Staging For The Spring

It's Spring ! It may not feel like spring just yet, but mother nature will be getting with the program in the next few days bringing us some warmer weather! All those homeowners who have their homes on the market, and those who are getting ready to make their debut here are a few tips to get your home ready for the spring rush of buyers !

Update Your Pictures - If your home was listed in the winter you will want to update the pictures this way it showcases your homes spring look ! This is not only important to keep your listing from looking outdated, but if your anything like me I love my outdoor space and buyers should get the opportunity to see it too !

Create Your Outdoor Space - Having an inviting outdoor space whether it is a inviting front porch, or a great entertaining space in your backyard can really set you apart from your competition.  Here are a few quick tips for creating that space !

• Decks/Porches/Railings always look a bit nicer with a fresh coat of paint or a good power washing ! 
• Inexpensive solar lighting to help light walk-ways not only make things safer, but also gives you great curb appeal ! 
• Brightly colored potted plants add to your curb appeal, and the best part is even someone without a green thumb can maintain these with very little work ! 
• Update your outdoor furniture, if your moving into your new home and were going to upgrade this furniture this season take the time and do it now. Since it will be going with you to your new home it will help showoff what that space offer to your buyers ! 

Lighten Things Up - Many people enjoy switching out their winter attire when the spring arrives you should do the same for your home !  Many people overlook the fact that we tend to use darker heavier fabric on things like our bedding and curtains so giving your home a new "wardrobe" for the spring is a great idea ! 

• Sheer curtains will allow the extra day-light to stream into your home, which tends to also make your room look larger and more inviting.  Sheer curtains are also a great alternative for those who have large sliding doors, it allows you to keep your privacy but let the buyers see the outdoor space combined with indoor space ! 
• Removing your darker colored linens (ex:bedding, throw pillows, blankets) also work wonders for changing the feeling or the atmosphere of a room, and again these items are coming with you to your new home ! 

Give Your Home A Spring Cleaning - This is the perfect time of year to make any of those minor repairs or changes to your home, if your anything like me the last thing you want to do in the winter is pull out the paint, or spend hours cleaning when you can't open up the windows.  Any home can show a bit better with only a days worth of work ! 

• Touch up your paint - white moldings often change color a bit a fresh coat of white high gloss paint give the room a fresh/clean feel ! 
• Letting the air in is of course important so your home doesn't feel stuff, but don't forget cleaning those windows can really showcase a picture or bay window ! 
• The best part of spring is obviously the fresh air and flowers, but you want to be careful because of allergies during this time of year.  Burning a light scented candle before your home is shown is always a nice idea especially if you have pets ! 
• A fresh coat of paint on your front door, new house numbers, or replacing broken window screens is another great way to increase your curb appeal.  

If your unsure what you should be doing to stage your home for the (hopefully) nearing spring season, take the time to call your Realtor.  Many times we will see things that could be improved simply with a bit of re-arranging or much simpler fixes than you may think ! 

What To Do When Your Homes NOT Selling !

Now you might be thinking, here is another real estate agent trying to get a price break but I am actually going to give your some other insight onto why your home might not be selling ! Price is just one aspect but condition and availability are just as important !

So let's begin with the "Condition" this does not only apply to what your home looks like when it is seen in person, but also about how your listing presents itself to those looking online !


Pictures

• Prepare For The Photos: You want your home to show well so before your photos speak to your Realtor about some staging.  This doesn't mean you need to hire a professional or rent furniture many times simply re-arranging your existing furniture and a bit of de-cluttering can go a long way.  

• Professional Photos: I am a firm believer in spending the time and having a professional photographer come and take pictures of your home.   They are able to showcase your homes attributes with angles, and staging that can make a huge difference.  

• Updated Photos: - Keep your photos up to date with the changes in season, this is very important for those homes listed in the winter because spring gives you the opportunity to show off your "outdoor living space"! 

Take a look at some before and after pictures of one of my personal listings before and after photos !

Keep in mind the only thing we did for this home was paint in the living room, and virtual 

staging which was included in the price of the photography !  

Now "Availability" this covers much more than just "How easy it to show your home", so let's take a look at some of the other aspects you as the homeowner may not think of.  

Internet Presence

• Where Does Your Home Place? This is a very simple thing to check and correct, go on as a buyer and search for homes that share the same basic characteristics (style, bedrooms, baths).  If your home does not show up within the first 10-15 houses than you should consider finding a way to get your home up to the top.  You should do this with your agent so they can rule out homes that may come up before you, but are not the "competition" you may think.  

• Where Is Your Home Listed?  The most common place you ask about your home being listed is Multiple Listing but where else are they being promoted ? Many buyers from the city & the boroughs look at publications like New York Times and Redfin.  Others will utilitize quick apps while they are around town viewing other properties or open houses on websites like Trulia or Zillow.  You should also be tracking how many views your home is getting on at least the top 6 or 7 sites that are used which also include Optimum Homes, Realtor.Com, and Yahoo Homes to name a few.  

Coldwell Banker decided to keep a close eye on our listings and partnered up with these top sites to be able to track your homes views on a weekly basis ! Here is a example ! 

• How Quickly Do Buyers Receive Information: Buyers who make online inquiries expect a timely response. Statistics show that buyers who do not receive a response within an hour of placing the inquiry will likely not return the call of your agent.  Your agent simply calling them immediately to at least acknowledge the inquiry and than setting up a time to speak with them more about the home can be the difference ! You will want to find out what set-up they have to receive these leads do they receive it via email, voicemail, or does the office handle the inquiries.  

• Who Receives The Inquiries On Your Home? This is often a big problem for most homeowners and they don't even realize it.  No matter what site your home is on with the exception of MLS SELLS the ad space surrounding your listing ! If your agent has not purchased this space they will not be the contact person for inquiries ! 

• How Often Do You Invite The Buyers? How do you invite the buyers your asking, its very simple you hold an advertised open house.  Often times buyers will spend their weekends visiting open houses so why not take the opportunity and the chance to let them see yours !  

