Want the elegance of another era with the convenience and amenities of today? Then I have the home for you…..

This lovely Tudor, which I refer to as “The Queen of the Hill” is in the Indian Hill section of Katonah. Built in 1987, this stunning Tudor has over 4200 sq ft plus the finished playrooms and storage areas on the lower level. Great flow for a family and entertaining. Also a great downsizer for Jay Gatsby!

Sited on just about one acre, it has a very private setting. The bank of trees in the back is trimmed with beautiful stone walls. The close-to-the-ground decking is the full length of the home and enjoys full views of the very elegant pool with slate patio surround. There is also a separately fenced playground area. The outdoor elegance continues with the very spacious screened-in porch which is off the family room. The floor of this enclosed porch has been painstakingly hand painted to resemble inlaid terra cotta tiles. As one excited broker suggested - “This is where you dance!” Of course! This porch also has its own slate patio. The exterior is then graced by landscape lighting come nightfall.

The formal rooms of the home start at the elegant entrance with gently winding staircase to the gracious Master and Bath plus three family bedrooms with hall bath. The landing on the second floor is large enough to have a desk at the window with a gorgeous view of the mature plantings and green space of the neighborhood. The Center Hall is flanked by a open living room and oversized dinng room. This all flows to the back of the house with an updated large kitchen and family dining area plus the Family Room.

The inviting family room with stone fireplace has sliders to the decking and pool. The screened-in porch is to the other side.

There is a seperate front entrance which opens into a large foyer (hard to call this the Mud Room!) with laundry and door out to the pool. There is also a suite of rooms which includes the 5th legal bedroom plus full bath. This can be ideal for an au pair/inlaw suite or a professional office and waiting room/secretarial space.

There is a three-car garage plus large utility room.

It is very close to Increase Miller Elementary School, Fox Valley Park and the local Lewisboro Town Park which offers pool, tennis and wonderful day camps. The Metro North Train Station and 684 are a couple of minutes away. For any further information or if you would like to see it please contact me!

Posted by:  Karen Benvin Ransom

The stylish home on picturesque property in the Captain Merritt’s Hill area of Mount Kisco is my Broker pick of the week. This is an older home full of charm that has been updated with a new custom eat-in kitchen, granite counters, and stainless steel appliances. There is a new marble bath and beautiful re-finished hardwood floors throughout. There is a formal dining room, living room with fireplace and a first floor playroom/office. The bedrooms are spacious with custom closet treatments. The yard is private and park-like and located within walking distance to the train and town. The low taxes on this home are an added bonus. Priced at $699,000 it won’t last long. For more information about this home contact Sonja Lovas 914-552-0242.

Posted by:  Sonja Lovas

I have always been intrigued in history, the derivation of words, places and who were these wonderful, esteemed and perhaps great personages who carved both their names in history to be made time immortal in having a building, area or street named after them.

As a Realtor in lower Westchester, I have just listed a charming home in the Sutton Manor area of New Rochelle at 197 Farragut Circle. It offers 6 bedrooms, three and a half bathrooms - the half being Realtor speak for a powder room…and is 3567 square feet in size. The backyard is purported to be one of the nicest in the area, and the home has special features such as a semi-enclosed balcony off the master bedroom, an enclosed porch on the first floor as well as a sunroom, office, and a lovely breakfast nook perfect for quiet intimate dinners or a cozy breakfast.

This special enclave is a waterfront community boasting a boat house, mooring rights for a nominal yearly fee, and is as close-knit as any small community can be, helping each other in times of need, coming together for special parties, and in short, embracing life, in the manner that America has always been known for.

Sutton Manor was named after George W. Sutton who was a wealthy real estate developer and also the City Tax Assessor. While he died in 1925, he was responsible for the Sutton Manor, Echo Avenue and the area within the inner harbor of Echo Bay. This area stretched from 85 Decatur Northwest to 144 Echo Avenue, and some of the most influential people of that time lived there. For instance, at 101 Sutton Manor was the home of Charles Griffiths (County GOP Leader) and Lee Parsons Davis (former D.A. & prominent attorney) resided at #114. Then there was Walter Courson who was the Commander of the Larchmont Yacht Club living at #125.

Years earlier, the area was actually part of a farm and development owned by the Davids family who also owned Fort Slocum and Davids Island. Please see my blog on Davids Island…

Farragut Circle was named after David Glasgow Farragut who was an American Admiral. During the Civil War, he was the captor of New Orleans, and in 1862 was named Rear-Admiral and then just 2 years later, gained a signal victory at the historic battle of Mobile Bay over the Confederate fleet. He was the first person to hold the title of Admiral in the American navy in 1866.

