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Things to Do in Buffalo This Holiday Season

December 4, 2017 by dl2

The Buffalo-Niagara area at Christmastime has several things you, your friends, and your family can see and do mostly outdoors. Yes, it will probably be cold out, but that’s what warm coats, hats, mittens and boots are for, and there are plenty of things going on this month to enjoy, even when the “weather outside is frightful” as the old “Let It Snow” song goes…

First up, have you ever been on an ice bike? Seems like a cool thing to try out, right? Downtown Buffalo’s Canalside has ice bikes, which are bicycles you can ride on ice. Does that sound odd? It is! That’s exactly why it’s appealing! The ice at Canalside is also where you can choose to ice skate or do the very Canadian sport called curling, which kind of looks like you’re sweeping ice to get a “ball” to a certain spot like in bocce. Well, you might need to read up on curling for a much better description. Suffice it to say, people “curl” at Canalside!

Downtown Buffalo has another place to ice skate, and it’s at Rotary Rink at Fountain Plaza— at Main and Chippewa. “Call first” if the weather is above 45 degrees, though– you know, a Buffalo heatwave– to check to see if they’re operating.

Do you like pretty lights? The Hamburg Fairgrounds hosts a Festival of Lights at 5820 South Park Ave. in Hamburg, south of Buffalo. You drive your car through several colorful, lit-up displays. There’s also something called the North Pole Experience involving Santa’s front porch. Visit their site for dates, hours and details.

North of Buffalo, at Niagara Falls, there are fireworks every Friday night at 9pm until Jan. 26, 2018. As Christmas gets nearer, fireworks go off nightly Dec. 23 – 29! You can view the fireworks from both the American and Canadian sides.

Finally, New Year’s Eve is when you’ll want to go to downtown Buffalo. They have a ball drop and fireworks display to ring in the new year at the Iskalo Electric Tower at Roosevelt Plaza. This is located where Main, Huron and Genesee Streets intersect in downtown Buffalo. It’s a family-friendly, alcohol-free event starting about 10:30pm on Dec. 31. Thousands attend this annual celebration. Before that, go to the Buffalo Convention Center for “First Night Buffalo,” where you’ll find carnival rides, bounce houses, acrobats, jugglers and more– great for the kids. That warm, indoor event runs from 5 to 10pm.

Tips for Winterizing Your Home

November 6, 2017 by dl2

Winterizing Your Home If you’ve lived in Western New York for any length of time, you’d know that it usually starts to snow about the second week of October. This year, however, we have had an extended summer. The months of September and October were warmer, sunnier and more pleasant than normal. However, as November and December creep up on us, the weather has changed. It’s that time of year to winterize your home. If you have forced air, when’s the last time you replaced your furnace filter? Make it a regular habit; put it on your calendar to remind yourself when it’s time to change it. During the winter you don’t want a dirty filter because that restricts air flow while costing you more money to heat your house since your furnace has to work harder.

Cut Down On Your Heating Bill

Do you have ceiling fans? They have a switch that can be changed to run them “in reverse.” By changing the direction of the blades so that they turn clockwise, you can use your ceiling fans to make your house warmer this winter. The fans push the hot air that rises back down into the living space while helping you cut your overall heating bill– nice!

Prevent Pipes From Freezing

For those with hoses and pipes near the exterior of the house, now’s the time to drain them of any water so that water doesn’t freeze up. Also, shut off water valves. Turn off exterior water spigots. Remove in-window A/C units and store them for the winter because if you don’t you’re letting cold air drafts sneak into your place.

Improve Energy Efficiency

Buy and use “draft snakes” on the bottom of your doors to the exterior. These will keep out cold air. They’re typically made from fabric and filled with sand or kitty litter so they stay in place and have some weight to them.

If you have storm doors and windows, now’s the time to install them to help seal drafts and reduce air flow. You can also use window insulation kits, which involve plastic sheets that go over windows (or certain doors) to further keep cold out of the house. You might want to invest in some “ low e-film” to apply directly to your window glass for further help in that regard. If you notice any gaps around your windows and doors, use some caulk and/or weatherstripping. When you prevent air leaks, you make your home much more energy efficient.

