Celebrating the Holidays

With a few more houses on the market than what is normal for the holiday season, the question keeps coming up about decorating. My advice, over and over, is to keep it simple and elegant. That goes for inside decorating as well as outside.Speaking of outside decorating, the Democrat and Chronicle has put together a map of notable holiday light displays. To check out that map, go here: http://

Just Listed: 51 Briarcliffe Dr, Irondequoit

Just hit the market on this cold, blustery Rochester morning! (details at www.RochestersBestHomes.com/931215 )A beautiful 3 bedroom home on a simply gorgeous street in West Irondequoit. With beautiful hardwoods through, this home has lots of period charm plus many important updates, such as a newer roof and vinyl siding. And once the weather breaks, you'll enjoy the professionally landscaped

140 Days and Counting

When the weather outside is frightful, you can usually count on the real estate phone going to sleep. Not this year! I worked with three different buyers yesterday during the raging snow storm. And of the 7 houses I showed, three of them were new to the market this week. That’s not a typical December day for Rochester, NY.With less than 140 days to be under contract to qualify for the home buyer

Getting Ready to List Your House

Right now, I'm getting more phone calls from people wanting to sell their home than individuals that want to buy a home. That's a change and I think it's been brought on by the federal tax credit for repeat buyers that have owned their current resident for at least 5 years. Of course, there are a million things to do to get your house ready for the market....cleaning, organizing, de-cluttering

Home Buyer Tax CREDIT, not deduction

I've made a few phone calls this week to individuals that might want to take advantage of the Federal Tax Credit being offered to qualified home buyers and was very surprised at how uninformed and/or misinformed the general public is about this program.Most importantly, this is a tax credit, not a deduction on your income tax. For most first time home buyers, the credit is for 10% of the purchase

Much to be Thankful For

Highland Maples Originally uploaded by maryshelsbyJust a quick note between stuffing the turkey and peeling the potatoes. I have much to be thankful for. I have a wonderful supportive husband and an awesome family back in Maryland. I am affiliated with the best real estate company that Rochester has to offer, ReMax First. And 99.9 percent of my clients feel like friends and family. There is

What does a Million Dollars Buy You in the Rochester Real Estate Market?

In some parts of the country, it's not unusual to pay a million dollars or more to buy a nice house but in the Rochester, NY area it is a rarity. In fact, for a measly million dollars you get a really, really, REALLY nice house!For just over a million, $1,059,000 to be exact, you can purchase a 6 bedroom, 3.5 bath waterfront front home with a 36 foot indoor pool, hot tub and three fireplaces. For

Mum 's the Word at Lamberton Conservatory

I just can't be quiet about the beautiful Autumn Mum Display at Lamberton Conservatory, scheduled to run till the end of November. The display featured darn near every type and color of mum you can imagine. It is beautiful. The Conservatory, located in Highland Park, only charges $3 to enter and is open every day except Christmas from 10 am til 4 pm. Enjoy the extraordinary weather Rochester

Why You Should Support Extending the First Time Homebuyer Tax Credit!

Did you vote yesterday? I hope so. When I showed up at the polls at 8:40 last night, we had less than a 20 percent turnout. And then we complain about not liking what's going on around here.Anyway, speaking of politics, this seems like an excellent time to endorse the efforts to extend (and possibly expand) the tax credit for first time homebuyers that is scheduled to expire on November 30,

Boooooooooo!

I didn't mean to startle you. I know I've not been around for a while and have fallen behind in blogging. I guess you could say I've had the blogger blahs.I'll be back soon with a bunch of good real estate tips and news. In the meantime, have a fun and safe Halloween.

Location! Location! Guess this Location!

