This week's show link: Jamie Moore Appraisal Service, Inc. (401) 743-2963
January 14, 2012 - Buyers are much more plentiful lately. However this doesn't mean they are not doing their research. Mortgage rates are low so more buyers are committing to purchasing but the market prices are not rising. Sellers, price your homes well and they will be attractive to these buyers. Listen to the show
January 7, 2012 - Prepping your house for sale this spring? First thing to do when readying your house for sale is to get a professional inspection and appraisal. First impressions are key when selling a house and knowing what potential problems exist before having buyers coming through is crucial. You may also want to look at the Remodeler Magazine Cost to Value Report. This report comes out each year at this time to give us estimates of what potential projects might cost and the value buyers place on these items. Listen to the show
December 3, 2011 - Genny's guest today is builder Mike Hill of FM Properties. Mike builds "green", energy efficient houses. His recent project is a 3 bedroom home on 9 Champlin Place in Newport. Genny and Mike discuss not just this house but some general building materials and information for making energy efficient houses. Listen to the show
October 15, 2011 - Genny's guest is George Devine of Atlantic Home Loans. George outlines some things he hopes the government might do to restructure mortgage programs. Programs like "Refi plus program" are good, but could be better. There are 3 areas people have problems with, first is equity, then is their credit which seem to be the biggest issues, followed by decline in income.
Genny and George also talk about what the loan issues are with 203K loans that allow fixing up a home from a short sale, that may have been taken over by the bank but not kept up. Short sales can be a harrowing experience and there are different rules and time lines when doing them. Listen to the show
August 13, 2011 - Genny's back and discussing the "5 new rules of real estate" then has a conversation with Jim Paradise from Paradise Cleaning and Restoration. This is a perfect time to start doing clean up and getting your home ready for fall before it gets too chilly. Some great suggestions from knowing where you main water shut off valve is to changing washing machine hoses and inspecting gutters. Listen to the show
May 21, 2011 - Genny relays a story and a warning about unsolicited "official looking" letters you may be getting in the mail about your financing/home loans. Then the conversation with mortgage banker David Young of Atlantic Home Loans touches on the good reasons to be a home buyer in this market now, and options for financing or refinancing to take advantage of some excellent rates at this time. Listen to the show
May 14, 2011 - Spring time brings warmer weather and flowers but also bugs start to become active. A good time to call sHs Pest Control for an inspection or free evaluation. It makes good sense to have a pest inspection done when buying a house, but also as an owner in your general house maintenance. Genny talks with Michele Eccles from sHs Pest Control about a variety of pests, how to detect them and some preventative measures you might take to avoid them. Listen to the show
This week's show information: Michele Eccles - sHs Pest Control, 39 East Main Road, Portsmouth, Rhode Island. 401-849-0068
March 26, 2011 - The calendar says spring is here! Perhaps a good time to think about redecorating or staging your house if selling? Genny welcomes Jan Girouard from All About Redecorating to talk about trends, colors and ideas. Listen to the show
March 19, 2011 - The subject of this week's show is the importance of planning for non-married property owners. Genny discusses the pitfalls to avoid and how to plan when in this situation with Kathy Karl, who practices family law and is a mediator, from Sayer, Regan & Thayer, LLP Listen to the show
March 12, 2011 - The property assessments have just come out in Portsmouth. Every three years there is at least a statistical update and Vision Appraisal has completed them for Portsmouth. Generally assessments went down by about 15% which is unusual but still doesn't mean you shouldn't take a good look at yours, compare it to others and possibly still appeal it. Genny discusses how to go about doing this with Attorney Mark Thayer of Sayer, Regan & Thayer, LLP Listen to the show
February 26, 2011 - Genny talks about the recent sales figures in RI from the RI Association of Realtors. Home Energy Management systems - HEMs are becoming more talked about. Saving money with home energy monitoring, updates to appliances etc. Did you know that refrigerators purchased before 1990 use approximately 60% more energy than new ones? More information on these interesting topics can be found in Rhode Island Home & Design magazine. Pick up a free copy around town or download it from their web site www.rhodeislandhld.com Listen to the show
This week's show links:
February 12, 2011 - What is a short sale? How does it differ from bankruptcy or foreclosure and how do you go about it? Genny discusses this topic with Attorney Mark Thayer and Paralegal Victoria Claire of Sayer, Regan & Thayer, LLP Listen to the show
