If you are looking for a 3 Bed Room Home in the Town of Yorktown? If so! You should move quickly!There are now only 33 27of them on the market as I write this. Down 6 from 2/28/2020They range in price from $245,000.00 $199,900.00 to $899,000.00 $1,099,000.0.They have Sq. Ft. form 1000 1205 to 2600 4277.There were 157 3 BR homes have sold in the last 365 days in Yorktown.There are presently 20 28 in contract!You should call me right away if you are lookingbecause they are going very fast!The average days on the market is 63 now up to 64 .Average sall price is $452,466.00 $455,395.00Call me at (845-590-5488) to start looking before they are all gone!! If you are looking for a 3 Bed Room Home in theTown of Yorktown? 03/14/2020

Are you looking for a 3 Bed Room Home in the Town of Yorktown? If so! You should move quickly!There are only 33 of them on the market as I write this.They range in price from $245,000.00 to $899,000.00.They have Sq. Ft. form 1000 to 2600.There were 159 3 BR homes have sold in the last 365 days in Yorktown.There are presently 20 in contract!You should call me right away if you are looking because they go very fast!The average days on the market is 63.Average sall price is $452,466.00.Call me (845-590-5488) to start looking before they are all gone!! Are you looking for a 3 Bed Room Home in the Town of Yorktown?  02/26/2020

Each year the Yorktown Chamber sponsors scholarship awards for high school seniors in Yorktown NY or children of members of the Yorktown Chamber of Commerce.  Fund raising is done year round including 50/50's at every one of the Chamber's events during the entire year.  It will soon be time for this years winners.  Restaurants are now having sponsorship nights. A big shout out the two restaurants below:   If you are looking to make your Westchester NY or Fairfield CT business thrive please contact me. Grant SchneiderPerformance Development Strategies914-953-4458   05/14/2019

This has always been my favorite time of year to weed because when I yank those nasty invaders, they all stay weeded and I don’t have to worry about the chore again until next spring. But, I speak out of both sides of my mouth, because I actually enjoy weeding. To me it’s therapy, and it’s a compulsive activity.It never fails. I’ll be in a rush to meet a client, dashing to my garage across my parking area, covered with crushed bluestone, and I’ll spy a tiny fleck of green peeking through the gravel. I must stop to pull it out.When I bend over, I drop my car keys, my glasses fall out of my breast pocket and, if the weed is deep-rooted, like a dandelion, my hands get dirty, requiring that I return to the house to wash them after the deed is done.Or, I’m coming home very late, dead tired, ... 10/13/2016

Considering that I once lived in a house located directly over the A train subway line in Brooklyn, I’m probably inured to most noises that would emanate from one’s home. How well I remember the look of panic on the faces of first-time visitors when suddenly there would be an approaching clamor and the floor beneath them would start to rumble, and I would have to remind myself that an explanation was in order to quell their fears that we might be experiencing an earthquake.While noises that most houses make can usually be identified and dealt with, sometimes they can’t. Certainly, with the NYC subway system, all we could do was accept it and grow used to it.Whether old or new, the houses we live in adjust to conditions and surroundings with many different noises. They can wheeze, knock,... 10/08/2016

Autumn in the garden and yard can be the most gratifying time of year as deciduous trees and perennials start to yawn, preparing for a long winter’s sleep, accompanied by that sweet smell that comes from plants releasing their chemistry and the crisp, clean sound of decaying leaves falling to the groundIt forecasts the fleeting months of shorter days, much like when the children are asleep. The only outdoor chore that remains is clearing walkways of snow and ice.While spring is probably everybody’s’ favorite time in the garden, helping its rebirth after being pummeled by winter, the fall signifies the very finiteness of garden chores. When a weed is pulled, it stays pulled and doesn’t replace itself with double the aggression. When perennials are deadheaded, the gardener can take a furl... 09/26/2016

This article might well be titled “The Joys and Agonies of Being a Tree Lover.”The subject of planting trees comes to me each year as we enter into early fall because it is the perfect time to plant both deciduous and evergreen trees as they enter into dormancy. And, lord knows, I have done my share of planting trees through the years, even though I bought a property that was more than half wooded. The idea of planting small, manageable green things and watching them develop over a period of time into sculptures of beauty reaching to the skies in graceful forms, providing shade, has always appealed to me.When I saw an ad in The New York Times for what turned out to be my dream house in the country, I called the owner and asked if it had privacy, noting that I preferred not seeing any ne... 09/15/2016

