Selling with us
Selling your house, done properly
An honest price on day one, a house that shows well, photographs that look like the place, and an agent who calls you every week whether or not there's news. That's the job.
Pricing: the most important decision
A house gets most of its attention in its first two weeks on the market. Price it well and the right buyers come early; price it high and it sits, collects a "days on market" count, and eventually sells for less than it would have. We'd rather have a hard conversation at the kitchen table than an easy one that costs you money in October.
At the listing appointment we bring a comparative market analysis: recent sales of similar houses nearby, adjusted for size, lot, condition, and the things algorithms miss, like a road that floods, a view across the river, a 1974 septic, or a kitchen redone in 2019 by someone who knew what they were doing. We'll show you the sales that support the number and the ones that don't, and why.
If you'd like a first look before we meet, ask for a home value estimate. A local agent will reply with a real range, usually within a business day.
Preparing the house
Most houses don't need a renovation to sell. They need the small things fixed, the clutter gone, and the light let in. We'll walk through with you and make a short list, in order of what buyers will notice: the sticking door, the dripping tap, the bathroom caulk, the dead bulbs, the wet corner of the basement.
For bigger items, there's Fieldstone Prep: we coordinate pre-listing repairs and improvements with trusted local tradespeople, and you pay for the work at closing, out of the proceeds. We also work with a small network of independent stagers. Read more on staging and prep.
Marketing
Every listing gets the same foundation. Then we add what the house calls for.
- Professional photography on a clear day, at the right time for the light, plus a measured floor plan. Twilight and drone photos where they help (a river view, acreage).
- A written description by your agent, specific to your house: the materials, the dates, what's been done. No "stunning", no "nestled".
- The regional listing service, which feeds the major home-search websites within hours.
- Our own site and email list of buyers we're already working with, many from the city, who hear about new listings first.
- A broker open for other agents in the first week, and public open houses on weekends when it makes sense.
- Print where it still works: a property sheet at the house, and for estates and farms, a printed brochure.
- Social media posts and short video for houses that photograph well in motion.
While you're on the market
Your agent sends a written report every week: showings, feedback from buyers' agents (the honest version), web views, and what's changed in the market around you. If something isn't working by week three, we'll say so and suggest what to change.
We arrange every showing through one scheduling system so you get a text and can say yes or no. We ask buyers' agents to have a signed buyer agreement before they bring anyone through, and a pre-approval or proof of funds with every offer. When offers come in, we'll put them side by side: price, down payment, financing, contingencies, closing date. The highest price isn't always the best offer.
A typical timeline
- Week 0
Listing appointment and walk-through. You sign a listing agreement, and we start on the disclosure form together.
- Weeks 1–3
Repairs, cleaning, staging, photography, floor plan. Hire your attorney now.
- Week 3 or 4
Live on the market. Broker open midweek, first open house that weekend.
- Weeks 4–7
Showings and offers. In Beacon and Kingston our median listing went under contract in about three weeks in 2025; in Rhinebeck and Hudson, longer.
- Accepted offer + 1–3 weeks
Buyer's inspection; attorneys negotiate and both sides sign the contract. The deposit goes into escrow with your attorney.
- Contract + 6–10 weeks
Appraisal, the buyer's mortgage commitment, title. You arrange movers and final utility readings.
- Closing
A final walk-through, then you hand over the keys. If you have a mortgage, it's paid off from the proceeds at the table.
What it costs to sell in New York
| Cost | What to expect |
|---|---|
| Brokerage commission | Negotiable and not set by law; we discuss it at the listing appointment. Whether and how much you offer toward a buyer's agent is your decision, and it's written down. |
| New York State transfer tax | 0.4% of the sale price ($2 per $500). On $689,000, that's $2,756. |
| Your attorney | A flat fee, commonly $1,500–$3,000 here. |
| Mortgage payoff and recording fees | Whatever you owe, plus small fees to record the satisfaction. |
| Repairs or credits | Anything you agree to after the buyer's inspection. |
| Tax adjustments | Property taxes are split between you and the buyer by date at closing. |
The buyer, not you, pays the 1% "mansion tax" on a sale of $1,000,000 or more. Some buyers will offer just under that line; we'll talk through it if your house is close.
The property disclosure form
New York sellers of most one- to four-family houses must complete a Property Condition Disclosure Statement and give it to the buyer before the contract is signed. Until March 2024 you could instead give the buyer a $500 credit at closing, and most sellers did. That option is gone, so plan on filling it out.
It asks what you know about the roof, foundation, water, septic, flooding, oil tanks, environmental issues, permits and more. Answer truthfully from your own knowledge; "unknown" is an honest answer when it's true. We'll go through it with you, and your attorney should review it before it goes out. If your house was built before 1978, there is also a federal lead-paint disclosure.
Let's walk through your house
A listing appointment takes about an hour and a half and doesn't commit you to anything. Call the Beacon office at 845.555.0127 or Kingston at (845) 555-0190, or start with an estimate.
Nadia told us the price we didn't want to hear, and then it sold in nine days for a little over it.
— Sellers, Beacon, 2025