A Holiday Message to You

"Where we love is home - home that our feet may leave, but not our hearts." Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr.

Our original song this year is: "Home Is In Your Heart"   It begins -   "Thinking of YOU at this time of year, it brings back memories that we hold so dear...."   This song contains some special pictures of homes close to the hearts of people we helped this year and the sentiments that fill homes and hearts of people everywhere!  Please take a look and a listen and feel free to share with those who are close to your heart!  

Enjoy!   Warm Wishes - Joe & Karen 

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We're Thankful for All of You

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At this time of year, we think about how much we have to be grateful for. Thanksgiving is a time to give, a time to love, and a time to reflect on things that mean the most in your life. This Thanksgiving, we are especially treasuring the weeks, hours, and minutes of time that we are able to spend with those that we care about. To all of our family, friends, neighbors, clients, and co-workers: We wish you a truly beautiful and bountiful Thanksgiving. We wrote a song called “You Are” that we think fits perfectly this time of year.

Got a Cell Phone You No Longer Use? Here Are 5 Ways to Repurpose It

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Do you have an old phone you no longer use? If so, don’t just throw it out. Besides simply trading it in, there are many other ways you can put old pieces of technology to good use.

Today we’ll be sharing five clever ways you can repurpose an old cell phone:

• Use it as a glorified alarm clock. Even after you remove the SIM card, most cell phones still have the capacity to connect to Wi-Fi. So, using that Wi-Fi connection, there are two alarm clock apps I recommend for those who need a little extra help getting up in the morning. The first is called “CARROT Alarm” and the second is “Pzizz."
• Use it as an E-reader. Old cell phones can easily be used to read e-books or listen to audiobooks through platforms like Audible.
• Use it for home security. There are a number of cool apps that will help you monitor your house while you’re away. Whether you want to keep an eye on your pets, your front door, or your baby’s room, an old cell phone can be an easy and inexpensive security solution. 
• Use it as a backup. Keeping your old cell phone charged and in a convenient place could save you a lot of trouble in case your current phone stops working. Having a backup phone can be very useful in a pinch.
• Donate it. There are a number of charities that refurbish and distribute old cell phones to those in need.

If you have any other questions or would like more information, feel free to give me a call or send me an email. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Don't Let Cigarette Odors Cause Your Home Sale to Go up in Smoke

If you smoke cigarettes in your home, the odors this habit leaves behind could cause your home sale to go up in smoke. Thankfully, there are three cleaning tips that can help alleviate this issue.

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If you’re a cigarette smoker, you may have become smell-blind to the odors this habit can leave behind in your home. This can pose a big problem when it comes time to sell, because non-smoking buyers are sure to notice this residual smell.

To make sure cigarette odors don’t cause your home sale to go up in smoke, there are three key tips you should follow when you list:

1. Have a full professional cleaning of your heating and cooling system. Cigarette smoke will get trapped in your home’s HVAC unit itself, so simply changing out the air filter won’t be enough if you hope to rid your house of odors. Having a professional clean the ductwork, and the unit itself, will be your ticket to fresh-smelling air.
2. Seal and repaint your walls and ceilings. Your home's walls and ceilings can trap unpleasant smelling nicotine particles, and painting alone won’t be enough to undo this effect. Instead, seal your walls first with a primer (like Kilz) and then add your fresh coat of paint after that.
3. Launder or steam clean cloth items, carpet, and furniture in your home. Your drapes, chairs, couches, carpet, and more will all absorb the smell of cigarette smoke over time. Giving each of these items a thorough, professional cleaning will give a huge boost to your home’s overall freshness.
    As a bonus tip: Wipe down flat surfaces, knick-knacks, and light bulbs in your home. You may be surprised to learn that these items can contribute to how your home smells, but the difference that cleaning these things can make will speak for itself.
   
   If you have any other questions or would like more information, feel free to give me a call or send me an email. I look forward to hearing from you soon.
   
   

How Can You Protect Yourself Against Home Repair Fraud?

If you don’t want to fall prey to home repair fraud, there are three common red flags you need to watch out for.

