ROCHESTER, NEW YORK SATURDAY, JANUARY 17, 2009

The skinnyon housing

TRANSACTIONS............ 2

JERRY LUDWIG .............. 4

ANNE PETERSON ......... 6

EDITH LANK ..................... 7

NEW HOMES ................... 11

BEST BUYS ........................ 22

OPEN HOUSES ................ 33

RENTALS............................. 35

PULLOUT: GALLERY OF HOMES

INSIDE

D E M O C R A T A N D C H R O N I C L E

DemocratandChronicle.com

REAL ESTATE&RENTAL

Tami Cusack spared no expensewhen she built her dream homeon Gallant Fox Lane in Webster in2006. Granite kitchen counters,Jacuzzi showers, stamped con-crete patio — it was all custom-built to her tastes in the 3,200-square-foot contemporary cape.

But life has its twists and turns.Cusack is now in a situationwhere she has to put her home upfor sale. She is asking $424,900,which is about $50,000 to $60,000less than what it cost to build thehome, plus some custom up-grades made just two years ago,she said.

“We went to town on upgradingeverything,” said Cusack, 43.“We put in love and care. This wasnot a house we were going toleave.”

So Cusack will have to take aloss when she sells her home.While she did not buy and buildher home for investment pur-poses, it raises the question:Where should you invest yourhome improvement dollars if youare thinking about resale downthe road?

The best place for improve-ments to receive your money back

would be kitchens and bathrooms,said Larry Mastrella, manager ofRealty USA’s Pittsford office. Butit is important to not overspendbased on your home’s location, hesaid.

“If you reside in an area that theaverage price point is $120,000and you put a $30,000 kitchen init, it would be almost impossibleto sell that property for $150,000,”

he said.But if you have a $300,000

home and put in a $30,000kitchen, you have a good chanceto recoup 90 cents on your dollar.

Kitchens and baths might besmart places to invest in home im-provement, but recouping yourmoney always depends on loca-tion, said Cindy B. Rosato, anagent at ReMax First in Brighton

and Greece.Painting the home in a neutral

color will also pay off, just don’tpick white, she said.

Flooring is also emerging as aninvestment, said Carol Remley, anagent at Nothnagle Realtors’ Pen-field office. Hardwood floors arevery popular.

Remodel with buyer in mindInvest in bathroom,kitchen if looking toresell, but considerarea’s average price

Real estate agent Chuck Hilbert of Penfield, left, and Tami Cusack examine the updates in the kitchen ofher Webster home. Cusack hopes to sell the home soon but knows she’ll have to take a loss.

CARLOS ORTIZ staff photographer

RESELL, PAGE 8

MARY CHAOSTAFF WRITER

Before you decide that you haverun out of space, make sure you’remaking the most of all yourrooms.

“You may be spending thou-sands of dollars for space that youuse only twice a year,” as is thecase with many dining rooms,says Standolyn Robertson, presi-dent of the National Associationof Professional Organizers andowner of Things in Place, an orga-nizing consulting company in

Massachusetts.Myscha Theriault, a personal fi-

nance and home-living blogger atwww.wisebread.com, knows thevalue of space. After relocatingfrom Arizona, Theriault and herhusband David — a retired mili-tary man — moved into a smallNew England cottage, a tempo-rary home until their permanenthouse is built. Faced with limitedspace, Theriault developed sev-eral tricks for expanding her liv-ing quarters.

■ Use the restaurant model.Vertical wire shelves and rackspopular in industrial kitchens canserve several functions in homes.Theriault uses vertical shelves inthe kitchen, entertainment area,bathroom and on a porch.

■ Experiment with lofts. Me-dium-density fiberboard, plywoodand other affordable materials canbe used to build a platform, stageor bilevel lofts in an attic, bed-room or garage. Raised platformscan create a teen hangout, enter-

tainment zone, craft work spaceor storage for sports equipment.

■ Forget room titles. “If you’restuck on labels, you’re losing a lotof available space,” Robertsonsays. A formal living room, for ex-ample, can double as a home li-brary or rehearsal room for familymusicians. Likewise, a buffet cre-denza in a dining room can serveas a work space for a home officeduring non-meal hours. When it’stime to set the table, tuck officesupplies into decorative baskets. ❑

FOR RENTERS

Put underutilized space to good use in tight quartersTHE MIAMI HERALD

Incentive updateCongress may extend and

modify a soon-to-expire taxcredit for first-time home-buyers. The tax benefit is worth10 percent of the purchase pricefor most people buying homesbetween April 9, 2008, and July1, 2009. A homebuyer claimingthe maximum credit of $7,500currently must repay $500 ayear over 15 years or all at onceif the home is sold before then.The idea of eliminating thepayback requirement is gainingtraction as a possible compo-nent of the fiscal stimulus billbeing crafted on Capitol Hill,aides and senators said. Theproposal is advocated by theNational Association of HomeBuilders, which is seeking astronger component for hous-ing in the stimulus measure.

