Central New York Real Estate Podcast with Chip Hodgkins

Today I’m here with Casey Crabill, the President of Onondaga Community College, to discuss the many benefits OCC offers to its students and their families. Selling your Central New York home? Get a free home value reportBuying a Central New York home?  Search all homes for sale Today I’m here with Casey Crabill, the President of Onondaga Community College. We’re going to discuss how OCC helps their students and their families. As a community college, OCC has a couple of different missions. First of all, they help freshmen and sophomores make their way towards a bachelor’s degree. “We provide the first two years in a variety of majors,” President Crabill says. “We also have some students who are here for a career-focused education.” Those students study things like nursing and, instead of transferring to a four-year program, they get to work once their two years are up. What sets OCC apart from other schools? President Crabill knows that many people are worried about the cost of college. OCC is an affordable alternative. “We can pretty much cut your college costs in half for a transfer degree,” she says. OCC has transfer agreements all across the country and all throughout the SUNY system, which makes it easier for students to transition into a four-year program. Attending OCC can cut your education costs in half. Price isn’t the only advantage of attending OCC. Onondaga also has small class sizes, even for freshmen and sophomores. At large universities, some students do not thrive when they are one out of 100 students in a classroom. The average class size at OCC is 22 students, so you will get know your professor better. President Crabill says, “We provide a more personal approach.” Another advantage of attending OCC is that you will not be taught by graduate students. All of the faculty members are actual professors. Even your first-year courses are taught by professors, which definitely sets OCC apart from other universities. OCC is known for several different programs. They provide everything from music or nursing to manufacturing and technology. “We have a thriving honors program,” President Crabill says. “We are also known for our lacrosse national championships.” The lacrosse program is simply a benchmark of the strong athletic programs OCC provides. There are plenty of options for students to choose from. As for cost, full-time tuition for one year is $4,200, not including other fees and expenses (such as textbooks or room and board). “We have 874 students living on campus,” says President Crabill. All told, there are 1,100 students enrolled at OCC, making it the second largest post-secondary institution in Central New York, right after Syracuse University. As we mentioned earlier, OCC is also part of the SUNY (State University of New York) system, which presents a few advantages for OCC students. OCC’s transfer pathways are rock solid because the other institutions know exactly which courses OCC provides. You will also receive a quality education, as OCC will meet the expectations of the SUNY system. OCC is truly a great option for a number of students. If you have any questions for President Casey Crabill, give her a call at 315-498-2214 or email her at [email protected]. If you have any questions for me, just give me a call or send me an email. I would be happy to help you!

Selling your Central New York home? Get a free home value reportBuying a Central New York home?  Search all homes for sale Today I’m joined by Warren Pfohl with David’s Refuge to tell you about an incredible partnership that raises donations to help continue the mission of caring for the caregiver. Because of the exposure that David’s Refuge got from this campaign, we were able to do 17 transactions in April, which allowed us to donate an amazing $12,000 to David’s Refuge! "We’re so honored and happy to be a part of the family and part of David’s Refuge." Do you know what that means? That means David’s Refuge can serve 25 families. These families will leave knowing that they are not alone, that what they do matters, and that God loves them. That is amazing. We’re so honored and happy to be a part of the family and part of David’s Refuge. If you’re interested in learning more, visit www.davidsrefuge.org.

Selling your Central New York home? Get a free home value reportBuying a Central New York home?  Search all homes for sale A lot of people have been asking me, “What’s the one big thing that’s happening in Syracuse real estate?" The one big thing happening right now is that we have a big chasm between buyers and sellers. The average buyer is about 37 years old, while the average seller is about 67 years old. So what’s the big chasm? The chasm is that the average seller bought a home, fixed it up, and made it theirs. They may have put new floors in or made other changes to make it theirs. That’s the way they want to sell their house; the hardwood floors might need to be refinished or the countertops might need updating, or the bathrooms might need renovating. They don’t want to do it for the buyer, but rather have the buyer update the home their way. That’s what they had to do, after all. Buyers today are considered “entitled” because they want to have things done right for them. The 45 and under buyer really wants to have a house that’s already updated for them, because they don’t have the time, money, or effort to make the updates. The average seller might not want to put in granite countertops for fear of choosing the wrong color, for example, but the buyer looks at this as a lack of effort to sell. The average buyer would rather pay more for the same house if it’s already updated. We’re seeing that houses that have professional photos, staging, and updates are selling so much faster than those that aren’t. Buyers are disappointed in the inventory for this reason. What we’ve got to do is coach the sellers to do some of the updating, and coach the buyers to understand that, with the help of a contractor, there’s not much work to be done. Refinishing floors, installing granite countertops or replacing a bathroom vanity doesn’t cost tens of thousands of dollars like some think. We can help sellers with updating and staging, and we can help buyers get set up with contractors or anyone that can help with a new home. If you have any questions, give me a call or shoot me an email and let’s talk soon!

.embed-container { position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden; max-width: 100%; height: auto; } .embed-container iframe, .embed-container object, .embed-container embed { position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; } Selling your Central New York home? Get a free home value reportBuying a Central New York home?  Search all homes for sale We are here today with Diane Kuppermann of the Make-A-Wish Foundation to talk about a great holiday gift we are working on. We rented out the largest theater at Shoppingtown Dewitt for a special private screening of “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” on December 28th at 3:50 pm! The theater only has 333 seats, so you need to reserve your tickets quickly. Your WHOLE donation of $25 goes to Make-A-Wish Foundation, which works year round to help dreams come true for those who are in need of a miracle. The sponsors of this event have covered the cost of the movie, drinks, and popcorn. We'd like to thank our wonderful sponsors. Call Make-A-Wish to order and reserve your tickets at (315)-475-9474. We look forward to seeing you on Monday, December 28th. Until then, may the force be with you!

