Tune your sets! Tomorrow (Sunday) at 11:30 is the premiere of the RE/MAX real estate show. It's half an hour from 11:30AM to 12:00 on the local Fox network, channel 68.
I have two listings that will be shown: 117 Victory Lane in Warners and 3862 Highland Avenue in Skaneateles. Both lend themselves to this type of show - HGTV watching is evident in their presentation!
Please let me know what you think so I can change things as need be. Because it's the only show of its kind in Central New York I hope we get people to watch - and then BUY these homes!
I have taped it, just in case it takes longer for Federer to beat Roddick. When I ran through the Guide to find it, I was so pleased to see "RE/MAX" in the time slot.
Enjoy the July 4th weekend!
Saturday, July 4, 2009
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Skaneateles Real Estate - The Weekly Update
I have been sorely remiss in my blogging. I apologize. The past week has been filled with life and death, babies soon to be born, friends undergoing incredible surgeries, pets not surviving. Although none are family issues, they still engulf us. It seems like forever since we went to Utica to see Gordon Lightfoot - but it was only 6 days.
I promise better in the future, in part because blogging is so therapeutic for me. This month is the wedding month, and I want to be rested and restored for it. Blogging aids the process.
Plus selling a house or two......
There are currently 141 active listings in the Skaneateles area of the multiple listing service. Of these, 44 are waterfront and since it's the season I thought I'd key in on the lake listings as a whole. Some of course are streams and ponds and even a creekside. Take away about 3 of these, so let's say 30% are waterfront and active.
We did have 4 new - really new, no re-lists! - listings come on this week. There are two in the town, one farther out and in the low $200,000s and one closer and newer (I remember when it was a lot that I sold!) under $500,000. There's another less than a million waterfront and the last is a tiny rehab in the village for under 200K.
Nothing was marked contingent this week, and of the 8 properties only one is waterfront. There are also 6 pending properties of which half are waterfront. So in the next few months hopefully our percentage of closed waterfront from these homes will be close to 30%.
There is one new closing this week which brings the year-to-date total to 39, just bursting to get to 40 when I will do a list. At this time last year there were only 20 closed properties! The new one is waterfront, closing at about 75% of its original price of over 1.5M.
This year there are only 12.5% of the closed properties that are waterfront, as compared to last year's 30%. Prices this year range from 359,000 to 1.7M while last year the numbers were $375,000 to $775,000 at this time.
I was curious to see when we had 39 properties closed last year. It was all the way into the first week of October, 2008! We are well ahead of that mark - I can't wait to see how we end the year!
I promise better in the future, in part because blogging is so therapeutic for me. This month is the wedding month, and I want to be rested and restored for it. Blogging aids the process.
Plus selling a house or two......
There are currently 141 active listings in the Skaneateles area of the multiple listing service. Of these, 44 are waterfront and since it's the season I thought I'd key in on the lake listings as a whole. Some of course are streams and ponds and even a creekside. Take away about 3 of these, so let's say 30% are waterfront and active.
We did have 4 new - really new, no re-lists! - listings come on this week. There are two in the town, one farther out and in the low $200,000s and one closer and newer (I remember when it was a lot that I sold!) under $500,000. There's another less than a million waterfront and the last is a tiny rehab in the village for under 200K.
Nothing was marked contingent this week, and of the 8 properties only one is waterfront. There are also 6 pending properties of which half are waterfront. So in the next few months hopefully our percentage of closed waterfront from these homes will be close to 30%.
There is one new closing this week which brings the year-to-date total to 39, just bursting to get to 40 when I will do a list. At this time last year there were only 20 closed properties! The new one is waterfront, closing at about 75% of its original price of over 1.5M.
This year there are only 12.5% of the closed properties that are waterfront, as compared to last year's 30%. Prices this year range from 359,000 to 1.7M while last year the numbers were $375,000 to $775,000 at this time.
I was curious to see when we had 39 properties closed last year. It was all the way into the first week of October, 2008! We are well ahead of that mark - I can't wait to see how we end the year!
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Skaneateles Real Estate - The Weekly Update
Every week when I sit down to write this update I spend a few minutes getting the absolute latest information from the MLS. It usually takes about 20 minutes, then I'm off and writing. Today, between finding properties that had just come on that were right for my clients and some intermittent e-mailing, it's been over an hour. Good news I think!
