Hudson Valley Happenings Blog : January 2012

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

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

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

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

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

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



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



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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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