Southampton, NY Real Estate, Paula Hathaway,LBA and Certified Home Stager

SOUTHAMPTON VILLAGE IS BURSTING AT THE SEAMS!!!

2008-08-20T12:23:28Z

IT MAY NOT SEEM to be that jam-packed, but to the local people here in the Hamptons it is "bursting at the seams!"

Most people from new York City are here for their vacations; no more trips to Europe, at least for those who take vacations in August. Because of the cost of air travel and the exchange rate of the dollar, most savvy travelers are coming to the most beautiful beaches in the world...right here in their own back yard!

I can't wait to see the reports at the end of this record season; just how many people rented houses this year vs last? What were the restaurants doing with the excess crowds lined up at the door on Saturday evenings? How did the local merchants fare this year over last? I don't hear any complaints from the store owners this year!

I know one thing: there are several new dinner clubs here in Southampton Village and they are jammed on Friday and Saturday nights! Take Nello for instance; if you want a martini at this very popular night club, you have to pay $30! The crowd is young and not so young, famous and not so famous, European and worldly...the music is out of this world.

Looks like a record year for all the folks here on the East End---Even the real estate business is happening! I just got three new customers--investors, looking for a $1 Million or under for their investment portfolios. They are thinking of buying, fixing up, holding and renting while they hold. Not such a bad idea; especially since the prices have come down from the moon and the stars and you can now get a really good buy here in the Hamptons!!!

"97% OF ALL HOMEOWNERS ARE CURRENTLY PAYING THEIR MORTGAGES ON TIME!

2008-08-06T11:52:17Z

I heard this news this morning as I was getting ready for work; Dianne Sawyer was interviewing Neil Cavuto from Fox Business News Channel. I rushed to stand in front of the TV, hoping to hear the source of the information from Neil's mouth...no such luck!

The tidbit came out as an aside and was quickly brushed over by Dianne as the segment on the current economy ended. How did she think the idea would affect her topic? Was it really "off topic" as she appeared to abruptly end the interview? I think not---I think it was an attempt to avoid any further "positive" information to enter the conversation. It just was not what ABC wanted the public to hear during this report. Instead Dianne went to the matter of Neil Cavuto's illness, MS, which he suffers from.

Don't forget, this is an election year and "we need change" in our government, don't we?

HERE'S TO THE NEW "LOCALISM.COM" WEBSITE!!!

2008-07-30T23:05:18Z

What a wonderful progression for the participants of ACTIVERAIN!This is such a great concept that it got me out of my "funk" with blogging and put me back into the field of participants.

I had been waiting here in the wings, with no connection at home to the internet and decided today to check out what is new on AR....what do you know!! Here is the one thing that I have been waiting for with bated breath...it got me so excited, I decided to connect to the net through my phone company instead of Cablevision! Finally, we are going to have a REAL local website; one that invites everyone in; one that can inform and aid people in their search for homes and brokers locally like nothing else has!

I want to be an active participant in Localism.com!!!

Now, what is this localism thing going to do for me? or anyone else out there? I sense that the practical part of it will positively affect my local market in ways we can not even comprehend at the moment.

The limited information out there for the average person to read regarding just what real estate brokerage is all about will be expanded through this vehicle. It can inform and boost consumer interest in what real estate is all about and perhaps for ther first time, give real estate professionals a human side that does not exist at the moment...no longer will we seem like the "enemy" to the majority of the population!!

All of this has great potential, as long as the natural growth of this site is handled, managed and commited to as it has been on ActiveRain.

GOOD LUCK TO ALL INVOLVED!!!

..."STAT OF THE DAY" PROVIDED BY MILLER SAMUEL, INC

2008-04-30T16:57:39Z

Well, the Hamptons made the news today--big time....The New York Observer reported in their " Stat for the Day" REALESTATE column, the official 1Q 08 sales figures for The Hamptons and The North Fork of Long Island, NY.

Miller Samuel, an independent residential real estate appraisal and consulting agency, released their analysis for the first quarter of 2008, and it was quite something:

1st QUARTER 08 HAMPTONS/NORTH FORK MARKET OVERVIEW

The most striking characteristics are the rise in price indicators within the top 20% and the decline in overall number of sales. The market has changed from one of price growth equally distributed across most segments of the market just a few years ago to PRICE GROWTH CONCENTRATED AT THE HIGH-END. The lower level of sales activity is largely attributable to the declining national economic climate, tighter credit and a weaker employment picture in New York City financial services sector.

= Average Sales Price

= $1,728,610

*Up 16.2% over prior quarter

*Up 16.8% over prior year quarter

= Median Sales Price

= $790,000

*Down 1.3% from prior quarter

*Up 1.9% over prior year quarter

= Number Of Sales

= 400 units

*Down 34.7% from prior quarter

*Down 41.4% from prior year quarter

= Days On Market

= 184 Days

*Up 10.6%over prior quarter

* Up 32.5% over prior year quarter

= Listing inventory

= 1,848 Units

* Up 5.8% over prior quarter

* Up 25.5% over prior year quarter

So, even with the drop in unit sales for the East End and the North Fork, a modest gain was seen in both the median and the average price indicators for 1st Quarter, year over year. The average sales price was $1,728,610 this quarter, up 16.8% above the prior year quarter, the second highest quarterly average sales price after the third quarter of 2007, which had an average sales price of $1,805,104.

MAYBE I'M OUT OF LINE, BUT......."BLOG BLASTING" HAS GOT TO GO!

2008-04-28T07:06:21Z

I was just reviewing the most recent posts, those written over the weekend, to see if any thing new and exciting was coming out of the real estate market in these most interesting of times.

It seems that the peculiar behavior that I have seen happening on the ground in this business has begun to overflow and is happening right here on AR too!!

