Statistics show that buyers make up their mind about your home based
on their first seven seconds of viewing!!

Today you have to be the nicest home in your price range to attract buyers. In general, it’s taking longer to sell a home, so they have to be priced accordingly and show extremely well.

We also recommend removing some personal belongings such as photos and mementoes. The point is to depersonalize the space so potential buyers can see themselves in it. In addition, here are some great tips for preparing a home for sale:

• Entrance Should Be Freshly Painted And Seasonally Decorated

• Exterior Freshly Painted Or Power Washed

• Windows Should Be Sparkling Clean

• Exterior Plantings Trimmed And In Good Condition

• Misc Debris Or Trash Removed From Yard (Toys, Trash, Yard And Garden Equipment, Atv’s, Out Of Season Furniture, Etc)

• All Closets Free Of Excess Items

• Remove Excess Furniture To Show Off Room Sizes

• Kitchen, Including Interior Of Appliances, Should Be Very Clean

• Countertops Cleared Of Clutter

• Personal Items Minimized, Such As Refrigerator Art, Personal Photos, Etc.

• Carpets Cleaned

• Interior Walls Clean

• Garage And Basement Organized And Free Of Clutter

• No Evidence Of Pet Or Food Odors

• No Use Of Scented Candles Or Potpourri

• For Showings - Turn On Interior Lights, Open Curtains, Remove Pets, And Empty Trash Cans And Leave The House During The Appointment Time.

All Real Estate agents are the same. Most Americans hold a driver’s license. Does that mean that they all drive the same way? Real Estate agents and drivers are licensed by their state. But people drive differently, and real estate agents approach their jobs differently as well. Buyers and sellers should choose their agent carefully. Designations such as Accredited Buyer Representative, Senior Real Estate Specialist, Graduate Realtor Institute indicate a level of higher competence. Length of experience can also indicate a level of expertise. Another area of distinction is personal referral. Buyers and sellers may want to talk to family, friends and neighbors about their experience in real estate and obtain names of Real Estate agents to contact. A strong recommendation is to interview three agents before making a decision about who you want to work with.

If I wait long enough, I’ll find the perfect home. Buying a house requires knowing market conditions, knowing what you clearly want in a home, and being prepared to make a purchase decision. In today’s market, we often see wait-watchers. Buyers and sellers should work deligently with an agent who will assist them in moving toward their real estate goals.

Buying a house is as easy as negotiating price and signing papers. Buying or selling a home requires extensive knowledge of the market, negotiating terms, home inspection, attending to contract details, working with attorneys and title companies, etc. Real Estate agents move transactions from contract to closing.

If something appears on the inspection report, the seller has to fix it. Quite often buyers think that is something comes up on inspection, sellers must fix it. Real Estate agents should provide all disclosed information and assist buyers and sellers to make reasonable decisions about further negotiations. Generally, negotiation of inspection concerns should be limited to structural or dangerous situations.

Commuting between Ulster County and New York City has become more convenient and affordable with an Ulster County Area Transit bus link to Metro-North express trains from the Poughkeepsie station to Grand Central Terminal in the heart of midtown Manhattan. The bus to train link runs throughout the day, seven days a week.  The overcrowded parking conditions at the Poughkeepsie station have been completely resolved with this bus to train service. You can park your car in one of the free Park & Rides located along the bus route on Rt. 32 in Rosendale across from the Community Center (overflow parking in designated area of Community Center lot), in the New Paltz Agway parking lot, and in Highland at the intersection of Rts. 299 and 9W.Weekday connections to trains start at 6:00 AM and end at 8:30 PM. One-way bus fares are $2.00 from Rosendale, $1.75 from New Paltz are $1.25 from Highland. One-way train fares are $17.75 peak, $13.25 off peak and $8.75 for senior and disabled passengers. Combined bus/rail UniTickets are also available for unlimited travel at $129.50/ week and $407/month.

For more information, visit www.ulstercountyny.gov/ucat or call 888-827-8228.    

On Saturday, October 4, from 9-11 AM the Prudential Nutshell Eco-Broker Team will host Matt Bialecki speaking on sustainable design in architecture, Brian Nowitzki on renewable energy options for the homeowner, and Greg Eckert on green mortgages.  Complimentary refreshments from local farm stands will be provided courtesy of Centennial Mortgage.   The program will take place at Nutshell’s Stone Ridge office at 3056 Route 213 East, Stone Ridge.
Matt Bialecki, AIA, Architect will speak on Sustainable Design.

