The Green Team is proud to announce that Britanni Gaucher has decided to join our Warwick, NY team.
As a lifelong resident, Britanni has spent her time enjoying all this area has to offer and this is where she chose to stay with her husband, 4 kids, dogs, cats, and chickens and build their own little homestead. Growing up on a dairy farm, Britanni appreciates the history of this area which can be found in the beautiful pieces of property, old barns, and farmhouses of the area.
Britanni is excited to share her love of real estate with her clients and lead them on their path to the perfect home.
It’s an annual “start the year off right” tradition for Green Team Sales Associates. And so Green Team Realty’s Launch 2020 is about to take off . Launch is a “friendly little competition” designed to enhance skills that will lead to excellent client service throughout the year. Therefore, even for those not on a winning team, it’s still a win-win situation.
It’s a new kind of competition this year!
This year Geoff Green, President of Green Team Realty, has created a totally new format. There are still two teams in each office (Warwick and Vernon) battling it out for first place. However this year’s Launch requires team members to attend training sessions, one a week, for ten weeks. After each session there will be a ten question quiz. The team in each office with the highest cumulative score will earn a place on the Launch perpetual plaque. In addition, they’ll receive a prize budget to be spent on a team event of their choosing. Of course, we’ll also have a blog post and press release created for our winning teams.
Keren and Cathie’s team’s had a tight competition during 2019 Launch, but Witte’s Wonders took the prize. We can expect another very close race and great results from these teams.
Five… four… three… two… one
Launch 2020 is taking off, providing Green Team’s Sales Associates with up-to-date knowledge about the industry, marketing, social media, technology tools and training and more. And that is definitely a win-win situation. For our Sales Associates and for their clients.
Green Team Realty is #1 in Warwick and Vernon for 2019!
There is a lot to celebrate over at Green Team Realty. The numbers are in for 2019. And Green Team New York Realty is #1 in sales volume and units sold versus all other real estate offices based in Warwick. Green Team New Jersey Realty is #1 in sales volume and units sold versus all other real estate offices based in Vernon. Further, this is the second year that GTNJR was #1 in Vernon.
Thenumbers are great county-wide, too
Green Team New York Realty did great versus all other real estate offices in Orange County:
We were #8 out of 385 in terms of sales volume
And we were #9 out of 385 in terms of units sold
Green Team New Jersey Realty had similar success compared to all other real estate offices in Sussex County:
We were #8 out of 388 in terms of sales volume
And we were #6 out of 388 in terms of units sold.
Geoff Green, President of Green Team Realty, says:
“It’s a team effort. Everyone from support staff to our highest ranking Sales Associates has a stake in this success. No matter where you are on planet Earth you will not find a better team than the women and men who make up the Green Team. I am humbled to play my part, but the success definitely lies in the team. God willing, our climb to the top will not only sustain, but will continue to further advance.”
Congratulations from Geoff Green, President of Green Team Realty, to our 4th Quarter 2019 Sales Leaders
I am thrilled to see that Nancy Sardo of Green Team New York Realty has won the 2019 Q4 Sales Leader Award. This is no small accomplishment as there are many top producers in our Warwick Office. Nancy is an exceptional Realtor, a great businesswoman and a good friend to myself and many others in our community.
And we are very excited to announce Kristi Anderson for her first Quarterly Sales Leader award with Green Team New Jersey Realty. Kristi has been an outstanding Realtor and citizen in Sussex County for many years, and we are just thrilled to see her rising to the top of the production ranks. This will be the first of many for Kristi.
Nancy Sardo has been listing and selling homes in Orange County, New York since 2005. Her experience and eye for detail allow her to see potential in resales. And her knowledge as a new construction broker offers building as another option for the buyer who has exhausted the limited resale market.
Nancy has earned her Associate Broker’s License, Seniors Real Estate Specialist (SRES) designation. She is also an Accredited Buyer’s Representative (ABR).
