Visit My Website WWW.MARYANNHL.COM   1. Pave your driveway. You have meant to pave the driveway with asphalt ever since summer started. Vacation got in the way and now the end of September is looming large. Take advantage of Indian summer days and get the job done. The National Asphalt Pavement Association warns that you are quickly entering the territory where working with asphalt becomes too difficult to guarantee good results. The target air and surface temperatures should be 70 degrees Fahrenheit for an asphalt application. 2. Plant your trees. New Jersey's Chatham Township will have you know that a landscape of strategically placed trees has the potential to reduce your utility bills by as much as 50 percent. The Morton Arboretum's manager of plant production encourages you to ma... 09/14/2012

Rely On Mary Ann For Your Market InsightHI, If you are buying, selling or just sitting on the fence, you need to be up on all that is happening in your area. I have extensive data beyond these market reports and you can always ask me for more info http://www.houlihanlawrence.com/SSC/DB/hhl_wpm/MTGraphs/Westchester-Scarsdale-School-District.htm 05/01/2012

VISUAL INSPIRATION FOR SOME NICE IMPROVEMENTS- SLIDESHOWS Easy To Be Inspired Slide-Shows....  When you land on the slideshow, you can advance the slides with the navigation arrow on the respective page. It looks like.....   10 Stunning Crown Moulding Ideas  Going Up? Attic Conversions - Smart Remodeling Projects 8 Small-Space Solutions for Shared Kids' Rooms 7 Best Remodeling Projects for the Money 04/06/2012

The Power of Assumability One of the rarely touted advantages of people taking FHA mortgages today is the fact that they are assumable. What that means is, when the FHA homebuyer of today is looking to sell his home, a qualified purchaser can “take over” their loan. Most people believe that interest rates will return to a “normal” range (between 6.5% and 7%) in a couple of years. When you assume a mortgage, the terms remain the same. This means that a buyer five years from now can enjoy a 4 – 4.5% mortgage by assumption rather than the 6.5% – 7% mortgage they would get without it. Since most people buy homes based on how the monthly payment fits into their personal monthly budget, this is extremely impactful. As an example, a $300,000 loan at 4% today carries with it a $1,432.25 princi... 01/14/2012

Home improvement retailer Lowe's plans to introduce a cloud-based home-management system in North America called Iris in mid-2012, which will allow users to monitor and control many aspects of their home from their smartphone, tablet or computer, including thermostats, refrigerators, smart plugs, lighting, door locks, motion sensors and more. On Jan. 5, Lowe's announced a partnership with the England-based home technology company AlertMe. The Iris system will be wireless and allow users to interact with and control many aspects of their home in real time from any mobile device. "We're rolling out a platform that is open and multiprotocol, which will work with any number of devices and third-party systems," said AlertMe CEO Mary Turner. There are as many as 25 to 30 connectable devices i... 01/14/2012

Beware who you are selling to on Craigslist and Ebay!!!! I've heard about this happening to people before but this time I've seen it first hand.  You list an item for sale on ebay or craigslist and someone contacts you through e-mail saying they will mail you a check today for the full amount.  They have a shipping company that will come to pick up the item.  They ask you to remove the item imidiately from the site and consider it sold.  After you provide them your mailing address they send out at cashiers check (its a bogus check).  They then e-mail you and say their secretary accidentally mailed $2500 instead of the $1000 you were asking for the item.  They ask you to Western Union them the difference back.  Its such a scam!   No ones is ever going to pick up your item, the check is a... 12/28/2008

For the past three months the average selling price of a staged home was 19% above the listing price while the unstaged home was only 15%. The 4% difference more than paid the staging cost. Freshen up the home by painting walls a light, neutral color, such as antique white. Lighter colors appeal to a wider range of buyers and make each room look larger. Take a close look at the floor coverings in each room. If you have hardwood floors under the carpet, you will always make money by removing it, even if the floor is not in perfect condition. Allow as much light as possible to enter the room. Open up or remove all draperies, blinds, shades or other window coverings. Removing the clutter of everyday life - all utilitarian items, stacks of paperworks, toiletries, kitchen utensils, electron... 12/16/2008

I'd like to introduce myself, my name is Dan Morse and I work full time as a Realtor for Remax Diversified Realty here in Penn Yan.  I've been involved in real estate for 10 years now, owning rental property.  I have had my License to sell real estate for 2 years and am very successful.  I'm great helping with first time home buyers, investment property.  I've sold all forms of property.  Please feel free to contact me at 315-719-7372 anytime to discuss your real estate questions and needs.  You can also check out my website at www.danmorserealestate.com.  I'm never to busy to answer any questions or to take a referral. Thank you Dan Morse Associate Broker 315-719-7372 dan.morse@yahoo.com 12/03/2008

Since the market has changed I've seen some local house flippers make big mistakes.  The number 1 mistake I've seen them make is asking too much.  The hog days of yesterday are gone, there are fewer buyers available and they all are looking for a deal.  Banks and buyers both are cautious of what they do with their money.  Asking top dollar on a home that is sitting vacant is risky.  I've seen homes start out too high its all down hill from there.  You are better off asking $140K and getting close to it today than starting at $180k and taking $120k after being on the market a year. The home is on the market for 30 days, 90 days, 6 months, a year.  All this time people are wondering why hasn't this home sold, what is wrong with it, no one wants to be the one who does this flipper a favor ... 12/02/2008

There was an article recently in the Chronicle Advisor saying Yates County Real Estate sales are on the Rise.  Its nice to see our area making positive news.  With the beauty of keuka lake, our Wineries and our craft market the windmill its no wonder we are still seeing sales.  Our Menonite communitty has really helped us to, they have so many great little shops all around this county that breaths life in little Yates.  I'm happy to see our area make the best out of what we have.  We truely are a wonderful fingerlakes area gem! 12/01/2008

