As someone who grew up in the Rochester area and couldn't wait to return after a brief stint living elsewhere, I can't say enough about how great this area is. Between the abundant water sources, fantastic colleges, opportunities for family fun, and cultural events, it really is an amazing place to live.
Finally, someone made a video that illustrates many of the positive aspects of living in Rochester! The only thing they forgot to mention is our stable housing market!
*****
I am proud to help buyers and sellers in the Greater Rochester, New York area find their dream homes. 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!
Contact:
Kristen Wahl
Realtor®
Office: (585) 381-4400 x218
Cell: (585) 455-5524
KWahl@RealtyUSA.com
Connect with Me On These Social Networks...
I love sharing insights from blogger Steve Harney, because he really has his finger on the pulse of the national real estate market. In this post, he shares links to articles from four media organizations, all of whom advocate purchasing a home in the current market.
The best news? Contrary to what he states, prices are not falling in our area, they're remaining stable. That means it's a fantastic time to buy in the Rochester area!
Why They Are Saying to Buy A Home Now
by The KCM Crew on June 14, 2011
Despite what appears to be a non-stop wave of tough news regarding real estate, four major media players have come out this month with the same advice: It Is Time to Buy a Home! Here are the four articles and a breakdown as to why the advice makes sense.
The Wall Street Journal: Why It's Time to Buy
CBS Money Watch: Why the Time to Buy is Now
Forbes Magazine: 9 Reasons to Buy a House Now
National Public Radio: For Many, It's Still a Good Time to Buy a Home
With prices continuing to depreciate in most regions of the country, some may wonder why these four entities are suggesting to their readership that now is the time to buy. Each organization realizes that PRICE is not as important as COST. The cost of a home can go up even if prices continue to fall. Unless you are an all cash buyer, you must take into consideration the expense of mortgaging when calculating the full cost of a home. Here is some information to consider.
Interest Rates
Currently, interest rates sit at historic lows. However, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, PMI and the National Association of Realtors are all projecting approximately a 1% increase in mortgage rates over the next year. A one percent increase in rate negates a ten percent fall in prices.
Lending Standards
The government has proposed a tightening of lending standards called Quality Residential Mortgage (QRM). If accepted as proposed two things will happen:
Bottom Line
There is a reason more and more financial organizations are suggesting to their followers that now is the time to buy a home: because the cost of purchasing a home is about to increase (even if prices continue to fall).
How many times have you seen a photo like this in the MLS?
What was the agent selling, the furniture?
And this one...
Couldn't the agent have taken the time to get out of the car??
It always amazes me when agents don't take the time to take high-quality photos of their listings. Since over 90% of today's buyers start their home searches on the internet, the MLS photos are the public face of that property! Buyers decide whether or not that home is worth seeing based on those photos. Don't some agents want their listings to sell?
Now, I'm not saying agents need to hire a professional photographer to capture each new listing. I don't. I would just love to see everyone in our profession take the time to try different angles and lighting. Since the advent of digital cameras, we can take tons and tons of photos of each listing without wasting any film. Most importantly, though, I'd like to see every single agent get out of the car!!
Personally, I take great pride in my listing photos. I put forth the same effort on every home, whether it's listed for $60,000 or $160,000. I take quite a bit of time getting the photos just right. Moving items around, stepping forward and back... my sellers probably think I'm obsessive! But it's completely worth it to me, and I believe my sellers appreciate it, too.
Please, if you're considering selling your home, don't hire someone just because they say they're the "neighborhood expert" or you've seen their signs around. Take the time to ask friends and family for referrals, and talk to a few agents to see what each one has to offer. Photos are just the tip of the iceberg; some agents just put forth more effort to sell each of their listings. It pays to find an agent who will really take the time to work for you.
*****
I am proud to help buyers and sellers in the Greater Rochester, New York area find their dream homes. 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!
Contact:
Kristen Wahl
Realtor®
Office: (585) 381-4400 x218
Cell: (585) 455-5524
KWahl@RealtyUSA.com
Connect with Me On These Social Networks...
I've been lax about blogging lately, but today I came across an article I couldn't resist sharing. It was written by Steve Harney, whose insights I've shared before. I often hear negative perceptions from consumers about the market, and in many cases they're just not true. Yes, sales are down from this time last year, but back then they were artificially inflated by the home buyer tax credits. As Steve says here, there's no doubt about it, homes are selling!