.embed-container { position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden; max-width: 100%; height: auto; } .embed-container iframe, .embed-container object, .embed-container embed { position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; } Selling your Central New York home? Get a free home value reportBuying a Central New York home?  Search all homes for sale   Today, I just wanted to let you know that we will have a special event between Christmas and New Year's.Not only will this event be a lot of fun, but we're also working with a great charity, the Make-A-Wish foundation. We won't tell you too much about the details now, but here's a hint: Star Wars!Mark your calendars and be on the lookout for any updates. We look forward to seeing you!

.embed-container { position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden; max-width: 100%; height: auto; } .embed-container iframe, .embed-container object, .embed-container embed { position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; } Selling your Central New York home? Get a free home value reportBuying a Central New York home?  Search all homes for sale   When you're thinking about buying a second home, you might be wondering how to shop around for it. How can you look at homes in Colorado and Vermont when you're here in Syracuse? It's a great question. One thing you can do is have your real estate agent assist you in doing research on finding a good agent in a particular area that you're searching in. You need an experienced agent like myself to find you another good agent. I can check their credentials and ensure you that you'll be in good hands. It's really important to have the right agent because you probably don't know the areas where your second home will be. A reliable agent will be able to steer you in the right direction and get you an excellent price on a home. If you have any questions about how to start this process, or if you have any questions about Syracuse real estate in general, please don't hesitate to contact me!

.embed-container { position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden; max-width: 100%; height: auto; } .embed-container iframe, .embed-container object, .embed-container embed { position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; } Selling your Central New York home? Get a free home value reportBuying a Central New York home?  Search all homes for sale Right now is the time of the year when your home looks fantastic. The grass is as green as it's going to get, the flowers have bloomed, and the trees are full of leaves. If you plan on selling your home anytime in the near future, now is the time to get the most stunning outdoor photographs of the exterior of your home. Take pictures of the front of the house, from the side of your house, and from as far back in your backyard as you can go. If you have a deck, you want to be sure to get great pictures of that as well. If you plan on listing your home in March, April, or May, your landscaping won't be looking as pristine as it does now. When the time comes, having photos from this time period to market your home will make your home stand out next to the others. If you need any real estate assistance of any kind, don't hesitate to give us a call or shoot us an email. We're always available to help!

.embed-container { position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden; max-width: 100%; height: auto; } .embed-container iframe, .embed-container object, .embed-container embed { position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; } Selling your Central New York home? Get a free home value reportBuying a Central New York home?  Search all homes for sale  I want to apologize to you all today. I should have told you this sooner. If you are a home owner, now is the perfect time to refinance, based on market conditions.  The average American would save around $250 per month if they refinanced today. That's $3,000 a year! If you refinance, you can make the same payment, but put that $250 back into your mortgage, so you can pay it down faster. You could also just use that $250 to pay for something else. Our advice to you if you're considering refinancing is to call a mortgage broker, or call us if you need one. We can get you in their office and discuss your options. The Mortgage Brokers of America met and redid their forecast. They are saying that interest rates are going to start to rise at a faster rate than they have been in the past. If that's the case, now might be the lowest we see rates for quite some time. In fact, my wife and I just recently refinanced our home, when we should have done it a year ago.  If you have any questions for us, feel free to give us a call or send us an email. We want to help you take advantage of this opportunity today!

.embed-container { position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden; max-width: 100%; height: auto; } .embed-container iframe, .embed-container object, .embed-container embed { position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; } Selling your Central New York home? Get a free home value reportBuying a Central New York home?  Search all homes for sale Just because something is or isn't happening in our area, it doesn't mean that the rest of the nation is experiencing or not experiencing the same thing. This way of thinking often alienates us from other parts of the country. Take, for example, the recent snowstorm we experienced. Outside of New England, nobody is really dealing with what we are right now. The opposite of this happens in real estate. What has been happening lately is that 80% of houses over a certain price range are being professionally staged and photographed. Why? Because those homes sell for more money and sell faster. Although almost the entire nation stages and professionally photographs their homes, Central New York does not.  This trend started about 7 or 8 years ago, but did not spread to our area for whatever reason. When you look at homes online outside of Central NY, you'll see that most, if not all of them, are professionally staged. We understand that this is a national trend and and that 98% of home buyers begin their search online, so we professionally stage and photograph all of our listings with help from 3 different staging companies and a professional photographer.  If you want to talk about getting your home staged and photographed so you can sell it for more money in a shorter period of time, give us a call or send us a quick email. We would love to be of assistance!

.embed-container { position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden; max-width: 100%; height: auto; } .embed-container iframe, .embed-container object, .embed-container embed { position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; } Looking to buy or sell a home in Central, New York? Click here to perform a full home search, or if you're thinking of selling your home, click here for a FREE Home Price Evaluation so you know what buyers will pay for your home in today's market. You may also call us at (315) 449-6685 for a FREE home buying or selling consultation to answer any of your real estate questions.   Hey there, I just wanted to stop by today and tell you about a great program coming up on February 6. If you are a fan of the ABC show "Shark Tank," or real estate in general, you already know who Barbara Corcoran is. What you may not know about Barbara, however, is that she is a real estate guru. She has been extremely successful in the business for many decades, and is one of the top agents in the world based out of New York. Coming up on February 6, Barbara will be featured on an episode of ABC's 20/20. Barbara is going to be talking about the dangers of the real estate market, from both a buyer and seller's point of view. This is sure to be a great talk with some really relevant information for anybody who is looking to buy or sell real estate in the near future. Just wanted you to be aware of this program, I think it will be very informative for you. If you have any questions, I am just a phone call away. Talk to you soon!