What do Homeowners Have to say about Owning?

Although many people have negative opinions about homeownership due to the decline of residential market over the past five years, the people to listen to and take advice from are homeowners themselves! There have been three major surveys done this year that can give you a better sense of how homeowners REALLY feel:

The National Housing Survey:
Conducted by Fannie Mae:
-96% of all homeowners said homeownership has been a positive experienc
-64% consider buying a home as a safe investment. Buy ing a home was considered safer than buying stocks by over three times the number of people (64% vs 17%)

Accoding to a survery conducted by Harris Interactive for the National Association of Realtors, it has been concluded that homeownership benefits people and strengthens our communities. Even in today's economy, 95% of owners believe that over a period of several years, it makes more sense to own a home.

-Even those who have seen their home values plummet are still committed to the idea that buying a home is a solid, long-term investment. Among those who say their home has lost a lot of value, 80% agree that buying a home is the best long-term investment (36% strongly agree, 44% agree somewhat) according to a survey titled "Home Sweet Home. Still".

Top Four Reasons to Buy: (According to The National Housing Survey

1. You have a stable location to raise a family and can choose a school district.

2. You have your own structure to make exactly the way you want it.

3. It allows more space.

4. There are no rules or restrictuions for decorating or remodeling.

Watch Out for Unwanted "Help" with Foreclosures

There is a foreclosure scam occurring nationwide that offers you assistance, but is really scamming you for your money!

There are few things in life that are scarier than losing your home to foreclosure. Scam artists are well aware of that and will target vulnerability by offering "help" to fix your situation. Knowing the difference between legitimate help and a scam will help you to avoid a situation like this.

So, how does it happen? Scammers may do a sweep on a hard-hit town or neighborhood with a direct mailing campaign or cold calling. They will promise relief for those threatened by foreclosure. Don't be fooled by desperation! Be educated about the situation. They will begin by telling you that they can negotiate a deal with your lender, although they have no intention of doing so.

A legitimate source will never:
Ask you for fees upfront
Advise you to make mortgage payments to anyone but your lender
Ask you to sign over the deed to your house
Try to charge you for access to free government assistance
Extract personal information, which could later result in identity theft.

You never need to pay to find out about legitimate government programs.
Check out the Making Home Affordable program for federal refinancing and loan modification.

A Proven System That Will Work For You

At Nothnagle, we have developed proven systems for doing the three things that are most important to real estate agents:

•Generating leads
•Marketing homes
•Switching to a better, more helpful real estate company

No real estate company does more than Nothnagle to provide our agents with leads. In the past 12 months, Nothnagle has delivered an average of 96 leads per agent.

How do we do it?

Our website not only shows all Nothnagle properties, it also shows most properties that are listed with our competitors. Since our web site is the most popular real estate web site in the region, we attract the most inquiries—both for properties listed by Nothnagle and ones listed by someone else.

Those leads go directly to our agents. And with our LeadsNow system, leads can be easily displayed, organized and tracked.

Our 4-SALE LINE® is another source of leads for our agents. When home buyers call, they are transferred directly to a Nothnagle Agent after hearing the property description.

"Nothnagle’s web site is a lead generation vehicle. . . I get leads from my own personal business as well as my competitors’. Just the other day we got a lead on someone else’s property, and it was a $500,000 buyer". -Cathy McWilliams, Nothnagle Canandaigua Agents

Home Services is at Your Service

Whether it's a ripped carpet or rental services; from auto inspections to air purification. Nothnagle Home Services can do it all. Through their partnership with trusted Rochester area contractors, service partners, and retailers, Home Services provides Nothnagle clients with home-related products and services before, during, and after their move.

Home Services does so much more than just providing moving services. There are service partners that specialize in whatever you may need. From paint, interior decorating, mowing, pest removal, remodeling, trash/garbage pickup, home security, or heating/air conditioning, Home Services will help get the job done. A full list of our service categories can be found here.

Each one of our service partners provides some special benefit exclusively to Nothnagle clients who go through Home Services. Every partner is required to maintain a 95% satisfaction rate with our clients, so you can be sure you are getting the highest quality service. Take comfort in knowing the job will get done right. A full list of our service partners can be found here.

