Tag: Columbia County NY Real Estate

HEY ANN-We have been looking for a house for almost two years. What are we doing wrong?

HEY ANN- We would love to find a second home in Columbia County but cannot seem to find one that fits.  Can you make any suggestions that will make our dream come true?

First, I am going to make an educated guess about your house hunting approach.  With the ability to research real estate on Zillow and Trulia and dozens of other real estate sites, you have probably decided that you will contact the listing agent for each of the properties that sound interesting.  Your analysis is that the agent knows the house well and can be more informative.  Of course, this leads to you making a number of appointments on your house hunting day with a number of different agents.  When you speak to the listing agent, you make them aware that you are looking at a number of other properties so you want to firm up your schedule.  You have now lost the best opportunity you might ever have of finding the right home. Seriously!!

A real estate agent is a resource that is not always appreciated.  A good agent, when first meeting or emailing a buyer, will try to find out what the buyer is looking for-location, size of home, amenities, price range, cultural and recreational interests, condition of home, financial prequalifications.  And then the agent will, with his or her knowledge of the market, send listings to the buyer that seem to match what they have provided.  And these listings are from a variety of real estate offices, not just the listing agent’s office.  Once they start the search, the agent will get a deeper understanding of the buyer and may decide that the selected listings don’t match and a new set of parameters will be in place.

My favorite line is “I love rejection” because as houses are rejected, we can get closer to the house that will fit.  I have stopped in the middle of a day with buyers when, after the first few houses, I realize what they said did not match what their reactions were to those homes.  I have cancelled the balance of the day and told them next time we will find your home.  And it usually works that way.

What you are missing in your approach is having a resource that gets to know you, and knows you are loyal to that person in that their work on your behalf is appreciated.  Real estate agents spend a lot of time with clients, researching, emailing, showing properties, covering inspections and pay day is not until the actual closing.  Once you understand that the relationship will get you to your goal, it is time to get going with your real estate “advisor.”  Let me know when you find that dream house.

For More Information about Ann Levitt CLICK HERE

HEY ANN- How’s the Real Estate Market?

HEY ANN- How’s the real estate market?  HEY Ann-When is the best time to list my house?  HEY ANN-I’m thinking of selling my house next year.  Can you come over and tell me what I have to do to perk it up?  It seems like wherever I go, out to dinner, shopping in the supermarket, at intermission at the local theaters, people recognize me as a local real estate agent and have questions. With all the articles and news reports about real estate lately, the value of perhaps the largest investment in your life, has you concerned.

How is the market?  Well, right now there are not enough good homes for sale here and we are finding that homes that have been on the market a while are being snapped up.  So it is a good time to list your house.  Believe it or not, there is no “best time” to list a property.  Homes sell year round if they are priced well and marketed well.  Winter attracts people interested in winter sports and shoppers who think prices will be lower in Winter (not so.)  Summer has so many attractions in this area that people fall in love with the lakes, the River, Hudson, Tanglewood, beautiful scenery, the arts world.  And they want to be part of it.  Spring is the time families house hunt in order to move before the beginning of the school year.  When a home owner is ready, that’s the time to list. 

It is always a good idea to get a professional opinion on what a house needs to bring out its best features. And, it is not spending a fortune on staging like you see on the real estate programs on tv.  Often it is just a matter of “decluttering” or “pre-packing” and allowing buyers to see the home and not being distracted by furnishings.  Again, it helps both the home owner and the real estate agent to get the best price for the home.

Please feel free to ask me about your property.  There is no obligation and a free market evaluation is always a good way to start your planning whether for now, or for the future and for estate planning.  It will be my pleasure to be a resource for you.

For More Information about Ann Levitt CLICK HERE