January 22, 2011 - Genny's guest is Jim Paradise from Paradise Cleaning and Restoration. We are getting a large amount of snow this year and freezing weather. This can create many issues for homeowners. Genny discusses problems, prevention and solutions with Jim Paradise. For example did you know that older de-humidifiers don't function well, if at all below 68 degrees? They may seem that they are running but they are not removing moisture, just running the motor. Listen to the show
December 11, 2010 - Congress is discussing moving to stop the home mortgage interest deduction from being available to homeowners on their yearly income tax returns. Genny urges you to contact your representatives to express your feelings about this. She then talks about the tax credits for homeowners making home improvements in 2009 - 2010. This is coming to an end so you need to get all your paperwork and items arranged before the end of this year to take advantage of it. If you are considering buying a home in 2011, you should be thinking about it now. Perhaps start a "Home Savings Account" for yourself. You will need an average of 3% of the purchase price for closing costs. Listen to the show
December 4, 2010 - Genny deciphers the recent news on "median prices" for sales figures from October. Jamie Moore is Genny's guest today and the discussion is about appraisals. The benefits of using local appraisers and banks for loans and general information about the process and how it is used for mortgages, refinancing, taxes and real estate values in general. Jamie Moore is a former realtor who has been doing appraisals for over 20 years. Listen to the show
October 30, 2010 - Genny gives some stats and numbers from third quarter sales, then speaks with guest Jan Girouard about updating your decorating for the season for yourself, or staging to sell your home. They also discuss how you can do both at the same time. Jan's company is All About Redecorating. Listen to the show
October 2, 2010 - This is a buyer's market at present. There are many properties available and seller's are waiting for offers, don't be put off by an asking price, if you are interested, make an offer. Genny's guest for today's show is Linda Lee Butler an interior designer. They discuss how to design a home to be appealing to buyers if you are selling, or just to work on the design of the home to freshen it up for yourself. Listen to the show
This week's show information: Linda Lee Butler Interior Design 401-855-3061, 3064 East Main Rd Portsmouth; For National Real Estate News - www.Realtor.org
September 25, 2010 - We are in the middle of "hurricane season" and September is "National Preparedness Month". Genny's guest is Jade Lupinacci, a Disaster Response Coordinator from SERVPRO of Washington County. They discuss how to prepare for the possibility of a hurricane or other severe storm hitting our area. How to be ready for your home OR business in case of loss of power, water, etc. We have put up their Emergency Supplies Checklist for your information. Listen to the show
September 18, 2010 - Figures for August sales can be confusing, Genny tries to explain them in relation to past years. Also some explanation about foreclosures and short sales. Listen to the show
September 11, 2010 - Sales of homes rose a little toward the end of August, while some sellers have reduced prices in order to sell before the winter months set in. As we enter the fall season, it is time to start preparing your home for the winter months, doing maintenance chores especially on heating systems. Genny gives some information and ideas of what should be done to properly maintain your home, especially if you are thinking of selling. Listen to the show
August 28, 2010 - Genny follows up on recent news reporting regarding the drop in sales in the real estate markets. While the number of sales was down for July, the median price per sale was up. There are a lot of ways to interpret statistics and just reading the headlines can bring worries where perhaps they shouldn't exist. Listen to the show
August 21, 2010 - Genny's guest Mike Kennedy of Direct Finance corporation explains a bit about Reverse Mortgages, who can qualify (over age 62 and primary residence), what various terms are and what situations they might be helpful in. Listen to the show
August 14, 2010 - Moving into or out of a home is a very stressful, emotional experience. There are things you can do to prepare and make the move a more pleasant and easier time. Genny speaks with Larry O'Toole, President & Founder of Gentle Giant Moving Company to get a better understanding of how to go about arranging a move and some of the pitfalls you might find. Listen to the show
This week's show links: Gentle Giant Moving Company; 1-800-GIANT MEN (442-6863); or directly to the Priovidence location at 401-453-4400
July 24, 2010 - Thomas Marsocci of Pro Energy Plus (Pro Paint Plus) joins Genny for a discussion on renewable energy for homeowners. Including the newer home sized wind turbines and solar installations for homes. Pro Energy Plus is located in Quonset Point Business Park in RI. Listen to the show
July 10, 2010 - Genny's guest is Jim Paradise from Paradise Cleaning and Restoration. They discuss the recent storms and how Jim's company helps with cleaning up the damage caused by water. Also what sorts of things can be done to prevent "typical" water damage to your home. Listen to the show
