Westchester County Real Estate Blog

Northeast Pending Home Sales Rose 4% in March

"While U.S. pending home sales fell for the fifth consecutive month in March, pending sales in the Northeast bucked that trend. The other three other major U.S. regions experienced declines in transactions and all four regions reported decreases in year-over-year contract activity.

Month-over-month, the Northeast Pending Home Sales Index, grew 4% to 89.3 in March while the US Pending Home Sales Index sank 8.2% as a whole. This Index of 100 is equal to the level of contract activity in the year 2001. 

Falling contract signings can imply that multple offer scenarios will soon disspate and be replaced my calmer and normalized market conditions. The sudden increases in mortgage rates recently have redued the pool of eligible homebuyers, and has lowered activity as a result. While people still want to buy, the recent financial changes...

More Buyers Looking for 'Green'

"The number of Realtors involved with buying or selling a property with green features has significantly increased in the past year, according to a study released on April 26 by the National Association of Realtors. The “2022 Realtors and Sustainability Report” surveyed NAR members nationwide regarding sustainability issues currently facing the real estate industry.

According to this report, half of agents and brokers surveyed said they helped a client buy or sell a property with green features during the past 12 months, a notable jump compared to 32% in 2021.

Especially with the current evironmental state of the times, sustainability wil continue to play a growing role in consumers’ purchasing decisions, and this is becoming even more prevalent in the real estate market. In regards to residental real estate, home buyers...

Landscaping That Adds Value

Landscaping Projects That Add Value To Your Home

Though the real estate market is booming and home prices are already at record highs, it can't hurt to maximize the value of your property, particularly if you're considering listing it for sale. One of the ways to accomplish this is by investing in a well-chosen landscaping project, one that impresses potential buyers and entices them to pay a bit more to close the deal.

When it comes to getting the best price for your home, the power of landscaping to increase...

6 Tips for Saving for Your Down Payment

Develop a budget & timeline

Start by determining how much you’ll need for a down payment. Create a budget and calculate how much you can realistically save each month – that will help you gauge when you’ll be ready to transition from renter to homeowner.

Establish a separate savings account

Set up a separate savings account exclusively for your down payment and make your monthly contributions automatic. By keeping this money separate, you’ll be less likely to tap into it when you’re tight on cash.

Shop around to reduce major monthly expenses

It’s a good idea to check rates for your car insurance, renter’s insurance, health insurance, cable, Internet or cell phone plan. There may be deals or promotions available that allow you to save hundreds of dollars...

Tips and Tricks to Keep Your Home Decor Trendy and Timeless

In today's day and age, it's easy to succumb to the trends. When it comes to interior design, not every trend is a breeze to implement. Trying to keep up with the current look can be a headache and become outdated as the one-time trend becomes dated.

Here are some ways to make your home feel stylish, cozy, and trend-proof.

1. Rotate Accessories

Updating your accessories to match the trends is the ideal solution. Along with color, you can play with texture and scale, too. 

2. Rely on Color to Change the Vibe of a Room

If a room's canvas beings with a neutral base, it's easy to upgrade the accent colors and change a room's entire vibe. Colors such as biscuity beige, bright white,...

Northeast Posts Slight Increase in Pending Deals While The Rest of the US is On the Decline

For a majority of the US, pending home sales slipped in February, marking the fourth straight month of a decreasing rate in transactions. While the Northeast was the only region in the US that reported an increase in the rate of their rate of pending monthly transactions. However, all four regions in the US experienced a decline in year-over-year contract activity.

According to NAR (National Association of REALTORS), pending transactions have continued to decrease month over month as a resultof the lack of inventory for sale. While current buyer demand is still intense, however there is little inventory to satisfy the current demand and one cannot buy what is not for sale.

Alongside climbing home prices, buyers are not facing the challenges of dealing with increasing mortgage rates. While the market is stil extremeley competitive, ever-changing market conditions are leaving...