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Whether you’re facing a summer hurricane or a winter storm, we homeowners all have to deal with damage being done to the exterior of our homes at some point in our lives. In today’s episode of “Keeping In Tune With the Market,” I want to share a story about home repair fraud that happened to a client of mine and give you a few tips on how to prevent the same thing from happening to you.

This client was an elderly lady whose roof was damaged in a storm. When a roofer came by and offered to fix the damage for a ridiculously low price, she of course agreed and signed a contract. In return, her insurance company gave her a check that was written out to both her and the roofer. She signed the check over to the roofer, but she never got her roof fixed.

To prevent this kind of home repair fraud from happening to you, there are three red flags you need to watch out for.

First, if a contractor comes into your neighborhood and makes a “now-or-never” offer to make a repair at a reduced price while they’re in the area, don’t fall for it.

Second, if you hire a contractor to make a repair on your home and your insurance company issues a check that’s written out to the both of you, don’t sign the check over to the contractor until the repair has been made and it’s been inspected by another licensed contractor.

Third, if the contractor had materials they needed for your job, make sure they show you a paid receipt for those materials so you don’t get stuck with a lien on your house because they took off and took your money without paying for them.

If you have any questions about this topic or you have any other real estate needs I can help you with, feel free to call or email me anytime. I’d be happy to help you.

As always, remember to keep in tune with the market. Until next time, make it a great day!

Furnished or Unfurnished: Which Is More Effective When Listing?

Is it better to sell your home furnished or unfurnished? Today we will get to the bottom of this key question.

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Today’s question comes from one of our viewers, Kathy O’Shea, who asks: “Should you sell your home furnished or unfurnished?”

Kathy happened to have the option of moving her furniture with her when she transitioned into her new home, but not all of us have this luxury. Therefore, many sellers have no choice but to show their home with their furniture still inside.

But which is the better option, and what are some of the benefits of each?

First of all, leaving your home furnished while it’s on the market can help buyers visualize how they might decorate a room. You can also rearrange your furniture for optimal staging, if removing your furniture is not an option or is something you prefer not to do. 

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Leaving your home furnished while it’s on the market can help buyers visualize how they might decorate a room.

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However, sellers who plan to leave their home furnished while selling must be sure to declutter before letting buyers into their property. Furniture that takes up too much room can make spaces look much smaller. And this brings me to the benefits of selling your home unfurnished.

One of the main benefits of showing your home without any furniture inside is that it gives buyers the chance to see your home’s true space. Rooms will look very large and open, and people with good imaginations will have no trouble imagining them full of furniture.

That said, statistics show that homes staged with furniture do tend to sell more quickly and for a slightly higher price. But don’t worry if you have to sell unfurnished. You can still sell in good time and for a good price without furniture in your home.

If you have any other questions, would like more information, or are curious how we can help you buy a new home or sell your current one, feel free to give us a call or send us an email. We look forward to hearing from you soon.

 

What Can You Do to Improve Your Home’s Interior Without Breaking the Bank?

Where can you get the best return on interior home improvements? Here are a few good options.

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Welcome back to another episode of “Keeping in Tune With the Market,” where we bring you relevant real estate information to help you keep in tune with the market.

We’re on the road again with part two of our series on how to make your home show like a model without breaking the bank. In part one, we talked about how to fix up your home’s exterior. Today we’re going to focus on the interior of the house, and the rooms where you'll get the best return on investment.

According to Angie’s List, kitchens and bathrooms bring the highest return on investment. Whether you’re thinking of selling now or later, it’s a good idea to consider some improvements in these areas. You don’t have to do a full kitchen remodel and spend tens of thousands of dollars. You can spend money without breaking the bank by doing things such as:

1. Changing out the countertops
2. Changing the cabinet handles
3. Updating your lighting

The second area to consider is the bathroom. Old fixtures, faucets, sinks, toilets, and vanities can be replaced to give the room a whole new look.

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According to Angie’s List, the kitchen and bathroom bring the highest returns.

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If you'd like further information about how you can improve the inside of your home to get the highest return on investment without breaking the bank, give us a call or send us an email. We’d be glad to send you a copy of our free report.

In the meantime, if you have any questions, don’t hesitate to give us a call or send us an email. We look forward to hearing from you.

How Can You Transform Your Home From the Outside?