Someone has written 13 posts, all on the same basic subject, and all were submitted from 10:43 to 11: 23 last night. The impact of that activity just pushed very interesting posts beyond the front page so fast that my head is spinning! Meanwhile he is racking up valuable points without making any kind of a contribution to this blog and someone has to be very persistant to get past those posts just to get to the interesting ones. The really PITHY ones are very hard to find...

Now, I am a FIRM believer in being able to write about anything here on AR! It is essential to be able to express your opinions and post your own dialogue, but running on about local data that is duplicated from one post to the next???

I am wondering if there isn't a way to safegard against this kind of activity---I think it is unethical if someone is "blasting" the blog in such a way that other posts can not be seen or read.

Is it acceptable to have this kind of posting?? Maybe I am wrong and these posts are very valuable and I can't understand them??

I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR HOW OTHERS FEEL ABOUT THIS ACTIVITY HERE IN THE RAIN???

ITS THE "WILD WILD WEST" IN THE HAMPTONS RIGHT NOW!!!

2008-04-27T20:06:36Z

Is anyone else out there having difficulty with other agents/brokers right now?

A very good friend of mine, who works for the same company as I did for many years, called me the other day and asked me if I was finding that things had changed in our community. She was asking specifically if I had been having difficulties with fellow agents, such as "pocketing" a listing or losing a listing to another broker, while you had the listing!

At first I was surprised by her question; not because things are going so smoothly right now in our area, but because she is the last person that I ever expected to hear this kind of problem from. I will call her Grace.

Grace has been in real estate almost as long as I have (about 15 years) and we have never been competitors because she has her own, well established base of clients and customers and I have an entirely different one. This is possible because we deal with second home buyers and sellers and they come from Manhattan, New Jersey, Connecticut, Upper New York State, Massachusetts and a large number of Europeans and Eastern Europeans. There is a huge base to choose from and overlapping client/customer rosters were infrequent here in the past.

Suddenly, there has been a severe decline in buyers, just as in most other markets across the nation. It happened later here than in other areas simply because we are not dealing with primary homeowners or buyers. Because of the huge growth in sales here, we have had a comparable increase in agents.

From 800 agents in 12-13 small brokerages in the 90's and early 2000's, we now have over 2000 agents in 4 giant brokerages. In addition to the new agents flooding our small community, we have watched as 2 large conglomerates absorbed the smaller "Boutique" brokerages.....a "thing of the future" we were told as it was unfolding. One agency has 2 offices in each of the 5 Hamptons,simply because of the merging of companies here.

ALL THE WHILE, THE HIGH-END OF THE MARKET REMAINS STRONG!

So what we have here in the Hamptons now is a microcosm of the macrocosm. Agents literally trip over one another when showing properties. Every one of them are now trying to do rentals. Summer rentals have gained in strength because of the slow down in sales---buyers who want to wait to buy are renting for summer, winter and year round; it is like someone flipped the switch from buying to renting. When the Bear Sterns buy-out was reported, the steady stream of buyers slowed to a trickle.

And all those new agents? Well, there is pandemonium when dealing with a "new" personality that has emerged. Instead of a low key approach where everyone has the patience to wait while a house that is listed with one broker either sells or becomes an open listing, there is an onslaught of agents vying for those high-end listings that might give them an edge in their marketing efforts. Landing a "big one" has become the focus of almost every agent.

Grace almost lost her $18Mil listing to another broker before the ink was dry on her agreement with the seller...well maybe not that soon but the owner was bombarded by at least 12 other agents while the exclusive agreement was in effect and Grace was livid. She was fortunate enough to have a loyal client who did inform her of the "pitch hits" from other agents.

There is a trend now for some agents that do get a high end listing, to "pocket" them. They don't even market them; they then sell the listings themselves, leaving the owner in the dark about the fact that the property never hit the market! It is impossible for me to know if they actually did this with out the knowledge of the owner, but what would you think if you suddenly heard of a $60Mil ocean front sale that you never even knew was on the market?

It feels like the "Wild-Wild West" here in the Hamptons at the moment. It feels like lawlessness is a way of life now, at least here in the Hamptons. As sellers decide NOT to put their homes on the market because it is such a bad time to do that, the problems multiply. I have had similar bad experiences with another agent or two recently and I feel better now that I know that I am not alone, now that I heard from Grace!

Is anyone else out there feeling this change in attitude? Or is this just another Hamptons anomaly?

THE GOOGLE CLICK "SCAM" IS A REALITY.....

2008-04-25T17:24:15Z

Today, while watching a report on CNBC, I heard about the "click" Controversy surrounding Google and other search engines that sell pay-per click advertising programs........There is no regulation!!! WORD HAS IT THAT THE PERSON RUNNING THESE PROGRAMS JUST SITS THERE AND CLICKS AWAY TO RUN UP YOUR AD COSTS!!!

REALLY IRONIC since I have just had a very frustrating experience with Google this morning regarding my new "Adwords" account!!

It all began when I kept seeing my competition (in the Staging business) pop up on the first page of a Google search. It happened all the time and so I asked one of the stagers I know how she got such good postioning and she told me she uses the advertising campaigns that Google offers and she appears right up there with HSR and other top staging companies.

Now, I am also a graduate of the HSR training program; I used the staging training only, not the marketing training that HSR offers. That may be the difference but highly un-likely. I am the furthest thing from a technical expert on the computer so all of this is brand new to me.

So, back to my story: I signed up for Adwords because it made a lot of sense to me, especially knowing that statistically, most of the clients looking for staging services, search for companies on the web. I would be paying per click and I could set the price per click and I could tell them how much I would be willing to spend; in other words I set up my own budget. HOW GREAT IS THAT, HUH?

I was so excited that my ad, which I wrote, would appear and I selected an amount that I figured would get me good exposure yet not break the bank. The page that I used to select this from made it sound like I would have a 1-3 postition for my ad campaign and I was to pick keywords that they suggested also. I finished the campaign and waited a period of time to go to Google just to see my ad!!!

