The Inside Press

Magazines serving the communities of Northern Westchester

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A Summer Music Day Camp Unlike Any Other!

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Music in Chappaqua’s New York Rock Academy is a Sanctuary for Campers, an Uplifting Environment where Kids & Teens Experience Self-expression, Camaraderie and a Stimulating Music Education

Angie Angier is the founder and owner of the New York Rock Academy Performance Summer Camp and of the famed Music in Chappaqua.

Chappaqua, New York–The New York Rock Academy Performance Summer Camp is back for 2022! Established by musician, educator and longtime Chappaqua resident Angie Angier, the New York Rock Academy Performance Camp, under the auspices of the famed Music in Chappaqua, is about music community and togetherness. In the wake of these challenging times we are all experiencing, Ms. Angier explains, “Now more than ever, music becomes a great unifier, an ultimate healer, and an essential element that allows campers/students to reclaim their identities, connect with their peers, and share in the joy of self-expression.”

Our New York Rock Academy Performance Camp, Ms. Angier states, “allows each camper to develop their own voice as budding artists. Here we celebrate and have a great love of every individual. We care for them, and we value their individuality. It’s a nurturing music environment where students make great friendships. It’s truly a safe haven, and a mecca for young artists.” The Academy is an immersive rock ‘n roll day camp consisting of five independent week-long sessions for aspiring rock stars.


Sessions include:

– Beatles Week
– The Ultimate ‘70s Rock Camp
– Green Day Vs. Red Hot Chili Peppers
– The Amazing Music of the Big ‘80s
– The Ultimate Nirvana Grunge Rock Camp

The structure of the Academy, with its five week-long sessions geared to specific rock eras, represents the future of the summer program, Ms. Angier says. “We stand on the shoulders of giants,” she says. “The musicians of these different decades gave us so much musical intelligence. We delve deeply into the riches they left us.

“This is really the vision for the Academy and the music school,” Ms. Angier adds. “I like the ‘deep dive’ idea into the decades of rock and roll. I think it’s a wonderful, unique approach – to cover five weeks of different periods of rock and roll.” She hopes ultimately to allow campers/students to take their expertise on the road and travel to different areas of the country, emulating the great rock musicians of decades gone by.

Music in Chappaqua provides instruction in a range of musical instruments for campers, and features a series of programs aimed at bringing out the inner musician in every child. Programs include:

• Private Lessons: Offering instruction in piano, voice, violin, guitar, bass, guitar, cello, double bass, flute, trumpet, drums, clarinet, voice and songwriting

• Rock Workshops: Ensemble play providing a practical, exciting way for students to participate in a real band in an actual band setting

• Indie Workshops: A terrific opportunity for young vocalists to find their own voice, sound and style

For more information about the Summer 2022 New York Rock Academy Performance Camp and all programs at Music in Chappaqua, Call Music in Chappaqua at 914.238.3123, contact the school via email at mail@musicinchappaqua.com, or log on to its Web site, www.musicinchappaqua.com. 

 

ROCKS Mother’s Day Gift Guide: ‘We’ve Got You Covered’

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“Jewelry that shows how much you love her.”
“Bags for Moms on the Move!”
“When Home is where Mom’s Heart is”
“Not sure what to get the Mom who has everything? How about a ‘Home Refresh’? Let ROCKS Interior Design Specialists refresh a room in Mom’s home!

 

Gift Certificates available or contact ROCKS for more information. 914-219-5808

Chappaqua’s Points Mom Offers Travel-for-Free Tips

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Points Mom Cindy Greenstein

By the time most families step off planes for vacations, they’ve spent thousands of dollars getting to their destinations–but not Cindy Greenstein.

As The Points Mom, the Chappaqua-based mother of three has turned her dexterity with credit card reward programs into a small business advising neighbors and small business owners on how to reap the biggest rewards using the right cards. At the same time, she has earned hundreds of thousands of dollars in free travel for her family.

“Every month, I counsel credit card users who missed out on significant free travel and benefits because they made simple, avoidable errors,” said Greenstein, who began The Points Mom consulting four years ago. “These errors fall into several categories, and they are easily avoidable with a bit of planning and awareness.”

One of the most common errors Greenstein sees is a failure to hit a minimum charge amount within a given period, say $6,000 within the first three months of sign-up. Failing to hit that minimum spend means a credit card can cancel a 50,000-point sign-up bonus, which negates the reason for applying for that card.

“Credit card users might think the card’s annual fee counts towards the minimum spend–it doesn’t. If you charged $500 on a new coat and then return it for a refund, then that $500 doesn’t count either,” said Greenstein, whose free, five-figure family trips include Aspen, Greece and London.

Another mistake is redeeming points on Amazon.

