtor for Keller Williams New York Realty in White Plains, Sirico relocates executives of international companies to Westchester and Fairfield counties. Among her clients are AllianceBernstein, Avon, Dannon, Nokia, and IBM, where she worked for 32 years, beginning as an administrative assistant before winding up in management and ultimately, sales and marketing.
Sirico not only shows rental properties to the executives, she also often helps them settle in, ensuring they have everything from Social Security cards to the proper medical documents for their children to go to school. Hence the driving lessons (for a New York state license), the bridal-shop visits and the car-seat purchases.
“The settling-in is what’s gotten me into this business,” she says. “I worked with so many expats at IBM. I’m really comfortable with it.”
So she took five weeks of vacation time to see if she could make a go of it as a career.
“It gave me the courage to leave (IBM).”
Though she’s done musical theater in her spare time for years, Sirico is no canary singing in the coal mine. Yet in a sense, her new career – which she calls a joy not a job – is a bellwether of the economy. And she likes what she sees.
“I’m a good-news person,” she says. “I hear a lot of negative talk and I’m not interested in that conversation. I concentrate on what I can do. I’d rather be cheerful and productive.”
Sirico has reason to be optimistic. The real estate market is up about 6 percent nationwide, she says. And spring is traditionally the busy season in the relocation business. This year, she says, “it’s gotten crazy. Right now I’ve gotten six clients in the past two weeks.”
These executives will be looking at properties that rent on average for $4,000-$8,000 a month. She’s also working with a top executive for a financial house in the United Kingdom, who’ll be coming to run the U.S. division in Manhattan and renting a place in the Rye/Greenwich area for $15,000 a month.
“Many times the (executive’s) company will supplement the rental,” adding that most corporations pay for moving their executives and families to the United States.
Sirico – who’s hired by relocation companies rather than the executives’ corporations themselves – takes all her clients on preview trips of sites chosen from the Multiple Listing Service, the digital bible of the real estate industry.
The clients already have a good idea of what they want and where to go for it.
“They’re looking to replicate what they have, and that’s the challenge,” Sirico says. “The northern Europeans want quality of construction – new, new, new. Others want charm, but also new kitchens and baths. To many, (the individuality) of American homes is refreshing. But to some, it’s hard to comprehend.”
Most of the relocating executives with families are interested in good school districts, and to them that means four communities – Greenwich, Larchmont, Rye and Scarsdale, with Chappaqua thrown into the mix. White Plains – with its tony City Place and The Ritz-Carlton, Westchester – is catching on with single executives.
While many executives bring their own belongings, others won’t be packing up the permanent house in Spain. So Sirico takes them to furniture rental stores such as Churchill or CORT.
“They have beautiful stuff, down to mattresses and utensils,” she said.
Her clients also want to go to Bed, Bath & Beyond and Woodbury Common Premium Outlets in Central Valley.
The executives may be renting a house for $8,000 a month, Sirico says:
“But they love a bargain.”
________________________________________
When relocating, Sirico says you should follow these five guidelines:
Make sure you bring all your documents with you, not limited to but especially birth and marriage certificates and records of children’s immunizations.
Rent, don’t buy. “Even if it’s a long-term assignment be sure everyone’s happy in the situation before making that purchase.”
Document the condition of the house so you’ll have a record of it and won’t be liable for any prior damage. Sirico walks through the house with the prospective renter and the agent for the landlord.
Get a driver’s license. “An international license is good here. But in New York, you really need a New York state driver’s license.”
Take advantage of everything here. “Get involved with the schools and volunteer.”
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Friday, January 22, 2010
Six Degrees of Separation
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Six degrees of separation refers to the idea that, if a person is one step away from each person they know, and two steps away from each person who is known by one of the people they know, then everyone is an average of six "steps" away from each person on Earth.
WHO DO YOU KNOW?
I'd like to know them, too!
I’d really like to know the people you know – not just people who have a current need for a Realtor, but anyone who is interested in what’s going on in the market.
