Sunday, October 9, 2011
Typical Home Buying Process Infographic
Click the image for a full size infographic on the Home Buying Process in New York State.
Monday, June 13, 2011
Housing Grants Available
Downpayment and Closing Cost Assistance
There are programs available through local community development offices. You must apply to each program through the office of its provider.
There are programs available through local community development offices. You must apply to each program through the office of its provider.
*Table sources from http://www.belmonthousingwny.org/content/pages/down-payment-closing-cost-assistance
Williamsville Relocation Temporary Housing
Temporary Housing for relocation to Western New York can be a tough road to navigate, due the limited availablity rental options available (as you must compete with all the local university students). Yet, there are several quality options available to you as I describe them below:
1. You can also search http://www.2findyourapartment.com/ for some more information on the rentals in the area. A good portion of our temporary housing for our relocation clients as the search for permanent is housing is booked through
2. You can view http://www.luxuryaptswny.com/index.html and the following communities are located in Amherst: Windsong Place, Autumn Creek and Renaissance.
We have referral accounts setup with each of the communities’ setup, so if you decide to lease we can provide you with a referral code that will discount your first month rent. Best of luck on your relocation!
We have referral accounts setup with each of the communities’ setup, so if you decide to lease we can provide you with a referral code that will discount your first month rent. Best of luck on your relocation!
Scan the qr code below for my profile information.
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Utility Contacts for Buyers
Utility Contact Information
Cable:
Time Warner
(866) 668-6044
Gas/Electric:
National Fuel
(716) 686-6123
(800) 365-3234 (Outside WNY
National Grid
(800) 365-3234
National Grid Coverage Map- http://www.nationalgridus.com/niagaramohawk/about_us/serviceterr_map_a.asp?county=Erie
New York State Electric & Gas (“NYSEG”)
(800) 572-1111 (Press “2” then “1”)
NYSEG Coverage MAP- http://www.nyseg.com/MediaLibrary/2/5/Content%20Management/NYSEG/YourHome/PDFs%20and%20Docs/NYSEG%20Service%20Area%20Map.pdf
Telephone:
Verizon
(716) 890-7100 (Press “2”)
Water - Erie County Water Authority:
Erie County Water Authority (716) 849-8444
Amherst
Cheektowaga
Clarence
Depew
Depew, Village of
Hamburg
Lackawanna
Lancaster, Town of
Lancaster, Village of
Marilla
Newstead
Orchard Park, Town of
Tonawanda
West Seneca
Water - Other Erie County Municipalities:
Angola
(716) 549-1126
Blasdell
(716) 822-1921
Buffalo, City of
(716) 847-1079
East Aurora
(716) 652-6057
Elma, Town of
(716) 674-8855
Evans, Town of
(716) 549-5751
Grand Island, Town of
(716) 773-9663
Kenmore, Village of
(716) 873-5700
Orchard Park, Village of
(716) 662-9327
Tonawanda, Town of
(716) 871-8843
Williamsville, Village of
(716) 632-5009
Water - Niagara County Municipalities:
Each town and village has its own water department. Contact applicable municipality (see blue pages in telephone directory).
Cable:
Time Warner
(866) 668-6044
Gas/Electric:
National Fuel
(716) 686-6123
(800) 365-3234 (Outside WNY
National Grid
(800) 365-3234
National Grid Coverage Map- http://www.nationalgridus.com/niagaramohawk/about_us/serviceterr_map_a.asp?county=Erie
New York State Electric & Gas (“NYSEG”)
(800) 572-1111 (Press “2” then “1”)
NYSEG Coverage MAP- http://www.nyseg.com/MediaLibrary/2/5/Content%20Management/NYSEG/YourHome/PDFs%20and%20Docs/NYSEG%20Service%20Area%20Map.pdf
Telephone:
Verizon
(716) 890-7100 (Press “2”)
Water - Erie County Water Authority:
Erie County Water Authority (716) 849-8444
Amherst
Cheektowaga
Clarence
Depew
Depew, Village of
Hamburg
Lackawanna
Lancaster, Town of
Lancaster, Village of
Marilla
Newstead
Orchard Park, Town of
Tonawanda
West Seneca
Water - Other Erie County Municipalities:
Angola
(716) 549-1126
Blasdell
(716) 822-1921
Buffalo, City of
(716) 847-1079
East Aurora
(716) 652-6057
Elma, Town of
(716) 674-8855
Evans, Town of
(716) 549-5751
Grand Island, Town of
(716) 773-9663
Kenmore, Village of
(716) 873-5700
Orchard Park, Village of
(716) 662-9327
Tonawanda, Town of
(716) 871-8843
Williamsville, Village of
(716) 632-5009
Water - Niagara County Municipalities:
Each town and village has its own water department. Contact applicable municipality (see blue pages in telephone directory).