Almost 14,000 Houses Sold Yesterday
by The KCM Crew on May 3, 2011
One of the biggest misconceptions in today's housing market is that homes are not selling. That is simply not true. Last month's Existing Sales Report from the National Association of Realtors (NAR) showed that homes were selling at an "annual rate of 5.10 million". That's an average of 13,973 every day - 365 days a year!
And the monthly Pending Sales Report, which measures the number of houses going into contract each month, has showed increases in six of the last nine months prompting Lawrence Yun, NAR's chief economist to say:
"Since reaching a cyclical bottom last June, pending home sales have posted an overall gain of 24 percent and demonstrate the market is recovering on its own. The index means modest near-term gains in existing-home sales are likely."
We realize that 40% of the sales are distressed properties and that 22% of buyers are investors. Yet, that still doesn't negate the fact that homes are in fact selling... and 60% of them are NOT foreclosures or short sales.
And Yun believes this uptick will continue:
"Based on the current uptrend with very favorable affordability conditions, rising apartment rents and ongoing job creation, existing-home sales should rise around 5 to 10 percent this year."
Bottom Line
Homes are selling. You probably will need to offer a compelling price if you put your house on the market. But if you do, it will sell.
*****
I am proud to help buyers and sellers in the Greater Rochester, New York area find their dream homes. 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!
Contact:
Kristen Wahl
Realtor®
Office: (585) 381-4400 x218
Cell: (585) 455-5524
KWahl@RealtyUSA.com
Connect with Me On These Social Networks...
If you enjoy live choral music and are looking for something to do on Sunday, this year's "prism concert" promises to be an enjoyable event. Look for me singing with the Eastman Rochester Chorus! Greater Rochester Choral Consortium - A Taste of Song
The Greater Rochester Choral Consortium is pleased to announce "A Taste of Song", a FREE concert that will feature many of the area's top choral groups in one 90 minute concert. The format is unique in that each group performs for only 5 minutes in what is called a "prism" format, with groups singing from various points throughout the theater. Groups perform continuously without a break or applause between groups. Over 800 singers will be participating, representing 18 choirs.
GRCC, whose mission is to promote and enhance choral music in Rochester, is comprised of 28 choral groups from the Rochester area. The February 27th concert will include: Amadeus Chorale Youth Singers, The Bowties, Chorus of the Genesee, Concentus Women's Chorus, Eastman Rochester Chorus, Genesee Valley Orchestra & Chorus, Greece Choral Society, Irondequoit Chorale, Madrigalia, Musica Spei, Oasis Community Chorus, Rochester Gay Men's Chorus, Rochester Oratorio Society, Rochester Rhapsody, Rochester Women's Community Chorus, Spencerport Community Chorus, Taiwanese Choral Society, Women of Note This concert is free and open to the public.
4:00 pm to 6:00 pm
*****
I am proud to help buyers and sellers in the Greater Rochester, New York area find their dream homes. 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!
Contact:
Kristen Wahl
Realtor®
Office: (585) 381-4400 x218
Cell: (585) 455-5524
KWahl@RealtyUSA.com
Connect with Me On These Social Networks...
A full-time, full-service Realtor serving the Greater Rochester Area. Kristen strives to guide buyers and sellers through every step of the process.
When you work with me...
Statistics show that over 90% of today's buyers start their search on the internet. My internet-focused marketing efforts will expose your home to the greatest possible number of buyers!
Your home will be featured on hundreds of websites including RealtyUSA.com, Realtor.com, Trulia, Zillow, Yahoo, Google, and the sites of all the major local companies
"Kristen Wahl was an amazing Realtor! I would recommend her to anyone trying to buy or sell a home! She sold our home in 7 days and assisted us in finding our new dream home!" -Dale and Gina Fair
"Kristen was great in helping me find my first home. She has great market knowledge and is willing to go the extra mile to make sure your home search is effective and hassle-free. Don't hesitate to consider her to represent you when either buying or selling a home." -Stephen Lopez
"Kristen was available every time I had a question or a need. She is not only my Realtor but a friend. Thank you Kristen." -Diana Welch
"Kristen helped us buy our first home. It was an unusual process because of the programs we went through, but Kristen worked well to keep things organized and everyone in the communication loop." -Stacy and Frank Gulick
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