There are currently 137 active listings in the Skaneateles area of the multiple listing service. Six are new this week. Three of them are re-lists - outskirts, lake rights and village - with new looks and/or new prices. There's also a gorgeous waterfront for 1.5M, a sweet village home with a rare under $275,000 price tag, and a country listing under $400,000. Is it allowed for me to say these prices seem reasonable?
Three homes were marked contingent this week - a multi-family, a single family and a waterfront. We seem to be covering all the bases.
We now have 38 closed homes so far this year. That compares with 19 last year at this time. The one new one that did close was waterfront at 20% off the original price and after 18 months on the market. It's that time of year!
I looked at the homes that expired within the past 30 days. There were six of them. Three have returned to the market with a fresh face and a new price. One is actually sold, but because it wasn't marked "pended" in the computer and it reached it's expiration date while marked contingent, it shows that it expired. Two have simply gone away - but may return when the renters leave or another brokerage picks them up.
Have a wonderful week! It's summer at last!
There are currently 137 active listings in the Skaneateles area of the multiple listing service. Six are new this week. Three of them are re-lists - outskirts, lake rights and village - with new looks and/or new prices. There's also a gorgeous waterfront for 1.5M, a sweet village home with a rare under $275,000 price tag, and a country listing under $400,000. Is it allowed for me to say these prices seem reasonable?
Three homes were marked contingent this week - a multi-family, a single family and a waterfront. We seem to be covering all the bases.
We now have 38 closed homes so far this year. That compares with 19 last year at this time. The one new one that did close was waterfront at 20% off the original price and after 18 months on the market. It's that time of year!
I looked at the homes that expired within the past 30 days. There were six of them. Three have returned to the market with a fresh face and a new price. One is actually sold, but because it wasn't marked "pended" in the computer and it reached it's expiration date while marked contingent, it shows that it expired. Two have simply gone away - but may return when the renters leave or another brokerage picks them up.
Have a wonderful week! It's summer at last!
Monday, June 22, 2009
"Up"
Saturday, after three days of rain, we went to the movies. "Up" was playing in 3-D at Shoppingtown Mall on the east side, so we had dinner at El Canelo - I wish they hadn't left Grant Ave.! - and then window-shopped for shoes for me for the wedding.
"Up" was amazing. It wasn't just a 3-D movie but a grand story that happened to be in 3-D. I thought it would have something to do with the play we had seen at Syracuse Stage this spring, about a man who tied balloons to his lounge chair and flew up into the clouds. Same title - vastly different story, much, much better.
I am still under its spell. But I won't ruin it by telling the story - just urge you to go see it.
One part that made me spin was the "passage of time" segment. You know - like when the candle burns down and indicating several minutes or hours have passed. In this case it was a mailbox.
I remembered other mailboxes. I have a good friend from high school who painted his box a brilliant fuchsia. I passed it for years down East Lake Road, and watched as the color faded. It's now white.
I remember Patience painting one of her lovely, delicate fishes on her mailbox years ago. I was at the house for something, and as I left I made a remark - rather snarky now I think - that if the greeting cards didn't take off, she could always paint mailboxes. The box is gone now, or re-painted a light green without a fish adorning it.
One of my favorite movies, "The Ghost and Mrs. Muir" (the movie, not the TV series) has a post stuck in the shoreline with initials carved in it. As the years go by and the ghost becomes only a fond memory, Mrs. Muir passes it on her walks while it weathers and bends.
Real estate. It pushes its way into every conversation, every story. Our lives are based on people, time and settings. And all change, no matter how much you want them to remain the same. And that's not always a bad thing.
Go see "Up."
"Up" was amazing. It wasn't just a 3-D movie but a grand story that happened to be in 3-D. I thought it would have something to do with the play we had seen at Syracuse Stage this spring, about a man who tied balloons to his lounge chair and flew up into the clouds. Same title - vastly different story, much, much better.
I am still under its spell. But I won't ruin it by telling the story - just urge you to go see it.
One part that made me spin was the "passage of time" segment. You know - like when the candle burns down and indicating several minutes or hours have passed. In this case it was a mailbox.
I remembered other mailboxes. I have a good friend from high school who painted his box a brilliant fuchsia. I passed it for years down East Lake Road, and watched as the color faded. It's now white.
