So the question is, how far will you go in your daily commute, so that you can earn a decent pay while living in an affordable community with the desired quality of life for you and your family? We think we are justifying a longer travel time by getting what we want most from life…or are we just fooling ourselves??

A buyer client I am currently working with needs to commute to New York City and recently he fell strongly in like with a home in New Paltz, Ulster County, New York.  As I conduct my due diligence regarding the potential purchase of the house, and he does his with regard to the impact on his current lifestyle requirements, he mentioned that he came across this article titled Extreme Commuting.

I know, but look at the sunset from the screened-in porch.

Kim Simms is a full-time licensed real estate salesperson and residential real estate consultant with Houlihan Lawrence Real Estate of East Fishkill, NY. She can be reached at ksimms@houlihanlawrence.com.

Posted by:  Kim Simms

Eighteen  years ago, I walked into my office and saw a colleague looking fretful and upset. She was to have a closing later that day, but that was not to be. The house had burned down to the ground the night before. There are many reasons why a buyer needs to conduct a final walk-through. Making sure the house is still standing before you buy it is certainly an important one.

Let's first back up a bit and recap how we get to the final walk-through. Pretend you are the buyer. You make an offer on a house, negotiate with the seller to an accepted offer, and then you hire a home inspector to spend a few hours going over the house with a fine-tooth comb and everything checks out. A contract of sale is signed, you get your mortgage cleared-to-close, and a closing date is set. Now it's time to schedule when you re-visit the house and make sure it is everything you expect it to be - according to the contract you signed. This visit is commonly referred to as the final walk-through and it is usually scheduled to take place as reasonably close to the closing as possible. If the closing is in the afternoon, you do the walk through that morning. If the closing is in the morning, schedule it for the afternoon or evening prior.

Once you are at the house what exactly do you check? One of the first places I run to is a sink. I start running hot water in various places throughout the house. If the house had been vacant, it may take a while for the water to scald my fingers. To save energy, the seller may have set the hot water heater to vacation mode or the furnace may be off. I turn on the heat and place my hands on the baseboards throughout the house to make sure they are warming up. Sometimes we find a real problem and perhaps the furnace needs repair. It can happen. If there is central air, I will turn that on too.

The buyer and I will open up all cabinets and closets checking to see if the seller forgot to take anything. Most real estate contracts of sale will have language that states the house should be "broom-swept" and clear of debris. Sometimes sellers are kind and go to extraordinary lengths to clean the house usually out of pride and common courtesy. However, it is unlikely the contract of sale will say the house must be sanitized. So if the house is not as clean as you might keep it, don't be surprised. Did you want all those paint cans in the basement? If they are recently painted colors, maybe you do. During a walk-through I did at an older house in Poughkeepsie, I counted 44 cans of paint that had been left behind by the seller! No buyer wants that many old cans of paint. We requested that the seller either remove the cans prior to the closing or compensate the buyer. The seller removed the cans which was fine. Leaving behind rubbish for a buyer to remove is unfair and is usually considered "debris".

I will check the appliances to make certain they are running. I won't start a dishwasher because it takes too long to run through an entire cycle. I might run a quick rinse cycle if available just to see the power go on at least. The same goes for the washing machine. We will look over the entire exterior and interior from ceiling to windows to floor doing our best to notice if anything has changed since the inspection. Are there recent cracks in windows? Any newly noticed large stains on the carpet or floor? Did the movers perhaps make a significant dent in the wall?

If your contract of sale requires that the seller perform any repairs to the house, you need to make sure those repairs were completed. Most situations like this will require that the seller provide a receipt for work done by a professional which is given to the attorneys prior to setting up the closing date. But if there was anything not requiring a receipt, you need to check.

New York State requires working carbon monoxide and smoke detectors installed in the house by the time of closing. Unfortunately, many sellers will run to the store and buy them just prior to closing and leave them at the house in their original, unopened packaging. If that happens, make sure you install them soon as possible before you move in to keep you and your loved ones safe.

What happens if you do spy a problem on the walk-through? Like most agents, I have a smart phone with video camera. If I find something on a walk-through that seems unusual, I am taking video and showing it to my clients attorney. We will also call the listing agent and ask her to discuss the problem with the seller. Sometimes there is an easy fix. However, if it's not an easy fix, the attorneys will usually discuss the matter and possibly agree to holding a certain amount of money in escrow until the problem is resolved. This way the closing - and both parties - can move forward.

