Central New York Real Estate Blog » Buyers & Sellers

Carpet Stains and Solutions

CNY Guest Blogger — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 14:32:53 +0000

Our guest blogger, Joe Merluzzi, is the owner of Northeast Carpet Cleaning. Joe has been the Miracle Worker on many Central New York carpets, furniture–and he cleans air ducts too! A family owned business, Northeast Carpet Cleaning is training the next generation of Merluzzis early to service your needs.

What if your favorite pet stains your carpet? Your dog pees and poops on your carpet. DISASTER. What can you do? Try a cleaning and stain removing solution.

Since there are many types of products available in the market that can and will remove stains, there are many choices. Some products are strong and harsh to carpet fabric, while some are not. Ideally a cleaning solution will minimize and remove stains by cleaning the spills and dirt as they crop up. Cleaning stains does not always require you to go out of your home and purchase expensive products.

There are lots of ways to clean pet stains on a carpet without even leaving your home. One way is by using everyday cleaning products. These can oftentimes clean stains as effectively and efficiently as expensive cleaning solutions. You should always use less first. Here are some easy options.

Option No. 1: The simplest way to get rid of stains is water. Apply water to the affected area of the carpet, then blot it with paper towels or a clean white towel. Be sure to let the carpet dry and never let its backing get wet when you pour water.

Option No. 2: Make a solution by mixing a tablespoon of detergent with one quart of water. Spray and blot the affected area and let it dry.

Option No. 3: Mix one teaspoon ammonia with half a cup of cold water. Spray the solution or apply it to the stain. Use a paper towel to blot the stain away. Be sure to let the affected area dry.

If you have a stubborn stain that you can’t remove yourself, you can call Joe Merluzzi at 315-480-7159. He has a complete line of stain removers that may just be the miracle cure you need!

Living in Radisson

Pei Lin — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 01:23:39 +0000

On my flight home the other night from an out-of-town class, I sat next to Mark, who has lived in Radisson since 1985! Since we were just about to feature Radisson on our blog, I was particularly interested in getting his input on what it’s like to live in Radisson. A resident since 1985, he certainly is well-versed on the area.

Mark gave me some insights on a few of the community activities such as snowshoe-ing and cross-country skiing on the golf course, the annual Radisson-sponsored shopping trip to New York City in December (book early!), and the Founder’s Day weekend, where friends and neighbors get together to listen to music, enjoy the fireworks, and barbecue together (nearby Budweiser is one of the sponsors). Mark talked about fishing in the ponds, which are maintained by ESF (SUNY Environmental Science and Forestry).

Mark and his wife have raised three boys in their Radisson home–one is getting his medical degree at SUNY Upstate Medical University, the other is studying to be a pharmacist, and the third is just entering undergraduate studies at Cortland. He has been very pleased with the education his boys received in the Baldwinsville schools.

I asked how he felt about the rules and HOA and, without any hesitation, Mark told me it was a positive thing. Not only are there the conveniences–such as the leaves being picked up from the curb on a weekly basis during the Fall–but he felt that all the homes are kept in good condition and the rules help keep the values up as “no one’s house gets rundown.”

All the neighbors are kept informed via the weekly Radisson Reflections, a community newspaper run by the HOA.

Every Friday night is Teen Night at the Ice Skating Arena, and it’s very well attended! In good weather, there are multiple playgrounds around Radisson for outdoor play.

Every December during the holiday season there is a contest for holiday light decorations. Alas Mark was not able to tell me the prize, as he ruefully admitted he has never won.

A recent neighborhood accomplishment is the boat ramp. This is a convenient launch for boats, canoes, kayaks, and jet-skis to the Seneca River. There is plenty of parking for RVs so people can keep them off premises and not visually litter the property.

No matter what your interests are, the Radisson community in Baldwinsville has something you’ll love. This planned community adheres to aesthetic guidelines in order to keep up its pristine appearance. The result? Lovely neighborhoods with a tidy look! In addition to attractive living, Radisson has a large variety of recreation. The trails along the lakes and ponds are great for walking any time of year, or biking and skating in the summertime. Radisson Greens Golf Course is an 18-hole course located right within the community. For sports lovers, there are soccer and baseball fields, tennis and basketball courts, and a public pool. Keep the kids busy on the playgrounds or in the kiddie pool (swimming lessons are offered). Radisson even has its own Nursery School. The community is conveniently located just a few miles from Great Northern Mall and several shopping centers (including Wegmans, Target, Home Depot, and more).

For 25 years, Mark has done the half hour commute to Nine Mile Point, a fairly easy ride from Radisson he says. Other nearby employers include Fitzpatrick Plants, Alcon, and of course Budweiser is just a stone’s throw away.