I’d be delighted to talk to anyone who has general questions about the current state of the market, I don’t care if they are looking to buy or sell anything.
Even if it’s someone not in this area, as a Keller Williams Realtor, I’m part of a national network of Realtors.
• If you have a relative or friend who is moving from anywhere in the world, I’m the Relocation Specialist. I can provide the additional service of “settling-in”.
• If you know of someone downsizing, I’m the Organizer/Stager who can help them prepare their home for sale.
• And, of course, if you just have someone looking for a Realtor in the Westchester area, it would be a privilege to help.
Six degrees of separation refers to the idea that, if a person is one step away from each person they know, and two steps away from each person who is known by one of the people they know, then everyone is an average of six "steps" away from each person on Earth.
WHO DO YOU KNOW?
I'd like to know them, too!
I’d really like to know the people you know – not just people who have a current need for a Realtor, but anyone who is interested in what’s going on in the market.
I’d be delighted to talk to anyone who has general questions about the current state of the market, I don’t care if they are looking to buy or sell anything.
Even if it’s someone not in this area, as a Keller Williams Realtor, I’m part of a national network of Realtors.
• If you have a relative or friend who is moving from anywhere in the world, I’m the Relocation Specialist. I can provide the additional service of “settling-in”.
• If you know of someone downsizing, I’m the Organizer/Stager who can help them prepare their home for sale.
• And, of course, if you just have someone looking for a Realtor in the Westchester area, it would be a privilege to help.
Sunday, December 13, 2009
America's Best High Schools
Methodology: America's Best High Schools
U.S. News looked at thousands of public schools to identify the most outstanding.
By Robert Morse
Posted December 9, 2009
The 2010 U.S.News & World Report Americas Best High Schools methodology, developed by School Evaluation Services, a K-12 education data research business run by Standard & Poor's, is based on the key principles that a great high school must serve all its students well, not just those who are collegebound, and that it must be able to produce measurable academic outcomes to show the school is successfully educating its student body across a range of performance indicators.
We analyzed 21,786 public high schools in 48 states plus the District of Columbia. This is the total number of public high schools that had 12th-grade enrollment and sufficient data, primarily from the 2007-2008 school year, to analyze. (Nebraska and Oklahoma did not provide full data. Their schools were evaluated for honorable mention, but none met the criteria.)
A three-step process determined the best high schools. The first two steps ensured that the schools serve all their students well, using state proficiency standards as the benchmarks. For those schools that made it past the first two steps, a third step assessed the degree to which schools prepare students for college-level work.
Test performance. The first step determined whether each school's students were performing better than statistically expected for the average student in the state. We started by looking at reading and math results for all students on each state's high school test. We then factored in the percentage of economically disadvantaged students (who tend to score lower) enrolled at the school to identify the schools that were performing better than statistical expectations.
For those schools that made it past this first step, the second step determined whether the school's least-advantaged students (black, Hispanic, and low income) were performing better than average for similar students in the state. We compared each school's math and reading proficiency rates for disadvantaged students with the statewide results for these student groups and then selected schools that were performing better than this state average.
Schools that made it through the first two steps became eligible to be judged nationally on the final step, college-readiness performance, using Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate test data as the benchmarks for success, depending on which program was largest at the school. AP is a College Board program that offers college-level courses at high schools across the country. The International Baccalaureate program also offers a college-level curriculum. This third step measured which schools produced the best college-level achievement for the highest percentages of their students. This was done by computing a "college readiness index" based on the school's AP or IB participation rate (the number of 12th-grade students who took at least one AP or IB test before or during their senior year, divided by the number of 12th graders) and how well the students did on those tests. The latter part, called quality-adjusted AP or IB participation, is the number of 12th-grade students who took and passed (received an AP score of 3 or higher or an IB score of 4 or higher) at least one of the tests before or during their senior year, divided by the number of 12th graders at that school. For the college readiness index, the quality-adjusted participation rate was weighted 75 percent in the calculation, and 25 percent of the weight was placed on the simple AP or IB participation rate. Only schools that had values greater than 20 in their college readiness index scored high enough to meet this criterion for gold and silver medal selection. The minimum of 20 was used because it represents what it would take to have a "critical mass" of students gaining access to college-level coursework.