It's that time again! We had such fun last month that I've decided to do it again.Do you know the location of the clock? Leave a guess as a comment in the blog (or shoot me an e-mail) and I'll send a gift card to the third person with the correct answer. (No realtors, please!)Mary ShelsbyReMax First585-756-7457

The Perfect House Verses Compromising

Last night, a young couple that I’ve been working with for several months found a beautiful home in their price range. The kitchen was simply stunning with Shaker style cabinets and a beautiful tile backsplash and floor. Both bathrooms were updated and the hardwoods were in great condition. It was so beautiful that it was easy to overlook that Rt. 490 was in its back yard. The highway was so

A Few Thoughts About Seller Concessions

It seems like the topic of seller concessions keep coming up during the negotiation processes. Often, we will be receiving a counter offer from the seller when my buyer calls me up. “My dad says the seller should be paying my closing costs!”




FHA and VA mortgages allow for a seller to pay the buyer’s closing costs up to an amount equal to six percent of the purchase price. For most

Just Listed! 32 Delaware St, Rochester, NY 14607

Great new listing in the Neighborhood of the Arts.  Check it out with this link:  32 Delaware St Rochester, NY 14607
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Neighborhood of the Arts - A Great Place to Live and Play

Rochester has many great neighborhoods but one of my favorites has to be the Neighborhood of the Arts. Jammed packed with culture, the NotA features the Memorial Art Gallery, George Eastman House, Village Gate and ARTWalk. The neighborhood also offers great shopping, restaurants and drinking holes. If you've not checked it out, ARTWalk is a permanent urban art trail that connects the art

Surprising Numbers

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, less people moved last year than in any year since 1962! And of course, the U.S. population was much smaller then and so it you look at it as a percentage, in 2008 just 11.9 percent of Americans changed residences, the lowest move rate on record since 1948. I find that rather surprising.So, how are we doing locally in 2009. By the numbers, it doesn't look

Mrs Clean Does Not Live Here!

Wow! I've seen some dirty houses on the market in recent weeks. I'm not talking dust bunnies, I'm talking dust gorillas. And these aren't cheap houses either.At one of these houses, my client turned to me and said I feel like I'd just be buying their mess. I assured her we could require that the house be professionally cleaned at closing but the husband shook his head and said, “If they can't

Location! Location! Guess this Location!

Do you know the location of this photo? Be the third person with the correct answer and I'll give you a $20 gift certificate to Tim Hortons. (No licensed realtors, please.) Leave your answer as a comment or shoot me an e-mail.I've been supplying photos to the Greater Rochester Real Estate Board for a similar contest during the past few years and its been a ton of fun. I hope you enjoy it as

Buy Before Labor Day!

I am advising all of my first time home buyer clients to be under contract by Labor Day to qualify for the federal tax credit being offered to most home buyers that have not owned a home in the past three years. I don’t really think it is going to take 80 plus days for a transaction to close but I do anticipate gridlock at banks and attorney offices. I do know of several real estate attorneys

Beautiful Day on Lake Ontario

Lucky, lucky me! I hot to show property on Lake Ontario this morning and it was a simply beautiful day for it. Should be a good weekend as well! I hope so! Look for me at the Corn Hill Arts Festival, credit card in hand, doing my part to improve the economy. There is a lot going on in local real estate and I'll be updating soon, perhaps this evening. I promise! Enjoy the wonderful weather!

Multi-Family Units & the Federal Tax Credit

I learned something new today regarding the Federal Tax credit for first time home buyers (defined as not owning a home in the past 3 years.) If you purchase a 2-family unit as your primary residence, you are only eligible for half of the tax credit and only a third of the credit if you purchase a three-family unit, etc.There are still no local mortgage lenders that are providing a short term

City Offers Grants to Landlords for Lead Removal

The City of Rochester is offering a lead grant for rental properties that will assist with 90% of the lead remediation related project cost up to $18,000 per unit for porch repair/ replacement, window/door repair/replacement, painting and bare soil treatment. In extreme cases, funding may be used for exterior siding. Landlords are required to contribute 10% of the total project cost.


There

Home Buying Seminar - Wednesday, June 24, 6 to 7:30 pm

I've not done a home buyer Seminar in a couple of years but there is so much good stuff going on right now with the $8000 first time home buyer credit that the timing just seems right. So mark your calendar or tell a friend. Wednesday, June 24, 6 to 7:30 pm at 2024 W. Henrietta Road, Suite 2A; which is the home office of First Rochester Mortgage Corp. I'm real proud of the impressive panel of

Tortuous Weekend!

