Real Estate Information

Shame, We Should All Have Listened & Not Laughed..

What is  and why it matters...

Over the past few months you may have heard some chatter about the brand new social network called Pinterest,. Since January 2011 this unique social network which allows users to visually share, curate, and discover new interests, also known as 'pinning,' images or videos to their own or others' pinboards,  has become one of the fastest growing methods of marketing real estate listings.

The Lingo:

A Pin = An Image added to Pinterest   

A Pinboard = A Set of Theme-Based pins

Pinning = The Act of Visually Sharing Content

RePin = Reposting Somebody Else's Pin

Pin It Button = Button That can Be Placed On Websites to Facilitate Sharing on Pinterest. Pins Added Using The Pin It Button Link Back To the Site They Came From.

Pinner =The Person Who Does The Sharing

One can browse through the items other users have pinned and "like," "repin" or "comment" on them. Members are encouraged to interact with the content by reposting it, sharing others' pins on Facebook and Twitter or via email, and even embedding individual pins on their website or blog. 

Pins rely heavily on visual emphasis and the entire network is focused on the concept of a person's lifestyle. It's a social network meant to "Connect everyone in the world through the "things" they find interesting." say the creators of Pinterest.

Realtors who rely on driving a high-volume of website traffic to increase sales, should consider joining Pinterest. In fact, early research indicates that Pinterest is more effective at driving traffic compared to other social media sites, even Facebook which the Pinterest site now links to,  is enabling users to automatically post new pins to their Facebook feed for others to see. This means more eyes from other channels get access to our listings and spread the word about our listings around the world.

When following a board such as GPS Real Estate Listings  you will be notified (via your stream) when a user pins a new piece of content to that board, When following a user, you will be notified every time a user pins content to any of his or her boards. Due to these differences a Pinterest user's board might have more followers than the user herself! 

One of the best ways to promote your property is to start creating "Pins" of everything and anything about the village, town or city that listing is from and adding the info to your listing. So if you have any information  with pictures that we could use, please either "pin" directly to your listing or send the info along to us and we'll do it for you.

Here's the link to my Pinterest, If you think it looks like fun  want to start "Pinning" membership is by invitation only. Let me know if you want to join up and I'll send you a personal invitation.

Cheers, Vanessa

Think there’s nothing to do Upstate? Well get ready for some “You Must Not Be From Around Here” kind of fun because there IS a lot to do north of the Rockland County line.

How about a movie? Boring you say, but not when you're taking in one of America’s dying icons, the outdoor drive-in theatre. Warwick has the nearest drive-in movie theater to Rockland, New York and northern Jersey, called, appropriately, The Warwick.

Frank Seber started in the drive-in movie business as a teenager at the old Tri-States Drive-in at Matamoras, PA, (now gone). He eventually realized his dream of having his own screen many years later, in 1977, after purchasing the Warwick Drive-in. Originally a 5-acre pasture hosting a 70-ft wide single screen, it could hold up to 350 cars when it first opened in 1950. Ever ambitious, Frank acquired additional acreage, doubling the size of the drive-in and added a second screen.

The Warwick has been in continuous summertime operation ever since, and the dream remains intact (now with 3 screens). But over years that have been marked by the rise of home air-conditioning, malls, TV, the Internet and consequently the demise of many thousands of independently operated drive-ins across America (which includes nearly 90% of all remaining drive in theaters), The Warwick is still “lit,” and still in the same family. Frank and his wife, Ann, retired after their twentieth season. The big screen is now operated by one of their daughters and her family. They fire up 3 screens with a double feature, seasonally, from mid-March thru October, every night of the week.

The Warwick is the first of New York's nearly 30 drive-ins to open each year, generally the weekend after St. Patrick’s Day. Audio for the movies is provided with local FM radio broadcasts. Admission: Adults $8.00 (ages 12 and up); Children (ages 4-11) and seniors $5.00; children under 4 get in free. As well as however many people you can cram in the trunk.

The Warwick is one of two drive-in theaters still operating in Orange County (the other is the Fair Oaks outside Middletown). If arriving early (definitely advisable on peak summer weekends), the Snack Bar opens early. And bring your laptop; the Warwick also provides free WiFi for Internet access, in case whatever Hollywood epic they have on screen isn’t interesting enough.

It’s tough out there in the land of real estate sales. Sellers need maximum exposure when it comes to reaching the greatest number of potential buyers. If you have a home on the market or considering selling in the near term, be sure your agent is selling to audiences in foreign markets as well as at home.