I remember Patience painting one of her lovely, delicate fishes on her mailbox years ago. I was at the house for something, and as I left I made a remark - rather snarky now I think - that if the greeting cards didn't take off, she could always paint mailboxes. The box is gone now, or re-painted a light green without a fish adorning it.
One of my favorite movies, "The Ghost and Mrs. Muir" (the movie, not the TV series) has a post stuck in the shoreline with initials carved in it. As the years go by and the ghost becomes only a fond memory, Mrs. Muir passes it on her walks while it weathers and bends.
Real estate. It pushes its way into every conversation, every story. Our lives are based on people, time and settings. And all change, no matter how much you want them to remain the same. And that's not always a bad thing.
Go see "Up."
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Skaneateles Real Estate - The Weekly Update
Good news, bad news, sad news - it's all out there. I went in to this blog update without anything in mind as far as further exploration, but I ran across a small fact that will turn itself into an editorial before I'm done. But first the facts!
There are currently 136 active listings in the Skaneateles area of the multiple listing service. Three of them are new this week. I had a chance to see one on brokers' open - upper $500,000s in the town on a gorgeous lot. Pat made her chocolate covered strawberries and they draw me to her homes every time! There's also a lovely, lovely "new" - think 2006 - waterfront on the market for well over one million dollars. The third listing is actually a re-list of a very wonderful home built and remodeled for someone who likes views and contemporary architecture.
There were no homes marked contingent this week, but hold on, they're coming!
Two homes closed. One was originally priced in the mid $200,000s and slowly reduced until a sale occurred at $150,000. That would be about 62% of the original price. The other sale in the countryside also started in the same range, but closed at $114,000. This is slightly under half the first price of the first listing.
We now have 37 closed properties, as compared with only 19 last year at this time. Excellent progress! In 2007 there were 39 - but who's counting!? We will have a good year!
My editorial comment: The home that sold at under 50% of the price paid for it in 2005 was a dream home for a family, as I understand it. It needed work and they did some work, but then needed to rent it to make payments. The renters moved their animals inside out of the cold. In less than two years the home was almost destroyed.
I am not against renters. When I moved back from Seattle to Saratoga I lived on a great estate in the summer cottage. We kept the place as neat as my housekeeping skills allowed and stayed a very happy seven years. I've rented out my camp and found it cleaner afterwards than before. But somewhere along the line something happened and this house and the dreams of its owners were plundered. I feel a great sadness - I hate seeing homes and families hurt.
Back to the good news portion. That low offer I wrote about in my last blog may actually come together some day - I haven't given up and neither has the other agent. We'll see!
The May flies are ba-ack! They love a week in Skaneateles as much as the next bug!
Our RE/MAX TV show is a go! We start July 5th at 11:30AM on the Fox local stations. I've taken two spots each week, so if you'd like to see your home on TV, let's get it listed!
There are currently 136 active listings in the Skaneateles area of the multiple listing service. Three of them are new this week. I had a chance to see one on brokers' open - upper $500,000s in the town on a gorgeous lot. Pat made her chocolate covered strawberries and they draw me to her homes every time! There's also a lovely, lovely "new" - think 2006 - waterfront on the market for well over one million dollars. The third listing is actually a re-list of a very wonderful home built and remodeled for someone who likes views and contemporary architecture.
There were no homes marked contingent this week, but hold on, they're coming!
Two homes closed. One was originally priced in the mid $200,000s and slowly reduced until a sale occurred at $150,000. That would be about 62% of the original price. The other sale in the countryside also started in the same range, but closed at $114,000. This is slightly under half the first price of the first listing.
We now have 37 closed properties, as compared with only 19 last year at this time. Excellent progress! In 2007 there were 39 - but who's counting!? We will have a good year!
My editorial comment: The home that sold at under 50% of the price paid for it in 2005 was a dream home for a family, as I understand it. It needed work and they did some work, but then needed to rent it to make payments. The renters moved their animals inside out of the cold. In less than two years the home was almost destroyed.
I am not against renters. When I moved back from Seattle to Saratoga I lived on a great estate in the summer cottage. We kept the place as neat as my housekeeping skills allowed and stayed a very happy seven years. I've rented out my camp and found it cleaner afterwards than before. But somewhere along the line something happened and this house and the dreams of its owners were plundered. I feel a great sadness - I hate seeing homes and families hurt.