If your home has been on the market for over 6 months and did not receive any offers, than unfortunately the only remaining factor is the price.  There are very rare exceptions where this is not the case, but you should take the time and speak with your Realtor for their professional opinion.  

Tips For Showing Your Home

So I often get asked by my homeowners what should or shouldn't they do while their home is being shown when I am not able to be present for the showing.  There are some general rules that you should always follow because their will be 2 kinds of agents that will be showing your home and that is a Brokers Agent or Buyers Agent, keep in mind a Brokers Agent is working for you - a Buyers Agent is working for the buyers.  The rules for where and what you should be doing when your home is being shown is generally the same for both, but I will also touch on some rules for your general safety as well.

• All Buyers Must Be Accompanied By An Agent - Never allow a buyer into your home without an agent present, you will from time to time have someone see the home and decide they are going to "pop in".  You can speak with them but don't let them into your home, this is not about your agent trying to "control" a possible sale but about your safety ! 

• Put Away Your Valuables - This doesn't mean to bolt down your flat screen TV, but simply put things away.  Don't leave jewelry, or money laying out.  Agents will always accompany their buyers and it is rare that anyone is left in a room unattended but sometimes children will pick up what they see and parents may not notice.  

• Let The Agents Do Their Job - If your going to be home during a showing stay out of the way, their agent will review the listing with the clients.  Often times buyers will feel rushed if they are being followed around by the homeowner, if your concerned about them getting all of the information about your home take the agent aside and let them relay the information that you feel they should know.  Also stay in the front of the house, you will always want to be aware of who is coming in or out of the home during a showing.  

• Check Your Doors - Sometimes homeowners will opt to have a lock-box put onto the home, and leave for showings.  When your coming back home you will want to just check that all your doors sometimes a agent can leave a back door unlocked by mistake.  For my listings even if the home is vacant I take the keys out of the lock-box after a showing is complete, this is a good option for those homeowners who are hesitant to have a lock-box on their home.

• Clear The Way - Although we will be getting a bit more sunshine now it is still important that you make sure that your pathways and the number on your home is well lit and visible from the street.  Clearing the walkway does not end at the front door, if you have small tables or an abundance of small items (shoes,jackets,laundry baskets) in your halls take the time and tuck them away this way the buyers can walk thru without obstacles. 

• Be Inviting To The Buyers - While you don't want to follow the buyer and the agent around the home, you can still make them feel comfortable.  If you have a fireplace, have it lit it is a great time to show off that kind of feature ! Put out some bottles of water, or candies sometimes that is enough to get them to stay a bit longer in your house and notice something they really like about it. 

These are just some of the things you should be doing when your home is shown, personally I like to be at my listings during the showings but it is not always possible for your agent to make it to every showing.  If you want to make sure the buyers are receiving all the information that you think they need, talk to your agent about creating a buyers packet to give to buyers that come to your home.  That is a great way for you to know they received all the information without making the buyers feel pressured ! 

Value VS Features In Real Estate

As promised from last week it is time to explain what are things that you can add an actual value to your home verse others in your area, and what items are more of a feature that doesn't necessarily add "value" to your home.  Keep in mind when I refer to the word "value" in this blog it is strictly about the price of your home or the ability to have a higher price because of the "valued" item.

Let me start by giving you a quick overview of what things add "Value" to your home:

• Renovations Or New Construction 
• Legal Add-Ons (EX: Basement, Extensions, Dormers)
• Bulkhead/Private Beach/Docking Rights
• Property Size 
• Number Of Rooms (EX:Bedrooms, Baths) 
• Heating System Upgrades Or Conversions

Now let's talk about features, you might be surprised even if you are a buyer what some are:

• Pools, Heated Pools, Sauna's, Hot Tubs  
• 3 Car or more garage
• In Ground Sprinklers, Brick Pavers, Lighting, Elaborate Fencing & Gardens
• Fireplaces, Hi-End Appliances, Wood Floors, Imported Flooring

There are of course some exceptions where the rules will change slightly, it is not always as simple as adding and subtracting based on this "value", "feature" criteria because each homes value is based on the comparable homes in the area.  

Here are some examples: 

1. When comparing homes in a specific area if a home has bulkhead or docking rights, you can not add an additional value above those in the same homes in the area.  If the surrounding homes have bulkhead, and yours only has water view you can not take the added value of those that have bulkhead there will be a slight difference in the "value".
2. There is also an interesting twist with bulkhead, you can add value for someone who has recently upgraded the docking space, this is a big question for homeowners who are trying to decide to repair or leave bulkhead as is after the devastation of Hurricane Sandy.
3. If your comparing homes in an area that the majority do not have basements/garage you can not reduce the value of a home because it also does not although you still can add value for it.  This is common in certain areas of the village of Babylon where basements are not common South of Montauk.  
4. Renovated and new construction homes are homes where the all the items are truly new and never been used.  New construction will rarely ever be comparable to a home that was updated 10 years ago, you must add value to the new construction build but you can not penalize an updated home for not being new construction if the majority of the homes in the area were built or updated in earlier years. 

When it comes to updating your home many homeowners wonder how far should they go with the renovations so they don't "lose" money when they decide to sell.  The best rule of thumb is to keep the kitchen and bathrooms up to date by using common items not necessarily renovating every time a new appliance or building material comes onto the market.  

It is always good idea keep an eye on your market and your neighbors even when your not selling.  Even reading the sold section of your local online paper this will give you a good idea of the condition and upgrades that homes in your area have done, and you can invest wisely in upgrades for your home! 

Home Sweet Home Improvement

If your thinking about putting your home on the market, and you want to get top dollar from your home the saying you need to spend money to make money is often the last thing you want to hear.  There are plenty of inexpensive ways to help improve your homes chance of selling, you don't necessarily need to spend thousands of dollars by doing a complete overhaul but certain key changes can really change the overall appearance of a room ! 

• Kitchen makeover. The kitchen is the most popular room in the house to remodel. Most in the industry will tell you money spent upgrading a kitchen produces the highest return on investment. One of the best things you can do in a kitchen is replace the countertops, sink, and appliances.  Depending on the size of your kitchen you can get remnant pieces of granite, or another great option is butcher block counters they always give a kitchen a great clean look ! 