WHERE WAS IT??? There must be some error in the way I searched; I went back on and searched again, using another keyword.....I lost my head, what can I say!!!!...I went back several times; OK, OK, MANY times to try to find the "great exposure" that my new ad was going to have!!!

Well, do I need to tell you that I went a little "nuts" when I saw my account the next morning????

I had racked up $55.00 in clicks!!! Not only that, I HAD ANOTHER 15 CLICKS THE NEX MORNING THAT COST ANOTHER $30 BUCKS!!!

"WHAT A RACKET!!!", I said to myself....."This is a SCAM" as I clicked "Pause" on the ad while I caught my breath and contemplated what I was going to do. I got an email almost immediately telling me that my ad was on pause and therefore I was getting no hits. "Please resume your campaign" was the encouraging email notice.

I immediately responded and told them that they were in the wrong by not informing me that all of my clicks were to be charged against my budget and not only that---WHERE WAS MY AD????

To make a Long story short.....I cancelled my campaign totally when I got a 3 page report in very technical language going on and on as to how and what I needed to do to ensure a successful ad campaign that would put me on a page 10 position infrequently. I never did get the information on how to find my list of keywords so that I could narrow them down to avoid getting clicks that had nothing to do with staging homes!!!
I am no longer participating in this "scam" as I call it....does anyone else out there have a similar experience???

THIS IS A FASCINATING JOURNEY...HERE ON ACTIVERAIN

2008-04-13T14:08:55Z

VESPA!!!

When you stop to think about it....just what did one do with one's free time before ActiveRain?

I can't even remember--All I know is that now, when I come home from the office, I sit down and read, read, read posts....they are a fountain of information.

NOW, I LOOK BACK:

I have participated in a contest or two

I have written more than I ever thought I could

I have made my own advertising videos (Thanks to Jeff Turner)

I have learned more about technology than I ever wanted to before

I have people from all over the country communicate with me, and I with them

I have forged deep friendships

I think I may have even created an adversary or two

I have participated in one heck of a LONG blog party

I have had memorable discourse with other bloggers

I have had disagreements, maybe even an argument or two

I have seen a huge number of people come into the fold as someone lost a loved one

I even took a sabatical from ActiveRain as I "re-tooled" my blog material....and my "self"

....and all this has happened since November of last year--just 6 months of playing in this unique sandbox.....JUST 6 MONTHS!!! What in the heck will the next 6 months be?

A Very Big thank You to everybody here on AR--What would my life be without you??

"ALL REAL ESTATE IS LOCAL" TAKES ON MORE MEANING, ESPECIALLY IN TODAY'S MARKET!

2008-04-12T16:12:28Z

While this phrase keeps coming up in the press, in boardrooms, and in real estate offices across this land, "All real estate is local" has an even deeper meaning to me today than last year, or last month or even last week.

I hope to explain to all those who may be interested, how this market differs from most; the following may not be applicable to any other marketplace, but it is totally unique, and to me it's uniqueness is it's real value.

The Nation is tied in knots right now regarding the sub-prime mess and no one is an exception to it. Even if our individual markets are not the place where sub-prime loans were the order of the day, they (sub-prime loans) are affecting everything we know and do about our own real-estate markets.

THE HAMPTONS

This misunderstanding is not too far out of reach, especially if you are in the media and trying to capture the attention of the nation in order to properly inform the masses of how the sub-prime loans are affecting them. However, if you are in a part of the country where your clients and customers are from New York City and the local market is a second home community, not a primary one, it becomes difficult to help buyers to see the real picture. Buyers hear what is said in the media and interpret it to be applicable to the Hamptons, even though it does not apply. Therefore, we ARE being affected in a dramatic way. How long it will affect this market is up for discussion; I believe that when the pent up list of buyers realize that houses are still selling here and the prices have not dropped as was expected, they will start a buying frenzy of unthinkable proportions.

Now, granted, this is purely my own opinion but let me explain how I see it from my position here in the Hamptons: small marketing area, average price on homes for 3Q 07 was $2,005,685, (+24.4%) median sales price at $1,030,000 (+21.1%) with the number of sales at 361 (-21.5%) in 151 (+25.8%) days on the market. Our listing inventory was 3,742 units for 3Q 07 versus 2,802 for 2Q 07. (inventory for the prior year is not available). This is hardly typical of the rest of the nation and I know that these figures will change drastically for 4Q 07 and especially for the 1Q 08 and not for the better.

If you were to compare these figures with another one, not too far away (10 minutes by train and 30 minutes by car) you would see the reality of what "local" market identification really means.

NORTH FORK for 3Q 07 Ave. sales price:$707.983 with a +1.8% increase and Med. sales price at $522,500 with a -2.3% decrease. Number of sales decreased from 147 units to 66 units (or -55.1% from 2Q to 3Q of 07) and from 154 units for 3Q 06. The listing inventory stayed much the same: 733 for 3Q and 699 for 2Q of 07.

NOW THIS IS LOCAL!!

The rest of Long island falls in line with the rest of the nation and in fact, in pockets has suffered even greater losses of homeownership than the Midwest and Florida. We tend to think of the Hamptons as a suburb of New York City. In fact, we share an affinity with the city that goes beyond the standard market differences.

I worked in New York City for the first 6 years of my real estate career. I worked on the upper East side of New York and "cut" my teeth on the business by dealing with the same crowd that populates the Hamptons.

