Hurricane Sandy — a massive storm that has impacted more than 50 million people — slammed into the East Coast late Monday, ripping down trees and causing unprecedented amounts of damage. Recovery efforts begin today. The storm, which is expected to cause $67 billion in damages, is forecasted to spread across 10 states and the District of Columbia. Unfortunately, its destruction could affect numerous RE/MAX Offices and Affiliates — not to mention, potentially destroy buildings and homes. Please support the RE/MAX Relief Fund, which provides financial aid to RE/MAX Affiliates affected by disasters.Donate to the Relief Fund today, or if you need it, apply for assistance by filling out the application for individuals or the application for offices. Email questions to relieffund@remax.net. "As this storm continues to cripple the day-to-day activity on the East Coast, it’s important we keep not only our RE/MAX family members in our thoughts and prayers, but also al...

101 Year Old Family Owned Company A cquires Promising Young Firm 101 year old Buffalo-based HUNT Real Estate ERA, with residential sales well in excess of $1 Billion so far in 2012, announces the acquisition of the promising young real estate firm, Turning Key Realty. Owned and operated by industry-veteran Terri Kern, Turning Key has 14 sales associates and a state-of-the-art facility at 4784 North French Road in East Amherst.   HUNT will maintain the current Turning Key Realty location.   In addition to remaining as the leader of her sales team at the East Amherst location, Kern will become the Niagara Region Supervising Branch Leader for HUNT’s branch office locations in Wheatfield, Lockport and Lewiston.   HUNT recently appointed 25-year industry leader Jamie Mendel-Kolb as Broker Consultant for its Lockport Branch, located in the Ulrich City Center in Lockport.   Mendel-Kolb will be part of the Niagara Regional Leadership Team with Terri...

The Hamburg office of 101 year old Buffalo-based HUNT Real Estate ERA is hosting a computer and electronics recycling event at their offices at 485 Sunset Drive on Saturday, October 6 from 9am-1pm. People can bring in everything from computer equipment to microwaves, cell phones, CD players, copiers, GPS units and more. Monies and any proceeds from items donated for recycling will go to benefit the Boys and Girls Club of Eden. The sales associates, staff and leadership of HUNT Real Estate ERA are no strangers to giving back to their communities. The company is a principal participant in United Way each year, and they recently held their Annual United Way Golf Outing & Wine Tour on Friday, September 21 st of this year.   All proceeds for this event – upwards of $20,000 - were donated to the United Way and invested into the community to take care of those with urgent needs. “Giving back to the community is an important part of HUNT's core beliefs.   ...

Craigslist.com, a popular place to advertise everything from jobs and homes to puppies and perspective mates has issued a warning of a new scam. If you're planning on selling your home, be mindful of the following -- once a home has been advertised or placed into the Multiple Listing Service (MLS), your property could become "bait" for scammers luring unwitting victims into handing over hundreds or thousands of dollars.     In a number of recent cases, scammers have taken information from real estate ads including photos of the houses for sale and posted classified ads on Craigslist.com. In theses ad THEY (the scammers) are actually renting these houses.     The scammers act as landlords living out of the country.  They ask for small sums of money from their victims (potential renters) to retrieve the house keys and take a walk-thru of the property.     In other cases, scammers actually gained access to vacant houses, gave tours to the p...

Almost seven years since the housing bubble burst, most indexes of housing prices are arcing upward.  Nearly 10 percent more homes were sold in May than in the same month in 2011.  The number of foreclosed homes has fallen and vacant homes are at their lowest level since 2006. This reduced inventory of unsold homes is the key.  For the past couple of years, house prices have risen in the spring and then slumped; the declining supply of houses for sale is reason to believe that won't happen again this year. Also, builders are working on 26 percent more single family homes then this time last year.  The stock of unsold newly built homes is back to 2005 levels.  Housing construction is a sure sign of economic growth. Though we are still a long way from a full recovery, housing should no longer be a factor in dragging the U.S. economy down.  We should be assured that the American dream of owning a home is attainable by any one of us.  To that point, with m...

