Dec 05

Lieb’s Top 5 Home Inspection Issues for L.I. Real Estate

connections-990699__340Long Island attorney Andrew Lieb, who specializes in real estate law, offers advice on buying a home with a home inspector on Long Island. Here are topics that he advises as the top five issues to consider:

1.TIMING THE INSPECTION
2. HIRING THE RIGHT PROFESSIONAL
3. KNOWING WHAT YOU GET
4. UNDERSTANDING WHAT IS EXCLUDED FROM AN INSPECTION
5. WHO SHOULD ATTEND THE INSPECTION

Lieb’s complete article on this subject was first published in Hamptons Behind the Hedges, linked here. Then another version was posted at Huffington Post, linked here.

As a licensed NY State home inspector serving Long Island, I find Lieb’s article to be spot on. Timing is incredibly important, especially if there is serious interest in a home. And I also recommend that the home purchaser can learn a lot about the home by being present at the home inspection.

I have elaborated on the point of “hiring the right professional” at my blog, titled, ABC’s of Home Inspection Training and Experience, linked here. I would recommend, A) Architectural or engineering degree; B) Thorough home inspection training; C) Construction experience. All of these add to the capability and value of your home inspector, in addition to being a part of a certification organization that holds inspectors to high standards.

A further piece of advice on due diligence would be to hire a home  inspector based on the inspector’s credentials, not just because a real estate agent has recommended one.

Image with permission by NZ Chrissy

Tags: Buying a home on Long Island, how to buy home on LI, how to choose inspector on Long Island, key inspection issues, how to choose inspector in Hamptons NY. buyer due diligence

May 28

Should Brokers and Agents Recommend Home Inspectors?

There are a number of questions regarding the recommendation of home inspectors by agents and brokers. Is it a good idea? Are there any preferred methods? Are there any concerns? Certified by the International Association of Certified Home Inspectors

First, it can be considered a valuable time-saving service to provide the name of a home inspector or a list of local licensed home inspectors. Real estate professionals basically earn their fee by helping their clients, so this can be seen as a helpful plus. A key to business growth is to never stop improving. Supplying some references of local home inspectors is a positive feature.

Second, there are a few methods for recommending home inspectors. One Southampton real estate agency offers an online list of local home inspectors to choose from. Another agency chooses to recommend one home inspector. And yet another chooses to print out and hand a list to clients.

Third, there can be some underlying concerns when it comes to recommending just one home inspector. The home buyer may be wondering, “Should I use a home inspector that has been recommended to me by a broker or agent?” The underlying issue relates to the objectivity of the inspector and the report. There are plenty of brokers and agents who regularly recommend one home inspector and there is nothing unethical about this if the report is objective. However, some clients may feel more confident if they are presented with a list of recommended licensed and insured home inspectors to choose from.  This option may be presented to a client. Some clients prefer to find their own home inspector on the Internet.

As a home inspector, I have both training in home inspection work and an architectural degree. I also have a lot of various construction work experience. These experiences add to my abilities as a home inspector. I’m licensed and insured and can offer a number of references. If you are interested in an objective and thorough report, you may recommend Southampton Home Inspections to your clients with confidence.

Tags: Should brokers recommend home inspectors? Real estate and home inspections, should a home buyer use a recommended home inspector, how to find a home inspector

Apr 30

Hamptons Designer House Market Update

200px-Cuckoo_clock_by_Pascal_Tarabay1Last week, 27East reported how Hamptons Cottages & Gardens magazine hosted a panel discussion that featured discussions by a variety of professionals related to the real estate industry in the Hamptons and, with regard to creativity and real estate, the situation is a bit paradoxical. In one sense, it’s a designer’s market:

“Mr. Collé, who said that today’s buyers are “less interested in cookie-cutter houses” and more passionate about custom-designed homes, said that he has been seeing more and more demand for “bigger and better” residences. That means more and more teardowns of existing older homes on ideally located properties, he reported.”

And yet, in another sense, the population of creative artists and designers that helped to give the Hamptons a sense of mystique seems to be on the wain:

“The artists and writers are being squeezed out by the hedge fund managers, she paused. “And the people clipping the hedges.”

Like SOHO in NYC and Red Hook in Brooklyn, the Hamptons seems to be following a similar pattern for artists and writers.

In March, Deal Book reported how hedge fund titan Steven A. Cohen paid $60 million for an oceanfront home on Further Lane in East Hampton. But this is chump change. The day before the home purchase news has it that he purchased Picasso’s “Le Rêve” for $155 million from the casino owner Stephen A. Wynn. This was apparently one of the priciest private art deals ever transacted. The art of the deal.

The HC & G Hamptons real estate update and forum included Builder Jeffrey Collé, NYC&G features editor Carmela Ciuraru, HC&G contributing editor Heather Buchanan and author Steven Gaines joined HC&G publisher Pamela Eldridge.

Image of designer cuckoo clock by Pascal Tarabay is courtesy of Creative Commons.

Tags: art and real estate, Hamptons designers, Hampton real estate update, buy designer home Hamptons NY

Mar 15

List of Hamptons NY Real Estate Brokers

The following is a list of real estate brokers in the Hamptons NY area. The process of home buying can be inundating and it may be that this list will be of use. All real estate agents are required to work under licensed real estate brokers, so all professionals in the field are hopefully covered somewhere in this list. If you are a real estate broker in the area and are not on the list, I can add you if you let me know. If you are in need of a local Hamptons home inspector, check out Southampton Home Inspections.

Beau Hulse Realty Group

http://www.hulserealty.com/html/

Corcoran Hamptons, NY
http://www.corcoran.com/hamptons

Douglass Elliman Hamptons
http://www.elliman.com/long-island/hamptons

Halstead Hamptons
http://www.halstead.com/agents/hamptons-office/

The Morely Agency
http://morley.hreo.com/

Nest Seekers Hamptons, NY
http://www.nestseekers.com/Sales/hamptons/

Saunders
http://www.hamptonsrealestate.com/

Sea Shell Real Estate
http://www.seashell-realestate.com/

Sotheby’s Hamptons, NY
http://www.sothebyshomes.com/hamptons

Southampton Village Real Estate
http://www.southamptonvillagerealestate.com/

South Fork Realty
http://www.southforkrealty.com/

Town and Country
http://www.1townandcountry.com/

Tags: Real estate Hamptons NY, list of real estate brokers and agents in Hamptons NY, Hamptons NY real estate listings, buy house hamptons, home buying in Hamptons, names of brokers in Hamptons NY, real estate companies in Hamptons