Real Estate FAQs for the Catskills

FAQS

How long will it take to sell a house in this market?

A lot depends on the choices you make when you list it. The truth is, it can take up to a year. Or more, depending on where your property is and whether you price it right. That's why having a GOOD market analysis and then pricing it right is so important. It makes all the difference.

I know there's a lot of interest in upstate from NY buyers. If I price it tight, am I selling myself short?

There is, indeed, a flood of upstate buyers streaming up the Hudson River. Kingston is the latest beneficiary of that buying frenzy. 

It's why I moved to Franklin! It is getting crowded!

That tide is rising up the Rt 28 corridor, too. Andes, Margaretville, even Delhi are beginning to see more interest from those NYC buyers. But those buyers are still fixated on mass transit. It's more than four hours on the bus to Oneonta! And anything over a two hour drive feels excessive to them. 

It is still a buyers' market in Otsego and most of Delaware County. They're not focused here yet.

If you overprice, you sit.

Price it right, it sells. Maybe quickly. And you may get multiple offers.

Today's buyers want a perceived “good deal.”

Can't I just use Zillow to market it myself?

Absolutely. And you'll get what you pay for. You'll appear on web searches with 

no one to filter who contacts you, no targeted outreach, no professional advocate when Zillow tells your buyers your property is worth far less than you know it's worth (Zillow's market analysis is close to useless in rural areas) and no one to 

negotiate for you if you get a potential sale.

Aren't all realtors and real estate companies the same?

No. They really aren't. 

Real estate companies are wildly varied in how they operate, how they market properties, and how they compensate their agents.

Most important for you, as seller, should be how an agent will market your

property, how enthusiastic that agent is about your property, and how accountable they will be to you. 

You want your listing seen as widely as possible, marketed as creatively as possible. You want your agent to communicate with you. A good agent will give you feedback after showings, will respond to you quickly and will give you sound advice.

The biggest agency isn't always the best. The agent who collects listings but

doesn't service them isn't doing their best.

Am I going to have to stage my property?

Do you have to pay a stager to come in and clean out your house? 

Probably not.

Will your house sell more quickly if it is neat, clean, uncluttered and fresh- looking? 

Yes. Unequivocally, yes.

Look at your house as though you were a buyer. Does it look as bright, spacious,

and attractive as possible? Does it need fresh paint or a touch up? 

Clean your carpets. If they're worn, rip them out.

It's hard work getting a house ready to sell. But the payoff is a bigger sale

price.

I don't have the time or energy to prep my house for sale. Do you know people who can do it for me?

I do. And I'm happy to share them with my clients.