4 BEDROOM CAPE COD ON 7+ ACRES IN CANAAN

This four Bedroom, two Full Bath, 1987 Cape Cod is located on 7.73 acres of mostly wooded land on County Route 24 (Red Rock Road) in the town of Canaan. It is in very good to excellent condition, has an Eat-In Kitchen, oil hot water heating, almost 1,500 square feet of living space, double-hung thermopane windows, covered front porch, with sub-division potential and backs up to forever wild conservancy land. Most of the shingles on the house were replaced in December of 2012. The old shingles were removed and new felt paper, drip edges, ice and water barriers were added.

To receive additional information or to request a Brochure about the property, please call John Wallace at 518-392-7062, or email him at: John@GrayRider.com

UPSCALE PUB FOR SALE

Upscale Celtic Pub serving speciality beers and "Pub Grub" in an upscale small village in Columbia County, New York. The business price includes $100K in furniture, fixtures and one-of-a-kind items. Available with the business, is a late 1800's three story building in very good condition. This would be an ideal business for Owner/Bartender or partners wishing to operate an Irish/Scottish/English/Welsh-style pub in an small upscale town. Expand the hours and the menu to create additional business. The third floor is approved for an owner's apartment and has been partially renovated by the Seller.
Facilities: The business comes with $100K in furniture, fixtures, custom made bar, and many one-of-a-kind items.
Competition: There are some other bar/restaurants in the Village, but there is no other pub stype business in the immediate town and there are a lot of NYC weekenders in the town looking for good places to eat and hang out.
Growth and Expansion: The pub doesn't usually open to 4PM (a little earlier on weekends). The hours could be extended, particularly on the weekends to include serving lunch and expanding the evening menu as well.
Support/Training: The Seller will assist the new owners during the transition. Most employees, including the bartenders will stay on. The current owner does not bartend.
Reason Selling: The Seller has other business interests in town.
Year Established: 2000
Employees: 5
This is a TURN-KEY business. It is also a confidential listing and any potential buyer who is interested will be expected to provide proof of their financial ability to purchase a business with real estate in this price range.
To receive additional information or to request a Brochure about the property, please call John Wallace at 518-392-7062, or email him at: John@GrayRider.com

Fully Leased Professional Office Building

Professional Office building fully leased. Excellent tenants with current leases. New rubber roof in 2010, new furnaces and hot water heaters. This 5,000 square foot professional office building was built in 1962. It sits on 3.8 acres of land on a side street in the Village of Chatham. It has waiting rooms, reception/office areas, 5 baths, and ample parking in both the front and the rear of the building. Tennants pay for heat and electric. There is a total of 4 furnaces (including backups) and the building is air conditioned. Total Annual Real Estate taxes are approximately $11,732. per year. Gross income is approximately $81,000+ per year. Owners pay the real estate taxes and tenants pay approximately 91% of the common charges.
To receive additional information or to request a Brochure about the property, please call John Wallace at 518-392-7062, or email him at: John@GrayRider.com

ATTN: FIRST TIME HOME BUYERS

This Four Bedroom, two Bath, ranch-style home is located on almost 4 acres of open and wooded land on Shillings Crossing Road in the town of Canaan. It is in excellent condition, has a large Eat-In Kitchen, large Living Room, Formal Dining Room, oil hot water heating, anderson windows throughout, wall to wall carpeting, two large decks overlooking open land and nearby mountains and a full semi-finished basement with a two car garage, workshop and plenty of storage. It also has "Lake Rights" to nearby Queechy Lake.
FOR MORE INFORMATION CALL JOHN WALLACE AT 518-392-7062 OR EMAIL HIM AT: John@GrayRider.com

THE ANT AND THE GRASSHOPPER - TWO VERSIONS OF AN OLD FABLE

THE TRADITIONAL CONSERVATIVE VERSION:

The ant works hard in the withering heat all summer long, building his house and laying up supplies for the winter.

The grasshopper thinks the ant is a fool and laughs and dances and plays the summer away.

Come winter, the ant is warm and well fed.
The grasshopper has no food or shelter, so he dies out in the cold.

MORAL OF THE OLD STORY: Be responsible for yourself!
---------------------------------------------------

THE PROGRESSIVE-SOCIALIST VERSION

The ant works hard in the withering heat and the rain all summer long, building his house and laying up supplies for the winter.

The grasshopper thinks the ant is a fool and laughs and dances and plays the summer away.

Come winter, the shiveringgrasshopper calls a press conference and demands to know why the ant should be allowed to be warm and well fed while he is cold and starving.

CBS, NBC, PBS, CNN, and ABC show up to provide pictures of the shivering grasshopper next to a video of the ant in his comfortable home with a table filled with food.