Why foreign markets? Because right now, property in America is deemed a hot commodity abroad. The US dollar is at near record lows against currencies in Europe, Great Britain, Asia and Russia. That means foreign money can buy a lot more house here than it can at home. Second, news of American’s down economy has been a hot topic of conversation abroad – News of foreclosures, short sales and bank owned properties for sale at bargain basement prices has spread around the world. We are on their radar and investors are actively looking for opportunities here. Third, real estate in urban areas costs much less here than it does abroad. According to the Global Property Guide, a London apartment costs about $2,637 per square foot compared to a similar Chicago apartment which comes in at around $294 a square foot. No wonder they’re coming here with check-books open.

So you need to find a Realtor who can get your listing seen in foreign places. A good way to start is to check their websites. Do they have foreign language translations? Do they have agents fluent in other languages and knowledgeable about foreign cultures?

An agent who focuses on international markets will almost certainly have accreditation with the national Realtor’s Association (NAR) as a Certified International Property Specialist (CIPS). This designation means they have completed a lengthy educational process and have been certified as qualified to market your home abroad.

Another service available to Realtors conducting business abroad is NAR’s International Consortium of Real Estate Associations. This group was founded fourteen years ago and sets standards for and facilitates transnational business. Its website, Worldproperties.com, is a popular one among foreign buyers and one your listing should be on. Be sure your Realtor is registered with the consortium and can provide you with its services.

To sell a home today, you need an agent with the capabilities and knowledge to market your home not just locally, but everywhere in the world. For more information about global real estate, contact me at www.wesellny.com or email me at vanessa@wesellny.com.

Fifth Avenue 2 Bedroom Co-Op

If you’re looking for a full-service luxury 2 bedroom/2 bath condo nestled in a fabulous midtown location - stop right here. 35B is the epitome of NYC apartment living, both inside and out. Take in the incredible views of both the Hudson and East Rivers through your floor-to-ceiling glass windows. Enjoy the sunset from your own western-facing private balcony in the sky. This extraordinary apartment has 10-foot ceilings and wonderful finishes: sumptuous solid oak hardwood floors, a chef’s kitchen complete with Sub-Zero refrigerator, Bosch range/stove/dishwasher and a Dacor microwave, and luxurious spa bathrooms with marble counters atop walnut vanities and Waterworks fixtures.

35B also has a stackable washer/dryer, Smart wiring for high-speed internet, and a private storage bin.

The white-glove 325 Fifth Avenue Condominium offers a 24-hour doorman, Abigail Michael’s Concierge Service, and an on-site garage. You can let your gym membership expire, as the building has a 10,000 square foot state-of-the-art health club, complete with an indoor swimming pool, co-ed sauna, massage, yoga and aerobic rooms. There is also a children’s playroom, a beautifully landscaped outdoor terrace, a fully-equipped lounge with catering center and a fireplace, business center, and a game/screening room.

Located right near the Empire State Building, major transportation, dining, entertainment and shopping -- one couldn’t ask for more. $2,095,000.00

Call +1 845 848 2218 for further information and viewings.

It may seem silly to point out some of the most basic, logical steps in successfully selling a home, but for some reason, I regularly see homeowners and Realtors miss the simplest things. So maybe we could all use a book called Selling Your Home for Dummies to remind us of the basics. The following is a synopsis of what that book might cover.

Know what your home is worth in your market

If the three most important things in buying a house are location, location and location, the three most important things in selling are price, price and price. Too low and you lose money. Too high and you lose even MORE money because your house depreciates while it sits unsold in a falling market. (Yes, the market is still falling and will continue to do so for quite some time.)

Develop a pricing strategy. Have your real estate agent make a detailed analysis of your market and where your home and neighborhood stand in it. In Realtor-speak, it’s called a Comparative Market Analysis, or CMA. Done properly, this will give you a target price. Commit to it, and agree to revisit your price if it hasn’t had much activity in 30 days.. Don’t make the mistake so many homeowners make and go into denial over what they thought they could get rather than what the market really says is a price which will be competitive. Many sellers love their home too much to understand that it’s really just a commodity. They’ve spent money fixing it up. They’ve sweated over maintaining it. If I had a dollar for every time I’ve heard the phrase, “We're not giving our house away!” I’d be a rich woman.