The top 100 high schools nationwide with the highest college readiness index scores were ranked numerically (ties were broken using first the participant passing rate and then the average number of AP and/or IB exams passed per test taker) and awarded gold medals. The next 461 top-performing high schools nationwide—based on their college readiness index scores—earned silver medals. An additional 1,189 high schools in 48 states plus the District of Columbia that passed the first two steps were awarded bronze medals. Thirty-seven more high schools in 12 states received an honorable mention medal if they would have scored high enough on the college readiness index to earn a gold medal but didn't fully meet Step 1 and Step 2.
Analysts from School Evaluation Services developed the methodology and compiled the analysis. AP is a trademark owned by the College Board, which was not involved in the production of and does not endorse this product.
Westchester schools identified in the report are as follows:
Rank School
41 Yonkers High School
51 Horace Greeley High School
55 Blind Brook High School
59 Rye High School
137 / Hon Men Bronxville High School
137 / Hon Men Edgemont Junior-Senior High School
137 / Hon Men Hastings High School
137 / Hon Men John Jay High School
138 – 598 / Silver Byram Hills High School
138 – 598 / Silver Scarsdale High School
599 -1,787 / Bronze Saunders Trades & Technical High School (Yonkers)
21,786 TOTAL
Note: Honorable Mention is awarded for schools which would have been
in the top 100 but were excluded for "statistical" reasons.
U.S. News looked at thousands of public schools to identify the most outstanding.
By Robert Morse
Posted December 9, 2009
The 2010 U.S.News & World Report Americas Best High Schools methodology, developed by School Evaluation Services, a K-12 education data research business run by Standard & Poor's, is based on the key principles that a great high school must serve all its students well, not just those who are collegebound, and that it must be able to produce measurable academic outcomes to show the school is successfully educating its student body across a range of performance indicators.
We analyzed 21,786 public high schools in 48 states plus the District of Columbia. This is the total number of public high schools that had 12th-grade enrollment and sufficient data, primarily from the 2007-2008 school year, to analyze. (Nebraska and Oklahoma did not provide full data. Their schools were evaluated for honorable mention, but none met the criteria.)
A three-step process determined the best high schools. The first two steps ensured that the schools serve all their students well, using state proficiency standards as the benchmarks. For those schools that made it past the first two steps, a third step assessed the degree to which schools prepare students for college-level work.
Test performance. The first step determined whether each school's students were performing better than statistically expected for the average student in the state. We started by looking at reading and math results for all students on each state's high school test. We then factored in the percentage of economically disadvantaged students (who tend to score lower) enrolled at the school to identify the schools that were performing better than statistical expectations.
For those schools that made it past this first step, the second step determined whether the school's least-advantaged students (black, Hispanic, and low income) were performing better than average for similar students in the state. We compared each school's math and reading proficiency rates for disadvantaged students with the statewide results for these student groups and then selected schools that were performing better than this state average.
Schools that made it through the first two steps became eligible to be judged nationally on the final step, college-readiness performance, using Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate test data as the benchmarks for success, depending on which program was largest at the school. AP is a College Board program that offers college-level courses at high schools across the country. The International Baccalaureate program also offers a college-level curriculum. This third step measured which schools produced the best college-level achievement for the highest percentages of their students. This was done by computing a "college readiness index" based on the school's AP or IB participation rate (the number of 12th-grade students who took at least one AP or IB test before or during their senior year, divided by the number of 12th graders) and how well the students did on those tests. The latter part, called quality-adjusted AP or IB participation, is the number of 12th-grade students who took and passed (received an AP score of 3 or higher or an IB score of 4 or higher) at least one of the tests before or during their senior year, divided by the number of 12th graders at that school. For the college readiness index, the quality-adjusted participation rate was weighted 75 percent in the calculation, and 25 percent of the weight was placed on the simple AP or IB participation rate. Only schools that had values greater than 20 in their college readiness index scored high enough to meet this criterion for gold and silver medal selection. The minimum of 20 was used because it represents what it would take to have a "critical mass" of students gaining access to college-level coursework.