After hearing Mark’s personal perspective, I can see why so many of my clients concentrate their home search in Radisson!

If Radisson sounds like home to you, check out our listing at 8281 Luchsinger Lane! With 4 bedrooms, 2.5 bathrooms, a 3 car garage, and a corner wooded lot, this house has plenty of space and privacy. You won’t believe how much the windows and skylights illuminate the home throughout – even on the gloomiest of winter days.

Home Inspections Demystified

CNY Guest Blogger — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 17:53:53 +0000

If you’re wondering how serious your home inspection results are, our guest blogger, Tom Sherman of Absolute Home Inspections, demystifies some common terms for us here.

“Every house is different and every house is the same.”

I remember hearing this way back in the early days of my home inspection career. Surely, all houses will have certain similarities…each should have a climate control system such as a furnace or a boiler; each will have electrical and plumbing systems. And of course, each will have walls, ceilings, floors and a roof. So, one could surmise that every house is the same. That having been said, one house may have a stand-alone water heater while another may have a side-arm tank being heated by the boiler, or any number of other dissimilarities.

Our challenge as home inspectors is to look at each house as a blank canvas and create our opinion from square one. That means, in a matter of a few hours, being able to look at the literally thousands of pieces that make up a house and provide an honest, factual assessment, all the while trying not to break the Hummel collection that is resting precariously on the edge of the mantel.

Along the lines of similarities, there are certain things that seem to crop up quite regularly. Listed below, I will try to take the mystery out of a few of these oft-heard phrases.

Double Taps

DOUBLE TAPS- A double tap is nothing more than 2 electrical circuits that are connected to the same breaker. This type of connection, while commonly found, is not permitted. Usually, it is a simple fix, though if there are many in a panel box; it may require adding a sub panel.
IMPROPER CLEARANCE TO COMBUSTIBLES- When you hear this phrase, we are generally referring to the minimum clearance permitted between a heating vent pipe and any combustible material. With a single wall pipe on a gas system, the minimum clearance is 6 inches. With double walled “B-Vent” the clearance is reduced to 1 inch. Installing a heat shield between the pipe and combustible material allows you to cut those distances in half.
ORPHANED WATER HEATERS- This is a common situation where a chimney flue is used to vent both the heating system and the water heater. It becomes a problem when the furnace is replaced with a sidewall-vented high efficiency unit. This eliminates the additional heat that assisted in providing good “rise” of the flue gas (hot air rises, right?) So now we have this oversized flue with only the measly water heater vent entering it. The flue is now far too cold to allow a good draft. This often results in back drafting, where the nasty combustion gas is entering the building instead of exiting out the top of the chimney. The solution is to have the chimney “relined” with a smaller flexible vent pipe.
REVERSED POLARITY- This simply means that the receptacle was wired backwards. There are two sides of a standard electrical receptacle, one side having brass colored screws, the other silver. Each side has a specific wire that should be connected to it. If it is connected backwards, there will still be power, though it will be fed through in a reverse path, which can be dangerous. This is a very simple correction for an electrician.
IMPROPER GRADING- Grading, in regards to a building, has a very important role of directing water (be it rain or melting snow) away from the foundation. This concern is almost boiler plate on our inspections, as most every house we look at has some sort of grading issue. Poor grading leads to water in a basement, potential mold growth and a slew of other negatives. In a perfect world, the soil would be built up around the building and sloped away at a rate of 1 inch per foot drop, extending 10 feet from the house.

These are but a few of the issues that are brought up regularly during a home inspection. I hope this helps to clarify some of these terms. In the end, keeping in mind the overall health of the home is important, rather than concentrating on all the minutiae, to keep a good perspective.

Tom Sherman can often been found under a porch, or crawling through attic insulation. He can be reached at 315-673-1755 or Tom@AbsoluteHomeInspection.com.

What to Look for When Reviewing or Purchasing Home Insurance

CNY Guest Blogger — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 15:57:01 +0000

Cindy Payne, our guest blogger, has been working with Liberty Mutual Insurance for over 20 years. She has been recognized for her excellence in the sales department in Liberty Leaders, Liberty Life Leaders, and Liberty Elite. When it comes to home insurance knowledge, Cindy is truly an expert! It’s a great idea to review your home insurance policy to be sure you have the coverage you need.

When is the last time you reviewed your home insurance policy? Usually your home is your biggest asset and most often, people are not sure if they are insuring it properly. Do you know your coverages? One of the most important things to have is replacement cost on your house and on your contents. This ensures that your home would be replaced if you were to have a total loss. Replacement cost is very different than market value. Have you done an analysis with your agent to make sure you are insuring your house correctly? Replacement cost on contents replaces your personal property if you have a claim instead of depreciating it. Do you have good liability protection in case you are sued personally? Liability is part of your home insurance and most people need a minimum of $500,000 today. If you have a lot of assets, you may need a million dollar umbrella for the extra protection. Do you need flood insurance, sump pump coverage, expanded jewelry coverage, identity theft coverage, or earthquake coverage? These are all extra riders that are normally not on a home policy and need to be added.