Some home inspectors may offer to accompany you at the final walk-through for an additional fee. It's not a bad idea. Be sure to compare pricing when you first hire an inspector for the initial visit. In any event, it is essential that your buyers agent be present with you to witness that either everything looks good, or that there is something amiss that needs to be addressed at the closing table.

Tammy Benkwitt is a real estate agent with twenty years experience working with buyers and sellers in Dutchess, Putnam and Northern Westchester counties in New York. She can be reached at tbenkwitt@houlihanlawrence.com or on her cell 914-714-2127.

Posted by:  Tammy Benkwitt

Did you know that there is more than one kind of real estate agent in New York? In fact, there are buyers agents, sellers agents, brokers agents, sub-agents, dual agents and designated agents. Which one should you work with? Well, that depends.

New York State real estate law requires us to discuss the various kinds of agents and who we represent at our "first substantive contact" with a new customer or client. For example, if you were to call a real estate agent inquiring about a home you saw advertised, that agent can tell you the number of bedrooms and bathrooms, but is not supposed to ask you questions or let talk about yourself until he or she explains the agency options available to you. For many, it's an awkward conversation. Most agents are lucky to be able to share this information before the customer hangs up the phone thinking they are being suckered into buying a bridge in Brooklyn!

In fact, many agents have a hard time understanding the complexities of agency relationships. The rules about what we are allowed to say and to whom we can say it and when can be mind boggling sometimes. Most of us have taken numerous classes to become better educated on the subject. So if you get confused, don't feel embarrassed because you are not alone!

We understand our clients are focused on either finding the right home or selling a property - usually the most expensive financial transaction in their lives. However, that is why it is so very important that buyers and sellers pay attention to what their real estate agent is supposed to be doing on their behalf. If you don't establish and understand your relationship with your real estate agent at your first meeting, it can cost you at the closing table. Agents are gladly willing to answer any and all questions.

In 1992, New York State mandated that all real estate agents not only explain agency relationships to clients and customers, it also required that we have our buyers and sellers sign a form acknowledging we had this discussion. Sometimes people are reluctant to sign the form. You should know that it is not an agreement or commitment between the agent and buyer or seller, just a disclosure. You are not obligated to continue to work with that agent because you signed the Agency Disclosure Form.

This is the first post in a series where I will try to explain, as succinctly as I can, what real estate agency relationships mean to you as a buyer or seller. Look out for upcoming posts and please feel free to ask any questions you may have in the comments section below.

Tammy Benkwitt is a real estate agent and instructor with 20 years experience and serves the counties of Dutchess, Putnam and Northern Westchester. She can be reached by cell 914-714-2127 or email .

Posted by:  Tammy Benkwitt

The pool at Four Corners in East Fishkill

We moved from Westchester County to Fishkill, New York in 2002. At the time we paid $285,000 for a raised ranch on an acre of land that offered perks such as town water and sewer, natural gas, trees everywhere, and no ugly telephone poles in the streets. Granted, those are fairly boring perks. However, in an area dominated by septic systems, wells, and oil heat, that house got this real estate agent's attention, and I grabbed it in a seller's market.

My husband and I had previously only rented in a brick apartment building in New Rochelle with no air conditioning, and then owned a small condo in Peekskill. We never had a pool. So the fact that this house had central air conditioning, as well as two decks, and an above ground pool was a huge bonus!

As I write this, the temperature is heading toward 100 degrees and I am thankful to have central air conditioning and will likely jump in the pool later with my family. That got me thinking about how many other folks out there are like us and would appreciate having a home with these cool (excuse the pun)amenities. So, just for fun, I ran a search of available homes in the Southern Dutchess County area that have both central air conditioning and a pool. Here is what I found.

According to the Mid-Hudson MLS (Available homes with BOTH Central Air and a Pool)

So there you go, 94 affordably priced homes that have central air AND a pool for sale right now. All located in the southern end of Dutchess County, approximately a 60 minute drive to White Plains. Many sellers are willing to make seller concessions in order to help buyers with closing costs and there are indeed mortgage opportunities for most people. If you dream of leaving the hot, steaming city and owning a home to call your own, here is your chance!

