Finally Coming Home: What a principal broker can do for you

There are milestones we all encounter as we journey through life — deciding upon a career we wish to pursue, choosing a mate, finding the place where we want to live and buying or renting a home there.

My name is Stephanie Samuelsohn and for nearly two decades, I have served as the principal broker at VantagePoint Realty, located at 605 Route 295 in Old Chatham.

Beginning next month, I will be penning a column — scheduled to appear on the last Thursday of the month in the Chatham Courier and the Register-Star — that will provide practical suggestions, expert advice and time and money saving tips to help with one of life’s greatest challenges — buying, selling or renting a home.

Dedicated to serving our customers who wish to find property in Columbia County and the Berkshires, VantagePoint Realty offers an array of services for residential, commercial, agricultural and rental clients. We market and list homes, represent buyers (buyer’s broker), provide information on comparable homes in the area and provide referrals to the best mortgage brokers, inspectors, appraisers and builders.

As an active member of the Columbia Greene Board of Realtors and a fully licensed real estate agent in New York and Massachusetts, I interact with dozens of real estate professionals on a daily basis gleaning current information ranging from properties that may be coming up for sale and not yet listed, to new home developments in the works, to national trends that may impact real estate locally.

It’s well-known that the real estate market can be viewed as a barometer for the overall state of the economy nationally — and differs from region to region. But customers all over the country are essentially the same: People struggling to find a home where they want in the price range they can afford.

In most cases the reason for their frustration is they have tried to do it on their own without the assistance of a professional real estate agent.

Most of us would never tackle projects such as installing a new roof, repairing a furnace or replacing rusty pipes for the kitchen sink. We would contact a reputable roofer, heating technician or plumber to do the job.

It’s the same if you are looking to buy, sell or rent property. Make the decision to enlist the expertise of a licensed real estate agent who can guide you through the process.

For example, the savvy real estate agent will recommend getting pre-approved or pre-qualified by a mortgage lender. This can boost your purchasing power when seeking a home.

Alternatively, when selling a home, even modest improvements can spur a buyer’s interest. Older homes, for example, may have small rooms that gives the impression of being closed in. By simply removing a wall or installing a large picture window, a new focal point and a relationship with the surrounding environs could produce big dividends for the seller.

Home sellers should be aware that many buyers would include contingencies in their offers, which often includes financing and the sale of their own homes. To avoid such maneuvers, sellers can take steps to protect their interests.

The seasoned real estate agent will advise that before accepting a financing contingency. Ask to see the buyer’s pre-approval letter from a well-established lender.

Likewise, it’s prudent to obtain financial disclosure information that outlines the buyer’s employment, income, assets and liabilities. Receipt of a meaningful, earnest, money deposit provides proof positive to underscore the buyer’s intentions.

Additionally, in the case of a home sale contingency — by countering with a proviso, should another more attractive offer be submitted — the seller will give the buyer 24 hours notice to remove the contingency or lose the house and get the deposit back.

To ensure your home is being publicized effectively, it’s the agent’s responsibility to “get the word out” in the realty publications and newspapers, conduct open houses, list the property on the Multiple Listing Service (MLS) and spread information via social media outlets such as Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and Pinterest.

Whether buying or selling make sure your real estate agent conducts a detailed market analysis, which compares the seller’s home to similar ones in the area that have sold recently. This comparison forms the basis of a listing price that both appeals to prospective buyers and ensures sellers of a proper return on their investment.

Stephanie Samuelsohn, principal broker at VantagePoint Realty, can be reached at 518-392-8482 or stephanie@columbiacountyhomes.com.

https://www.facebook.com/Vantage-Point-Realty-297597830362829/

Prequalify or Pre-approve a Home Purchase

You can boost your purchasing power when seeking a home by making sure you are prequalified or pre-approved by a mortgage lender. VantagePoint Realty helps buyers pre-qualify for mortgages every day. 

Our office is conveniently located, where personalized, fuIl-service is not only the expectation - it's our guarantee! Whether you're looking for a vacation or second home, or primary residence in Berkshire or Columbia counties, or the Capital Region, contact us. 

We are fully licensed in Massachusetts and New York, and have the skills, dedication and expertise to help you. For further information on all of the services available to you, contact us today.

Visit our Website: Visit Our Website

E-mail at info@ColumbiaCountyHomes.com

or

Call - 518-392-8484

Why Do Our Signs Keep Disappearing?