I am grateful for achieving 4th Quarter Sales Leader at Green Team New York Realty. It’s a great group of professionals to work with, even in an independent, competitive industry.We’re in a business that changes day to day. However, “setting goals is the first step in turning the invisible into the visible.” This small but valuable quote from Tony Robbins goes a long way. I had a great year and most of all thank my family, friends, and the clients who are now friends, I have a “dream team” of colleagues to work with. Your referrals are the heart and soul of my business. I promise integrity, commitment, communications and trust.
Kristi Anderson, Green Team New Jersey Realty
When Kristi Anderson joined Green Team New Jersey Realty she brought with her over 18 years of experience. The Broker-Realtor® is an Accredited Buyer’s Representative (ABR) and has Short Sale and Foreclosure Resource Certification.
In addition, as a Vernon resident of 15 years she has a thorough knowledge of the area and local market. This busy mom of four still finds time to volunteer with the Vernon Township School District’s SCA. And she is also a dedicated and hardworking volunteer board member of the Vernon Chamber of Commerce. But perhaps most importantly, she brings a desire to help people make their real estate dreams come true.
I am so happy to be part of a team with the passion, energy and commitment to client service that I have. I do whatever it takes to get the home SOLD! Thank you to all of my clients. You are the reason I love my job!
Geoff Green, President of Green Team Realty, welcomed everyone to the January 2020 Housing Market Update held on Tuesday, January 21 at 2 p.m. This first housing market update of the year provides a review of 2019, as well as a look forward.
Click Here to Watch the recording of the live Housing Market Update
National Stats
Housing Market Predictions for 2020
Influencers in the industry have made predictions as to where the housing market is headed in 2020. Ken Leon, Global Director of Industry and Equity Research of CFRA Research says there is a strong foundation for the housing market driven by employment growth, higher household income and consumer confidence levels. In addition, he also believes that we’ll start to see millennials beginning to acquire their first homes. There are more millennial buyers than any other generation right now.
George Ratiu, Senior Economists of Realtor.com sees a mixed bag. Supply of new homes begins to offset inventory. We’ll still be talking about inventory issues, but interest rates remain reasonable as home prices flatten. We’re not seeing that flattening of home prices in our area at this time, but its reasonable to assume the growth of price appreciation will slow in 2020.
Freddie Mac expects interest rates to remain low for the next two years, a good thing.
The Positives
As shown above, rates are still historically low. It seems like the experts are in agreement that home prices are going to increase, though Realtor.com is the most pessimistic, predicting just a slight increase. Housing starts (new housing analytic) appear to remain at about 1.3 million. And total home sales look like they may eclipse 6 million, indicative of a very strong 2020 housing market.
The hurdles…
The issue of inventory we’ve been dealing with for some time is continuing. And it appears that it will keep on being an issue for at least 2020.
Promising news regarding national delinquency rate
This is encouraging news. What lead to the major downturn in the 2007/2008 housing market and kept it at such a low level till 2016 was delinquency. Right now we are basically at 20 year lows as far as loans defaulting. This is a great analytic as it means people, even when it’s difficult, are keeping up with their mortgage payments. A lot has to do with confidence as homeowners see their homes increase in value.
American Debt
Thought to be a precursor in relation to the housing market; auto debt has doubled in the last 10 years. Even as auto loan debt continues to rise, the percentage of delinquent borrowers is still at a lower than average level and sales remain strong. However, it warrants watching.
Local – Combined Statsfor Orange, Rockland and Westchester Counties, NY
Units Sold
Broken down into quarters, it’s evident 2017 was the peak, year over year.It’s worth keeping track of these trends.
Average Price
Prices are continuing to increase, showing an increase over the last four years at end of 4th quarter.
Ask to Sold Ratio
The last asking price versus what the home sold for. This is softening a bit. The higher the number, the better the sellers market is. As it cools, the better the market becomes for buyers.
Days on Market
We’re seeing days on market coming up, an indication that market is cooling.
Orange County, NY
Units Sold
As opposed to quarterly format, these graphs show month-to-month variations. You can see where things started to fall off back in the end of 2017. While it could be argued that we’ve been in a cooling off period for almost 2 years, we haven’t seen price follow suit.
