How Will the 2014 Mortgage Rules Affect Your Ability to Buy Catskills Real Estate in New York?

"No debt traps. No surprises. No runarounds. These are bedrock concepts backed by our new common-sense rules, which take effect today,"  - Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Director Richard Cordray, January 10, 2014

Last week the Coldwell Banker Village Green Realty "fam" met with a professional at Ulster Savings Bank to discuss how the the Mortgage Rules instituted by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau this January might affect our buyers. 

In the past 7 years I've bought 3 different homes. They were all for my family to actually LIVE in. So,  I know exactly how nerve wracking fretting about whether you'll qualify for a mortgage can

Woodstock Area Meals On Wheels 

Once a week we like to take a moment to recognize one of the many local organizations our agents work with.  We’re proud to share our communities and our time with them.

We've made it through the Holiidays. Nothing feels better than giving, right? Giving by becoming a volunteer for a not-for-profit organization can be a wonderful way to help your community and make you feel great. Is there any better pick-me-up than giving something to someone who truly needs it? It's so much better than that feeling you get when you watch your Father-In-Law  unwrap what is basically the same holiday sweater you gave him last year, and place it on the stack of similar sweaters he’s gotten from everyone else. That’s not giving!

So! You're ready to sell your house, it's time to do some Catskills Real Estate (yes sometimes we say we "do" Catskills Real Estate), and choose an agent who knows how to sell a house with real estate photography. Congratulations on taking the first step on the path towards wherever it is you're going next! Now it's time to choose an agent who knows how to sell a house! Do you have a friend or neighbor who's an agent? Did an acquaintance just buy or sell and offer a recommendation?  Before you pick up the phone and commit to an agent you need to understand how to tell an agent who knows how to sell a house from an agent who doesn't. If you understand the pieces of the property marketing puzzle you can make sure your agent is playing with a full deck (ah,

You're selling your house in the Catskills, you need video for real estate, if you've got an agent who knows how to sell a house, they'll give it to you!

"Video" Vs. Video

(Real) Video For Real Estate....Really

Video for real estate is a tricky business. Most agents will tell you they can offer you a video if you choose to list with them. Does your potential agent's "video" look something like this:

If it does, they don't know how to sell a house. AHHHH!!!! Run the other way. Today we're focusing on #2 on our list of skills your agent must have - things they know if they know how to sell a house. 

Listing Agent Must Haves!

1. Photography Skills
2. Video Capability
3. Staging Skills
4. Compelling Copy Writing
5.

An agent who knows how to sell a house will be able to answer "What is home staging" when you ask. Oh, and help you do it.

So what is home staging? First lets looking at some pictures of home staging in action.

What home is staging? Staging is making your house look pretty and appealing to buyers! I know, I know - we've all watched hour upon hour of HGTV staging shows. We're all budding stagers. But here's the thing, watching those shows doesn't help you understand what buyers in our Catskills Real Estate market, a very unique market, want to see. An agent who knows how to sell a house will know that.

When it comes to our own stuff we all tend to be stubborn. We don't edit the way someone else would because - we like our stuff -

The Importance of Real Estate Description

Are you about to hire a real estate agent to sell your home for you? You need an agent who knows how to sell a house. There are 5 key skills an agent needs to have to qualify as an agent who knows how to sell a house (see our handy checklist below). #4 is the mastery of the real estate description.

Gone are the days of buyers choosing houses solely based on their empirical value. No longer are number of bedrooms, bathrooms, square footage and price/square foot what's top of the mind when buyers are looking. The searches on real estate websites (where all your buyers are looking) weed out the listings that don't have the right number of bedrooms, bathrooms square footage, etc. By the time buyers are reading