Back to the good news portion. That low offer I wrote about in my last blog may actually come together some day - I haven't given up and neither has the other agent. We'll see!
The May flies are ba-ack! They love a week in Skaneateles as much as the next bug!
Our RE/MAX TV show is a go! We start July 5th at 11:30AM on the Fox local stations. I've taken two spots each week, so if you'd like to see your home on TV, let's get it listed!
Monday, June 15, 2009
The Low Offer
For the past couple weeks I've been working with a couple to buy a home. I won't go into specifics for reasons that will become obvious later, but although we didn't get the home they wanted, the process was a pleasure all around.
There are several homes on the market in the area west of Syracuse that have been available for a while. Every town has them. For whatever reason, they have not sold and have become "stale" on the market. Some started too high - "We might get lucky" or "They can always make an offer" - and then the real estate market fell apart in that price range. Others had problems in the cosmetic line, should we say. The cost of painting, updating appliances, removing that green and orange shag rug that roamed throughout the entire house, taking down the huge tree that blocked the view of the lake became overwhelming in an economy that did not guarantee jobs. The structure of the home might have prevented it's sale - in a sea of colonials, the ranch just did not make it.
Whatever, the house didn't sell. So houses like these sit.
We never would have looked at a home in this price range if it hadn't been for an agent calling and asking if the people who had looked at it originally were interested. They weren't, but the agent and I went on to conversationally discuss the realities of the market and this house in particular. My brain was prodded...what if? I had the right people for the house, but the price was not what they could manage.
"Make an offer," I was told.
I told my people and they were interested, as anyone would be if the right opportunity presented itself to get a home of seemingly more value than what they would buy it for. They were very realtistic. "If it works, then we are there! If it doesn't, at least we tried."
They went ahead and scraped up a bit more money and sold their house at the same time. They put together a pre-approval from a local lender and wrote the offer, knowing that it was a very long, long shot but one worth taking in their opinion. They even wrote a letter and included pictures of their family, detailing the reasons why they wanted this particular home and what it would mean to them.
Generally, if I bring in a low offer it is usually from an investor who smells a deal. I have been yelled at most of the time, shown the door at other times, and been generally abused by both the seller and the agent. I work for my buyer and as a buyer's agent, I am required to bring in the numbers he/she requests. Some agents refuse to do it - the yelling gets to them, I imagine - but I do it. For all I know the sellers could be on the brink of foreclosure and our offer may have kept them from bankruptcy. I could be an angel. Mostly I am not.
In this case the agent made time for me and accepted the offer without any acrimony. We were both saddened, I think, that it couldn't be more but it was an offer and it was recognized as such.
We had no answer from the seller for days, but throughout the waiting I heard regularly from the agent. No yelling, no upset. In fact, I was assured that there was no game-playing going on, that the offer was being taken as legitimate, which it was.
In the end, the seller countered quite realistically. He/she would take a loss, but after a few years on the market with another year or so to go possibly before another offer came in, this was the best that could be done.
My people accepted the premise that this was a final offer from the seller and as they had promised they could go no higher. The deal was not made and everyone went their separate ways.
But after 10 days of waiting and talking and thinking about all this I feel fine. We all - buyers, sellers, agents, mortgage people - took it as far as it could go. None of us reached our goal, but it was accomplished with so much dignity that we all have parted knowing we all did our best.
I wish every deal - or non-deal - would take the same course. Life is too short for anger and recriminations, non-communication and gamesmanship. My faith in humanity has been restored, if it ever really was gone!
There are several homes on the market in the area west of Syracuse that have been available for a while. Every town has them. For whatever reason, they have not sold and have become "stale" on the market. Some started too high - "We might get lucky" or "They can always make an offer" - and then the real estate market fell apart in that price range. Others had problems in the cosmetic line, should we say. The cost of painting, updating appliances, removing that green and orange shag rug that roamed throughout the entire house, taking down the huge tree that blocked the view of the lake became overwhelming in an economy that did not guarantee jobs. The structure of the home might have prevented it's sale - in a sea of colonials, the ranch just did not make it.
Whatever, the house didn't sell. So houses like these sit.
