Hudson Valley Happenings Blog : May 2009

Can you hear that??? The door just opened a little wider for the first time home buyer (or anyone who has not opened the door to their own home for more than 3 years).  Yes it is true......

The $8000 Tax Credit Can Now Be Used As A Down Payment On FHA Loans!  Move Quick To Get The Details.

Click here to read all about it directly from the horse's mouth (or the IRS Web Site)

Yes the $8000 Tax Credit that is currently in effect for homes that close by December 1, 2009 can be utilized through certain approved programs as part of purchase costs if qualified.  This is huge and reason for many of you to start the ball rolling toward home ownership today.  

I work with a lot of first time home buyers and most of you are just trying to find a way to get a down payment together.  The people I work with lately know what they can afford and are being realistic about the size and location of the first home.  They know it is a stepping stone and the ability to use this money that is already allocated to them through the programs already in place with raise that stepping stone a bit higher out of the water.  I hope that many of you decide to explore the possibilities.

There are a lot of other programs out there that may provide additional help to you from grants, special interest rates, and other special incentives.  It is important to explore your situation with someone who can help you find the resources you might be able to use to make unlocking the door to your own home possible.  Please call for more information if you face this issue and I can refer you to someone who will help.

I work as a Buyer's Representative Real Estate Agent in the Greater Hudson Valley of  New York's Orange, Ulster, and Sullivan Counties.  If you are looking for a home here I would love to help you.  If you are looking anywhere else I can refer you to an agent who can help you where you want to be.  

I'm Paddy Pizappi - Work with Me and You'll be Happy!

I spent this past weekend at a Civil War Reenactment.  The location of the event was incredible and it was also a music event of period songs which added so much to our enjoyment.  The site was at the Ashokan Center in Olive Bridge New York.  It would be worth your time if you plan to visit the area to see if they have any events planned for the time you will be there.  I am sad to say I could not find my camera all weekend so I will have to wait to post pictures until A friend sends them to me but I wanted to share some significant memories with you before they get lost in the business of life.  

Memorial Day takes on a special significance when you are remembering and honoring the many men who gave their lives for a cause they believed in on both sides of the Civil War.  As Reenactors we do what we do to honor their memories and to insure that we never forget or allow our disagreements to turn brother against brother in war again.  Our weekend was enhanced by the return to our unit of Jon Kelly, a wonderful young man of 23, who is just back from active duty in Afghanistan where he spent time training Afghan police among other duties.  We are so grateful for his safe return and were able to feel the gratitude for all of our young men who are willing to go to serve us.

So I thank all the veterans, those who came home and especially those who made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom. We are able to voice our opinions so loudly because of your efforts.  I also am grateful to our young men and women who continue to follow this brave calling of service to our country today. God bless you all and keep you safe until you are once again home with your loved ones.

I had the pleasure of attending the Senior Music Recital at Pine Bush High School which was followed by the F.A.M.E. awards and scholarship presentation reception on Monday May 18th. The program for the evening included a great group of graduating seniors who each performed a musical selection of their own choosing.  We heard some really lovely vocal pieces and some great instrumental pieces too.  All of the students did a great job on the last performance on the Pine Bush High School stage.

Following the performances these students joined some music students from all of the schools in the Pine Bush Central School District for a reception hosted by Families Assisting Music Education, a non profit group that supports the music programs within the district in many ways.  F.A.M.E. raises funds through membership, various fund raisers throughout the year including the famous gingerbread house raffles during all of the District Winter Concerts, and other efforts during the year.  F.A.M.E. was instrumental in helping to get the 5th grade band program restarted in the district and continues to support that program with a loaner closet of instruments for students who can not take band due to financial concerns.  F.A.M.E. also provides assistance to various district music programs on an as requested basis and we provide several scholarships to graduating seniors who have been active in the music programs in school and a couple of community service awards for seniors who have brought music out for the schools and into the community in various ways.

At the reception the students, family, and friends enjoyed some refreshments and students who participated in All County, All Area, and All State Choruses and Bands were presented with certificates by teachers from the music department. Then the scholarships were presented.  The performance scholarships are based on a written application that includes a detailed history of the students participation in music programs during high school both within the school, extra school activities such as musicals and special performing groups, and outside of school.  There is also a written essay and finally the students perform for a panel of judges and are rated for that performance.  This years winners of the community service awards will be posted here shortly. The big moment of the night came with the presentation of the performance scholarships.  The first student awarded was percussionist Scott Krupp who's expression was one of total shock and really brought a smile to many in attendance.  He really had no idea he would get one of the scholarships.  Another percussionist, Matthew Reinhardt, who performed a duet on drums with Scott on Monday night that was amazing, also won a scholarship.  The last scholarship went to vocalist Michael Lancellotti. I have the pleasure of knowing this young man fairly well and have to say that he has an incredible voice and his commitment to music programs at the school has been exemplary.  Congratulations to all of the scholarship winners!.