Your Realtor needs to give you honest feedback from the other Realtors who view the home and from buyers who visit it. If your property has a significant number of showings and online hits, your pricing is probably pretty close. If not, there’s something wrong. It’s probably the price.

Give your property the most exposure possible

Exposure in today’s market does not mean a sign in the yard and an open house on Sunday. To compete with the huge number of homes for sale today, you need an online strategy. My clients listing all have their own exclusive website, and are also listed on over 1,000 real estate websites worldwide. International exposure is key, because while American buyers are still suffering in the current economy, foreign buyer view American property as a bargain, and are snapping up real estate here as second homes or investment properties.

Consider staging your property if your agent thinks it will show better. This can mean anything from re-arranging the living room furniture to having a stager or interior designer bring in rental furniture for a complete re-do. Painting and upgrading dated fixtures can go a long way in making your home attractive for potential buyers.

Photos are also an important key to exposure. Have them taken by a professional photographer, take a lot of them and if possible, create a virtual tour for buyers to see online. Speaking of professional help, I also hire a professional writer for website and MLS descriptions. It goes a long way in making my listings stand out from the crowd.

Make your property as available as possible

Every opportunity you have to present your home to a buyer is an opportunity to sell that you won’t get again. Having a lock box on the front door is a good start (and an essential one.) Today’s electronic lock boxes make it convenient for agents to show your property when you aren’t home. They also protect you, because they keep a record of what agent visited you and when they came.

If you are home when showings are scheduled, make sure you are away from the house when the Realtor arrives. Nothing puts off a buyer faster than a hovering homeowner. And make showings as available as possible. Be flexible. Dinner may have to wait, or you may need to jump for a last minute viewing, but the more you show, the faster it will go!

These are simple, even obvious strategies in selling a home. Stick with the basics and you will be a lot more likely to sell your home when you want to, and for what it is worth.

Have you heard about this?   An advertising company called Brainiacs From Mars is offering to pay your mortgage in exchange for turning your house into a billboard.  I see it as an opportunity to get paid to have your house repainted.

If you are selected, they'll turn your home into a billboard.  In exchange, you'll get your mortgage paid for as long as the ads are in place.  Here is the loophole, after just one month you can cancel and they will paint your house back to its original color.  No charge to you.

What do you think?  Could your neighbors go without complaining for a month?

Vanessa

Even if you feel you don't need it, Flood Insurance is an insurance policy that should be added to most homes, no matter where they are located. It’s a common belief that if you live in a flood prone area that you cannot qualify for flood insurance. This cannot be farther from the truth. In fact, it’s required by law if you live in a flood zone and your home is federally insured. Almost every home can be protected with flood insurance and as our weather patterns continue to change, and flooding becomes more commonplace it is certainly a smart thing to add to the cost of owning your home.

Most homeowners however, don’t realize that flood insurance is a separate policy beyond a typical homeowners insurance policy. Most homeowner policies don’t cover flood damage, so it’s important to get flood insurance regardless of whether or not you live on ocean front property or on a hill somewhere. Statistics show that a home is 30 times more likely to suffer a loss from a flood rather than a fire.

If you are new to an area, it’s important to know where these flood areas are. If you aren’t sure, we can help with that. No one is fully protected from what has become known as the 100 year flood. That is once every 100 years we will have a massive flood, the challenge is that we don’t know when that will be. It’s always a good idea to just be prepared for such a case and have peace of mind. Another way of looking at it is that homes close to streams and rivers shouldn’t be avoided just because of a fear of flooding. Enjoy the benefits of living close to water knowing that in the rare event of a flood, your property will be protected by flood insurance.

Flood Insurance costs

The premiums for flood coverage are quite affordable. There are several factors that play a role in determining the premium. The main one is the likelyhood of flooding to occur or in other words how close you live to a flood zone. Premiums are much less if your home does not reside in a flood area. If you’re not sure, FEMA which stands for Federal Emergency Management Agency, has produced several maps for you to look at which will show you if you are in a flood area.

For the most part, you can expect to pay anywhere from $300 up to $500 a year for flood insurance. It also depends on how much coverage you want and your deductible. One important thing to note is how replacement is handled. Some policies will do a replacement cost, meaning give you the amount of money needed to replace the item or structure up to the policy limit or actual cash value meaning only give you what the item or structure is worth today. Either way, some insurance is better than no insurance.

Just a few other things to consider when obtaining flood insurance. Usually there is a 30 day waiting period before your policy goes into effect. This prevents anyone trying to obtain insurance after a flood has occurred and destroyed their home. You must have flood insurance before the flood in order to be covered.

