May 3RD 2012 | Source: The Real Deal | Local Connecticut agent Marilyn Katz, formerly a salesperson at Prudential Connecticut Realty, will run the Westport office…Here’s the link– http://therealdeal.com/blog/2012/05/03/heddings-debuts-westport-conn-office/-expansion/
May 3RD 2012 | Source: CRE-NEWS | Heddings Property Group is continuing its suburban expansion…Here’s the link– http://www.cre-news.com/18989/heddings-debuts-westport-conn-office-expansion/
NEWSFLASH!!!!
I just used the Click and Improve service to schedule a minor plumbing repair at my home and they will be arriving at 4PM tomorrow!
CLICK AND IMPROVE OFFERS GUARANTEED, QUALITY HOME REPAIR AND HOME IMPROVEMENT SERVICES TO METRO NEW YORK
New Hassle-Free, Worry-Free Way to Purchase Home Solutions Online from Reliable, Pre-Screened Local Service Professionals, with Customer Satisfaction Guaranteed
LONG ISLAND CITY, N.Y. – April 12, 2012 – One of the area’s most successful and reputable building contractors is leveraging its skill, experience and contacts to bring New York metro homeowners quality home repair and home improvement services – guaranteed. The new service is a first-of-its kind in an industry where unscrupulous and unqualified workers have given reputable ones a bad name.
Click and Improve (http://www.ClickandImprove.com) takes all of the guesswork, stress and time-drain out of sending experts to your home when, for example, a faucet leaks, a room needs painting, you get locked out, or a fixture needs installing – with a firm price established in advance, and the work guaranteed by withholding payment to the service professional for up to seven days until the homeowner confirms their satisfaction.
Click and Improve offers hundreds of services online at fixed competitive rates. Diagnosing the problem or project, recommending a solution, pricing the job and taking payments are all handled quickly and easily online, followed by an email confirmation and phone call within the hour from a Click and Improve customer service specialist to schedule an appointment. The work is then performed by a carefully screened, bonded, licensed and insured local service professional. With the price pre-established, there is no financial transaction between the homeowner and the service professional, and Click and Improve withholds their payment for a week to ensure that the work has been done properly.
Click and Improve was created and is managed by a team of hands-on professionals, Avi Zikry, Jesse Friedman and Alex Ushyarov, partners in New York Construction Co., a Better Business Bureau A+ rated firm.
“My partners and I have seen and fixed many botched jobs, and saw an opportunity to reinvent the way people research, negotiate and purchase home improvement and repair services,” said Avi Zikry, co-founder of Click and Improve. “Finally, there’s a way to guarantee quality work at fair, pre-negotiated prices.”
The entrepreneurial trio found that the average homeowner, already leading time-crunched, stressful lives, was completely unaware of the costs and service requirements for common home improvement and repair projects, putting them at a major disadvantage in an industry with a notorious reputation for price manipulation, bait and switch service, and unprofessional behavior.
“Having grown up in an era when the Internet and technology have transformed the way we buy and sell goods and services, we saw an opportunity to help level the playing field between homeowner and service professional,” said Jesse Friedman, co-founder of Click and Improve. “Click and Improve puts homeowners first and gives them the upper hand, at last.”
Click and Improve stands behind the work through their Satisfaction Guarantee and Money Back Guarantee. The company will hold back payment for up to seven days, until the homeowner is satisfied that the job has been done right, or the service professional returns to make it right. And, if the job was misdiagnosed online, Click and Improve offers a full money-back guarantee.
“Unfortunately, many homeowners experience a less-than-satisfactory job, and see their service man take the money and run,” noted Alex Ushyarov, co-founder of Click and Improve. “That’s what separates Click and Improve from everyone else — the money isn’t handed over until the homeowner is satisfied the job promised is the job delivered.”
For more information about Click and Improve, or to book a home repair or improvement project, please visit: www.ClickandImprove.com.
About Click and Improve:
Click and Improve® (www.ClickandImprove.com) delivers a new hassle-free, worry-free way to purchase home improvement and repair services online. The company is led by an experienced hands-on management team, Avi Zikry, Jessse Friedman and Alex Ushyarov, partners in New York Construction Co.
Click and Improve offers hundreds of home improvement and repair services at fixed, competitive rates, so consumers know the exact service and exact price before anyone visits their home. Using a carefully screened roster of bonded, licensed, insured and reputable local contractors, repairmen and expert services professionals, Click and Improve puts homeowners first- saving time, protecting money, and ensuring satisfaction.
Click and Improve services are backed by its Satisfaction Guarantee and Money Back Guarantee, ensuring that the job is done right, for the price promised, and to the satisfaction of the homeowner. For more information, please visit: www.ClickandImprove.com, Facebook at www.Facebook.com/ClickandImprove and follow us at www.twitter.com/clickandimprove.
