Kenneth Cole Licensed Real Estate Salesperson

Great location, Winchester Ave. Eltingville, near all, X-bus, shopping, parks, etc. Three bedrooms, 2 baths, over sized property, driveway, large sunny backyard. Hot water baseboard heat. Priced right at $429,000. Call me ASAP. 917-696-0275 Ask for Kenneth Cole, Appleseed GMAC Realty

Galley kitchen

large living room

Very nice condo in Armstrong Gardens, Eltingville, Great Kills, Staten Island. One bedroom, freshly painted, up dated kitchen and bath, hardwood flooring, air, parking, pool, laundry facilities on premises. See Virtual Tour at www.justsnooping.com/tours/2553339 or call me for showing appointment at 917-696-0275.

One bedroom condo, Eltingville, excellent condition, hardwood flooring, updated kitchen with all appliances only 7 years old, central air, parking, pool, near shopping and x-bus, move-in-condition. Still taking pictures, but I have a few to start. If you know someone who is looking for a one bedroom condo, please call me ASAP. If you are a first time home buyer, the tax credit runs out November 30th, so you need to act NOW. Call 917-696-0275 today. or see more of this condo by clicking here, www.justsnooping.com/tours/2553339 .

Real Estate is a little like farming. Let's explore the similarities. When a farmer wants to harvest a crop, what does he do first? Plant seeds you say. Hold it. Where does he plant them, what kind of seeds does he sow, and when does he do that? First he needs a good location. He needs good sunny fertile soil and needs to plant AFTER the last frost. Lets shift this to real estate. Where to farm?

I like to walk to work. Since I always show my own listings, I like to list in my own neighborhood. So, that's my farm. I can tell people that I know the value because I live in this area, Eltingville, and I have sales here. The kind of seeds I plant is knowledge, experience and service in this area. Now I'm not waiting for the last frost to pass, I'll walk the neighborhood and talk to folks about a house I've just listed or sold and get a feel about their needs to buy or sell and if they have any friends who might be interested in this area. Extra work, but I love talking to the neighbors.

Next; Make the soil the right ph for the plants and put down fertilizer. By sharing with the neighbors my successful sales and having a good report about my services from the sellers (my company, Appleseed GMAC mails out a survey to all my clients after the sale for them to evaluate my service, see www.Appleseedhomes.com ) I'm making the soil the right ph for future business. Had a client who was sitting on his front steps when I was walking the neighborhood. We had a brief conversation and I must have left a good impression, because two years later he call me, I listed his house and it sold in 21 days. Now I'm getting referrals from him. Good soil, proper ph, equals excellent harvest.

Maintenance of the crop. A farmer needs to weed around the plants, keep bugs away, trim the plant or trees so it does not over produce, or make too many small fruits etc. That's why I always show my own listing, even if another agent from my office or the MLS is showing. Sellers should not be present when the unit is shown, so that's part of my maintenance program.

Marketing the crop. After all the hard work a farmer does, his is looking for top dollar for his labors. So are my clients. After making their home ready for market, putting their home in my newsletter, doing a Virtual Tour, see www.justsnooping.com/tours/2502530

My clients are looking for top dollar also. A good farmer will have his outlet for his harvest, in effect will have his crop sold even before he plants it. So, I have a list of contacts that I keep updated so when the perfect house comes on the market, they are the first to know. With plenty of action, the house does not stay on the market for long. Just like a good tomato, if it stays on the market too long, it gets spoiled. Not good for market. So, I advertise 24 hours a day, seven days a week, I'll use whatever I can to be effective. If you pass my listing, you'll see a sign that reads "Tune in your car radio to 1620 on your AM dial" I have a voice advertisement and a 800 number for buyers to call for information about the house. Even an option for a fax report to be downloaded for more detailed information. Now when a buyer drives by after dark, they can't miss my yard sign which lights up after dark, see

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Now you might think most of my work is done. Not yet. Negotiating with a buyer or three, getting all the proper disclosures, confirming the assets of said buyer, and helping with the inspection, contract, walk through, and closing, even getting a cleaning service to take care of the final broom sweep, takes the service to "Beyond your expectations". So, when Real Estate comes into my clients mind, no other name will compete with mine Kenneth Cole.

So, the plan is simple, but getting from start to finish can take a good deal of work, but when done right, the reward is great.

So, how did I do?

Number 1 reason to go "FSBO" I believe is that you can "SAVE" the commission. Great if you can do it. However, according to the National Association Of Realtors (NAR) only about 15% succeed. How many of the 15% FSBO's do you think actually "SAVED" the commission? Certainly not all. Let's be generous here and say one third of For Sale By Owner. So, only about 5% of FSBO'S really saved the agency fee. Why is that? Let's use some logic.

#1- Mr./Mrs.buyer says "Well you don't have to pay a commission, so I'll offer you X amount of your asking price. Mr. & Mrs. seller are looking for that same commission. That's 2 agency fee saved. Wait a minute, Realtors only charge ONE commission. So, Mr/Mrs. seller worked for FREE. Where is the savings?

#2- And maybe should be #1. A home owner can't show their home the way a Realtor can. When a great Realtor shows your home, without the seller present, he/she creates a neutral atmosphere. The buyer puts him/her self into the home, "Yes I can see myself here", when the seller is present, the buyer shuts his/her mouth regarding what they REALLY thinks. So the seller has no way of knowing what's going on in their mind. A great agent has the skill of asking the right questions to see if any objections are founded or not. A buyer will talk freely to his/her agent so as to get the best help with questions. Not so with (FSBO) the sellers present. This fact alone is worth the agency fee alone. Which in my case I tell the owner, "you did not need to hire me to sell for that price" We know your home is worth more.

#3- The TRUE value of you home. Only a neighborhood expert can tell you the true value of your home. Why is that? Because web sites and people from outside the area will tell you what statics's say about the price of homes in your area. What a great Realtor will do is to SHOW you why it's worth what he/she says it is. Two houses that are the same but three blocks from each other can vary in value greatly. Your Realtor should know this information. Ask him/her to "SHOW ME THE MONEY". You can't use a house like yours that sold two years ago as a comparable.

#4 How do great REALTORS expose your home? We have all the tools. Ask the agent to SEE these tools. Show me where you will be advertising my home, is a great question I love to hear. Because besides the top 25 websites my company uses, see www.Appleseedhomes.com I have a few other special tools I use that I don't often see around my town. I have a yard sign that lights up at night for 3-5 hours after dark, so even if a passersby don't notice your house in broad daylight, they will see it after dark

Interview a few agents, ask them "What can you do for me" that I CAN"T do for myself, as a FSBO. There is a lot more that I can write about but the most important is listed above. I tell my clients, If I can't get you more money for your house than you can yourself, you don't need me. See more about me by clicking on my Bio below. And don't forget to click on the Lighted Yard Sign Video. Feel free to give me a call at 917-696-0275

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