Monthly Archives: September 2009
Hollywood protects its own
While Whoopie Goldberg, Angelica Houston and Woody Allen (there’s a surprise) rush to Roman Polanski’s defense, ABC News has thoughtfully brought back the original story of this animal plying a 13 year old girl with Quaaludes and champagne and then … Continue reading
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First Amendment, restraint of trade and other musings
What are the rights of a member of a private organization like the National Association of Realtors (NAR) to speak candidly and publicly on the merits of a specific property? Depending on the outcome of today’s super-secret double-probation grievance hearing … Continue reading
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Congress has its priorities
This story was reported on NPR last Sunday but I forgot to bring it up. Now that Instapundit has linked to it, though, here it is: we are about to lose our ability to send out deep space probes due … Continue reading
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Shhh! Do you want to know a secret?
Overpriced houses don’t sell. And not because of blogs, either. This nice little Old Greenwich cape came on the market at $1.895 million. I showed it to my clients long after, when it had been marked down into the $1.4 … Continue reading
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Round Hill land sale, with house
1775 house on 7 + acres on the corner of Round Hill and Close (Burying? – up there somewhere). Listed at just $5.2 million, sold for $4.5 million. I guess that’s a useful data point for a building lot, though … Continue reading
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Carl Icahn shows why he’s Carl Icahn
Bails out Realogy, for a steep price. It looks like the fixer-upper that billionaire investor Leon Black bought in real estate company Realogy won’t be foreclosed on just yet. The company behind such big names as Century 21, Coldwell Banker … Continue reading
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Oops!
New listing came on today at 110 Clapboard Ridge Road: 24,000 sq. feet, 5 + acres, pool, 7 bedrooms, etc. “House is under construction and being sold as is.”
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Lips sealed
Hearing concluded and I will honor the hearing panels’ order of confidentiality. Unless, of course, something comes of this and we all end up in a court of law. Until then, I will go back to selling houses, or trying … Continue reading
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One sale, one big contract
This house on Richmond Hill was originally listed for $4.050 million in 2003. It disappeared after a year and came back on in 2008 asking $3.975. It sold yesterday for $2.5 million. Assessment was $2.898. On a brighter note for … Continue reading
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Walter Noel’s “I’m just a moron” defense still working
Writer Erin Arvedlund, who first exposed Bernie Madoff’s Ponzi scheme in Barrons in 2001 (and was ignored, of course), spoke in Palm Beach Saturday to promote her new book.”Too Good to be true”. Financial journalist Erin Arvedlund was working for Barron’s … Continue reading
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I’ll take the headline, Your Honor
Norman Hsu, Hillary Clinton’s chief fund raiser, has been sentenced to jail for fraud, but Hsu knows for how long? The NY Times headline says 2 years, the article itself claims 24. If he’s smart, Hsu will show that headline … Continue reading
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Them furriners sure do like these condos, eh?
A unit at “Riverstone”, the condo project on the west bank of the Byram River that I consider to be part of Port Chester but the developers refer to as “Glenville” has gone to contract, after just six days,to a … Continue reading
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Realogy using government accountants
It’s borrowing more money at higher interest to pay back pushy creditors who are owed less money. But this all makes for a stronger, healthier company, just as the FDIC is growing stronger every day. Trust us.
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Dodd’s exquisite sense of timing
While federal investigators are still trying to round up the terrorists who planned to bomb New York City Chris Dodd has introduced legislation repealing the immunity the Senate gave to telephone companies who assisted the government in wiretapping those same … Continue reading
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But Barney Frank likes it
Back in 2005, pre-crash, a mortgage lender got busted because his employees were engaged in mortgage fraud. He wrote a book about it, warning that no-money-down home purchases guaranteed fraud. Sounds sensible, so yesterday’s announcement that Congress and Fannie Mae are … Continue reading
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Change of plans or mind?
This building lot (it does have a tired contemporary on it) is assessed at almost $3 million but its sellers wisely asked less than that: $2.6 million at first, then marked it down to $2.2. Today, they deleted the listing … Continue reading
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No public option – tell me again why we’re doing this?
The Senate has voted to kill the “public option” provision of the health care bill. I was no more fond of this option than I was the entire bill, but what, exactly is now going to be accomplished by any … Continue reading
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I’d like next year’s commissions paid now, please
Not that the FDIC is broke, or anything, but it’s demanding that banks pay next year’s fees now, just to keep things current. Hey, if they aren’t worried, why should I lose sleep over this?
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