DUTCHESS COUNTY REAL ESTATE

... The thrill of victory... and the agony of defeat.  I mean, shouldn't house hunting be classified as a sport?  Recently, I spent three weekends hunting with the same buyers.  We went deep into the country to hunt for the ideal home.  I typically work in the more populated areas of my county.  But, this house hunting excursion really felt like a "hunt" and I had so much fun venturing into new and unfamiliar territory.   

On second thought, maybe those winding roads through the upstate NY countryside were not really all that fun to navigate after all.  See, climbing those hills and meandoring the curvy and very treacherous narrow roads - made me a little car sick at times.  In the past, I've occasionally gotten car sick - but this time, it was ME doing the driving.  And, my poor car probably will need a front-end alignment now, after all those bumpy dirt roads.  Even on the paved roads, I was sure my SUV might possibly be swallowed up by ominous pot-holes.  But this didn't stop me.

So, what exactly made it fun?  Well, these buyers were just so delightful to work with.  They are first time buyers and they started out not so sure of what they were looking for or where they would settle.  A remote walkable village?  A country setting with a generous slice of land?  Older home?  A newer, but unique home?  One thing was for sure, they did not want a cookie cutter house in a cookie cutter neighborhood.  No, these were not the typical buyers and that's what made it fun.  I LOVE the not so ordinary and very unique properties!  But, the challenge is finding one - in almost move-in condition too.  

By the third time out, I was finally in their mindset.  I was starting to get a feel for what they wanted.  On the final day of our search we looked at 6 houses.  The first one was really nice, and then each property after that got better.  I felt like we were getting real close to finding THE home and it was hard to surpress that little voice in me saying "whoo hoooo - this is THE day".  I could just feel it. 

As we drove through rough terrain, we would wonder where the road would lead us and what we would find when we arrived at the next property.  It was adventourous.  At one point, as I was rounding a bend and making my way uphill, I turned to the husband and said "I just love the hunt."  He looked at me and laughed, as if I took the words right out of his mouth.  We were getting warmer and warmer, and hotter and hotter.  It was like being on a safari!  Our hunting expedition involved finding the perfect home - out in the middle of no where.  Boy, it sure felt like a game of some sort.  Why isn't house hunting a sport?

At the next house ...Eureka! We found it! THE home! ...And, speaking of hunting - attached to the family room wall was a great big moose head staring right down at us.  The hunt was over - we not only found THE house, but we found a moose inside the house and we didn't even need a gun for this hunitng expedition! 

...Ah! The thrill of victory!  I consider myself an avid hunter who doesn't even own a gun.  House hunting - it sure feels like a sport! 

As a real estate agent, I play an integral role of a caregiver.  As I get to know my clients and build business relationships, I begin to grow attached personally.  My goal is for everything to go smooth and I strive to do the best job possible- because at the end of each successful real estate transaction, a new friendship usually begins. 

But, what happens when things don't go as smooth as I might have had in mind?  Perhaps there is an occasional client who gets a little stressed out and easily frustrated.  Problems can sometimes arise when the other party in a transaction becomes difficult to deal with - there is no way to easily control the other party to a transaction.  The lender can sometimes scrutinize things.  The home inspection can cause both parties to have to re-negotiate.  No matter how hard we strive for smooth, it can get ugly and as one thing leads to another - it can also lead to stress. 

Sure, some people can become tempormental when so much money is at stake.  A real estate transaction can only go as smooth as the personalities involved -  buyer, seller, buyer's agent, seller's agent - and, in New York each party has their own attorney. And, let's not forget the loan representative and the home inspector.

One important thing I have learned as a real estate agent is how to identify and work with different personality types.  And, it's helpful to understand that not everybody has the same coping skills.  I try not to wear my feelings on my sleeves when occasionally somebody gets a little testy.  Chalk it up to human nature, especially when it comes to the stress that money can cause for some people.       

As Realtors, when we enter into a business relationship and it's midway through a transaction- we are in it for better or for worse.  As caregivers, we must find it in ourselves to be forgiving and to continue serving and caring for our clients as we look out for their best interest - even if they have snapped at us or have gotten a little frustrated by the experience of buying and selling.  Sometimes there are bumps in the road.  Not always does everything go perfectly. This is real estate.  But, we must always put our clients feelings before ours. Our job is to listen and show empathy.

