Marketing Tips #16, Westchester County real estate-What it takes! 56. Sellers are becoming more and more suspicious of commission rates. Outlining a compelling plan to market their property for a quick sale will provide value to help you maintain a healthy commission. 57. Don't be tempted by the ability to make your own marketing material on your ink-jet printer. The cost and quality of professionally done materials for marketing are the best way to attract new business. 58. Having a Real Estate Sign on your listings for a long time will not look good. Try to get all your materials in prospects hands as quick as possible for a quick sale. Thomas SantoreAssociate BrokerColdwell Banker845-590-5488 Visit my web sites at http://realestatesallhere.com and http://icansellyourland1.com Past Po... 01/22/2009

Coldwell Banker of Yorktown Heights Starts the Year With a Bang!!!Yorktown Heights, Westchester County New York 10598 Coldwell Banker of Yorktown Heights is only one of the 22 offices in the Town of Yorktown. This represents only a 4.5% market share based on number of offices in the Town of Yorktown. From 12/31/08 to 1/22/09of the new single family homes that came on the market Coldwell Banker listed 23.5%of them. For the single family homes that went into contract for this period Coldwell Banker listed 25%of them. And best of all Coldwell Banker was the listing agent on 28.5% of the single family homes in Yorktown Heights that SOLD Don't Miss The Opportunity to list Your Home With The Company That Gets The Job Done!!!!! Thomas SantoreAssociate BrokerColdwell Banker845-590-5488 Visit my... 01/22/2009

Did you just inherit a piece of Vacant Land? What do you do with it? Well on thing you don't want to do with it is forget about it. If you don't keep up the taxes you will loose it. And if you don't live in the area you might loose it with out knowing it. The government will take after 3 years of delinquent taxes. When you don't pay the taxes they advertise it in the local paper and unless someone lets you know you could loose it with out knowing. But let get to the real question!! The first thing you need to do is get it evaluated by a knowledgeable real estate agent. Some one who know and does land sales. They will help you find out if it is buildable of just a piece of land that is useless and just eats up your tax money. If it is determined to be usable find out what the value is, b... 01/17/2009

Buying or Selling your VACANT LAND-What kind of financing is available! There are a few financing options for someone looking to buy your VACANT LAND. First there is always the cash option but in today's economy that is not likely, and even builders will use some form of financing. Second is the OWNER FINANCING OPTION. This is sometimes a good option and can get you more money in your pocket but you also have this of having to repossess the property which can be messy to say the least. Third of is a straight LAND LOAN. This is the cleanest for of financing for land. It can be very fast and the deposit requires is usually only between 20% to 30%. Bank takes all the risk. Fourth option is a CONSTRUCTION LOAN W/LAND PURCHASE. This is a time consuming loan and requires APPROVALS TO BUILD. T... 01/13/2009

TAKE A TOUR OF YORKTOWN HEIGHTS, NEW YORK BY CLICKING ON THE PHOTO BELOW. IT'S A GREAT WAY TO TAKE A TRIP ON ANY DAY. FROM LLAMAS TO LILLY PADS, YORKTOWN HEIGHTS IS A GREAT PLACE TO LIVE AND WORK. JUST 40 MILES TO THE HEART OF MANHATTAN AND CLOSE TO THE RAILROAD AND MAJOR HIGHWAYS, YORKTOWN HEIGHTS IS THE IDEAL COUNTRY HOMETOWN. CALL ANDREA "ANDI" DEPALMA OF COLDWELL BANKER RESIDENTIAL BROKERAGE. WE CAN TAKE A PERSONAL TOUR AND FIND THE PERFECT HOME. ANDREA "ANDI" DEPALMA  914 588 5781. ASSOCIATE BROKER  ABR, GRI, SRES COLDWELL BANKER RESIDENTIAL BROKERAGE, 366 UNDERHILL AVE., YORKTOWN HEIGHTS, NY  10598   914 245 3400      01/12/2009

Recently I interviewed a prospective client who is in the restaurant business. He owns an upscale seafood restaurant that a year ago featured white tablecoths, 12 different sauces for his fish and all the other trappings, such as fancy micro vegetables and 'towers' of food presented on plates, that go with an upper-tier operation.  "I saw the writing on the wall a while back," he says. "I knew that people want to eat more casually and simply. They still want quality, but they want it to be simple and laid back."  See the rest of this posting at http://publicrelationstoday.blog.com/ Also view my website at:  www.PrimaveraPR.com 01/12/2009