• Bathroom fixer-upper. Upgrading a bathroom is another sound choice and will often provide a significant return on investment, as large bathrooms typically top the list for those seeking a new home. A quick change of a vanity, toilet, lighting, and fresh paint can cost under $500 and give your bathroom a great facelift ! These are simple things that can really give a buyer a fresh look at your space ! 

• Flooring updates. Many homes on Long Island have hardwood floors if they were built in the 60's or 70's whats amazing is the builders than covered them with carpeting ! If you have hardwood floors pull up that carpeting and show them off ! If you have bright colored carpet trade it out for more neutral colors this can help the buyer visually picture their furniture instead of thinking about what exactly would match your carpet ! 

• Create Outdoor Living Space. This is another great trick, and the best part is normally you will get to take your upgrades with you.  If you have a nice patio you can buy some new furniture, solar lighting, and a few potted plants can show the buyer the potential in even the smallest yard plus that new patio set will come with you to your next home ! Solar lighting and bright colored plants are also a great option for your front yard to help your curb appeal ! 

Whether or not you choose to update your home there are some things you should do and I can not stress this enough but de-clutter your home.  Pack up what your not going to be using (seasonal clothes, holiday decorations ect.) and put them into your attic or storage facility ! I can't tell you how many times homeowners de-clutter the home but put it all into their closets and than we have an avalanche when the buyers open them up ! You want the buyers to have the space in your home to see what it will look like with their furniture and their family living there ! Almost every buyer whom I have had buy a home, always took the time to figure out where there things would fit before making the final decision ! 

What You Should Look At Before Extending Your Listing !

If your home has been on the market throughout the spring and summer the listing is likely to expire soon, but it may not be in your best interest to pull it off the market just yet.  Now I am not saying to stick with the broker that your using in order to keep it on the market if your not happy with your broker or you want to interview others than by all means do so.  

Anytime I take a listing that will be on the market during the fall/winter season I always let my clients know that business does not stop during these months but you will see less activity.  This is actually better for homeowners, you may not have the quantity of buyers but you will have a better quality of buyers.  If someone is out in snow and cold weather you can bet that they are serious buyers, they aren't just out in the cold for no reason.

Now if you listed during the "busy" season, take into consideration how hard did your broker work for you while he/she had your listing?

• Did you recieve feedback after your home was shown ? It is not always easy to get feedback from other Realtors or Buyers but it is our job to get it for you, a week is more than enough time for your Realtor to inform you of what they thought of the home.   

• How often did you review your market position ? The spring and summer months provide alot of inventory for buyers to choose from so keeping on top of your market is very important.  How often did you and your Realtor discuss your homes position compared to others that were on the market, and those that had come off ? 

• How many open houses did they do, and what was the status of those buyers ? Each Realtor has a different opinion on open houses, I personally think they are important because it gives your buyers an immediate way to see your home.  You should have discussed this with your Realtor before you listed, if you didn't I suggest you do so before extending your contract with them.  You can not be angry if there are none or not enough if you did not discuss what your expectations are.  

• Did you recieve any offers ? Not all offers are good offers, just because your home received an offer does not necessarily mean it was worth you taking.  Did your broker try to work that offer ? Just because someone offers is very low does not mean that this is all they are willing to give.  Sometimes you have to work an offer for quite sometime to make it worhtwhile, but you will never know unless you have someone who is willing to put in the time. 

Before you extend your contract with your Realtor you should take the time to review in detail all of these things regardless.  Pulling your home off the market isn't necessarily a good idea, even 2 or 3 months off the market doesn't change the fact you were trying to sell it. Thanks to technology it takes about a half a minute to find out how long someone has been trying to sell for and buyers do quite a bit of research on their own.  

There are a few things you will need to do if you plan on extending that you may not have thought of, it is not just about signing the report of change form, you will want to update your listing.

• Perhaps re-word the description sometimes less is more, if you have a lengthy description it may be too much or visa versa.  
• Update your pictures, the change of seasons will be upon us sooner than we would like to think so be ready to take updated pictures of your home so your listing doesn't look dated. 
• Update your show instructions with your Realtor, if you think you will need your agent to attend more showings discuss it so when those quality buyers want to see your home they can !

If your new to selling a home than you should refer to my blog which explains the common terms and paperwork that you will need to understand Click Here For Blog.

I will be writing another blog this week reviewing exactly what the difference is between a full service real estate agent, and what other brokerages will offer, I will link it to this blog once it is completed.

Sellers On The Move !

I recently wrote  a blog for the buyers to give a breakdown of what you should be doing after your offer is accepted, and what they will need to do.  This blog is directed for what the SELLERS need to begin to do and prepare themselves for.  Most would think that the sellers have the easy part, they just sit back and wait for the closing to be set but I am finding for every educated seller there are more that are not really clear on what they need to be doing.

Just as a buyer has things they need to be doing, you as the homeowner also have things you need to be doing like packing, or finding your new home.  Homeowners who are buying a new home are usually diligent about getting their search underway before their current home is even in contract. I am finding more homeowners that either A. Already have a home and do not require a purchase or B. Homeowners who are opting to become renters are often unsure of when they are supposed to make their move and what will be happening after they have accepted an offer.

Disclosure & Home Inspections 
I did write an entire blog about the home inspection process for sellers, but I wanted to touch base on it again just for a moment.  The two most important rules to home inspection are:

1. DO NOT try and hide or cover-up anything in your home, it will make you look secretive and cause the home inspector to search harder to make sure they didn't miss anything.  Things that you may consider a big deal, may not be to your potential home buyer.  An example of this is lets say you have one leaky faucet, so you decide to shut off the valve completely obviously the home inspector is going to check, and with the valve completely turned off they may think it is more than what it actually is.

