Pricing Distressed Properties

I recently showed a property that was listed for $70,000 in a neighborhood where many similar properties sold in the $120,000 to $140,000 range.  As soon as my buyers pulled in the driveway, they were spouting off defects and the price tag to fix them.

It didn't get any better when we walked inside.  The windows were old, the carpet was shot and there was an active leak in the basement.

Much to

The Kiss of 'Real Estate' Death

The house has been just sitting on the market.  No one has come to see it in weeks.  It's time to make a price adjustment and so I
begin that dreadful conversation with the sellers.



"Well, we are not in a big hurry to sell.  We are willing to wait for our price,"
they tell me.




 UGH!!!!  GROAN!   And a few other words that I don't dare
publish.




More than ever before, buyers are

Low Ball Offer

My clients cleaned and painted and staged. Finally, we put a ‘for sale’ sign in the front yard. For weeks, they walked on egg-shells trying to keep the house ready to show at a moment’s notice. And finally we got the call! An offer was coming in. As soon as I picked up the offer, I knew my clients would not be happy. It was $30,000 off asking and this was not an expensive house. What I didn’t

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

Real Estate is Local!

Every time I watch the news these days I have an anxiety attack. Price of Oil! Recession! Crime! Fannie Mae & Freddie Mac! Global Warming! Cancer! Depression (no, not the economy; me!) And just about the time that I'm convinced that times are too difficult to sell real estate, my phone starts ringing.Fortunately, real estate is local and the Rochester market is not all doom and gloom.

Be Careful of Estimates

The Internet brings lots of helpful information at our fingertips. Unfortunately, not all of it is accurate. And it is difficult to know what is reliable information and what isn't.Case in point, is the fair market value of real estate. A lot of what Realtors do is recommend prices for property, both to buyers and sellers. These profession opinions are based on going in and out of a lot of

Most Expensive Offering in City of Rochester

The snow is blowing and the wind-chill is below zero tonight and so it's a good time to dream of living somewhere else. That is, until you look at the price of housing.One of Rochester's most magnificent homes, the Charlotte Whitney Allen Home on Oliver Street is currently on the market. The 6000 sq foot museum-quality mansion complete with gardens designed by renowned landscape designer Fletcher

Why Do I Blog???

Something about the first of January brings on soul searching. A time to look and analyze the year that just finished and to make plans, goals and resolutions for the new. And since it's been about a year that I've been blogging, it seems a good time to explore why.Writing comes natural to me, kind of. I come from a family of journalist. My dad was a sports writer and my uncle recently retired