Westchester County NY Real Estate Source

THIS IS WHERE YOU WANT TO BE!

Move right in to this condominium with breathtaking LAKE VIEWS.

Here you will find each bedroom with its own full, private bath. After walking past the upstairs hallway closet, complete with WASHER and DRYER, you will arrive downstairs to an open living room AND dining area complete with tile surround fireplace.

Updated half bath on the first level for all your guests.

Like the outdoors? Feel free to entertain outside with sliding glass doors leading to a wooden deck on the first level AND sliding glass doors leading to a patio on the lower level. Basement offers plenty of space and a finished room currently being used as an office. Cleaning is simple with CENTRAL VACUUM across all 3 floors.

This complex has great amenities - pool, playground, tennis courts, and clubhouse.

All this for UNDER $320,000!

The old cliché certainly applies here....THIS....WON'T....LAST

Move in before the holiday season! 

Contact me today to schedule a private showing

I can be reached on my cell @ 914-267-6171 or you can email me -  steve@astorlanerealty.com

Stephen Zondorak

Licensed Real Estate Broker

What is the difference between pre-qualifying and pre-approval?

Knowing where you stand credit wise is even more important now than ever.

A pre-qualification is normally issued by a loan officer, who, after interviewing you, determines the dollar value of a loan you can be approved for. No credit checks are done, no employment history taken, nothing is submitted to an underwriter. However, loan officers do not make the final approval, so a pre-qualification is not a commitment to lend. After the loan officer determines that you pre-qualify, he/she then issues you a pre-qualification letter. In times past, before houses were selling very quickly (between 1997-2005) we used pre-qualification letters. However during the peak seller's market pre-approvals (explained in the next paragraph) became the standard in the Greater Hudson Valley Region.

It is important to note that in truth anyone can be "pre-qualified". Your realtor can do it for you, they simply have to know the lending guidelines.

The better course of action if you are a serious buyer is to utilize the Pre-Approval Letter. This can only be secured through a lender. Given the buyers market we have now, the pre-approval letter is still all-important. Everyone has heard of the high foreclosure rates, short sales and, frankly, all of us are suffering at the gas pump. This makes a pre-approval letter an absolute must in these times.

No self respecting (and sane) agent should put any prospective buyer in their car unless they are fairly certain they are ready, willing and ABLE to purchase. And no self-respecting prospective buyer should expect any realtor to act as a taxi driver.  It is also important to use a LOCAL LENDER, preferably a senior officer and one with whom the agency has had successful past dealings.  All these preparations are very key to a successful transaction.

Pre-approval is a step above pre-qualification. Pre-approval involves verifying your credit, down payment, employment history, etc. Your loan application is submitted to an underwriter and a decision is made regarding your loan application. If your loan is pre-approved, you are then issued a pre-approval certificate or letter. Getting your loan pre-approved allows you to close very quickly when you do find a house. A pre-approval may help you negotiate a better price and/or terms with the seller, because they know that the buyer is serious enough to have answered the hard questions with a lender. Often having a pre-approval at the ready can give you a leg-up if you are up against another buyer who did not come to the table so well prepared.

6.29.10 1st posting | Amended 2014

Stephen Zondorak

Licensed Real Estate Broker

Today, I read a very interesting article. (excerpted and linked below).

The long and the short of this article below is simple. WE NEED LISTINGS.  Across every property type there is demand.  “Good, well priced, well appointed and updated properties are a HOT commodity”. RIGHT NOW … if this sounds like your home, then guess what?!?…you have something that is in demand and this is your moment!!

Properly positioned properties with curb appeal and late renovations will fetch a pretty penny. Yes, let’s be honest, there is a plethora of properties on the market right now. However, many of these listings are worn out, lack proper staging, and exhibit way too much deferred maintenance.   You should know that, as the property owner, if you continue to put off needed repairs, then this can lead to asset deterioration and ultimately asset impairment.

While it is true that the high end markets are a bit sluggish right now  (I know because I’ve experienced that personally this year), the median price point is experiencing a continuing trend of higher prices, and shorter market times.   We are NOT in a seller’s market yet but we could be moving in that direction if things keep moving the way they have.  A good gauge of market trends is how long a given property is on the market.  This is a primary key indicator of your current market condition.

Excerpt from Real Estate In depth:

According to the 2016 Second Quarter Residential Real Estate Sales Report for Westchester, Putnam, Rockland and Orange Counties, released recently by the Hudson Gateway Multiple Listing Service all four counties posted double-digit increases in sales transactions as compared to a year earlier. Putnam County posted the largest second quarter increase at 31.9%, followed closely by Orange County at 30.1%. Rockland County registered a 24.5% rise in sales, while Westchester closed 19.9% more transactions than a year earlier.

Realtors interviewed by Real Estate In-Depth said that demand was strong across all housing types (single-family, condominiums, cooperatives and 2-4-family residences). In addition, the robust market seemed to be especially strong for moderately priced housing in each market. One drag on the market has been the luxury sector, which continues to struggle.

Stephen Zondorak

Licensed Real Estate Broker