The Chuckster

Thanks for the replies, and encouragement, I really appreciate it. I've done a bunch more research (the nice folks at the county clerk's office know me by name now :-)

I'm going to continue to research this and won't make a move until I understand the end-to-end process
100%.

My basic game plan is to find one or two properties that are priced below market, need some work (I do all my own construction), and would return positive cash flow on rental. I can do cash, no contingencies, so I'm ready to move IF and WHEN the right property comes along. I need some tax leverage and also limited liability so I may talk to a good lawyer and get set up as an LLC.

Lot's more to learn...I find this very energizing and can't wait to hit the "right one" :-)

Thanks again!

-Chuck - Sat Apr 19 2008, 19:32

Hi Margo. I live right in this area (have for the last 42 years), so I'm very familiar with Dutchess county, especially southern Dutchess. I'm just a typical homeowner, not a real estate pro. I see a couple of great features in your listing. First is the size of the lot and the privacy. Second is convenience to I84 and the Taconic Parkway. You should really try to play up those aspects as much as possible. I'm thinking that the family in Westchester looking to move to a lower cost of living area would be a good target customer to market to.

I see a few of detractors in your listing, as well:

1. The curb appeal on this place (from the photo anyway) is just about zero.
2. That through-wall A/C unit is a bad thing to see in this price range. That means no central A/C. Yuck.
3. Way too much wall-to-wall carpeting.
4. The kitchen looks to be small and outdated.

I think your photos are working against you. I don't mean to sound overly critical, but I'm trying to tell you what I (as a potential buyer) am seeing when I look at this listing.

Photo #1: Widen this one to capture more of the breadth of the lot...pull the camera back a few dozen feet to get a wider shot over the overall home. I can't tell if we are sitting back 20' from the road or 200'.

Photo #2: You need more light. Bring in professional lighting if you need it. The photo is dark and grainy.

Photo #3: This one is a good picture. The room is very appealing.

Photo #4: If this kitchen is an eat-in, then stick a small table and four chairs in there. What's that white rectangular blob on the floor in front of the range? Get rid of it.

Photo #5: Drop this picture. Cheap furniture and cheesy wall hangings make this look like a shot inside a one bedroom condo.

Photo #6: See if you can crop that ugly ceiling beam out of this shot. Focus more on the fireplace, which is attractive. Maybe get rid of some of the junk on top of the mantle.

Photo #7 and #8: These shot are good.

Bottom line is that with all that carpeting and no central A/C you are probably about $15K too high on this house, for the market the way it is right now. I think if you fix the photos, and target to a more southern audience you should be able to get just under $400K for this place. If it's listed at $399K you'll get more search hits on people who cap their searches to a max price of $400K.

Hope this has been at least a little helpful...

-Chuck - Fri Apr 18 2008, 06:58