Well today we are having our 4th Winter Storm of this Winter Season!! Last weekend we have over 50 appointment made for showings on our listings and a couple of walkins. Looked like things were really going to start moving. Now we have a big storm come in on the weekend. The office will probably close soon and yesterday and today we have only had 21 appointments and some of them canceled. I think if the weather was to hold off we would have a good January. Today we are looking at 8-10 inches, it will probably stay around for a week stalling things again. We have a lot of good priced homes and property for sale sale right now , and with the lowest interest rates in a long time I think we will, as my Manager Joes would say "We Will Shine In 09" Thinking of SELLING in WESTCHESTER or PUTNAM... 01/10/2009

Selling your Vacant Land-- IS NOW THE TIME TO SELL? Well those builders that are looking to have their projects ready for the spring like to look for land in the WINTER SEASON, because there are no leaves on the trees which allows them to see more of the land and it's ups and downs. The snow on the ground is not a hindrance. Also it is usually a wetter season than summer, so wet land becomes more visible. I think this is a great times to market your VACANT LAND because a lot of builders have money from the sale of their spring and summer projects. If you think you would want to sell call me for an evaluation of your site. 845-590-5488 Thinking of SELLING in WESTCHESTER or PUTNAM COUNTY? GIVE THE BEST A CALL @ 845-590-5488!!!    Thomas SantoreAssociate BrokerColdwell Banker845-590-5488 V... 01/09/2009

Have you ever looked at piece of land with wetlands on it and wanted to know if it was buildable? If the land is in Westchester or Putnam Counties in New York, the changes of it being buildable are very slim. Any STRUCTURE, DRIVEWAY, WELL or SEPTIC SYSTEM must maintain a minimum set back from the wet land of 100 feet and sometimes (DEC protected wet land) requires a 200 foot set back. This along with steep slope laws in most towns can make even a 1-5 acre parcel un-buildable. If you want to know if it is buildable you can have me look at it and I will give you a free evaluation of the situation, just call (845-590-5488) Thinking of SELLING in WESTCHESTER or PUTNAM COUNTY? GIVE THE BEST A CALL @ 845-590-5488!!!  Thomas SantoreAssociate BrokerColdwell Banker845-590-5488 Visit my web site... 01/09/2009

BEFORE I SELL MY VACANT LAND SHOULD I HAVE A SURVEY DONE? The answer is YES. Already having a survey of your property when you market it will speed up the selling process in more ways than one. 1st, buyers looking at your property will be able to determine where it begins and ends. This is important if your property is to be built on so set backs can be gauged as to wheatear or not the buyer can put what they want on the property. 2nd, you want to made aware of the possibilities of potential legal problems, such as encroachments and easement that are on the property. 3rd, you need to make sure of what you are selling. A friend of mine bought a piece of property a few years ago and there was no survey. The owner was not willing to pay for one so he sold the property to my friend for les... 01/07/2009

Marketing Tips #15, Westchester County real estate-What it takes! 53. Set a marketing budget for each listing you get and use the same marketing effort for each one. 54. Advertising is a numbers game. When you do a sale or new listing don't send out 50 or 100 cards do 200 and send some to your past customers to let them know you are still in the game. 55. Sellers have become more aggressive when it comes to how much commission they are willing to pay. If you outline a compelling plan to market their property for a quick sale that will provide value to help you maintain the commission level you need to keep your business going. Thomas SantoreAssociate BrokerColdwell Banker845-590-5488 Visit my web sites at http://realestatesallhere.com and http://icansellyourland1.com Past Post! Marketin... 01/07/2009

Wrap up on Yorktown Heights New York 10598 Westchester County Single Family Market. Remember Coldwell Banker of Yorktown represents on 4.5% of the Yorktown Offices. (1 out of 22) In the last six Months we were the listing agent on 22% of the sales and 15% of the buyer sides. Also we did double sides on 20% of the homes listed that sold. For the year we were the listing agent on 15.5% of the sales and 16.4% of the buyer sides. Also we did double sides on 19% of the homes listed that sold. Thinking of SELLING in Yorktown? GIVE THE BEST A CALL @ 845-590-5488!!! Thomas SantoreAssociate BrokerColdwell Banker845-590-5488 Visit my web sites at http://realestatesallhere.com and http://icansellyourland1.com    01/05/2009

If you're like me, you may want to do EVERYTHING at the beginning of the year that you didn't accomplish prior to the holidays. There may be the urgent crush to roll out all the cannons to market both yourself and your product or service in this economic downturn........ See the rest of this posting at http://publicrelationstoday.blog.com/ Also view my website at:  www.PrimaveraPR.com 01/05/2009

