Are you searching for a house "on your own"?  Today we have so much information available on line it is possible for you to find all the listings in your area of choice, call the listing office for each listing that interests you, arrange for a showing by the listing agent, and put in your offer directly with the agent who listed the property.  Do you think you will save money and time by doing this?  Well in most cases this won't save you a penny and actually cost you time and money.  Did you know that when you look at a house with the listing agent they are looking out for the seller's best interests?  It would be so much better for you to have your own agent, a Reat Estate Buyer's Agent, to help you through.  

Your Real Estate Buyer's Agent will help you to sort through all of the listings that meet your basic criteria and help you to narrow down your list of potential homes to those most likely to fit your needs (and hopefully some of your wishes as well).  The Real Estate Buyer's Agent will then check for availability on the houses on your list and arrange for you to view them together.  The Real Estate Buyer's Agent has an experienced eye and will help you to see more in the houses than you might otherwise see on your own.  Once you have decided on a house you want to buy, your Real Estate Buyer's Agent will find you comparable homes that have sold in the area that will help you determine what the range for your initial offer should be and then help you to negotiate with the Seller and the Seller's Agent to get the best price possible for the house.  After you have an accepted offer your Real Estate Buyer's Agent will help you with names of home inspectors and scheduling the home inspection.  If there are any unforeseen issues that come up in inspection the Real Estate Buyer's Agent will help you make sense of them and if indicated help to renegotiate for repairs or a price reduction.  The Real Estate Buyer's Agent will then work with your attorney, bank, and any other parties needed to get you to the closing table and into your new home.

Here's the best part... most often the Real Estate Buyer's Agent fee is already provided for in the listing contract.  The Seller and Seller's Agent will have offered out a certain percentage of the total commission to a Real Estate Buyer's Agent.  Occasionally the Real Estate Buyer's Agent will ask for some additional fee if the Seller has offered a low compensation but usually that can be negotiated through the offer or financed in with the full purchase price.

So why are you going it on your own?  Would you trust the attorney representing the opposing party in a lawsuit to represent you as well?  Here you are contemplating spending more money than you have probably every spent before and you are letting someone else's best interests be represented above your own.  

If you or someone you know is looking to purchase real estate in the Greater Hudson Valley or Lower Catskill region of New York in Orange, Ulster, or Sullivan Counties please give me a call and let me be your Real Estate Buyer's Agent.  If you are looking anywhere else on earth, give me a call and I will find them a great Real Estate Buyer's Agent where ever they are looking.

Are you thinking about buying a new home?  There are some great homes for sale out there at very reasonable prices. There are 82 homes available in the Pine Bush School District listed at $200,000 or less. As a matter of fact there are 33 houses priced at less than $150,000.  Interest rates are lower than they have been in years but there are rumblings that that won't last much longer.  Here are just a few examples.  



This 2 bedroom home on an acre is listed for just $158,000.  It comes with a great back yard, a detached single car garage, and it was completely renovated just 6 years ago.  This home offers a great opportunity for someone who wants a move in ready starter home or something to downsize into.  Check out the full listing here or view on Realtor.com GHVMLS #518668 



Another great opportunity priced at only $130,000 is this 2 bedroom country place also an acre.  It has a nice wood stove to keep you warm on winter nights, a separate dining room, and new carpeting throughout.  The full listing is here or you can view it on Realtor.com GHVMLS #519128.

There are many more homes to see in the Pine Bush School District.  Give me a call or send me a text or email and I will set up a special web page for you to organize your own search.  I can also help with other areas in Orange, Ulster, or Sullivan Counties of New York.  I will be happy to find you a great agent in any other location should you be searching elsewhere.

Happy New Year!  Today is January 4, 2012.  How are those New Year's resolutions going?  Mine are going fairly well... a few bumps in getting the routine adjusted but I think I am on the road to success.  My goals include taking care of me with exercise and good nutrition, taking care of my family with more focused scheduling, and finding and helping many more home buyers this year.  Working with home buyers is my passion and any one of my clients will tell you that I will go the extra mile.

So is one of your goals for this year to buy a new house?  Do you have a friend or two who might be thinking about it?  With the low prices and unbelievably low interest rates available right now is the perfect time to get started or renew your search.  Get yourself moving before the Spring Market kicks in and you might just find house sellers to be more accommodating to offers.  If they have the house on the market through the Winter they are probably very motivated to sell so get out there and start looking while the looking is good!  

If you are looking for a new home in Orange, Ulster, or Sullivan Counties of New York State I would love to help you get on the road to success in your search for the perfect place.  As a Buyer's Agent I can set up a search web page for you, arrange for tours of homes you would like to see, and look at the homes with an experienced eye while looking out for your best interests.  Please let me know what you are looking for in terms of housing and budget and I will send you your personal web-based search organizer today.  If you are looking anywhere else give me a call or send an email and I will help you to find a great Real Estate Agent to assist you where you want to be.  Looking forward to hearing from you and good luck with your search.

