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It finally seems like Spring is upon us. We won't be seeing any more snow and the month of May will be here shortly. May is my favorite month in New York City. It's not cold any longer, the rain has stopped and it's before the heat and humidity begins in June. The flowering trees and the flowers planted everywhere plus the warmer weather is so uplifting!
And May also has Mother's Day. While I myself am not a mother, I am very blessed to have a mother, who at 84 is still alive and kicking (she sometimes kicks me! But that's what mothers are for). We did some digging and found some interesting information on how Mother's Day got its start. See below.
And also be sure to check out this month's Staging Success Story. We staged two model apartments and the owner accepted an offer on the first unit just two days after the first open house! Since then 17 of the 20 units have been put under contract.
Happy Spring!
Donna M. Dazzo, President
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Testimonial of the Month
"When I walked into the model apartments that Designed to Appeal staged, I was ecstatic at the way they looked. Donna really nailed the demographic of the buyer and presented a lifestyle they would want to have. We accepted an offer just two days after the first open house on February 10th, and 17 of the 20 units have since been put under contract."
Licensed Real Estate Broker
Warburg Realty, New York, New York
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Model Apartments Staged - 1st Offer
Accepted in 2 Days!!
We were asked to stage two model apartments by the developer in a condo conversion in West Harlem. Each unit was a one-bedroom/one-bathroom apartment.
Our goal was to take these empty and basic apartments and transform them into a place where buyers would want to live. See the before and after photos below.
Just two days after the first open house on February 10th, an offer was accepted. Since then 17 of the 20 units have been put under contract!
Model Apartment # 1
Living Room After
 Living Room After
Bedroom Before
 Bedroom After
Model Apartment # 2
 Living Room Before
Living Room After
Living Room Before
Living Room After
Bedroom Before
 Bedroom After
 Kitchen Before
Kitchen After
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Market Overview:
New York, NY
"Following an extremely strong 2013, closed sales in the Manhattan market remained numerous during First Quarter 2014, up 25% year-over-year to over 3,200 sales. With a proportional increase in sales at the high end, the price per square foot and the average price both topped the Second Quarter 2008 peak. Ultra-low inventory levels strongly contributed to this quarter's substantial price appreciation.
Across the market, both the average price per square foot and median price increased by double digits when compared to First Quarter 2013.
Despite large increase in closings this quarter, signed contracts were down versus this time last year. This can be attributed in large part to limited inventory which in the First Quarter 2014 was 17% lower than the First Quarter 2013 and the unusually harsh winter and lack of large new development projects opening this quarter also played a role."
The following is a comparison of First Quarter 2014 vs. First Quarter 2013:
Market Wide:
- Listings on Market: 5,466 is a 16% decrease.
- New Listings: 4,504 is a 5% decrease.
Condos:
Co-ops:
- The median sale price of $720,000 is a 15% increase.
- The average price per square foot of $956 is a 12% increase.
- The listed inventory was just over 2,532 units is a 19% decrease.
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Tips and Tricks of the Trade: Home Staging Tips from Barbara Corcoran
Barbara Corcoran, real estate mogul and star of ABC's Shark Tank, shares some tips in staging your home for a successful sale as she walks through a home in this video.
Here is a synopsis of her tips:
1. First impressions are critical, whether it's the front yard or the entry foyer. Buyers will judge your house in the first 8 seconds.
2. Light sells homes. Cut back bushes and trees and eliminate drapes that are blocking windows.
3. The kitchen is the most important room in selling a home. Updates are all that's necessary.
4. Same with bathrooms. Renovations are not necessary. And get rid of the clutter.
5. Clean and uncluttered rooms make homes seem bigger.
6. Buyers judge the maintenance of the home based upon the neatness of your closets.
7. To eliminate odors, remove pets during showings, stop smoking and boil some cinnamon.
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Did You Know......The History of Mother's Day?
In 1905, Anna Jarvis conceived of Mother's Day as a way of honoring the sacrifices mothers made for their children. She organized the first official Mother's Day celebration in West Virginia in May of 1908.
A successful endeavor, Jarvis resolved to see her holiday added to the national calendar with a massive letter writing campaign to newspapers and prominent politicians urging the adoption of a special day honoring motherhood. Her persistence paid off when in 1914 President Woodrow Wilson signed a measure officially establishing
the second Sunday in May as Mother's Day.
While Jarvis had initially worked with the floral industry to help raise Mother's Day's profile, by 1920 she was disgusted with how commercialized the holiday had become, outwardly denouncing the transformation. She eventually resorted to an open campaign against Mother's Day profiteers, speaking out against confectioners, florists and even charities.
In the United States, Mother's Day continues to be celebrated by presenting mothers and other women with gifts and flowers, and it has become one of the biggest holidays for consumer spending.
For more details on the origin and traditions surrounding this holiday read here!
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Market Overview:
The East End
"Nine of the 12 markets monitored by TOWN & COUNTRY saw an increase in the Number of Home Sales, 2 were unchanged, and only one market saw a decline of 17% - it was the red hot market of Montauk, posting 20 home sales in 1st Quarter 2014 vs. 24 sales in 1st Quarter 2013. This statistic should not be interpreted as a pull back in demand...it is simply a lack of inventory.
Looking at All Hamptons Markets Combined and the 1st Quarter activity reveals nearly all black (increases), straight across the 3 criteria TOWN & COUNTRY monitors and the 7 separate price ranges. Sales boomed with a 29% increase in the Number of Home Sales and a 32.3% rise in the Median Homes Sales Price, both resulting in a doubling in the Total Home Sales Volume of $641M in the first 3 months of 2014.
Viewing the stats for All North Fork Markets Combined, the increase in home sales activity on the North Fork is acutely clear with a 36% leap in Number of the Home Sales and a staggering 65% jump in Total Home Sales Volume."
East Hampton Town:
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The median sales price of $816,657 was a 5.5% decrease.
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The number of sales of 54 remained the same.
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The dollar volume of sales $54.6 million was a 24.59% decrease.
Southampton Town:
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The median sales price of $830,000 was a 18.6% increase.
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The number of sales of 33 was a 32% increase.
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The dollar volume of sales $60.5 million was a 151% increase.
Southold Town:
- The median sales price of $437,500 was a 0.57% increase.
- The number of sales of 12 was a 29.4% decrease.
- The dollar volume of sales $6.4 million was a 27.1% decrease.
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For More Info
During the Month...
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FREE Closet
Organization,
Open House, and
Moving Checklists
Download your
FREE Closet
Organization,
Open House, and
Moving Checklists.
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Home Staging Savings Calculator Instructions
Try our new
Home Staging Savings Calculator developed by the Real Estate Staging Association (RESA)
Click on the calculator above, which will launch in a new window.
For more detailed instructions, click here.
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