Empathy - Pronunciation:  \em-pə-thē\   Function:  noun

1: the imaginative projection of a subjective state into an object so that the object appears to be infused with it2: the action of understanding, being aware of, being sensitive to, and vicariously experiencing the feelings, thoughts, and experience of another of either the past or present without having the feelings, thoughts, and experience fully communicated in an objectively explicit manner.

It's important to remember that everybody handles stress differently.  For a Realtor dealing with a stressed out client, a little empathy goes a long way.  And, this is what makes a business relationship transform into a possible lifetime friendship - and, it can turn that one client into a repeat client or referral source.  We must remember that WE are the caregivers. 

To gain friendship and win their trust, we must grow sensitive to our clients needs and feelings. We need to handle them and their transaction with a warm heart, warm words and SUNBEAM hands.

Sunbeam hands?

The hands of those I meet are dumbly eloquent to me. ... there are those whose hands have sunbeams in them, so that their grasp warms my heart.         - Helen Keller The Story of My Life, pt. 1, ch. 23 (1903).

It's becoming an all too familiar question.  Start talking about the economy with anybody, and the topic always turns to real estate.  Inevitably, I am asked - "when will the market hit bottom"?  Isn't this similar to a few years back?  I remember when escalating real estate sales and increasing prices had people shaking their head in amazement.  They would tell me - "the bubble is going to burst."  The media had started spreading the news of the possibility, but at the time everybody seemed skeptical - nobody really knew for sure, or when it would happen.

Fast forward to today.  Those of us who have concerns about the economy, our home vales, and if you are a real estate agent ... your livelihood - we watch TV attentively.  We can't seem to avoid paying close attention to news reports hoping for some glimmer of hope.  As a Realtor, I pay careful attention to statistics as it relates to my local market.  I am always hopeful that I might notice a trend indicating some improvement. 

But, nobody knows.  Nobody has the answer.  There is no crystal ball that can determine when the real estate market will hit bottom.  Even the national so-called experts have no clue.   

Every day, real estate analysts are interviewed on TV.  They give opinions, they have their own predictions about the market - but they can't pinpoint WHEN the market will hit bottom.  

A good investment always requires a gut feeling.  Whether investing and selling off stocks, or purchasing and selling real estate - the key is timing. 

Buy high and sell low. 

But how do we ever really know when we have arrived at the low or high?  We don't.

Nobody knew WHEN the bubble would burst.  It was interesting at the time, how sellers just didn't believe it and refused to price their homes according to signs of a shifting market.  Now, the opposite has happened.  As values have declined significantly buyers are still waiting for even better bargains, disregarding the so-called experts being interviewed on TV who have begun hinting that NOW is really good time to buy. 

As homeowners worry about their real estate investments and buyers continue to question their decisions to purchase now, they wonder "when will the market hit bottom."  And, when I am asked this question I remind people of the real estate bubble that burst - and how nobody knew back then WHEN the market would peak ..and there is no way of knowing NOW - when we will hit bottom.   

By the time we know this, the market will already have shifted again and many of today's bargains will already have been snapped up.  There are buyers who will face disappointment because they didn't act sooner.  It will be much like the disappointment felt by recent and current sellers who have had to take huge losses over the last few years because they waited to make a decision about selling or simply did not price their homes competitively based on a shifting market.       

So, has there been a voice in your head calling out to you to act NOW?  Does your instinct tell you that NOW is the time?

A good investment is based on instinct.  So, if your instinct is telling you to buy, if the experts being interviewed on TV are saying that NOW is a good time to buy, if you are noticing some really great bargains, if you are enticed by low interest rates - then, what are you waiting for?  With all these positive signs, how can somebody not feel somewhat sure?  Can it get even better than this?  Maybe.  But, what if it doesn't. 

I received a call today regarding a property which I had listed several months ago.  When I moved to a different firm in December, this overpriced listing remianed with my previous broker.  At the time, I felt the listing would never sell at THAT PRICE, so I parted ways on friendly terms with the seller - after my previous broker insisted on keeping most of my listings.  

See, I was more than willing to let my previous broker have this listing and a few others which I knew were hard-sells.  I think she actually thought she was penalizing me for leaving her firm, but what she didn't know at the time, was that she was really doing me a favor by taking these listings off my hands. 

This particular property is still on the market.  However, I must have forgotten to take it off my website.