Take advantage of what Home Services can offer! Register now and get started.

I Can Fix That, But Should I?

Tax season is finally over, and if you were lucky enough to end up with a refund, you may be thinking about putting that money into a home improvement project or upgrade. Deciding whether you should hire a professional or handle the project yourself can be difficult. Each year over 100,000 people get in over their heads and end up injuring themselves on their DIY home improvement jobs. Depending on your skill-level and experience, some tasks may be unreasonable and dangerous to attempt on your own, but this is not always the case. Here's how to decide: Stick to routine maintenance Seasonal home maintenance is ideal work for the weekend warrior because you can tackle these jobs when you have free time. Since these projects are routine, each time you complete them, your savings will add up. Mowing your own lawn, for example, can save you $50 or more a week (depending on costs in your neighborhood). Some other tasks that are not out of reach, even for the most modest DIY-er, include:

• Snow removal


• Trimming hedges


• Washing windows


• Sealing decks


• Painting fences


• Fertilizing lawns


• Replacing air conditioner filters


• Cleaning gutters

Be sure to use extreme caution when on a ladder washing windows or cleaning gutters. Every year, emergency rooms are filled with people with ladder injuries. A good rule of thumb is that unless you have skill and experience with heights, avoid any ladder taller than six feet. The same goes for operating power saws and attempting any major electrical work; if you don't have the experience, it's simply too risky. Become your own general contractor If you're willing to put a bit of time into finding the right professionals for your project, you could act as your own general contractor. This means to hire, schedule, and pay the carpenters, plumbers, and other tradesmen yourself. This could save you 10% or 20% of the job cost (the contractors typical fee). This tactic works especially well if it's a small job that only requires a few subcontractors. A great resource is Nothnagle Home Services. They can put you in touch with the highest-quality professionals Rochester has to offer. The best part is that each Home Services partner will provide you with an exclusive deal, only available to Nothnagle clients. Make contributions on big jobs Performing tasks that are labor-intensive but require relatively little skill are the perfect jobs to tackle yourself. Tearing out kitchen cabinets, pulling up old floors, daily site cleanup, and product assembly are examples of things you can do that can save you hundreds, even thousands, off construction costs. One thing to avoid is getting in the crew's way. If you do, you could slow them down and end up dishing out more than you save. It is a good idea to make your contributions in the mornings before the workers arrive, or nights and weekends after they've left. Add finishing touches Many finishing touches are quite simple and DIY-friendly. For example, painting your own basement is easy enough, and could save you over $1000. If you have the patience and ability to learn a new skill, setting tile, laying flooring, painting walls, and installing trim are jobs that are not out-of-reach for you. Just remember that the results of your finish work are very visible. If you do not have the steady hand, sure eye, or patience for intricate tasks, you might be better off hiring a pro.

Ribbon Cutting Ceremony for New Nothnagle Location

"Welcome Home," were the words of Rochester's new Mayor, Thomas Richards, as he spoke at the official ribbon-cutting ceremony for Nothnagle Realtors' new downtown location. The event, which took place Monday morning at Nothnagle's new 217 West Main Street headquarters, was attended by over 60 special guests. The crowd included branch managers, local government officials, financial supporters, members of the press, and a number of friends, families, and distinguished community members. Mayor Richards, Council member Adam McFadden, RG&E's Joe Rizzo, former Acting Mayor Carlos Carballada, and County Executive Maggie Brooks were among those who spoke at the event. Each speaker welcomed Nothnagle back to the city and acknowledged the great addition the new headquarters will be to Rochester's Cascade District. Nothnagle Realtors, which began in Rochester over 60 years ago, moved "back home" earlier this year into a 27,000 square foot, four-story building. The location, which had been vacant for over a decade, was beautifully renovated into Class A office space. The property is now an anchor for the Cascade District and will attract additional investment to downtown's west side. In the move, Nothnagle relocated approximately 70 employees and has estimated that an additional 35 jobs will be created. At the ribbon-cutting, Armand D'Alfonso, President and CEO of Nothnagle Realtors, extended thanks to all who contributed to the project in any way. He also promised to continue to drive positive traffic into the city, which will help with the revitalization that is occurring in downtown Rochester. The nearly $4 million renovation project was made possible by generous grants from RG&E, financial assistance from the City of Rochester, and of course the vision and drive of Nothnagle's own D'Alfonso.