2. BE REASONABLE, if one home inspector finds an issue I can guarantee you any other that comes into your home is going to find the same one.  These are trained professionals and although your Realtor will be there to protect you we are by no means experts in home construction.  If there is a safety, or structural issue you can not expect a potential buyer to just take your word that it isn't a big deal, and they can live with it.  If they have gone thru the process of spending money for someone to protect them from buying a home that they will not be able to handle you must respect that.  You do have options, you can ask for a 2nd opinion from a licensed professional who works specifically on that issue (ex: Electrician, Plumber, Roofer) to give an estimate for repair or confirm that the point the inspector made was not one that should have caused so much concern therefor making it a non-issue for the buyer if they are comfortable with that.  If the professional confirms with the inspector that something must be done to rectify the issue you still have options you can either repair it, or credit the buyer so that they can have it repaired prior to moving in.


After you have completed and negotiated through your home inspected, you as the homeowner must make sure that everything you needed to disclose has been done.  If you "forgot" to mention and illegal add-on or that you are taking that dining room chandelier now is your last chance to clear the air.  Everyone is human, and sometimes things will slip your mind when you are signing your listing agreement and answering your agents questions.  Sometimes these things are what can make or break a deal, just because you may see it as not a big deal the only person who can truly tell you if it is important or not is your agent so be sure to be open and honest about these things.  Nothing is worse than having a wrench thrown into a deal that could have been avoided not only does it cause fixing by your agent, it could very well cause you to lose your buyer!


Signing The Formal Sales Agreement
This is not always required but for my clients I always like to have all parties sign the original sales agreement to have it on record.  This agreement does not only include the purchase price and the down payment it also includes your on or about closing date.  It seems to quite often be overlooked but we as Realtors need to begin making a real point of explaining, and than re-explaining what this date means to your homeowner.  The on or about date is 90% of the time what your attorney will put in the contract if you think for any reason you need more time than that date, make sure you inform your Realtor as well as your Attorney.

If the buyer is purchasing another home this date won't just effect you and your buyer, but it effects the buyer of their current home.  The effect of a closing date being drastically changed can cause them to lose their buyer, which puts your deal very much in jeopardy.  Just like a buyer must respect that the home is yours and they can not push you out, you must also respect their time and situation.

When you receive an offer on your home we will tell you if the buyer has anything he/she needs to sell, in the case where the buyer does not we will point out the fact that this is a good buyer because they are not being held back by anything.  This also means though that this buyer is more than likely renting and will need to give notice, which makes that on or about closing date very important.

This is a very important date to your buyer, if they are renting they will be in a position of potentially being homeless if the closing does not happen in a timely fashion of this date.  You may be thinking that no landlord would ever put someone out on the street but it is very much a possibility.  Your buyers can be penalized for overstaying there welcome and that can cost them anything from an additional months rent, to a daily charge which can become costly quickly.

Signing Your Contract
This needs to be done in a timely fashion for 2 reasons.

First is that there are plenty of homes coming onto the market, and what if a better one comes along and your buyer falls in love with it? They are not required to stick with your deal until your contracts are fully signed and if you are dragging your feet than you can not have hard feelings if they move onto the next one.

Second, is because unless you changed your on or about date the clock has begun running towards your closing date.  Your buyers need that contract to put in for their mortgage if you hold off it will take them longer to obtain the mortgage commitment which generally takes 6-8 weeks. You must respect that they need to move just as you do in a tight time frame because there is a lot to be done in that time frame.

Closing
I always keep my homeowners very much informed about the progress their buyers are making towards closing, because in order to be fair to all parties involved communication is key.   Without proper communication things can turn bad, very quickly and make the experience unpleasant for all parties involved, including the Realtors because unfortunately are usually the messengers that will carry your bad news to your buyer.

If you are purchasing another home you should be constantly checking progress on that deal  this way if there is any unexpected delay you are able to communicate this to your realtor who in turn can inform the other agent.  This respect needs to go both ways, if your buyer has hit an unexpected snag they must also communicate this, so that you are fully informed.

Now this may seem silly BUT when you listed your home your agent will have asked you where were you going after your home sold, if you told us you were moving to your 2nd home that is where we think you are going.  If over the course of the listing changed your mind you have to inform us we are not mind readers, and we will find you a rental but only if we know you need one.   Finding a rental for anyone whether it is a 1 bedroom or a 3 bedroom is a task, because not every apartment is available for immediate occupancy.

You have to respect that your buyers have given someone notice that they are leaving where they are currently living, someone might be moving in the day they leave so even a day or two delay can become a big issue when left till the last minute.  Just like they can not be unreasonable regarding their moving in, you can not push things to their limits and expect the buyer to be happy about it.

I did mention communication, respect and fairness quite a bit in this blog, which I don't normally focus on but these are 3 things that can help prevent ripples from turning into tidal waves of frustration.   Whether your selling or buying a home it is a huge decision and as Realtors we chose to do this, and it is my opinion we should always try our best to make sure you are informed of even these basic guidelines to ensure things go smoothly.  

Tips For Selling During The Summer

It is that time of the year again, with every change in season I write a blog for homeowners who are selling or thinking of listing.  Although the weather we have been having seems more like spring with all of the rain lately, summer is only a few days away.

Now some Realtors will tell you that summer isn't the best time to sell, this is another one of those myths that I don't know how it started but it is false.  If your selling during the summer months you can expect a few more "tire kickers" but you can also expect to see some very aggressive buyers.

Bring The Outdoors In 

• The simplest way to help your flow from the inside of your home to your outdoor entertaining is very simple.  If you have a patio door or sliders make sure that you remove the blinds if they are not inside the glass, and place a shear curtain up instead.  This allows the light to still shine through, while still giving you privacy.  

• Your patio is almost as important as your dining room to buyers during the summer time, if you have a patio set take the time to arrange it on the patio, spruce it up with new cushions or an umbrella.  Show buyers that they will have the space and area to entertain in your yard.  If your patio is smaller they do sell small bistro sets that you can purchase, these are great for condo's and townhouses ! 

• Outdoor lighting is becoming a very popular trend, it really does make the yard look very inviting and adds some ambiance.   You can pick up sets of 4 from your local home improvement store for under $40, and they are solar so they require no wiring and generally last 3 years before they need new batteries. 