In 1995 when I was working in Manhattan, the trend toward owners listing their co-ops and condos as exclusives became the way that the business was done with the most efficiency...open houses are the number 1 source of sales in the city; an apartment can come on the market on a Thursday and be sold at an open house the next day---at least that is what happened when the market was thriving. Open houses were done only when one had an "Exclusive right to Sell" agreement with the homeowner. Exclusive Right to Sell was the standard choice that homeowners made in the city and thus the Hamptons, when it came time to sell their second homes. With the Exclusive Right to Sell came the commitment on the part of the brokerage community to handle these listings with kid gloves. Advertise, do open houses, be the keeper of the key and in general become the homeowners right arm and shadow self. These owners are not usually in residence so it is of particular importance to be available at all times to serve both the buyer and the sellers every whim. Here in the Hamptons, we work 7 days a week, hoping to be able to grab a day here or there to get the much needed break from the business. Weekends are our busiest time because that is when people are here.

THE ANTI-MLS

Neither the City or the Hamptons ever joined MLS. We did try to at certain points but discovered that that particular system fell far short of our needs when it came to "handling" the listings as the owners want us to. Not meaning to be an elitist, I fully understand that houses which contain major art collections and other valuables that another seller may not own need to be treated carefully and with much tolerance of the owners concerns.

Not only that, it was discovered that if we listed the more expensive properties on MLS, there was a groundswell of agents who do not know the market here, have no interest in knowing it but just want to sell the "Big Ticket" houses. That agent who has no clue as to the property values from one street to the next or from the North side of the highway to the South does not do any justice to a buyer or a seller by trying to sell in this area. This issue is a controversial one; how can you overcome the problem?....referrals. Referrals are a mainstay in this market; in fact, if an agent does not participate in the referral business, he/she is missing out on the biggest source of business available anywhere in this country.

We have our fiduciary responsibility to the seller, however if someone decides that they want to work as a Buyers Broker, they are able to do so by separate agreement, and this is disclosed to the seller at the time of a transaction. An agent can not give undivided loyalty to two or more principles in the same transaction. Thus, real estate license laws prohibit a broker from representing and collecting compensation from both parties to a transaction without their prior knowledge and consent. "more difficult to handle is the situation in which a seller's broker for example, emotionally adopts a buyer and unconsciously begins to work for the buyers's best interest, so that an unintended and illegal dual agency results. One could be acting as a dual agent even if not being paid by both parties." (from the Law of Agency, Modern Real Estate Practice in New York)

HERE'S TO OUR DIFFERENCES; LET'S CELEBRATE THEM!

It may seem to some out there that those of us who are fortunate enough to be living in the most beautiful "light" in the world could not possibly amount to a hill of beans. Not only that to be able to work in it, that beautiful "light", but to be able to spend our working hours walking through some of the most wonderful, historic and picture perfect properties in this country must mean that we are "light" in other ways. Well, don't be so quick to jump to conclusions. I at least have made peace with it. I have a connection with far greater things than just making a living. I, at least have an agreement with myself that I will do what I can to preserve the beauty, the history and the "light". And if it means I can make a few bucks while I do it, how bad is that???

PAULA'S POSITIVE POST.......HOW ABOUT YOUR BUSINESS???

2008-03-09T21:32:47Z

Isn't it great to hear positive news? I just commented on a blog from team DiMuria from Katy Texas and, well, there is something happening in real estate right now AND IT IS POSITIVE!!!!

I just had my busiest week in months....and I am going to be even busier next week with new and old buyers all coming out into the "light" of day, regonizing that if they don't buy their Hampton get-away now, they will have to pay record $$ for a rental...and every body needs a get-away in order to get out of NYC during the boiling hot summer days.

All kidding aside, I am seeing a rush to buy houses(that are fairly priced) unlike anything I have seen in 6-8 months. This market has been relatively unfazed by the negative National news, however, over the holidays the market came to a complete halt and that started in October of last year. We have been preparing for the worst real estate market since 1988-1991. All bets are off on how long this will go on but I am feeling more of the positive than the negative right now and IT FEELS GOOD!!!

Anyone else out there feeling the good vibes?

A "LOOKING GLASS" SUMMER-- AN EARLY "GREEN" EXPERIENCE

2008-01-27T12:09:54Z

I just joined this group and wanted to share this post that I wrote some time ago--not many viewers---probably was in the wrong place. So please enjoy!

I was just posting a response to a blog about a book on Great Lakes Berries, by Eric Kodner, when I had a recollection of a summer in Michigan that I will never forget.

It may not seem like such an incredible thing to most people today but it left an indelible memory that re-surfaces for me every now and then and I would like to share it with you, especially at this time of year when most families are together and memories flow.

There is a river in Michigan that meanders across the "mitten" from one side to the other. I was too young at the time to remember exactly where, but it is one of the longest rivers in the state. Called "THE LOOKING GLASS RIVER" it was the most beautiful sight to see. It was so still; it hardly moved and the surface was exactly like a looking glass.

Now, we are talking about another time here, so the river may not even exist anymore. But at the time it was a little known secret, except by those (namely, my father) who had driven the state doing "research" of the rivers there.

My father was a landscape architect and a horticulturist of the highest order; not only did he have degrees in both, he lived by the "book" so to speak. His life was filled with the most vibrant experiences, simply because he was so immersed in the "calling" of nature. He would speak Latin to describe most plants, so when we were growing up our knowledge of the common names of shrubs and plants was almost nil. As a result of his incredible knowledge and interest in things "green" I had an intense interest in them as well.

One wonderful, sunny summer weekend my father told us at the breakfast table that we were going to take a trip and the trip would take the whole summer. We would do this trip every weekend, never going to the same spot and returning home at the end of each part of the trip. There were 7 of us altogether. My eldest sister was away for that summer and would miss this experience.

We all piled into Dad's huge GMC van; Mom filled a basket with food for later. We drove and drove until we stopped at a bridge, covered with vines and enshrouded with overgrowth of wild plants and trees. We all traipsed behind Dad, down the river bank, pushing aside the bushes and brambles to see what this was all about. At one point there was a sudden clearing and we all came to a stop.....we held our collective breath as we peered down at the most beautiful sight any of us had ever seen...there it was: THE LOOKING GLASS RIVER. Dad didn't have to say much; we just looked at this tranquil, slow moving sheet of "glass" as it curved around the bend and meandered onward.....onward and onward. We picked berries along the edge of this beauty and sat on the banks of the river with our lunch.

