The Local Impact of a Property Sale

Buying or selling a home has a broader impact beyond personal change — it significantly supports the local economy. According to the National Association of Realtors (NAR), each home sale generates substantial economic activity, with existing home sales contributing over $60,000 and new home purchases adding over $125,000 to the local economy.

Ralph’s Take

Buying or selling a home is more than a personal milestone — it’s a major boost to the local economy. Each move injects tens of thousands of dollars into the community, driving demand in construction, finance, retail, and more. Local governments gain through taxes and fees, and even small businesses, like your neighborhood pizza shop,…

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Zillow Downgrades 2025 Home Price Forecast

Zillow has revised its U.S. home price forecast via ResiClub, now predicting just a 0.8% increase from February 2025 to February 2026, down from earlier projections of 1.1% and 2.9%. This reflects rising inventory levels nationally and ongoing affordability issues, which are dampening buyer demand. Zillow expects only 4.1 million existing home sales in 2025, significantly below pre-pandemic levels.

  • 2025 existing home sales projected at 4.1M, down from 5.3M in 2019.

  • Temporary spring sales boost expected, followed by a seasonal dip.

  • Single-family rents forecasted to rise 3.6%; multifamily rents up 2.5%.

  • Rents continue climbing, 3.6% for single-family homes,…

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The Top Price Ranges Driving Westchester’s Real Estate Market

The chart above provides a breakdown of property showings by price range for homes listed under $2 million in Westchester County, from January 1st to March 15th. It highlights which price segments that are attracting the most buyer interest, showing trends in demand based on the number of showings per listing. Key findings:

Most Active Price Ranges:

  1. $600K – $699K: The lead in every category, representing 12.19% of all showings.

  2. $700K – $799K: Placed second in all categories except showings per listing (10th)

  3. $1.6M – $1.69M: Second in showings per listing (21.24), despite overall low volume.

Ralph’s Take

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More Sellers Are Stepping Into The Market 

We're starting to see more sellers step into the market — no surprise there.

What is surprising? Just how quickly those inventory gains are disappearing. Take a look at what’s been happening over the past two weeks with Westchester single-family homes:

  • Last week: 227 new listings | 203 under contract

  • This week: 222 new listings | 227 under contract

The encouraging news? More inventory will be coming, but the question remains: Can it keep pace with buyer demand, even briefly?

I’ll be watching the numbers closely and will keep you posted. Let me know if you would like to chat about timing or a strategy for your next move.

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Early Signs Buyer Demand Is Picking Up

More buyers are jumping back into the market – and that means it may be time for you to do the same thing. Mortgage applications are up, demand is growing, and home showings are increasing. Those are signs that serious buyers are active today.

If the right buyer walked through your door tomorrow, would you be ready?

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Reader Q&A: Westchester County Sellers

Is it worth making upgrades or should we sell “as-is”?

It all depends on your home’s condition and how it compares to the competition. I never recommend my sellers spend money on upgrades unless there’s a clear return on investment. Small cosmetic changes, like fresh paint, updated lighting, or minor kitchen and bathroom touch-ups, can add value. But major renovations don’t always pay off; I sold a home with a brand-new kitchen a few years ago — the buyers hated it and tore it out after closing. A pre-listing consultation can help determine which updates, if any, will boost your home's appeal and selling price.

We tried selling our home but didn’t like the offers. What should we do…

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When to List Your Home for the Highest Offers

​According to a recent analysis by Realtor.com, the optimal time to sell your home in 2025 will be the week of April 13–19th. Homes listed during this period are expected to achieve higher selling prices, face reduced competition, and sell faster than average.​ Here’s why they consider that week ideal:

  • Listings typically see a 1.1% increase in pricing compared to the average week.

  • Properties often sell nine days quicker than the annual average.

  • Sellers can expect 13% fewer competing listings.

Ralph’s Take

Buyers are entering the market early to get ahead of rising competition, yet many sellers have yet to list, keeping demand high and…

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Happy “pi day” (3.14)

Spring Housing Demand:  By late February and early March, we start to see the year's market trends take shape. Here’s how things are stacking up compared to last year:

  • Weekly mortgage applications are ⬆️ year-to-date.

  • The 30-year fixed mortgage rate is 6.81%, ⬇️ from 7.09%.

  • Westchester’s active listings in February: -7.47%.

It's shaping up to be a busy season. In the past two weeks, I’ve shown 24 properties, written 6 offers for buyers, finalized 2 lease signings, and closed 2 transactions. One of my buyers was up against 33 competing offers in a Highest and Best.  

With demand still high, acting fast and making strong offers is key to this market. If you're…

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If you have a $725,000 house that's on the market for 90 days, I estimate you would lose approximately $19,058 in holding costs.
 Every day that your home is sitting on the market with no viable offers, you’re losing money.

To the average agent, it might sound like overkill that we spend so much time preparing our clients' homes for launch.  But in our opinion, there's no other option.

It’s never too early to start planning.  Start the conversation today

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Are Investors Really Buying All the Homes?

If you’ve been worried about competing with Wall Street for a home, here’s some good news: Institutional investors (those owning 1,000+ homes) make up a small amount of the market, and they’re pulling back, according to multiple outlets. At the peak of the pandemic housing boom in Q3 2021, institutional investors made up 2.2% of home purchases. By Q2 2024, that number had dropped to just 0.3%.

  • Institutional investors currently own 0.4% of the market.

  • Small investors account for around 18% of the market.

  • Total investor purchases, meaning all non-primary home buyers, hit 14.8% of home sales in Q1 2024, the highest share recorded since data tracking began in 2001.

    …

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