Eastchester REVIEW THE
November 9, 2018 | Vol. 6, Number 46 | www.eastchesterreview.com
Report points to softening of Westchester real estate
TIGERS STOPPED Justin Lee rolls out to pass against Haldane in the Class D championship game on Nov. 3. Lee and the Tigers fell 18-6 to the Blue Devils. For story, see page 15. Photo/Mike Smith
Manhattanville to screen award-winning documentary “Celling Your Soul,” a film written and directed by Manhattanville professor Joni Siani, will be screened to the public with a discussion following on Thursday, Nov. 8 at 6:45 p.m. in the Berman Theater at Manhattanville College. Parents have long grappled with the problem of digital overuse and the negative consequences of social media, but don’t know what to do. Siani is offering real tangible solutions with the issues associated with digital dependency, and the fallout of the digitally socialized generation. As a professor on the front line of the digital revolutions, Siani observed her students struggling to adapt to the emotional and social demands of life “online” and shifted the conversation from “what do you think” to “how do you feel?” Siani and her students were determined to find solutions to the unintended consequence of digital connectivity that have affected an entire generation. The result is a book, “Celling Your Soul,” and
the film. To view the trailer, visit noappforlife.com/. “This is a unique solution-oriented film and program, a forum that goes beyond ‘good or bad’ because it focuses on a productive conversation and offers clear strategies to implement in schools, home and life,” Siani said. “Parents need to hear how kids really feel about their digitally demanding world from the kids themselves and kids need to learn how to feel better, happier, more fulfilled and truly connected.” A winner of the Boston International Kids Film Festival, Director’s Chair Film Festival NYC and other awards, and featured at the 2018 NYC Independent Film Festival, “Celling Your Soul” is an examination of our love/hate relationships with digital devices from the first digitally socialized generation, and what we can do about it. “Manhattanville [College] wants to offer tools and conversation around the challenges of the digital age to the community at large,” Manhattanville President Mi-
chael Geisler said. “While technology has brought so much value to society, we are well aware of the perils of digital overuse and the need for irreplaceable human relationships and connection for people of all ages to thrive as individuals. ‘Celling Your Soul’ is a good step for both young people and parents to gain strength from within and our connections as we collectively navigate an increasingly fast-paced digital world.” Siani, an assistant professor of Media and Communications at Manhattanville, is recognized as an authority in digital socialization and the cultural, social and developmental effects of smart-
phone technology. She began her career in radio and television, eventually transitioning to teaching communications in higher education. In her work as a professor, Siani noticed the unintended consequences of new connection technologies. Her work inspired a group of students to develop strategies for addressing the effects of these communication trends on the social development of young people. Their efforts produced the award-winning documentary “Celling Your Soul,” one of the first films to address the impact of smartphones from the perspective of the first digitally socialized generation. (Submitted)
The suburbs north of New York City are beginning to see a real estate market that is softening, with prices leveling off, inventory rising in nearly every market and sales either flat or declining along with a decline in pending sales, according to a third quarter report from Houlihan Lawrence. In Westchester, home sales were down 4.1 percent, Putnam was slightly up by 1 percent and Dutchess County was down by 11.3 percent due to lack of inventory, which was down 9.9 percent. Most areas of Westchester and Putnam counties had overall increases in inventory, with the Rivertowns showing a 19.9 percent increase and Northern and Northwest Westchester at more than 5.7 percent. Notably, inventory continues to be low at the most affordable prices, homes priced below $500,000. With inventory on the rise in Westchester and Putnam, a troubling sign was the decrease in showing activity by 11 percent through the end of the quarter. Some of the decline could be attributed to lower inventory at affordable price points. Showings are a leading indicator of pending sales, so it’s no surprise that pending sales are down across the
board: down 6.9 percent in Westchester and Dutchess counties, down 2.2 percent in Putnam. Here are some trends to watch toward the end of the year: • The early fall market conditions are pointing to a chilly winter ahead. Despite inventory rising at an even faster pace than the third quarter, showings continue to be down more than 11.5 percent. • More supply and less demand places potential home buyers in the driver’s seat. Yet with interest rates on the rise and wage growth nearly stagnant, buyers may not be interested in making a move anytime soon. • For sellers, the luxury of low inventory is gone and they need to price their homes competitively. • In Westchester, homes priced correctly out of the gate sell, on average, in 49 days and at 99.8 percent of the asking price. Homes priced too high, ones that experience one or more price reductions, spend an average of 344 days on the market and sell for 82.4 percent of the original list price. Those numbers balloon as you move north, to as high as 443 days on the market and 77.7 percent of the original list price in Putnam after price reductions. (Submitted)
In Westchester County, home sales were down 4.1 percent, according to a third quarter report from Houlihan Lawrence.