“It looks appealing, but you’re not getting one cent per point, often you’re getting 0.7 cents and we want at least one cent per point or mile redemption,” said Greenstein, whose favorite cards are the Chase Sapphire Preferred, Capital One Venture X and Amex Gold Card.

Making a reservation without comparing ticket-redemption costs is a mistake. For example, a $500 ticket on Delta might cost 50,000 American Express points, but on the Delta rewards site it may cost 40,000 miles. Instead of redeeming the points on American Express, Greenstein advises transferring 40,000 of those points to the Delta rewards program.

This error seems counter intuitive: Airlines’ frequent flyer credit cards are not always best for free plane tickets.

“Even if you live in Atlanta–Delta’s hub–you’ll do much better with an Amex flexible rewards card. You might earn four Amex points for every dollar spent, which can be better than Delta’s card,” said Greenstein, who has joined every airline’s frequent flier program to maximize her points-transfer and redemption options.

 

Dr. Gizelka David-West, Gynecologic Oncologist, joins Northern Westchester, Phelps Hospitals

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Dr. Gizelka David-West

Gizelka David-West, MD, a gynecologic oncologist, has joined the Northwell Health Cancer Institute team of specialists at Northern Westchester and Phelps hospitals. She specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of ovarian, uterine, cervical, vaginal and vulvar cancers.

She is extensively trained and highly skilled at treating complex gynecologic cancer with minimally invasive robotic surgery. Robotic surgery helps improve surgical precision and alleviates the limitations of laparotomy and conventional laparoscopy to improve patient outcomes. This advanced surgical technology can help with the management of endometrial, cervical, and ovarian cancers.

In addition to her clinical work, Dr. David-West plans to increase awareness of gynecologic cancer in Westchester County through social media and community engagements, both virtual and in-person. This is a mission she is dedicated to even outside of work as lead singer in the critically acclaimed rock band N.E.D. (No Evidence of Disease).

“Dr. David-West has a deep passion for educating all women about early detection and prevention of gynecologic cancers,” said Jeannine Villella, DO, FACOG, FACS chief of gynecologic oncology at Lenox Hill Hospital in Manhattan, who oversees the Western Region Gynecologic Oncology for Northwell Health. “In addition, she offers her patients a unique combination of surgical expertise along with compassion and empathy. We are thrilled to have her join the team.”

Prior to joining Northwell, Dr. David-West spent several years in practice at Westchester Medical Center as an attending physician and assistant professor of gynecologic oncology. She also was involved in medical student education as the associate site director of the OB/GYN clerkship at New York Medical College/Westchester Medical Center. In 2020, Castle Connolly, a peer-reviewed survey by other medical professionals, recognized her as a Top Doctor in Westchester County. She has lectured and published several research articles on gynecologic cancers.

Dr. David-West received a Bachelor of Science, Summa Cum Laude, in biology from Eastern New Mexico University and her Doctor of Medicine from University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. Dr. David-West completed her Internship and Residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology at Mount Sinai School of Medicine and completed a fellowship in Gynecologic Oncology at New York University School of Medicine. Dr. David-West is married, has three children and is a resident of Yorktown Heights, NY.

Dr. David-West will have offices at Northwell Health Cancer Institute at Phelps Hospital, 777 N. Broadway, Suite 102, Sleepy Hollow, NY 10591 and at Northwell Health Cancer Institute at Northern Westchester Hospital, 400 E. Main St., Mount Kisco, NY 10549. Call (914) 666-1775 for an appointment.

News and Photo courtesy of Northwell, Inc.

Thinking About Making a Move? Important Financial Considerations When Selling or Buying a Home

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As we head into peak residential real estate season, you may be thinking about whether it’s the right time to list your home for sale or to go house hunting. In addition to considering how local market circumstances such as job growth, mortgage rates, and tax incentives influence your timing, you also want to think about how selling or buying a home may impact your long-term financial plan. In this article, we explore important questions both sellers and buyers should ask themselves when considering a move.

 
 

For Sellers

1. How much will it cost to sell your house?

A good rule of thumb is to be prepared to pay costs of up to 10% of your home price to sell your house.  This includes expenses associated with getting your house in shape to show, such as cleaning and painting, realtor commissions, closing costs including transfer tax and legal fees, and repair costs or concessions.  

Depending on how long you owned the house and whether it was your primary residence, you may also owe taxes on the profit from your home sale. If you’ve owned your home for at least two years and lived in it for at least two of the last five years, you can exclude up to $250,000 of the profit as an individual or $500,000 as a married couple, if you file a joint tax return.  If you’ve owned your home for at least one year, any profit will be taxed as a long-term capital gain.

