Long Island Real Estate - How Much Is That Cheap Listing Costing YOU? I call on expired listings daily. Time and time again I see how low the commission rate was and then I know why that particular home didn't sell. You know the saying, "you get what you pay for". It is true in all aspects of life whether you are selling your car, your home or see that "Coach" handbag on ebay that no one bid on and you got it for $10.00 and it turns out it was a fake handbag. You get what you pay for. So, you know you saved about $5,000 to $6,000 on the commission by hiring a Realtor who offered a cheaper commission. Did you ask what are they going to do to market your home? How many websites is your home going to be on? Are they going to hold public open houses for you? Are they going to hold a Broker... 01/05/2010

Long Island Real Estate - Home Buyers - Buy Or Walk Away?   I decided to hit the clearance racks at Marshalls last weekend. It's been very cold out with high winds and I was determined to find a great parking spot! I go halfway down one aisle and saw a spot. Hmmm, I think I could do better so I went around to the next aisle and didn't find one close enough. I circle back to the first aisle I was in and that spot I originally found, was gone. So, here I am circling around, wasting gas just to find THE best spot near Marshall's since I didn't want to walk in the extremely cold weather. I ended up settling for a spot farther away all because I let go of the better one I first found earlier. I should have taken that one. But, woulda, shoulda, coulda. Then I thought searching for a parking s... 01/05/2010

Babylon Village School District - Thinking of Moving Here? Babylon Village Schools on Long Island, ranked #7 out of 10 with 10 being the best. Babylon Village has 2 preschools, 4 elementary schools, 2 middle schools, 1 high school, and 3 private schools. Babylon Village Statistics Median Household Income$83,519 New York Household Income$50,198U.S. Household Income$49,199   Babylon Median Home Price$526,500 Median New York Home Price$368,000 Average U.S. Home Price$248,670   Cost of Living (% of National Average)149%Cost of Living in New York125% Cost of Living in U.S.100%   Babylon Unemployment Rate5% New York Unemployment Rate5% U.S. Unemployment Rate5%   Babylon Population12,303 Thinking of moving to Babylon, New York? Let me help you find the home of your dreams. Keep in mind that t... 01/05/2010

Are You An Ashtray? I used to smoke but was very conscious of those around me that didn't. I would never think to smoke around anyone that was eating. Why do you? I would never, ever smoke in my car let alone when my son was in the car with me. Why do you? Did you know that IS child abuse? Well, now you know. When I had a job interview when I was younger, I made sure to not have a cigarette at least 1 hour before the appointment. Why do you not do that? Back in the 80's you were allowed to smoke everywhere. The stores, malls, restaurants and even movie theaters. One day I was at the Sunrise Mall in Massapequa, New York and was sitting on one of the benches when a couple who sat down with food sat behind me. I didn't realize at first they had food. When I turned and saw they had food, I ... 01/05/2010

Babylon Village Real Estate Market ReportNewly Listed Homes As you can see, not a lot of homes went onto the market during the last quarter of 2009 compared to other areas of Long Island. Babylon Village doesn't have a large turnover of properties. If you would like to receive market reports for your area, email me and I will sign you up! I hope everyone has a Happy New Year! Babylon Village Real Estate Market ReportHomes Under Contract Babylon Village Real Estate Market ReportHomes That Closed Babylon Village Real Estate Market ReportHomes That Sold In 2008 & 2009 01/01/2010

Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage Babylon New York136 W. Main Street, Babylon, New York 1102 I chose to be associated with Coldwell Banker for many reasons. They have the best training and education. Without that, I wouldn't have the knowledge and expertise to be able to help people sell their home and buy a home. 24-Hour Mortgage pre-approval. In this day and age, who wants to wait weeks for a pre-approval? Home Warranties. 63% of homes sell faster with a Home Warranty and gives the buyer peace of mind during the first year in their new home. It's free to sellers when they list their home through Coldwell Banker. Then, the seller pays for it at closing. If for some reason your home doesn't sell, then you do not have to pay for it. And statistically, you get a little over 2% more f... 12/31/2009

Long Island Real Estate Market - Buying A Home on Long Island - What Are You Waiting For? The first time home buyer tax credit will expire on 4/30/2010 and it doesn't look like the government will extend it this time around. You need to be in contract by that date. Are you on the fence about buying your first home? Ask yourself why you are hesitant. It's always a good idea to get pre-approved for a mortgage because you will know better as to how much house you can afford. Getting 2 pre-approvals is always a good rule of thumb. Make sure to get those 2 pre-approvals within 30 days because it will only count as 1 inquiry on your credit report and not 2 inquiries. The first bank of choice should be the bank you currently deal with that holds your checking and savings accounts. The second ... 12/28/2009