The top 100 high schools nationwide with the highest college readiness index scores were ranked numerically (ties were broken using first the participant passing rate and then the average number of AP and/or IB exams passed per test taker) and awarded gold medals. The next 461 top-performing high schools nationwide—based on their college readiness index scores—earned silver medals. An additional 1,189 high schools in 48 states plus the District of Columbia that passed the first two steps were awarded bronze medals. Thirty-seven more high schools in 12 states received an honorable mention medal if they would have scored high enough on the college readiness index to earn a gold medal but didn't fully meet Step 1 and Step 2.
Analysts from School Evaluation Services developed the methodology and compiled the analysis. AP is a trademark owned by the College Board, which was not involved in the production of and does not endorse this product.
Westchester schools identified in the report are as follows:
Rank School
41 Yonkers High School
51 Horace Greeley High School
55 Blind Brook High School
59 Rye High School
137 / Hon Men Bronxville High School
137 / Hon Men Edgemont Junior-Senior High School
137 / Hon Men Hastings High School
137 / Hon Men John Jay High School
138 – 598 / Silver Byram Hills High School
138 – 598 / Silver Scarsdale High School
599 -1,787 / Bronze Saunders Trades & Technical High School (Yonkers)
21,786 TOTAL
Note: Honorable Mention is awarded for schools which would have been
in the top 100 but were excluded for "statistical" reasons.
Thursday, November 12, 2009
New Rules in Mortgage Lending
By Angela Baca
New rules from the Fed have changed mortgage-lending practices. Although the new rules were put in place to help protect consumers, they may also cause an increase in loan processing time.
Amendment to Regulation Z
On July 14, 2008, the Fed amended Regulation Z (Truth in Lending) to prohibit unfair, abusive, or deceptive practices by mortgage lenders and to restrict other practices. Lenders face new advertising standards, and they must disclose information early in the loan process. All lenders must follow advertising standards regardless of whether they have federal deposit insurance.
New Rules for Consumer Protection
For a consumer who needs another loan based on the first home's value, lenders must take 4 new steps:
1. Avoid writing a loan without considering ability to repay beyond a home's equity.
2. Verify income and assets.
3. Eliminate prepayment penalties for mortgages with adjustable payments within the first four years; for other loans, the prepayment penalty lasts no more than two years.
4. Establish escrow for taxes and insurance on the first mortgage.
The foregoing rules apply to higher-priced mortgages, or subprime loans with an interest rate at least 1.5 percentage points above Freddie Mac's prime rate and 3.5 percentage points above for subordinate mortgages. Requirements for all Lenders
New rules apply to subprime mortgages and most other mortgages, but do not affect construction or bridge loans, reverse mortgages, or lines of credit (LOCs). Regardless of your interest rate, the following affects a loan secured by your primary residence:
1. A creditor or mortgage broker cannot coerce an appraiser into being dishonest about a home's value.
2. Mortgage servicers cannot use certain practices, including pyramiding late fees. They must credit payments on the date of receipt and provide loan payoff information within a reasonable period.
3. A lender must provide a borrower with a Good Faith Estimate (GFE) within 3 days of receiving their loan application. The applicant cannot be charged any fees, except for the cost of pulling credit history, until after they have received an early disclosure.
4. Once the applicant receives the final cost disclosure, the lender is required to wait seven days before closing on the loan. If the final annual percentage rate (APR) varies by more than .125% from the initial GFE disclosure, the lender must re-disclose and wait yet another three days before closing.