Buffalo, NY – July 9, 2012 – In keeping with their commitment to attract and develop the best talent in the real estate business, HUNT Real Estate ERA held its second quarterly Business Leaders meeting for 2012 on June 12 at the Buffalo/Niagara Millennium Hotel. Over 130 attendees were empowered with leading industry speaker David Knox’s expert advice on responding to customer leads generated through HUNT’s exclusive HUNT Hotline. The HUNT Hotline is a new technology tool introduced earlier in the year that allows customers to get instant information on any listing when and where they want it, 24/7, whether through voice, text or mobile site. While other companies are scaling down and cutting resources due to challenging economic turns, HUNT Real Estate ERA has been turning on the investments – when it comes to providing their agents with the tools and systems they need to better service buyers and sellers today. David Knox has been a featured speaker at HUNT regional eve...

(Amherst, NY) – Representatives from the New York State Association of Realtors® (NYSAR) and Buffalo Niagara Association of Realtors® (BNAR) were present to award two scholarships at a reception ceremony at the BNAR’s headquarters at 200 John James Audubon Pkwy. on May 9, 2012. Recognizing the need to support the future of the real estate industry, NYSAR Real Estate Services, together with the New York State Real Estate Education Foundation, created the Next Generation Scholarship Fund to award scholarships to the next generation of real estate professionals for higher education. Relatives of Realtor® members entering or attending a two or four-year institution or pursuing graduate studies in real estate or a real estate-related field were invited to apply for the Next Generation Scholarship. Scholarships in the amount of five hundred ($500) dollars each were awarded to Christina Logan, daughter of Realtor® Lynne Logan, of Williamsville, NY and to Claire Sukiennik, daughte...

The National Association of Realtors is kicking off the home buying season as Realtors® will host thousands of open houses in neighborhoods across the country this weekend during Realtor® Nationwide Open House Weekend. On April 28th and 29th, Realtors® in the Western New York area invite buyers to visit some of the many open homes throughout the area where they can learn more about home ownership. In Western New York, there will be more than 750 open houses this weekend. This nationwide event not only brings buyers and sellers together, but also it provides an opportunity for Realtors® to connect with consumers in their community about the housing issues that matter most to them. Realtors® will be on hand to answer any questions consumers have about the buying process and local market conditions. As the country continues to feel the effects of the recession and unemployment rates, many have pointed to housing as a key economic driver. It is estimated that for every two homes sold, one...

As their 20 Year Anniversary Celebration continues, Essex Homes presents a brand new 1st Floor Master design the ”Wilshier”, in Clarence Center’s Shadow Woods.  This new neighborhood is conveniently located off Goodrich Road between Roll and County, just north of Keller Road.  “We’re pleased to add “Shadow Woods” to the list of popular neighborhoods where Essex is building,” stated Jeff Jones regional sales manager for Essex Homes. The Wilshier, located at 9440 Kristina Circle is open Saturday and Sunday, March 31st and April 1st from 1-5pm.  This home has 2413 sq. ft. with 4 bedrooms, 2 ½ baths in a practical layout for today’s lifestyle and is available for immediate occupancy for $349,900.  The draw to this new design is the 1st floor master suite with an eye-catching tray ceiling, private glamour bath and spacious walk-in closet.  Positioned in the back left corner of the house, you can enjoy the privacy of your owner’s suite being secluded from the rest of ...

Welcome to the Spring market in real estate! It is a magical time. It’s the time when all sellers and buyers come out of hibernation and transact real estate. While it may not seem like Spring outside, the Spring real estate market is already in full swing! If you are thinking about selling your house contact a REALTOR® right away! They can direct you on how to begin the process to get your house ready to be listed on the market. This way, you can know what to expect, how long it will take and when the best time to sell your house will be. The real estate market is making a come back in WNY! Your house may only take a couple months to sell. Most people want to find a house by the end of June at the latest so that they can move over the summer when work loads are lighter and kids are not in school.  If you list your house in May and it takes three months to sell, you will find yourself in July and in a very quiet market. However, if you list your house in March and it takes three mo...