While there has been nothing written to the contrary, it is thought that Decatur Road (also a part of Sutton Manor) was named after Stephen Decatur, Jr. He was born in 1779, became the youngest captain in the American navy at that time, after a series of heroic acts in the Barbary War against Tripoli. One such event was when he and his men stole into Tripoli Harbor at night to destroy the US frigate “Philadelphia” which had been captured by the enemy when it had run aground several months earlier in 1803, and was described by Lord Nelson as committing “the most bold and daring act of the age.” Stephen Decatur was known as being the first American hero not having fought in the American Revolution, and he was named Navy Commissioner from 1816 to 1820 where he resided in Washington, and made famous the after dinner toast of “Our Country!” He died at the early age of 41 after being shot in a duel by Commodore Barron.

So, Sutton Manor is a great place to live, just 35 minutes to New York City, the train station is close by, as well as great restaurants, a wonderful library, and 197 Farragut Circle is just one block away from Echo Bay and those wonderful sea breezes and glorious sunsets.

197 Farragut Circle is being offered at $975,000 and appointments can be made through the Larchmont office, or by contacting me.

Posted by:  Gay E. Rosen

There were 61 houses on the broker open list today (May 7th), so I selected a few from each town and headed out. This beautiful 4-bedroom 3-bath colonial on Waccabuc Road in Goldens Bridge NY, HoulihanLawrence.com/3006424, hosted by Patrick Browne, was by far my favorite! It had some stiff competition from an antique colonial in Cross River and another nice colonial in North Salem, but overall, in my opinion this home represented the best value and that’s why it is my pick of the week. There are many updates in this spacious and beautiful home such as a completely updated kitchen and baths with Jacuzzi in the master, new AC and alarm system, and lots of built in shelving and storage. The hardwood floors shine and the floor plan lends itself to entertaining inside and out. The large deck off the kitchen extends the living area outside during the spring, summer and fall and the play area (fenced) is a couple steps from the kitchen. If you are looking for a colonial that is “move in ready,” then this is a house you must see! For more information and a private showing contact me or leave a comment.

 


Posted by:  Sonja Lovas

If you read the comments on the Leatherman’s Loop Facebook page you’ll get the feel and flavor of race day. The 2009 race was unusually warm, and 2010 will be remembered as unusually wet. The heavy spring rains created more mud flats than previous years and the rain at the start of the race deterred some registered contenders from participating, but for those that ran, it was wet and wild! A third river crossing was added this year much to the surprise of all the runners.

Anticipation for the race began in January with the registration. There was a snafu at the time of registration so the field was increased to accommodate those that had difficulty registering. The Leatherman’s Loop is not your typical 10K as noted by the Bedford-Katonah Patch days before the anticipated race.

My overall time wasn’t great, but decent. With extra runners on the trails, the increased mud flats and additional water crossing, minutes kept the race clock ticking longer than I had hoped. My husband decided to participate in the race this year rather than being a spectator and he took our two golden retrievers, which made it even more challenging. No complaints from the dogs in the mud flats or river crossings but they sure were tired at the end of the day. We’ll be back next year; rain or shine but we’ll each take a dog and stay together.

Posted By: Sonja Lovas

This week The Westchester Putnam Association of Realtors released the first quarter statistics for home sales in Westchester and Putnam Counties. And just what does that mean to buyers right now?

The number of annual home sales for the first quarter of 2010 has ticked up 54% over a ten year low for first quarter of 2009. The rise in closings can be attributed to the The Worker, Homeownership, and Business Assistance Act of 2009, lower home prices and lower interest rates. This was the second consecutive quarter for increased sales.

I believe some homes are attractively priced right now. There are good deals to be made. So, just get out there and look! You just might find the home of your dreams to be affordable. Smart sellers should realize that we are back to 2003 - 2004 prices if they want to sell. And buyers have an opportunity right now.

Contact me at any time for more statistics and/or information on how your neighborhood did in the first quarter.

Posted By: Renee Stengel

The spring market has arrived and along with the forsythia come the buyers ready to look for their new home.