The goal of every home seller is to sell for the most money possible. Here’s how you can start working towards that from the outside of the home.

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Welcome back to another episode of “Keeping in Tune With the Market.” Today we’re going to begin a series where we will be talking about how to make your house show like a model home without breaking the bank. As the sale signs pop up around town, we start to notice all the beautiful houses for sale. The ones with good curb appeal, at least. Having great curb appeal is the best way to make your house look like a model home without breaking the bank. Make sure that these three things are taken care of:

Having great curb appeal is the best way to make your house look great.

1. Any unkempt shrubbery or stray weeds should be gotten rid of. 2. Your lawn should be well-maintained and your walkway clearly visible for potential buyers. 3. A front door that’s worthy of your home. Install a new doorknob or add a fresh coat of paint. Next time, we’ll discuss some interior fixes that you can make to help your home show even better. In the meantime, text “Show like a model” to (516) 822-1222 if you want me to send you more tips to help you get your home ready. If you have any other questions or are thinking about buying or selling a home, feel free to reach out anytime.

5 Terms First-Time Homebuyers Need to Know

If you’re a first-time homebuyer, you need to know these five terms before you begin the process.

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We’re back again for another episode of “Keeping in Tune With the Market.” Today we’re going to discuss the five terms that first-time homebuyers need to know before going to look at their first house to make sure they are fully prepared: 1. Pre-approval. What’s the difference between a pre-approval and a pre-qualification? A pre-qualification is pretty informal and can be done over the phone. It’s more of a first-step type of thing. A pre-approval, on the other hand, will get you pretty close to the finish line as far as your loan is concerned. It’s more of a concrete step that takes all of your financial information into account and lets you know exactly how much you can afford. 2. FHA mortgage. FHA stands for the Federal Housing Authority. This is a federally backed loan that only requires buyers to put down 3.5% for their down payment. With a conventional mortgage, you need 10% to 20% down. If you don’t have a lot of money or a lot of credit, it still allows you to lock in an interest rate and buy a home.

These are five good terms to start with.

3. Down payment. A down payment is the earnest money that a seller gets from a buyer when they sign the contract. There’s quite a range on how large a down payment can be. It could be as little as a few thousand dollars, or it could go up to 20% of the purchase price, depending on the type of mortgage you get. This money cannot be removed by the buyer or seller arbitrarily until the sale is closed.

4. Appraisal. Many people don’t really know what an appraisal actually is. An appraisal happens when an authorized appraiser from a third-party source comes out to value the property. They are doing this on the buyer’s behalf to make sure that their lender is taking a good risk for a bad risk. The value they come up with is determined by other comparable sales in the neighborhood as well as the condition and location of the home. 5. Closing costs. We’re almost at the finish line when these come into play. Closing costs can vary greatly, and they might be higher than you’re expecting. However, you can benefit from these closing costs in the long run. They usually come out to be anywhere from 2% to 5% of the total purchase price of the house, but you should have your lender give you a good faith estimate so you know exactly what those costs will be. Although there are a lot more terms you’ll need to know as a first-time homebuyer, these five are good ones to start with. If you have any questions for us in the meantime, don’t hesitate to give us a call or send us an email. We look forward to hearing from you soon.

What Happens When the Market Favors Sellers?

What exactly is a seller’s market? Let’s find out.

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What is a seller’s market? This is a question I’m commonly asked, so I’m going to address it today. Contrary to how the name may make it sound, a seller’s market actually means that there are more buyers than sellers. A seller’s market is one that favors sellers. Let me give you an example. Imagine a town with 10,000 households and 300 houses for sale. Not many people move in this town, but there are a couple of new businesses in town, and these businesses are drawing in new employees. All of these buyers are competing over the same 300 houses.

When the market is in the seller’s favor, they can sell quickly and for top dollar.

According to the laws of supply and demand, this sets sellers up for success. When there is a limited supply of a product, the people who are selling it can take advantage of the increased demand. This applies to real estate as well. When the market is in the seller’s favor, they can sell quickly and for top dollar. However, buyers in a seller’s market are not necessarily at a loss. There are some tips and tricks you can use as a buyer to still get a good deal. If you have any other questions or would like more information, feel free to give me a call or send me an email. I look forward to hearing from you soon.