Are you getting all of your discounts? You may qualify for extra discounts if you have any of the following:

Extra discounts when you have multiple policies with the same company
Good or excellent credit discount
Non smoking discount
New home (built within the last 10 years)
Older home with upgraded roof, plumbing, heating or electric
New purchase discount
Claim free discount
Alarm credit

As an agent with Liberty Mutual for the past 21 years, please feel free to contact me with any questions or a no obligation review of your current insurance at cynthia.payne@libertymutual.com or on my cell at 315-412-3800.

Pre-listing Home Inspections

CNY Guest Blogger — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 14:59:04 +0000

Our guest blogger, Tom Sherman of Absolute Home Inspections, has inspected thousands of homes–maybe gazillions–since 1998. He was also President of CNY -ASHI, a chapter of ASHI National, from 2004-2008. A home inspection before listing paves the way for a smoother transaction, and gives the seller more control of the sales process.

As the years pass and the market continues to increase, it still amazes me how few real estate agents and sellers are utilizing, what I believe to be, the best sales tool in the industry: the pre-listing inspection.

I certainly understand a seller’s initial reluctance to pay for an inspection on the house they are selling, especially if they have just paid for an inspection on the new house they are purchasing.

Here’s the typical scenario: You decide to sell your house. You find a real estate agent you are comfortable with, and list your house. You spend a couple of weeks going out to dinner every time a potential buyer wants to to take a look. Then at long last, a buyer submits an offer. Quite often you end up haggling over the price. Finally, you come to an agreement, fill out mountains of paperwork, then you’re done, right? Unfortunately, NO. In marches the buyer’s inspector, and now there is a laundry list of items that the buyer wants repaired or replaced.

The truth is, you, as a seller, are not paying for an inspection for a potential buyer; you are paying for an inspection to protect yourself! This inspection, along with an honest disclosure sheet, will take everything found and listed off the negotiating table. When a potential buyer makes an offer on your property, they do so knowing full well what they are buying. Got a bad roof? They (and you) already know about it, and the buyer placed the offer with the understanding that the roof needs to be replaced.

How about this scenario: the buyer’s inspector calls out the lack of GFCIs. The buyer wants them installed. Are you, as a seller, going to tear up the contract over $300? Probably not, if you are eager to move forward. Therefore, you pay for an electrician to install GFCIs. This is only one of many issues that can come up during a home inspection.

Lastly, be wary of wanting to bring in an inspector who will “be nice to your house” on a pre-listing inspection. I advise against paying upfront for an inspector to find these issues, only to be blindsided by the buyer’s inspection. In that case, you have wasted your money.

The pre-listing inspection is a very effective sales tool that can save your hundreds, perhaps thousands, in post-contract renegotiations.

Tom Sherman can often been found under a porch, or crawling through attic insulation. He can be reached at 315-673-1755 or Tom@AbsoluteHomeInspection.com.

Keeping Fido and Fluffy Safe During Showings

Pei Lin — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 21:36:01 +0000

Our pets are like family, but when viewing your home, not everyone is comfortable with four-legged creatures. In fact, some people are downright petrified! Others are allergic.

Things to keep in mind:
· In preparing the house for showings, keep pet toys out of sight and the premises dander- and fur-free. Though the pets move out with you upon closing, buyers with allergies may automatically eliminate your house from the running if they are averse to pets.
· Arrange to remove your pet, especially dogs, during showings. If this is not possible, crate your pet with a “Do Not Pet” sign. You do not want your startled pet to bite an overly friendly buyer.
· Post a sign at any doors that must remain open or closed. If it is important to keep a door open for a pet to access the litter box, use a door stop as well as a sign. It can be disastrous for a kitty to be separated from the box when nature calls!
· Vacuum and empty the kitty litter regularly. Your nose becomes attuned to pet odors. Have a friend or neighbor do a sniff test.

If you are going to be away for an extended period, arrange to board your pets with a friend or kennel. Accidents happen, no matter how careful the agent and buyer, and it will give you peace of mind to know your pets are safe in your absence.

Why You Should Stage Your Home

CNY Guest Blogger — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 16:28:30 +0000

Our guest blogger, Lisa Ryan of Smart Move Design, has been helping Central New York sellers ready their homes for market since 2008. I’ve watched houses transform under her talented hands from ho-hum to a head-turner.
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So you’ve heard of home staging. You may have even seen the home staging shows such as HGTV’s “Designed to Sell” or A&E’s “Sell This House”. But can you relate home staging to your own home?

