SAFETY FOR VISITING SENIORS

Inviting an older relative or friend to your home for a visit requires some thought and preparation to make the stay a safe and happy occasion.

          

  The National Association of Home Builders offers these suggestions if you have a senior temporarily in your house, such as a visiting older relative:

Clear Pathways:

Look for obstacles, including furniture that require visitors to have to maneuver around. Move any electrical cords that might be in the path of your visitor. If you find some, consider taping them to a wall. Keep stairs free of any objects and make sure the stair railings are secure.

Light It Up:

 Put night lights in dark spots that might affect your guest, such as in bathrooms, guest rooms, nearby hallways and even the kitchen. Make sure there is a light source within easy reach of the bed. Your visitor will also need well-lit outdoor walkways and entrances.

Don’t Slip Up:

 Make sure the guest shower has a non-slip floor, non-slip strips or a suction-attached non-slip mat. Beware of throw rugs, including bathroom mats. 

Get The Right Seat:

 Look for chairs and seating in your home that will best suit your guest. A chair or sofa that is too soft or too low can make it difficult to stand up and maintain balance. A chair with arms provides something to grip while standing up or sitting down. If your  living room or family room seating does not accommodate  these features, bring a dining room chair, preferably with arms, into the room.

Looking to Buy or Sell your Home? Call us at 631-765-5333, or visit us on our website: beninatiassociates.net.  We listen, we care…….and we get results.

PROPOSED TOWN CODE CHANGES THAT BETTER DEFINE BANKS AND BLUFFS

     Tuesday evening, at a Southold Town Board hearing, amendments to Chapter 275 Wetlands and Shorelines were proposed to better differentiate wetlands and shorelines and zoning differences between banks, which are usually applied to creek front properties, and bluffs, which are usually ascribed to sound front and bay front properties.

          

    Existing code definitions were modified a few years back where creek front banks with less precipitous slopes were combined with bluffs, a term used to define the more acute slope and usually at a higher elevation.  Although this distinction may not appear to be significant, it created problems for creek front property owners, seeking permits because they were being subjected to rules that were much more rigid based on the higher, steeper elevations.

         

     In addition, amendments were proposed Chapter 280 Zoning to include the definition between banks and bluffs to correct the unintended problem created  by the code modification in 2015.

           

     We applaud the Town Board, Zoning Board and Board of Trustees for their responsiveness and correction of the “unintended consequences” of  the existing code with the combined definitions. 

           

     We believe, the amendments need some refinement as noted by several experts who spoke at Tuesday night’s public hearing.  They pointed out, among other things, a need for additional definitions for “toe” and “top” of bluff, and consideration of revising the “slope” and “height” definitions of bluffs, as well as modification of  setback revisions which still places a burden on waterfront homeowners whose homes were built under a different code.  We urge Town officials to come up with an innovative way to “grandfather” existing properties and make new setbacks prospective. 

          

     Only with practical application of new code provisions to existing properties, can we avoid unintended, heavy burdens on the property owners when they need to repair or revise their existing structures.  

Looking to Buy or Sell your Home? Call us at 631-765-5333, or visit us on our website: beninatiassociates.net.  We listen, we care…….and we get results.

MIXED BAG RESULTS FOR 2016 EAST END REAL ESTATE MARKET*

Median Sales

The East End – North Fork and South Fork for the year 2016, reported a drop in the median price of 8.5% to $670,000 from $732,500.  Median prices dropped in two towns, Southampton dropped 13.2%, East Hampton dropped 4.5%;  while Southold increased 4.7% and Riverhead increased 5.4%.   2016 showed a softness in sales  at the higher end.

Dollar Sales

Dollar sales for the East End fell 6.9% for the year primarily due to  decreased sales in Southampton and East Hampton of down 13.6% and 4.3% respectively.  For the North Fork sales went up:  Southold increased 13.8% and Riverhead increased significantly to 34.9%.  Good results with strength on the lower to mid-priced homes.

Unit Sales

Overall the entire East End unit sales increased slightly by 16 units sold or .5%.  In Southampton and East Hampton , unit sales fell 6.6% and 7.8% respectively.  On the North Fork, Southold unit sales increased 9.2% and Riverhead ad a whopping 30.6% increase!

Overall the North Fork did well in 2016, with Riverhead having strong double-digit increases in dollar sales and unit sales.  On the other hand, the South Fork had weak results across the board.  

Business has been brisk on the North Fork for January – weather has helped a great deal.  If you’re thinking of selling, call us – it’s time!!!!

*Source:  Press Release, January 27, 2017, Suffolk Research Services, Inc. www.suffolkresearch.com

Looking to Buy or Sell your Home? Call us at 631-765-5333, or visit us on our website: beninatiassociates.net.  We listen, we care…….and we get results.

HOUSING ACTIVITY: COLD OUTSIDE – WARM INSIDE!

It may be cold outside, but the weather did not have a negative effect on housing activity in January.  Inventory is moving at a 4% faster rate annually -  as demand continues to outpace supply - according to realtor.com®.   Median list price, nationally,  has held firm at $250,000, a record for the off-season.  By comparison to the national average, Southold Town’s median price is about $525,000 and Riverhead Town has a median price of about $375,000.

Realtor.com® expects inventory to dip another 9%, despite 360,000 new listings entering the market.  Chief Economist Jonathan Smoke, stated that, “ the downside to this strong off-season is that we have started 2017 with a new low volume of available homes for sale and a new high for prices.”

As a buyer,  you should make your move now! Inventories are low, prices are moving up, mortgage rates will continue to inch up as we approach spring.  Brave the cold weather if you  have to, it will pay off in getting a better value and best of all you will be set to enjoy the summer season on the North Fork!

