Tag Archives: Waccabuc Homes for Sale

6 tips for fostering client loyalty: It’s about providing ‘wow’ experiences | Waccabuc Real Estate

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It’s not always easy to build loyalty with your clients in the real estate business — or any business for that matter. Building loyalty takes time and there are a number of essential things that you should be doing. Here are six practical tips you can use to foster client loyalty.

1. Plan loyalty-building events Events such as client appreciation days and seminars can be fantastic loyalty-builders.

Both of these events are not only great for strengthening relationships with your clients, they’ll also help you get introduced to more people (potential real estate leads) if you encourage your clients to bring friends and family members along.

A client appreciation event can be anything from bowling to a barbecue to a fireworks show. And remember that seminars are perfect for positioning yourself as a “home expert” because the purpose of the seminar will be to educate your clients on any number of topics relating to homeownership. You can conduct the seminar yourself or invite an expert in to speak. It could be an interior designer, hardwood flooring specialist or any other professional who can offer valuable advice your sphere would be interested in.

2. Send a real estate newsletter In addition to a real estate newsletter or e-newsletter being a great keep-in-touch tool, it’s a powerful instrument for establishing trust, credibility and expertise. It’s important for the e-newsletter to include helpful and interesting information such as how to assess the value of one’s home, advice for boosting curb appeal, and more. A good real estate customer relationship management (CRM) platform will come with a professionally designed and written monthly e-newsletter so you don’t have to spend the money, or take the time, to create one each month.

3. Offer a homeowner’s checkup It is a good idea to meet with clients occasionally to do a homeowner’s checkup. You can provide current information and available services such as a local market update, a simple inspection of their home, a review of their current mortgage, and more. These checkups are also good opportunities to have a discussion about the client’s home goals. As this type of meeting can be time-consuming, I recommend you offer this to only your best clients (your “A list”).

4. Make quarterly check-in calls Again, this is something you’d do for only your top clients, but after meeting with them face to face, phone calls are the next best thing from a relationship-building standpoint. Schedule quarterly “keep-in-touch calls” and after the call, record in your real estate CRM what you spoke about. This is important because next time you talk with that client, you can ask how Jimmy’s baseball tournament or Mary’s surgery went. During these calls, you can also offer recommendations on reputable home professionals, which is a win-win-win situation.

Showing genuine interest in your clients’ lives is instrumental to relationship-building, and of course developing a referrals-based business. 5. Send a real estate thank-you card to clients who referred you These days, a handwritten card is rare, which is why you should send them out to express your appreciation each time you get a referral.

In the card, thank the referrer, mention that you rely on referrals to build your business, and promise to take good care of the person he referred. You’ll also want to keep the referrer in the loop and let him know the outcome of the person he referred.

 

 

 

– See more at: http://www.inman.com/next/6-tips-for-fostering-client-loyalty-its-about-providing-wow-experiences/?utm_source=20140414&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=dailyheadlinesam#sthash.BEwHCiLI.dpuf

House price boom ripples out of London, across Britain | Waccabuc Realtor

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The housing boom is spreading across the country, with rapidly rising prices   and long queues of buyers no longer restricted to London, experts are to   announce.

Property sales in the first three months of 2014 reached a six-year high as   the market recovered on a “truly national” scale, according to the Royal   Institution of Chartered Surveyors (Rics).

Activity is at levels last seen in early 2008, before the banking crisis took   hold, and is spreading to the Home Counties and beyond, figures suggest.

The trend is “striking in that it is clearly broadening out”, said Simon   Rubinsohn, a Rics economist. “There has been a sense that it was one story   for London and a very different outlook everywhere else, with perhaps a few   other city centres edging ahead. But that is not the case any longer,” he   added.

“Now that the housing market recovery is well and truly under way and mortgage   finance is more readily available, buyers seem to be looking to test the   market right across the country, not just in the usual hotspots of the South   East.”

 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/personalfinance/houseprices/10756343/House-price-boom-ripples-out-of-London-across-Britain.html

 

Picture this: April housing market | Waccabuc Real Estate

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March housing inventory was up for the first time since 2010, but this is taking a back seat to the continuing rise in home prices.

Looking at 38 unique markets, Movoto Real Estate’s monthly report found that the median list price per square foot index was up 7.1% over where it was in March of 2013 to $186. Compared to March 2012, it is drastically up 23.2%.

Out of all the markets studied, 34 witnessed a year-over-year increase in median list price per square foot, with only two remaining the same and two recording slight decreases.

But nothing tells the story better than an infographic (see below), which shows the state of the April 2014 housing market.

 

 

 

http://www.housingwire.com/articles/29584-picture-this-april-housing-market

Look Inside The Restored Gate Lodges At Vizcaya | Waccabuc Real Estate

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33 images

[Photos courtesy RJ Heisenbottle Architects]

The two halves of Miami’s sublime Vizcaya, with the villa and gardens on one side and the farm village (and formerly the farm) on the other, are linked across South Miami Avenue by coordinating gate lodges that were recently the recipients of a restoration by architect Richard Heisenbottle. These are highly ornate gateways to each realm that both include, multi-level buildings. They included functional spaces for the estate as well as, in the western lodge, a residence for the chauffeur. That lodge incorporated an archway over the driveway and easy access to the garage, where Vizcaya’s vehicles were kept.