Are you looking for a new home in New York?  Like many of your fellow house hunters you are starting your search on line and that's a very good place to start.  I encourage all my clients to spend time looking at information about the areas they are considering moving to and to look at the on line listings of houses to get a basic idea of the housing costs in the area.  But have you ever bought a house before?  If so, and you are thinking about moving again, I will bet it was a while ago. So when I suggest there are a lot of things you might not know about searching for and buying a house I don't think you will argue with me. 

Sure you can go from viewing those on line listings and call the listing agent to view the houses you like but there is a problem with that strategy, the listing agents job is to get the best possible offer for the sellers. They will not be looking out for your best interests. They won't be able to help you out with evaluating the house, comparing it to others on the market currently, or negotiating with the sellers to get they house for the lowest price with with best terms for you.  What you need is a Buyer's Agent.  In New York the Buyer's Agent is described on the the Agency Disclosure as  " A buyer’s agent is an agent who is engaged by a buyer to represent the buyer’s interests. The buyer’s agent does this by negotiating the purchase of a home at a price and on terms acceptable to the buyer."  

If you are looking for a house in the Greater Hudson Valley or Lower Catskill region of New York I would love to help you in your search.  As a Buyer's Agent I can set up a search web page for you, arrange for tours of homes you would like to see, and look at the homes with an experienced eye while looking out for your best interests.  Please let me know what you are looking for in terms of housing and budget and I will send you your personal web-based search organizer today.  Looking forward to hearing from you and good luck with your search.

Happy New Year!  What was your New Year's resolution?  I have a few but one I intend to start working on right now is to make sure people who want to buy, sell, or rent a residential property understand what Agency is and how it can affect the home buying process.  

In New York every person who has contact with a Real Estate Salesperson or Broker regarding buying, selling, or renting property must be informed of the various ways Licensed Real Estate Professionals can work with them.  In fact the Real Estate Salesperson or Broker is required by law to provide a written disclosure which explains all of the types of Agency and to have the customer or client sign this form at the first contact.  There are separate forms for real estate sales and real estate rentals.  

I have been shocked this past year by the number of people who have either never seen the disclosure, let alone signed one or may have signed one but did not understand what they were signing.  So when you meet with that Real Estate Agent for the first time make sure they explain who they are or hope to be working for and get the signed copy of that disclosure to hold along with your other paperwork.  It is vital that each and every person understand that they have the right to have their own agent who is looking out for their best interests.  

The first thing that you need to understand is the meaning of Agency.  An Agent enters into a fiduciary relationship with the Client and owes that Client reasonable care, undivided loyalty, confidentiality,full disclosure,obedience and duty to account.  The Agent must do everything that they legally and ethically can to promote the Client's cause.  An Agent can also work with a person as a Customer.  To a Customer the Agent owes the following: (a) exercise reasonable skill and care in per-formance of the agent’s duties; (b) deal honestly, fairly and in good faith; and (c) disclose all facts known to the agent materially affecting the value or desirability of property, except as otherwise provided by law.  As you can see as a person with little or no Real Estate experience you should be looking for an Agent to work with you as a Client.

In New York State the options available to you when you work with Real Estate Professionals are to work with them as a Seller's or Landlord's Agent, as a Buyer's or Tenant's Agent, or in a Dual Agency relationship.   I will review each of these types of Agency and how they effect the buyers and sellers or tenants and landlords in the world of NY Real Estate in a future post.

If you are looking for a house in the Greater Hudson Valley or Lower Catskill region of New York I would love to help you in your search.  As a buyer's agent I can set up a search web page for you, arrange for tours of homes you would like to see, and look at the homes with an experienced eye while looking out for your best interests.  Please let me know what you are looking for in terms of housing and budget and I will send you your personal web-based search organizer today.  Looking forward to hearing from you and good luck with your search.

Short Sales are on my mind these days.  I have a great one listed here in Pine Bush and have had many requests to go out and look for short sale properties from buyers I have been working with too.  

Let's talk the reality of value on a short sale property.  Many of the buyers that I work with are under the mistaken impression that they are going to get a fantastic bargain on short sales.  Some, in fact, have told me that they only want to look at short sales or foreclosures so they can get the best possible value.  Well the plain truth is that most short sales will sell at market value and the process can be long and frustrating for the buyer.  WHAT???

Yes the term "short sale" is used when the current homeowners owe more on the property than they can sell it for in the current market.  It means that the sellers are trying to get the bank to take less for the house than the remaining mortgage.  