Sources: RIS Media, January 30, 2017, www.realtor.com

Looking to Buy or Sell your Home? Call us at 631-765-5333, or visit us on our website: beninatiassociates.net.  We listen, we care…….and we get results.

HOME RENOVATIONS WITH AN EYE TOWARD AGING IN PLACE

Recently we shared with you a Harvard housing study, that stated that by 2035, 1 out of every 3 households in the U.S. will be headed by someone 65 and older.  That’s a remarkable statistic but why are any of us surprised?  The baby boomers are moving along in time.  What is more surprising is the fact that, government and industry have not addressed what needs to be done to make the transition work for this segment of the population.

In looking at homes and how they are designed, except perhaps for communities heavily populated and built for retirees, architects and builders have not grabbed this issue and come up with innovation solutions.  One very obvious issue – how to navigate a second level when walking or balance becomes an issue.  Up to now, the only solution has been a chair lift that is not very attractive and signals “invalid” or a very expensive elevator or move to a ranch. There is no doubt about it, we need more innovative, economical solutions. 

The New York Times, recently published a good story about, “well-thought-out redesign (that) might also include modifications to help you stay in your home as you grow older.”  Things like, including in a kitchen renovation shelving to minimize bending,  grab bars (attractively designed) in the shower and other areas of the home to prevent falling, installing extra lighting, movable kitchen islands, lower kitchen counters, toilets that are just two inches higher to make sitting and standing easier, etc.

These types of “renovations help people’s mobility and will reduce social isolation as we age.”

Southold Town has an older population – in fact our average age is about 10 years older than the National average.  Our Planning Board, Zoning Board and Town Board should consider the needs of seniors and encouraging building and renovation that will accommodate our local, long-time citizens.

Source: New York Times, Thinking Ahead, January 1, 2017, Real Estate Section Page 1,8.

Looking to Buy or Sell your Home? Visit us on our website: beninatiassociates.net.  We listen, we care…….and we get results.

SMART SELLERS WILL LIST EARLY THIS YEAR

I came across this article on realtor.com. I found it informative and wanted to share it.

Forget What You Know: This Year, Sellers May Benefit From Listing Early

By Jonathan Smoke 

Conventional wisdom in real estate holds that sellers should time the market to maximize their price. Why? Because home sales are extremely seasonal: They peak in spring and summer, when prices peak as well. That’s why in most markets, most years, the optimal time to list is in the spring, so that the maximum number of potential buyers view the home.

But we’re in an era in which conventional wisdom is becoming an ever-sketchier concept. So why should real estate be immune from all this topsy-turviness? This year, the conventional wisdom of buying and selling may need to change.

Inventory levels at the beginning of 2017 are at multiyear lows. Sellers now face very little competition.

Likewise, buyer demand is abnormally strong for the off-season. The climb in mortgage rates that started in October and accelerated in November and December has created a sense of urgency among buyers.

The new year is expected to bring more economic growth and even higher interest rates. And with consumer confidence at a 15-year high, buying competition is likely to get fierce.

Not everyone can move up their plans for the spring and summer; but even so, the months of winter and early spring will likely be much busier than usual. Therefore, sellers could benefit less from timing a spring listing for a summer sale this year.

But the most important reason to consider selling early this year is the same reason most people want to sell in the first place: so they can buy again. We estimate that more than 85% of sellers are planning to buy another home. The endgame is not necessarily getting the maximum price on the house being sold, but rather taking the best path to the next home.

When interest rates are moving up, waiting to sell could end up costing more than selling sooner and locking in today’s rates. Waiting to sell could also mean having to wait to buy when there are even fewer homes available.

The biggest challenge to growth in sales this winter and spring will most likely be inventory. That means that the market overall continues to favor sellers. But that won’t last forever. As rates continue to rise, higher financing costs will eventually dampen demand.

If you are thinking of selling and buying in 2017, the early bird may get the worm. And the best new nest.

I agree now is the best time to list your home. If you are thinking of listing your home, you can contact me via e-mail: marie@beninatiassociates.com, on my cell: 631-235-8980 or visit us on our website: beninatiassociates.net.  At Beninati Associates We listen, we care…….and we get results.

A LOOK AT THE FUTURE: GROWTH OF OLDER HOUSEHOLDS – IMPLICATIONS FOR OUR TOWN

“By 2035, an astounding 1 out of 3 American households will be headed by someone aged

65 or older!”  Over the next twenty years, the population aged 65 and over is projected to grow

65% from 48 to 79 million. The number of households headed by someone in that age group will

increase by 66% to almost 50 million.

             

  “Older adults’ homes and living situations are keys to their quality of life and capacity to live

independently.  The expansion of the older population will increase the need for affordable, accessible housing that is well-connected to services well beyond what current supply can meet. In addition, the home is an increasingly important setting for the delivery of long-term care, a trend likely to grow over the next two decades, as millions more seek to remain in their current dwellings.”

              

  The nation is now at the beginning of a 20+ year surge in its older population, and is thus at a critical point for putting in place the affordable housing options, accessibility features, and in-home care services that will be needed  over the next two decades. Transportation and technologies to ensure people can remain engaged in their communities and access supportive services are also needed.

While many older adults indicate that they prefer to age in their current residences, a wider array of housing types can offer safer, more affordable, and lower-maintenance homes within existing communities, improving housing situations without  uprooting older adults from the places they have called  home for years or even decades.”

             

 We call on our community leaders to address this issue in our town.  We commit ourselves and ask you to join us in spearheading efforts to address the issues of safer more affordable, housing and better transportation options for older adults, so they can stay in place, continue to enrich our community with their wisdom and knowledge and strong spirit of giving back to the community they call home - Southold.  

Source:  Projections & Implications for Housing a Growing Population: Older Households 2015-2035. Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University. Read the study www.jchs.harvard.edu.