As they are shown around properties, potential buyers in New York City can come up with a whole range of questions that brokers really need to have answers for. Too often we hear the buyer has been short-changed; the broker says the first nonsense that comes to mind or says he or she will ‘get back to them’ but never does. To give a potential buyer as full a possible set of answers to their sometimes – let’s face it – bewildering set of questions might not be what clinches the sale. However, to serve our clients we should have as many answers to hand as possible. Today more and more owners in NYC and the Hamptons are adding solar panels to their properties, so it is something that brokers need to be clued up on. Buyers will expect to hear something about costs, savings and maintenance of solar panels from the real estate broker just as they would expect to hear about mortgage protection from the mortgage broker.
Why New York?
Solar power is on the rise throughout the US. According to the Solar Industries Association, more solar installation took place in the third quarter of 2011 than the whole of 2009. As one of the 25 cities designated by the Department of Energy as Solar America Cities, New York City receives special support and incentives to increase solar power initiative. In addition, Mayor Bloomberg’s long-term sustainability plan, PlaNYC, recognised that while solar and wind generation was unlikely to play a big role in New York in the short term, it could and should play an increased role. With this impetus, financial incentives and a yen for green, many commercial and residential property owners have turned solar.
How do they work?
There are two types of solar energy that commercial and residential properties can generate: photovoltaic and thermal. Photovoltaic (PV) technology harnesses sunlight using solar cells made from semi-conductor materials. During daylight hours they convert sunlight to electricity by absorbing photons of light and converting them into electrons. Another key word for brokers would be ‘array’, which is the term for the arrangement of panels on a building. With solar thermal energy, flat panels or tube collectors are installed usually on the roof to heat fluids.
What’s the deal?
Many of the financial incentives such as federal and local tax credits relate to installation. The Pratt Center for Community Development says that “financial incentives from NYSERDA [New York State Energy, Research and Development Authority], the federal government, and others can cover as much as 62 per cent of the costs of installation and in some cases more”. Installation breaks, of course, are unlikely to benefit a buyer where a solar system is already installed.
However, buyers of properties in New York City with panels already installed will be interested to hear that they are entitled to property tax abatement. The Department of Buildings deals with applications, which must include maintenance plans. With all the support available to New Yorkers at this time, planning maintenance and finding qualified professionals is not a problem.
Buyers of properties with panels already installed will also be interested to hear that the energy generated can seriously cut heating bills. For example, the Pratt Center says that thermal system will typically provide 50-80 per cent of residential hot water. Furthermore, by selling back the excess energy that they generate, panel owners have a further financial incentive.
The topic is hot. Possible mayoral contender and Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer has criticized Bloomberg for “moving slowly”. A report he just released says solar panels on schools alone could increase solar capacity in New York City by 2,500 per cent – the equivalent of planting 400,000 trees – and create 5,423 jobs.
April 11, 2012 | Source: WellcomeMat | WellcomeMat is proud to announce that one of our greatest long time advocates, Doug Heddings, has signed on as an Enterprise partner… http://blog.wellcomemat.com/heddings-property-group-partners-with-wellcomemat-a-video-success-story-agent-to-brand-owner/
Source: Brick Underground
Noticing a lot of scaffolding around Manhattan–or, say, right outside your window? You’re not alone.
One StreetEasy.com user recently took to the forums to discuss the proliferation of facade-strangling scaffolding and sidewalk enclosures.
“Is it true that Local 11 is holding the city hostage?” the urban dweller asks, referring to the local law that requires buildings over six stories to inspect and repair their facades every five years–and to erect scaffolding and a sidewalk bridge during that time.
“It’s the weirdest look, the permanent scaffolds on almost every block…,” he or she observes. “It’s especially upsetting/ugly now when the trees are in bloom, and everything looks sweet–except those ugly, ugly scaffolds all over the place.”
In the ensuing discussion, Local Law 11 is derided as Buildings Department ploy to make money, since permits for scaffolding are a source of government revenue. Others see scaffolding as the fruits of shoddy work: “No other city on the planet has this many ‘repairs’ …Tells you something about the quality of all these repairs,” says one commenter.
Not everyone agrees.
“You people are whining nuts,” says one. “Facades were grossly neglected for decades in the high rise era. Left to their own, building owners put upkeep off for another day when maybe someone else will be around to pay for it.”
Aside from bracing yourselves for some ugly scaffolding, here’s what to keep in mind when it comes to Local Law 11 if you’re in the market right now:
1. Before you buy into a building, make sure it is in “compliance,” meaning it’s passed Local Law 11 at least once.
“You can be in for a huge assessment if they are not yet in compliance,” said a commenter. “If the building has already passed its Local Law 11 compliance, then you can reasonably assume the facade is in good shape going forward.”
And, on the bright side, “Local Law 11 mandates VERY intensive inspection and repair for compliance. As buildings all come into compliance … Local Law 12 and future Local Laws are likely to be less onerous.”
2. Think twice about white brick and terracotta facades.
These two materials are particularly prone to moisture issues, which can lead to big Local Law 11 repair bills.
“When a glazed exterior material is used like white brick or terracotta, water is repelled, but nevertheless seeps in through grout or due to condensation,” explains one commenter. “That same glazing that keeps water out for the most part, also keeps water in. That trapped moisture corrodes metal support beams and can compromise the integrity of what holds the facade onto the structure and even the structure itself,” said the commenter.