Just like there’s a time for spring cleaning, now’s the time for winterizing your home. Protect your investment by preparing it for the year’s coldest months. Good luck!

Signs That You’re In Need of a Larger Home

October 3, 2017 by dl2

If you’re a single person you probably don’t need a two-car garage, an extra-wide driveway, or a four bedroom house. However, if you fall in love with someone special, then he or she is going to play a big role in your everyday life. Where will they park their car during a Buffalo winter? Where will they store their stuff in your cramped place?

Moving to a Bigger Home If you’re the kind of person who likes to have people over but there’s nowhere for them to sit, stand, chat or eat, then you might need a larger home. If you have a whole lot of stuff to store but there’s not enough room in your current place, such that you’re paying to rent a storage locker down the road, then it’s time to “move on up” in the world of bigger homes.

Take, for instance, the plight of people living in old brownstones in Brooklyn downstate– sure, these stately homes are beautiful to look at with their ornate and classic design, but you’ll soon discover there’s no room for a dining room table and chairs in most of them. Bathrooms are so small that you can barely close the door let alone find a place to put your feet when you’re squashed like an accordion on the toilet! Indeed, many older homes, whether they’re in Brooklyn or the Buffalo area or anywhere else are just too cramped for modern day lifestyles. Were the people smaller years back? Probably. Did they only need a tiny closet to hang a handful of outfits? Yep. Today, however, people crave “wide open spaces.” They expect it!

It’s no wonder, then, that newer homes with wider hallways, “open floor plans,” and tons of cabinets, shelves and drawers are more in-demand than the cramped ones built before 1939.

Now, of course, there’s another big reason people feel the need to upgrade to a bigger home… besides running out of room for their stuff and/or not having enough space to entertain guests, there’s the age-old challenge of having a growing family.

Maybe a small apartment works well for a newly married couple, but then baby #1 comes along. Sure, the apartment “kind of” works for a while, but you know what mom is going to say to dad? “Honey, we need a bigger place!” Now if baby #2 is born a year or two later, it’s almost without a doubt that the couple will decide (well, she’ll decide and he’ll go along with whatever makes her happy) to move to a bigger place. Having kids and/or deciding that elderly parents should “move in” automatically increases the need for more bedrooms and bathrooms.

Donna Littlefield can help take you from a small place to a bigger one. As a realtor serving some of Buffalo-Niagara’s favorite suburbs, she’s ready to help you search and find a bigger, better place. Call her at 716-578-1788 today.

What is a Market Analysis?

August 23, 2017 by dl2

When people think about selling their home they often wonder, “How much should I sell it for?” The number doesn’t just appear out of thin air. The number often comes from having a real estate agent perform a market analysis in order to arrive at a number that will help the property sell quickly and for a good price so that both the buyer and seller are happy.

A market analysis involves a realtor taking a look at what prices comparable homes sold for in the neighborhood. So, for example, say there’s a similar home a few doors down from yours that was built around the same time yours was, and features a similar layout, including 3 bedrooms, 3 baths, and a backyard deck and pool. If it sold for $150,000 a month ago, then your realtor would likely say your home would sell “in that ballpark” too. Or perhaps there were five homes sold in a half mile radius of your home within the past year, with an average sale price of $150,000– that would inform your agent as to “what the market will bear” locally.

If you were to ask a real estate agent how price is determined, they’d generally reply, “Price is dependent on what others are willing to pay for a particular home/property.” It’s no wonder, then, that homes on the waterfront go for much more than homes near highways and electric lines.

A market analysis involves statistics such that an informed decision can be made on how to price a property accordingly so it will likely sell in a timely manner.