 

 

 

http://miami.curbed.com/archives/2014/04/04/the-vizcaya-gate-houses.php

Victim’s family sues city over East Harlem blast | Waccabuc Real Estate

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The family of an East Harlem explosion and building collapse victim filed two notices of claims against the city Wednesday morning.

The suit, filed on behalf of Griselde Camacho, a fatal victim of the collapse last month, is believed to be the first in connection to the blast. Quinones’ mother Carmen Quinones, currently in recovery at Mt. Sinai Hospital for her own injuries sustained during the explosion, made the first of the two claims, which says her daughter was injured on March 12 “due to the negligence of the respondents.” The two claims also charge the city with failing “to inspect gas lines knowing that they are old and subject to leaks and decay.”

“She is feisty and angry,” Nilsa Aguila, Camacho’s cousin and Quinones’ niece, told the Wall Street Journal of Quinones. “That is where her anger comes from. She blames the City for my cousin’s death.”

The second claim seems restitution payments for what it calls injuries incurred during the incident, including fractures, torn ligaments and “traumatic brain injury.”

The two claims seek payment of $20 million.

 

 

http://therealdeal.com/blog/2014/04/02/victims-family-to-file-first-suit-against-city-for-east-harlem-blast/

Survivors Face Foreclosures After Reverse Mortgage Borrower’s Death | Waccabuc Real Estate

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There are a number of reasons someone might take out a reverse mortgage: to pay for prescriptions or medial care, to subsidize their daily living expenses or even to settle their fear of becoming a burden to  their family. But the product that was designed to keep elderly consumers in their homes is now wreaking havoc on their surviving loved ones.

 

Children and surviving spouses of reverse mortgage borrowers are finding that the loans are threatening their own livelihood and that lenders aren’t being upfront about their options to resolve the debt, The New York Times reports.

Reverse mortgages allow a borrower, 62 years or older, to convert the equity on their home into a lump sum or monthly payments. The funds are not required to be paid back until the borrower moves or dies

Although the reverse mortgage industry has been in decline since the financial crisis — only 51,000 loans were taken out in 2012, far below the 115,000 loans taken out in 2007 — the default rate is on the rise and surviving family members are left with the bill.

And that’s just the situation that Isabel, whose story is told in the Times piece, found herself in when her mother passed away. Now, she has a stack of foreclosure notices for her parent’s home because she was never told her options in resolving the debt.

Her mother began borrowing against the equity of her home in 2009. When she died two years later the outstanding reverse mortgage balance hovered around $308,000. The company that extended the loan moved to foreclose on the house unless Isabel paid the debt in full.

However, Department of Housing and Urban Development regulations for reverse mortgages require banks offer survivors the option to settle the loan for 95% of the home’s current fair market value. Because reverse mortgage loans are tied to the equity in one’s home, it is a finite amount, which can fluctuate with the changing home value.

 

 

http://consumerist.com/2014/03/27/despite-regulations-survivors-face-foreclosures-after-reverse-mortgage-borrowers-death/

Do you have what it takes to be a real estate rainmaker, or will you remain a buyer’s agent? 4 clues | Waccabuc Homes

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In real estate, nothing happens until you generate a lead. Whether you want to be a top-producing salesperson or the head of a successful agent team, successful “rainmakers” differ from lower-producing agents in a variety of ways. If you’re an agent who would like to be the rainmaker for a team of agents or if you’re aspiring to become a top producer, your behavioral profile and your values will strongly influence how easy or difficult it is for you to succeed. An Online Real Estate Broker Pre License Course is a must before you start to acquire leads. Do you fit the rainmaker profile? Here’s how to tell: 1. The rainmaker profile Your behavioral and values profiles are highly correlated with real estate sales success or failure. Target Training International’s (TTI) version of the DISC personality assessment that incorporates its former PIAV (Personal Interests, Attitudes and Values) assessment is perhaps the most accurate predictor available today. The rainmaker profile on the TTI version of the DISC is high score on the “D” and “I” factors coupled with a high “Utilitarian” score on the Values. In case you’re not familiar with this jargon, here’s how this information translates into real estate practice:“D” is for Dominance People who score high on the “D” factor on the DISC are high-powered, get-it-done types. Because they are so motivated to accomplish what they set out to do, they find it easier to “ask for forgiveness” as opposed to ask for permission. A great example of this type is Donald Trump — he has no issue or compunction about firing people; if they’re not doing the job, they’re out. How can you recognize the agents who score high on the “D” factor? Here are some statements that typify these individuals:“Rejection? What’s that? If they don’t want to work with me, it’s their loss.” “Objections? Not a problem! Objections are buying signs!”You can also identify people who score high on the “D” factor on the DISC — they’re generally the ones calling on owners of expired listings, for-sale-by-owners and cold calling. Rejection simply doesn’t bother them. They schedule their two to three hours of prospecting per day and keep to that schedule day in and day out.“I” is for Influencing The second factor is the “I” factor for influencing. People who score high on the “I” factors are the “people persons.” They like to talk and enjoy bonding with others. If you put a person who scores high on this factor in a roomful of 100 strangers, they won’t be strangers for very long. The challenge for people who score high on Influencing is that without a high Dominance score they tend to talk a lot without accomplishing much. Moreover, they are reluctant to put themselves into situations where they may by rejected. They’re much too sensitive to have someone slam a door in their face.