This week I reprise some musings based on both practical and absurd observations made from past columns. For an index of previously published Home Guru articles, visit www.TheHomeGuru.com.About the common complaint of noise from neighbors: No man is an island, but there were a couple of occasions, especially when I lived in an apartment building that was not well insulated for sound, when I wished I were. Noise is the biggest complaint we have about neighbors. According to a survey by Trulia, 67 percent of us like our neighbors. Should that leave us to assume that the other 33 percent of us don’t like them for some reason?Why has the great American front porch disappeared? Blame the advent of television and computers that keep people inside. The society that created the need to socializ... 09/05/2016

It’s happened to many of us in the real estate business. The “engineering” or house inspection prior to a contract signing can kill the sale of a house. I remember the very first time I heard the complaint of a realtor whose engineering resulted in a failed septic system and the bank refused to give a mortgage. “With a failed septic, it’s considered a non-functioning house!” my colleague told me. It was quite an expensive ordeal to get the house into functioning order and to move the transaction along.A bad engineering report can either be a negotiating point or can put the kibosh on the purchase of the house, but in the best case scenario, buyers are assured that they are getting their money’s worth and that hopefully there will be no surprises once the deal is done. The inspector’s jo... 08/31/2016

No man is an island, nor would he or she wish to exist as one, but there were a couple of occasions, especially when I lived in an apartment building that was not well insulated for sound, when I wished I were. According to a survey by Trulia, 67 percent of people like their neighbors. Should that leave us to assume that the other 33 percent of us don’t like them for some reason?The nature of neighbor complaints depend on the type of domiciles involved. If we live in apartments or condos, they might be mostly about noise above or through contiguous walls. If we live in single family homes, they are probably more about trash handling or visual blight.I remember that years ago there was a case considered visual blight on my block that was both controversial and amusing at the same time. T... 08/25/2016

Just recently I had the pleasure of introducing the Hudson River Valley area to a couple who will be relocating here and what a pleasure it was to again remind myself of all the joys my family has enjoyed living here for many years.In real estate, when we talk about location, normally we are referring to the town, neighborhood, and street address of a property. We should also consider how the natural and cultural resources of our region influence and enhance our lifestyles, not to mention the value of our homes.This is a somewhat arbitrary, even personally biased, list of attractions and activities which I feel make our region exceptional. It can serve as a starter kit for bragging points about the benefits of living here when we consider marketing our homes, or just as a gratitude list... 08/15/2016

Just about everybody I know seems to be on vacation this month and, just coincidentally, the Insurance Information Institute reports that the majority of home burglaries occur in July and August when many people are enjoying time off. According to that same agency, nine out of 10 home break-ins could be prevented if homeowners would take simple steps to burglar-proof their homes.Of all the years we lived in our home, we didn’t invest in a sophisticated security system until just a couple of years ago. Less than 20 percent of households nationwide have security systems, and the rest of us must take other precautions to discourage break-ins while we’re away from home.How well I remember the discomfort combined with the relaxation of every vacation while we were traveling, especially if it... 08/08/2016

In the early days of our nation, settlers brought to our shores many superstitions by which they lived their home lives, many of which remain with us to this day. You don’t put much store in superstitions nowadays, you say? Well, when was the last time you didn’t avoid passing under a ladder set up against the house to remove leaves from the gutter?Today, many of those superstitions have become traditions and we don’t think much about their origins. One of those lingering superstitions came to mind recently when I saw a porch ceiling painted a pale blue green and wondered whether the owner hailed originally from the deep South or if it were just a coincidence. Where I grew up in Virginia and further south in places like South Carolina, many porch ceilings are painted what is known as “h... 08/01/2016

