Rochester, NY

Rochester has many great neighborhoods but one of my favorites has to be the Neighborhood of the Arts. Jammed packed with culture, the NotA features the Memorial Art Gallery, George Eastman House, Village Gate and ARTWalk. The neighborhood also offers great shopping, restaurants and drinking holes. If you've not checked it out, ARTWalk is a permanent urban art trail that connects the art centers and public spaces. An expansion to the ARTWalk has been approved and funded through federal stimulus money and so there is a lot of anticipation that a good thing is going to get even better. The Neighborhood of the Arts encompasses University Avenue, Atlantic Avenue and East Ave and features many high-end residential streets such as Granger Drive and Portsmouth Terr. The area offers many investor opportunities with multi-family dwellings and apartment buildings coming on the market on a pretty regular basis. Medium priced single family homes are a rarity and tend to sell very quick. If you'd like more information about real estate in the Neighborhood of the Arts, don't hesitate to give me a call. Mary Shelsby ReMax First 585-756-7457

If you've been reading my blog, you've heard me sing the praises of the $8,000 first-time home buyer tax credit. You purchase a home, and the government gives you back 10% of the purchase price up to $8,000. How can you go wrong??

I have good news and bad news on this front. The good news is that you can still take advantage of this free money!

The bad news is that time is winding down on the tax credit, so you need to act quickly!

How long do you have? Buyers need to be closed on their new homes by November 30th, 2009 to receive the tax credit. A purchase typically takes 45-60 days from contract to close. With the mortgage market clogged with people refinancing, I've found that lately it's usually closer to 60.

That means you'll want to have an accepted offer on a home by September 30th. That's exactly two months away!

So don't procrastinate, or you might miss out! If you want to catch this credit, get pre-approved ASAP and get moving!

If you're looking for a home in the Rochester area, don't hesitate to contact me. I would love to help you take advantage of this fantastic opportunity!

TICK, TOCK!!

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

On July 15th, Governor David A. Paterson announced that more than $31 million in Affordable Housing grants will be used to support nearly 2,000 housing units for low-income families, seniors, and the disabled. The funds will be used to repair and rehabilitate housing in rural, suburban, and urban communities throughout the state. "This critical funding will provide affordable housing to thousands of New Yorkers statewide," said Governor Paterson.

The grants have been awarded to local municipalities and not-for-profit agencies, including The HOME Program, ACCESS to Home, and RESTORE. Click here for more information on the grants.

I applaud Governor Paterson for making an effort to create more affordable housing for those in need. In this economy, so many New Yorkers can use all the help they can get!

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

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 keep up with cleaning, what makes us think they have kept up with maintenance items?" Good point!

At another house I showed, the floor was so dirty that we went back to the front door and put our shoes back on to protect our feet. Then when I walked into the dining room, I saw that someone had swept that floor but there was a pile of debris just waiting for someone to appear with the dustpan! This is not an exaggeration!!! This house was listed in the $175,000 to $185,000 range and we had to give 24 hours notice in order to see it. Unfortunately, they did not use that 24 hours to prepare for our showing.

Ladies and gentleman, if you want to sell your house at top dollar, start with a good cleaning. If cleaning is not your thing, then hire it out. And by a good cleaning, I mean wipe down your walls and doors near light switches and door knobs. Organize your cabinets and closets. Clean out your window wells because buyers will be looking at your windows. And yes, do the windows as well. Heck, I also recommend that you eliminate cob webs, even in the basement and attic. It doesn't hurt to dust the hot water heater and furnace. Send the message that you have loved this old house and have been compulsive about its care. And as long as your house is priced properly for its location and condition, you will have a much greater chance of getting a full price offer.

Mary Shelsby
ReMax First
585-756-7457

This holiday weekend, I had the great pleasure to see minor league baseball, as the Rochester Red Wings went up against the Buffalo Bisons at Frontier Field in downtown Rochester, NY.

Although Rochester is my home town, this was my first visit to the relatively new home field of the Red Wings. The entire evening was wrought with nostalgia as I continually compared the Red Wings to my current team, the Red Sox. While Frontier Field is no match for the Green Monster in Boston, this event was no less enjoyable than a night at Fenway Park.

A crown of about 10,000 people sat in sweatshirts on the cool July 4th evening. Long-time organ and keyboard expert, Fred Costello, pounded out the old favorites as we cheered on the Red Wrings. Cotton candy, peanuts and beer circulated throughout the crowd, and the evening ended with an admirable fireworks show on the field.

The Red Wings lost to the Bisons, but put up a good fight to the end. The fans were fun and friendly, and I wished the game had gone into overtime so that we could have stayed longer. Thanks, Rochester, for a great 4th of July!

Kathryn Acciari