Many people have heard that banks will take 20% - 30% less for short sale home as a rule of thumb.  That does not mean 20% - 30% less than the current value of the home it means they might agree to settle with the sellers for 20% - 30 % less than the sellers currently owe the bank on the property.  The bank is not inclined to give away property.  They operate with the belief that they can complete the foreclosure process with all it's tax advantages for the bank and end up with as much or more value than if they let the short sale go through at a low price.  I know it sounds crazy but it seems to be true.

That being said you can get some great homes that are being offered as short sales.  They are often better cared for than homes that have gone through the whole foreclosure process.  They may even be as "perfect" as or even better than those houses offered on the market without the short sale contingency.  You just need to have patience, the ability to wait longer to take possession, and the emotional fortitude to withstand possible failure even after months of waiting.  Yes they have changed laws to make the process easier but it still may be a difficult road to travel.  

If you are interested in finding a perfect home for yourself in the Greater Hudson Valley of New York I would love to help you.  If you are looking anywhere else in the world give me a call or send me an email so I can refer you to a great agent where you want to be.

Please help our freind Clint get his wish.  He and his family have been so inspirational to so many.  Let's help him get his wish!

We all have dreams about the type of house we want to live in.  The location is perfect.  The condition is straight out of House Beautiful magizine. It has all the bells and whistles.  Unfortunately many people reach a little too far towards that dream and find themselves caught instead in a nightmare.  

A home should be place where you can enjoy your family and freinds, and you can't do that if you buy a house that is truly beyond your means.  You need to carefully look at the reality of your finances, your lifestyle, and the bottom line monthly payments when deciding how much you can afford to spend on a house.  Think about the day to day expenses we all have, food, gas, clothing, utilities etc.  Then consider the things you like to do, sports, travel, dining out, entertainment, and all the rest.  Don't forget to add a bit for emergencies that may cause a temporary loss of income of added medicla or repairs expenses.

Be realistic then ask your lender to tell you how much house you can buy with the amount of money you will have to dedicate to your housing expenses.  You may be surprised to see that the amount you are approved for and the amount of loan that you really want to be paying each month are two totally different numbers.  If you push yourself to the limit of your approved amount you may find yourself working just to make ends meet not to meet your wants and needs.

The happiest people I know are not necessarily living in their "dream house" but they are enjoying living in the home they chose based on affordability and comfort.  I hope that as you enter a search for a new place... be it a rental, your first house, or your tenth, you will take the time to think about how much you can easily afford rather than the going price of a dream.  If you do you will sleep better at night and enjoy your life more.

If you are planning to look for a new place in the Greater Hudson Valley of New York I would love to help you find the perfect place.  If you are looking anywhere else I will be happy to help you find an agent who you can work with who will be looking out for you.

Should I buy now or wait until things settle?  Well that depends your current situation.  Are you living rent free somewhere or are you paying someone else's mortgage?  What was that I said?  Yes if you are paying rent you are paying someone else's mortgage.  Someone else is getting all the tax benefits of owning real estate and you are footing the bill.  How long do you intend to keep that up?

If your credit is in half way decent shape, you can pull together a down payment, and you have a desire to keep more of your hard earned money buying a home now is the way to go.  There is some great inventory out there and the interest rates are still very low.  We can't know how long this will last so what are you waiting for?

If you are ready or even if you aren't sure if you are ready and want to talk about it, don't hesitate to give me a call.  I work primarily as a Buyer's Representative and would love to point you in the right direction.  Call me to work directly with you if you are looking in the Greater Hudson Valley of New York or for a referral to an agent where you want to be.

First Time Homebuyer are you are ready to take the plunge?  You have scrimped and saved, scarificed immediate pleasures for the long term goal and now is the time.  So how do you go about finding that perfect first home for you?

You might start by looking at listings on line or driving around areas you like looking for real estate signs.  You might head out to see some open houses just to get the feel of the market.  You might call that number listed on the sign or email the agent who posted the listing on line but if you do that you are taking your chances because the listing agent is looking out for the best interests of the owner of that house not YOU!

Whatever you do don't dive into house hunting alone.  You need a Buyer's Agent who will be with you from start to finish.  A good Buyer's Agent will help you determine the direction for your search, help you narrow that list of wants and needs into a managable size with an eye on your budget and future plans.  You will have someone to set up the appointments to see homes and to walk through those houses with you, pointing out the positive and negative aspects of each property.  Your Buyer's Agent will help you determine a market based price range on houses that you like and help you negotiate to get the right house at the best price possible.  They will be a resource to provide you with names of service providers who will be needed to move more smoothly through the home buying process.  A Buyer's Agent is the key to less stress and more confidence as you make one of the largest purchases you will ever make.

If you are considering a house hunt in Orange, Ulster or Sullivan Counties of New York state, I would love to be your Buyer's Agent.  If you are looking anywhere else please contact me so that I can find you an excellent Buyer's Agent where ever you wish to be.