America is stunned by the sharp contrast. How can this be, that in a country of such wealth, this poor grasshopper is allowed to suffer so?

Kermit the Frog appears on Oprah's Show with the grasshopper and everybody cries when they sing,'It's Not EasyBeing Green...'

Occupy the Anthill stages a demonstration in front of the ant's house where the news stations film the SEIU group singing, We shall overcome.

Then Rev. Jeremiah Wright has the group kneel down to pray for the grasshopper's sake, while he damns the ants.
President Obama condems the ant and blames President Bush 43, President Bush 41, President Reagan, Christopher Columbus, Sarah Palin and the Pope for the grasshopper's plight..
Nancy Pelosi & Harry Reid exclaim in an interview with Larry King that the ant has
 gotten ric h off the back of the grasshopper, and both call for an immediate tax hike on the ant to make him pay his fair share.
Finally, the EEOC drafts the Economic Equity & Anti-Grasshopper Act retroactive to the beginning of the summer.

The ant is fined for not having a formal Affirmative Action program and for not hiringe a correct proportionate number of green bugs and, having nothing left to pay his retroactive taxes, his home is confiscated by the GovernmentGreenCzar
 and given to the grasshopper.

The story ends as we see thegrasshopper and his free-loading friends finishing up the last bits of the ant's food while the government house he is in, which, as you recall, just happens to be the ant's old house, crumbles around them because thegrasshopper doesn't maintain it.

The ant has disappeared in the snow, never to be seen again.

The grasshopper is found dead in a drug related incident, and the house, now abandoned, is taken over by a gang of spiders who terrorize the ramshackle, once prosperous and peaceful, neighborhood.
The entire Nation collapses bringing the rest of the free world with it.

MORAL OF THE STORY:

Be careful how you vote in 2012.

I've posted this article because I believe that you are an ant, not a grasshopper!
 Make sure that you pass this on to other taxpaying ants.

Don't bother sending it on to any grasshoppers because they wouldn't understand it, anyway

TEN POINTS FOR SELLERS IN THE WINTER

If your home will be for sale this winter, it is important that you understand some seasonal issues that are less significant or even non-existent at other times of the year.

Here are 10 points to know when selling your home in the winter:


1.  Let Those Lights Shine: The best way to combat winter’s short and frequently cloudy days is to turn on your house lights. For a showing, every single light in the house must be on, even in the closets and utility/mechanical rooms. Make sure all the bulbs are working, and stock up on all the right bulbs for lamps and fixtures so burned out bulbs can be replaced immediately. Also, it’s a great idea to keep the lights on in the front of the house even if no showings are scheduled. People are always driving past the house, and keeping it lighted makes it look happy and welcoming. You should also consider opening the drapes and blinds during the day to let in light and let visitors enjoy the view.

2.  Provide Convenient Parking: It’s vital that buyers have a convenient place to park. They won’t want to walk very far in cold weather or be forced to climb over a snow bank to exit their vehicle. Because parking is often more restricted around condominiums, sellers should make sure their agent can pass along parking details to buyers.

3.  Make It Easy to Enter: Winter showings can get off to an awkward start if prospective buyers arrive with snow or salt on their shoes. Make it easy for buyers to deal with their shoes when they arrive. Put a festive area rug at the front door for a great first impression and so visitors can wipe their feet. Have slippers or disposable booties available, along with a bench or chair, if there is room for one, where a visitor can sit and easily remove or put on their boots.”

4.  Keep Odors Under Control: Any home tends to be stuffy in winter when windows are opened rarely. That can allow odors to build up, which can be a turn-off to buyers.
Pet odors can be especially worrisome in winter. Use a room fragrance if needed, but nothing too strong, and I recommend that in winter sellers clean more often. For example, change the cat litter daily, rather than every third or fourth day, or even consider using an air purifier.

If pets are in the house, consider setting the thermostat control so that the furnace fan runs constantly during the day to keep air moving through the house and dissipate odors. Also try to avoid strong cooking odors, especially if a showing is scheduled that day.

5.  Cultivate a Festive Look: Appropriate decorations for Christmas and even St. Valentine’s Day help give a home a cheerful look during the winter months. Holiday decorations can help homes sell, but don’t go to excess. Keeping small, decorative white lights on trees and bushes pretty much through the winter season is fine, but other decorations should be taken down quickly once the holiday passes.”

6.  Don’t Ignore the Outdoors: Make a good first impression on buyers with a neatly maintained yard. Walks and steps should be kept clear, especially of snow and ice.

7.  Look after Condo Common Areas: If the home you are selling is a condominium, your job as a seller may be relatively easy in winter, with no snow to shovel or yard work to worry about. However, that is only the case if your condominium association does its job well. If the association isn’t doing it, the homeowner may have to take responsibility for keeping the entrance area and hallways clean. If the association isn’t getting snow shoveled promptly, consider buying some de-icing salt and sprinkling it judiciously around the building entry.