Water Works

• Water your lawn regularly !!  I can't tell you how many homes during the summer months including mine, get those large patches of brown straw like grass.  A brown lawn is never appealing, this is a big part of curb appeal be sure you invest in good sprinklers if you do not have the luxury of in ground sprinklers.  

• Time your sprinklers for times when buyers will not be walking around your yard. I know that the best time to water the lawn for most people is the middle of the day, but take the time to perhaps either run them in the early morning hours or later in the evening.  I am a big fan of strappy sandals and I can't help but not want to walk on a wet lawn, many women will understand this and you want the buyers to spend time in your home taking it in, not avoiding parts of it.  

• If you have a pool be sure to open it up, make sure your water is clear most buyers will assume if your pool is closed that something is not working properly.  You want to showcase this kind of amenity, if you have decking or fencing around it be sure you make sure that it is in the best shape possible a simple power washing, or fresh coat of stain can go a long way.  

Comfortable & Cool 

• Don't skimp out on the air conditioning this time of year, if you have air conditioners turn them on ! Now you don't want to freeze your buyers out but keeping it at a school 68 degrees allows buyers to be comfortable walking around your home.  I can't tell you how quickly a showing will end if a home is hot and stuffy on a summer day, no matter how great the home is no one wants to be in a sauna. 

• Now I do tell most of my homeowners to leave during showings of their home, many buyers no matter how nice the homeowner, still feel as if they are intruding.  What you can do is in a small bowl put some ice and a few bottles of water, it is a nice gesture that will often allow buyers to relax, cool off and really take in your home rather than rush through it.   

Clean Up & Organize 

• This is the simplest thing to do, and surprisingly very important to buyers. Outdoor areas are very important to buyers but where they are going to store all the things they don't want to leave out in the weather is also important.  If you have a shed or a garage with an entrance/exit into the backyard take the time to clean them out and organize. 

• Make sure any chemicals you have (Ex: Pool chemicals, pesticides, gas containers)  are locked up, many buyers will have their children with them since there is no more school, and camps usually let out early.  

These are just a few of the tips for the summer selling season, and there are additional tips that were covered in the Spring Season blog. If you are looking for suggestions on what you could do to spruce up your yard I am always more happy to help.  You can email me pictures of your "problem areas" and I will make some simple/inexpensive suggestions that may help.  

Rentals 101

Rentals are not something I often blog about, but my blog always come from things that I come across, and I am seeing more and more homeowners opt to use a Realtor when it comes to renting out their space.   I also see more home buyers wanting a rental income in their new home, and not many are educated on what to look for and what they should be staying away from.

Renting Your Space Tips

The very first thing I have to say to all the homeowners is be considerate to your Realtor, just because the tenant is paying the commission you should still understand you are signing into a contract with a company to work for you.  If you think a family member/friend is going to rent from you find this out BEFORE you list your home, don't call us a few weeks into all our work to inform us you don't need us because you found someone close to you to rent.  We will never express to you that we are upset because we are professionals, but imagine going into work for weeks knowing you would have to wait for week 4 to get paid, and when week 4 comes your told that they won't be paying you.  Of course there are sometimes where circumstances arise and this happens as well, and I have willingly withdrawn some rentals because the homeowners were upfront and honest with me.

Picking your tenant is always a tough decision, sometimes you will have tons of applicants and other times you will only have a few.  I always suggest choosing your tenant based on Credit Score, Background Check, Proof Of Income, and Current Landlord Reference.

When looking at someones credit score their are a few things you should keep in mind.  In today's economy many potential tenants may have a low credit score, if they do you can ask them to share the entire report and base your decision on their entire report but keep in mind legally you are ONLY allowed to see the score itself.  Many tenants looking for whole house rentals in recent months are coming out from a short sale on their own home, which is what caused their score to drop.  If that is the only blemish on their credit I would recommend still considering them as your tenant.  Many people fell on tough times, and if they are pro-actively trying to fix things I believe that it does say something about their character.

Another big concern is for those tenants who are working off the books because proof of income becomes a little more difficult.  Even if you are being paid in cash neither the Broker or the Landlord is the IRS, we are not concerned about you not paying taxes.  Many employers are willing to write a letter stating that you are paid an average amount weekly, or if you frequently deposit a specific amount of money simply showing us the account deposits with your personal information blacked out (ex: Account #, SS #)may be enough for the homeowner.  Another time when Proof of Income can come into question is for those who are Independent Contractors, like me because we don't receive checks weekly or sometimes we will have a ton of business and other times they may be less.  If you have tax returns, or some sort of quarterly statement available from either your business account or employer, even tax returns can work for proof of income.

References and checking with their current landlord must be done, and documented.  Your real estate agent will be making the calls for you so before they begin making the calls be sure to review with them any specific questions you want them to ask.  No one will purposefully give someone a bad reference, what you want your agent to look for is how naturally they answer the questions.  There is a reason why we ask on the application how long they have known their reference, if someone has only known the tenant for say 2 years they may be unsure of certain things like the length of someones employment if they worked there for a very long period of time prior to the friendship.  If a reference is unsure of things like if their friend smokes, has any pets, or current employment status that could possibly be a red flag for your agent to make note of.  Any red flags that come out in the course of checking references should be communicated to you and your agent should call the prospective tenant to discuss them.  I once had someone unsure of their friends pet situation because the prospective tenant had not yet told their friend that the older dog they did have would not be making the move with them.  Again communication is always key in just about every aspect of buying, selling, or renting your home!

Tips For Buyers Looking For Rental Income Potential 

Now let's talk about one of the myths about renting and that is it's legal to rent out your basement .......... I am here to burst many bubbles when I say in the Town Of Babylon that it is illegal to have a basement apartment !! What is legal, is to have your basement converted to living space, so you can have everything except a kitchen and it be legal.  There are many reasons they will not allow for a apartment in your basement, and the most important reason in my opinion is it is NOT safe!

For those first time home-buyers the ability to have rental income plays a very important part of what their new home must have.  Most first time buyers are not aware that there are many home styles that can easily obtain a rental permit.