Average Sales Price
We have been seeing price increase over the last two years, in comparison to the units sold trend. Geoff reiterated that in his experience, price always lags units sold. Here we’re looking at a two-year lag, but much can be attributed to low inventory.
Ask to Sold Ratio
Days on Market
Local – Combined Stats for Sussex, Morris and Passaic Counties, NJ
Units Sold
There is a significantly lower variance for 2019 in units sold.
Average Price
Here again, prices are rising, even though units sold is significantly down.
Ask to Sold Ratio
Average sold to list price ratio is slowing down, a sign that things are cooling off a bit. The higher the number, the hotter the market. The lower, the cooler, and trending towards a buyers market.
Days on Market
These numbers are still holding strong.
Sussex County, NJ
Units Sold
Per Geoff, these are really the most important numbers to look at. And again, in 2017 the numbers started to decline.
Average Sales Price
Ask to Sold Ratio
Days on Market
So, should you buy or sell a home in 2020?
If you’re considering buying a home in 2020, it comes down to individual circumstances. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau recommends a total debt-to-income ratio below 43% to get a qualified mortgage.
Should you sell your home in 2020? Regardless of the advice here, Geoff says if the time is right for you, the answer is yes! If you’re a Baby Boomer and you have a place to go to but are waiting to see if the market is going to go a little bit higher, that may not be a game you should be playing. There are too many variables. Lots of stats show the market is entering a cooling off period. In an election year you never know what the impact will be. In other words, the market is about as good as it’s going to get for the foreseeable future!
Click Here to Watch the recording of the live Housing Market Update
Housekeeping Items
The next Housing Market Update will be on Tuesday, February 18 at 2 p.m You can sign up at GreenTeamRealty.com/HMU.
Thank you to our sponsor, REALLY, The Real Estate Referral Community. REALLY is where Professionals who serve the Real Estate Industry can connect, communicate and securely exchange referrals with speed and ease. And there are no fees on commission exchanged between Agents. Join for free at ReallyHQ.com
Meet Our Panel for the December 2019 Housing Market Update
Geoff opened the discussion by asking the panelists how 2020 was starting off for them. What are they experiencing?
Carol Buchanan
Carol began by stating that she has never seen a January this active. She is working with clients who will be listing, buyers who are anxious to purchase. Again, inventory is still low so when a home comes on the market that is nice and priced well, it sells quickly. In January 2019 Carol predicted that 2019 was going to be a strong year. Geoff asked if she has the same sense for 2020. “Absolutely! Positively. No doubt about it,” was Carol’s response. ” 2020 is going to be a very, very strong year in real estate.” Geoff added that Carol’s predictions have proven to be more correct than anyone else’s he knows, so he always listens to hers!
Wayne Patterson
Geoff then asked Wayne, who has been in the industry a long time, what his take-away was on the stats presented. Wayne replied that what immediately came to mind was that if a buyer is interested, and because inventory is so low, they should have all their ducks in a row. It’s vital to be pre-approved, have all documentation ready to go, etc. Buyers have to be ready to move as there will be competition for homes on the market. “He who makes the offer first, wins!” Sellers who have been waiting to put their home on the market? Wayne’s advice is do it now! It’s going to sell quickly because there is an abundance of buyers.
Geoff’s experience in listing homes is that often people say, “Well, we really don’t have to sell it right now. Maybe we should wait another year because the market might come up another 5 or 6%, money that would come in handy for our retirement.” Geoff asked Wayne his response to that line of thinking. Wayne replied that the homeowner is thinking of selling for a reason. They want to retire and move out of state and alleviate a lot of the expenses that go along with maintaining that home. Taxes, maintenance costs, etc. That money that you think you’re saving by not putting your home on the market now will be spent in the upkeep of the house. If you’re thinking of selling in the Spring because you hear that’s the best time, you may have a better chance of selling your home now if it is in good condition and priced well.