This trip was repeated all summer long; every weekend, we would pile into that huge GMC and take off. What an experience for young minds! We traveled that entire river and where we couldn't drive, we walked until we had seen the entire length of it. My memory of the whole story about the river itself is dim but I really think that the story is in the sight of it. It did not take a vivid imagination to figure out why the name. I learned so much that summer, as I usually did whenever I spent time with my dad. It was a summer to remember!!!

IS THERE STLL A LOOKING GLASS RIVER??? If you have any information let me know, please.

Thanks to Jason, here is what this beauty looks like:

Posted

...."CAN YOU GIVE ME A MINUTE? WE REALLY NEED TO TALK!!!"

2008-01-26T20:26:33Z

I don't know if this got posted here but maybe it is appropriate?

Has this ever happened to you?....I bet it has! Maybe not in a long time---but, admit it--it has happened and it scares the be-geezuz out of you when some one says something like that to you.

Well, it happened to me the other day. I was working away on a staging job. Not a big one, but a nice re-design job that I volunteered to do for a real estate client who really needed to spruce up his house before he put it on the market for rent. I was moving at a great speed and getting this done was foremost in my mind. Since I was doing it for him FOR FREE! (he is also a great good friend) I really wasn't focused on anything else. ..."Just get this done and move on" was all I was thinking about. He was there in the house and making phone calls like mad, leaving me to my work.

So, when he came up to me with his cell phone to his ear, I was not in anyway prepared for him to say anything to me. I heard him say "Lets go sit down...I really need to tell you something" and I went to the sofa with him as he closed his phone and gave me his full attention. "What are you planning to do with the Master bedroom?" he asked.

"Oh, I thought about changing the angle of the bed and I think I will put a new duvet cover on the comforter you have, why?"

"Well, I have some news; some good news and some bad news" he said. I couldn't imagine what he was about to tell me...was he getting married again?...was he going to tell me he was in love with me?....was there something that he didn't like about the way I was doing his house over? All of these abstract thoughts came pouring forth into my mind. My heart was literally suspended from beating for that moment.

He looked away from me and gave a long deep sigh....I was holding my breath, without knowing it.

He looked back at me and I thought I could feel something; something like a fire was generating from his eyes....I coughed as I drew in some air after not having breathed for at least 25 seconds. Looking away quickly, he gulped audibly....

"I have been thinking about this for so long that I can't believe that I have finally made up my mind" he said slowly, looking down at his hands..."this is very difficult for me" with dry lips, his voice was muffled.

My mind was racing: I never led him on!!! What is he doing? He is going to propose and I haven't even kissed the man! How wild is this--my friends will never believe me!.....

The energy between us was palpable...nothing could have prepared me for this! What was I going to say to him? I can't believe this!!!

I reached out to touch his hands; to calmly tell him that he must not say anything more; that my life was perfect the way it is, that my plans for my future would not and could not include him......

His head bobbed a bit, then he looked up at me, right in the eye he said "I finally decided to put the house on the market for sale and I am giving the listing to Jean Anderson...I wanted to tell you this for some time........

My heart fell; all the other thoughts that had flooded my brain moments before were vaporized...

I stood up, yanked my hand away and yelled: "You two-timing son-of-a------"....

Moral of the story: DO NOT EVER ALLOW YOUR IMAGINATION TO GO WILD WHERE YOUR WORK IS CONCERNED; RARELY DO THINGS TURN OUT THE WAY YOU THINK THEY WILL!!!

......DID YOU KNOW??? ...LITTLE KNOWN SOUTHAMPTON, NY TID-BITS: THE EARLY DAYS

2008-01-20T21:46:50Z

Southampton, New York lies along the Eastern coast line on the shores of the mighty Atlantic Ocean.

Steeped in history, this town is a sprawling stretch of farm fields, pine barrens and ocean dunes and is the most beautiful part of the island known as Long Island, named Long Island because it is. The Village of Southampton is located on the Atlantic, and siddles up to the vast Shinnecock Bay. This village is where the original settlers came to establish a way of life that has persisted down through the last few centuries.

Did you know that Southampton is the oldest village on the East Coast? Before the whaling town of Sag Harbor was established, before the rest of the Hampton's was anything but a campground for the Shinnecock Indians, an Algonquin tribe, Southampton was a raw outpost in the woods and seagrasses of this oceanfront wilderness.

Did you know that it was founded in 1640 after the earliest colonists came down the shoreline of the Atlantic, from Boston Massachusetts to Conscience Point? This sparsely populated community, in it's infancy, was a collection of Englishmen and women who came down the coastline, searching for what is now known as the Great Peconic Bay and it's surrounding bodies of water. This location was originally owned by Charles I from England and was acquired by the colonists for a new settlement.

Did you know that the earliest families that settled here in those first days are still here? As these families settled in with the help of the Shinnecock Indians, they had a series of paths that went from the bay to the ocean and back again. In addition to settling in close to the banks of Peconic Bay, they also traveled by the path that is now known as Old Town Road, to a location that is still here: a grassy knoll on the corner of Toylsome Lane and Old Town Road where the colonists built dug-outs and sod roof huts to live in while they established the eventual village of Southampton. The Halseys, the James, the Rogers and others have their roots here and they have thrived here as well. Southampton remained a "sleepy backwater" town until the Long Island Railroad opened it to the wealthy New Yorkers who chose to spend their summers here. Travel between the city and Southampton, changed everything forever for this area...and literally brought the world to the shores of the most beautiful white sand beaches anywhere.

Did you know that Southampton is the only village on the Eastern end of Long Island that is built right on the ocean? Come see our beautiful seashore and enjoy the ocean even in winter!

