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New $20 Billion Plan to Combat Homelessness & Provide Affordable Housing in New York State

Submitted by Joseph Pettinella on May 19, 2017 - 5:16pm

Governor Cuomo just yesterday launched a landmark $20 billion, five-year plan to combat homelessness and advance the construction of affordable housing in New York State. The plan will create and preserve more than 110,000 units of affordable and 6,000 units of supportive housing over the next five years. This marks the largest investment in the creation and preservation of affordable housing and efforts to end homelessness in the history of New York.  

Dutchess County - What's Happening In The Housing Market?

Submitted by Joseph Pettinella on May 16, 2017 - 4:06pm

At the first of April, 2017, there were 330 less single-family detached homes for sale in Dutchess County than there were in April of 2016.  In spite of the continual decline in available inventory, sales have held up at slightly higher numbers than last year.  

However, the lack of homes for sale appears to be having an effect on current purchase offers, which are down by 13.4%. 

Let's take a look at sales, selling prices, purchase offers and available listings in Dutchess County, comparing year-to-date figures through April 2017 to the same period last year.

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Two New Boutique Hotels in Beacon New York

Submitted by Joseph Pettinella on May 11, 2017 - 4:19pm

Want to enjoy your visit to Beacon, New York, even more?  Stay in one of its two new gorgeous and elegant hotels!

The first new hotel is the 12-room Inn & Spa at Beacon, located on Main Street's western end. The lobby also serves as an art gallery for the works of Anamario Hernandez, a celebrated Mexican painter best known for her still-life works. Hernandez will be on hand for the gallery's official christening on Saturday, May 13.  Guests can also enjoy the spa services, including massages, facials, and scalp treatments, and fine dining.

Also located on Main Street is the new 12-room Beacon Hotel and Restaurant.The building dates back to 1875 and has been newly remodeled into a gorgeous industrial space. The on-site restaurant and bar opened earlier this year and currently serves brunch on Saturday and Sunday and dinner 5 days a week.  

Don't miss the opportunity to stay, eat, and play at one of Beacon's great hotels, restaurants, museums, and all the outdoor fun.

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Home Sellers: How To Prepare For The First Meeting With Your Agent

Submitted by Joseph Pettinella on April 28, 2017 - 12:23pm

To equip your agent with everything they need to effectively market and sell your home, you should be prepared to provide them with as much information as possible up front. Anything you can do to make your agent's job easier is going to benefit you during the process of selling. 

So what should you get in order for your first meeting with your real estate agent?

1. Get a general idea of what you home may be worth by looking at recent comparable sales in your neighborhood/area as well as current listed properties that are most like yours. Sometimes market conditions will be in your favor, and sometimes you may be disappointed. But, regardless of the market, doing a little research on your own will help you and your agent create a realistic plan for selling your home. See how a professional real estate agent prices your property.

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Need To Get Your Home Ready To Sell? Pressed For Time? Do These 4 Things

Submitted by Joseph Pettinella on April 27, 2017 - 11:54am

There is a a lot of advice on the internet about  how to get your home ready to sell.  It's all good advice . . even complete home staging is a good idea, but some people just don't have the time or the money to do the things they would like to do to make their home show at its best. 

If you're one of those people who is seriously time or money challenged, then here are a few things you should be able to accomplish that will have the most impact on getting your home sold in the least amount of time for the most money.

1. Go through every room with some boxes, and pack away anything that you won't need again until you are in your new home.  This includes personal items, family photos, knick-knacks, clothes and shoes that you won't need until next season.  Pack away anything that would be considered 'clutter'. Think empty . . . the emptier your closets the better.  'Less is more' applies to every room, every shelf, every piece of furniture, every countertop, and every closet in your home.

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Found A Home You Love But It's 'Pending' . . . Do You Still Have A Chance?

Submitted by Joseph Pettinella on April 27, 2017 - 10:00am

So you've been looking online for quite some time now for the perfect home in the perfect location, and you finally think you found it.  But . . . it already has an accepted pending contract.

Ugh!  Disappointment!  Now what!  Is there still a chance that you can get the home, or should you not even try?

Well, pending does not mean it's sold.  It means that the seller has accepted a buyer's offer, but the transaction has not yet closed.  There are a multitude of things that can go wrong from the time a contract is accepted and the time it closes.  The home inspection could reveal an issue that is unacceptable to the buyer, the buyer's financing could get turned down, or something could change in the buyer's situation that causes them to not be able to buy.  So if you really want the house here is what you should do.

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