I love participating in F.A.M.E. and would love to see other district parents come out to help us do our work.  We normally meet the first Wednesday of every month during the school year usually in the Chorus Room at the High School starting in October.  Please check you school district calendar for the first meeting date for next year and come on out to help!

I know we all want to shout from the rooftops about the wonderful opportunities there are out there right now for people who are in the position to buy.  I find myself caught up in the excitement of the latest announcement just as we all are   The latest buzz has been about the possibility of the use of the $8000 tax credit as a down payment rather than waiting for after the closing.   The truth of this is that the goal is there to allow it to happen but the mechanics are yet to be worked out.  Until they are worked out we don't want to count on this as an option in finding and helping to fund a home purchase.

As hopeful home buyers it is important to know your options and what is truly going to help you.  We all hear so many things about how you can get into a foreclosure property so cheaply right now. How the market allows us to make offers that are much lower than asking price and we can get a home that is worth so much more than we paid for it.  How we can use this or that program to make it easy and more affordable to own a home.  It is really a time when you as a home buyer need a professional on your side to help you sort through the noise and find the things that are really helpful and true.

I am hoping to hear any day now that we can suggest the $8000 credit will be usable to help in the actual purchase of the home.  I will be shouting about it to everyone.  Until that time there are many things that are available to help you work towards the goal of owning your own home.  I can help you through the maze and come out a winner!

If you are thinking about exploring your options for buying a home please don't hesitate to send me and email or give me a call.  I will help you to find the people and programs that can help get you become an informed and prepared home buyer.  If you want to live in a great area within commuting distance to New York City but with a "vacation feeling" you may want to explore options in the Greater Hudson Valley.  I work as a Buyer's Representative Agent in Orange, Ulster, and Sullivan Counties and I would love to help you.  If you are looking for options elsewhere I can refer you to an agent there who can help you.  

I work with a lot of home buyers.  Buying a home is different than buying just about anything else.  I am not talking about the cost although it is probably one of the highest ticket items you will ever buy.  I am talking about the emotional aspect of the search and eventual decision on which house is the right house for you.  It will "take you on a roller coaster ride" as you determine the best option for you for now and for your future.

 

The high number of homes available in any given price range right now makes it even more important to you to have an experienced guide to help you through the maze and find the right property.  It is like wondering aimlessly through an amusement park without a map.  You may find that you walked from one end to the other to get to one ride only to find out the next one you want to go on was where you were before you started walking.  You can become tired and frustrated.  You may decide to skip that ride all together only to learn from someone else that it was the best one in the whole park.


Can you trust the written and oral presentations from listing agents about the houses.  Well to a certain extent, under license law they are prevented from telling outright lies about a  property, but they can make it sound really nice without actually being untrue. And of course anyone who is a Realtor lives under the code of ethics that we as a group have adopted but I have seen many spacious back yards that backed up on a railroad track that was somehow not included in the description.  Was that house freshly painted to improve it's appearance or to cover something that might be an issue?  Not that your Buyer's Representative is a home inspector but they may help you to see something you don't see with inexperienced eyes.

And how about thing you might not knew about the area the house you like is in? While you may wonder aloud about why 8 out of 10 houses on a street are for sale without someone to suggest a reason or to give you the resources to investigate the possible causes yourself you may find yourself buying into a problem that others are trying to run from like a new freeway running practically through the back yard. A Buyer's Representative can get you the information or suggest sources for that information that you need to feel more confident in your final choice.

Finding the best houses in a price range can be like wanting to ride the best rides in the amusement park.  You need to have advance warning about the ones that form lines quickly and a plan on how to win your spot on the ride.  Without that guide you won't know about the possible lines ahead of time so you can rush over and beat out other potential buyers.  If you are trying to find the house on your own you may find yourself like those unfortunates without a plan at the park, waiting for hours in the hot sun and never get there.

In the end your heart will lead you to the house that speaks to you but be sure to take a guide along to help your heart make a reasonable choice.  Don't be taken for a ride but instead have someone with you to assist your choice on what ride to take.  A good Buyer's Representative will be that guide.  Don't go out looking without one!

If you are looking for a home in the Greater Hudson Valley of New York Orange, Ulster, or Sullivan Counties I would love the opportunity to help you. If you are looking anywhere else I can find you a Buyer Representative in that area who will help to find you the perfect fit for your heart and your future.  Contact me today to let me know how I can assist you to find the "best ride in the park" before you miss it.   

I spent some time with a cousin the other day who I had not seen in many, many years.  How many? - you might ask well, his oldest son will turn eighteen this summer and I don't think I have ever seen him.  There is a history behind why we fell out of touch and a lot of things that I wish had been done differently but all in all I have missed my cousin and wish that all those years had not been lost to the blockade I had set up.  See when something hurts us or we are disappointed in ourselves for not doing more than we did to help in a situation we carry a pain buried deep inside.

Oh we don't think about it every day.  We get on with life and make the best of it.  Life happens and if we let ourselves wallow in self pity, we will be drowning in it soon enough.  Unfortunately, some of us do spend far to much time swimming around in our own little puddles of regret.  But most of us, thankfully, can leave the disappointment in it's own little bubble and not visit too often but the bubble is still there.