We never would have looked at a home in this price range if it hadn't been for an agent calling and asking if the people who had looked at it originally were interested. They weren't, but the agent and I went on to conversationally discuss the realities of the market and this house in particular. My brain was prodded...what if? I had the right people for the house, but the price was not what they could manage.
"Make an offer," I was told.
I told my people and they were interested, as anyone would be if the right opportunity presented itself to get a home of seemingly more value than what they would buy it for. They were very realtistic. "If it works, then we are there! If it doesn't, at least we tried."
They went ahead and scraped up a bit more money and sold their house at the same time. They put together a pre-approval from a local lender and wrote the offer, knowing that it was a very long, long shot but one worth taking in their opinion. They even wrote a letter and included pictures of their family, detailing the reasons why they wanted this particular home and what it would mean to them.
Generally, if I bring in a low offer it is usually from an investor who smells a deal. I have been yelled at most of the time, shown the door at other times, and been generally abused by both the seller and the agent. I work for my buyer and as a buyer's agent, I am required to bring in the numbers he/she requests. Some agents refuse to do it - the yelling gets to them, I imagine - but I do it. For all I know the sellers could be on the brink of foreclosure and our offer may have kept them from bankruptcy. I could be an angel. Mostly I am not.
In this case the agent made time for me and accepted the offer without any acrimony. We were both saddened, I think, that it couldn't be more but it was an offer and it was recognized as such.
We had no answer from the seller for days, but throughout the waiting I heard regularly from the agent. No yelling, no upset. In fact, I was assured that there was no game-playing going on, that the offer was being taken as legitimate, which it was.
In the end, the seller countered quite realistically. He/she would take a loss, but after a few years on the market with another year or so to go possibly before another offer came in, this was the best that could be done.
My people accepted the premise that this was a final offer from the seller and as they had promised they could go no higher. The deal was not made and everyone went their separate ways.
But after 10 days of waiting and talking and thinking about all this I feel fine. We all - buyers, sellers, agents, mortgage people - took it as far as it could go. None of us reached our goal, but it was accomplished with so much dignity that we all have parted knowing we all did our best.
I wish every deal - or non-deal - would take the same course. Life is too short for anger and recriminations, non-communication and gamesmanship. My faith in humanity has been restored, if it ever really was gone!
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Skaneateles Real Estate - The Weekly Update
Stay tuned for a quiz - you get the guess the most expensive homes sold in the following areas: Skaneateles, Marcellus, Camillus, Elbridge and Onondaga. Think about it now, write down the numbers, and I'll reveal the answers at the end of the update.
Currently there are 141 active listings of single family homes in the Skaneateles area as defined by the multiple listing service. There were seven new listings this week - 5 having waterfront somewhere within reach/access of the property. Only two were re-lists, which must mean that homes are selling rather than being re-listed. Two of the re-lists are waterfront well over one million dollars. There's a new one close to that, but not going over. Two others have lake rights and are priced under $500,000. If you hurry, a village Victorian is for sale, similar to my 11 Onondaga from last year, both in size, vintage and price. And then there's a tiny house with a smaller price in the low $100,000, a re-list with a reduction.
One home was marked contingent at the same time the price dropped 20% - which came first? Who cares as long as it's sold!
And there were no closings this past week - none whatsoever - to keep our total of 35 year-to date. This still ravages last year's total of 18 by June 10th. We're fine! The worst is over!
On to the most expensive property closings in the towns I mentioned. Ready? This all started thanks to a conversation with a friend who was looking at pricing. We thought a house was priced too high for the area, so I took a look. Imbedded in all this is the information - and more because it was so interesting to me once I got in to the statistics.
Marcellus. This was difficult, because "Marcellus" encompasses both some listings from the towns of Onondaga and Camillus, but they are placed in the Marcellus area because they are Marcellus schools. I was a purist and looked for the town only. That said - The most expensive house along with many, many acres to sell within recent memory (like 2002) was $500,000. The second most expensive was on Otisco Lake and sold for $460,000, an unbelievable sum to me as an owner of a camp there. But it went on multiple offers, above list price. There were 23 homes altogether that sold for over $300,000.
Camillus. I was surprised here. Only 8 homes sold for over $400,000. The most expensive closed last year for $617,500, but then there was a gap to the next most expensive. Once again, acreage and obviously a fantastic home were involved.