Every home must sell twice, first the viewing on the internet and then the decision to visit the listings that are camera ready! And this means, “Less is more.” I work with Sheila Black of Home Highlighting LTD. We walk through every room to de-clutter. She always reminds me that staged homes seller faster and for more money. A buyer needs to picture their family living in your space. Just putting on makeup or slimming clothes for a picture is not enough. You need to smile pretty and you need to do the same for your home. We have all viewed pictures on the internet that do nothing to enhance the qualities of a home but rather detract from its beauty. Every home is unique. Before your home says cheese to the camera for pictures that will be posted to the internet it is critically important for your home to be sparkling and neat as a pin. It will be captured for all to see. Highlighting your home’s features will get you more showings and a good real estate ending, a sale!

Posted By: Renee Stengel

It was devastating when my sellers fired me less than 1 hour after activating a new listing on the Multiple Listing Service and the Houlihan Lawrence Web site. HoulihanLawrence.com.

I was so excited about this new listing and had everything ready to go as soon it went live. I had great photos, ad copy written, brochures designed, a broker open house scheduled with a tempting menu planned, video of the neighborhood and I even made a broadcast announcement to the other agents in our office giving them a heads up. Here’s what went wrong. Before activating the listing, I went to the town and pulled the property card, spoke to the town assessor for clarification on square footage and verified the taxes to be certain everything was accurate.

After activating the listing the owner called to inform me the square footage number was wrong. They bought the house 2 ½ years ago and it was represented to be 25% larger (I was not their buyer broker). I explained to them how and why I arrived at the number and how the town determines square footage on their style of home and suggested they speak to the assessor and confirm what I could legally represent to be correct.

They called me back to tell me they were waiting for a return phone call from the town but regardless of what the town said, I was told to list the property at the same square footage as they purchased it with or they would cancel the listing and find someone else! While I could understand their position, I advised them to speak with their attorney and told them I could not intentionally misrepresent them or my company. So, the seller fired me, emailed my pink slip (cancellation instructions), and the house was immediately taken off the market.

What I’d like to know, would you have fired me?

Posted By: Sonja Lovas

Heritage Hills in Somers, NY is located in the beautiful town of Somers on Rt 202 in Upper Westchester. This is the best landscaped and well organized condominium development I have seen in Westchester. Building here began in 1975 with complete build out of 30 separately managed condominiums in 2007. It sits on 1100 acres of land with 2606 units. It is divided into East Hill and West Hill locations. It also has an Activity Centre with its own art studios, a private library, a theater, rooms for billards and table tennis, bridge, poker, mahjong and many more other clubs. In Sept of 2009, Heritage Hills opened up a newly built State of the Art Fitness Centre with trainers on site for assistance. At this Main Recreation Center you will also find an indoor Basketball Court, a heated Swimming Pool, 3 Tennis Courts, 2 Paddle Tennis Courts and 3 Bocce Courts. There are 4 other Pool Sites with Tennis Courts around the Development. There is also a 9 Hole and 18 Hole Golf Course and a Clubhouse which is open to the Public.

Life at Heritage Hills cannot get any better or easier. There is a shuttle service to nearby Metro North commuter Train Station and Shopping Areas. Heritage Hills is so well organized and caring for its community that help is always available through the individual committees setup. There is so much happening in Heritage Hills that will keep you occupied as can be seen in the Monthly Community Newsletter. There are a great variety of activities for all ages young and old, working or retired and it is up to you how involved you want to be.

So whether you are thinking of having a more relaxed lifestyle and not having to worry about outside maintainance of a house …or if you are a first time home buyer … or someone looking to downsize or upsize … or if you are an Investor looking to buy an investment … if you have not been to Heritage Hills then it is time you gave us a visit.

If you would like to have more information that I have not included in this article, contact me at tchang@houlihanlawrence.com or call me at 914-907-0881.

Coming next … Condo Sales in Heritage Hills for 2009.

Posted By: Teresa Chang

Twitter, also known as, “My Sweet Tweet” was found dead in a pile of lint next to the living room couch on February 13, 2010. My Sweet Tweet was a spring peeper (small tree frog) that hitched a ride inside by hiding in a plant on the deck that was moved indoors for the winter.

I miss his sweet tweets as they always made me smile.

Listen to my old friend tweet

I really hoped he would have made it two more months when I’d be setting the plants outdoors for him to join the chorus of spring peepers when they will announce in a loud chorus, "it’s spring!"

I never saw this little frog alive even though I looked for him each time I watered the plants. I'm glad I found him because now I know why he stopped singing. I think he went in search of food, my husband thinks he left the plants in search of love, either way, it proved fatal. They say, “Silence is golden” but not for me, still missing the sound of Twitter. So, My Sweet Tweet, rest in peace.