New productBigSlider saves your back by

making heavy objects easier tomove. The product is a low-friction plastic mat that glideson any surface that will supportthe weight, including concrete,grass and pea gravel. It can beused to move big flowerpots,furniture, bags of mulch oranything else that’s too heavy tolift easily. Prices range from$24.95 to $134.95, not includingshipping. Go to www.bigslider-.com.

New bookThe Homeowner’s Handbook

to Energy Efficiency: A Guide toBig and Small Improvements byJohn Krigger and Chris Dorsi(Saturn Resource Management;$24.95) has a wealth of informa-tion on living a green lifestylefrom developing a plan for yourhome to explaining what yourcarbon footprint is and insula-tion. ❑

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In the higher price range,home buyers want granite in thekitchen even if the home is 15 to20 years old, Remley said. Mosthomes that are 15 years old needlight fixture updates as well.

If you’re looking to remodelwith resale in mind, yourchoices should be neutral andconservative, Remley said.

And if you’re not sure, Remleysuggests asking an experiencedreal estate agent to guide youthrough the remodeling.

The outside of your home alsocounts, said Chuck Hilbert, co-owner and agent at Keller Wil-

liams Realty in Brighton.Trimming back the trees and

updating your landscaping canreap big resale rewards, he said.

Items that will not returnmoney in a resale are ingroundpools and finished basements incertain neighborhoods, Hilbertsaid.

Hilbert personally invested$150,000 to upgrade his Websterhome, which is more than theneighborhood value. He finishedhis basement for extra livingspace.

But it is also a home that heand his family plan to enjoy forsome time.

“I’m not in it for the invest-ment,” Hilbert said. “I’m in it forthe lifestyle.” ❑

MCHAO@DemocratandChronicle.com

ResellFROM PAGE 1

SeminarsRehab Loan Orientation:

Low-interest rate rehab loanprogram for City of Rochesterresidents. Free parking at backof building. Jan. 21 and 28.NeighborWorks Rochester, 570South Ave. Free. To register, call(585) 325-4170 or go towww.nwrochester.org.

Home Sellers Seminar: 7 to 8p.m. Jan. 22. Coldwell BankerPrime Properties, 3750 MonroeAve., Pittsford. Free. To register,call (585) 899-5551 or e-mailbuyerorseller@cbpp.com.

Homebuying Seminar: “Factnot Fiction.” Free buyer’s semi-nar on new credit rules, buyer

incentives and historical lowrates. Offered by NothnagleRealtors. 10 a.m. to noon Jan. 24.Ridgemont Country Club, 3717W. Ridge Road, Greece. Free.To register, call (585) 368-7125or e-mail dana@nothnagle.com.

Real Estate Career Seminar:Information seminar. 10 to 11a.m. Jan. 24. Nothnagle RealtorsCareer Center, 2930 East Henri-etta Road, Henrietta. Free. Toregister, call (585) 334-8400 orgo to www.nothnagle.com/career.

Seminar on a Career in RealEstate: Century 21 CapitalRealty. 7 p.m. Jan. 26. Canal Parkoffice complex, 31 Erie Canal

Drive, Suite E, Greece. Free. Toregister, call (585) 739-3422.

Homebuying Seminar: Be-fore buying a new home, learnthe 10 things you should knowthat will save you thousands ofdollars. 7 to 8 p.m. Jan. 28. Noth-nagle Realtors Career Center,2930 East Henrietta Road, Hen-rietta. Free. To register, call(585) 334-8400 or go to www.getrealestateanswers.com.

Grant First Time BuyerSeminar: Learn how to receiveup to $3,500 to $30,000 in assist-ance for the purchase of yourhome. 6 to 8 p.m. Jan. 29. HSBCMortgage Corporation USA,1200 Jefferson Road. Free. Toregister, call (585) 292-1220. ❑

900 Panorama Tr. • PENFIELD

385-2420Sale Hours: Mon., Thurs., Fri. & Sat. 10-6,Sale Hours: Mon., Thurs., Fri. & Sat. 10-6,

Tues. & Wed. 10-8Tues. & Wed. 10-8www.cricketonthehearth.comwww.cricketonthehearth.com

TURNER FAMILY OWNED • EST. 1968

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Sale dates Jan. 13th-26th, 2009Prior Sales Excluded

40 Grove Street • Pittsford,NY 14534www.TerryNeilon.RochestersAgent.com

Terry NeilonAssociate Broker

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558855..778855..2200220033330000 MMoonnrrooee AAvvee..RRoocchheesstteerr,, NNYY 1144661188

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