• High Ranch
• Split 
• Expanded Capes
• Duplex 

There are a few reasons why I recommend making sure that you have a legal rental.  Most important is you can never predict what could possibly happen to you or your home.   If you have a issue in your home such as a fire or a flood and your insurance company comes in and discovers your home has a rental and that is not legal there is a very good possibility they will not help fix damages because your home is not what you were representing it to be.  If your home is in close proximity to another dwelling and a  fire occurs in close proximity the fire marshall can request that your home is checked to make sure it sustained no damage.  No good will come of the Fire Marshall coming into your home that contains illegal rentals.  The legal fees, time, and bringing your home up to code can be costly.  

If your buying a home and you are really depending on the rental income to make ends meet month to month, be aware you may have a few months of vacancy or even worse a bad tenant which is a risk you take when you are renting out part of your home.  Many homeowners get pre-approved for a higher purchase price than they may be comfortable with paying out each month, and assume the rental income will be their safety net.   Sometimes I find that buyers think their rental income will be much higher than it really is, when your looking at homes with that income potential make sure you get a professionals opinion on what the rental income will be.  When I say professional opinion I am talking about your Buyers Broker, I am sure none of my readers are shocked or surprised that I am mentioning yet another reason for you to have your own agent !! 

Another question buyers often have is what do you do if the home your purchasing has an illegal rental in it already, can you still buy it?  Of course you can, their are a few things that protect you as a buyer from getting into a bad spot with an illegal rental.  Banks have become very strict about their inspections if they see an illegal rental they will raise an issue, so before placing an offer you will want your agent to make sure the homeowner will be removing it.   It is important to know that most banks will only require the homeowner to remove just the stove out of an illegal kitchen, and if you want more done than that you must get the homeowners agree to it and have it in your contract! Many homeowners will say they will be removing the kitchen for the home inspection, and buyers unfortunately do not clarify what exactly they will be doing and issues can arise.  You also will have your title search where they will check to make sure their are no current C/O or permit outstanding on the house.  If the homeowner is in the process of correcting these things they will have to do so before closing, and as long as they are working with a reputable attorney will not hinder the sale being closed.  

Tenants Looking To Rent A Home With A Broker

The most common question I get from tenants is why is the brokers fee so high ? The common broker fee is an additional months rent, on top of your 1 Months Rent & Security to the landlord.   When we actually do the math the broker is not really making all that much so here  is the breakdown based on a $1200 Fee: $600 To Landlords Agent $600 To Tenants Agent now you have figure the average amount that the agent actually ends up recieving from the proceeds is about half which is about $300.  The higher the rent, the higher the brokers fee but the bigger the home the harder it is for us to find a qualified tenant.  

The best advice I can give prospective tenants is to be prompt, and timely when it comes to making it to your appointments and bringing in the required paperwork.  Before I even begin the search I ask for your credit report, if you do not have a recent copy I am able to obtain that thru our Credit Report Company.  By looking at the report prior to actually submitting any rental application we are able to see if any red flags will be raised, and how we can handle them.  Once you have one copy of the credit report it can be used for all applications you will be putting in, so you will not need to constantly re-run it.

If you are planning on using a broker or renting from a home listed on MLS, the most important thing is to make sure you are not waiting for the last minute to begin your search.  This is very important here in the Village where the apartments are in such high demand many will only stay on the market for a few days, and than they will be rented.  If you plan on moving I suggest start working with a broker about 90 days before your lease is due to expire.  Based on your wants, and needs the realtor will be able to tell you roughly how long it will take to find your new home.  

My best recommendation to all those tenants is similiar to the advice I give to my buyers and that is to get your own broker! Your going to be paying that one months brokers fee no matter what, so why wouldn't you have someone doing all the legwork that goes into finding your new home ! 

Tips For Sellers During The Home Inspection Process

I have written a blog previously for buyers about home inspections, but over the passed few months I have found that the sellers are the ones needing more guidance when it comes to their homes inspection.  So this blog is going to be specifically only for those potential sellers out there !!

First lets talk about what you should do to help the process along !

Tips For Sellers Preparing For A Home Inspection 

• Move any smaller furniture that is blocking areas that the home inspector will need to get to (ex: outlets, electrical panels) 
• Clean out utility areas (ex: remove clothes from the washer/dryer) 
• Make sure all your bulbs are working, sounds silly but important (ex: attic, garage)
• Remove your pets to allow the inspectors to work thru the house without any distractions or potential issue
• THE MOST IMPORTANT TIP: LEAVE and let your real estate agent stay ! 

Tips For Sellers During The Home Inspection

• If you decide to stay during the home inspection try your best not to try and "explain" things in the house, something you may think is a big deal might not be and visa versa
• Do not try and cover up anything, the home inspectors are thorough and they will find whatever you may have tried to hide and than they will search more to make sure they didn't miss anything
• Do not negotiate on anything during the home inspection, again something that may be a red flag for you may not be for your buyers
• Keep your distance, do not hover over the home inspector stay available IF he has a question otherwise he is a professional allow him to do his job 
• Don't expect to have the report immediately the first person to get a copy of your homes inspection will be the potential buyer who than can share it with you 

Once the home inspection has occurred is where things may get tricky for a homeowner, this is your second round of negotiations which means the price of what your home sells for just might be changing again! 

The agreed upon price of your home before a home inspection 90% of the time is not the actual final price.  

If there are safety, structural, electric, plumbing issues in your home that is uncovered you will usually be given the option to either 

A: Fix It              or B:                  Give the buyers a credit so they can have it fixed once they take ownership.  

Common Items Needing Negotiations

• Underground Oil Tanks - These will require soil testing, filling or removing old tank, installation of new tank
• Asbestos - Not all asbestos is a hazard but a certified professional is the only one who can safely make that determination
• Wiring - Broken electric outlets, outdated service
• Safety Concerns - Raised pavement on walkways, decking
• Roofs - Older or damaged roofs 

Where Do The Home Inspectors Inspect ? 