One other fast fact: Home prices in this area have now dropped close to 2002 prices. Take a look at the graph that shows a ten year market overview of the southern Dutchess area. It clearly illustrates that homes are now much more affordable than in recent years and indeed almost at 2002 levels. The market is basically back to where my husband and I began. Personally, I don't feel like I've lost anything. We are living our dream of owning a home we can comfortably afford and enjoy for many years to come.

I will always remember how we felt cooped up in our sweltering, tiny apartment during the summertime. Finding our home in Fishkill was one of our best decisions. If you want to know how to make the plunge, let's talk!

Tammy Benkwitt is a real estate agent and real estate instructor serving Dutchess, Putnam and Westchester counties. She can be reached at 914-714-2127 or email tbenkwitt@houlihanlawrence.com.

Posted by:  Tammy Benkwitt

When you have finally found the house of your dreams, or the next best place, the list of things-to-do seems endless. However, once the furniture and boxes are in place and unpacked, start exploring your new neighborhood! If you have school-age children, that will come naturally, as they meet new friends, neighbors, and therefore, so do you. While this is an easy way to make new connections, you can expand your circle of acquaintances by joining clubs, organizations, church groups, and town governments, just to name a few. The people you will meet can become good friends and valuable resources; they can be the links that will round out your sense of home in a new place, one that goes beyond just a physical house.

You will feel a sense of belonging here as you greet a neighbor on the street, another parent in the grocery store, the pastor at the door of the church-and you will know that this is a good thing!

Posted by:  Lisa Sanker

The real estate market in the Hudson Valley is much like it is elsewhere in the country; ups and downs, some bidding wars, some houses sitting on the market for no apparent reason, and a lot of anxiety.  The following has absolutely nothing to do with real estate but a good laugh puts most things in perspective.  Enjoy!

It began with a Mother's Day card. Alleged perpetrator, one Mitchell Benjamin of Los Angeles, California, sent a Mother's Day card to his grandmother, Blanche Benjamin of New York, New York. Aforementioned Mother's Day card clearly indicated that the suspect "missed his grandmother's home cooking." This statement allegedly launched Mrs. Benjamin into a plan which eventually resulted in a suspicious package, containing one brisket (aka pot roast) secured within dry ice, to be delivered via USPS overnight priority mail to LAX, arousing the attentions of a variety of bomb-sniffing canines. (Note to Homeland Security: Members of the K-9 unit, no matter how well-trained and professional they may appear, will abandon scheduled duties of alerting to WMD, illegal drugs or other contraband, enlisting colleagues to do the same, if a genuine New York brisket, albeit securely packed in high grade dry ice, is detected in the vicinity.  

Upon observing the agitated behavior of the airport K-9 Unit, TSA agents bravely examined the object of attention, advising the LAPD to immediately and personally contact the addressee. Said addressee had been duly advised by his grandmother of the expected arrival of the package, lest it be left on the doorstep and enjoyed by local raccoons and passers-by. 

When the representatives from the LAPD presented themselves at the door of our hero, he immediately asserted his innocence by saying: 'I haven't done anything.' When questioned, he did admit to knowing the person whose name was listed as the sender of the package, and that she was, in fact, his grandmother, and that she did, in fact, inform him that a package was in transit. When questioned as to the contents of said package, Benjamin replied, without hesitation: "My grandmother sent me a brisket."   

Benjamin was then instructed to appear in person at the facility where suspicious parcels are kept out of harm's way of the public. He took custody of the brisket, and summarily prepared it for consumption ("warmed it up and enclosed it within slices of rye bread, also included) in accordance with instructions supplied by Blanche Benjamin. 

Post Script: When reminded by members of her immediate family that the $200 spent on dry ice, bubble wrap, overnight delivery service, and the meat itself along with its side dishes and the electricity used to prepare them could have been applied to a restaurant certificate anywhere in the city of Los Angeles and its environs, Blanche Benjamin replied that she had only done "what any grandmother would do."

This was written by my friend Amy Benjamin, mother of Mitchell.  Amy is an educator and writer who should be doing stand-up comedy. 

Posted by:  Roberta Lorio

Today, I will take a client to Fishkill, NY, to show her a condominium and a townhome, both priced under 200K. She wants to be near major roadways so she can commute back and forth to Southern Westchester County and New York City, for work.