Why should you put money into a home you are selling? Why not sell it “as is” and have
the buyers change the paint color or update the lighting to what they want? Because while
you will sometimes get a buyer who doesn’t mind doing the updating, you will narrow your pool of buyers considerably.

Buyers are picky these days. And like it or not, they want to purchase a home that is
move-in ready. They want a home they can aspire to live in. No buyer aspires to live in
a cluttered, outdated home, or a home that is too taste specific. Painting your walls a neutral color makes your home appeal to more buyers. Removing the old wallpaper also really
helps. Updating light fixtures and kitchen or bath hardware will bring you a good return on your
investment.

Staging doesn’t cost an arm and a leg. A staging consultation is a minimal investment.
It takes you room by room with a professional, and shows you how to find easy fixes that will add perceived value to your home. We know budgets are tight and we look for creative solutions.

Only 10% of buyers can see a home’s potential. Staging your home shows them that
potential. This helps get your home in and out of the market faster and for more money.

Lisa Ryan is generally elbow deep helping Syracuse area homeowners get ready for market, but she can be reached at Smart Move Design, 315.383.1078, or you can email her at Lisa@SmartMoveDesign.com.

Facebook Finds Lost Dog

Pei Lin — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 15:36:57 +0000

My assistant’s dog went missing yesterday morning. Nook, aptly nicknamed Nookdini (the escape artist), dashed out of the house, onto Taft Road, not to be seen for dinner or bedtime.This seemed all too familiar. Years ago, perhaps 20 or so, my best friend’s Shih Tzu dashed out of my front door–when I was dog sitting while she and her husband went to dinner at friends. Koki was Lillie’s “baby.” My sinking heart as I watched Koki dash down the street–on and on and on out of sight.

Lillie’s sister Jeannie drove 7 hours from Long Island to help in the search. We called the Animal Shelter. We posted flyers. We called the radio station. Days later–felt more like weeks–there was a sighting announced on the radio by Comstock Avenue, and sure enough, there Koki was, lurking in the bushes.

Nook was much luckier. She ran away in the Technology Age. As soon as it was apparent Nook was out for a longer jaunt than normal, Danielle posted on craigslist, on facebook, sent out blast emails targeted to the North Syracuse area. She was happy and home within 24 hours, thanks to the far-reaching voice of technology. Nook was FIVE miles from home, and Danielle was able to track her location from the many tips that came in because of the online postings.

Real estate marketing has similarly gone online. No longer is the Sunday paper and real estate booklets the be-all in getting the word out. Having the right system that pushes the listing to lots of real estate sites at the push of one button exposes your house to thousands and thousands of potential buyers.

Your first showing will be online. That first impression will determine if you catch the buyer’s interest in that first nannosecond. Make sure you have multiple pictures, that show well; keep your decor neutral and “timeless.” Those Halloween decorations, though attractive in October, will give it a dated look otherwise.

The key to success is continued exposure online in various forums to get the traffic to your home.

100 Best Bang-For-The-Buck Cities!

Pei Lin — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 23:22:52 +0000

Syracuse named #15 of 100! Forbes.com has recently analyzed housing affordability, travel time, unemployment, real estate taxes, vacancies, job forecast, home price forecast, and foreclosure rank to come up with America’s Best Bang-For-The-Buck Cities.

Locating a desirable spot to settle down means something quite different today than it did just three years ago. That’s when Americans flocked to coastal and Sun Belt cities like Orlando, Fla., and Las Vegas, where properties were easy to acquire and home values were expected to noticeably appreciate.Now, with home prices nationwide down 29% from their 2006 peak, according to Case Schiller, areas that were left behind during the home-building and home-buying craze suddenly look more attractive. Buying an affordable home in a city with a stable housing market, among other pluses like reasonable property taxes and minimal travel time to work, is the new definition of bang for the buck.

Click here to see full list.

Pei Lin CNY Home Team

Pei Lin — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 13:02:18 +0000

Buying or selling a home will be one of the largest financial commitments you make in your lifetime. Whether you are in the market for the first time or you are a seasoned homeowner, choosing the right team is crucial to your success. I have been selling homes in Syracuse and the surrounding areas full time since 1987. Our team has over 30 years combined experience, and we strive to guide our clients through all aspects of real estate transactions — from setting a financial goal to keeping abreast of available and competing homes to simplifying all the legal paperwork. All of our team members engage in ongoing educational seminars on relevant laws and current technology to assure that you, our client, are always given the best service and advice.

When you work with our team, your goals and needs will be attended to, making your transition as smooth as possible. Our strength is teamwork which we achieve by making your goals our own. Whether it is a local move or out of state, we are here to help.