OUR ROLE AS STEWARDS FOR THE HOMES WE SELL

I had the privilege of being asked to come to do a listing presentation for a beautiful 1820 Le Fevre Farmhouse. Now I consider it a privilege whenever anyone trusts me with one of the biggest and most expensive and most personal things they own. I especially appreciate it when it has a long history to it. The wife and husband and I talked about all the aspects of putting their home on the market, we went over my CMA and what they could do to ready the home. I asked them if I was in competition with many other brokers and this is what made my day. They said they had one other real estate person over who they knew quite well and they they did not demonstrate an interest in their house like I did. THIS IS WHAT I BELIEVE IS THE MOST IMPORTANT LESSON IN SELLING SOMEONES HOME. This precious commodity is someones life, their blood sweat and tears, the place all their family events happened. This home represents a lot of the time, all the money they have, their biggest investment. We are entrusted, as stewards to convey this property to another person/persons and that is a responsibility not to be taken lightly.

Each home has its story. How the home owner found it. How they saved the money to buy it. I knew one homeowner who wanted to finish his basement. He was going to the racetrack for the first time and his wife told him to bet on a combo with horse number one. He was so flustered at the track that he bet on the wrong horse without knowing. The horse he thought he bet on ran dead last with the two other horses he had coming in the right order of second and third. His friend asked him who he bet on and looked at his ticket and lo and behold he had the right combo with the wrong horse bet to win enough money in that triple to well afford to finish his basement. Each home and each homeowner has their story to tell of their home.

The 1800 farmhouse has a long history to convey. I will make it my business, as the steward for this home to convey all of the history and documents that these owners have entrusted me to convey. I will do all the things necessary to market this home appropriately to effect a sale. Someone will come along who falls in love with this home and its history. I get paid for doing this. Who's got it better than me?

THIS MIGHT BE THE RIGHT TIME TO LIST YOUR HOME

I was busy and happy this first weekend of 2009.. After showing only a couple of homes in the New Paltz area, I met and spoke with some fellow agents and we all agreed that there is very little inventory on the market right now, especially in the New Paltz area.. As I walked away from our gathering I realized that it appears that NOW is the time to put a house on the market IF:

1- It is priced appropriately.
2- It is priced appropriately
3- It is priced appropriately.

This is the most important item in relation to selling a home. Other things are relative such as staging and condition but this is paramount. Especially now.

Rates have come down somewhat and this is beneficial for both seller and buyer.

So, if you are thinking of selling your home and it is in Ulster County, I would be happy to come to your home and do a market analysis and tell you about the company I work for, Westwood Metes & Bounds. It has been the number 1 selling real estate agency in Ulster County for 13 years based on multiple listing services residential sold statistics.

Wishing you all the very best of this new year.