Clothes dryers can be found in 80 percent, or 81.5 million homes throughout the United States.  A full load of wet clothes placed in a dryer contains about one half gallon of water.  As water is removed, lint is created from the clothes. In a properly installed vent, any lint that escapes the dryer's lint filter should be blown outdoors.  Any accumulation which occurs in a dryer's ducting is usually a sign of poor air flow, especially at the location(s) it occurs.  In such cases the vent line should be evaluated to locate and correct any deficiencies it may have. The vent should be as short and as straight and with as few elbows as possible.  The more bends and turns, the greater the reduction in air flow there is and more areas where lint can accumulate.  More bends will also hamper dr... 08/28/2008

When you see a luxury home in a magazine or on the news, you would not believe that some of these homes may actually be in the Finger Lakes...but they are !  The picture above is a breathtaking estate located in Victor NY.  This 5000 sq ft + home on 1.5 acres has it all for the person or family that commands the best. Farther South in Schuyler County you can find this secluded gem on 37 acres and can only be seen from the water. Talk about seclusion and privacy, this property also boast over 2000 ft of frontage on Seneca Lake.  What a perfect setting to host a wine tasting with your closest friends.  Eden Glen of Glenora can be yours for  a cool 2.5 million!  This estate is located in the prestigious, close knit and secluded area of South Glenora. There are currently 12 opulent estates ... 08/12/2008

I love these plants, they are planted from tubers and the leaves grow 2-3 feet long.  You have to pull up the tubers in the fall in this area, but in the South I think you can leave them all year long.  They are really impressive and quite beautiful.  You can start them indoors, even in water so they will come out beautifully starting in May or June.  This year mine aren't huge, but last year I had a lot of leaves well over three feet long and a foot and a half wide. Let me know in your comments about some of your favorite plants and flowers. All the best!   07/31/2008

It's Midsummer.  I hope you are enjoying great weather wherever you are!   Some of my favorite flowers are in bloom. The mallow has 10 inch blooms, when I first planted it I had 2-3 blooms, I am expecting about  60 or 70 blooms this year.  I bought my mallow in Cape Cod about 3 years ago.  The mallow is in the same family as the Rose of Sharon and the Hibiscus, but it is perennial in our area. The Black-eyed Susan is an annual, but it self-propagates all over the place and is very drought tolerant. Enjoy the flowers. 07/31/2008

With the depressed real estate market, new opportunities have opened up for the professional "scammers".  I read it in the newspaper, I hear the chatter on the radio and see the busy ads on TV.  "Foreclosures are higher than ever, get in on your chance to buy these homes at ridiculously low prices - Call now for your free directory"Even here in the Finger Lakes area, I receive calls and emails from potential clients that only want me to look for REO's  ( real estate owned by the lender through foreclosure) for them.  I do not have a problem with that, because why not.  If an investor is willing to roll up their sleeves and put some physical equity into a home, in a good market, they can make a decent return on their investment.  The problem is when buyers that would normally look around... 04/20/2008

Do you want buy kitchen countertop directy from china stone factory ?The price will give you pleasantly surprised.Countertops come in many different materials, shapes, and styles. With all the choices out there, you'll want to make sure you know what your options are.We have provided some pictures of the most popular countertop materials, shapes, and styles for your selected. counter top Side Processing Method; counter tops size(common size) customers' requests.derivation: http://www.allystone.net/china-stone-product/KTC0003_Kitchen-countertop.htmlPayment Details:Payment Terms:L/C at sight or prepaid T/T Delivery Details:FOB Port::XiamenContact china ally stonechina Ally stone industry companyXiamen Aolei Import & Export Co,. Ltd.E-mail: chinastone-export@hotmail.comTEL : 86 - 0592 - 31... 04/15/2008

St George Realty of the Finger Lakes is now open for your business, serving the Finger Lakes area.  Our target markets include lakefront homes on Keuka, Seneca and Canandaigua Lakes, as well as unique and distinctive homes.  Our buyers come from all over the country and the world, and of course our sellers come from the Finger Lakes area.  If you have a property or would like to purchase a property that fits this criteria, then we welcome you as a client.Mary St. George the licensed broker of the company is certified as a Resort & Second Home Property Specialist.  This is especially important for sellers or buyers that need to work with a 1031 property exchange.  Knowing how to move your equity from one property to another will save owners substantial capital gains taxes and at the same... 04/13/2008

 When inventories of unsold homes reach a six month supply, real estate professionals generally recognize the beginning of a buyer's market.As the inventories of unsold homes grows, sellers face greater competition than they did a year ago. While it always been essential for sellers to price their properties realistically, it is even more important to do so during times of changing market realities. To get a realistic assessment of the current real estate market, sellers should do their own surveys of comparable homes in their area in addition to asking real estate professionals to suggest an asking price. Sellers should also visit open houses in an effort to identify the competition and make comparisons with their own homes. In the end, sellers should take hard looks st their homes and... 10/24/2007

116-118 Burns Terrace, Penn Yan - 2 Unit side by side in great neighborhood on double lot, close to schools and downtown business district.  3 bedroom apartments with living and dining room, enclosed porch, hardwood floors, new roof, all separate utilities, new furnace on one side.  List Price: $95,000 MLS #: 716973   Contact me 06/15/2007

42 Voak Rd. - Potter - This exceptional ranch has an open floor plan that boasts a stone 2 sided fire place one side faces the dining room the other the large living room.  Many recent renovations.  Electric runs about 200.00 a month. The home is very well insulated. List Price: $159,900 MLS #: 703929 06/09/2007