Charming private estate in Sleepy Hollow. This exceptional Connecticut Farmhouse is sited on 8 gorgeous acres studded with massive oaks and hardwoods. Lovley Tree lined allée leads up to the warm & inviting main house w/4 BR,3.5 Bth,4 FP. Darling guest house w/FP,LR, DR, BR and full kitchen. Studio apt w/FP over 3 car garage. In-ground Pool and hot tub. Remarkable Perennial Gardens and fenced vegetable garden. 25'x25' Barn. This entire property is deer and boar fenced. Another Team Reilly short sale opportunity.

Another great short sale opportunity!Location, location, location!Lovely Ranch in Upper Seaside with a view of the Bay.Lovely landscaping includes charming picket fence and patio. Many lovely upgrades including carpet,tile, vanity, plaster, cabinets, doors and windows. Garden Shed. Must see!

This absolutely darling home will not last long! On a cul-de-sac it features many upgrades including a vaulted ceiling and fireplace in dining room and a beautifully landscaped back yard with privacy. Beautiful hardwood floors, bay window and much more. A wonderful short sale opportunity.

Short Sale Opportunity-great for cash buyers! 2 Bedroom, 1 Bath home with lots of potential. Priced to sell, has had some remodeling and new appliances. Cute stucco cottage would make a good investment.

Call Listing Agent to Show

Great short sale opportunity. Lovely and spacious home on quiet cul-de-sac. All the bedrooms on 2nd level. Large dining/living room, eat in kitchen and spacious family room.  PLEASE DO NOT DISTURB THE TENANTS! Call Listing Agent to show

They don’t get much cuter than this! 2 BR, 2 full bath unit in pristine, move-in condition. Warm and inviting with a fireplace in the LR. End unit has fenced patio area with privacy.  Don’t miss this excellent short sale opportunity! Call Listing Agent for showing

What a terrific short sale opportunity! This beautifully maintained unit has so much to offer. 3 Bedrooms 1.5 Baths and a great complex! Pool, Tennis Courts, play area and great convenient location are just some of the benefits of living in Los Olivos. Unit is rented, please do not disturb tenant. Call Listing Agent for showing

Short Sale! This beautifully upgraded and pristine Del Mesa 1 BR/ 1 BA unit has it all. Imported tile floors, Karastan wool carpets, Carmel stone fireplace, crown molding, recessed lighting, granite in the kitchen- all impeccably done. This unit is so warm and inviting, you’ll want to move right in. HOA dues include utilities. Del Mesa living at its best! Call agent for showing.

This wonderful 4 bedroom, 3 bath home in the coveted Dry Creek area of Monterey is so warm and inviting. You’ll just love it! It has been beautifully decorated and maintained. Convenient to the Del Monte Mall and other local amenities you couldn’t imagine a better location. The beautiful deck overlooks the enclosed spacious backyard and has an additional patio area. Call Listing Agents for showing

Short Sale Opportunity! Spacious and beautifully designed are just a few of the adjectives we could use to describe this inviting White Oaks unit.Its patio with privacy and view of the hills make this lovely property a pleasure to come home to. Convenient “close to the village” location. Extras include plantation shutters, a fireplace and move in condition. Go for a swim or enjoy the spa and exercise room in the complex.

Are You Ready?

I have just released a book, entitled SHOULD I SHORT SALE MY

HOME? A Homeowners Guide: How to Survive the Worst Real Estate Market in History.

I was deeply appreciative of the opportunity to co-author this book with Tim and Julie Harris.  Helping distressed sellers avoid foreclosure has become my personal mission. I see this book as one more way in which Team Reilly can help our local homeowners.

In addition to finding great local resources if you are a distressed homeowner, readers will discover alternatives to the foreclosure of their home including loan modification and short

sale. Readers will get the answers to the Top Ten “short sale” questions such as, “Can I do a Short Sale if I have 2 Mortgages?” and “Will I be able to Buy a Home Again?” The “You Have Been Warned: Foreclosure Scams” chapter provides tips on the warning signs of a foreclosure scam or mortgage fraud.

