A Real Estate Dream Come True

Just a little more than 3 months after listing their house in the coldest part of the one of the worst winters in more than a decade here’s the happy couple, Mr. and Mrs. Joseph and Angela Caputo, standing in front of their brand new home.

It was my pleasure to work with them every step of the way.

Here’s their story:

It took place right here in Middletown.  These sellers had lived in their home for a little more than 40 years.   They raised their family here.  2 Floors.  4 Bedrooms.   1 Full and one-half bath.  Living and Dining Rooms.  Finished basement too.   The house was well taken care of.   Beautiful gleaming hardwood floors upstairs and down.

The sellers loved this house but now it was too big for their needs.

They wanted to downsize and stay local near their family including grandchildren.

Before we put their home on the market I took them to many listings of condos and and town homes.

Their biggest want in a new home was a large kitchen and dining area so they could have their family over for Sunday dinner.

In their new home’s kitchen with granite counter tops and all the conveniences.

We saw many nice choices, but the sellers now buyers fell in love with just one.   It was a brand new stand alone home in an Active Adult Community in Middletown known as “Wildflowers“.

It had the large kitchen and dining area they wanted along with 2 bedrooms, including the master bedroom and master bath, living room, laundry, large garage and an upstairs bonus room.

The exterior yard maintenance, the community lifestyle, and recreation benefits helped seal the deal.

Once they settled on buying the new home we listed their older one.

What we did right was give it a realistic listing price.

Moving Day, on to their new home.

The price the sellers set enabled them to attract a large number of buyers;  receive a selling price very close to the original list price and have a shorter marketing time.

The good condition of the seller’s home helped.

Keeping up on their housing investment paid off for the sellers. It enabled them to get the best possible monetary return on their property.

The quality and value in the home they sold also showed buyers that Middletown is a good place to look for and  find a new home.

Getting ready to move into their new home at Wildflowers.

As for these sellers and buyers.   I hope they enjoy a long and happy time in their new home and have many, many Sunday family dinners there.

The sellers/buyers are Mr. and Mrs. Joseph and Angela Caputo.    They are well known in the community via their family and volunteer work.  Mr. Caputo has made two volunteer trips to Haiti.  There he used his skills as a lifelong mason to help rebuild that island nation which was devastated by an earthquake in 2010.  One project he was proud to work on was the rebuilding of a maternity ward at a hospital.

Mr. Caputo still keeps active in the masonry business.  He stays in contact with his many clients old and new.  He is available for small masonry jobs of all types.  You can contact him at 845-343-2045.

If you enjoyed this post you may have an interest in doing some of the same things these sellers/buyers did.

• They downsized to a more manageable and convenient location that meets their current needs.
• They also sold their biggest asset, their home for more than 40 years.
• They had success with both the listing and sale of their current house and the purchase of their new home.

They were great to work with.   Here’s some of the most important points we kept in mind during the listing and sale process:

• Pricing
  • The most important step in a successful sale
• Marketing
  • Reaching today’s buyer who likely was seeing the home listing on their smartphone or mobile device.
  • Having A Proper Online Presentation of their home for sale.  You only have seconds to win 0ver buyers when they make the decision online whether or not to see a house.
  • Telling the story of the listing in a compelling way
    • Being attuned to what buyers want
• Negotiations
• Use our experience in the real estate business to Avoid, Spot and Solve problems that can occur with a transaction
  • Doing the right things in getting the house ready to sell
  • Buyers Qualifications
  • Home Inspections–handling problems and concerns
  • Contracts
• Help in finding a new home
  • Listening for what buyer wants
  • Getting your financing
    • Gail Stellato, A Home Mortgage Consultant with Wells Fargo, 845-294-4368, did a great job helping the Caputos’.
    • She even had a special program that benefited them because of  his union membership.
  • Budget and Coordinating with sale of current home
  • Local area expert to get what buyer needs
  • Referral Network for those moving to other areas

Want more information on these topics that can help you if you’re thinking of selling your house or buying a new one?.  

I have a free monthly e-newsletter that’s filled with tips for sellers and buyers.

• For sellers it can help you gain up to the minute knowledge on the latest trends in what buyers want;  current market values, and what mistakes not to make in selling in today’s market.
• For buyer’s you’ll find articles on decorating the new home, energy saving, latest in appliances, new construction and renovations.  It’s a wealth of information.  It’s free and we e-mail it to you at the beginning of each month.
• Many of our clients have been subscribing to our newsletter for more than ten years.  They say the enjoy the information as each month as home owners.    If they get ready to sell or want information on their homes value we’re the first person they call.   We’re glad of that.

View the current issue of my Real Estate Update

By Art Livesey