8.  Don’t Roast Buyers: We all tend to prefer a specific temperature for our homes during the winter, but don’t blast buyers with hot air. Keep the temperature at a comfortable 65 degrees for all showings. Remember, buyers are likely to be wearing their coats even as they walk through the house.

9.  Keep Seasonal Clothing under Control: One major challenge of selling a home during the winter months is the overabundance of cold weather gear that must be stored. A buyer doesn’t want to find the mudroom filled with boots or the hall closet overflowing with heavy coats. Shift some winter coats to another closet and put anything not needed in the closet into storage. To keep gloves and scarves from piling up in the front hall or mudroom, put a special container for them, such as a decorative chest, where the family typically enters the home.

10.  Encourage Day Time Showings: A home shows to its best advantage during daylight hours, which are relatively scarce in winter. Encourage your agent to show your home before 3 p.m. and have it ready to show by 9 a.m. if you want the best results. 

Despite the special challenges of marketing a home during winter, there also are benefits. Buyers who are out looking at homes in December or January are, as a group, quite serious about buying. Therefore, sellers tend to benefit because each showing is more productive, and fewer showings are needed to sell the property.

SHOULD I TAKE MY PROPERTY OFF THE MARKET DURING THE HOLIDAYS?

When you look at your holiday calendars you may find the months already overloaded with seasonal obligations -- shopping, entertaining, children's pageants, charity work, decorating the house, and so much more. If you are also trying to sell your home, you are under extra pressure to keep your home in "showtime" condition. And that could be the last thing you need before the holiday spirit is broken.

It is understandable why you would be tempted to take your home off the market during the holidays. And the list of justifications is long. If you are too busy, buyers may be also, and you may find your efforts unrewarded by enough showings. And what if you do get an offer? You may be faced with the possibility of packing and moving during the busiest time of the year. Besides, you can give your house a rest, and it will have better momentum after the holidays. Better to just pack it in and start fresh in January, right?

But wait! Top-selling Realtor Jennie Ling says taking your home off the market during the Christmas season is a mistake. A vice president of Virginia Cook REALTORS® and the number one sales person in her company for almost every one of her more than 35 years in the real estate business, Ling exclaims, "The house sure isn't going to sell off the market! What is the advantage of that? So you're busy. Let your Realtor do the work. You can leave in the morning, go to work, go shopping, and let your Realtor take care of things."

"The holidays are my best-selling period. Why? Because most people take off work sometime during the season. The husband and wife are both off and want to see houses. I showed homes on New Year's Day last year. I like the holidays because the buyers have more time, and they can look at homes together."

Before you take your home off the market, consider the following points:

• Although buyer activity may appear to slow down, the buyers who are actively looking during the holidays are that much more serious. Ling believes the home market is no more affected at Christmas than during other "busy" period. If that were so, the market would shut down throughout the year as families concentrate on spring weddings, June graduations, summer vacations, and autumn back-to-school activities.
• Many buyers deliberately choose to shop for a home after the busy spring and summer rush. They know that it will be easier to look, and that negotiations will be less stressful. They may not have children, or they may have grown children, so moving to accommodate the school year isn't a consideration. Finding the right home at the right price, however, is.
• Relocating families often don't have a choice in when they can leave for their new destination. Although 68 percent of transferring families have children, many families have to transfer during the middle of the school year. These families are that much more motivated to get their families settled in before either before the January semester begins, or to arrange for the move during spring break in March. If you sign a contract by New Year's Eve, the timing couldn't be more perfect.
• At Christmastime, our culture focuses on family and the home. Preparing for the indoor activities of winter is one of the most enjoyable periods of family life. Allowing buyers to view your home during this most hospitable of seasons lets them better picture their own family life in the attractive environment you have created.
• When is your home ever more beautiful and inviting? You have cleaned and decorated, and your home looks like a picture postcard. If the results are good enough for family and friends, they will surely be good enough to impress your buyers. Get the family team on board to do a five-minute blitz pick-up every morning to keep holiday messes to a minimum.
• With reduced inventories and motivated buyers, you will have all the members of the MLS on your team. You may find you have more showings than you would if your marketed your home during a busier time of the year.
• If you do get a contract, you can arrange the terms to suit your needs. If moving during the holidays isn't an option, you can put in the closing date of your choice. "Most people can close 30 to 60 days after a contract is written, so there is plenty of time," Ling says. "Possession and closings are are very negotiable."

By: The Realty Times Staff
----------------------
ORIGINAL ARTICLE:  http://realtytimes.com/rtpages/20111125_holidays.htm