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2010 July Heat Wave in Rochester, New York
As we headed into the July 4th weekend, we were all hopeful that we would have good weather to celebrate! Little did we know tha it would be this sunny and this HOT!
We are heading into our 4th day in a row over the 90 degree mark and everyone is feeling it. People who don’t have air-conditioning are heading to the lakes and swimming pools to cool off. The City of Rochester has a cool down program where in designated areas they will open the fire hyrants for the children and some adults to run through.
The Red Cross handed our 250 fans to seniors who had no air-conditioning to help them survive the heat wave. They were gone in 30-minutes! It appears that the entire country is going through this weather pattern and is trying to cope.
The weatherman is telling us that there is relief coming on Friday with a thunderstorm.
As a Realtor, I am inside showing homes more than I am outside, but even so, I can hardly stand these temperatures! For my buyers, a house with no air-conditioning is an immediate cross-off the list! I don’t know how people work outdoors in these temperatures! And of course, it becomes an easy conversation subject to bring up!
Here are some thoughts about how you can cope with this intense heat and help others.
1. Stay out of the sun!
2. Go to a movie.
3. Go to the library.
4. Slow down, avoid strenuous activity.
5. Drink plenty of fluids.
6. Limit the intake of alcoholic beverages.
7. Keep shades down on the windows toward the sun.
8. Wear lightweight, loose-fitting clothing.
9. Wear a wide brim hat.
10. Never leave pets or children in a closed vehicle.
11. Check on elderly family members.
Until the weather breaks, RochesterREguy says keep cool!
What are you doing for the 4th of July?
The talk around the office is that everyone is taking off some time this 4th of July weekend. The market has been good for us and we have all been working very hard, especially to get those sale contracts signed before the April 30th deadline and then to get them closed by June 30th so the buyers could take advantage of the Tax Stimulus.
The market has definitely slowed down and we are now in our summer mode. Our market does this every year as we approach the 4th of July.
Some agents that I know are going camping. There is the comforable full amenities way of camping by using a motor home or there is the “rough-it” way using a tent and cooking over a grill or campfire.
Then there are the locations to camp at. You can drive to the Adirondacks for some awesome camping sites, or a shorter drive to areas camps, such as Stony Brook or Letchworth State Parks.
Other agents are heading are heading to the lakes. This could be Charlotte Beach on Lake Ontario, or it could be Canandaigua Lake or Conesus Lake or one of the other Finger Lakes.
Others are staying home and catching up on some projects arond the house or gardens. The only thing to be aware of is the hot temperatures we are going to have! The weather forcast is calling for mid-nineties! For us this is hot!!
I just got a call from a customer to show him a house that recently came on the market. I’m sure other agents like myself are working in between taking some time off.
Either way, remember those who made this National Holiday possible and why we are celebrating July 4th!
On this day in 1776, the Declaration of Independence was approved by the Continental Congress, setting the 13 colonies on the road to freedom as a sovereign nation. As always, this most American of holidays will be marked by parades, fireworks and backyard barbecues across the country.
Whatever you are doing, be safe and have fun!
How safe is your deck?
Since we are having an early Spring this year, people will be out on their decks enjoying the weather and it may be time to look at the safety of your deck. Decks cause more injuries and loss of life than any other part of your house.
The number of deck failures resulting in injuries has been increasing at an alarming rate! Between August 2004 and December 2005, the US news media reported 225 injuries and one fatality from deck collapse caused by ledger connection failures. many more deck injuries go unreported every year, some with and without injuries.
“Clearly, something needs to be done to tackle the growing problem of unsafe decks,” said Mike Beaudry of the North American Deck and Railing Association (NADRA) and that’s why we are supporting this month as Deck Safety Month.
One way to approach this problem is to have a professional inspection done which will examine every inch of your deck, provide information on your deck’s capacity limits, identify any dangerous problem areas, and give you a idea of what to keep your eye on in the future. If your deck is an older one, it might be good to schedule regular inspections. This is because older decks were built before the code requirements were in place. Some of these “pre-code” decks may have deck-to-house attachments using only nails which is more suseptible to pulling away from the house.
People to contact for a deck inspection would be a Home Inspector, a contractor that build decks, or your local Town Building Inspector.
Let us know if your deck is having problems so we can pass that information along to the consumers to help them look for those areas of concern. Also, here are a few sites to visit for more information.
Annual Deck Inspection
Residential Wooden Decks
Deck Safety Month
New Carbon Monoxide Detector Law
GREATER ROCHESTER ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® RELEASES YEAR-END STATISTICS
ROCHESTER, NY – January 25, 2010 –The Greater Rochester Association of REALTORS® (GRAR) released its year-end statistics for 2009.
