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...