Some years ago I wrote about a freak accident I experienced at my pool that was really dramatic, and it led to my being more aware of taking precautions to avoid getting hurt when working or playing outside the home. Just this week, another incident prompts me to remind myself and readers of safety tips outside the home.The incident years ago was exceptionally bizarre. I had been in the deep end of my pool finishing up some exercises to deal with a bad lower back. Emerging from the pool, I was heading toward my back door when suddenly I heard the sound of heavy collapse just behind me, followed by an enormous splash. I turned around to see that a major limb from a dead tree near the pool had fallen directly into the pool exactly where my head had been bobbing less than a minute before! ... 07/27/2016

Have you ever had the experience when someone recalls something you’ve said quite clearly, while you’ve totally forgotten it? I was amused at a recent showing of a new condo when my client was disappointed to find that all three bathrooms featured round toilet bowls, rather than those that are elongated in shape. “They should have taken your advice about keeping the male anatomy in mind when making their selection,” she said. Ah yes, I had forgotten that I made that observation in print some time ago. Specifically, I had commented that, for guys, upgrading to an elongated toilet bowl can be the equivalent of switching from jockey shorts to boxers. Actually, I’ve written several articles that had some mention about toilets. I don’t think I have some fixation based on early toilet trainin... 07/19/2016

For those of us who are not lucky enough to have a home on a lake or pond, or one with a river view, there are other ways to enjoy the soothing effects of water, even if we’re landlocked.It could be as simple as a classic fountain which I’ve enjoyed for many years on my back patio, spewing water from a pump into an upper basin, overflowing into a lower pan with a wonderful splashing sound that dampens occasional noise from the street. Our second opportunity for the sound of water presented itself when we installed an in-ground pool and designed a waterfall to go with it, adding to the pleasure and relaxation of our outdoor experience.Through the years, many of our friends ventured into the creation of different water features on their properties, from small koi ponds built on their own ... 07/10/2016

Almost 30 years ago, my wife and I decided to install carpeting in the central hallway, staircase and second floor landing of our home. We must have been feeling particularly flush at the time because we chose the best quality, deep-pile nylon carpeting we could find. Why nylon instead of wool? Because we were convinced by the carpet retailer that it would last forever and in those days, in our naïve youth, we expected everything, like ourselves, to last forever.To add to the expected comfort of treading across the thick pile, the owner of the carpet store introduced us to the idea of adding foam padding beneath the carpeting. As a result, every person ever visiting our home for the first time always commented on the extravagant experience of walking across – or I should say – wading th... 07/06/2016

When the opportunity comes to choose the “skin” of a house, the siding, whether for new construction or re-surfacing, you might think that the main factor would be personal preference for its look. But, there are other important matters to consider, namely its cost, energy efficiency, ease of maintenance, and its impact on home resale value. Whether it’s brick, stone, wood siding, stucco, vinyl, fiber-cement (also known as “Hardie-board,” named after its inventor), or a combination of two or more of those possibilities, our approach to new siding demands some study, especially since there are so many options from which to choose. Our choices today might further be influenced by the region of the country we hail from or, for that matter, the neighborhood of our youth or a certain ideal t... 06/30/2016

Have you ever heard of a dust fetish? I reluctantly admit to at least a keen interest in the subject, having alluded to it a couple of times in my column musings. For instance, once I learned that the major component of household dust is our own flaking skin, it gave me license to project that if we’re feeling queasy about not having dusted in a while, we could legitimately claim to be uncomfortable in our own skin.Just recently I learned about a new study conducted by a group of scientists who had collected dust samples from 1,200 homes across the United States. It revealed that we all cohabitate with a few thousand species of bacteria and about 2,000 species of fungi, most of which originate outdoors and probably come inside via soil particles or as airborne spores. Add to our skin ce... 06/20/2016

When my wife and owned an antiques shop early in our marriage, there was a revival of interest in the Victorian style of décor, and I can’t say that we were an enthusiastic part of it. This style from the second half of the 19th century was known for plush, heavily upholstered furniture on rounded, narrow legs, velvety textures, ornate details, and a crammed abundance of plants, glassware and textiles. We were more into the relative simplicity of earlier periods. However, in the midst of this opulence, wicker furniture at the time offered a refreshing contrast with its airy lightness. The pieces we had sold well back in that time, and I was secretly pleased to “inherit” a few white-painted chairs and a wheeled baby carriage (which we used as an indoor planter) to keep after we had enoug... 06/15/2016