6 Reasons to Use a Real Estate Agent

Once you have made the decision to sell your home, the first step you should take is to find an agent. While some sellers may be tempted by the thought to sell the home on their own, study after study shows that sellers will net more for their house using an agent versus selling it on their own.

Here are 6 reasons to take into consideration when buying or selling a home:

1. Pricing is Difficult

A few years ago, you didn’t have to worry about overpricing your home. The situation is quite different today. In this market, time costs you money. A professional real estate agent will discuss how increasing inventory could dramatically impact the value of your property in the months to come. They will help you set the right price in today’s market.

2. Having a Professional to Negotiate

Buyers today have an almost unlimited supply of homes from which to choose. They realize that puts them in a great negotiating position. Most buyers are now being represented by an agent. Sellers need to also be represented by a professional expert trained to negotiate real estate contracts.

3. Financing is Key for Buyers

The biggest impact of the housing market collapse is that lending standards are much stricter today than they were a few short years ago. Rules are constantly changing. Even FHA has gone through a guidelines overhaul in the last several months. You need a real estate expert who has teamed up with a knowledgeable mortgage professional to make sure that the buyer in the deal is in fact capable of obtaining a mortgage. Losing time with an unqualified buyer costs you money in a market where prices are falling.

4. Your Safety

Real estate agents are trained to take steps to protect themselves and their clients. Take advantage of putting a person between you and the person calling on an ad or yard sign. Your agent will also be able to check-in on your vacant home if you have not sold it before moving to a new location.

5. Less Time and Stress

Selling a home could turn into a full time job. Learning the necessary disclosures, coordinating the dates of your closings, dealing with a challenge regarding your appraisal and re-negotiating the offer after an engineer’s report are just a few of the concerns you may face. Your time is more valuable and better spent on the items important to you and your family, while leaving the challenges to your agent.

6. Spreading the Word

Once you list your property with a member of the local MLS, every other member of the system is alerted that your house is now available for purchase. In a matter of hours, thousands of real estate professionals have the ability to easily share the specifics of your home with each of their buyers. There is nothing an individual seller can do to come close to this immediate exposure to thousands of potential buyers. Additionally, your realtor will keep up to date on the most recent ways to advertise your home. Not only do they rely on traditional means of advertising, such as newspaper and television, they will also advertise your home on YouTube, Facebook, and Trulia to name a few. It would be impossible for a seller to get the width of exposure the real estate agent has at his/her fingertips.

In the long run, having a real estate agent represent you on either side of a transaction will give you the best advice, get you the most money or the best price, they will also save you time and unnecessary stress!

And remember, not all real estate agents are equal. A Nothnagle agent can give you additional benefits, tools and resources not available anywhere else.

Another Reason to Love Rochester

As most cities around the country struggle to cope with the increasing amount of traffic slowing down commutes, we found a study of ten areas where traffic is a small concern. The best part: Rochester tops the list.

Each city had to meet several criteria to be included in the study by Kiplinger's Personal Finance magazine. The cities needed to have a metro population of at least 1 million and a low congestion cost (a measurement of wasted time and fuel calculated by the Texas Transportation Institute). The average length of commute, local gas prices, yearly delays per commuter and public transit use also factored into the results.

All the cities that made the top ten had some common characteristics. Their congestion costs fall below $550 per person (the national average is $808). Some have seen massive declines in population, clearing out roadways built for heavier travel. Others have the advantages of excellent road networks and a large number of urban parking lots. Some of the national averages:

• Average commute time: 25 minutes


• Yearly congestion cost per commuter: $808


• Average length of commute: 11.79 miles


• Cost of regular gas: $3.23 per gallon


• Yearly delays per commuter: 34 hours


• Yearly fuel wasted per commuter: 28 gallons


• Public transit users: 5%

Rochester managed to top the list with an average commute of just 19 minutes. Although some residents might point out that we trade in the long commute for the snow and ice, it is hard to argue with the numbers.