"There is a reason you are seeing so many signs around the area.

However, the thing that makes VantagePoint signs stand out 'head & shoulders' above the rest is their movement.

When you see another company's sign, it seems to remain in front of a house forever. Even in this slower market, Our Homes Sell Quicker, thus our signs actually come out!

Call us; join in our journey through these interesting times."

Stephanie W. Samuelsohn
Principal Broker
VantagePoint Realty
518-965-8484

The Woman of the House

If you are in the process of selling your home, don't be surprised if a single woman turns out to be the buyer. According to the National Association of Realtors, single women purchased about one of every five homes sold, which is twice as many as single men purchase. This is a significant statistic in that the number of single men and women buyers was viturally the same a little over 25 years ago. Since then, the number of single women who are buyers has nearly doubled while the percentage of single men buyers has slipped one percentage point. With this in mind, sellers and their agents are increasingly gearing their marketing to women's needs, desires, and concerns.

Hint: Prior to 1974, when Congress amended the Fair Housing Act to top sex discrimination, it was difficult for single women to get mortgages om their own names.

Record numbers of single woman are buying homes. If you are a single woman who wants to buy a home, the good news is the market is wide open for you. I specialize in finding you the right location for your future home purchase. I offer complete services to my clients and customers, including marketing and listing homes, representing buyers(buyer's broker), offering information on homes in the area(comps), and referrals to the best Mortgage Brokers, Inspectors, Appraisers, and Builders. I am fully licensed in both NY and MA.

Call Stephanie Samuelsohn at 518-392-8484

or e-mail me at: Stephanie.Samuelsohn@Century21.com

Take a look at my website: http://www.columbiacountyhomes.com/

A Clause of Your Own

If you are selling a home in today's market, you will likely be presented with offers that have contingencies. One contingency typically tacked on by buyers is the one that makes the sale contingent on their selling their own home. There is also a financing contingency, which allows buyers a certain amount of time to get a loan commitment. During this time, the seller has to take his or her home off the market. While these contingencies are perfectly proper, seller's agents may suggest strategies for protecting their clients' best interests. For instance, experienced agents know that sellers may counter with a kick-out clause, which allows them to continue showing the home and consider other offers.

Hint: If a kick-out clause is in effect and a seller is presented with a better price, he or she can notify the first buyers that they have a prescribed period of time to back out and get their deposit back or drop their contingencies and get on with the sale.

Contingencies are an essential part of most home buying contracts. They are written clauses in your contract that give you time to evaluate some aspect of the property before you proceed to closing. I will help you protect your best interest with regards to nay contingencies and will confirm that all contingencies on sales contracts are met. Contract are complicated and intimidating. You don't want to go to a closing with doubts. You will have the full benefit of my Old Chatham real estate experience and knowledge for a smooth closing. My goal is to always put my clients needs first.

Call Stephanie W. Samuelsohn at 518-392-8484

or e-mail me at: Stephanie.Samuelsohn@Century21.com

Visit our website at: http://www.columbiacountyhomes.com/

Gaining A Competitive Edge

Sellers can no longer stick a "FOR SALE" sign in their front lawns and open their doors to the highest bidder. Today's market conditions require that sellers work to gain a competitive edge over the competition. To best accomplish this, sellers should enlist the services of a knowledgeable agent, who knows how to price and market a home aggressively. Experienced agents recognize that this means leaving nothing to chance that may compromise a sale, even if this requires the seller to paint walls, eliminate clutter, improve the landscaping, and fix leaks. Once prospective buyers are presented with a realistic price that gets them in the door, a home that stands out from the rest helps seal the deal.

A good real estate agent knows the local market and provides open and ongoing communication with you, the client. They will give you a fair evaluation of what your home is worth, based on recent comparable home sales in your area. My office can market your property. Conveniently located, I will tell you exactly what you need to do to make your home saleable.

I am fully licensed in NY and MA. I offer complete services to my clients and customers, including marketing and listing homes, representing buyers, offering information on homes in the area and referrals to the best Mortgage Brokers, Inspectors, Appraisers, and Builders.

Hint: To price your home correctly, it is important that a real estate agent review the most recent sales prices of properties in your area, as well as take into account the asking prices of competing properties in the surrounding area.

Call Stephanie W. Samuelsohn at 518-392-8484 or my cell phone: 518-965-8484

Visit our website at: http://www.columbiacountyhomes.com/