Owning a home offers a myriad benefits throughout the year, but some of the financial advantages of home ownership are most apparent at tax time.  As many of today’s hard-working American families are feeling a financial squeeze, the tax benefits that can come from owning a home can be a welcome relief.  A number of tax deductions and credits are still available for home owners; these include deductions (with specific limits) for mortgage interest and capital gains on home sales, and credits for certain energy-efficient home improvements. Even with these benefits, home owners pay 80-90 percent of all U.S. federal income taxes. It’s been suggested that many of today’s tax incentives for home ownership primarily benefit wealthy individuals, but that’s simply not true!  As today’s public debate continues about what home ownership means for families, communities, and the nation’s economy, there’s no question that for many, owning a home is still the best way to begin building...

1. ask a REAL ESTATE agent for professional advice to ready your home. 2. Get rid of ALL clutter. 3. Store as much as possible ( Rent a storage unit) less is better. 4. De Personalize  ( no photos of family) 5. Make sure closests are clean and cabnets in case buyers open them. 6. Fix any broken items 7. Ask a handy man to do a home inspection and have him fix everything. 8. Paint all room Natural colors. 9. Help your agent make the house smell nice. Candles , popcorn cookies,pie. just before open house. 10. Make sure the front door area is perfect for that 1st Impression   ALSO HAVE A PROFESSIONAL AGENT THERE WITH A SMILE TO GREET BUYERS. 716-830-6689 Stop in 277 Main St East Aurora, NY for a private showing of any of my listings twitter AmyPfister80 FaceBook Amy Pfister www.amypfister.com www.prestigehomeswny.com

Essex Homes has teamed up with a local financial institution to offer special financing options with only 5% down for the Villas at Brompton in Hamburg. “Take advantage of savings like never before,” stated Philip J. Nanula, president of Essex Homes. “We are offering an opportunity for you to purchase your new Essex Homes’ Villa with a 5% down payment, while providing assistance with mortgage insurance,” Nanula continued. When purchasing a home, if you put less than 20% down, you are required to pay mortgage insurance. In some cases, this can add more than $200 to your monthly payments. “Our new “5% Financing Program” gives our customers the ability to put only 5% down on their new Villa without adding the mortgage insurance to their monthly payment. It’s like having the best of both worlds,” Nanula continued. “Different things are important to different people so we have three options available to avoid paying your mortgage insurance monthly,” stated Nanula. Each scenario...

Forbes Capretto Homes announces the grand opening of the “Avery III” model at 43 Wainwright Court, Lancaster.   The “Avery III” is a three-bedroom ranch home with over 1,800 square feet of living space.   You enter the home by way of a covered front porch. To the left of the foyer and tucked away at the back of the home for privacy, is the owner’s suite.   A large bedroom overlooks the back yard and the suite includes a walk-in closet and private bath with double sink vanity.   Next to the owner’s suite, away from the main living space, are the laundry room and staircase leading to a full-sized basement.   To the right of the foyer, and also accessible via an internal hallway, are two additional bedrooms and the main bath.   The flexibility of the floor plan provides for changing needs as Bedroom 3 can be used as a home office or playroom if desired. At the back of the home is the great room where a fireplace with custom surround is fla...

2012 marks the “20 Year Anniversary” for Essex Homes. Essex Homes offers exceptional value, unprecedented customer service and impressive standard features with attention to detail. Founded in 1992 by the Nanula family, Essex Homes has earned a reputation as being the “home builder that thinks like a home buyer!”  “We have some very exciting events planned for our anniversary celebration including money saving promotions, new neighborhoods, and new home designs,” stated President, Philip J. Nanula.  Nanula credits much of the success of his locally owned and operated company to their unwavering dedication to their mission statement…We pledge you; commitment, quality, service, value and a pleasant home building experience. “The rest of the credit goes to our dedicated associates and the families of WNY; we appreciate your confidence and loyalty to Essex Homes and  look forward to serving you for many more years to come,” boasted Nanula. In light of their twenty years of ou...