According to their official website, "The Village of Fishkill was a significant crossroads in the overland transportation network in the 18^th and 19^th centuries. The Kings Highway, connecting Albany to New York City, intersected with a major overland route from New England to the Hudson River."

The same holds true today. Fishkill is Southern Dutchess County and people moving to this area who need to be close to major highways and trains can access: US Route 9, a major artery which runs north and south and is parallel with the Hudson River; I84, which runs east and west, the Taconic Parkways which runs north and south (and splits up into the The Sprain Brook Parkway and Bronx River Parkway down around Hawthorne/White Plains in Westchester County); and I87, which is also called the New York State Thruway in this area and is known as "the Major Deegan" when you get down near Yonkers and Mount Vernon.

A quick snapshot of the Multiple Listing reveals 178 "single family attached" homes (condominium, co-op, townhome & "other") for sale in Fishkill. The least expensive is a 1974 1 BR 1BA 800 SF co-op priced at $84,900 and the most expensive is a new construction 3BR 2.5 BA 3600 SF attached home priced at $579,995.

In addition to its communter-friendly Dutchess County location, Fishkill is also a perfect representation of area history, recreational facilities and fine dining. Our hunt today is for a condo or townhouse that is affordable, has good amenities, and is conveniently located. I’ll let you know how it goes.

For more information on the Village of Fishkill and surrounding areas, contact Kim Simms, a full-time licensed real estate salesperson and residential real estate consultant with Houlihan Lawrence Real Estate of East Fishkill, NY. She can be reached at

Posted by:  Kim Simms

If you are a buyer who is actively looking to buy a home, visiting open houses is helpful because it gives you the opportunity to see what kinds of homes are for sale and at which price points. Here are some tips on how to make the most of your open house experience:

Wear slip-on shoes. (I bet you didn’t see that one coming!) Oftentimes a seller will request that buyers and agents remove shoes when walking through the house. The house may feature clean, light colored carpeting or gleaming hardwood floors. If you are asked to remove shoes, this is likely a good sign the seller is caring for the home.

Say as little as possible. Yes, introduce yourself, smile. But until you know who that agent works for, don’t share any information about your motivation or financial ability to purchase a home. If you like the agent and want to work with that person, that’s perfectly fine. But you first need to know who’s working for whom before you start talking! Agents are required by law to disclose who they represent upon the first substantive contact. Pay attention to this discussion carefully, it’s important. If you are talking to the listing agent, the person negotiating on behalf of the seller, understand that anything you say will be shared with the seller. (Many buyers falsely believe that if they buy the house from the listing agent it saves them money because the agent receives less commission. This is usually not the case.) If the agent fails to discuss with you who they are working for, make sure you ask!

Have a photo ID handy. For safety reasons, many agents will ask to see your driver’s license when you enter the house. Most people understand this and it’s not a problem.

Complete the sign-in sheet. Each open house will have a sign-in sheet. It will ask your name, contact information and how you were alerted to the open house. That’s it. Some people feel that if they share their name and email, a salesperson will hound them endlessly. Let’s be honest, the agent will likely follow up with you the next day to see if you liked the home. However, if you no longer wish to be contacted, let the agent know and your wishes will be respected. Please remember that you are a total stranger walking into another person’s house. Agents have a responsibility to make a record of everyone that enters the property.

Announce if you are already working with an agent. If you have a great buyer’s agent who is showing you homes and working on your behalf, just let the open house agent know who that is. Most agents appreciate this honesty and will follow up with your agent instead of calling you. If you have the business card from your buyer’s agent, hand it to the open house agent.

Keep your group together. Let the agent escort you through the house and please have everyone in your party stay together. Again, the agent does not know who you are. Nefarious individuals have been known to rifle through drawers and attempt to steal from the seller. We know you are eager to do your own thing and may feel like you don’t need the agent. Sorry, but the agent is responsible for the property while he or she is there. The polite custom is to be patient, understanding, and stick with the agent.

Take notes. Bring a pencil and notebook, iPad, your choice. But you will want write down the pros and cons of the home that are important to you. If you want to take photos or video, check with the agent to see if the seller has given permission. (There may already be photos on-line or in a brochure – ask for it.) Also, ask the agent if there is a survey or any other relevant documentation available.