Keren Gonen
Keren thinks that 2020 will be even better than 2019 because interest rates have now made it cheaper to buy a house than to rent. It’s been trending this way for awhile, but not everyone has been aware of what’s happening. In Sussex, Keren said, you can rent a home for $1,900, while a mortgage would cost $1,300! As far as Sellers waiting to list their homes, Keren always advises them to watch Green Team’s Housing Market Update so they can see what the truth is. We bring stats in from various sources; it’s not just our opinion. So when people ask if they should wait for Spring, Keren lets them know she is out with buyers everyday, in the snow, in the freezing cold. And you know when someone is looking for a home in those conditions, they are serious buyers.
In addition, we never know what is going to happen in the future. So if you want to sell and move to a warmer climate, now is the time to do it. Geoff stated it’s good to list now as it also puts you ahead of the competition, when most sellers put their homes on the market. Very often buyers have very definite time constraints. They have to purchase a home by a particular time and couldn’t wait till Spring. And when more inventory comes on the market, there is less competition among buyers and more room to negotiate.
A Global Perspective…
Looking at the DOW, the market is very strong. It looks like the first phase of the US/China Trade Deal is a done deal and seems to be favorable to the US. The replacement of NAFTA with the new trade deal has now gotten through our Congress, but that was causing some wariness in the business sector. So some things that had been hanging over the economy in 2019 seem to be resolving. However, we are in the midst of an impeachment process and election, so we’ll be watching for the impact.
To Contact our Panelists:
Carol Buchanan: 845-705-9162 or carolbuchanan97@gmail.com
Wayne Patterson: wayne@waynepatterson.com or 845-313-5623
Toni Kreusch, with Green Team New York Realty and Green Team New Jersey Realty, has been awarded the Seller Representative Specialist (SRS) designation, the premier seller agency designation in the country, as well as the Real Estate Negotiation Expert (RENE) certification, the premier negotiation credential. The SRS and the RENE are conferred by the Real Estate Business Institute (REBI) and are official certifications of the National Association of REALTORS®.
An elite group of real estate professionals
Toni joins an elite group of real estate professionals from around the world who have earned the SRS designation and the RENE certification. All were required to successfully complete comprehensive coursework in seller representation and negotiation as well as demonstrate significant seller representation experience and expertise. In addition, they must subscribe to the REALTOR® Code of Ethics.
A commitment to providing quality customer service
Toni is committed to providing quality customer service. She stays informed about the latest economic trends in order to best understand the market and inform her clients.
The SRS and RENE add depth to my real estate business knowledge. Whether you are buying, selling or just need some guidance, these designations have given me a keen understanding of what it takes to help you achieve your goals through the process, while representing your interests to the fullest.
Raising the roof at Green Team New York Realty was just one of the improvements made to its building at 7 Main Street in Warwick, NY. Geoff Green, President of Green Team Realty, would walk around downtown, admiring the beautiful buildings and the renovations taking place. Then he’d glance over at the Green Team building, knowing it needed a major face lift. In addition, there was the issue of the four roofs. Yes, the building basically had four separate roofs just slapped together over the years. Geoff took aerial photos with his drone which show the poor state these roofs were in.
Making It Happen
Geoff relays the story beyond the renovation below:
I would have done it 10 years sooner, but I simply didn’t have the money. My wife Laura and I saved for many years to make this renovation happen.
There are aerial shots I took with my drone showing the poor state of affairs for the roof. The solution that you see now is all credited to our Architect Christopher Collins. I am extremely grateful for Chris’ work on our building. We originally had a different plan from a different architect and it just simply wasn’t as good of a plan as what we now have. The building would not have looked nearly as good as it does now. Chris was a God send.
Up on the Roof
Geoff talked about the team put together to put Christopher Collins’ plan into effect.