Don’t necessarily rule out a white brick or terracotta facade– just make sure it’s well inspected and be sure to ask questions.
3. Glassy buildings could become the next big Local Law 11 casualties.
During the real estate boom, floor-to-ceiling glass “curtains” (ie. all-glass buildings) were all the rage.
How these buildings will stand up to Local Law 11 is still unknown.
As one commenter puts it, “New buildings with glass curtain walls have not been tested over time–all those new condos may or may not develop major issues over the next two decades–some may have catastrophic failures of materials. There just isn’t a long history of how residential buildings with glass curtain walls age…I seriously wonder how these buildings will age–how many will (or already have) developed leaks around the windows and fogging inside faulty double pained glass, etc.”
March 28 2012 Source: Curbed NY 
Though it’s a mystery exactly why certain buildings make their choices, Douglas Heddings says, “since the buyer will likely benefit from the spending of..http://ny.curbed.com/archives/2012/03/28/seller_concerns_what_is_a_flip_tax_and_who_has_to_pay_it.php
March 27, 2012 | Source: Brick Underground Sure, New York City owners (and even renters) will pay a premium to live in a doorman building. But it’s not enough just to have one. They want a doorman who’s actually good.
We grilled some NYC brokers about what makes a doorman great in the eyes of a buyer.
Here’s the scoop on what makes them stand out ….and what makes them truly suck.
1. Serious about security
While opening doors and helping with your heavy bags is certainly nice, most buyers want doormen for security–they want to know that someone is guarding the building and keeping track of who comes in and out.
“Before I moved into my building I thought my doorwoman was so mean because she is very by the books,” says broker Douglas Heddings of Heddings Property Group.
“But now that I know her I appreciate her strictness. I have two small kids and I want to know they’re not letting any strangers into the building.
On the flip side, there are nightmare doormen (or doorwomen) who fall asleep on the job – sometimes literally.
“They have to know who everyone in the building is — that’s really what you have a doorman for,” says Sotheby’s real estate broker Ellen Kapit. “I hate the doormen who fall asleep at night.”
2. Friendly and helpful
A good doorman greets you cheerfully, preferably by name, and is always ready to lend a hand.
“What makes a doorman stand out for a buyer first and foremost is his overall demeanor,” says Danny Moyal of Citi Habitats.
“[Buyers] often comment when a doorman is perceived as being particularly friendly or helpful,” agrees Heddings.
A bad or indifferent doorman, on the other hand, almost seems to go out of his way to ignore you.
“One time I was knocking on the door and I had bundles, and the doorman was talking to someone inside the lobby,” says Kapit. “He motioned for me to wait a minute. And I‘m thinking, ‘You’re kidding me right?’”
3. Goes above and beyond
The most desirable (and most popular) doormen are those who go above and beyond the call of duty.
“The common thread–whether it’s from a broker or buyer or seller’s point of view–is when the doorman goes over and beyond their basic duty of opening the door. It’s always impressive when they act more like a building ambassador,” says Kapit.
The questions clients ask, according to Moyal, are: “Does he do more than just help with the door? Does he/she hold an umbrella when you are exiting a cab in the rain? Assist with groceries or heavy packages? Good doormen truly care about their building’s residents,” he says.
When citing examples of outstanding service, Heddings recalls a doorman who picked up his son’s prescription at CVS during his lunch hour and a doorwoman who fed his daughter’s pet frogs while his family was on vacation.
“I’ve also had doormen who will offer to install appliances and paint on their days off. Some of these guys are just incredible,” he says.
4. Knows when to keep his (or her) mouth shut
Your doorman sees and hears most things that goes on in your building, including those embarrassing moments when you stumble in at 3 a.m. after a little too much to drink.
A great doorman is someone who can keep these things in confidence. A gossiping doorman is a liability.
“In my building there’s someone who, because of this person, everyone in the building knows everybody’s business. And I mean, I know some really private things about some people – it’s just so inappropriate,” says Heddings.
Unfortunately it can be difficult to spot a gossipy doorman before you move in.
But if “the doorman starts out by saying, ‘Don’t tell anyone I did this for you’ when they give you keys without written permission,” that could be a red flag that he doesn’t take what other people say seriously, according to Heddings.
5. Can gauge the audience
Call it a hunch if you will, but some doormen just know when it’s appropriate to strike up a conversation – and when it’s not.
“There is a very fine line between acting courteous and friendly, and being nosy and overbearing,” says Moyal. “Good doormen know when to engage and interact with residents… and when to stay quiet.”
March 27, 2012 | Source: Curbed NY Douglas Heddings of Heddings Property Group, says “Most people like south[ern exposures] because it grants the most light, but artists often have a …http://ny.curbed.com/archives/2012/03/27/galley_kitchens_outdoor_space_and_other_layout_considerations.php
March 27, 2012 | Source: Curbed NY many, many people buy their property with a mortgage loan. … NOT borrowing money at current rates,” says Douglas Heddings of Heddings Property Group. http://ny.curbed.com/archives/2012/03/27/mortgage_basics_and_when_to_just_pay_all_cash.php
