December Doldrums -- Not This Year!

It's the middle of December, with the holidays looming large on the horizon. The business of real estate is supposed to be in the doldrums by now, just ask anyone. Surprisingly, in my world it's exactly the opposite. If it were not for television shopping channels and the Internet, my family would have been unhappily searching for some indication that the holidays had not completely passed me by.

With a new listing in tow and a surprising number of offers coming in on another property I represent, I'd have to say the local market, like the weather on Long Island is uncharacteristically warm for this time of year. It's a boon for homeowners who've done everything right, only to be forced into a state of limbo, their future plans on hold while their houses vie for attention as the market sorts itself out. As the year comes to a close I'm happy to see more of a balance, with buyers in increasing numbers inviting sellers to dance. Whichever side of the transaction you find yourself on, enjoy this moment of sanity.

Staging Hits The News

The mass media is finally picking up the "news" that staging can help homes sell faster . . . especially in slower markets. To those of us in the trenches, there's nothing new about it. In most of the country staging is a viable marketing tool and one that's been used successfully for years. Admittedly, New York is often late to the party when it comes to innovation in real estate sales.

For years, long before it had a name, I've been "staging" homes to get my sellers top dollar in any given market. For most people, walking into a warm and lovely space excites their emotions and keeps that property top of mind. Builders have known this all along. That's why most developments have model homes, beautifully decorated, maximizing the space and characteristics of that particular architectural design.

Let me show you a recent, yet modified update I did to a space to make it competitive in today's market. Without changing the homeowner's furniture, I removed 40 year old flocked wallpaper, old carpet, worn down to the floor in the high traffic areas and replaced the equally worn kitchen floor. We painted the walls Linen White (not usually my first choice), had the floors scraped and polyurethaned and I brought in accessories to bring the house into the twenty-first century. Does it make a difference? You bet it does! Though this home is not yet sold, we've had two offers on it and positive feedback from buyers and Realtors alike.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving, probably my favorite holiday of the year. My early memories play like an 8 millimeter movie with my mother in the lead role as she valiantly carried the enormous turkey to an overcrowded table. The cast remained the same over the years, revealing style changes and age as it crept up on mom and all the supporting players.

For me it was a gift since time couldn't pass fast enough to make me believable as I lied about my age. In those days I could often get away with adding four or five years if I sported the right clothes and hairstyle. Needless to say, I'd willingly give those back now, but without benefit of a plastic surgeon's knife, the only person I'd be likely to fool these days would be me.

My mother, weary from the burden of producing a huge meal for extended family and friends without any help, was exhausted and it showed on her face as she placed and replaced serving dishes to make room for the mountain of food we consumed as a group. My father stood at the head of the table sharpening his carving knife and grinning from ear to ear as he prepared to perform surgery of his own on the poor departed turkey.

I remember animated conversation, laughter and the clanking of glasses as toasts were made, one after the other. And though it's been many years since the family gathered, disappearing one by one, they remain with me today in the theater of my mind. I warm in the glow of the love shared at that table and I'm grateful for the many gifts in my life.

Tomorrow, when I join my own family at an overcrowded table I'll smile and I'm sure my mother will be there to see us, even if just for a moment. For those of you spending this special day with your loved ones, enjoy it all, and for all of you who are less fortunate, I'll hold you in my thoughts.

Happy Thanksgiving!

A Gift From The Blogosphere

Even though Thanksgiving looms large on the horizon, I suddenly find myself busier in my real estate practice than I have been for awhile. Buyers and sellers are picking up the phone and calling, or emailing me to get information and begin the process. This at a time when I'm doing my best to gear up for the holiday. So imagine my surprise when I sat down tonight to do a quick check on my stats for this blog. Lo and behold, the numbers are way up. Why?

Never one to accept a gift horse without staring it straight in the face I found, to my great surprise, a link from Hanan Levin's famed Grow-A-Brain blog. I'm honored by the notice and hope this is one of the "unique and mostly intelligent sites" to which he refers.

I thank you sir for the nod. The ripples created by your significant presence in the blogosphere have been felt in my little corner of the universe.

How Fitting Just Before Thanksgiving!

There's a lot of love to go around today and the lucky recipients are two three week old mixed breed puppies rescued from a New York City shelter by a worker at Little Shelter Animal Adoption Center on Long Island. About to be euthanized, these miracle pups, Magic & Merlin have many benefactors in their corner, from Plastic Surgeons to Veterinarians to folk just like you or me offering help to give them a chance at life. Read the story in Newsday.

We tend to forget in our every day lives how willing we are as a society to step up and lend a helping hand. No one can convince me that there wasn't some divine guidance in this one.

Another of Life's Lessons

Just as I was about to log off last night I took one last quick glance at my email, just in case there was anything needing my immediate attention. One of my favorite colleagues sent a video with a strong suggestion to watch it and to have tissues handy. Every instinct told me to just go to bed, yet something made me click on the link. He was right, of course. He always is.

So I offer it to you too. It just might make you see someone in your life in a different light, maybe even yourself. Enjoy!

Modern Design, Or Is It?

In the category of everything old is new again is the resurgence of "contemporary furniture," once again finding favor in the Long Island market. The last incarnation of this style came at an early and impressionable time in my life, somewhere in the 1960s. Offering an option at the time that was a far cry from the traditional furnishings in our parents' homes, the straight lined minimalistic approach to design was a natural choice for many.

The problem with the style, at least for me, was it just didn't stand the test of time. I tired quickly of the unadorned pieces that decorated my home, garnering admiring glances from everyone else. They wound up within a few years in my mother's house while I searched for something that better expressed my developing taste. As I look at the furnishings now, adorning the pages of stylish magazines and this issue of Newsday, I am as unmoved as I was back then.