I’m still tweeting on Twitter and you can follow me there: Twitter.com/SonjaLovas. Here are links to my other posts about my friend the Spring Peeper: Sweet Tweets, It’s Spring?, Help! My House is Tweeting!, Anonymous Twitter, I Found My Twitter!

Posted By: Sonja Lovas

This lovely Somers home has had the white glove treatment for many years and is pin perfect. Updated and energy efficient, this home is a value with an acre plus of land backing up to a preserve and over 3000 square feet of living space. All for only $579,000!

Great Family house for the way we live today! This home is ready for your color palette. Gleaming wood floors. All freshly painted. Skylights (treated not to fade fabrics) drench the home with sunlight and warmth. Gracious dining area off the kitchen and large family room within view. Easy living on one level with three bedrooms and two new baths. Separate entrance into family room which can be used for home office. Lower level has two above ground finished rooms perfect for a home office or family room/game room/guest overflow plus laundry and utilities.

Level property with a circular driveway. Oversized two car garage. Views galore. In-ground pool, new patio and deck for outdoor enjoyment.

On over one acre of park-like privacy and views bordered by stone walls and protected watershed property. Gardeners Paradise: forsythia, lilac, mock orange, iris (abundant in rock gardens too), rhododendron, Rose of Sharon, and a magnolia that blooms year round. Met with approval from Botanical Garden Tour and Judges.

Stone House Road is a traditional family neighborhood and not a development. It has a 3/4 mile loop, with its own fitness track. Stone House Road has a lake, still perfect for hiking, or sitting on a beach to get away from it all. We are minutes to the Croton Falls train (one can walk there) and close to the Somers Town Center.

If you would like to view this home and learn more about Historic Somers feel free to contact me: KBenvinRansom@HoulihanLawrence.com

View the full listing: HoulihanLawrence.com/3003141
Town Information: http://www.houlihanlawrence.com/TownGuideDetail.aspx?n_k=45

Posted By: Karen Benvin Ransom

If you are looking for a condominium in Katonah, NY, then Wildwood is the place for you! It is the only complex in the Village and there are only 21 units in the complex. A mix of 2 and 3 bedrooms units with 2 ½ baths also offer views as they are built on a hillside. Units without a view have a small patio that backs on the green space. There is ample parking for the residents and guests and it’s a 16-minute walk to the Katonah Metro North Train Station. First time home buyers should hurry, at $339,000 this 2 bedroom, 2 ½ bath unit won’t last: HoulihanLawrence.com/3001374.

Posted By: Sonja Lovas

Katonah is a very desirable town to live in because of its historic charm and close proximity to the Katonah Metro North Train. People who live in the City always take into consideration how far it is to the train, how long the train ride is to NYC, and the cost to park. I just listed a condominium at Wildwood and checked the box for “close to train” as an amenity. I began to wonder what the definition of “close” was and decided the only way to determine that was to find out for myself and provide more information. That’s when I decided to walk the walk and talk.

Here’s what I discovered…

Time to walk from the platform to Wildwood Condominiums was: 16.38 minutes, total number of steps: 2,163, distance by car: 0.7 mile

What I’d like to know is how far would you walk to the train?

Posted By: Sonja Lovas

Condition is a very important factor when buyers are evaluating a home to purchase. Homes that have been properly cared for, updated, clean and are staged, sell first and at the highest price. There are no conditions that can’t be overcome by price, but attention to a few details will add value and result in a much higher price for the homeowner.

The worst offenders are:

• Odors: pet, smoke, and food
• Lack of maintenance on mechanicals: furnace, air conditioner, water tank, well, septic, roof
• Landscaping: overgrowth and poor condition
• Paint: dirty walls and woodwork are a real turn off
• Dirty windows and broken seals
• Outdated or too much wallpaper
• Clutter: does not allow the buyers to see themselves in the house

Most buyers don’t want to buy a “project” or someone else’s problems, so make sure your house is clean, clean, clean, and in good condition. Even if you don’t have the latest, greatest, state-of-the-art kitchen and baths, the overall condition of the house will contribute greatly to its salability.

Posted By: Sonja Lovas

In addition to ice skating and playing on the ponds in Northern Westchester, the frozen reservoirs draw the fishermen back on the frozen water. In my travels looking at homes I am always amazed when I see ice fishing on the reservoirs. Ice fishing is popular at Amawalk, Cross River, Muscoot, and the Titicus Reservoirs. These reservoirs are all owned by New York City and a free ”NY City Public Access Permit” is required. If you’re wondering what’s for dinner it’s trout; it must be at least 12 inches in length before you take it home, and three is the limit!

Posted By: Sonja Lovas