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Friday is Earth Day - Easy Ways to Live a Greener, More Sustainable Life

Submitted by Joseph Pettinella on April 20, 2016 - 4:25pm

There are so many things you can do to embrace a 'greener' lifestyle . . . why not start now.

We are celebrating Earth Day on Friday!  It's more important than ever before that everyone does their part to ensure we have life-giving resources available for the future generations of humans and all life forms.  

View the link below for ideas of things you can easily do in and around your home to conserve valuable resources.  

Commit to Living a Greener, More Sustainable Life this Earth Day - With more than 1 billion people participating in Earth Day activities each year, it’s hard to fathom what we all did on April 22 prior to 1970—the year Senator Gaylord Nelson put into motion a movement that continues to motivate people into action when it comes to caring for—and protecting—our environment. Whether you’re a preservationist, or activist—or somewhere […] [RisMedia Consumer News]

National Real Estate Market Update March 2016

Submitted by Joseph Pettinella on April 7, 2016 - 2:18pm

Real Estate Market Update - New York, Dutchess & Ulster

Submitted by Joseph Pettinella on March 31, 2016 - 6:25pm

Let's summarize some of the more important statistics from the latest real estate market report from the New York State Association of REALTORS®.  We're going to take a look at New York State, and then drill down to Dutchess and Ulster Counties numbers.

Overall the real estate market is healthy and it is a good time to sell and buy.  Because inventories of available homes are low, it is a sellers market, but so far this situation has not led to significant increases in sales prices.

State of New York - Year-to-date through February 2016, compared to the same period last year:

     • 7.9% more listings came on the market, but the inventory is still low in certain areas.

     • Pending contracts were up 19.6%.  These are properties that have accepted contracts but have not yet closed.

     • Closed sales were also up this year by 18.7%.  Based on the increase in pending contracts, it looks like we will also see a significant increase in closed sales for March.

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Buying Your First Home?

Submitted by Joseph Pettinella on March 30, 2016 - 5:26pm

Are you a first-time home buyer?  If so, you might not know where to start.  The first thing you need to know is how much home you can afford, and if you can get approved for a mortgage. Once you have these answers, you can start looking for the perfect home.

To learn about what to expect throughout the home-buying process, ask your REALTOR®, who can explain everything from start to finish and answer all your specific questions.  In the meantime, this short video is a quick way to get some good advice.

Our Agents - Sharpening Their Skills

Submitted by Joseph Pettinella on March 16, 2016 - 12:59pm

Century 21 Alliance Realty Group agents learning new technologies at our training center in East Fishkill.

A big thank you goes out to Sandy Tambone of the MidHudson MLS for tailoring the training to our specific requests. It was a great class and everyone learned something new.

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Planning to Sell Your Home Soon?

Submitted by Joseph Pettinella on March 15, 2016 - 11:47am

If you are planning to sell your home this Spring, then you should have already started preparing your home to sell for the best possible price and terms.

You may have watched or read reports about the real estate market being 'hot' and homes selling very quickly at increasing prices.  This is accurate information in many of our local neighborhoods, but not so much in other communities. There is a shortage of homes for sale that meet today's buyer expectations, and this factor is driving up prices in the more desirable communities and neighborhoods.

So what are 'buyer expectations'?  What are buyers looking for?  It's simple.  Buyers are looking for clean, well-maintained, clutter-free homes that show pride-of-ownership, and that are priced at or near actual market value.  

Use our Home Seller Pre-Marketing Checklist to help you get your home ready to meet, and exceed, buyer expectations.  It's also a good idea to call your REALTOR® before you are ready to sell, invite them over, and get their opinion on things that should be done to neutralize your home and make it as attractive as possible to potential buyers.