2. Where would you go next?

If you’re planning to buy another home, consider the cost of maintaining that new house on an annual basis, from mortgage related expenses and property taxes to maintenance and repairs.

If your plan is to rent, you may need to figure out how to manage the potentially large inflow of cash from the sale of your home. This inflow should be incorporated into your long-term financial plan and aligned with your goals, which for many of you is retirement. If you allocate some of this cash to investments, it may be worthwhile to seek guidance from a Financial Advisor on the most efficient way to deploy it in such a volatile stock market.

3. How will you pick a buyer?

The attractiveness of an offer may depend on your risk tolerance and your timeline. Cash offers may be attractive because they don’t depend on bank underwriting or appraisals and can often be completed more quickly. Though cash offers may mean a lower selling price, they may be more likely to close without issues. 

For Buyers

Many areas of the country are experiencing a seller’s market, where there are more prospective buyers than there are homes for sales. When housing inventory is low, buyers have fewer choices and may have to pay higher prices or be more willing to make concessions. Understanding how these factors impact your financial plan can help you make bidding and buying decisions with greater confidence.

1. How do you decide how much to bid?

Often, the response to this question is, “How much can you afford?” If you anticipate getting a mortgage, the Federal Housing Administration generally uses a 43% debt-to-income (DTI) ratio as a guideline for approving mortgages.  Keep in mind that getting approved for a mortgage does not guarantee you will be able to afford the payments, so it is critical to be sure you understand, and are comfortable with, the level of financial risk you will be taking on. 

Once you understand how much you can afford, you will have a clearer picture of your price range and how much you can bid.  

2. How much will you need to set aside as a down payment?

If you are able to put down 20% of your home price, you may be able to avoid paying private mortgage insurance. There may, however, be situations where you opt against a 20% down payment. Your Financial Advisor may be able to advise you on what down payment makes the most sense for your situation. 

3. What other costs do you need to budget for?

The costs associated with buying a house go beyond the down payment and the monthly mortgage payments. You will need to factor in expenses such as closing costs, which are all the fees associated with the mortgage, as well as title insurance, NY state mortgage tax and mansion tax for purchases over $1 million, property taxes, homeowner’s and mortgage insurance, homeowner’s association fees, and relocation expenses. You will also need to plan for routine and unexpected home maintenance and repairs. 

Key Takeaways

As you can see, the financial implications of selling or buying a home go far beyond the purchase price and can have long-term impacts on your financial plan and overall wealth strategy.

When it comes down to it, the best time to sell or buy is the time that works best for you. Selling or buying a home is not just a financial decision, but a personal one. It’s important to make sure the timing makes sense for you from the standpoint of lifestyle and emotional preparedness. Whether you’re thinking about selling or buying a home, working with a Financial Advisor who understands your circumstances, priorities, and long-term goals can help you formulate a plan that is designed to protect your vision of the future.

About the Author

Richard Bloom, CFP® is a Financial Advisor with The MayerGelwarg Group at Morgan Stanley. He works with our clients to gain a full understanding of their financial goals and coordinates wealth planning analyses on their behalf to clarify the long-term financial implications of the decisions they make today. Rich is a Certified Financial Planner™, earning that designation through New York University, and is an active member of the Estate Planning Council of New York City and the Financial Planning Association of New York. He can be reached by email at Richard.Bloom@morganstanley.com or by telephone at (212) 893-7597.

DISCLOSURES

Article by Morgan Stanley and provided courtesy of Morgan Stanley Financial Advisor.

Richard Bloom is a Financial Advisor in 1290 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10104 at Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC (“Morgan Stanley”). 

This article has been prepared for informational purposes only. The information and data in the article have been obtained from sources outside of Morgan Stanley. Morgan Stanley makes no representations or guarantees as to the accuracy or completeness of the information or data from sources outside of Morgan Stanley. It does not provide individually tailored investment advice and has been prepared without regard to the individual financial circumstances and objectives of persons who receive it. The strategies and/or investments discussed in this article may not be suitable for all investors. Morgan Stanley recommends that investors independently evaluate particular investments and strategies and encourages investors to seek the advice of a Financial Advisor. The appropriateness of a particular investment or strategy will depend on an investor’s individual circumstances and objectives.

Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC (“Morgan Stanley”), its affiliates and Morgan Stanley Financial Advisors and Private Wealth Advisors do not provide tax or legal advice. Clients should consult their tax advisor for matters involving taxation and tax planning and their attorney for matters involving trust and estate planning, charitable giving, philanthropic planning and other legal matters.

Richard Bloom may only transact business, follow-up with individualized responses, or render personalized investment advice for compensation, in states where he is registered or excluded or exempted from registration, http://brokercheck.finra.org/Search/Search.aspx.

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