Stricter Advertising Rules
Lenders must also provide more information when they advertise rates, monthly payments, and other features. There are stricter rules against misleading advertising and a ban against saying a rate is fixed when it might change.
These rules are part of the Mortgage Disclosure Improvement Act (MDIA) and were effective July 30, 2009, except for the escrow requirement (which will begin in 2010). Be sure to get more updates from your real estate agent or broker about the changing mortgage market.
New rules from the Fed have changed mortgage-lending practices. Although the new rules were put in place to help protect consumers, they may also cause an increase in loan processing time.
Amendment to Regulation Z
On July 14, 2008, the Fed amended Regulation Z (Truth in Lending) to prohibit unfair, abusive, or deceptive practices by mortgage lenders and to restrict other practices. Lenders face new advertising standards, and they must disclose information early in the loan process. All lenders must follow advertising standards regardless of whether they have federal deposit insurance.
New Rules for Consumer Protection
For a consumer who needs another loan based on the first home's value, lenders must take 4 new steps:
1. Avoid writing a loan without considering ability to repay beyond a home's equity.
2. Verify income and assets.
3. Eliminate prepayment penalties for mortgages with adjustable payments within the first four years; for other loans, the prepayment penalty lasts no more than two years.
4. Establish escrow for taxes and insurance on the first mortgage.
The foregoing rules apply to higher-priced mortgages, or subprime loans with an interest rate at least 1.5 percentage points above Freddie Mac's prime rate and 3.5 percentage points above for subordinate mortgages. Requirements for all Lenders
New rules apply to subprime mortgages and most other mortgages, but do not affect construction or bridge loans, reverse mortgages, or lines of credit (LOCs). Regardless of your interest rate, the following affects a loan secured by your primary residence:
1. A creditor or mortgage broker cannot coerce an appraiser into being dishonest about a home's value.
2. Mortgage servicers cannot use certain practices, including pyramiding late fees. They must credit payments on the date of receipt and provide loan payoff information within a reasonable period.
3. A lender must provide a borrower with a Good Faith Estimate (GFE) within 3 days of receiving their loan application. The applicant cannot be charged any fees, except for the cost of pulling credit history, until after they have received an early disclosure.
4. Once the applicant receives the final cost disclosure, the lender is required to wait seven days before closing on the loan. If the final annual percentage rate (APR) varies by more than .125% from the initial GFE disclosure, the lender must re-disclose and wait yet another three days before closing.
Stricter Advertising Rules
Lenders must also provide more information when they advertise rates, monthly payments, and other features. There are stricter rules against misleading advertising and a ban against saying a rate is fixed when it might change.
These rules are part of the Mortgage Disclosure Improvement Act (MDIA) and were effective July 30, 2009, except for the escrow requirement (which will begin in 2010). Be sure to get more updates from your real estate agent or broker about the changing mortgage market.
Friday, October 30, 2009
Tentative Good News ref Home Buyer Credit!
Daily Real Estate News | October 29, 2009
Homebuyer Credit Gets New Life
Key lawmakers in the Senate have tentatively agreed to extend the existing $8,000 tax credit for first-time home buyers and also offer a new $6,500 credit for existing homeowners who have lived in their current residence for a consecutive five-year period in the past eight years.
Home buyers must be under contract by April 30, 2010, and close before July 1. House Democrats have expressed concern about the cost of the tax credit for the government, and allegations of abuse have resulted in an IRS probe of the program.
Source: Wall Street Journal, Corey Boles and John D. McKinnon (10/29/09)
© Copyright 2009 Information Inc.
Homebuyer Credit Gets New Life
Key lawmakers in the Senate have tentatively agreed to extend the existing $8,000 tax credit for first-time home buyers and also offer a new $6,500 credit for existing homeowners who have lived in their current residence for a consecutive five-year period in the past eight years.
