Edgemont Home Sales Gain With Scarsdale Steady for 1H 2012
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Scarsdale residential real estate sales remained steady from January 1 through June 30, 2012 over the same period in 2011 while sales in the Edgemont school district saw significant gains. In Scarsdale, 95 homes sold in the first half of 2012 compared with 96 in 2011. However, this year, there were more property purchases in the higher end of the market in both Scarsdale and Edgemont.
In Scarsdale, though the overall volume and the average sale price of a 5 bedroom/4 bath home were even with last year, more homes above $2,000,000 sold this year than last. Homes sold more quickly as well -- with the average days on market decreasing from 193 last year to 165 in the first half of 2012.
Susan Slotnick, Vice President and Associate Broker at Prudential Centennial Realty, says “current sales indicate that when a home is priced realistically it drives buyer interest and sells quickly. When homes are over-priced they sit and lose buyer interest.”
Similarly, a 25-year veteran of the residential mortgage business, Mitchell Steinberg, commented “new lows have spurred a flurry of refinancing and purchase activity. Mortgage rates have breached record lows in recent weeks and according to Freddie Mac, the rate for a 30-year fixed mortgage dipped to 3.66 percent the week of June 22. The four-week moving average of applications for refinances has risen to its highest level since the recession ended.”
Scarsdale Sales Stats
In the Scarsdale School district, 95 total residences sold from January 1 – June 30, 2012. Sales of single family homes were highest in Quaker Ridge (23), followed by Greenacres (20), Fox Meadow (19), Heathcote (16) and Edgewood (10). The minimum selling price was $450,000 for a 1925 brick colonial, with 3 bedrooms and 3.2 baths on 0.385 acres in Greenacres. The maximum selling price was $5,300,000 for 16 Burgess Road, pictured above, a 1998 colonial estate, 6 bedroom, 7.2 bath home on 1.20 acres, in Heathcote’s Murray Hill.
The average selling price of a single family home, 5 bedroom/4.3 bath, 3,696 square feet, was $1,608,349 with 165 days on the market. 27 single family homes, or 31%, sold for $2,000,000 and above. The number of sales grew significantly from $2,000,000 - $3,000,000 from 11 to 23 properties, or a 109% gain, over the corresponding period last year. 34 single family homes, or 39%, sold from $1,000,000-$2,000,000. 27 homes, or 30%, sold below $1,000,000 with volume consistent from the comparable period last year. There was one condominium sale at Christie Place in downtown Scarsdale. Cooperative sales were up from the prior year comparable period at Chateaux Circle.
Edgemont sales rebounded from previous lows with significantly more sales in the first half of 2012. Similar to the buying pattern shift in Scarsdale, sales volume in Edgemont moved upwardly towards sales above $1,000,000 over the comparable period last year.
Scarsdale real estate attorney, Keith Schutzman, related that this June has been his busiest season by far in at least five years. He said “June is the real estate equivalent of April 15 tax season!”
Edgemont Sales Stats
Information provided by Angela Manson, licensed real estate salesperson with Prudential Centennial, Scarsdale..Contact her at 914-420-9878 or [email protected].
Keith Schutzman, real estate attorney, may be reached at 914-713-0001 or [email protected].
Comings and Goings
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The capricious environment for retailers continues to be evident in the changing storefronts around town. Supermarkets seem especially volatile as giants like ShopRite, with cut-rate prices take their toll on less competitively priced grocers.
This week we noticed that Morton Williams on Central Avenue closed. Morton Williams, a branch of a Manhattan chain of markets opened its doors in 2007 in the space formerly occupied by Turcos–- but this branch of the Manhattan chain never took hold in the suburbs. Morton Williams lacked Turcos fresh green market -- and prices for shelved items were high. The store was rarely full – and once ShopRite opened further down Central Avenue and H Mart showed up next door Morton Williams faced stiff competition.
In Scarsdale Village, another big loss. the Verizon store is history, leaving two empty storefronts next to Learning 
Express. With the Good Life Gourmet gone next door, there are now two adjacent storefronts vacant in a prime stretch of Scarsdale Village. Though we are not sure why the Verizon store, someone speculated that the store owners lost their contract with Verizon. Now you'll have to go to Central Avenue to replace your phone.
On the positive side, Malvina Guretsky has opened her jewel of a couture shop, MAG Tricote, on Christies Place, next to Patisserie Salzburg featuring her custom-designed, handmade, one-of-a kind knit creations. The charming store has a lovely selection of knit dresses that can be bought off the rack or custom ordered to suit. The dresses and tops are hand knit or crocheted by artisans around the world using fine yarns. Stop in and let Malvina know you read about her on Scarsdale10583.com.