There of course are times where if a house is priced well below market value that it will be referred to as "Sold As Is" this is what happens commonly frequently with Short Sales & Foreclosures which means the buyer should have the inspection to make sure they are not getting in over their heads, but should not expect any changes to be made to the contracts or the home.

If you are a homeowner there are some very important things you should remember BEFORE you begin negotiating those items that require repair or credits !

• If there is a significant issue you should try your best to negotiate thru it, because if one home inspector finds it chances are this will be an issue with any buyer 
• There are more homes than buyers, if you have a buyer do your best to keep your deal afloat by being fair and realistic 
• Just because something does not bother you, it does not mean that the buyer should feel the same as you do about an issue, just like you do not want to give your house away, a buyer does not want to over-pay for a home that requires work 
• If you can fix it cheaper than their estimate either A: Suggest getting more estimates B: Offer to fix it
• Trust your Realtor, they should have attended the home inspection, reviewed it and be able to help advise you on what is important

The first thing you should do before you start to negotiate is meet with your Realtor, discuss what showings your home has had since other brokers have become aware of your accepted offer - if you have not had anyone show the home because of that it means that their are no aggressive buyers looking to buy your home.  You should also review the inspection report with your Realtor, we are by no means professionals in the home inspection process, but we do know what we would look at if we were working as a buyers broker and what items could possibly be an issue.  

Most importantly always remember that you may not like to hear what we are telling you, but our jobs are not to tell you what you want to hear, it is to make sure you are informed and help you make good decisions during the process of selling your home !! 

Your Moving Checklist !

So you got an accepted offer, went thru a home inspection with which any luck went well.  You met with your lawyer and signed the contracts which means now it is a waiting game until you close.  There is not much left for you to do, and your mortgage broker and lawyer will really be handling 98% of what is going to get you that new home, and your Realtor is now for the time being on the back burner.  You will usually have between 90-120 days before you close on your new home but you have started a new phase of the home buying process so I decided to take the time to give you some advice for your "Moving Checklist"!

90 - 120 Days Before Closing 

• It is time to sort and purge ! This is the time to clean out the closets, get rid of any of the junk that you are not going to be taking to your new house.  Go thru your basement, garage, and attic to see what it is you will be taking and what you will need to put into movable containers.  
• Organize ! All those important papers that you may have scattered around the house, make sure that you have everything in one place.  If your anything like me you have alot of important papers, to make your life easy I suggest simply picking up an inexpensive 2 drawer LOCKABLE filing cabinet.  It keeps the items safe, and they won't be disturbed during the move! 
• Research ! You will want to find a reputable, and fairly priced moving company waiting till the last minute is never a good idea.  If you plan on having work done to the home before you move in like painting you will want to take the time to get estimates from them as well.  Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage is one of the few companies that have made these things much easier by having our "Concierge Services" for our buyers and sellers.

60 - 90 Days Before Closing

• Order Supplies ! Moving boxes, tape, bins, you will always find yourself needing more than you may have originally expected.
• Use it or lose it ! This may sound silly but all that frozen meat in your freezer, start using it up so you don't need to worry about packing an entire cooler to transport a ton of food.  I personally come from a large family where having 2 refridgerators is very common, so we usually have quite a bit more food than you may think.  
• Measure it ! You will want to make sure that your furniture is going to fit into your new home, I usually suggest to buyers while we are in the home for the home inspection that they take actual mesurements of the rooms this way they can have a good idea of what needs to fit where.  
• Moving Sale ! If your having a moving sale it is time to set up the date/time, and what you will be doing with the things that you don't want if they don't sell.

30 - 60 Days Before Closing

• Pack Up ! Start packing all those things that you don't often use, leaving yourself with just the necessities and a "limited" wardrobe.  Make sure that you clearly label all of your boxes appropriately, do not mix fragile items in with the blankets it is a disaster waiting to happen.  
• Change Your Address! Now don't stop your mail coming to your current home as of yet, but many local post offices will allow you to set a date when to stop your mail from coming to your current home.  As a back up plan talk to your neighbors and ask them to keep an eye out for your mail, or if your home will have new owners leave some self addressed envelopes with your new address for them to forward your mail if any comes to them.  You will want to update your workplace, and your childrens schools.  
• Utilities ! You will want to get on the phone with your utilities companies, cable company, telephone company so they will be aware of the change of address and service.  Sometimes they will need notice in order to prevent any delay in service to your new home.

2 Weeks Before Closing

• Re-Confirm Everything ! All those appointments you made reconfirm every single one of them, make sure your closing date has not changed, and that your job is aware of how many days you will not be at work. 
• Take Inventory! You want to take count of how many boxes you have and in some way organize them, this way when you get to your new home and everything is unloaded your will be positive everything made it.  

At this point you will be going thru the last steps for the purchase so the best advice I could give you is to stay organized, and try to keep calm !! 

Fire Safety Tips For Homeowners

It is time for us to touch on some more safety tips, after the brush fires that we have been having over the passed 2 weeks I want to take the time to not only speak on fire safety but some important things for first time home-buyers to look out for.  Most people know that when you buy your first home that you want to make sure that your smoke alarms, and carbon monoxide detectors are working properly but there are more precautions you can take to ensure your family is safe.  

Doors 

This is often over-looked by many homeowners but you should try to be sure that all the doors in your home are solid doors rather than hollow.  This is Fire Safety 101, a solid wood door will keep the fire out of a room !  If you can not have them in all rooms your bedroom doors should be the first ones you change ! 

Fireplaces

Now if you are purchasing a home with a fire place there are many different kinds but the safest fireplace be in my opinion is a coal fire place.  This is because when the coal burns it turns into ash, and will not have any embers to fly out while you are keeping warm and cozy! Many coal fireplaces will also have a "burn setting" that allows you to safely use this fireplace to heat your home, throughout the winter.  