Mr. Bialecki’s work has often been featured in national publications and has won numerous awards from the American Institute of Architects (AIA) for architectural design and sustainable systems.   In addition to designing numerous local residences, Matt has designed many of the regional buildings you may know such as the Sam’s Point Conservation Center, Rock and Snow, and the New Paltz Railroad Station restoration.  Matt is active in community affairs and land use planning and conservation.  He has served on the Gardiner Town Board where he chaired the Town’s Zoning Committee which rewrote the Town zoning laws to protect the Shawangunk Ridge and promote open space conservation.   For over 20 years, Bialecki Architects has provided Architectural Design, Sustainable Design, Historic Restoration, Landscape Planning and Community Design services throughout the Hudson Valley.

Brian Nowitzki, of Hudson Valley Clean Energy will speak on renewable energy options for homes and businesses. 

In addition to some basics on how these options work to reduce our environmental impact, Brian will highlight the State and Federal incentives available to make these systems affordable and cost-effective.  HVCE is a full service solar electric, solar hot water and geothermal heat pump designer serving Ulster, Dutchess, Columbia, Greene, Putnam and northern Orange Counties.  With over 6 years experience in the renewable energy field, HVCE offers an informative look at the present-day engineering systems that support sustainable building in the Northeast.
Greg Eckert, Vice President of Centennial Mortgage Corporation will speak on the benefits of a “green” mortgages.

Greg Eckert is an experienced mortgage originator working in the Hudson Valley for the past 20 years. Centennial Mortgage Corp is a registered NYS mortgage broker offering a full range of mortgage products.  Various available energy efficient mortgage (Green) mortgage programs will be discussed along with paperless closing options. 
Prudential Nutshell Realty, established in 2002, is the fastest growing real estate firm in Ulster County.  Located in Stone Ridge, Prudential Nutshell provides professional real estate expertise and service to buyers and sellers throughout the Hudson Valley and New York Metro area.  For more information, or to register to attend, call Laurel Sweeney at 845-687-2200.  Seating is limited.

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have been taken over by the government,  Lehman Brothers declares bankruptcy, Merrill Lynch sold to Bank of America, AIG bailed out, and what is going on with WAMU and Wachovia?

Let’s focus on the mortgage part of this:

Last week Treasury Secretary Paulson announced that the federal government was seizing control of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and placing them under a government conservatorship.   This means that the federal government now essentially owns the majority of mortgage debt in the country. 

The move was an effort to prevent the collapse of both agencies, who have been losing money because of the housing slowdown and increased delinquencies and foreclosures.  Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac’s losses eroded their capital reserves and they were unable to raise enough new capital, despite previous attempt by the Treasury Department to help shore them up. 
Treasury Secretary Paulson has said that a failure of either company would cause great havoc in the economic system.  In the NY Times, he was quoted as saying, “This turmoil would directly and negatively impact household wealth: from family budgets, to home values, to savings for college and retirement. A failure would affect the ability of Americans to get home loans, auto loans and other consumer credit and business finance. And a failure would be harmful to economic growth and job creation.”

The purpose of the takeover was to ensure that the flow of money will be available so that banks will still be able to sell their loans to Fannie and Freddie.  If Fannie and Freddie were not open for business, the credit crunch would be much, much worse, because banks would have less access to capital, and fewer buyers for their loans.  This would likely cause rates to go up and lending to tighten even further.

Has it helped?

So far, rates are down about a quarter of a percent, dropping from an average of 6.5% last week, to averaging around 6.25% today on a 30 year fixed rate mortgage.  The hope is that the move will lower mortgage interest rates, and help the housing market recover.  However, the bond yield, which affects mortgage interest rates most directly, was down at 3.41 as of close of business yesterday.  This would usually indicate mortgage rates in the mid 5% range, but rates remain just under 6% for most 30 year fixed rate mortgages.
What effect will the changes on Wall Street have on home sales?
I am not sure anyone can reliably answer that question at the moment.
So what should we do?

I think the best thing we can do is to calm buyers’ fears, and remind them:

1. Rates are still quite low, and mortgage money is available through
   a variety of loan programs. Fannie & Freddie are still lending money,
   as are the FHA, VA and SONYMA.
2. Home prices have come down, so it is a great time to get a good deal if you are a buyer.
3. Let people know about programs like the $7,500 First time Buyer Tax Credit that is available through July 2009.

A warm slice of country living!

The Kerhonkson Accord Chamber of Commerce is holding the 4th Annual Jennie Bell Pie Festival at Kelder’s Farm (home of the world’s largest garden gnome). The festival will take place Saturday September 27th at 12 noon.  The farm is located along Route 209 in Accord.