Interestingly, some people will hear the number an agent gives them and they will not agree to it. Oftentimes, there’s an emotional response involved, such as, “I put all my sweat and tears into building and decorating this house. I won’t settle for anything less than a million.” The realtor may say, “The market analysis suggests this house would sell for somewhere between $750,000 and $850,000.” A seller is free to set the price they “want,” though they may find few people will “bite,” because the price is set too high. That’s why having a realtor do a market analysis is probably the best bet toward setting a fair price whereas the home/property will sell, and sell quickly.

Have you been wondering what your house might be worth these days? Have Donna Littlefield perform a FREE market analysis for you; call 716-578-1788 to arrange that today!

RealtyUSA Was Bought Out By Howard Hanna Real Estate Services

August 7, 2017 by dl2

If you’ve followed my blog for some time, you probably know that I’ve been associated with RealtyUSA. Well, that independent company was recently bought by Howard Hanna Real Estate Services and I’m now technically with them. This is a good thing because Howard Hanna Real Estate Services is a family-owned company which has built up a huge real estate empire providing me (and you) nearly unlimited resources. I’m here to stay, providing Western New Yorkers and soon-to-be Western New Yorkers with the same great service you’ve come to expect.

RealtyUSA had been the largest real estate firm in Buffalo and throughout upstate New York. However, now RealtyUSA has merged into the Howard Hanna company of Pittsburgh, creating the third-largest real estate brokerage in the entire nation! Interestingly, RealtyUSA will continue to operate under the same brand name you’ve come to know, but this time around as a division of Howard Hanna. The combined company now has 270 offices and 9,000 agents/employees in eight states. In New York State, there are 101 offices with about 3,400 agents and employees– me being one of them. I still love and look forward to showing houses in nice suburbs like Wheatfield, Pendleton, and Amherst.

RealtyUSA wasn’t in trouble– it was debt-free and profitable… So, this is a merger of strength. The leadership of RealtyUSA felt that Howard Hanna Real Estate Services had a similar business philosophy and would be a great new owner, operationally, helping many New Yorkers fulfill the dream of home ownership.

Perhaps one of the most intriguing new things to come of this merger is the 100% Money Back Guarantee. I’ll soon be able to offer that to clients, offering the promise to repurchase a home from a buyer for full purchase price after six months of marketing if they change their minds or have to move in the first year after closing a transaction.

If you would like to know more about the people behind Howard Hanna Real Estate Services, please visit their about us page.

It’s an exciting time for real estate in upstate New York as the market is quite strong. Should you want to buy or sell a home in Western New York, don’t hesitate to contact me. I’d love to help you make the process less stressful and more efficient.

What Determines Property Value?

June 21, 2017 by dl2

What determines property value? That’s a good question that gets a couple different answers depending whom you ask.

For people who want to sell their home, the property value is what a ready-and-willing-and-able buyer is willing to pay for the house. It’s a number that’s typically calculated by looking at comparable homes in the neighborhood which sold recently.

Similarly, when a municipality is figuring out property values in order to assess taxes, their assessor may also check properties which are similar nearby in order to value residential, vacant and/or farm properties. For example, if a nearby ranch home with 3 bedrooms built in 1979 with a two-car garage and a fireplace is just like your house and it sold for $150,000 a month ago, then it’s likely your house is worth about the same. Assessors may also use the cost or income approach to figure out property value.

The cost approach to determining property value equals the cost to replace a structure with a similar one using today’s labor and material prices, minus depreciation and plus the market value of the land it’s on. This cost approach is typically used to find industrial, utility and special purpose property values.

The income approach includes an analysis of how much income a property will produce if rented, taking into account things like maintenance costs and operating expenses.

Meanwhile, assessors may use computer assisted “mass appraisal” techniques in order to estimate values.

One other major factor that plays a role in determining property value is supply and demand of land in an area. Certain neighborhoods are more desirable than others for a number of reasons, and since land is in limited supply, its price mostly increases over time. Therefore, a home bought in East Amherst in 1970 for $50,000 might be worth $500,000 today simply because that area has built-up and become a bustling place where people want to live. Land underneath a structure doesn’t depreciate (for tax purposes).

So property values are typically determined by the land where they’re at coupled with figuring out how much similar structures have been selling for in recent times.