...AAAHHH STAGING! FEELING AT HOME IS EASY IN A NEW HOUSE THAT HAS BEEN STAGED!!!!

2008-01-20T10:24:15Z

After 15 years in real estate, struggling with the ups and downs, and after buying 6 houses of my own, renovating, "staging" and successfully selling or renting those projects, I have finally found my "voice" in a service that I feel is a natural adjunct to real estate: Staging and Re-design. I am doing this in conjunction with my real estate business since I see the natural ups and downs in real estate make room for me to be able to do staging part of my career during those down times. Now with the slower housing market, the need for staging is accentuated and therefore my focus is on staging.

In October, 2007 I began my staging and re-design business, Hathaway Home Staging or http://www.hathawaystaging.com. This was a well planed move on my part, based on what I saw happening in the real estate market in general. I took the HSRclass on line to prepare myself for the business aspect of staging and at the same time, became the Chapter President of the Eastern Long Island chapter of a newly organized group called American Society for Home Staging and Re-design (ASHSR).

We met via teleconference for the first time on January 15th, 2008. This was truly an incredible experience; with all the enthusiasm and the different experiences of each of the stagers on the call, we had a fruitful first meeting and will meet again on or around the 15th of every month to share ideas, marketing strategies, and to solve the collective issues and problems that come up for every stager in the emerging staging profession here on the East coast.

I just got my first request for a staging proposal on a builders vacant property! I am so happy! It feels like I am finally in my element! I do love listing and selling real estate. This is like the frosting on the cake for me....for the first time in my life I feel like I have found my "BLISS"!

Here's to a good year in real estate, especially the staging part!!!

....A MOST EFFECTIVE WAY TO MARKET YOUR HIGH END RENTALS

2008-01-06T07:44:57Z

The rental business is a big one, especially here in the Hamptons. I have had tremendous success with the use of RES. They seem to pull a person's attention right to the key points about the property and they give a different and better experience to the perosn who is surfing the web--looking for the perfect hampton home for the summer.

http://www.realestateshows.com/show.php?id=231999

Click on the above link and see what is available to you if you have an upscale home to sell or rent out for summer 2008, or any time for that matter. All homes that I list for sale or rent get the opportunity, if the owner so chooses, to have a real estate show created of their property.

This real estate show has had phenomenal response from owners, agents and customers alike. In fact all of my listings get more attention because of this effective tool.

If you have a home that you would like to sell or rent out, contact me and I will list it for you or connect you with the right office/agent to do so.

HAPPY 2008 TO ALL AT ACTIVERAIN....

2008-01-01T08:43:54Z

Here's to a very Happy New Year and may all of your needs be met; may you walk with the wind always at your back and may the sun shine upon you every day to bring the joy and happiness you deserve!

Bless you all for being so wonderful to me in the short time I have been a member here. It is quite remarkable to me that the internet, with all the negatives that it can produce, is also the conduit of great creative interactions between people and can be such a healthy, vibrant source of grace, wisdom and fun!

Thank you all!!!

I JUST WENT "BLOG MINING" AND GUESS WHAT I DISCOVERED????

2007-12-22T22:10:19Z

I decided, after reading a blog regarding using your former blogs to stimulate another one, to do just that. This is what happened:

I have a major case of blog block and I can't sleep even though I have to get up at 5:00 AM to drive to Manchester, NH for Christmas. I have been waiting all evening to come up with something to leave with all of you since I will be away for several days and I don't know if I will get the chance to blog up there(family and all).

Not that it is critical that I leave something behind, but you never know what can happen while you are away; and besides which, I really feel that you all are my family now to some degree and it is important that I get that off my chest!

So I was re-reading everything I have written here on AR--I am still a newbie. I read the blog on the "Looking Glass River" and I had a very strong warm feeling come over me, sort of like a dawning--a light bulb went off as I realized how much I am a reflection of my father. If you read that blog, you will understand where I am going with this. It was never so clear to me as it is right now.

Now, I am a woman, no question about that (no snickers, hear?) and I have all the right attributes but I just discovered in a profound way that he "formed" me. He formed my thinking because of how he guided me. He left me with such a treasure-trove of valuable experiences that I really feel that Iam him at times. Not in a physical way, just in the thinking way. I yearn to be able to thank him, and I guess I do all the time, in my thoughts.

It may not have been so noticeable to me early on- --I was a world traveler, he was not; although in his head, his imagination took him to places even I have not been. My world has been so expaaaaanded that it is hard to put this man in a perspective that will be understood. He was born in Munith Michigan, lived in Saginaw, studied landscape architecture at MSU and basically lived his life in a 200 mile radius. He died at 64 of Hodgkin's disease (years ago) and left such a legacy that I am in awe of him, still.

Now to the point; everyone of us on AR seem to want to write great blogs, right? Well, I just discovered what it takes, and it comes from what we all have....every single one of us. We all have a person in our life whether it is a parent, a sister, brother, grandparent, teacher, professor, boss etc. who has influenced us in one way or another to a great degree. I know that you do. We all do!

I have discovered that if you can go to that place, the place where you can feel that persons influence, not necessarily the presence of that person, you can tap into it all again. The experiences you had can be brought forward in a kinesthetic (feelings) way. That is tangible stuff--and it can be used when you really have something to say..try it. Let me know if it worked for you too. It may be difficult at first but I can almost guarantee that the content of your blogs will be enhanced if you put that effort forward.....IT IS MIND BLOGGING!!!

SEE YOU ON THE BLOGS!!!!

WHY IS THE MEDIA STILL TRYING TO CONVINCE US THAT REAL ESTATE IS IN THE "DUMPSTER"

2007-12-21T12:45:36Z

"All Real Estate is local"---is a phrase that we all have heard for some time now. This is the real truth about real estate and yet we are still bombarded with reports about the devastation that is still in the pipeline, especially where subprime mortgages are concerned, on a national level.