There is absolutely nothing more fun in real estate than calling your buyers and saying, “Congratulations! Your offer was accepted!”


And there is almost nothing worse than calling buyers and having to tell them their offer was out-bided.

My weekend started off marvelously when I showed a house in Brighton to a young family that had been looking most of this year. We were the very first to get

Children's Miracle Network Telethon is this Sunday! Call in and I'll Match your Donation!

I’m writing to you to ask for your support!

For the past 5 years or so, I’ve supported the Golisano Children’s Hospital by donating a portion of my real estate commission for every house that I’ve sold. Well, it’s no secret that the economy has had a strong impact on the real estate market and so this past year was far from my most productive year. As a result, I’ve decided to take my support

Happy Memorial Day!

The weather just can't be beat right now, just perfect for a holiday cookout. Best wishes for a safe and happy holiday weekend. Please do take a moment to remember our veterans. The Vietnam Memorial at Highland Park is an excellent spot for that.

Cash for Buying a House

For the past two weeks or so, there have been rumors galore that first time home buyers will be able to borrow their federal tax credit in order to use that money for closing costs and down payment towards the purchase of a home. The details have not yet been worked out but I think this is going to happen. There are some technicalities that have to be worked out because basically you are not

My Favorite Helpers!

Property is selling in Rochester, NY, thanks in part to the federal first time home buyer tax credit. I've been struggling to keep up but Colin and Sean were a big help in putting a sold sign in front of their home in Southeast Rochester. Thanks guys. Hopefully, I'll be able to squeeze out a little time over the next couple of days to catch up on blogging!

The Purpose of the Home Inspection

Okay, I'm getting grumpy! I'm tired and have not had a day off in a while. With that being said, let me get this off my chest!




The purpose of the home inspection is NOT to renegotiate the terms of the sale. If you put in a purchase offer on a house with a tarp over the garage roof, don't expect $5000 concession because the inspector says the garage is a piece of crap.

The purpose of the

The Lilacs are Coming But the Magnolias are Here!!!

At some parks, there are signs telling you not to leave the walkway. But not so at Rochester's Highland Park. In fact, they have many park benches well off the beaten path just beckoning you to come and sit and ponder. What a delightful way to spend a spring day.

Highland Park might be best know for its lilacs but I believe the magnolias are just as spectacular, if not more so. The warm

54 Westmoreland Dr. - Great deal for U of R Employees

54 Westmoreland Drive. Cute house in a wonderful location. This property qualifies for up to $9000 in grants for full and part time employees of the University of Rochester. In addition, if you have not owned a home in the past three years, you may qualify for the $8000 federal tax credit if you close before December 1, 2009. Stop by and see me today at my open house from 1 to 3 or call me

How Quickly are Houses Selling In Rochester?

Very, very, very quickly!Case in point, a new listing came up Friday afternoon. There were no photos but my clients decided to drive by anyway. They called me from the driveway and said we want want to see this. I pull up the listing and there is not even a flowery description of the property and call to get the appointment. There is no sign in the yard so I drive right by it but we get to see it

How Much House Can I Afford to Buy?

I've got a very good feeling that young people have been watching the news and learning from the messy financial situation facing the country and world these days. While they are enticed by the excellent market conditions (very low mortgage rates, lower house prices and a tax credit!!) there is a lot of concern and conservatism regarding personal finances. Hooray! I am meeting more and more

Already Sold!

The only reason I have time to update my blog this week is that more than half of the houses that I've called on to schedule a showing have already been sold.  In fact, one house had an accepted offer at 6 pm on the very day it was put on the market.  I think it is safe to say that the $8000 first time home buyer tax credit is doing it's job to stimulate the real estate market.

I did a quick

$1,000 Staging. Done Right or Done Wrong?

When a home stager is hired one of their primary responsibilities is to stage the property in a manner that best solves problems or perceived issues sellers may have with it. Unfortunately this may not always happen.