Home buyers must be under contract by April 30, 2010, and close before July 1. House Democrats have expressed concern about the cost of the tax credit for the government, and allegations of abuse have resulted in an IRS probe of the program.
Source: Wall Street Journal, Corey Boles and John D. McKinnon (10/29/09)
© Copyright 2009 Information Inc.
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Interested in Sales Statistics for Mt Pleasant (Hawthorne, Thornwood, Valhalla and Pleasantville) this year?
Here they are! I pulled the data from the Westchester-Putnam Multiple listing service (MLS) as of today, 10/29/09 for the year to date:
One-Family homes/price range $350K - $700K
Solds: 66Avg Price: $541 / *DOM: 156
Sales Price / Listing Price = 96.21%
Conditional Contracts: 21 *DOM: 134
Pendings: 26*DOM 150
Actives: 86 / *DOM 117
*DOM = Days on Market
One-Family homes/price range $350K - $700K
Solds: 66Avg Price: $541 / *DOM: 156
Sales Price / Listing Price = 96.21%
Conditional Contracts: 21 *DOM: 134
Pendings: 26*DOM 150
Actives: 86 / *DOM 117
*DOM = Days on Market
Autumn is Here!
Autumn Décor Accents
By J. A. Young
Fall is the season of cool, crisp weather, brilliant scenery and bountiful harvests. Bringing the autumn indoors is a way to transform your décor with both subtlety and a richness of color and warmth. Here are a few ways you can add fall accents to your home.
Get Ornamental Gourds
Not just the requisite pumpkin for the porch, but several small to large ornamental gourds to be used as a dining room table centerpiece, as a coffee table prop and even to place here and there on the book shelves. Ornamental gourds come in many sizes and shapes and their appeal is great during the harvest season. Decorate with Flowers in Seasonal Colors
Add a wreath to the door abundant with fall blooms dried and interspersed on a grapevine. Consider hydrangea, yarrow and goldenrod for a warm welcome into your home. Also, place bouquets of dried flower arrangements throughout your home—each with fall colors for effect.
Celebrate the Season with Scented Candles
Find an old copper tub and fill it with water. Then add some novelty candles that float—apple-shaped and scented (available at large craft stores)—and scatter some autumn leaves around its base for accent. Add other scented candles around the house, in fall fragrances like nutmeg and spice.
Add an Extra Touch with Inexpensive Fabrics
Go shopping at antique stores or flea markets for fabric in gold, yellows, oranges, browns and reds. Make new curtains or an autumn tablecloth. Flea markets are great places to find old quilts in fall colors—even if it's not in great condition, it can be used for various autumn crafts.
By J. A. Young
Fall is the season of cool, crisp weather, brilliant scenery and bountiful harvests. Bringing the autumn indoors is a way to transform your décor with both subtlety and a richness of color and warmth. Here are a few ways you can add fall accents to your home.
Get Ornamental Gourds
Not just the requisite pumpkin for the porch, but several small to large ornamental gourds to be used as a dining room table centerpiece, as a coffee table prop and even to place here and there on the book shelves. Ornamental gourds come in many sizes and shapes and their appeal is great during the harvest season. Decorate with Flowers in Seasonal Colors
Add a wreath to the door abundant with fall blooms dried and interspersed on a grapevine. Consider hydrangea, yarrow and goldenrod for a warm welcome into your home. Also, place bouquets of dried flower arrangements throughout your home—each with fall colors for effect.
Celebrate the Season with Scented Candles
Find an old copper tub and fill it with water. Then add some novelty candles that float—apple-shaped and scented (available at large craft stores)—and scatter some autumn leaves around its base for accent. Add other scented candles around the house, in fall fragrances like nutmeg and spice.
Add an Extra Touch with Inexpensive Fabrics
Go shopping at antique stores or flea markets for fabric in gold, yellows, oranges, browns and reds. Make new curtains or an autumn tablecloth. Flea markets are great places to find old quilts in fall colors—even if it's not in great condition, it can be used for various autumn crafts.
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