Monday, July 26, 2010
Buyer Agency - Why you need it?
We are constantly fielding calls from prospective buyers with regards to questions about our properties we have listed. Most buyers are very open with regards to communication, and are going about the home search process alone. Very few buyers understand they need and advantage of having a licensed agent represent them as a buyer's agent. Buyer agency is defined as a principal-agent relationship in which the broker is the agent for a buyer, with fiduciary responsibilities to the buyer. What does that mean? It means that a buyer's agent is tied to the buyer, and all of your loyalties are to the buyer. (nothing to do with seller's agent) So why do so many buyers go out and purchase homes without a buyer's agent?
Buyer agency is a relatively new concept for the real estate world. In the past, agents were Seller's Agents, working for the person who signed a contract employing them to sell real estate. Over time that arrangement resulted in too many misunderstandings. A buyer working with a Seller's Agent often regarded that person as his agent, and felt free to make confidential statements, not understanding they would be passed on to the seller.
As a result, New York State require us to explain agency status to the buyer. In addittion, most seller's agree to pay a buyer's agency fee as it is an established part of their MLS Listing Agreement. Therefore, it comes at no cost to the buyer.
In today's real estate world, you'll find agents who work as Seller's Agents and Buyer's Agents, and in some areas you'll see Dual Agents and Designated Agents. Here's a simplified recap of those terms.
Seller's Agent
Your duty is to obtain the best deal for the seller. You are allowed to give the buyer only material facts about the property.
Buyer's Agent
Your duty is to obtain the best deal for the buyer. You may pass on any and all information you obtain about the seller or the property.
Dual Agent
You must be loyal to both parties. Dual agency occurs when a real estate agency owns a listing, and an agent from the office, working as a buyer's representative, shows that listing.
Dual Agency must be disclosed and agreed-to in writing by both parties, since it's sometimes difficult to focus on the needs of one client versus the other.
Designated Agent
Very similar to Dual Agency. The broker-in-charge designates two agents to work a transaction, one for the seller, one for the buyer.
Buyer agency is a relatively new concept for the real estate world. In the past, agents were Seller's Agents, working for the person who signed a contract employing them to sell real estate. Over time that arrangement resulted in too many misunderstandings. A buyer working with a Seller's Agent often regarded that person as his agent, and felt free to make confidential statements, not understanding they would be passed on to the seller.
As a result, New York State require us to explain agency status to the buyer. In addittion, most seller's agree to pay a buyer's agency fee as it is an established part of their MLS Listing Agreement. Therefore, it comes at no cost to the buyer.
In today's real estate world, you'll find agents who work as Seller's Agents and Buyer's Agents, and in some areas you'll see Dual Agents and Designated Agents. Here's a simplified recap of those terms.
Seller's Agent
Your duty is to obtain the best deal for the seller. You are allowed to give the buyer only material facts about the property.
Buyer's Agent
Your duty is to obtain the best deal for the buyer. You may pass on any and all information you obtain about the seller or the property.
Dual Agent
You must be loyal to both parties. Dual agency occurs when a real estate agency owns a listing, and an agent from the office, working as a buyer's representative, shows that listing.
Dual Agency must be disclosed and agreed-to in writing by both parties, since it's sometimes difficult to focus on the needs of one client versus the other.
Designated Agent
Very similar to Dual Agency. The broker-in-charge designates two agents to work a transaction, one for the seller, one for the buyer.
