Daily Archives: November 14, 2012

Going to extremes for defect resolution | Bedford Corners NY Real Estate

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DEAR BARRY: When we bought our house, the home inspector found nothing wrong with the heating system. One month after moving in, we turned on the furnace but got no heat on the second floor. We immediately complained to the inspector. He came back to the house and said that nothing was wrong.

A year has gone by, and the problem has not been solved, so we hired another home inspector. He found many defects that were overlooked by the first inspector, including a disconnected heat duct to the second floor. The first inspection was warranted for one year only. Now that the year has passed, what can we do? –Corey

DEAR COREY: You complained to your home inspector one month after buying the property. That was well within the one-year limit. The fact that the inspector did not acknowledge the problem at that time is irrelevant. Your claim was made within the first year, so the inspector is not relieved of liability.

If the inspector is unwilling to admit his mistake, you can file a complaint in small claims court. When the judge sees the second home inspector’s report, your position will be strong

But before taking that step, get some advice from an attorney regarding the best way to approach this. A letter from the attorney to the inspector may be sufficient to resolve the entire matter. You should also find out if the home inspector has insurance for errors and omissions.

DEAR BARRY: Our home inspector reported a leaking seal at the base of the toilet. After moving in, we hired a plumber to fix the leak. When he lifted the toilet, the wood beneath it was wet and rotted. Shouldn’t our inspector have disclosed this damage, as well as the leak? And is he liable for the cost of the additional repairs? –Maggie

DEAR MAGGIE: If a home inspector discovers a leaking toilet seal, the repair should be done before you close escrow. That way, moisture damage under the toilet can be discovered before you take possession of the property. Waiting to do the repair at a later date was not a good idea.

If your home inspector was on the ball, he would have recommended that the repair be done prior to close of escrow. However, he cannot be held liable for a defect that was in a concealed location.

DEAR BARRY: Do double-pane windows have to be inspected for broken seals when you sell a home? –Debbie

DEAR DEBBIE: Sellers should disclose all defects of which they are aware, including evidence of leaking dual-pane windows. However, sellers are not obligated to perform an inspection for this type of defect.

Home inspectors, if they are good at what they do, typically check for fogging or dry stains between dual-pane windows. In many cases, this evidence is very faint and difficult to see. It takes a well-trained eye to spot the tell-tale traces of leaking dual-pane windows.

via inman.com

Quick Tip: The art of the retweet | Chappaqua Luxury Homes

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One of the easiest ways to provide valuable information to your followers and add to your content strategy on Twitter, is to retweet valuable information. As part of an overall social media strategy, you should retweet a few things each day that you think are interesting, consistent with your brand message and that you think your followers may read. But, what most people don’t realize is that there is the “art of the retweet.”

There are two ways to retweet a message. The first way, is that you can simply click the “retweet button” under a tweet. If you do that, that tweet gets sent out to all of your followers exactly as is – as if it were from them (not you.) The other way to retweet (which is a much better way in my opinion), is to copy the tweet into a new tweet, add the characters: “RT” and then add a short note at the beginning or the end.

Here are a few screenshots to explain:

Option 1:

Click the “retweet” button

Option 2:

Copy text

Click ‘reply’ and then copy/paste

What is the difference? See below!

Important: When you tweet the second way, the person you retweeted gets an “@” notification that you retweeted them. When you retweet the first way, they are NOT notified unless they have their email notifications turned on.

For mobile users:
If you are on a mobile device, here is how you can do this easily.

Click the ‘retweet’ button, and then click “quote tweet”

You can then add your text below

In social media, many times it is the little things that make a big difference – and this is one of them! Would love your feedback about this article, leave me a comment below!

via next.inman.com

Consumer Confidence in Buying a Home Rises to Four Year High | Armonk NY Homes

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The latest research on consumer confidence shows that consumers’ forward-looking view of the economy is at its highest level since the onset of the recession, including interest in buying a new home, which is at its highest level since the recession.

Experian Marketing Services’ Consumer Expectation Index (CEI) figures for the first half of 2012 dhow optimistic start to first half of 2012 carrying over into holiday season.   During the first half of 2012, the average CEI figure was 92.7, which is above the index’s average of the first six months for each year dating back to 2008. The 2012 figure measured eight points above those for the first half of 2008 and one point over those for the first half of 2011.

“Our Consumer Expectation Index shows consumer confidence was at its highest point for the first half of 2012 versus the previous four years. The figures are pointing to increased optimism as we head into the 2012 holiday season,” said Bill Tancer, general manager of global research, Experian Marketing Services.

The CEI figures for the first half of 2012 show confidence among consumers planning to buy a new home within the year at its highest level since the onset of the recession. During the first half of 2012, the average CEI figure was 100.4, which is above the index’s average for the first six months for each year dating back to 2008. The 2012 figure measured 2.5 points above the first half of 2011. On a related topic, the CEI of those intending to refinance over the next 12 months was 4.3 index points above the first half of 2011, or 5 percent higher.

The same trend held true for consumers looking to buy or lease a new automobile, as the first half of 2012 showed the average CEI figure was 98.2, which is above the index’s average of the first six months for each year dating back to 2008. The 2012 figure measured 4 index points above the first half of 2011

The CEI is based on weekly results from the trusted Experian Simmons National Consumer Study, for which 25,000 adults are surveyed annually. The survey results cover nearly 60,000 data elements, including in-depth demographics, consumer behavior and brand preferences, and more than 600 psychographics, attitudes and lifestyle measures.

As we head into the 2012 holiday season, the latest CEI figures indicate the potential for a strong seasonal performance for retailers. The CEI figure for the week of Sept. 3, 2012, (the most recent single week for which data is available) was 7.4 points higher than it was at the same point last year and higher than it has been heading into the holiday season since 2008.

Key consumer groups are even more optimistic. On Sept. 3, the CEI of those adults who made an online purchase in the past year was 2 percent higher than the national average and 8.1 points higher than the CEI recorded for online shoppers at this time during 2011. This holiday season also could be very good for brands and retailers with big-ticket items to sell, since the CEI among adults planning to make a big-ticket purchase hit 117.9 the week of Sept. 3, 2012, compared with 103.5 the same week in 2011 and 100.5 in 2010. In fact, a CEI above 100 indicates that consumers are more confident than they were during the base line period, which was the first half of 2004, years before the recession began.

The Experian Marketing Services Consumer Expectation Index (CEI) is based on weekly results from the Experian Simmons DataStream product and the Simmons National Consumer Study, for which 25,000 adults are surveyed annually. The survey results cover more than 60,000 data variables analyzed across in-depth demographics; consumer behavior; and more than 600 psychographics, lifestyles and attitudes among more than 8,000 brands and products. The benchmark for the index is a value of 100 based on consumer sentiment between Jan. 7 and May 7, 2004. The value of the index increases or decreases over time, corresponding to a more positive or less positive consumer outlook. The Simmons National Consumer Study is a patented, multiframe sample accredited by the Media Rating Council.

via realestateeconomywatch.com