Never bring to an open house: pets, sporting equipment, food or drinks. I have seen an entire little league baseball team (attempt) to come through an open house! Leave the back packs and large pocket books in the car. Use some common sense. If you were the person selling the house, what would be your expectations of how strangers should behave?

Experienced agents have a pretty good idea of who to expect at open houses. We know people like to attend open houses for a variety of reasons. Visitors include neighbors who want to see what is for sale on their street, general curiosity seekers with a little extra time on their hands, and folks considering a new home but who need to sell the one they live in first. So what’s “in it” for us?

Hosting an open house gives agents an opportunity to be in front of the public. We want to develop relationships and talk about real estate in the areas where we work and live. If a visitor likes us and chooses either to work with us directly or refer us to a friend, that is helpful to our business. Sometimes the person wants information about the local real estate market for the future and we are happy to assist.

And then sometimes, the open house visitor may actually purchase the house. It’s rare, but it happens.

Tammy Benkwitt is a real estate agent and instructor working in Dutchess, Putnam and Westchester counties. She can be reached at 914.714.2127 or tbenkwitt@houlihanlawrence.com.

Posted by:  Tammy Benkwitt

As you may recall I attended an Earth Hour gathering on Saturday.

The event was hosted by one of my clients Carolyn Klocker, Water Resource Educator for Cornell Cooperative extension.

The lights went out at 8:30 p.m. but the festivities carried on. Good food and great conversation all by candlelight. It wasn't until 10:30 that we realized we never bothered to turn the lights back on, but we did realize that it was fine that way. To read more about Earth Hour click here.

Carolyn in my opinion is on the cutting edge of where we all need to be, creating awareness, being aware of our environment and how our living impacts the environment.

Another client that is creating awareness is Goeff Ringler and Roe Co Builders LLC. These Eco-friendly builders have recently listed an Energy Certified Home in the town of East Fishkill. To find out more about what it means to have an Energy Star Certified home click here. Watch for open house information coming soon.

It feels good to know these people and to be a small part of the monumental effort to reduce our carbon foot print.

Posted by:  Tina Vaitkus

Before all the statistics about housing are reported on the news, the actual sales have to happen first. What real estate agents are experiencing right now will help impact how the world economy behaves in a few months. So every once in a while, I will post a “sneak peek.” Here’s what is actually happening in my business during the last few weeks. There is something about buyers in today’s real estate market that is giving me hope.

To put it in perspective, a little history first. Approximately between the years 2004-2006, buyers were demanding homes that had all bells and whistles - “McMansions” with granite counters, stainless appliances, wood floors and so on. That urgent desire for all the amenities drove buyers into purchasing homes they could not afford. Buyers did not consider what might happen when their adjustable mortgage rates came due. (The reason for the decline of the real estate market is a much longer story. I am focusing on buyer choices at the moment.) 

Recently, I have been hearing my clients sing a slightly different tune. While it is nice to have those extras, more buyers are poised to make purchase decisions based on what they can afford, and are willing to postpone upgrades to a time when they are more certain about their finances. Location, location, location first, Viking appliances later! Yes, buyers want a bargain, it’s their market and they know it. But common sense is back at the helm and it’s refreshing to hear!

The National Association of Realtors released a report on August 24, 2010 that explains the decline in housing sales in July 2010. Home sales (closed sales) declined as anticipated because many people took advantage of the home buyer credit which ended April 30 (buyers had to be in contract by 4/30/10 to qualify). In other words, people who might have otherwise purchased a home later in the year, closed on their homes in June in order to gain the tax credit. Lawrence Yun, Chief Economist for the National Association of Realtors, explains the findings in this televised interview.

Again, here is what I am experiencing today. Almost like the “good old days” when you bought a starter home, fixed it up over time, and had a solid, common sense plan for paying it off, buyers are indeed buying, but using more caution and care. The difference is that in those “good old days,” 30-year fixed interest rates were much higher (I remember 10% in 1990), and today’s rates are closer to 4.625%. There are still many financial options available to first time home buyers such as low interest SONYMA loans in New York State. If you want to stop paying a landlord and own your home, talk to a real estate and/or mortgage professional. Get all the facts, then decide what is best for you.

Tammy Benkwitt is a real estate agent and instructor who lives in Fishkill, New York. She can be reached at 914-714-2127.

Posted by:  Tammy Benkwitt