Chiller Theater

What has...

snakes 
shrunken heads 
a giant spider web
an undersea aquarium
dinosaurs
pirates
ghosts
mummies 
a pyramid
and 4,000 illuminated jack o’ lanterns?

It could only be The Blaze. At Van Cortlandt Manor, assorted dates starting Saturday and running through November 7.

Coming Back Soon: Adding New Links Now

So, I lived with the idea of ending the blog for a few days. And it made me very sad. Truth is, I love the blog. I really enjoy finding and sharing fun things to do in the area and the coolest houses for sale. I'll probably reduce the number of posts, but I'll do my best to keep them coming. However, I haven't written any yet. But I did update the links—you'll find lots of new links in the right-hand column, especially in the Local Blogs section. Enjoy.

Taking Time to Reflect

It's been a busy few weeks and I haven't been able to find much time to blog. But, beyond that, I'm just not feeling it. I've always loved blogging and keeping this site up and running. But it's suddenly gotten very stale. So I'm taking a little time to rethink and reflect. Should I end the blog? Change the blog? Keep plugging away? I'm not sure... but any advice is welcome.

Fruit of My Land

This is my ninth harvest here in Northern Westchester and I still can't get over the fact that the trees on my own land produce a bounty of edible delights. There's nothing like spending a crisp early fall day picking apples off of your trees and then biting into the tart and delicious meat. The next best thing is eating the apple pancakes I had for breakfast. Or the apple bread I had for lunch. Or the apple pie...

August Sales and Deals

August was a pretty slow month. The number of homes going to contract in the area dropped a bit from July and very few previously-featured Hot Properties went to contract or sold. On the other hand, the local picture seems remarkably stable compared to the recent "plunge" in the national market I've read about. Wonder what the fall will bring?

Contracts signed on single-family homes
July: 73
August: 62

Hot Properties That Went to Contract

Location: Katonah
Featured: May 13, 2010
Asking Price When Featured: $949,000
Last Asking Price: $949,000

Hot Properties That Closed

Location: Croton
Featured: January 12, 2010 
Asking Price When Featured: $489,000
Last Asking Price: NA
Sold for: $425,000

Location: Ossining
Featured: November 24, 2009
Asking Price When Featured: $494,222
Last Asking Price: $449,999
Sold for: $436,500