The Olympics, Friday the 13th, Valentine’s Day, and 2 more closings - what a week!

First and foremost, Congratulations to a few Team USA Olympians with local ties — Danny Casper of Briarcliff Manor (curling) and Aerin Frankel of Chappaqua (women’s hockey) are making Westchester proud! 👏👏 And a fun connection to real estate: Minnesota Realtor Korey Dropkin helped bring home a silver medal for the U.S. in mixed doubles curling this week. 🏅

Is there a Valentine’s Day effect on the real estate market? Find out here

Today’s Topics:

The most loved New York counties
Are white kitchens cabinets on the way out?
Don’t overspend before you sell!!

Counties New York Homebuyers Love 🥰

The Hudson Gateway Association of Realtors (HGAR) ranked the New York counties that saw the biggest year-over-year increase in home sales in 2025, just in time for Valentine’s Day. Putnam County tops the list with the strongest sales growth and the tightest inventory, showing how intense buyer demand remains there. Several Hudson Valley and downstate counties — including Ulster, Rockland, Westchester, and Sullivan — also posted notable gains, underscoring that many local markets stayed competitive despite broader national housing headwinds. Key points:

Head-Over-Heels: Putnam - Sales up 15.6%. 1.7 months of inventory
Fighting Over: Westchester - 45 days on market. 1.6 months of inventory
The Stealth Crush: Rockland - 7.5% bump in closed sales, 99.5% of list price
Weekend Romance: Ulster - Sales up 8.3% (2nd highest increase)
The Rebound: Dutchess and Orange - Slight decline in sales (-1.7% and -2.1%)

Ralph’s Take

Westchester County is still playing “hard to get”. While the surge in Putnam County sales may surprise people, Westchester remains the tougher catch: homes sell faster, inventory is leaner, and the average sale-to-list ratio is higher — proof that bidding wars haven’t really cooled. With so few options on the market, the good homes are still getting snapped up quickly.

Westchester Weekly Market Tracker 📈

‘Coming Soon’: 18 ↑+1
New Listings: 127 ↓-55
Price Reductions: 34 ↓-5
Pending Sales: 146 ↓-11
Closed Sales: 120 ↓-6

💰 Find your home’s value here!

_{Property Type: Residential. OneKey MLS, Inc. 2/6/26 - 2/13/26.}

White Cabinets? That’s So 2025

Wood cabinetry has surpassed white as the most popular choice in kitchen remodels, according to Houzz’s 2026 Kitchen Trends Study, which surveyed over 1,700 homeowners about recent renovations. Wood cabinets are now chosen in 29% of projects, just edging out white at 28%, with medium and light wood tones leading the way. While white and off-white remain significant players, colorful cabinets like green and blue are still niche, though green has now overtaken gray. The study also highlights a continued preference for contrasting upper and lower cabinets and a surge in wood countertops on kitchen islands. Additional findings:

Popular wood tones: medium 15%, light 11%, dark 3%.
Popular off-white: 15%; green 6% now tops gray 5%; other colors each under 5%.
Built-ins are big: 76% add them: pantries, beverage areas, seating & wine fridges.
Typical costs: $20K minor remodels, $55K major, and up to $75K for large kitchens.
78% of renovators change their kitchen style.

Ralph’s Take

I’ve been saying this for years (just ask my mother) — the era of the all-white kitchen is fading. These days, home buyers are mostly more excited by contrast and character, not wall-to-wall white. Ever heard of a “tuxedo kitchen”? That’s when the upper and lower cabinets are done in different finishes for a sharp, tailored look. And for those who really want their kitchen to pop, give the island its own bold accent color and let it steal the spotlight.

🛑 Stop Over-Spending on Pre-Sale Renovations

If you’re planning to sell your home this spring, you shouldn’t wait to start making updates. In today’s market, homes that feel well-maintained and move-in ready still stand out and sell for top dollar. To decide what’s worth doing, I recommend leaning on return-on-investment (ROI) data, which shows that smaller, visual improvements can pay off just as much as – or more than – major renovations. Here are the highlights from Zonda’s 2025 Cost vs Value Report for the New York market:

323% ROI: Garage door replacement (top performer in New York)
103% ROI: Minor midrange kitchen remodel (slightly pays for itself)
25% ROI: Solar power installation (limited resale payback)

Ralph’s Take

Practical upgrades shine; big glamorous projects don’t. This is exactly with what I tell my clients all the time: I have zero interest in spending your money just to spend it. If I can’t point to a strong, data-backed ROI, it’s not worth your time, your energy, or your cash. Our job is to cherry-pick the handful of projects that the numbers say actually move the needle when you go to sell.