About Monroe County, NY

It's the week before Thanksgiving. It's the time of year when people start snuggling in for the holidays and stop thinking about buying or selling their homes until next spring... right?

WRONG! At least that's not my experience this November!

I'm sure the market in the Rochester area will slow down over the holidays, but it hasn't happened yet! My buyers are still actively searching for homes, and a surprising number of the listings I've called to show in the past week have accepted offers.

Plus, I held an open house at a townhouse in Penfield yesterday, and I had 17 parties through! My average is usually around 3. This was like Grand Central Station! It was exciting and energizing.

If you think no one is looking this time of year, think again! The extension of the tax credit has definitely continued to stimulate our local market, and there are plenty of buyers out there!

If you're thinking of listing your home, don't think you need to wait until the grass is green and the flowers are blooming. The listing inventory is getting lower every day, which means less competition. Add to that the fact that interest rates are at historic lows and buyers are chomping at the bit to get those tax credit dollars, and you can't go wrong.

Don't let the train leave without you. NOW is the time to make a move!

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I am proud to help buyers and sellers in the Greater Rochester, New York area find the homes of their dreams. If you are considering purchasing or selling a home in the Rochester area, don't hesitate to contact me. I pride myself in providing the best possible service for my clients!

When you work with me...

Visit my website at www.YourNYDreamHome.com to learn more about the services I offer!

• Sellers: Find out how much your home is worth by requesting a FREE Home Evaluation!
• Buyers: Become a savvy consumer by requesting FREE Home Buying Tips!

Contact:
Kristen Wahl
Realtor Associate
(585) 455-5524
KWahl@RealtyUSA.com

Home Buying 101

There is so much to consider when you are buying a home. First and foremost when you are planning to buy a home find a qualified agent that you will enjoy working with. Someone who listens twice as much as they talk and someone who is not spread too thinly so you get the one on one attention you deserve.

Secondly, get Qualified to buy a home. The last thing you want to do is end up unhappy in your new home because you are suddenly house-poor. Leave enough breathing room so you can continue to pay for all the things you like doing and having. Otherwise you will feel like a prisoner in your own home.

Next, enjoy the entire home buying process, take it all in and remember to have fun. Once you choose a home, here is how it ALL goes down: The agent negociates the offer, contracts are signed, a home inspection takes place and attorney approvals are in motion.

On the Buyer side you then have a mortgage application, the underwriting, loan approval and finally a closing. On the Seller side after attorney approval is the search, survey and then closing.

That my friends is Home Buying 101. If you are in need of Relocation assistance please feel free to contact me as I can help you find a qualified agent in any part of the country.

Kindly,

Darlene Masucci

585-734-9770

Hunt ERA Columbus Division

3330 Monroe Ave Ste 209

Rochester, NY 14618

http://www.darlenemasucci.com

Florida Real Estate

Florida Real Estate

And we live here why?

If you are anything like me, living in the northeast is a bit of a bear come winter. A swaying Florida Palm Tree and sunny blue sky is only a figment of my imagination and missed over the very long, dark winter months here in the northeast.

Having lived on both the east and west coasts of Florida I am very familiar with the many areas in sunny Florida. In addition, I am involved in Real Estate and can offer assistance to you should you desire to relocate or buy a second home there.

I offer my services on a referral basis at no cost to you I can help you identify a qualified realtor in the Florida area and ccordinate with that realtor to help you find a propertuy that meets your needs. That said, I plan to join you sometime down there in the near future.

Feel free to contact me as I would love to be of assiatance.

Kindly,

Darlene Masucci

585-734-9770

Hunt ERA Columbus Division

3300 Monroe Ave Ste 209

Rochester, NY 14618

http://www.darlenemasucci.com

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 details and photos, click here: Canandaigua.

While most of the million dollar plus properties are waterfront, not all of them are. In Caledonia, the historic Wadsworth estate is on the market for $1,800,000. The estate includes a main house with owner's quarters plus three apartments, a pond-side cottage and a two-story barn/party house on a 30 acre lot. To see the listing, click: Caledonia.

For a whopping $4 million, there is a 37-acre home built in 2008 that boast 11,000 sq feet of living space. (I hope they issue a map at the front door because I have visions of getting lost here!) Located in Penfield, this property was originally listed at $6 million! The listing is rather vague in details and photos, but here it is: Penfield.

To see all of 48 or so listings with a price tag over a million, check out this link Million. In fact, if you enjoy watching the local real estate market, don't hesitate to register with the site, develop a search and have listings delivered right to your computer in-box. And if I can be of assistance, don't hesitate to call.

Mary Shelsby
ReMax First
585-756-7457

When you've been in the real estate business a while, you get used to the issues that come up in home inspections. There are about a handful of problems I've heard mentioned over and over again. I've gotten so that I can predict them before the inspector even opens his or her mouth.

If you're planning to put your home on the market, knowing about common inspection issues can be a huge advantage. If you fix them before listing your home, it makes the home inspection process go more smoothly and lessens the probability that the buyer will get nervous and try to back out. It also sets you apart from other sellers who haven't done their homework and prepared in advance.

Here are six easy-to-fix potential problems:

Lack of GFCI outlets in the kitchen and baths. You know those outlets that have the reset button? Those are GFCIs, or Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters. They're designed to trip if the current flowing through the circuit differs by a small amount from the current that's returning. GFCIs are inexpensive devices that can prevent electrical shock. Inspectors expect to see functioning GFCI outlets in places where there is running water, such as a kitchen, bathroom, or laundry room.

Missing or non-functional gutters and downspouts. Many people see a damp basements and panic, but they can often be fixed with some simple changes. First, make sure your home has gutters that are in good working order and free of debris. Second, make sure the downspouts from those gutters are directed far enough away from your home that the water isn't just flowing right back toward the foundation!

Negative grading. Another simple fix to keep your basement dry is to make sure the soil is graded away from your foundation rather than toward it. It's known as a positive rather than negative grade. If the ground slopes downward toward your house, that's not good; that means water is flowing that way, too. Simply adding more soil so that it slopes upward toward your home will go a long way. Just make sure the soil isn't so high that it's touching the siding.

Touchy-feely shrubs. Don't let your bushes and shrubs sit against your home. They retain water and hold it right against your foundation. Keeping shrubbery at least 18 inches away is best. And anyway, out-of-control bushes just aren't appealing to buyers.

No handrails! This one seems simple, but I see a surprisingly large number of homes that have stairs without handrails, both inside and out. They're often leading to the basement or a deck. Adding them is an easy fix that can save you and your future buyer from liability issues. Safety first!

Bathroom fan that's not vented to the outside. If you have a fan that vents into your attic, all that moisture is building up there with nowhere to go. And, as we know, moisture leads to mold. Some may say this setup is worse than not having a fan at all! Having your fan vented up through the roof can save you from future moisture problems.

Keeping an eye on these simple issues can save you from inspection woes. Obviously, these are just explained in my layman's terms. If you have any questions, always consult a professional!

Now, let's get that home...

_______________________________________________________________________

I am proud to help buyers and sellers in the Greater Rochester, New York area find the homes of their dreams. If you are considering purchasing or selling a home in the Rochester area, don't hesitate to contact me. I pride myself in providing the best possible service for my clients!

When you work with me...

Visit my website at www.YourNYDreamHome.com to learn more about the services I offer!

• Sellers: Find out how much your home is worth by requesting a FREE Home Evaluation!
• Buyers: Become a savvy consumer by requesting FREE Home Buying Tips!

Contact:
Kristen Wahl
Realtor Associate
(585) 455-5524
KWahl@RealtyUSA.com