The thing is you can't change what you did or didn't do before you can only change what you will do today and try to learn and grow.  I am glad that this bubble of regret about the past has been burst.  I feel good and can now move forward to include this cousin in my life again.  I hope that we are able to stay in touch and that I can become a part of his family and he a part of mine once again.  We will see what tomorrow brings but for today I have made a change for the better and I feel good!

As yesterday was Mother's Day I had decided to avoid working on real estate, well there were a few things that needed to be done but I was planning to take care of them first thing in the morning on my computer at home.  What I really wanted was to clean my house, I have been so busy with Buyer Clients these past few weeks that there has been little time for the necessary things like laundry and cooking let alone the downright avoidable dusting, vacuuming, and straightening.  So no to office and real estate world but a nice clean house to start my week with. That had been the plan but as we all know the best laid plans of Mice and Moms often go awry.  

I woke up to find that my desktop PC was not working at home and I had left my laptop at the office.  I really needed to follow up on some of the showings I had done on Friday and Saturday.  I had also put in an offer for an investment of my own and needed to follow up on that.  My son, and resident computer repair service, was home from college for the night but was still asleep.  So I decided to go in to the office to get the work done.  While I was in town I planned to go food shopping too as the cupboards were bare (reference the busy week I had last week once again).

I went to the office and found one of our newer agents had floor time.  He has a young family and is working two jobs plus has some investment property to bring in income so that his wife can stay home with the children. We had a chance to talk for a few minutes about how important the time that his wife and he were giving to their children by working things out for her to remain home with them was.  He said his wife missed working for "her own money" and I recalled that feeling when I was home.  I shared what I had learned through my experiences as a Mom who made a financial sacrifice to be home when my kids were small and how I am seeing the payoff in great kids who have a real relationship with me and are doing so well in school and in life so far anyway.  He said he would pass it on to his wife and was really happy to have spoken with me about it.

He was all excited about the gifts his daughter had for his wife. I said that I wished that my kids would be home cleaning my house for me as that is all I really wanted but I knew that they had planned to take me out to dinner later and having them with me was just as important as any gift they could give.     

After doing what I came in to do I headed for the grocery store.  I picked up food for the starving masses and headed home to start cleaning (although my enthusiasm for that was not what it had been in the morning)  I walked through the front door and the house smelled clean... I looked around and it was a miracle.  My family had given me more than they could have ever given me by buying something for me.  They had given me a clean house and an afternoon to sit and read a book.  Now I can start my week without one of the major things that causes that tightness in my chest that I get from the pressures of having too much to do and no time to do it in.

I have had a very very busy week and many of my fellow Realtors all over the country are reporting the same thing.  The buyers are out in force looking for just the right house.  Most days this week I have been out with at least one buyer client and some of my days included two buyer tours.  

Don't Get Knocked Out Of The Spring Market Rush

If you are waiting for the market to hit rock bottom before you rush in to scoop up the deal of a lifetime I would not wait much longer. The better quality, correctly priced houses are coming on the market, being shown, and offers are being accepted within days of listing and we are, once again, facing multiple bids on these properties. This means more than one buyer has decided that they want to buy the house and the sellers are able to look through many different offers for the same property.  There are calls for presenting your "highest and best" counter offer on the property which can lead to overbidding on properties in the heat of the moment.  

Now Is The Time You Need Someone In Your Corner Helping You To:

Get out to see the listings as quickly as possible 

Point out the great potential or the possible pitfalls in the properties using professional experience as a guide   

Determine a good starting range for your offer and make that offer as attractive to the seller as possible

Determine the current market value of the house - over bidding can lead to another disappointment if the appraisal is lower than the amount of your accepted offer.

Help to hold you back if you get carried away with the need to WIN THAT HOUSE during a highest and best offer situation

Follow through with your accepted offer to get you to the closing table and into your new place

Celebrating Being In The Winning Corner

Working with an experienced full time Realtor who specializes in Buyer Representation can give you the the upper hand in this active market.  You can still get a great deal, interest rates are incredible, grants and programs are out there to help you (REMINDER- the $8000 tax credit for qualified buyers is in only going to last until December 1), and there are a lot of people who want and need to sell their homes.  Do yourself a favor and find a Realtor to help you today.  

If you are looking for a new house in the Greater Hudson Valley of New York Orange, Ulster, or Sullivan Counties I would love to be the Realtor in your corner.  I work as a Buyer's Representative and will work hard to get you into a wonderful new home, vacation property, or a multi family investment or owner occupied place.  If you are looking anywhere else I can find you a Realtor who will give you this level of service wherever you want to be.  Just send me an email, a text, or call me @ 845-800-7086 today to get started.

Don't forget to register for my Home Buying Seminar on Wednesday May 20th.  Click here for details.  This is a no obligation, free seminar that will take you through the home buying process from qualification through closing.  Hope to see you there.