This book is a must read before you hire an agent to represent you in a short sale. Chapter 10 reveals “How To Choose An Agent to Handle your Short Sale”. With so much at stake, does your agent have the answers? Are they skilled at negotiating these unique transactions with the lender to get the deal closed? Having these answers can possibly save you thousands of dollars.

Our mission, in writing this book, is to inform the public that solutions are available to help those impacted by this crisis both directly and indirectly.

Should I Short Sale My Home? is FREE to those facing foreclosure and to Attorneys, Accountants and Financial Planners.  For more information go to www.Help4MontereyHomeowners.com.

For your FREE copy email janet@teamreilly.com or call me at

831-601-9592.

You may be hearing more about “staging” your home before putting it on the market for sale, but according to Melissa Birdsong, vice president for Trend, Design and Brand for Lowe’s (www.lowes.com), “refreshing” your home will really help set it apart from the others—and that’s critically important in today’s buyer’s market.

Buyers look at a lot of homes, so I am frequently asked for ways homeowners can make their home stand apart from the rest on the market. While having a well-staged home is now the rule rather than the exception for a faster sell and a better price, Birdsong suggests thinking beyond the obvious for ways to make your entire home feel updated and inspired. Here are her recommendations for quick ways to refresh:

- A fresh coat of paint on worn walls provides a “wow” factor without excessive cost or effort. While this isn’t new news, something that tends to get overlooked (and can have just as much impact) is painting the trim and other accents that may have gotten scuffed or dingy over the years. Freshly painted trim work is cleaner and a healthy home environment is very appealing to buyers.

- Hardware is a quick fix as well. Switching out knobs and pulls in the kitchen or bath will catch the eye and revive an entire room. Taking it a step further to update faucets, light fixtures and even switch plates can take a space from ordinary to inspiring. Area rugs, lamps and plants are also quick ways to add life and warmth to a room with the convenience of portability. Because they are easily changeable, updating “unattached” items can instantly modernize a space with a fresh style.

- And don’t forget first impressions—exactly how fast are prospective buyers driving past the home? No brake lights? A quick tap and then accelerate? Or do they come to a full stop to get a better look? That fresh, new interior will never be revealed if the curb appeal of the exterior is blasé. Everything from container gardening and clean welcome mats to new storm doors and shutters can pull that buyer into your drive.

Artistic staging can showcase the best features in a home. But in today’s market, take a refreshing approach—go that extra mile and look for ways to make the home memorable to a potential buyer.

Local Realtor Earns Most Prestigious of all Industry Achievements
Norwalk, CT – Reaching the pinnacle of her profession nationally, Janet Reilly, of Sotheby's International Realty, was accepted as a Member of the Top 5 in Real Estate Network®, the most prestigious of all industry achievements.
 
More than just a sales-driven recognition, the Top 5 in Real Estate Network® meets a need that heretofore has never been addressed – helping consumers identify the most professional real estate agents in North America.  To qualify, each member must first meet a stringent set of criteria, based upon performance, as well as educational and professional skills and service to the consumer.
 
Members of the Network are carefully selected and managed by RISMedia, which has provided the real estate industry with objective, unbiased news for nearly 30 years. As a Member of the Top 5 Network, Reilly is among the first real estate agents to be accepted into this elite organization.
 
Allan Dalton, the president and co-founder of RISMedia’s Top 5 Network congratulated Reilly for earning this top status within the industry. “Janet has reached the very highest level of North America’s residential real estate industry. Not only are her professional accomplishments extraordinary, she has long been a true champion for home buyers and sellers in her area.  It is a pleasure to welcome Janet into this elite group of industry leaders.”
 