New homes or housing starts are in pretty bad shape nationally yet on my block in Southampton Village, in New York there are three new builds and one completete renovation going on as we speak.

Here on Activerain I read all the time about how business is active again in a lot of areas....some even say the phone will not stop ringing right now---just a FEW DAYS BEFORE CHRISTMAS!!!! Last week I offered up an article on the projections made by NAR for 2008---this was the ONLY report that was positive in it's projections for the near future in Real Estate!!!

I personally think that something to do with "buying short" by the big giants in the financial world may have something to do with this---and i just heard that the reason most BIG conglomerates like Morgan Stanley, Merrill Lynch et al were hit so hard is because they were in over their heads buying the mortgage backed secuities that were rewarding them with such high yeilds (I hear 10-12%). Most of these were based on the subprime mortgages that the poor "Little Person" was sold. TALK ABOUT THE GREED FACTOR!!

How do we ignore the national news reports that are so bad?? How do we convince our customers that this is THE time to buy a house when all they hear is that prices are going even lower????

It will be very interesting to see how those financial institutions that are buying short on real estate right now will come out at the end of the fiscal year for 2007.....stay tuned

"Paranoid Paula"

"YOU CAN NOT SOLVE A PROBLEM WITH THE SAME THINKING THAT CREATED IT"

2007-12-16T14:38:30Z

How perfect---does anyone know who said "You can not solve a problem with the same thinking that created it"?

When you examine the housing situation and the sub-prime catastrophe in particular, this must be applied....in other words, don't get caught up in the idea that we need to get back to business as usual before we change our thinking.

The government has come forward with several things to help out during this very difficult time for home owners. They may even have to do more later on as things start to wash out into the open and other segments of the financial markets are found to be in trouble because of this fiasco.

Let's just hope that the things that have been done to date do not give people a false sense of security, whereby, there is another rush in to re-finance at a "special rate" for a momentary solution. I have already started to see the ads....advertising a mortgage that will beat an "unbelievable" and "unbeatable" rate.

Go ahead---guess who said "you can not solve a problem with the same thinking that created it" I wish I had a prize to give but I don't---just praise for whomever knows who this incredible person was. (hint, hint!)

O<:o)

WHEN ALL IS SAID AND DONE, MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!!!

2007-12-16T07:07:17Z

The weather is perfect today !!!!! I am really in the Holiday mood now. How about you???

O<:o) HO HO HO

Lets hope that the next year will bring everyone peace of mind and joy in the little things in life! We have been so fortunate in real estate---don't you think? There are so many things to be grateful for, now is the time to really take an inventory of the valuable things we have gained and learned! I know I have learned more this year than ever before.

I learned that most people need to be educated as to what their homes mean to them....the house is more than just a home ! (This is a new twist on the saying "...a home is more than just a house") New found financial freedom has been discovered by the average home owner--this is still a fact. Even though the market has softened significantly throughout the nation, if a person is able to make ends meet to keep their home, most people will make that effort. When all is said and done, most people will still have what becomes, once again, their most precious and valuable asset. WE MUST NOT LOSE SIGHT OF THIS!

The help that the government offers may not "bail" all people out but in fact, it does ease the concern of MOST and I believe that is the goal. After this fiasco dies down and common sense prevails, I believe that the average person will have a new -found respect for homeownership.

Home Ownership is a very special thing--it puts an individual into another stratosphere in terms of personal wealth and financial Independence....we, in the real estate profession must NOT lose sight of this. It really is our job to inform the individual, especially the first time buyer, of this very special status.

WELL, I GUESS MOST PEOPLE ARE RUNNING OUT OF BLOG MATERIAL!!!!

2007-12-15T19:08:32Z

How can I tell? What makes me the expert? Nothing except when you start reading about "farts" and "shit" and dirty jokes, and drunken party goers, you can be sure that the person or persons writing the blog has nothing else to say--it's pretty simple; doesn't take a genius to figure it out.

Even the person responding---what a waste of time and good blogging space. I often wondered what happens when the holidays roll around. What do people talk about in the BLOGISPHERE? I know that there is very little business to discuss; even in good times, the holidays are slow where information sharing goes.

That leaves the subject of family and memories and nostalgia---all things which the faint of heart can not quite bring themselves to share. The average person would rather keep all that "stuff" to themselves. But, why not lend a little emotion to the blogisphere? Why not share a story that you would ordinarily never talk about?

Come on; why not?

A "LOOKING GLASS" SUMMER-- AN EARLY "GREEN" EXPERIENCE

2007-12-12T09:15:50Z

I was just posting a response to a blog about a book on Great Lakes Berries, by Eric Kodner, when I had a recollection of a summer in Michigan that I will never forget.

Now, we are talking about the 50"s and 60's here, so the river may not even exist anymore. But at the time it was a little known secret, except by those (namely, my father) who had driven the state doing "research" of the rivers there.

IS THERE STLL A LOOKING GLASS RIVER??? If you have any information let me know, please.

2008 NAR REPORT MORE OPTIMISTIC THEN ANY OTHER SO FAR

2007-12-10T16:55:06Z

I have attached the latest news from NAR---looks far more positive than other 2008 reports:

Existing-Home Sales to Trend Up in 2008

WASHINGTON, December 10, 2007 -

Existing-home sales are projected to trend up in 2008, with pending home sales showing a slight near-term rise, according to the latest forecast by the National Association of Realtors®. However, a recovery for new-home sales is unlikely before 2009.

Lawrence Yun, NAR chief economist, said the worst part of the credit crunch has already worked its way through the data. "The unusual mortgage disruptions that peaked in August were clearly seen in lower home sales that were finalized in September and October, so the market was underperforming," he said. "Now that mortgage conditions have improved, some postponed activity should turn up in existing-home sales over the next couple of months, and I expect sales at fairly stable to slightly higher levels."