Are you looking for a luxury waterview home on Long Island's South Shore?  Paradise Point in Babylon NY may be just what you're looking for. Paradise Point is an upscale community of single family homes within the Babylon School District #1.  The area is connected by Lucinda Dr, Christopher Ct, Cedar Lane, and Raeburn Ct.   Some of the homes in this enclave of residences may have canal views, long water views, or views of the Great South Bay. The community is close to Babylon Village shopping and the Long Island Railroad. Call for current pricing! If you're looking to purchase a waterview home on the South Shore or North Shore of Long Island, LAWRENCE AND SHEILA AGRANOFF can sell you a luxury waterfront home atParadise Point or any other community on Long Island, when available. If you ... 12/14/2009

New Years Eve 2010 Events on Long Island New York I've compiled a list of New Years Eve events happening around Long Island: Singles Blowout! The Inn at Fox Hollow Weekend Dating (Singles) 7 In Heaven (Singles) More Singles Events Open TableHere you can select your date and location. Right now there are many reservations open so act on it quickly for New Year's Eve! Top Tips for Hosting a 2010 New Year's Eve Party: Party like It's 2012! Events Posted on Craig's List For Long Island Long Island Philharmonic New Years Eve Spectacular: Forbidden Broadway Famed Garden City Hotel Happy New Year everyone!!! Have fun and be safe!!! 12/13/2009

New Years Eve 2010 Parties In Manhattan New York I've compiled a list of New Years Eve parties in Manhattan. Prices are varied but most are affordable! New Year's Eve CentralYou can select a venue on this site and the pricing is from afforable to WOW! Times Square ALL ACCESS PASS       318 W 53rd St AROUND TIMES SQUARE       Times Square All Access Pass - WILD CARD Available All Access Pass: Start at House of Brews @ 9 PM Available All Access Pass: Start at Broadway Bar @ 6 PM Available Start at Bryant Park Grill @ 8 PM Available All Access Pass: Start at Mars 2112 @ 9 PM Available All Access Pass: Start at Divine Bar @ 9 PM Available All Access Pass: Start at Times Sq Center @ 7 PM Available All Access Pass: Start at Utsav Lounge @ 8 PM Available Start at Hawaiian Tropic Zone @ 9 PM A... 12/13/2009

Don't shoot the messenger! :) I'm not a fan of the word stupid but it gets your attention. I found this article by Marc Roth on Business Week and found it very interesting: Well, you may not be stupid or broke. Maybe you already have a house and you don't want to move. Or maybe you're a Trappist monk and have forsworn all earthly possessions. Or whatever. But if you want to buy a house, now is the time, and if you don't act soon, you will regret it. Here's why: historically low interest rates. As of today, the average 30-year fixed-rate loan with no points or fees is around 5%. That, as the graph above—which you can find on Mortgage-X.com—shows, is the lowest the rate has been in nearly 40 years. In fact, rates are so well below historic averages that it should make all current and pros... 12/11/2009

Long Island Towns Going Green: Babylon, Brookhaven, Huntington, Islip, North Hempstead, Oyster Bay, Smithtown and Southampton.Supervisors from eight Long Island towns joined together Thursday to announce the creation of the Long Island Green Homes & Buildings Consortium, an association dedicated to making homes and buildings across the Island more energy efficient, create jobs, and bring millions in federal funding to Long Island. Home energy use is a major source of greenhouse gas emissions. Residential retrofitting is a logical and effective means for drastically reducing this energy use and combating climate change. The Department of Energy (DOE) will award up to $390 million for innovative programs structured to provide whole-neighborhood building energy retrofits and expects to mak... 12/08/2009

Babylon NY Real Estate Market Report For Month Ending November, 2009This report is for single-family homes only. Homes Currently On The Market Babylon NY -45 (Up 40% Compared To October) Average                                                     $776,019 (Listing Price) (Up 20% Compared To October) Low      $310,000 (Listing Price) (Up 5% Comared To October) High    $3,500,000 (Listing Price) (Up 50% Compared To October)The above homes have been on the market for 30 days or less. When a home is priced right, that is, at Market Value, then there is no reason why a home can’t sell in 60 days or less unless there is a defect that would prevent that from happening or a seller wants to try to go above Market Value just to see what happens in the hopes of getting more for their home. That is... 12/01/2009