Rochester commute statistics:

• Population: 1,035,566


• Average commute time: 18.7


• Yearly congestion cost per commuter: $273


• Cost of regular gas: $3.38 (Prices have definitely increased since this study)


• Average length of commute: 10.23 miles


• Yearly delays per commuter: 12 hours


• Yearly fuel wasted per commuter: 11 gallons


• Public transit users: 2.9%

The full list (which also includes another area in Upstate New York, Buffalo/Niagara Falls) is shown below:

1. Rochester, N.Y.


2. Columbus, Ohio


3. Providence-New Bedford-Fall River (R.I.-Mass.)


4. Richmond, Va.


5. Buffalo-Niagara Falls, N.Y.


6. Cleveland, Ohio


7. Cincinnati (Ohio-Ky.-Ind.)


8. Kansas City (Mo.-Kan.)


9. Louisville, Ky.


10. Hartford, Conn.

Looking for a home in Rochester? Nothnagle can help.

Does Your Home Need Lead Paint Removal?

If your home was built before 1978, there is a good chance that some lead-based paint is present. DIY tests are cheap and easy-to-use (you can usually pick one up for less than $20), or you can have a professional test your home. If your test reveals that lead-based paint is present, there are several options for removing and managing it.

Although you can perform the removal work yourself, it is recommended that a contractor who is certified in lead paint removal carry out the task. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), removal can cost anywhere from $600 to $30,000 (national average is about $10,000) depending on the method used and the size of the house. There are five options you can take when dealing with lead-based paint:

Encapsulation: This is generally the least complicated and most affordable method. It involves brushing or rolling on a specially made paint-like coating that creates a watertight seal over the lead paint. However, opening and closing windows and doors can eventually wear off the coating, requiring more applications. Encapsulation costs about $600 to $1000 depending on the size of your house (not including labor).

Enclosure: This method involves covering up the old surface with a new one, such as putting up new drywall or covering windowsills with aluminum or vinyl cladding.

Removal: There are several approaches that can be taken when removing old lead-based paint. Some options include wire brushing or wet hand scraping with liquid paint removers. A contractor may choose to wet sand surfaces with the use of an electric sander equipped with a high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filtered vacuum. Some methods to stay away from (if you want to avoid law enforcement and health risks) include open flame burning or torching, machine sanding without a HEPA attachment, abrasive blasting, and power washing without a means to trap water and paint chips.

Replacement: This strategy involves taking off the painted surfaces and installing new windows, doors, woodwork, and other surfaces. This is the most radical and expensive option available.

Do Nothing: If the lead-based paint in your home is not chipping or damaged, and no children under the age of 6 live there or visit frequently, you may opt to leave the paint untouched. If it ever comes time to sell your home, however, you will need to disclose the presence of the paint to potential buyers.

Before lead paint removal occurs, you can minimize your family's exposure by:

Cleaning up paint chips immediately

Cleaning floors, window frames and sills, and other surfaces regularly with all-purpose cleaner (thoroughly rinse sponges and mop heads).

Washing children's hands often, especially before meals, naps, and bedtime.

Preventing children from chewing painted surfaces, such as window sills.

Removing shoes to avoid tracking lead-contaminated soil inside

For additional information, contact the National Lead Information Center (NLIC).

Rochester is the Third Best City For Home Buyers

A new report ranking the top ten cities with the most affordable homes has been released from Deutsche Bank, and Rochester made the list! The study measures affordability in two ways: the share of income that Americans are paying to own a home, and the cost of owning vs. renting.

Rochester managed to find a spot on the list, third to only Atlanta and Orlando. While many people from out-of-state automatically associate New York with the incredibly high real estate prices found in New York City, locals know this not to be true. Upstate cities such as Rochester, Buffalo (which also made the list at number nine), and Syracuse have some of the most affordable real estate in the nation.