The Pending Home Sales Index,* a forward-looking indicator based on contracts signed in October, increased 0.6 percent to an index of 87.2 from an upwardly revised reading of 86.7 in September. It was the second consecutive monthly gain, but remained 18.4 percent below the October 2006 index of 106.8. "The broad trend over the coming year will be a gradual rise in existing-home sales, but because sales are exceptionally low in the final months of 2007, total sales for 2008 will be only modestly higher than 2007," Yun said.

The PHSI in the Northeast jumped 16.0 percent in October to 80.6 but is 11.1 percent below a year ago. In the West, the index rose 8.4 percent to 87.3 but is 16.9 percent lower than October 2006. The index in the Midwest slipped 1.4 percent in October to 85.5 and is 11.7 percent below a year ago. In the South, the index dropped 7.8 percent in October to 91.6 and is 25.3 percent below October 2006.

"The improvement in the Northeast reaffirms a trend apparent for some months now that shows signs of recovery, noteworthy because that was the first region to slump, and the gain in the West indicates some easing of interest rates for jumbo loans," Yun said. "Lawmakers need to understand that raising the loan limits on FHA and GSE-backed conventional loans will markedly improve mortgage availability."

Existing-home sales are likely to total 5.67 million this year, the fifth highest on record, rising to 5.70 million in 2008, in contrast with 6.48 million in 2006. Existing-home prices should be down 1.9 percent to a median of $217,600 for all of 2007, and then rise 0.3 percent to $218,300 in 2008.

"Home price growth in the vast affordable midsection of America will help raise the national median existing-home price slightly in 2008. I then expect price appreciation to return to more normal patterns in 2009, perhaps rising one or two percentage points above the rate of inflation," Yun said.

"Even with a modest decline in the national aggregate price this year, it's important to keep in mind that nearly two-thirds of the metro areas in the U.S. are showing price increases," he said. "The apparent disparity results from fewer sales in high-cost markets, so a change in the mix of sales is dragging down the national median home price."

Areas showing healthy price gains include disparate markets such as Gary-Hammond, Ind.; Binghamton, N.Y.; Corpus Christi, Texas; and Spokane, Wash. "We can't emphasis enough how much local conditions vary, even within a given area, so it's important for consumers to make decisions based on local market conditions."

New-home sales are forecast at 788,000 this year and 693,000 in 2008, down from 1.05 million 2006; no sustained improvement is seen for new homes until 2009. Because builders have correctly adjusted production, housing starts, including multifamily units, will probably total 1.36 million this year and 1.16 million in 2008, down from 1.80 million last year. The median new-home price is projected to drop 3.0 percent to $239,100 for 2007, and then decline another 0.2 percent to $236,600 in 2008.

The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage is estimated to rise slowly to the 6.4 percent range by the end of 2008, with additional cuts in the Fed funds rate lowering short-term interest rates.

Growth in the U.S. gross domestic product (GDP) should be 2.1 percent in 2007, down from a 2.9 percent growth rate last year; GDP growth is forecast to improve to 2.4 percent in 2008.

The unemployment rate is likely to average 4.6 percent for 2007, unchanged from last year, but rise to 5.0 percent in 2008. Inflation, as measured by the Consumer Price Index, will probably be 2.8 percent this year and 2.7 percent in 2008, down from 3.2 percent in 2006. Inflation-adjusted disposable personal income is estimated to grow 3.1 percent this year, the same as in 2006, and then grow 2.2 percent next year.

STAGING MAKES A STATEMENT IN A BIG CITY CONDO......

2007-12-10T14:18:03Z

There is a condo in New York City that I just heard about that was staged, put on the market and sold within a week .

It sold for $1million over the asking price!This information came to me via my sales manager who was speaking with another manager in New York...Apparently this tid-bit has set every progressive broker in the city to get themselves aligned with a "Staging Service". I haven't heard the stats yet on this, nor have I seen any public records to substantiate the sale yet, but my company Prudential Douglas Elliman just had a managers meeting in Florida and one of the key topics was Staging and the necessity of this important new trend to the future of real estate brokerage.

In California, I understand that Staging is just another part of doing real estate business. Are there any stats that might give some insight as to how much staging influences the sale of a property?

Does anyone on the West Coast or anywhere for that matter, have any definitive information that can be used to guide us here on the East Coast? There seems to be a dearth of statistics about this new "industry" and it would certainly be helpful to everyone now if there were a source for this critical information. Maybe real estate professionals can begin to identify staging information on their sold listings; such as:

1.Was/is the house staged or not?

2.If it sold, did it sell for less or more than asking ?

3.How many days, weeks, or months on the market?

This could be relatively simple to add to our technology and can mean the difference between a much needed source of statisical information for the real estate business as well as the new Home Staging Industry. I have a request in for this data to be added to our listings here at Prudential Douglas Elliman; it will be interesting to see if there is an adequate response.

Please give any feed back that you may have regarding these statistics or where I may find them.

Thank you.

HOUSES ARE STILL SELLING IN SOUTHAMPTON VILLAGE......

2007-11-19T20:59:39Z

Thats what came out in our meeting at Prudential Douglas Elliman last Tuesday, we were told of at least 7 deals that are happening right now. One house is a lovely 1930's 4 BR on .36 of an acre that will close at the end of the month. The asking price was $4.2 Mil and the deal is being done at just under that.

On my street here in Southampton Village, there are two new houses being built right now, and around the corner from me there are 2 renovations and 2 new builds underway. This is just one part of one quadrant of the village.

The village of Southampton is an anomaly; downturns in the real estate market here don't happen the same way as the rest of the country. Sales taper off to a degree but because we have such pent-up demand......and "there is only so much village" most buyers who want to own a house here find buying opportunities that they normally would never see.

So, this is an opportunity to buy here. Now is the best time because come spring, I suspect prices will start to go up again!