Clifton Park and Albany NY Homes for Sale: August 2008

I would love some feedback and input about your success (and failures) with farming.  I feel like I need to do some additional advertising but I'm not 100% convinced that direct mail postcards is going to get the job done?  Part of this has to do with my past career where we knew direct mail wasn't the answer.  I'll never forget my advertising director telling me once that "direct mail is for people selling left shoes to people that need to buy left shoes."  So, if I think about it, the area I want to farm does have fairly good turnover, but I'm sure all the other agents in my area know this too, and so they must be sending postcards as well.  Anyway, your input would be appreciated.  THANKS!!!

Those of you who are not from the southwest part of the country, may not think much of the University of Oklahoma.  You probably just think of great football?  Well, here are some fast facts taken from their Web site (www.ou.edu).

Signed,

A Boomer-Sooner in NY....................

OU ranks number one in the nation among all public universities in the number of National Merit Scholars enrolled per capita.

The Princeton Reviewranks OU among the best in the nation in terms of academic excellence and cost for students.

OU ranks first in the Big 12 and at the top in the nation in international reciprocal exchange agreements with countries around the world. The University has 174 student exchange agreements with universities in 66 countries. More than 1,500 students from almost 100 countries are enrolled on OU's Norman campus.

OU produced its 27th Rhodes Scholar in 2007 ranking it tops among public institutions nationwide in the total number of Rhodes Scholars.

OU is among the top universities in the nation in Goldwater Scholarship winners, with 12 in the past four years.

OU is one of the few public universities in the nation to cap the class size of first-year English composition courses at no more than 19 students.

The Joe C. and Carole Kerr McClendon Honors College at OU is the largest honors program among public universities in the United States. Almost 2,900 students participate in small classes usually of 19 or less.

OU's Campaign for Scholarships has almost reached the $135 million mark, allowing the university to double new scholarships for students in just four years.

The Campaign for Scholarships is continuing, and in March 2008 surpassed its goal of raising $100 million for endowed scholarships. To date, almost $115 million in scholarship endowments have been donated or pledged.

OU is one of only 25 public universities in America with an endowment above $1.1 billion and has increased from 100 to 539, the number of endowed faculty positions in the past 13 years, demonstrating a strong commitment to excellence.

OU continues to break private fund-raising records, with more than $1.4 billion in gifts and pledges since 1994, which has provided funding for dramatic capital improvements, the growth in faculty endowment and student scholarships.

Since 1994, research and sponsored programs expenditures at OU have more than doubled, and OU continues to set new records for funding for externally sponsored research. OU ended FY 2008 with total expenditures of more than $275 million.

The OU Health Sciences Center in FY 2008 continued its impressive rate of sponsored research, training, and public service growth by achieving more than $141 million in federal, state, corporate and nonprofit or foundation grants and contracts. Funding from the National Institutes of Health - considered to be the gold standard for research - was $51 million.

Since 1995, almost $1.5 billion in construction projects have been completed, are under way or are forthcoming on OU's three campuses, the largest of which is the $67 million National Weather Center.

OU is home to one of the two largest natural history museums in the world associated with a university. The Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History has more than 7 million artifacts and contains 195,000 square feet on 40 acres of land. The museum exhibits include the largest Apatosaurus on display in the world and the oldest work of art ever found in North America - a lightning bolt painted on an extinct bison skull.

The Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art's collections total more than 8,000 works of art, including OU's Weitzenhoffer Collection of French Impressionism, the single most important gift of art ever given to a U.S. public university; the Adkins Collection, among the most important private collections in the nation of works by the Taos artists as well as Native American works of art; the former U.S. State Department Embassy art collection; and the Dorothy Dunn collection of Native American art.

OU's Western History Collection is one of the largest collections in the world of documents and photographs, including a rare multivolume portfolio on the Indians of the United States and Alaska by Edward S. Curtis.

As part of the NYSERDA programs (New York State Energy Research and Development Authority) in the Capital District of New York State is a residential program that offers a home energy assessment.  Basically this program identifies all the leaky areas of your home and measures the insulation values, see www.getenergysmart.org for all the details.  This is a great resource for homeowners and provides a network of licensed, registered, contractors to perform any of the needed improvements.  Additionally they offer several financing options to make it easy for the consumer.  This is a great way to make sure your home is operating in the GREEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I recently read a post about how the Real Estate market is a lot like the weather.  It can be different across the country, across the state, across the county, or across town.  So, with that in mind I reviewed some data on recent closed sales in the Capital District and I found that although the differences were minor, they were obvious.  So, spend some time reviewing your market and really understand what is going on.  Buyers or sellers will appreciate your first hand knowledge of what is going on.  Good luck and happy selling........Lew

By now we are all aware of all the provisions in the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008.  When I first read about this, I sent out emails and letters to everyone in my DB talking about the $7,500 First Time Home Buyers Tax Credit.  In my opinion, this is a great program that should help get a lot of people into their first home here in the Capital District.  The thing I don't understand is that I have not received one call or email from anyone interested in looking at homes or even just learning more about the details of the program.  So.......my question is, are you seeing any response from the people in your DB? 

