Westchester County can be an intimidating place to shop for real estate. A recent study ranked the county sixth in the nation for the amount of income required to buy a median-priced home.

Cynthia Flood, a realtor at Better Homes and Gardens Rand Realty, was born and raised in Pleasantville and sells homes throughout Westchester County. She said right now, it is a sellers market, which makes it tough for buyers to get good deals.

She said Pleasantville is especially competitive. “Pleasantville used to be more of a blue collar town, and it has changed and become more uppity,” Flood said. “There is a new influx of people because of attractions and restaurants. There is [an] influx of people moving to Pleasantville more than any other town.”

Flood said major attractions are the town itself, the farmers market, the walkability, and access to Metro-North. She said schools are a big factor as well along with the restaurants.

Flood said her number one piece of advice for clients is to do their research. Even before working with an agent, it is important to find out their background and how well they know the area and for the client to define what they want.

Faye Gregory, a former resident of Armonk, remembered how expensive it was to live there.

“After living in Armonk for several years, the cost of living got so high that I found it was time for a change. However, the community was lovely and an excellent place to buy a home and raise a family.”

Flood agreed. She tells her clients that she was raised in Pleasantville and how much she loves the town. After working on Wall Street, she said she decided to return to Pleasantville to open a pet business and sell real estate. Flood brands herself as a pet friendly realtor and Olly, a Yorkie, is the company dog. He can be seen on the realtor’s flyers.