Message from the President

by Dawn Brown

How to Host a Sizzling Summer Open House

According to the National Association of Realtors^®, more than 40 percent of all homes sold last year were between the months of May and August. There are so many reasons why summer may be the perfect time to put your home on the market - families are trying to settle into a new place before the school year starts and buyers have their tax refunds firmly in hand. But with so many others reaching the same conclusion, how do you make your home stand out?

A well planned open house allows potential buyers to picture how life in this home would be, and in the summer people tend to be more relaxed. So making your home’s open house a haven from the heat is the best way to help them visualize that this is the house is where they’ll want to spend all of their summers.

Here are a few tips to help your home’s open house stand out this summer.

Pump the A/C. It’s easy for a house to become stuffy and warm during the summer, especially with exterior doors frequently opening and closing, so make sure that you have the air conditioning running whenever you’re hosting potential buyers; but don’t freeze them out.

Curb Appeal. Your home’s curb appeal is its first impression, and the summer months can be harsh on your home’s front lawn.  There is nothing attractive about the dry, dead lawns of summer.  Water frequently or update your home’s landscaping to something grass-free.

Outdoor Living. If your home has a pool, a large deck or an outdoor kitchen, the summer months are the perfect time to highlight them.  Put some lemonade out for buyers to enjoy on the patio and keep the pool crystal clean. Remember, however, that summer means kids are out of school, and they may be joining their parents on open house tours, so make sure that pool gates are kept locked tight for safety.

Embrace the Season. Potential buyers may be hot and thirsty when they arrive, so prepare for it.  Have a cooler with ice-cold bottled water ready and waiting for them the moment they walk in the house, and have refreshing snacks, like watermelon or popsicles, available in the kitchen or on the patio. This will help home buyers picture your home as their oasis in the heat.

Following a few easy open house tips can help you quickly find the right buyer this summer.

We need your help! 
Please TAKE ACTION and tell Gov. Andrew Cuomo to sign our NY First Home bill into law! Both houses of the state Legislature passed the bill in June, but now we need the governor to approve it. 

CLICK HERE - The petition is open to the public, so please share this link on Facebook and social media! 

The NY First Home initiative would allow New Yorkers to establish a tax-free savings account to help them save for the purchase of their first home and achieve the dream of homeownership. 

If NY First Home is signed into law, New Yorkers could: 

• Deposit up to $5,000 annually ($10,000 for couples) in a special savings account to go toward the purchase of a first home in New York State.

• Receive a state income tax deduction on the principal investment and any gains would NOT be subject to state income tax;

• Apply the savings and any interest earned toward closing costs and down payment for the purchase of a first home in New York State.

Thanks to REALTOR efforts, this bill has strong bipartisan support in the state Legislature, but now we need to make our voices heard by the governor. 

BNAR Directors Wanted
The BNAR Nominating Committee is accepting nomination forms for BNAR Directors.  If you have been a member of NAR for a minimum of three years, have been on at least two BNAR committees and hold REALTOR member status with BNAR, than you may qualify.  If you would like to be a part of the decision making process, fill out the form and send to Nominating Committee Chair, Sharon Ciminelli at ciminelli17@gmail.com with a copy to BNAR Chief Executive Officer, John Leonardi at jleonardi@bnar.org for consideration to run in this years’ elections.  Nomination forms are due by August 11, 2017