Monday, June 7, 2010
Energy Payback Projects
Energy Payback Projects for Homeowners:
Project With Immediate Payback (0 to 6 months)
Install a Programmable Thermostat
Turning down the thermostat 7 degrees at bedtime will knock 10 percent off your heating costs, but who wants to wake up to a frigid house? A programmable thermostat automatically drops the heat at night and cranks it up in the morning, so the house is warm before your alarm clock rings. Program it to lower the heat again while you’re at work and the kids are in school all day and you’ll reap additional savings. Best of all, many of these battery-operated units are easy to install yourself.
COST: $30 to $80
PAYBACK: $100 to $250 per year
Project With Short-Term Payback (1 to 3 years)
Beef Up Attic Insulation“Heat rises, so adding insulation to the attic floor is one of the best energy retrofits you can do,”
COST: $300 (to add 3 inches of fiberglass insulation to a 1,000-square-foot attic floor) * some insulation products are eligible for 30 percent tax credit under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (link)
PAYBACK: $150 to $300 a year for the average home heated with natural gas, $350 to $700 for oil heat.
Projects with Long-Term Payback (5 or more years)
Upgrade to Energy-Efficient Appliances
Energy Star appliances consume 10 to 50 percent less electricity than standard appliances sold today, and if you’re replacing equipment that is older than 10 years, the energy savings will be even greater. Refrigerators and clothes washers are two of the biggest household energy guzzlers. A new Energy Star fridge uses half the energy of a machine made a decade ago; a front-load washer uses 35 percent less electricity than an old top-mount, plus it consumes less hot water and spins the clothes so effectively that you save money on dryer operating costs, too.
COST: $600 to $1,400 for a front-load clothes washer; $1,000 to $3,000 for an Energy Star refrigerator
PAYBACK: $145 a year in electricity savings for the washer, plus gallons of water saved on every load; $60 a year for the refrigerator
Project With Immediate Payback (0 to 6 months)
Install a Programmable Thermostat
Turning down the thermostat 7 degrees at bedtime will knock 10 percent off your heating costs, but who wants to wake up to a frigid house? A programmable thermostat automatically drops the heat at night and cranks it up in the morning, so the house is warm before your alarm clock rings. Program it to lower the heat again while you’re at work and the kids are in school all day and you’ll reap additional savings. Best of all, many of these battery-operated units are easy to install yourself.
COST: $30 to $80
PAYBACK: $100 to $250 per year
Project With Short-Term Payback (1 to 3 years)
Beef Up Attic Insulation“Heat rises, so adding insulation to the attic floor is one of the best energy retrofits you can do,”
COST: $300 (to add 3 inches of fiberglass insulation to a 1,000-square-foot attic floor) * some insulation products are eligible for 30 percent tax credit under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (link)
PAYBACK: $150 to $300 a year for the average home heated with natural gas, $350 to $700 for oil heat.
Projects with Long-Term Payback (5 or more years)
Upgrade to Energy-Efficient Appliances
Energy Star appliances consume 10 to 50 percent less electricity than standard appliances sold today, and if you’re replacing equipment that is older than 10 years, the energy savings will be even greater. Refrigerators and clothes washers are two of the biggest household energy guzzlers. A new Energy Star fridge uses half the energy of a machine made a decade ago; a front-load washer uses 35 percent less electricity than an old top-mount, plus it consumes less hot water and spins the clothes so effectively that you save money on dryer operating costs, too.
COST: $600 to $1,400 for a front-load clothes washer; $1,000 to $3,000 for an Energy Star refrigerator
PAYBACK: $145 a year in electricity savings for the washer, plus gallons of water saved on every load; $60 a year for the refrigerator
Sunday, June 6, 2010
Introducting our Online Mortgage Center
LoVallo Real Estate has recently formed an exclusive relationship with Bank of America to offer our client's access to an Online Mortgage Center. This Online Mortgage Center "OMC" will serve as a great resource for buyers to take them through all the stages of the loan qualification and closing. This will serve as a one-stop destination for pre-qualification and mortgage approval. Visit the Bank of America Online Mortgage Center Today at http://www.lovallorealestate.com/web/pgcnfID_105666/Mortgage-Center
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