Also open on the Popham Road Bridge in Scarsdale is SkinTheraP, featuring non-invasive procedures to improve your look. The new medical cosmetic spa is run by Dr. William Greenberg who has 25 years of experience helping patients achieve their beauty goals without surgery. At their Popham Road site, they are offering “coolsculpting” to “freeze” layers of fat, “Ultherapy” a new procedure that uses ultrasound to target sagging skin. plus cosmetic injections, fillers and facials. 
Visit or call their new location at 15 Popham Road and mention Scarsdale10583 to get $100 off a “coolsculpting” treatment from now through August 31. (914-819-0409)
Down the road, on Fischer Avenue in Eastchester, stylist Piero Pirri has opened his second salon, Pirri, that features an express styling bar. In July and August, blow-dries are just $25 when you mention Scarsdale10583. Pictured here are Piero and his brother Luigi at the 
opening of Pirri at 130 Fischer Avenue in Eastchester - call (914) 395-1700 to make an appointment.
And furniture retailer West Elm opens next Thursday – June 28th next to Chase Bank in the Vernon Hills Shopping Center. Featuring affordable designs for modern living, store associates can help customers with planning and home design.
Duck Tales
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A Scarsdale family became hosts to a family of another kind in their yard when a mother duck decided that Murray Hill was the perfect place to build her nest. With a lush lawn and a pleasant pool, the fenced-in yard seemed like a safe place to hatch her brood.
The Scarsdale family watched her sit on the nest for six weeks. To learn more about ducks they called the Greenburgh Nature Center who advised them not to make the ducks too comfortable – after all a pool is not a pond, and chlorinated water, though not harmful, is not ideal for ducks. Also if you permit the ducks to stay, the baby ducklings will return to your property each year to lay their own eggs. They also consulted a “wildlife relocator” but ultimately decided to sit tight and instructed their landscapers not to bother the nest. They enjoyed watching mom warming the eggs with periodic visits from the male father or 
Mallard.
Before long they were greeted with a joyful sight – Momma duck and her nine ducklings swimming in the pool. Some chose to float on the kickboard while another liked to ride on mom’s back. One of the wayward ducks always seemed to swim in the wrong direction.
But hot weather came to Scarsdale and the proper homeowners wanted to get back into their pool. They realized that the ducklings were not able to get out of the water as they could not fly. How to help them out? They extended a raft from the pool onto the deck, making a runway for the exit of the duck family, who readily complied.
Where they have gone is anyone’s guess – but they sure were entertaining while they were in residence.
Couture Boutique to Open on Christie Place
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At long last, a new store is set to open this week on Christie Place in Scarsdale Village. The opening of MAG Tricote is scheduled for Friday, June 15 through Sunday June 17 and you are invited to come in and see MAG Tricotes’ high end and handmade collection of clothing and accessories.
The store is the creation of Malvina Guretsky who designs dresses, separates, outwerwear and accessories for all occasions. Materials include natural fabrics and yarns, hand-dyed silk, cashmere and hand-spun fibers.
Guretsky is a native of the Soviet Union who came to the U.S. at age 17 to pursue an education at NYU. Following college she took a position at Deutsche Bank, where she worked for 17 years, eventually rising to Managing Director. In this role she travelled frequently but eventually tired of the corporate world. At home she pursued her lifelong passion for knitting which evolved from a hobby into a new business venture as she developed a line of knitwear for women and babies and hired talented designers and craftswoman to create her couture. Her new line includes hand knit, hand crochet, felted pieces, and a few hand sewn silk pieces.
She invites you to see the line this weekend at MAG Tricote, a name derived from Malvina’s initials and the word “tricoter”, which
means ”to knit” in French.
MAG Tricotes
120 Christie Place
Scarsdale NY 10583
Magtricotes.com
917-951-6450
Memorial Day Photo Gallery
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Citizens of Scarsdale gathered on Memorial Day in Chase Park to honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice in defense of our country. The Memorial Day ceremony and parade were sponsored by Scarsdale American Legion Post 52, commanded by Thomas Adamo. Scarsdale veterans, Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts, Little Leaguers, the Scarsdale High School Band, their parents, friends and members of the community gathered to remember our servicemen.
On hand were Mayor Miriam Flisser, Village Trustees Bob Harrison and David Lee, Scarsdale School Board Members Elizabeth Guggenheimer and Sunil Subbakrishna, Police Chief John Brogan, Assemblywoman Amy Paulin and Scarsdale Forum members Dan Hochvert and Bruce Wells.
Photos by HL Flisser