Elbridge. We are farm country, remember? There were 5 homes that sold over $250,000 with the most expensive being waterfront on Cross Lake for $279,000. My house might give this number a run, but like most of my neighbors we prize what we have and I'm not going anywhere.
Onondaga. Another surprise! I keep showing these absolutely gorgeous homes with views that go for miles up in the hills, so I think that there must be at least 100 that have sold for the list prices. But no - only 20 have sold for over $400,000. The most was $960,000 in 2008 and the next was $650,000 in 2004.
Skaneateles. I started my search at 2 million, but there were too many. Over 2.5 million there are 11 closed properties - and yes, this is the closed price. All, of course, are on the water. The most expensive is the beautiful home on West Lake Street which is undergoing extensive renovations but was purchased at 4.9 million. The most expensive non-waterfront home was 2.15 million and I bet you can guess which one on Genesee it is. It is followed by another Genesee Street property (lakeside, but no frontage or rights) and the pretty brick on Andrews Road.
Especially in Skaneateles' case many homes are bought or sold or built without passing through the multiple listing service. You can try, as my friends did, to search numbers out on www.ongov.net - or just continue to read my blog even though it may not contain all the facts, all the time. Hopefully it's fun!
Currently there are 141 active listings of single family homes in the Skaneateles area as defined by the multiple listing service. There were seven new listings this week - 5 having waterfront somewhere within reach/access of the property. Only two were re-lists, which must mean that homes are selling rather than being re-listed. Two of the re-lists are waterfront well over one million dollars. There's a new one close to that, but not going over. Two others have lake rights and are priced under $500,000. If you hurry, a village Victorian is for sale, similar to my 11 Onondaga from last year, both in size, vintage and price. And then there's a tiny house with a smaller price in the low $100,000, a re-list with a reduction.
One home was marked contingent at the same time the price dropped 20% - which came first? Who cares as long as it's sold!
And there were no closings this past week - none whatsoever - to keep our total of 35 year-to date. This still ravages last year's total of 18 by June 10th. We're fine! The worst is over!
On to the most expensive property closings in the towns I mentioned. Ready? This all started thanks to a conversation with a friend who was looking at pricing. We thought a house was priced too high for the area, so I took a look. Imbedded in all this is the information - and more because it was so interesting to me once I got in to the statistics.
Marcellus. This was difficult, because "Marcellus" encompasses both some listings from the towns of Onondaga and Camillus, but they are placed in the Marcellus area because they are Marcellus schools. I was a purist and looked for the town only. That said - The most expensive house along with many, many acres to sell within recent memory (like 2002) was $500,000. The second most expensive was on Otisco Lake and sold for $460,000, an unbelievable sum to me as an owner of a camp there. But it went on multiple offers, above list price. There were 23 homes altogether that sold for over $300,000.
Camillus. I was surprised here. Only 8 homes sold for over $400,000. The most expensive closed last year for $617,500, but then there was a gap to the next most expensive. Once again, acreage and obviously a fantastic home were involved.
Elbridge. We are farm country, remember? There were 5 homes that sold over $250,000 with the most expensive being waterfront on Cross Lake for $279,000. My house might give this number a run, but like most of my neighbors we prize what we have and I'm not going anywhere.
Onondaga. Another surprise! I keep showing these absolutely gorgeous homes with views that go for miles up in the hills, so I think that there must be at least 100 that have sold for the list prices. But no - only 20 have sold for over $400,000. The most was $960,000 in 2008 and the next was $650,000 in 2004.
Skaneateles. I started my search at 2 million, but there were too many. Over 2.5 million there are 11 closed properties - and yes, this is the closed price. All, of course, are on the water. The most expensive is the beautiful home on West Lake Street which is undergoing extensive renovations but was purchased at 4.9 million. The most expensive non-waterfront home was 2.15 million and I bet you can guess which one on Genesee it is. It is followed by another Genesee Street property (lakeside, but no frontage or rights) and the pretty brick on Andrews Road.
Especially in Skaneateles' case many homes are bought or sold or built without passing through the multiple listing service. You can try, as my friends did, to search numbers out on www.ongov.net - or just continue to read my blog even though it may not contain all the facts, all the time. Hopefully it's fun!
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