If you would like to know if your home is in a flood plain, or perhaps you are considering buying a home that could be in a flood plain, give us a call we’ll let you know for sure and send you the information you’ll need to protect your home the next time there’s a big storm.

Vanessa Saunders at GPS real estate 845 848 2218 or email: info@wesellny.com

For the first time since its inception in 1992, the Federal EB-5 visa program is on track to meet or exceed its maximum level of visas issued to foreign investors in American real estate. This is great news for sellers looking for residential and commercial real estate buyers. Each year, the government sets aside 10,000 permanent resident visas for anyone coming to the United States to invest $1 million or more in a U.S. project that creates or retains ten or more employees. So far the program, which is administered by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) under the Department of Homeland Security, has resulted in the creation or retention of 65,000 jobs, and over $3 billion invested in the American economy.

2,364 Visas Issued in Q-1

A statement issued by the USCIS for March reported that in the first quarter of 2012, a total of 2,364 EB-5 visas had been issued. This amount translates to the creation of approximately 10,000 new jobs for U.S. workers. At this rate, the 2012 program will come closer than it ever has to meeting the 10,000 visa quota established by the USCIS. If the EB-5 Visa Program fulfills its 10,000 visa limit, it would mean the creation of some 40,000 jobs, a 60% increase over the 2011 program level of 25,000 visas issued.

Currently, the top investors in the program have been high net-worth Russians, Dutch, Germans, British, and East and Western Europeans. These well-heeled businesspeople are snapping up both commercial and residential properties in North America, and also in regions across Asia.

New York Area a Foreign Investment Hot Spot

In a recent real estate sales report by Inman News, foreign buyers were turning up in increasing numbers in ten “hot spots” around the country. Most were in areas known also as attractive places for tourists to visit. New York City and the lower-Hudson Valley area came in at number seven, preceded by locations in Florida, Nevada and Arizona. property deeds and found there were four times more foreign addresses on property deeds in the “hot spot” areas than in other parts of the country.

Homeowners and businesspeople considering selling their properties should be ready to consider selling to foreign investors, and should be sure that any Realtor they hire has the capabilities to reach global markets with their listing. All qualified international Realtors carry the Certified International Property Specialist (CIPS) designation through their state realty board. To find a CIPS-certified Realtor in your area, use the CIPS agent finder on the National Association of Realtors Designations and Certifications website.

Read More...

To find more information on the EB-5 visa program and international real estate sales, click on the "Globe Trotting" tab at www.wesellny.com.

Who knew? A world class sports venue in Tuxedo Park? Where you might ask? Well actually it’s the corporate headquarters of Internet Marketing Tech company LiveTechnology Who among other things boast that their employees have full use of their squash and fitness center and the use of a personal fitness trainer. Live Techies pursue interests from snooker, pool, rowing, wakeboarding, mountain biking, and ski/snowboarding. Situated in the “Tech Alley” of the Hudson Valley, their offices feature walls of glass overlooking Sterling Forest State Park and Indian Reservoir. It’s a lovely area of South Eastern Orange County, with a rich history, presumably one of the reasons that the Pro Squash Tour chose this unusual venue.

There’s a local wild-card entry into this competition. Mitch Bottini, a U.S. Naval Academy squash recruit from New Hamburg in Dutchess County, NY. Eight of the top 10 players in the PST rankings will participate in the American Open, including Wael El Hindi of Egypt, the 2010 U.S. Open champion, and David Palmer of Australia, the four-time British Open champion and a two-time World Open champion. Bradley Ball of England, the 2011 PST world champion, also will play.

"This will be the largest tournament on our calendar and will be the capstone event moving forward for PST's American circuit," PST commissioner Joe McManus said in a press release.

The tournament begins Wednesday with first-round matches at 5:30 p.m. Second-round matches are 5:30 p.m. Thursday. The round of 16 begins 3 p.m. Friday. The quarterfinals begin at 11 a.m. Saturday, and semifinals start at 6 p.m. Finally, the tournament wraps with a consolation match at 2 p.m. Sunday, with the final set to begin at 3 pm.

Matches Thursday through Sunday will also be broadcast online at www.pstamericanopen.com. For more information and tickets, go to www.ProSquashtour.net.

Check out all of the currently available properties for sale in Tuxedo & Tuxedo Park or contact us at GPS Real Estate for our Comprehensive Area Information Package.