New Pearl River Holiday Idea: Thanks Kitchen?

New Pearl River Holiday Idea: Thanks Kitchen?

Things To Be Thankful For: Pearl River Kitchens!

Thanksgiving Kitchen Focuses Holiday Get-Together 

Things I am thankful for this year: health, of course -- for friends, family, myself -- and for the many things we all take for granted until something as devastating as Hurricane Sandy comes along to remind us of our good fortune.

And especially on Thanksgiving, I’m grateful for…my kitchen!  Kitchens have become the center of activity in today’s home, whether during a casual weeknight family meal or a grand Thanksgiving feast for twelve. More and more of our Pearl River real estate listings reflect just that: focused interest on the kitchen.  Here are some relevant details that can draw interest to real estate listings in Pearl River:

Floorplan – Is the kitchen open?  Walled-off?   Great yard view?  Photos should be selected to highlight attractive layouts for effective real estate listings.

Appliances – New?  Desired brand names? It’s amazing how prominent those concerns have become as interest in kitchens has been reflected in the real estate listings.

Finish – Have safety touches been added to the kitchen?  Childproofed kitchen is a two-word real estate listings highlight worth featuring in any family-friendly neighborhood. One of the easiest updates is the addition of new hardware -- which can also make it harder for little hands to pull open cabinets while the adults are busy baking the world’s best pumpkin pie! 

All kidding aside, I am thankful for all that we have here in Pearl River. This Thanksgiving, Sandy has reminded us of all those who will be spending this holiday without a familiar place to come home to.  If you would like to help Hurricane Sandy’s victims, a Red Cross page has been created to make donating easy: http://www.redcross.org/hurricane-sandy

Here’s to a safe and happy Pearl River Thanksgiving!

Marcella Riggs

Keller Williams Hudson Valley Realty

845 544 4026

Remembering Pearl River Homes' Long-Term Value

A Pearl River Homes Value Checklist

Adding Value Equation to Pearl River Homes Search

When you search through the latest listings of Pearl River homes, you first find those that fit your top-line needs. Then you winnow down that list. Some of the candidates will seem more appealing than others; and some will seem to be over- or underpriced.

Before making a final judgment on which homes bear a closer look, the most successful homebuyers also factor in qualities that may not be at the top of their own personal priorities list, yet which make a difference to the majority of homebuyers. In other words, they keep in mind the most important qualities that add value in market terms - that add investment value to homes that are principally your personal residential choice. Some of the more important ones:

• Location has a huge impact on a property's long-term price. Are amenities close by? Close enough to walk. Are homes in the immediate area well maintained? Is the property on a desirable block, or located next to a busy road?
• Taxes impact the overall cost of long-term cost - and when homes are listed, those figures are significantly displayed. Also important is whether there are any pending issues you should be aware of -- like a sewer bond or other pending taxes.
• Condition will become a major factor in years to come -- forward thinking will pay off in terms of overall value. A 20-yr-old water heater, for example, is going to cost sooner rather than later.  Homes with excellent roof and foundation condition can add exceptional long-term value.
• Pearl River homes with potential are homes with unrealized value. With smaller properties, it's worthwhile to consider how doable it would be to add rooms or expand its square footage.  Even if you don't end up adding square footage, if homes are small for the neighborhood, a future buyer might. 

This November's historically low mortgage rates make it a terrific time to give me a call. Together, we'll find the Pearl River homes that are good fits for your family - as well as great long-term values.
Looking forward to hearing from you...if even just for a chat!! 
Call me...845 544 4026
Best wishes, Marcella.

Pearl River Agents Dodge FSBO Drawbacks

Questionable For Sale by Owner Proposition

Real Estate Agents Cut FSBO Dilemmas

FSBO: “For Sale By Owner” -- it can be a siren's call when you first mull over the prospects for selling your house.  A Pearl River FSBO listing promises to allow a homeowner to sell without even consulting local real estate agents! Depending on a home's final sale price, the commission saved looks to be substantial.

While there are certainly theoretical attractions to the idea of working on your own, time and again statistics prove it is not only more efficient to work with a real estate agent -- it also frequently nets sellers more at the bottom line. There are logical reasons why it works out that way. They are the same reasons why only one in ten homes are successfully sold as FSBOs.

First off, while it may seem easy to arbitrarily pick a price and just see what happens, without a timely professional comparative analysis of the local market, it's pretty unlikely to be 'right priced'. Serious buyers will make current market comparisons to see whether a FSBO is a fair bargain being offered by a serious seller.  If the answer is wrong, buyers move on.

More than a convenience, relief from the paperwork tangle can be decisive in preventing technical logjams. Busy real estate offices are always humming, using today's electronic signature platforms, scanners, printers and faxes to rapidly churn out legally binding documents. There are other technical issues, too: experienced buyers know that a FSBO seller also has a lower likelihood of being familiar with protective disclosures or even area ordinances that can affect a sale.

Then there is the negotiation process. More than just working out a price, your agent can deal with all the details a prospective buyer sometimes throws into the mix. By sparing you the emotional cost every time you are asked to handle repairs or any number of other details, the odds rise that a transaction will stay on track and on time.

Long story short: there's really no need to reinvent the wheel. A simple solution: call me for a pressure-free consultation.  I'd be delighted to come by to go over your options.