Forbes Capretto Homes is proud to announce the grand opening of the “Saxton” at 6 Muirfield Lane, Lancaster in the Country Club Estates community.   At 2,468 square feet, the “Saxton” is a spacious 4-bedroom home with an open floor plan combining separate areas for everyday living and for entertaining.   You’ll be welcomed home via a dramatic two-story covered porch opening to the foyer with its gleaming hardwood floors.   To one side is the formal dining-room and to the other, the den/home office.   Continuing through the home, you reach the well-appointed kitchen and bayed dinette area.   The kitchen enjoys a generous run of counters, large center island snack bar, Maytag appliances and a walk-in pantry leading to the separate laundry room.   Sliding glass doors open to the country-sized back yard and pond.     Offset to the rear of the home, is a light and airy great room with slanted ceiling and second floor overlook.   A...

According to a new national survey, American voters strongly value homeownership. American's are making it clear that owning a home remains the cornerstone of the American Dream and would oppose efforts to weaken or eliminate the mortgage interest deduction or diminish a federal role to help qualifi ed buyers obtain affordable 30-year mortgages. The survey done on behalf of the National Association of Home Builders, polled 1,500 potential voters. The poll showed that three out of four voters - both owners and renters - believe the government should provide tax incentives to promote homeownership. As well as helping home buyers secure an affordable 30-year fi xed mortgage. 73 percent of voters, across party lines, oppose eliminating the mortgage interest deduction. More than two thirds of them say they would be less likely to vote for a congressional candidate who proposed to abolish the deduction. Politicians take heed! The American people are speaking up and looking to it's le...

I can not stress enough the advantages today’s market has for those looking to invest in real estate. Mortgage rates continue to hover at record lows, property prices are unbeatable and the market is slowly making a come back. Real Estate sales were up in December, 1.8 percent from last year! And with spring not far off, you can be sure that number will continue to rise. This is the best opportunity for you to reach out a grab your American dream. Invest in your future, invest in real estate and start building wealth. Start with the website the professionals use for ALL their real estate needs, 2FindYourHome – the only Broker owned website that delivers 100 percent of the information needed for today’s consumer. Then contact one of the 2700 professional REALTORS® to make your dreams a reality. To that point, the Buffalo Niagara Association of Realtors® (BNAR) which serves as the trade organization that allows real estate licensees to be recognized as a Realtor and provides Code of Ethi...

Forbes Capretto Homes is excited to announce our newest community – Hidden Pines, Lancaster.   Hidden Pines is a Forbes Capretto-exclusive community of custom-built homes set in a meadow-like environment.   Mature pines border the community, providing privacy as well as natural beauty.   Availability is limited to 14 large lots - lake views are available - with buyers able to choose from a selection of Ranch and Two-Story home designs, all of which can be customized to meet the homeowner’s requirements.   Prices start from the $270s, including lot. Our three-bedroom “Avery III” model is recommended for buyers seeking single-story living at Hidden Pines or, for more space chose the feature-packed “Crestwood”.   At just under 3,000 square feet this four-bedroom home is built around an open-plan kitchen/dinette featuring a large center island, walk-in pantry and ample prep space.   A sunroom is included as standard and the Great ...

I want to wish all of you a very healthy, happy and prosperous New Year. As I begin to look back on the housing market for 2011, we fi nished the year stronger than anticipated. Yes, we fell short of the number of homes that were sold when compared to 2010 but that was expected. In 2010 we had government tax incentives which skewed the market and forced twelve months of home sales into the first six months of the year. As the economy continued its slide in 2011 home sales dropped slightly when compared with the second half of 2010 but fi nished as strong in November and December. So, what’s the forecast for 2012? Overall, we will see between 2.5 and 3 percent growth in the US economy which bodes well for us in Western New York. Our housing market will continue to grow at a good pace and stay ahead of that curve. Remember, we never experienced the fast growth or the faster decline like the homeowners experienced in Nevada, Arizona or California. Housing in our market is still appreciat...