The pie festival will include a judged bake-off, a pie auction, a talent show, arts and crafts vendors, live music, hay rides and more. The event will wrap up with a spectacular fireworks display provided by a group of local merchants.

Jennie Depuy Bell (1915-2004), whose family was among the first settlers of what is now the Town of Rochester, was well known for her splendid home baked pies. Jennie often donated her time and energy to bake many pies for the Rochester Reformed Church dinners, community events, and of course, her family. Pie making looked easy when Jennie was in the kitchen, but anyone who has tried, knows that much practice and expertise is required.

Jennie Bell was also much appreciated for patiently helping others, both young and old, to master the pie making skill. One of her secrets to a good pie… serve it the same day that it is made!

For more information, call the Accord-Kerhonkson Chamber of Commerce 845-626-2616

I, like many real estate professionals, keep an on going notebook of ideas that I can add to whenever one pops into my head.  The way I do it is with the “Notes” feature in Microsoft Outlook.  Since these notes can be synced up with most hand held devices, it is a good way to get the idea down before it escapes even if I am away from my computer.

While perusing my plethora of digital sticky notes looking for a blog idea, I noticed most of my notes where on how to make our website better.  As of late, it is our plan to upgrade our website in the upcoming months and I thought it would be a good idea to ask our users what they wanted to see on the NutshellRealty.com website.

So if you are a website user or you are looking for a good Ulster County Real Estate website, please leave a comment and let us know how to better serve you.

For years now, our local Ulster County Real Estate industry has enjoyed an influx of second home buyers choosing Ulster County as their “home-away-from-home”.  The majority of these “second home seekers” come from southern New York State, more specifically New York City. The primary reason for Ulster County being the area of choice for Urban New Yorkers is the short commute from New York City to Ulster County.  In addition, Ulster County is located centrally located providing access to a many Hudson Valley entertainment venues and culture making it a preferred destination among others within the 90 minute hop from Gotham.

A New Addition to Hudson Valley Entertainment

Bethel Woods Center for the Arts located a quick 90 minutes from NYC is a state-of-the-art performing arts venue located at the site of the original 1969 Woodstock Festival in Bethel New York.  The summer line-up at Bethel Woods is looking good.  Some of the artists scheduled to perform are: Cyndi Lauper, The B-52s, Rosie O’Donnell, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Ringo Starr & His All Starr Band, Billy Squier, New York Philharmonic, Chicago, Doobie Brothers, Steely Dan, Donna Summer, Steve Miller Band, Joe Cocker, Tony Bennett, Rascal Flatts, Taylor Swift, The Allman Brothers Band and much more.

The seating arrangement was well thought out offering a wide range of seating types and pricing making affordable to anyone.  Venue attendees have their choice from Orchestra seating or general admission which is lawn seating.  The lawn seating is obviously the less expensive option and allows concert goers to bring blankets and other items to make it a little more comfortable.  In addition it is possible to rent lawn chairs for as little as 5 bucks.

Contemplating Coming to Ulster County?

If you are a New Yorker and the thought of buying a second home has ever crossed your mind it is a good idea to check out Ulster County.  If you are unsure, it is a good idea to do a test run by leasing an Ulster County seasonal rental for the summer while exploring our area.  Falling in love with the Hudson Valley is almost guaranteed!

Here in Ulster County, water bodies are abundant. We have over 36 bodies that are considered significant enough to be referred to as a lake or pond. Of those 36 lakes or ponds, 20 of them are used as reservoirs. Of the different types of reservoirs, the type that exist in Ulster County are “dam across a valley” reservoirs. This type of reservoir relies mostly on naturally formed features to effectively hold the water. The result is a beautiful body of water that not only supplies humans with drinking water but also contributes greatly to wild life habitat. The two largest and most popular reservoirs in the Ulster County area are the Ashokan Reservoir and the Rondout Reservoir that are owned by New York city and provide some of the water used to supply the city. Thanks to both the Rondout and Ashokan reservoirs, Bald Eagles have made a spectacular comeback from near extinction.

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This blog was designed to act as a communication hub for our website users to casually discuss real estate topics most important to them.  At Prudential Nutshell Realty, we find it important to connect with our customers in every way possible and hope this blog will provide yet another vehicle by which we respond to our customer’s needs.  To start off I would like to ask that you reply with a comment or question about a real estate related issue you would like to discuss. 

Happy Blogging!