May 29, 2010 - How to Buy A House. Genny goes over some of the things buyer's should think about and do when looking at or buying a home. Listen to the show
May 15, 2010 - Craig Clark of Ocean State Air Solutions was Genny's guest discussing indoor air quality especially in light of the recent flooding in Rhode Island. Including moisture control, mold testing and remediation. What to look for if your basement was wet and how to control mositure with dehumidification. Listen to the show
May 1, 2010 -Spring Market is here. Genny talks about things you can do to prepare your house for sale with a couple new ideas. She also talks about the new "Green" movement in the MLS to add even more information when selling a house about the energy savings that have been built into the house or added to it. Listen to the show
February 27, 2010 - Genny reports on some encouraging statistics in our local real estate market and that there are many buyers out looking at the present time. Home inspections done by the buyers are an expected part of the process but these days more sellers are doing "pre-inspections" in order to find potential issues first and to help price their property for sale. Certified Home Inspector Martin Casey of DHR Inc. discusses this trend along with the benefit of maintenance inspections and describes the inspection process in this edition of Let's Talk About Real Estate. Listen to the show
February 13, 2010 - Our scheduled guest was unable to make this show so instead Genny discusses some interesting highlights from this year's Winter Festival in Newport and then goes over tax credits for buyers and homeowners for home improvements made in 2009 - 2010. Listen to the show
February 6, 2010 - This week's show has an update on the Rotary Club's Shelter Box program for Haiti. Talking more about energy savings and new "Power Factor Optimizers". Genny's guests are Eric Scherz from Gotta Go Green Energy Solutions the company that sells the Optimizers and Valerie Griffiths from Griff Electric in Portsmouth. Griff Electric sells and installs the optimizers here in Rhode Island. Listen to the show
January 16, 2010 - The recent disaster in Haiti has us all wondering how to help. Genny as a member of the Newport Rotary Club tells us how to contribute locally via the Rotary's matching plan to the Shelter Box program. You can send tax deductible contributions to Newport Rotary Charitable Foundation, PO Box 164, Newport, RI 02840.
Newport Rotary will match the funds up to 4 Shelter Boxes. Each one cost $1,000 each. Rotary Club is an International organization, each club is trying to do as many as possible. 1000’s have already been sent from Florida, where the US center is. United Kingdom is the main center, so when you see and hear the explanation on “youtube” the folks will speak with an English accent. If you want to help, but want to know where your funds are going, you now can see how your funds are used. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>
January 9, 2010 - Genny's guest is Beth Milham from Neighborhood Energy Challenge (www.neighborhoodenergychallenge.org). You are invited to take steps to reduce the carbon emissions in your household, school, or business, and... YOU’LL SAVE MONEY WHILE YOU’RE AT IT! Discussion also included energy audits and how it may not be long before they become as popular and necessary as structual inspections, radon tests, etc. when selling or buying a house. Listen to the show
January 2, 2010 - Today we talk about the "Jumbo Sales" market, 203k loans which enable buyers to borrow enough to have a house fixed up and things sellers can do to prepare a house for sale this spring. One resource to look at is the recent Cost to Value Report put out in Remodeling Magazine. This gives you some idea of what remodeling projects might be worthwhile to do in order to more easily sell your home. It compares the costs of these projects to the value they might bring in a sale. Listen to the show
December 12, 2009 - Genny's guest is Environmental Lead Inspector Technician Steve Johnson. They discuss updates and changes to the RI Lead Law for landlords, building managers and property owners. Steve gives insights into the process and information about courses RI property managers and owners can take online to learn and achieve certificates. See the web site www.LeadSafeKids.org for more on those courses and contact Steve for inspection or information at 401-864-4038. Listen to the show
October 24, 2009 - Genny gives an update on the market, the $8,000 first time home buyer's credit, condominium and multi-family houses. Listen to the show
If you have a question you'd like answered or topic you'd like discussed on my Saturday morning radio show please submit it below. I will make every effort to answer your question either on the radio show or via email back to you. Please be sure to put in your correct email address. Rest assured I will not misuse your contact information by distributing it to others and will only use it in conjunction with our dealings.
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Genny Croll Realtor, CRS,
GRI RE/MAX of Newport, 55 Memorial Boulevard, Newport,
RI 02840
Cellular: (401) 529-4937 Office Phone: (401) 849-3007
Fax: (401) 849-9859