Many of the cities on the list can claim affordable housing simply because their real estate crashes were so much more pronounced than elsewhere in the nation. The farther the prices fall, the sooner it inevitably becomes more affordable to buy than rent. This rapid decline in prices is a sign of an unstable market. This is not the case with Rochester. In fact, housing prices in Rochester rose slightly between 2006 and 2010, and the rent vs. own equation still favors owners. The second-largest economy in the state, Rochester weathered the recession well because it did not overbuild like so many other cities did when housing took off.

The full list from the report is shown below:

1. Atlanta


2. Orlando


3. Rochester


4. Cleveland


5. Tampa-St. Petersburg


6. Las Vegas


7. Jacksonville


8. St. Louis


9. Buffalo


10. Memphis

If you are looking for a great deal on a new home, contact a Nothnagle Agent today!

Dave Malta Realty Merges With Nothnagle Realtors

Dave Malta Realty is now Nothnagle Realtors! Dave Malta of Dave Malta Realty and Nothnagle CEO Armand D'Alfonso issued a joint announcement regarding the merger on Thursday.

Dave Malta has worked in the real estate industry since 1962 and eventually formed his own team of real estate experts to serve the area. Dave Malta and his team, agents Ginny Nguyen, David Malta Jr., and Ellen Bell-Sullivan will operate out of the Nothnagle Fairport branch at 65 S. Main Street.

“The trend in the real estate industry is for smaller firms to merge into larger ones for economies of scale,” Malta said Thursday, adding that an agency such as Nothnagle has more media buying leverage and technology capabilities than a small outfit. “It’s beyond anything I could hope to have,” he said.

“The Dave Malta team is an experienced sales force and we are so thrilled to have them on board,” said Nothnagle CEO Armand D’Alfonso.

Last month, Holly Creek, the Rochester area’s top agent in dollar volume sales, left Hunt Real Estate to join Nothnagle. The Holly Creek team consists of 10 agents.

In February, Nothnagle acquired Braeview Realty in Hilton, and it has absorbed numerous other agencies.

“Partnering with smaller agencies in the region as well as franchising outside the Rochester area are two key components of Nothnagle’s growth,” said Karen Leonardi, vice president of corporate and consumer affairs at Nothnagle.

Why You Should Join Nothnagle

If you are thinking of getting into the real estate business or considering a switch from your current broker, let us tell you how easy it is at Nothnagle!

Nothnagle provides agents with the most support services of any real estate company in the region. We also give agents the largest support staff—over 100 people working behind the scenes to support you.

As one of our agents, you can use as many support services as you like. It’s completely up to you and the way you work. All services are provided free of charge too!

Here is a sampling of the support services we provide:

•Placing company-paid print advertising
•Placing company-paid self promotion ads
•Preparing presentation packets
•Preparing listing packets
•Producing online Guided Tours for your listings
•Listing your home on Rochester’s most popular real estate web site
•Scheduling appointments for showings
•Entering new listings into MLS
•Providing agents and sellers with copies of all paperwork
•Coordinating transactions and paperwork for house closings
•Ordering “Just Listed” postcards
•Sending out mailings
•Maintaining your mailing list
•Providing one-on-one support
•Providing training
•Brainstorming innovative sales strategies
•Providing carefully screened contractors to facilitate home sales
•And much more

All of these support services are available to Nothnagle agents, free of charge. Use as many—or as few—as you like. It’s totally up to you.

There’s a lot that goes into being successful at real estate. No real estate company does more than Nothnagle to give you the support you need.

Talk to us about switching to Nothnagle. Find an office near you and then call a Branch Manager to learn more. Our agents tell us they wish they had switched sooner!

Home Services Can Help Fix That Leaky Roof

Spring is finally here! Depending on your situation, that could mean a remodel, spring cleaning, or maybe a leaky roof from all that rain. Whatever the project, Nothnagle Home Services can do it all.

Through their partnership with trusted Rochester area contractors, service partners, and retailers, Home Services provides Nothnagle clients with home-related products and services before, during, and after their move.