When compared to 2008, overall year-end activity remained relatively stable, with total sales slightly down 1.3 percent. Pending sales were up at 2.3 percent. Median home prices decreased a mere 0.9 percent, from $117,000 in 2008 to $116,000 in 2009.
“Although sales in 2009 reflected a slight decrease over 2008, we still considered it as a somewhat sturdy market,” remarked Ryan Tucholski, GRAR’s chief executive officer.
“We feel that we weathered the worst of the storm,” stated Carolyn Stiffler, GRAR board president. “We are looking forward to a strong second quarter, with April being the month that I expect to carry the quarter, in part because of the extension and expansion of the tax credit.”
Federal legislation not only extended the $8,000 tax credit for first-time homebuyers, but also included an expansion to included current homeowners who are selling their home and who may be eligible to receive a $6,500 tax credit for the purchase of another principal residence. In order to qualify, homeowners must have used the home sold as a principal residence, consecutively for 5 of the previous 8 years. There are additional eligibility requirements that apply for first-time homebuyers and current homeowners. Both must have a written binding contract to purchase by April 30, 2010, which is when the tax credit expires. The purchaser will have until July 1, 2010 to close.
Significant increases in sales were realized specifically in Chili, which showed a 21.2 percent increase and Wheatland, with a gain of 89.7 percent. Sales in the city of Rochester decreased 7 percent, but showed a 14 percent increase in the median sales price.
The results cover the city of Rochester, all Monroe County towns and villages, and Genesee, Livingston, Ontario, Orleans, and Wayne Counties.
GRAR will continue to support the local residential real estate industry through its Time2Buy marketing campaign, which focuses on the benefits of owning a home and using the services of a REALTOR® when buying and selling a home.
FHA Makes Changes
On January 20, 2010, FHA announced major changes to ensure its long-term financial soundness. FHA is trying to balance three fundamental objectives: 1) financial soundness of the FHA insurance fund - ensuring that its capital ratio returns above 2 percent, 2) fulfilling its mission of serving borrowers not adequately served by the private sector and 3) facilitating the recovery of the housing industry and the over-all economy.
By all accounts the new changes are a victory for home buyers. FHA has carefully balanced the need to make financial reforms with the need to keep FHA available to a large segment of consumers. This is evident by retaining the 3.5 percent minimum down payment requirement and allowing the up-front mortgage insurance premium to be financed.
FHA announced changes in the following areas:
· The upfront mortgage insurance premium (UFMIP) will increase to 2.25 percent up from 1.75 percent. Contrary to reports, FHA will continue to allow the financing of the UFMIP.
· Borrowers with a credit score below 580 will be required to have at least a 10 percent down payment. The minimum down payment will remain at 3.5 percent for all other borrowers.
· FHA will seek legislative authority to increase the annual premium (currently capped at .55 percent). Over time, increasing the annual premium may allow FHA to reduce the up-front premium.
· Seller concessions will be reduced to 3 percent from 6 percent.
FHA will make the following lender enforcement changes:
· FHA will implement credit watch terminations at lender underwriting.
· Public reporting of lender performance through scorecard system will be implemented.
· FHA will implement, through notice and comment, indemnification against lenders. Indemnification will be expanded beyond fraud and misrepresentation.
· FHA will seek legislative authority to enforce indemnifications against direct endorsed (DE) lenders.
· FHA will seek legislative authority to sanction lenders nationwide based on performance of local branch.
FHA is an integral part to the continued recovery of the real estate industry and the overall economy. NAR will continue to work with FHA, the Administration, and the Congress to ensure FHA can fulfill its mission while providing for the safety and soundness of the insurance fund. NAR is committed to assisting FHA as they balance risk management with creating homeownership opportunities across the country.
For NAR’s one-page summary brief on this issue, click here.
Happy New Year!
2010 is here!
A new decade has started! A fresh year to improve upon last year! A new beginning from some old habits. A chance for putting in place our New Year’s Resolutions!
If one of these applys to you, how are you going to keep on track?
There are many systems and methods for assisting us in our efforts to be true to our goals for the new year!
Thanksgiving tends to make me stop for a day and reflect back over the past year. As I do, I think about all the people I have met over the past year that are now part of my life experience. I think about the experiences I have had, both good and bad, that have now shaped me for the future. And I think about my family and I am thankful for them and their support.
I hope you have had a good year and that you are taking time to appreciate all that you have to be thankful for.
For those of you that are currently involved in a major crisis, I offer a prayer for you, for you to have the strength to overcome it and grow stronger. So often we are consumed by our own thoughts, problems and concerns and we loose perspective of all that we are blessed with.
Today on this Thankgiving, I wish you a Happy Holiday with those you choose to be with and remind you to Be Thankful and enjoy your familiy and friends.