Hi Everyone, The toy drive will be held from Monday, November 23rd through December 23rd. All toys must be new and unwrapped. Gift cards are accepted for the older children. Ages are from Newborn through 18 years old. You may drop them off at my office: Coldwell Banker 136 W. Main Street, Babylon, NY 11702 I am there most mornings through the early afternoon. You can also mail the gift cards. I truly appreciate any and all help to make this toy drive a huge success! Visit the website: John Thiessen Children's Foundation Here is how John started his organization:"When I was 17 years old I was hospitalized for a brain tumor at a local children’s hospital. During my stay, my family and I befriended a seven-year old girl named Tasha. This little girl was in and out of the hospital throughou... 11/30/2009

Buyer's Broker Agreements It Doesn't Cost You Anything  When you decide you want to work with a Licensed Real Estate Agent, they are going to ask you to sign a Buyer's Broker Agreement. Now, don't let that document scare you. You can even bring it to your Real Estate Attorney to have them look it over before you sign it. But make sure that person only practices Real Estate Law or else another attorney will not understand like a Real Estate Attorney will. Signing this agreement is to create a relationship between you and your agent. That agent will now be able to give you fiduciary duties which is explained further in this post.   1. Understand That Agents Work on Commission Very few real estate agents work on salary. Most real estate agents are paid commission. If an agent does not clos... 11/27/2009

  There are real estate deal killers out there and here are some things you need to know! Sellers You put your home on the market and priced it at market value. Within the first week you have your first offer very close to your listing price. You tell your real estate agent, "we want to wait for a higher offer". Meaning you want full price. You take your chances on the hopes of getting another offer at asking price. It may happen, but chances are it will not happen. This is what your real estate agent will most likely tell you. If that first offer comes in close to your asking price and the buyer is pre-approved, take their offer. If not, you just became your own deal killer. Then if you do not receive any more offers after a few months that your home as remained on the market, you will... 11/26/2009

Renting A Home Is Better Than Buying A Home?       Who says? I'm not going to mention who, but I read an article this morning that I found on Google that stated renting is better than buying. Here are some of the reasons that were stated: Renting is more flexible since you can pick up and go when you want. When you own, it can take a while to sell your home. Yes, but, can you say EQUITY? Having to do your own repairs as opposed to the landlord repairing. Some landlords out there do not fix anything and you end up doing it yourself anyway. He mentioned a new refrigerator costs "thousands". You can get a nice fridge for under $1000.00 hre in New York. Where does this person live? He mentions that with renting, you are throwing your money away because you never gain ownership with renting.... 11/23/2009

Long Island NY Gated Communities or Not? You Decide Some people wouldn’t consider living in a community on Long Island that isn’t gated. They like the sense of community.” A homeowner in Dix Hills NY said this: For seven years, when her children, now 16 and 18, were small, her family lived in the Villages at Huntington, a private enclave. “It was a wonderful place for my children to grow up,” she said. The neighborhood was full of children, and she didn’t have to worry when they were outside playing or riding their bicycles. Five years ago the they traded up, into a $1.7 million furnished six-bedroom house on a half-acre lot in Country Pointe at Dix Hills, a gated community of single-family homes. The restricted access offered “a certain sense of security”; visitors needed approval to e... 11/23/2009

Home Buyers Tax Credit And Searching For A Long Island Home   House shopping usually slows down in the winter, as people put their home searches on hold to trim the tree, buy presents to put under it and avoid the chilly weather. This winter, however, might be different, thanks to the extended -- and expanded -- first-time home-buyer tax credit. "We're going to see far more interest in the fourth quarter than we generally do because of the tax credit," said Heather Fernandez, vice president of Trulia.com, a real estate search engine. Traffic surged on the site on Nov. 5, the day Congress approved the credit extension, she said. The new law extends the tax credit for first-time home buyers and opens it up to some existing homeowners as well: The credit is now 10% of the home price, up to... 11/23/2009

Long Island Real Estate Market - 7 Things All Buyers Ought to Know     "Ignorance is bliss" was never said about real estate purchases for 7 good reasons: 1. "Knowledge is bliss" may not make it as a buyer's slogan either, because you don't have to know it all—just what's relevant to success as you define it. Different sets of knowledge are important in different buying situations, so the "bliss" generalization may not be specific enough to be useful. "If it is to be, it's up to me" could be an excellent mantra since determination will drive buyers, both to discover what they don't know and then, to fill that knowledge gap. This combined effort will assure a buyer is well equipped to make confident buying decisions. 2. Generalizations are self-defeating when evaluating properties since ... 11/23/2009