Home Services does so much more than just providing moving services. There are service partners that specialize in whatever you may need. From paint, cleaning, interior decorating, roof repairs, mowing, pest removal, remodeling, trash/garbage pickup, home security, or heating/air conditioning, Home Services will help get the job done. A full list of our service categories can be found here.

Each one of our service partners provides some special benefit exclusively to Nothnagle clients who go through Home Services. Every partner is required to maintain a 95% satisfaction rate with our clients, so you can be sure you are getting the highest quality service. Take comfort in knowing the job will get done right. A full list of our service partners can be found here.

Take advantage of what Home Services can offer! Register now and get started.

Visit our Facebook page to stay up-to-date with our newest partners and special promotions!

Why a Small Home Might Save You a Big Headache

Other than keeping you and your loved ones nice and cozy, a small home has several benefits. In addition to the generally lower asking price, here are 5 reasons smaller may be better:

1. Lower property taxes: Since the value of a small home is usually assessed lower than a larger home, your property taxes could be significantly lower than your neighbors.


2. Lower property insurance: Although it varies by location, generally the smaller the house, the lower the insurance cost. How the house is constructed also affects the insurance cost. A wood house in a wildfire-prone area, for example, will likely cost more to insure than a brick house.


3. Heating and cooling savings: Even if the house is poorly insulated, you may still be saving money. One study found that a poorly insulated, 1500 sq. ft. house is at least $200 cheaper per year to heat and cool than a well-insulated house twice that size.


4. Save on major replacements: Let's just say that when it comes time to replace the roof, both you and your wallet will be thankful that there's a lot less roof to pay for.


5. Easier maintenance: Spending less time cutting smaller lawns, cleaning gutters, and washing windows means more time to do what you actually want to do. When spring cleaning time rolls around, you'll be loving your little house while your neighbor is still scrubbing away.

Housing Market Not as Bad as it Seems?

With headlines like, "Home Sales Continue to Plunge" and "Foreclosure Mess Will Last for Years," it is easy to get discouraged about today's housing market. While no one is claiming that all is well, there may be a glimmer of hope amid the mess. Some of the reports seem to be a bit exaggerated, or at least out-of-context. Is it possible that things may not be quite as bad as they seem?

All the "doom and gloom" articles seem to be citing the same two reports as their main sources. What seems to make the situation so believable is that both reports, Existing Home Sales Report and Pending Home Sales Report, come from the well-respected National Association of Realtors (NAR). To really understand the implications of these reports, however, you must read them in context. Both reports look at different sets of data:

• A year-over-year comparison of transactions (Y-O-Y)


• A month-over-month comparison of transactions (M-O-M)

If you just look at the Y-O-Y statistics on their own, there is definitely reason to worry; they are frightening. However, when viewed in context, the numbers begin to make more sense. Right about this time last, we were nearing the end of the Homebuyer Tax Credit, one of the greatest buyer tax incentives in American history. People were doing everything they could to close the deal on their home before the tax credit expired. Because of this, many of the sales that would have undoubtedly taken place later in the year were bumped up to the early months of 2010. This created an unnatural spike in home sales, which dropped dramatically after the tax credit expired in April. At the risk of sounding cliche, to compare the first four months of 2011 to the first four of 2010 would be like comparing apples and oranges.

Rather than comparing this year's sales to last year's, the better comparison would be from month-to-month. After the sales dropped from April to May of last year, they slowly began to rebuild and have continued to increase. This gives us a better snapshot of today's market since it is taken in context rather than being compared to last year's tax credit-induced sales. The graph below shows pending home sales over the last year. The steady increase following the early drop is clearly seen. Another encouraging fact is that Rochester was not hit by the housing crisis nearly as hard as other cities across the country. Rochester home prices never bubbled during the boom, but have enjoyed slow, steady growth throughout the bust. Low foreclosure rates, relatively affordable housing and reasonably well-paying jobs have contributed to Rochester being named "The #4 Best Recovering Housing Market."

What does this all mean? You have to remember that headlines are meant to be shocking, and the truth is often not as exciting as it sounds on the front page. If you live in Rochester, and take some time to extract the real information from the headlines, you might just find that things aren't quite as bad as they may seem.