According to John Featherston, RISMedia's CEO & publisher and co-founder of the Top 5 in Real Estate Network, the significance of Top 5 is that consumers deserve full transparency regarding all matters related to the real estate transaction, which often begins with the need to select a highly competent, experienced and results-oriented real estate professional. Top 5 in Real Estate has been established to both empower consumers with leading real estate content through Top 5 members, as well as to ensure that consumers are made fully aware that there is a material difference between average and exceptional real estate professionals.
 
Janet Taylor Reilly, Certified Relocation Professional, Certified Distressed Property Expert, Certified Short Sale Specialist and Pre-Foreclosure Coach has turned her passion for wealth building through home ownership into a highly successful 29 year career in Real Estate. Reilly joined Sotheby’s International Realty in January, 2009, to further enhance her ability to provide world class marketing programs and buyer representation at the highest level. In 2009, troubled by the devastating foreclosure crisis, she was inspired to help distressed homeowners and founded Help 4 Monterey Homeowners, whose Mission is To Help Monterey County Homeowners Avoid Foreclosure. She is a co-author of the book Should I Short Sale My Home? Beginning her real estate career in 1980, Reilly quickly rose to Top Producer status with Merrill Lynch Realty in Hartford, CT, was the launching Team Leader of the Keller Williams Market Center in Carmel, CA and spent a significant part of her career in the field of Corporate Relocation. She holds the CRP designation and has been awarded ERC's Meritorious Service Award. Reilly is also the past Chair of the Carmel Chamber of Commerce, a graduate of Leadership Monterey Peninsula class of 2005 as well as being active in WCR and the Monterey County Association of Realtors. To learn more, contact Janet Reilly at (831) 601-9592 or e-mail janet@teamreilly.com.
 
For more information on RISMedia’s Top 5 in Real Estate Network®, please visit www.top5inrealestate.com or contact Member Relations at 203-853-2167 ext. 139.
 
RISMedia’s Top 5 in Real Estate Network® is a membership network of leading real estate professionals providing leading real estate information to consumers. To qualify for membership in the Top 5 in Real Estate Network, agents must meet specific criteria in five key categories: experience; results; education; information technology; and commitment to community. RISMedia, the leader in real estate information systems, has been providing the industry with news, trends and business development strategies for nearly 30 years through its flagship publication, Real Estate magazine, its leading website, RISMedia.com, and its renowned networking and educational events.

As a leader in real estate, I am repeatedly asked specific questions about today's market - especially in today's economy. In an effort to provide more information to my community, I am posting this Top 5 Real Estate Social Networking System^sm “e-Article,” which contains useful real estate information.

If you find it to be helpful please pass it along.

The 2009 First-Time Homebuyer’s Tax Credit passed by Congress this year just might be the best financial opportunity available to qualified home buyers in a generation. The new credit is retroactive to January 1, 2009. Unlike the 2008 package, this is not a loan. Eligible first-time buyers receive an $8,000 tax credit from Uncle Sam that does not need to be paid back.

Sweetening the pot, the law states that a first-time buyer is not necessarily a first-time buyer; the tax credit is available to any buyer who has not owned a home for the past three years. But the opportunity comes with some caveats. Here are five ways you could potentially miss out on this golden opportunity:

• Miss the buying deadline – The law states a home must be purchased between January 1 and November 30 of this year. But that means the transaction must close—not simply be in progress—before December 1.
• Delay on new construction – Because you must actually close on a home by November 30, 2009, you need to be careful about new construction estimates. If you want to buy a newly-built home, you should buy one that is either already completed or is about to be completed. New construction buyers must occupy the home by the deadline date.
• Misunderstand your eligibility – The right to use the tax credit is gradually phased out as adjusted gross income (AGI) rises from $75,000 to $95,000 on a single return or $150,000 to $170,000 on a joint return. If unsure of your eligibility, check with your tax advisor.
• Fail to plan ahead – There is an exception to the no-pay-back rule: You do have to repay the $8,000 if you sell the house within three years of the time you buy it. The home must be your principal residence and there is a recapture provision if you move out or sell before three years.
• Miss the boat for no good reason – Inertia…fear of rocking the boat…just-too-busy syndrome. Take advantage of today’s buyer’s market and talk to a real estate professional to find out if and how the tax credit applies to your particular situation. Time is running out to take advantage of this financial incentive.