Wrap up on the Number of Land Sales in Area 1 and 9 in Westchester and Putnam County, New York. OK, we have recoved somewhat from the lack of land sales in 07. We went from 29 land sales in 07 to 36 sales in 08. 07's gross sale price was 10,118,250.00 We went up to 12,878.700.00 an increase of 2,760,450.00 Not quite sure how 09 will be we are starting with only 2 pieces of land in contract. Thomas SantoreAssociate BrokerColdwell Banker845-590-5488 Visit my web sites at http://realestatesallhere.com and http://icansellyourland1.com    01/04/2009

January 3, 2009 - Came in the office today to do some prep work for the beginning of the new year. Much to my surprise we had an up call and the gentleman came in to see the home. Then we had another client walk in who is getting pre-approved and then going out to look at homes. We also had quiet a few appointments made today on our listings (23 appointments made by 3:00) This is a real good showing for a cold holiday weekend day in January with snow still on the ground. Looking forward to a very busy winter and spring!! As my Manager would "Let's All SHINE IN 09" Good Luck To Every One And A HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! Thomas SantoreAssociate BrokerColdwell Banker845-590-5488 Visit my web sites at http://realestatesallhere.com and http://icansellyourland1.com    01/03/2009

12/12/-12/30/08-Coldwell Banker continues to do the right thing in Westchester County Real Estate-Yorktown Heights, New York 10598 Again there are 22 offices in the town of Yorktown. We are just 1 in 22 offices in Yorktown. Coldwell Banker of Yorktown was the listings agent on 25% of the homes that went into contract between 12/12/-12/30/08. And 25% of the homes that SOLD were listed with Coldwell Banker of Yorktown. Thomas SantoreAssociate BrokerColdwell Banker845-590-5488 Visit my web sites at http://realestatesallhere.com and http://icansellyourland1.com Past Blogs 12/06/-12/12/08-Coldwell Banker continues to make it's mark in -Westchester County Real Estate-Yorktown Heights, New York 10598 11/23/-12/05/08-Coldwell Banker continues it's dominance-Westchester County Real Estate-Yorkto... 12/30/2008

I love this company called Coldwell Banker, they are very innovative and willing to spend what it takes to get the job done. They have this new Virtual Tool. It's one of the newest things out there. http://coldwellbankerwestchester.com/      Is just the latest in a long list of virtual tools they have been working on. This gives statistics for the many school systems in Westcheater County. Home sales statistics by school districts can be a great source for buyer to locate where they would like to live. Visit My Web Sites at http://www.realestatesallhere.com/   http://www.tomshouseofforeclosures.com/     http://www.icansellyourland1.com/Business Opportunity http://www.thomassantore.energy526. Thomas SantoreAssociate BrokerColdwell Banker845-590-5488tsan25@aol.com                       12/30/2008

When Buying or Selling Vacant Land--Land Easements, How do they effect your purchase or sale? When you are looking to buy or sell a parcel of Vacant Land, you'll want to make sure where the utility (power, water, septic or sewer and telephone) easements are if any. You'll also want to make sure that the road is public or private. These easements can sometimes hinder you ability to build. Utility easements will have an area around them included in the easement so the easement can be maintained. Also a huge Power Line easement will sometimes have setbacks required by the municipality. When you buy a lot, access to the lot may not be obvious. There may be other property between you and the main road. Any utilities in the area may have to cross another property to get to your lot. You need ... 12/25/2008

Have you ever done a CMA, and wonder why you did not get the listing? I have been asked many times why I get a high percentage of listings to CMA's done. The main thing I stress is that at the end of my CMA I ask for the listing. I have spoken to many agents and found that they waited for the seller to say OK we will list with you. That is a nice thing to hear but sometimes people need to be nudged a little. If you don't ask for the listing your chances of getting it go down by 75%. Floyd Wickman has a few Cd's out there that describe the art of closing. I listen to these tapes and some other Floydtapes at least twice a month. I strongly recommend you get your copies and start listing. The more you listen the more the closings will become second nature to your presentation. Thomas Santo... 12/24/2008

Marketing Tips #14, Westchester County real estate-What it takes! 49. Frequency is better than extravagance. Low cost materials that you can send often are better than ones that are to expensive to sent on a regular schedule. 50. Just listed and just sold mailings are great, but your sphere of influence and past customers would like to know what you are up to also, so include them in some of your just listed and sold. 51. Different customers and client respond to different thing so a good mixture will work better than a boring repeat of the same type on mailing. 52.People will generally look at a promotional piece for only a few seconds. So try to b e consistent in the look of your pieces. It will be kind of like a subliminal message if it is repeated enough. Thomas SantoreAssociate Br... 12/23/2008