 Thanks, The Capital District Real Estate Agent.

I was very please to read the recent press release from the NAR regarding the second quarter median home prices.  Fortunately for the Capital District, we were one of only 35 markets to show an increase.   The Capital District in Albany was up 3.5%  I'll take any increase we can get as I know all of you would take the same.  Let's hope we have reached the bottom and things are gong to start moving in the right direction.  My fear is that things will continue to decline until after the elections.  Let's hope I'm wrong!!!

I had a listing appointment here in the Capital District on Sunday night and as I reflect on the meeting I thought I would ask your opinion about his situation.  This home (in Clifton park, NY) is a little dated, but not bad at all.  Built in 1981, the owner of this custom colonial has a nice list of projects that are underway in order to get her house sold as quickly as possible.  Here is the short list; remove wallpaper from kitchen, laundry/mud room, and two bathrooms, then paint all.  Paint all exterior doors.  Replace several light fixtures inside and out.  Replace toilet (blue) in full bath upstairs.  She has already replaced the kithchen countertop and added a tile back splash.  Okay now here comes my question.  She is having her driveway replaced because some tree roots have caused it to buckle.  The buckles are between 1-3 inches high and are in several spots due to this heavily wooded lot.  I suggested she replace the tile floors in all three bathrooms which is very dated but she said her budget was spent.  So, if you could only do one of these two projects (Driveway or Bathroom floors) which would you choose?

Thanks for your feedback.

I have had a lot of people click on my Web site during the last three months, but no one has registered.  I allow them to review 5 properties before requiring registration.  This weekend I worked a couple open houses in the Capital District and I asked for permission to post them on Craigslist.  One of the agents said I could post all her listings (6) whenever I wanted.  So, today I posted them all and I just had two people register.  Now, I'm not counting my chickens before they hatch, but two in one day from craigslist vs three months of nothing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks Craigslist.  I look forward to a lifetime of postings!!!!!!!!!!!

BTW - I love to post stuff on their free section.  I'm no environmentalist but I hate throwing stuff into the landfill that I don't need anymore.  You know the old saying one man's trash is another's treasure.  A few months ago I replaced the lattice work under my deck with 1x4s.  So, I posted the old lattice work on craigslist for free and got like 8 emails on it.  So, your great, great, great grandchildren can thank me!!!

Happy posting!!!!!!!!!!! Lew

I ran two open houses in the Capital District this weekend for a couple of my colleagues so I spent a lot of time thinking about how to attract buyers to these.  I would appreciate any comments or tips on your success stories.  Thanks.

1) Provide "packets" of material (instead of seperate individual sheets) stapled together with your business card attached.

2) Signs, signs, signs.................and more signs.  Some have said they are more affective than newspaper ads???

3) Provide bottled water on a hot afternoon along with a nice sweet treat.

4) Make sure all the paddle fans are on (low speed) in addition to all the lights.  Yes, even the ones in closets.  I also switch the Central AC fan to on.

5) Give the potential client something more than what they came for (I handed out information on the $7,500 first time home buyers tax credit).  Many of them, who already had representation, said they hadn't heard about the program.  I politely informed them that I am a great agent and would love to help them if they need anything else.

6) Hide a little of the clutter.  Move the kitchen trash can to the garage or back porch, etc.....

7)  In a vacant house.  Make sure to turn all the faucets on for a minute to allow some of the air pockets to escape.  You don't want a potential buyer to do this or they may think something is wrong with the water supply.

8) Turn on some soft music.  Not too loud though!!!  Why do you think they play elevator music in the grocery store?  Because they studied various genre and it was proven that people slow down and fill up their basket more when soft, slow music is on.

Well, I hope this information helps..............again, your feedback and ideas would be appreciated.

If you have a minute and can help our friend, please go to the link below and click on the video.  With every click they get support for Jenna's early intervention program.

http://www.whatkindofworlddoyouwant.com/videos/view/id/1055266

I would like tho thank you in advance for your support.

Lew