You will also want to know if your fireplace is "Radiant Heat" or "Convection Heat".  Radiant heat is where the heat radiates out from the fireplace and will warm all things close to the fire.  This will often cause the fireplace itself to get very hot, the hearth, even walls or surrounding furniture.  To be safe you will want to make sure that this fireplace has a proper screen and you have surrounding furniture a safe distance.  Convection heat is the common kind of heat you will get from a coal fire-place it takes longer to heat a room this way but it is much safer if you will be using it as a main source of heat.  This kind of heat will cause the air itself to get warm, and pulls the cooler air closer to the heat source - this allows it to heat the entire space while avoiding specifics areas becoming dangerously hot as it may with radiant heat.  

When you have your home inspection done, they will always check the fireplace but it is also important that you have it checked annually once you have moved into your new home.   A chimney could have build up causing improper ventilation, a build up of a flammable substance called creosote, or a loose chimney cap could allow animals, rains or leaf build up in your chimney.  

Garage

Now this is usually some debate for people, because how do you keep a garage safe when it is used to store all those things that you don't want to risk having in your home (ex: spray-paint, propane, sealers, gas).  If you do not have a shed to put these items in you want to make sure that you set aside a specific area to store these items, be sure that they are in a secured non-flammable cabinet.  You can find these kinds of "lockers" and your most Home Depot or Loews stores.  You should also always keep a fire extinguisher handy anywhere you are storing these kinds of items! 

If you are buying a home with a garage that was added-on or newly constructed you can ask them if they had fire-grade Sheetrock installed, many garages are constructed with full brick wall  to ensure the attached home is protected if a garage fire were to happen.  I would always recommend if you do not have a shed, and you have the fund to purchase one to do so, that is the best way to protect your home from any mishaps !

Outdoor

If you will be using your outdoor shed to store all of those things that could potentially ignite or fuel a fire the most important thing is the location of where you will be putting the structure.  You want to be sure that it is built on a cement slab, and not in close proximity to the home.  The safest place to put your shed is in one of the back corners of your yard, with enough room that it is not right on top of your fence, be sure to check your towns zoning to see how large of a shed your allowed, and what restrictions they have on placement.  

Whether you are storing these items in your shed or garage you should make sure everything is properly marked, and clean out the area annually.  

Outdoor fire pits are also becoming a big back yard amenity that many people like to have.  There are some very important things you should remember before using your fire-pit.  First is to make sure that it is a level surface ideally you want this on a patio to ensure any embers that fly out of the fire are on a solid safe surface.  You want to also make sure that it is at least 10 feet away from any flammable structure such as your home, swing sets, or sheds.   Most important is when you are lighting a fire in this you do not want to use any additional igniters such as gas or lighter fluid, you can pick up easy start logs that have small igniters to make getting your fire going very easy! 

You should also be sure that your outdoor water lines are hooked up properly.  Ideally you want to make sure that you have a hose in not only the front of your home, but the back as well.  Whether the fire is small or large always call your local fire department, even though you may think a fire is out it is best for them to come and be sure.  

There are a few other precautions you should take in your home to be sure your family is protected to find out more you can check with your local library or fire-stations they often have classes or seminars to help keep you informed.  

85 East 5th Street, Deer Park

This Beautiful 5 bedroom, 2 bath Colonial is an example of a homeowner educated on fire-prevention. 

• All Solid Wood Doors 
• Metal Fire Door in Garage.  
• Fire-grade Sheetrock In Garage . 
• Pea-Coal Convection Fire Place 
• Accessible Water Lines In Front/Back Home 
• Fire Pit A Safe Distance From Objects & Properly Placed On Level Surface 
• Shed For "Flammable Chemicals" At A Safe Distance From Home 

This home is currently on the market, for additional pictures of the inside of the home please check my Current Listings!  

I am currently working on holding a Fire Prevention Seminar to go over some other safety tips for all homeowners.  

If you would like to attend please contact me directly for additional information ! 

How to Prepare for Hurricane Irene

Hurricane Irene is barreling toward the tri-state, expected to arrive in our area this weekend, and officials want everyone to be prepared.

There are three hurricane zones in New York City. Find if you live in one by going here. If you don't live in an evacuation zone but live in a high-rise building, you need to be prepared to take shelter on or below the 10th floor. High-rise buildings may space special risks during hurricanes, officials say.

If you live in New Jersey, plan your evacuation route here. For Nassau County, check here. For Suffolk, start here.

No matter where you live, officials say everyone should assemble an emergency supply kit (including a gallon of drinking water per person per day, nonperishable foods, a can opener, a first-aid kit, a flashlight, a battery-operation radio and extra batteries, a whistle, iodine tablets, personal hygiene items, a phone that does not rely on electricity, and child care supplies).

Hurricane Irene Barrels Toward Northeast

• prepare a disaster plan (determine how to locate and communicate with family members, and make sure the home is properly insured);
• know where to go (finding friends or family to stay with outside the evacuation zone, or report to a hurricane shelter);
• keep a small "go bag" ready (which should include copies of important documents in a waterproof container; extra sets of keys; copies of credit and ATM cards; $50 to $100 in cash; up-to-date medication information and other essential personal items; first-aid kit; contact and meeting information for family members; child care supplies).

Homeowners should secure their properties. Storm shutters are the best type of protection, but if you don't have those, board up windows with marine plywood. Additional clips or straps are recommended to secure roofs.

Bring in loose, lightweight objects such as lawn furniture, potted plants, garbage cans, garden tools and toys. Anchor objects that would be unsafe outside, such as gas grills or propane tanks. Close up and secure patio umbrellas, and secure retractable awnings.

Remove aerial antennas and satellite television dishes.

Trees and shrubs around your home should also be well-trimmed. Also remember to clear your gutters.

New York state offers all-hazard alerts through NY-ALERT (sign up at nyalert.gov). The city offers the latest information on nyc.gov or at 311.

Residents should also monitor the National Hurricane Center to stay aware of current weather conditions. NBC New York's weather page is continuously updated here. The website will always stay updated and carry live streams from the newsroom and weather center in emergencies.

Get all the latest news and weather information by following us on Twitter @NBCNewYork and Facebook/NBCNewYork.

Posted Wednesday, Aug 24, 2011 - 5:07 PM EDT