As we take time now to gather receipts and information for our 2008 income tax returns we are often not aware of all the income tax credits that we may be allowed. Did you know that as homeowners, we are allowed an additional tax credit for improving the energy efficiency of our homes?

Under this tax law, homeowners are provided a 10% credit for purchasing energy efficient improvements for your existing main place of residence in the United States. In order to be eligible for this tax credit, the items purchased have to meet specific criteria as set forth by the 2000 Energy Conservation Code.

 The following items are eligible:

• Insulation systems that reduce heat loss/gain
• Exterior windows (including skylights)
• Exterior doors
• Metal roofs (meeting applicable Energy Star requirements)

 Tax credits are also offered to taxpayers for expenses to the home that qualifies as a residential energy property. A residential energy property is also determined by meeting specific requirements as set forth by the Secretary of The Treasury.

 Eligible expenses include the following:

•  $50 for each advanced main air circulating fan
• $150 for each qualified natural gas, propane, or oil furnace or hot water boiler
• $300 for each item of qualified energy efficient property.

Additional credits can be taken for the following:

• Qualified solar panels
• Qualified solar water heating equipment
• Qualified fuel cell power plant

For more detailed information on Energy Credits for Homeowners, including maximum allowable credits, visit the IRS website.

What Is Hard Water?

Hard water contains calcium and magnesium and while this is quite natural, excessive amounts create what is commonly referred to as hard water. Hard water is not considered a serious health risk but people who are more prone to rashes and skin problems can have problems because it changes the skin’s pH and soap remains on the skin, clogging pores.

How to Tell If You Have Hard Water?

The minerals in hard water can affect the ability of soap to clean kitchen and bath surfaces, dishware and laundry. Most homes have hard water problems without necessarily knowing about it. The best way you can tell if can tell if you have hard water is when it is difficult to get soap to form a lather, or you have to use alot of soap into the water to clean your dishes or if your dishwasher is just not getting the dishes clean. However, not all hard water is the same and depending on where you live it can vary.

Hard Water Solutions

If you suspect you have hard water, call a professional to test your water and recommend soft water solutions. The most common solution is to use a water softeners or water treatment systems. While many systems use salt, there are several water softeners available that have a salt free system. However if you are concerned about the presence of sodium ions in their water, use of sodium ions does not make the water noticeably salty or cause a significant increase in a person’s sodium intake. In fact, the FDA defines water that would result from softening 75 gpg hard water (where much more sodium ions would have to be exchanged that is typically the case) as a “low sodium” beverage.
Whatever type of system is used, the applications can be quite affordable and highly worthwhile for those in hard water areas. A typical household water softener costs around $1,000 to $1,500 with a monthly operating expense of around $2 to $8 if sodium is used, and $3 to $15 if potassium is used. Look for the WQA Gold Seal to find products that have been successfully tested to industry performance standards.

Advantages Of Soft Water

•You’ll have less unsightly spots on dishes, and glassware and your knives and forks.
•Your heating bill will also be lowered because heating hard water in the water heater, causes hardness scale which plugs plumbing pipes and vessels and builds up on the inside of water heaters.
•Your skin and hair will look and feel better after bathing or showering. Scum from hard water clogs skin pores and coats hair.
•Clothes are softer, cleaner, brighter, and last longer
•Your food and beverages will taste better using soft water and ice cubes will sparkle more.

Hard water waste can cost hundreds of dollars each year as it impact laundry operations, water heater, efficiency, household cleaning, and the life expectancy of water-using appliances and plumbing. While hard water is not an emergency, the costs do adds up.