CASE IN POINT: Recently I received an Email  from Adam in Chicago asking for advice over a dispute he was having with his stager regarding the worked she had preformed. Adam wrote…

Hello Craig,

My name is Adam and I am having a disagreement with a stager I hired.

I am trying to sell a 2-bedroom condo in Chicago and recently hired a professional to stage the empty condo. The property is unique in that the living room is very long and narrow, which is why my realtor and I thought it was important to stage it to show its potential. This is the only living area of the property so it has to look like a living room.

We've since (the staging) had ten showings without an offer.

I had two friends over… both of them said is "this room looks like a hallway". They also said that the way it's staged does not show the potential of the living room.

I called the stager… and she maintains that the room is properly staged and that I need to respect her professional opinion. She discounts these opinions because she says she's the professional.

Do you have any tips on how I could deal with my stager?

Thank you very much,
Adam

So that you have a complete picture of all that was done and how Adam's $1,000 was used to stage his property, I have created this short video show.



So... now that you have a more complete picture, I have a few final questions for you to consider.

1. Given the budget, Adam’s instruction, and the style of the home, did the stager stage the home correctly?
2. Did the stager provide a good solution for the problematic living room?
3. If Adam feels the solution provided does not solve the living rooms problem, what should he do?
4. What actions do you suggest the stager take to solve the problem?

Whether you are a seller, stager or realtor... I  am curious to know what you think.

Craig

The Seach for the Ugly House

Some of my clients think I'm a little crazy when I advocate for buying ugly houses. Now I'm not talking butt-ugly. I'm talking about the type of ugly that a coat of paint or perhaps new carpet will fix. And I advocate for that type of house because that is where the best deals are.Houses with "Pottery Barn Decor" are fun to look at but you will "ohh and ahh" all the way to the bank if you

Lobbyist For a Day

I spent the day in Albany yesterday with approximately 50 other Realtors from both Rochester and Buffalo to meet with several of our state legislators to discuss upcoming legislation that affects local homeowners and the real estate market.The most important item on our agenda was the need for property tax relief. New Yorkers pay an exorbitant amount of property taxes and Western New Yorkers pay

Another Detail on the Stimulus Bill

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act has plenty of good news for first time home buyers that buy between January 1 and November 3, 2009. See yesterday's post for more information. One new detail has emerged that I didn't know yesterday. If a buyer takes the tax credit, it doesn't need to be repaid if they stay in the house for three years or more. If they sell before three years, the

Real Estate and the Stimulus Bill

Unless you've been hiding out in a dark cave for the past month or so, you probably know that President Obama is signing into law a huge economic package designed to rescue the economy. Since real estate is a major part of the U.S. economy there are several important provisions that hopefully will stimulate the U.S. and Rochester real estate markets.Since this is still a bill and not yet a law, a

Getting a Mortgage in 2009

I am running into buyers that cannot be convinced to sit down with a mortgage loan officer to be pre-approved for financing early in the home searching process. Perhaps if I share a true life story about getting a mortgage in 2009, they will be more receptive to my nagging!A client that I've worked with for several years was pre-approved for financing with a score approaching 800. During the time

Rochester Best Buy: 1165 Bay Street

Here's a house that definitely should be sale pending! This 3 bedroom colonial with finished basement needs painting and other cosmetics but is a steal at the current list price of $63,000. Details and inside photos at Bay St . What makes this such a good deal? Similar properties in this neighborhood have sold for prices in the $73,000 to $83,000 range. Here are the recent sales: Customer Full

New York State Property Taxes

This should come as no surprise. New York homeowners pay highest property taxes in nationAccording to a recent report by the Washington-based Tax Foundation, New Yorkers are saddled with the highest property tax burden in the nation. The counties paying the highest actual property taxes in the nation are Westchester and Nassau with average burdens nearing $8,000 per year. Monroe County ranks

Million Dollar Real Estate

It's a new year and time for new dreams.

Just a few years ago, it was very rare to find a property for sale in the Rochester area for $1,000,000 or more. Currently, there are more than 30 listings of luxury homes with a million dollar or higher price tag. And with today's difficult economic climate, these prices are dropping faster than a brick out of a 3rd floor window.

Here is a link to