– See more at: http://www.inman.com/2014/03/24/do-you-have-what-it-takes-to-be-a-real-estate-rainmaker-or-will-you-remain-a-buyers-agent-4-clues/?utm_source=20140324&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=dailyheadlinesam#sthash.4DtRKNLl.dpuf

Dpown to Earth Farmers Market | Waccabuc NY Real Estate

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Bacon on the Griddle at Mamaroneck Farmers Market;                                                  Local Honey in Ossining & More March 20-26th, 2014 Down to Earth Markets
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What’s New and On Special This Week
Baby Greens Gajeski Produce
Bacon Butties made to order with Orwashers Bread Robinson & Co. Catering		 Cilantro Plants Gajeski Produce
Cumberland Sausage Rolls Robinson & Co. Catering Green Leaf Lettuce Gajeski Produce		 Morning Baked Scones Robinson & Co. Catering
Mushroom and Beef Pie Robinson & Co. Catering
Springtime Cupcakes Meredith’s Bread
Click on a Market to see all vendor and event details…

    Westchester County
Mamaroneck Winter                                     Saturdays, 9:00 am-1:00 pm St. Thomas Episcopal Church                                     168 West Boston Post Road (at Mount Pleasant Ave) Ossining Winter
Saturdays, 9:00 am-1:00 pm At the corner of Spring & Main                                     in downtown Ossining		Headed to the city soon? Visit a Down to Earth                                     Farmers Market in NYC!
Announcements
Ossining – TONIGHT! – Come One, Come AllThursday March 20th, at 6:15 PM – Screening of Vegucated at the Ossining Library

Free Admission – Free snack samples – Raffles for vegan products, clothing, and more.

Footnote Café in the lobby will have vegan meals and snacks available as well. About VEGUCATED: Three omnivores from various backgrounds try Veganism for 6 weeks in this light-hearted and, at times, comical film. They learn that Veganism isn’t a cult, there are health benefits associated with the lifestyle, living conditions of animals are extremely poor on production farms, the environment suffers from livestock farming, and making lifestyle changes that go against the norms of culture and society can be difficult at times. Along the way, they explore which foods are vegan and which are not, including some surprising comfort foods such as: Chocolate Chip Teddy Grahams and Oreo cookies!  They share laughter and tears on their journey, which isn’t always easy.

                         Stay tuned to all market happenings via our Down to Earth Markets Facebook page                           and follow us on Twitter @DowntoEarthMarkets

Rick Lofstad of Pura Vida Fisheries: “I Could Never Expect Anything Better”
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Rick Lofstad of Pura Vida Fisheries, photo courtesy of concretefood.com
Rick Lofstad’s grandfather was a whaler who left Norway for America in 1919. He had three sons, and between them, they had five boys. Today, Rick, his brother, and his cousins are the third-generation of Lofstad fishermen operating in the Atlantic Ocean.
He knows the best way to cook any kind of fish because his father “was the worst cook ever.” The elder Lofstad also upheld a Norwegian superstition: You don’t bring meat on the boat. His mother cooked meat dishes for the family, but his father wouldn’t pack her lunches for his days at sea. “If you bring meat,” Rick explains, “it means that you don’t think you’re going to catch any fish.”
During their teenage summers, Rick and his brother worked on deck with their Dad, often for 18-to-20 hour stretches. At sunset, the boys – tired to the bone and ravished – watched their father prepare dinner by the dimming light.
“He’d steam some fish, open up a can of Franco-American spaghetti and a can of green beans, and throw it all in the same pot,” says Rick with a hearty laugh. “I started trying to find the best way to cook every fish that came out of the ocean.”
While Rick didn’t learn his culinary prowess from his father, he did learn his life’s work. Thus far, fishing has brought Rick and his family both high tides of prosperity and near devastating droughts. In the late 1990s, they had grown their business to 80 employees between their seafood export company and a bustling stand at the Fulton Fish Market. Then came the events of September 11th, 2001. Rick shares, “I was really vulnerable at the time. I had got thinking nothing could ever go bad because everything was going so good. But I couldn’t stay in business. So I went back to where I came from: me, my dog, and a little boat.”
From that one boat, he began to sell his catch at one farmers market. Now, through the years since, the Lofstad men have earned a devoted following of people who find them every week at many farmers markets, including Down to Earth Markets. It’s a new life that Rick relishes, as he says, “I could never expect anything better.”

Day Vendors This Week
Mamaroneck
Danascara Cheese                         Flourish Baking Company                         Mortgage Apple Cakes                         Robinson & Co. Catering                         Samosa Shack                         Ossining
Hudson River Apiaries