Springtime in Rochester

The weather has been so wonderful here in Rochester, NY. Hard to believe that it is in fact, Rochester. And with tomorrow being the first day of spring, there is so much to be excited about! All of the great festivals, concerts by the shore, picnics, boating, hiking, kayaking, strolling and camp fires... this is the fun part of spring and summer in Rochester. But there are lots of things that you have to do, especially if you are a home owner, that maybe aren’t so fun. Like spring cleaning, lawn care service and spring deck prep.

I have a friend who loves to clean; says it relaxes her. I love to cook and that relaxes me, so I understand where she is coming from. But cleaning? She must love spring time! You can attack spring cleaning in chunks with one room at a time but for my family it consists of getting rid of clutter you don’t need. How do you do this? Force yourself to survey every room and jot down all of the problem areas and then tackle one problem at a time! Are the shoes piling up at the front door? Think about how you want to organize them, put your plan in action, and stick to it. Remind family members monthly of your new organization and 2011’s spring cleaning will be a snap!

Are you one of those people that has a lawn care service that takes care of mowing and fertilizing? Then, this paragraph is not for you because I want to talk about your lawn mower! One of the first things you need to do before you start your spring lawn care is to service your lawn mower. A good idea is to start doing this in the fall before you put it away for the winter. Then in the spring all that is needed is oil, gasoline. But if you didn't take care of all the details last fall, do it now, before your mowing season gets serious. Balance your blades by putting a screwdriver in the center and seeing if they wobble. If so, find the imbalanced side and fix it. You may have to file down a side a bit to get the blades to balance. Replace them. Put in gas and oil and get mowing! (Especially if Rochester weather cooperates the way has been.)

And finally, my favorite part! Moving the patio furniture out of the garage and onto the deck! Before we do this, make sure you clean, restore and protect your deck so you can get the most out of it during the spring and summer months ahead. Wolman Wood Care Products suggests cleaning the deck thoroughly to remove embedded dirt, fungus stains and gray surface wood Deck with a formulated deck cleaner like Wolman & Fence Brightener. The weathered gray wood left behind from last year’s sun exposure, black or green stains from mildew, moss and algae, or brown-black tannin bleed common on new Cedar can ruin the look of your deck. Do you have a new deck? Even newly built decks can require cleaning to remove invisible surface barriers like mill glaze on new Cedar or excess wax on pressure-treated wood.

Spring is here so get out and take care of your chores so you can enjoy spring and summer in Rochester!

A Great Team = Great Properties

Hi there!



Let me start by thanking Carmen Lonardo (Remax Realty Group) for inviting me to his blog. He and I have been working together for some time, and in that time Ive come to see the drive and dedication he and his colleagues have for their profession. They value professionalism and customer service above all. It didn't take me long to realize that they only surround themselves with great people and companies to work with. I'm proud to be apart of their business infrastructure.



My name is Josh Zamiara, I own and operate Artisan Techniques, INC. We provide residential and commercial customers, in the Rochester area, with exceptional remodeling and renovations. Customer service and quality are the TOP priorities.



Artisan Tech engages in great deal of real estate projects, both on the purchasing and selling side. Much of this originates from Mark Siwiec (Remax Realty Group)and his team. When I say "real estate projects" it generally means customers getting their property in top condition to list and/or making the new house they purchased become their home.



Each of these aspects are exciting and rewarding. Both involve the obvious constraints of time and money, yet both allow for the collaboration of client, realtor, designer, contractors and vendors. Each using their talents to make a house more marketable or desirable to live in. Its amazing what THIS team can accomplish on literally any budget!

Credit Cards Impact Your Credit Score?

I am always asked questions about credit scores and what factors are important in establishing and maintaining good credit scores. Credit cards impact our credit scores but its not always bad.  RISmedia's magazine, Real Estate, featured a very helpful article in its January 2010 issue.  Read it here  How Many Credit Cards in Too Many?

Bullish on the Rochester Real Estate Market

It really is beginning to look like the local real estate market is about to experience another shift. A positive one this time! The basis for the 2010 real estate market shift is pent-up demand, fueled by government stimuli and low interest rates.

There is no question that the 2009 federal tax credit for first time homebuyers helped stimulate real estate sales. Many new buyers, however, remained on the fence at the end of the year. Some were cautious but many others were just joining the market in the fall and did not have a selection of new listings to choose from. These holdovers, along with new market entries enticed by the extension and expansion of the tax credits for both first time and move-up homebuyers, both groups poised to take advantage of continuing low interest rates, present a motivated pool of home buyers.

In spite of increased market activity last year, sales of homes in the upper price points languished. Home buyers were active at the $200,000 price point and below. Sales of homes listed above this threshold were slower and virtually non-existent higher up the market. There seemed to be no compelling reason to buy at the $300,000 and up price point. As a result, and unless personal circumstances trumped otherwise, there was no compelling reason to sell at this level either.

Is there pent up buyer demand at the higher price point? Are sellers at the higher price point confident enough to finally join the market? Whether this ready pool of buyers will help sales at the upper end of the market remains to be seen but I am quite bullish on the market

There is significant evidence that we are in the midst of an economic recovery. Sellers at the upper market level who have been patiently waiting for a recovery smell the opportunity. I am expecting to see a large influx of new listings at the higher price points this year. Entry level buyers will re-create the market activity of 2009 at the affordable end which will cause move-up buyers to take advantage of the stimuli expansion and lower rates and help create a market at the middle and upper ends of the market.

Call me overly bullish but I see the potential for this market shift firsthand. I am blessed to be part of the Mark Siwiec Team within the RE/MAX Realty Group organization. Our team alone will be putting approximately $8 million of listings on the market within the next several weeks. We are ready for the market to take-off. Are you? Check out our new listings at www.realestateonthemove.biz

Generation Yers, A Different Kind of Consumer

Generation Y, the up and coming age cohort that will have significant impact on the world economy, is made up of a different kind of consumer. This article has some thoughtful insight for real estate and any industry. Gen Y – Leading the Charge into the Future | RISMedia