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Ellis Sotheby’s International Realty Helps New Story Create Safe, Sustainable Homes

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Ellis Sotheby’s International Realty today announced it will partner with New Story, a non-profit organization that works to transform dangerous living environments into communities of safe, sustainable homes.

The firm will encourage its agent network to participate through donations on closings and provide exposure to New Story through its marketing efforts.

“New Story puts 100 percent of donations toward the creation of safe communities, building homes for $6,000 each and giving them to families in need to impact their lives for generations to come,” said Richard Ellis, owner of Ellis Sotheby’s International Realty. “We are proud to do our part to assist them in their goal of changing lives.”

San Francisco-based New Story, a 501c3 non-profit, has been building safe homes and transforming slums into thriving communities since their start two years ago. In that time they have funded more than 750 homes in seven communities around the developing world.

“New Story has created an innovative and more transparent model than the traditional charitable giving experience,” said Brett Hagler, chief executive officer of New Story. “Every dollar given goes directly to building homes, and every donor receives a digital profile of the exact family they helped support. When the home is completed, they are delivered a move-in video to share in the excitement of this incredible effort. We hire local labor and buy domestic materials to boost the country’s economy, providing jobs and economic stability for the community.”

The Sotheby’s International Realty® brand in March announced a partnership with New Story, helping the Guillaume family from Haiti with their donation. Anyone can make a donation to New Story by visiting the Ellis Sotheby’s International Realty dedicated donation page.

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Pre-Sale Gardening and Landscaping Tips

Building off our recent blog on curb appeal, where we provided some basic tips for getting a home ready for sale, we’d like to offer some landscaping and gardening tips that can help enhance the outdoor beauty of your home, because gardens as they say are the stars of heaven.

According to HGTV, “Potential home buyers form their first impression of a home from its curb appeal. Yet often a home’s outdoor landscaping is overlooked, or underdone, in the preparation for the sales process. An attractive and well-maintained landscape can add as much as 10 percent to the value of your home. Ideally the time to get started cleaning up your yard is about a month before you plan on showing your house.” 

Add a splash of color.

You want your home to look perfectly composed and appealing so it presents well in person and in pictures. Colorful flowers can go a long way to achieving that goal.

HGTV recommends using seasonal colors, which make “the landscape pop as well, and flats of annuals are also relatively inexpensive. Go for a splash of several colors or a more monochromatic scheme, whatever fits in with the look of your home.”

While planting a flower garden in the Northeast United States can be challenging, there are many perennials that can thrive in our environment. Check out some recommendations here.

Seven Oaks

Seven Oaks is a great example of how to use colorful flowers to enhance a property.

Mulch matters.

A little mulch can go a long way. “Nothing spruces up a place like a new application of mulch, so apply a fresh layer in all your garden beds. The color enhances the contrast of the surrounding plants and makes everything pop. What’s more, mulch is relatively cheap and easy to apply,” HGTV suggests.

River Hill

Applying mulch offsets the rest of the lawn, as at River Hill.

Set the spotlight.

How your home presents at night can be a key selling point. Even if potential buyers don’t visit while it is dark, photos can give them a sense of the lifestyle offered so they can picture family gatherings in the summer or outdoor barbeques in the moonlight. Proper outdoor lighting is essential for this.

Houselogic says that outdoor lighting regularly tops the National Association of Home Builders’ “list of most wanted outdoor features in its annual ‘What Home Buyers Really Want’ survey: 41% rate it ‘essential;’ 49% say it’s ‘desirable.’”

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Have a great outdoor entertainment area like 617 North Broadway? Then make sure your outdoor lighting shines a light on it in the evening.

Keep it clean.

A home needs to be as neat outside as it is inside. After all, you need to pass through the front door before you can ever see the interiors. We recommend keeping gardens and shrubbery tidy and giving the home a good powerwashing, at a minimum.

“Regardless of the season, it’s a good idea to tackle any overlooked pruning chores because nothing says neglect like a bunch of dead branches….Consider buying or renting a power washer to clean paved surfaces. With very little time or effort, you can make grungy, grimy surfaces look brand-spanking new. Power washers also do a great job of cleaning fences, as well as brick and vinyl siding,” HGTV recommends.

Legends

6 Legends Boulevard showcases the power of neat and tidy landscaping.

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Ellis Sotheby’s International Realty and Edward Hopper House Create Museum School Partnership Programs

Nyack Arts Programs

Photo: Nyack Middle School | ms.nyackschools.org

Ellis Sotheby’s International Realty and Edward Hopper House announced the creation of Museum School Partnership programs for five local Hudson Valley public schools with monies raised during a fundraiser held last year.

The $21,300 raised at the October 15, 2016 benefit ultimately created Partnership programs at five local schools: Lime Kiln Elementary in Suffern (Grade 5), Strawtown Elementary in Bardonia (Grade 5), Sleepy Hollow High School in Sleepy Hollow (Grades 9 to 12), Nyack Middle School in Nyack (Grade 8) and MacArthur Barr Middle School in Nanuet (Grade 7).

The program curriculum, which was delivered to nearly 500 students, included a pre-visit in the classroom, a trip to the Edward Hopper House with hands on workshops at Rockland Center for the Arts, a post-visit back in the classroom and instruction from a selected artist in residence. “Each lesson was derived from Edward Hopper, his home, his collection and the many aspects of his work that relate to the various subjects and units of study across the Kindergarten through Grade12 curriculum,” said Richard Ellis, owner of Ellis Sotheby’s International Realty. “We are so happy to foster arts education in the Hudson Valley, which has long been a haven for artists.”

Ellis Sotheby’s International Realty and Edward Hopper House will host a 2017 fundraiser this fall. The program received rave reviews from the participating schools, “What an exciting opportunity to work with the Edward Hopper House and learn more about the painter in this creative, curriculum based partnership,” said Martha Ryan, principal of Strawtown Elementary.

 

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8 Things to Know About the Lower Hudson Valley

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…Only 45 minutes from TriBeCa

 

_DSC8220-300x1981  Extraordinary Lifestyle Properties

 

 

jolie 2  Hudson Valley – A Haven for Celebrity Real Estate

 

 

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3  Life & Style in Rockland County

 

 

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Pierre Lorillard Estate

4  Three Extraordinary Communities

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5  Haunted House: The Legend of 1 La Veta Place, Nyack

 

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6  Ellis Sotheby’s International Realty & Edward Hopper House

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7  Lower Hudson Valley Market Update

 

 

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StoneHouse8  History and the Hudson Valley

 

 

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…About Ellis Sotheby’s International Realty

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Ellis Sotheby’s International Realty is located in the charming Hudson River village of Nyack approximately 22 miles from New York City. Our agents are passionate about listing and selling extraordinary properties in Rockland and Orange Counties, New York. Our presence is throughout the lower Hudson Valley.

76 North Broadway, Nyack, NY

845-353-4250

www.ellissothebysrealty.com

facebook.com/ellissothebysrealty

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