Russ Tellier was the contractor who did the large majority of the work on the 7 Main St building along with his friend Wayne Cosh. Russ was good enough to let me GC the project so that I could save some money and ultimately make it happen. Russ and Wayne did a fine job. As one would expect with a restoration job of this size it also required an electrical upgrade of sorts. All of the electrical work was done by Ralph & Tommy Edwards. In fact, one year after the major portion of the exterior renovation, Ralph and Tommy just finalized a new service line to the building. The building was painted by Christopher Colin, d/b/a “Chris The Contractor“. Chris also did a fine job, and he continues to do all sorts of jobs here and there for us on this building and many others that we are involved in.
A Labor Of Love
Geoff’s love of construction and renovation started in childhood. And it continues to this day.
I am not really sure why, but my history has been to purchase older properties in need of repair. Pretty much every building my wife and I own has undergone some major improvements at one point or another. Early on in my career I would be on site swinging the hammer. By way of building tree forts with my Brother Matt as a kid, I learned enough about construction to be able to maintain our investment properties. However, at this point I have built a great team of contractors who allow me to pick my spots, oversee what I need to in order to cut cost down, etc. . .
I have to say this is a labor of love for me. It literally goes back to my childhood days of building tree houses and skateboard ramps. It was fun waking up early in the morning, putting on a tool belt and going out to build something. But now after about 1 hour of labor I now get aggravated and say to myself, “what the heck am I doing”. So I now tend to leave the labor to the guys who do it best.
7 Main St, Warwick, NY After the Renovation
One thing is certain. Now, when Geoff walks through downtown Warwick, he can take pride in the Green Team New York Realty building at 7 Main Street. Because it is now one of those beautiful buildings he so much admired.
It’s an exciting day at Green Team New York Realty, as we welcome the newest member to our team – Wayne Patterson.
Electrifying the New York Real Estate markets in Orange, Rockland, Westchester, Ulster, and Sullivan counties. With over twenty-five years of customer service and real estate experience in New York State, specializing in all aspects of the real estate industry, from buying and selling residential homes to commercial or investment properties utilizing 1031 exchanges.
No real estate transaction is too big or too small, and customer service is the #1 goal.
To learn more about Wayne and his business visit his site!
Outside of a strong economy, low unemployment, and higher wages, there are three more great reasons why you may want to consider buying your dream home this year instead of waiting.
1. Buying a Home is a Great Investment
Several reports indicate that real estate is a good investment, topping other options such as gold, stocks, bonds, and savings. Why? Real estate helps build equity, a form of investing for you and your family. According to CoreLogic’sEquity Report,
“U.S. homeowners with mortgages (roughly 64% of all properties) have seen their equity increase by a total of nearly $457 billion since the third quarter 2018, an increase of 5.1%, year over year.”
This means the average homeowner gained approximately $5,300 in equity over the past year. If you want to start building your equity, put your housing costs to work for you through homeownership this year.
2. Mortgage Interest Rates Are Low
The Primary Mortgage Market Survey from Freddie Mac indicates that interest rates for a 30-year mortgage have fallen since November 2018 when they hit 4.94%. In their latest forecast, Freddie Mac expects rates to remain low, leveling out to a yearly average of 3.8% in 2020.
When you purchase a home at a low mortgage rate, it will impact your monthly mortgage payment, giving you the opportunity to buy more house for your money.
3. Investing in Your Family is a Win
There are some renters who haven’t purchased a home yet because they’re uncomfortable taking on the obligation of a mortgage. Everyone should realize that, unless you’re living rent-free with your parents, you’re paying a mortgage – either yours or that of your landlord.
Today, rental prices continue to increase, and when you’re paying your landlord’s mortgage instead of your own, you’re not the one earning the equity. As an owner, your mortgage payment is a form of ‘forced savings’ you can use later in life to reinvest in your family. You can use it for a variety of opportunities, such as saving for your children’s education, moving up to a bigger home, or starting your own business. As a renter, it can be more challenging to achieve those types of dreams without home equity working for you.
Bottom Line
Buying a home sooner rather than later could lead to substantial savings and long-term financial growth for you and your family. Let’s get together to determine if homeownership is the right choice for you this year.
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