Town and Village Realty

Small Town with Big Conveniences

Lisa Savino — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 17:42:00 GMT

I have been a long time resident of Pleasant Valley NY. I have raised a family here and have grown quiet fond of the small town quaintness that it offers. It is definitely the small town that you envision when you think of a small town. I think we are fortunate to live here; we have the conveniences of well known stores, from Blockbuster, CVS, Dunk n Donuts and McDonalds, but maintain the small town feel. We have the Wappinger’s Creek that runs through town and if you sit down in park you can hear the water and for awhile escape to another time or place, great place to go when you need some peace. You will also catch some of the locals, fly fishing or just fishing down at the creek, it really nice to see father and son or sometimes father and daughter spending quality time together.

During the summer they have a “music in the park” where you can grab a chair or bring a blanket and listen to local musicians play.

Raising our children here in Pleasant Valley has been a blessing with fond memories. They were involved in soccer, and what I remember most about it is the sense of community. Moms and Dads with their coffee, bundled up because the weather during soccer season can be quite cold, saying hello to other fellow parents that are braving the weather right along with you. The scenery during soccer season is picturesque. The foliage in the fall is to die for. I have fond memories that will stay with me forever.

During the month of October they hold a Halloween parade that starts in our town and ends at the elementary school, where they have contests, refreshments, and a magic show. The town really tries to invoke a sense of community.

The end of summer brings a yearly Pleasant Valley Day weekend. You’ll find local flavors from farmers and restaurants, which have booths set up thru out the field. The children can enjoy the rides that are available or play a game at one of the booths. At night you’ll find adults singing, dancing, or socializing under the tent.

Housing here is affordable for the most part. Of course like any other town in Dutchess we have our fair share of new communities with homes that reach into the millions, but for the most part you can purchase a home for around $325,000, making it a very affordable and convenient place to live, Pleasant Valley runs along the Taconic State Parkway which is great for commuters and people relocating from Westchester or NYC.

Would you like more information on Pleasant Valley NY and the housing market here? Visit www.townandvillagerealty.com for more information and to check out homes that are available.

Need help with purchasing a home? Not sure where to begin? Contact lisa@townandvillagerealty.com or call 914-456-3808, I'll be there for you!

Selling your home in today's market

Lisa Savino — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 15:45:00 GMT

Thinking of selling your home in todays market can be a challenging task. You want your home to stand out above the crowd. How do you do this? Well one of the ways I have seen homes move quick on the market is to go below market value, which creates immediate interest. I am not saying you have to sell below market value (unless you need to sell immediately), however pricing it below market value creates a lot of interest and sometimes it will end in a bidding war. A seller never has to accept an offer it’s all up to you. Another way to generate interest is if it feasible is to offer owner financing in this tough “hard to get credit” economy. You do have buyers out there that have solid work ethics, but perhaps no money down or not enough for closing, or perhaps they are coming out of a bad credit situation. There a plenty of hardship buyers out there screaming for the opportunity to own. The situation would have to be right to offer financing, enough equity in the home, no mortgage on the property, it would have to make financial sense for you. The way I see it is where else are you going to be getting 5-7% return on your money. ? It sounds so cliché, however staging a home does wonders for a home, when potential buyers walk in, they see a perfect set up, they see themselves living there. Buying a home is all emotion, the feel, when you walk into the home plays so much into the decision to buy our not. Staging can be very beneficial and will generally bring you closer to your asking price. Taking care of the outside of your home, making sure it is tidy and clean is also a must, this is the first thing potential home buyers see. If they don’t like the outside they will have a hard time viewing the rest of the home. Fresh plants help spruce up the exterior, make your garbage pails are out of site. If you have pets be sure to clean up after them, nothing is worse than having to watch where you step. If you have a patio or deck for entertaining, present it in a way that the potential home buyers can see themselves entertaining there. I am a pet owner; however the last thing you want when trying to sell your home is pets that are roaming around. There is nothing more distracting than this. Cats will either follow you around (some people are afraid of cats) or sometimes they will run and hide. Dogs generally bark when you open the door and immediately put you in an uncomfortable mind set. Even if you think your animals are harmless they will hurt you when trying to sell your home.

Another biggie with buyers is the home must smell nice! Don’t cook broccoli, cabbage, or any other food that has an obnoxious smell to it when you know buyers are coming to view the home. Have aroma candles, vanilla, black licorice, clean cotton smell, you want the aroma to play into their emotions. Above all if you’re a smoker, clean everything from your walls, furniture, curtains, I mean everything! Nobody, not even smokers enjoy the smell of stale smoke!

Well I hope this has been helpful! I was on our local MLS and noticed 83 expired listing today. When it comes to selling your home, take some of this advice. I have worked with hundreds of buyers and seen thousands of homes. Two things will prevent the home from selling price and marketing, (marketing comes from the sellers end as well as the realtors), don’t become an expired stale listing. If you need to sell, take the right steps to do so.

You can visit our site at www.townandvillagerealty.com for more ideas on selling your home in today’s market. If you are thinking of selling and would like more information please feel free to contact me at lisa@townandvillagerealty.com or call 914-456-3808 for further assistance. We service Westchester, Putnam and Dutchess County NY.

Tax Credit for first time homebuyers now extended

Lisa Savino — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 16:54:00 GMT

Senate voted on a bill to extend tax credit for first time home buyers. Anyone earning under $125,000 as an individual and $225,000 as a married couple will be eligible for the $8,000 tax credit as part of the stimulus package. Tax credit will enable any buyers that fit the government criteria to purchase a home and receive the the $8,000 tax credit back on their tax returns. Or they may be eligible to use the credit towards their closing cost.

Congress is scheduled to vote on another tax credit of as much as $6500.00 for people that already own a primary residence. If approved this would directly benefit existing home owners who wish to purchase a new home as a primary residence. Credit is for homes that are purchased under $800,000 and contracts must be signed no later than April 30, 2010 and close before June 30, 2010.

This appears to be the last chance to take advantage of the $8,000 tax credit for first time home buyers, it also is a chance for existing home owners to sell their existing homes and either upgrade or downgrade depending on their circumstances.

Single Story For Sale in Staatsburg

Lisa Savino — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 03:09:00 GMT

Great Neighborhood

• 1,144 sq. ft., 2 bath, 3 bdrm single story - $250,000 - Priced to Sell!

Staatsburg, Dutchess County - Great starter home. Well maintained 3 bedroom 2 bath ranch in great neighborhood. Beautiful brick fireplace in living room, will make for some very inviting winter nights. Family room in walk out basement.Finished areas in basement for storage/office. Beautiful landscaping, mature plants. Level backyard with woods in the back for privacy. Drive way can easily accommodate 6 cars. Attached garage.

Property information

Carmel Townhome for sale

Lisa Savino — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 14:03:00 GMT

I recently listed a townhome in Carmel NY. The townhome is well cared for and remodeled within the past 4 years. I have been in most of the ones that are for sale, and I Must say this one is the cream of the crop. The home has 3 bedrooms and 1.5 baths that are completely redone. It also boast a family room and a finished laundry area in the basement.

We have listed this townhome at a great price and I believe it won't last to long on the market.