Finger Lakes Real Estate with Vicki Schamel

05/29/2026

Home design tastes shift faster than most sellers expect.

Home design tastes shift faster than most sellers expect. What felt fresh and aspirational just a decade ago can quietly become the thing that sends a buyer mentally calculating renovation costs before they've even finished the tour. The housing market of 2025 and 2026 is unforgiving in that way - b...

05/28/2026

Home prices have a long track record of going up over time. And that’s why buying a home is generally considered a safe long-term investment.

That certainly doesn’t mean you have to buy now. You should only move when it makes sense, and you plan to live there for a while.

But if you’re interested, let this reassure you. If you want to talk through what home prices are doing in our market, your goals, or your timelines, let’s have a quick conversation.

It’s one of the biggest hold ups some buyers have right now: “What if I buy, and home prices go down?”

05/27/2026

It's time for a fresh start.

Our opinion: spring is the best time of year to organize your life. Declutter your closet, swap in your seasonal clothes, build some better habits, and maybe even plan out your summer PTO. Here's how to use the "fresh start effect" to your advantage.

05/26/2026

80% of homeowners still expect to get their asking price or more when they sell. But right now, only about 40% actually do.

That might sound surprising, but it’s not. It’s normal. The issue is where those outdating pricing expectations are coming from. Some sellers are still pricing high just to “see what happens.” And that strategy doesn’t work now that inventory has grown.

When a house is priced above where it should be today, buyers don’t negotiate. They move on to other options. That’s when homes sit, and sellers have to slash prices – sometimes below what they could’ve gotten if they’d just priced right from the start. That’s why the sellers getting the best results right now are doing something different.

They’re pricing at (or even slightly below) market value from day 1. Because that’s what creates demand early and puts you in a position to sell faster… and potentially for more. So don’t price based on the past. Price for today’s market.
If you want to be part of the forty percent with a winning strategy, DM me.

05/25/2026

Home means a little more because of the heroes who protected our freedom. 🇺🇸

05/22/2026

Have a wonderful weekend!

05/21/2026

Foreclosure filings may be rising, but they're still low. And the equity most homeowners are sitting on today is a key reason this looks nothing like 2008.

05/21/2026

When’s the last time you checked how much equity you’ve built? Because the number might surprise you.

In just the past 6 years, the average homeowner has gained over $128,000 – just from price growth and making their payments.

That’s money that could help fund your next move or a major life goal. And if you’ve lived there longer than 6 years, your number could be even higher. Want to find out? I’m offering a free equity assessment for homeowners in our market right now. Just send me a DM to get started.

05/20/2026

The best time to buy patio pieces is now.

The best time to buy patio pieces is now.

05/19/2026

Sales of existing homes inched up in April, driven by modest gains in affordability that managed to outweigh market uncertainty stemming from the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.

Existing-home sales rose 0.2% in April from March to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.02 million but remained flat year over year.