So, the phone inquiry ended up being a missed call.  It went to my voice mail.  The caller stated that she saw the property last year and noticed that the price had not changed at all in the time it's been on the market.  She wanted to know if it was negotiable.  Before hanging up, she reiterated that she was wondering just why the price had not changed in a year's time.  As if, this is something that is mandatory?

Well, it's simple.  The sellers did not qualify for a short sale and they refuse to take a loss.  That is why I am no longer the listing agent.  Maybe price changes SHOULD BE madatory!  As for this property, it should be taken off the market.   

This phone inquiry brought to my attention once again, that there are many buyers out there just watching, watching watching.  And, they're waiting, waiting, waiting for price reductions.  And there are sellers out there who are not going to back down and take a loss.  This buyer sounded very frustrated and annoyed because the sellers have not budged.  Oh well.  Maybe the sellers are just as annoyed that buyers aren't paying them much attention.  When will they have enough of being just another listing?   

This kind of reminds me of the old fashion high school dance, when the girls would stand on one side of the gymnasium and the boys would stand on the other.  And, only occasionally - would one of the boys get up the nerve to ask one of the girls to dance.  I don't think boys and girls are so shy these days.  I would say that each generation has become a little more aggressive.  

One thing is for sure, I am really looking forward to the day when buyers and sellers start getting more aggressive - with pricing and making offers.  Won't it be nice when the mood is a little more upbeat?  I'm waiting for buyers and sellers to begin to take the initiative!  Until then, I feel like a chaperone at a very boring school dance!  No more hesitation.  Not even a SLOW dance.  I'm so ready to turn up the speed and get this party going?                  

That would be ME! I don't believe I am alone these days when I say I feel like a prisoner in my own house.  The truth is, I am not happy living in my current home anymore.  My house is large and presents too much of a responsibility for two career minded people who are off working most of the time.

On the surface, life appears to be good.  But, we are imagining ourselves in some other place right now.  Like a condo or townhouse.

Our plan was to only live here for 5-7 years.  We needed the space when there were two teenagers living with us.  I can assure you that raising two teenagers is only sometimes fun.  But, fun or no fun - the time did fly by.  And, now it's time for us to think about ... well, US.    

And, just when our time became OURS...                     

...just as we started feeling like the time had come to think about selling...

...the real estate market shifted.

And, 9 1/2 years later, we're still here but our heart is somewhere else.

NO, I am not upside down on my mortgage.  I can even afford to sell at a realistic price and still have hefty proceeds from the sale.  We would not even be taking a loss.  But, I've done the math.  My house needs some work.  So, the first place we thought of turning to was our savings.  At first, we were even willing to pay the penalty on our retirement accounts.  But, when we found out how much our nest egg had shrunk.  No way!  We don't want it to shrink any more than it already has, by taking more money out of our accounts to improve our home so it will sell.  When it comes to our assets, we are trying to protect what is still there.  And, because I am a real estate agent - there is not enough cash flow these days for the necessary home improvements that are needed to get our house in a marketable condition. 

So, as I write this post from my 3000+ square foot jail cell, I guess I am resigning to the fact that I feel like a prisoner in my own house.

Drats!  I guess we'll be staying here until I sell a few more houses and the economy improves.  At least I can say that I love my husband very much - and despite it all, he actaully make a nice cellmate!     

You're able to pay your mortgage on time but due to a decrease in the value of your home, you think you are unable to refinance to take advantage of today's lower mortgage. Maybe you're wrong. Are you struggling to make the monthly mortgage payments because your interest rate has increased or maybe you now have less income due to a hardship?

Use the self-assessment tools provided on the website below to see if you are able to benefit from President Obama's comprehensive strategy called "Making Home Affordable".

http://www.makinghomeaffordable.gov/

                                                
               1989 Route 52
               East Fishkill, NY 12533
               www.carolculkin.houlihanlawrence.com

               Office:  845.227.4400   Ext. 358            Cell:  845.430.6543         

A showcase of the fine art created by art students of John Jay High School will be on display March 19th through April 17th at the East Fishkill Houlihan Lawrence office.  The opening reception will be on Thursday, March 19th from 5-7pm.  Please join the Houlhan Lawrence team in recognizing these talented art students.  The East Fishkill Houlihan Lawrence office is located at 1989 Rt 52 across from the high school.  For more information call 845-227-4400.     

I've had the opportunity over my real estate career to view houses which have changed ownership a few times.  I always find it amazing how each homeowner will completly transform a house into something a little different by using their own sense of individual style to make it their own.  Sometimes there is a noticeable improvement and I find myself awestruck by the many updates and obvious vision that the new homeowner must have had starting out.  However, there are other times when the previous homeowner had more exquisite furnishings and maybe a better eye for a tasteful decor.  The new homeowner sometimes had no clue that without the beautiful furnishings the house is really just a Plain Jane. And, perhaps they might not have the resources to make it what it was.  How disappointing this reality might be for a buyer.

As the real estate market has shifted, Realtors today are beginning to put more emphasis on staging their listings to get the best results.  More and more, sellers are receptive and have become very willing participants.

It is said that a home which is staged will sell faster, and for a higher price.  As real estate practitioners, we do everything possible to encourage the sellers we work with to enhance the marketability of their homes by staging their properties to enable us to give the best possible presentation.  First, we might start off by giving our own recommendations, and many of us refer our sellers to professional stagers who can give so many more creative ideas.

We wear many hats as Realtors.  And, as a listing agent I encourage staging.  

...BUT, when representing a buyer, I must reverse my feelings regarding staged homes. 

I become a little cautious when I see the term "professionally decorated" in the listing remarks.  Now, I know there is a difference between a decorated and a staged home.  For the purpose of this post, I am referring to both staged and decorated houses.

Take away the staging and the decorating, and what do you have?  As I tour properties with clients and am wearing the buyer's agent hat, I am constantly trying to visualize what a wonderfully decorated and stunning home might look like during the final walk-through - when it's vacant and every imperfection can be seen.  This process takes place the day of closing usually.  Will the buyers still LOVE this house after the movers have carted away all the furniture?

On a recent tour of homes with buyer clients, the wife LOVED a property while the husband was only luke-warm.  He had a list of negatives which included characteristics of the lot, the neighboring properties and some of the individual room sizes.  The wife loved the house for more obvious reasons and was thinking a little less practically.  So, the husband set the wife straight and said "Honey, we're not going to get this house with the furnishings included" - she grew very disappointed as he reeled her back to reality.  The point was - would she still LOVE this house when it's vacant?

Found THE House?  Now, Imagine It While Naked! - Not you naked ....THE HOUSE silly!        

They say a picture is worth a thousand words.  In the world of real estate marketing, photography is like the new open house.  If you're trying to sell your property, be sure to take full advantage of the photo opportunity.  Expect that most of the previewing and weeding process will happen online.  For goodness sake - don't neglect to showcase your home.  And, don't tolerate mediocre photography from your real estate agent either. 

If you want buyers to say "wow," you have to make your house be ready to smile and say "cheese."

There is no doubt that while you're trying to sell your house, you might also be trying to live in it.  But, don't miss the opportunity to make an online impression.  This starts from the outside.  Curb appeal is a must.  As you make a to-do list, don't forget to spruce up the outside.  Have a plan to enhance both the exterior and interior of your property with photographs in mind.  In the process of getting your house ready to put on the market, you must be thinking picture perfect. 

Are you aware that while you might have only a few showings, your listing will probably be taking several online hits from the public websites it will be advertised on?  Do you want buyers to continue to pass up your property time and time again because it didn't photograph well?

Once your house is on the market, take a moment to look at all the marketing photos and critique the presentation?  You need to be your own worst critic.  Don't wait until your house begins to linger on the market before you start beating yourself up.  Determine if you like what you see in the photos.  Be honest with yourself.  If you don't like what you see, neither will the buyers who are shopping online.  Don't be afraid to ask your agent for a re-take.  But first, clean up your act.  Your agent could be a great photographer but it won't matter one bit if you are not a good housekeeper or just don't have an eye for the obvious.  Pictures don't lie.  So, clean it up ...and dress it up.    

Tidy up the kitchen and bathroom especially.  You don't have to aim for a totally sterile look, but get rid of the counter clutter.  Even if you do not have an updated kitchen, this will at least make your house appear clean and tidy.  Get rid of small appliances which are not in use on a daily basis.  If you don't eat toast everyday, get rid of the toaster - hide it in a kitchen cabinet.  And, while you're at it, get rid of the refrigerator art and all the magnets.  Put your family calender in a drawer. 

De-personalize your entire house.  Some real estate agents might suggest getting rid of family photos. I'm not in total agreement with this because maybe some buyers find comfort in seeing how you portrayed the sense of a loving family in that house.  But, do minimize the amount of family pictures.  In fact, limit your collection of just about everything - even if your junk is not grouped together as so-called collectables.  Random junk is distracting to buyers.  Put it all in storage and plan on meeting up with it in your next lifestyle.  Replace your junk with some live plants and just a "few" decorative and tasteful touches. 

Your house should show off a little personality, but be sure it's not the personality of a rebel.  If you like bold colors, tone it down for the purpose of getting your house sold - especially wall colors and flooring.    Promise yourself that in your new lifestyle you will unleash your creative, artsy and wild side again.  Now is not the time to make a statement. 

Get rid of the wallpaper and borders. If you have royal blue, hunter green or fire engine red wall to wall carpet, consider replacing it with a neutral selection.  Better yet, if there is hardwood under that carpet, take advantage of this.  Consider it a special selling feature and just refinish the floors rather than re-covering them.

Open the curtains and let the sun shine through.  Buyers like sunlit homes.  While you're at it, clean the windows.  Neutral wall colors make the rooms look bigger and a home feel cleaner.  Neutural color schemes help in achieving that sunlit feeling.   

Unsure of how to get your house picture ready.  Look at pictures of homes in a home & garden magazine.  What do you see?  Better yet, what do you NOT see.  I bet you won't see a lot of clutter.  You'll notice clean, tidy and sunlit rooms.  Can you spot your own individual style?  If not, find one you might be easily able to duplicate.  You can copy a certain style even if you are on a budget?  Understand that paint is cheap and a little goes a long way.  Most of us can't afford Pottery Barn, but you can achieve the same look by shopping for the cheaper version of the same look at places like Target and Ikea.

Don't forget to pay close attention to detail.  When your agent comes to snap photos, make sure your bathroom toilet seat is down.  There should not be any pets wandering around in your photos.  And, be sure your Realtor doesn't snap their own photo in your bathroom mirror.  Move your car out of the driveway so your agent can focus on photographing just your home.

Remember, as the seller - you have all the control.  Competitive pricing and great photography will influence buyers to want to come and look at it.  Not offering the best pictures could be just as dangerous as not offering your house at the right price.  And, price - of course, that's a whole other topic. 

Yes indeed!  This is a rant.  But, I'll keep it short and sweet.  Yesterday I received a call from an agent advising me that she had written an offer for one of my listings.  My listing already had an accepted offer which is now the subject of a contract dispute and everything is in limbo at the attorney's office.  I will know more on Monday.  The other agent is aware that my deal might be a little shaky because when she called the other day to tell me she'd like to show the property and wanted to know how far along the offer was, I explained that it could be possibly falling through and strongly encouraged her to show it.

After the showing yesterday, this agent calls to tell me she is presenting a very nice offer but that she would be unable to fax the paperwork to me until later in the evening or early this morning.  We talked of the details and it all sounded great!  But, of course I need to see it all in writing to see what lender the buyer is using, how much of a down payment is involved, along with any other details - before I can intelligently talk to my client.  She told me she was driving and asked that I call her office and leave a voicemail with my home fax number so she would know where to send the paperwork.  I did just that, but there was no receptionist by the time I called and the after hours recording at her office only allows me to leave a message that goes into the general mailbox. So, now what?

I've been waiting for the paperwork for more than 24 hours.  I finally decided that I need to reach out to this agent in another way.  So, I looked her up on the agent roster in MLS.  The roster shows which office she is with and that phone number.  Her home phone number is listed as the same number as her office phone.  I took it one step further and looked up her listings, assuming most agents would put their cell phone number in the listing.  I mean, what if somebody was submitting an offer on one of her listings this evening?  Wouldn't she want to be sure all the other agents had a way to contact her?  In each of her listings, in the spaces provided for contact information, the same number appears - her office number.  Now, what good does that do me? 

Now what?  I guess I have to wait until Monday morning to call her office.  I happen to know this agent is not one to hang around her office Monday through Friday from 9-5.  So, I will need to be persistant with the office staff and hope they will somehow put me in touch with this agent.  For now, I guess I'll just wait for my fax machine to ring!  This is crazy!