Attention Bronx Home Sellers: Why you do repairs before you sell.  If you’re selling your home (or at least considering it) you’ll want to Read This. Feel free to pass it along to any friends or family members who are also thinking of selling. In today’s market, the competition is as fierce as ever to get buyers to look at your home over your competition’s. Moreover, it’s tougher than ever to get them to make an offer without your home looking spiffy…especially if you want top dollar.   Here, we’re giving you some solid input on why you need to get repairs done before you sell and what the best process is to follow in getting them squared away. Now, you don’t necessarily need to wait to list your home until the repairs are done. We have a “Coming Soon” listing program that gets people ... 07/20/2012

Keep cool in the Bronx in July without burning cash!   It’s July and that means even in the coolest climates on earth, someone is going to need to turn on an air conditioner to keep the heat from making them miserable. Unfortunately, with the need to stay cool also come higher electric and gas bills, syphoning money from your bank account that you could be using to have fun during the month of July and the rest of the summer.   The good news is that if you have a strategy and a little ingenuity, you can keep your home cool without setting your wallet on fire.     No-Cost and Low-Cost Tips to Save Energy This Summer   Here you'll find strategies to help you save energy during the spring and summer when the weather is warm and you are trying to keep your home cool. Some of the tips below ... 07/12/2012

10 Tips for Family Safety in the Summer Summer is the time for outdoor cookouts, pool parties and backyard play dates – not a time for bandaging scrapes, nursing burns – or worse. Learn these important summer safety tips and make sure everyone in your family knows them by heart too. That way, it will be a summer to remember, for all the right reasons. Pool Safety   Supervise constantly: Good supervision means you are able to scan the pool area every 20 seconds and be able to reach the pool in 10 seconds. Put multiple safety barriers between children and the pool: Install a four-foot fence around your pool with a self-closing, self-latching gate that has a locking mechanism beyond a child’s reach. Also cut overhanging tree limbs and remove chairs or ladders from the pool area to prevent ... 07/04/2012

FREE 1st Time Home Buyer's Seminar for Bronx and Westchester Residents YOUR FIRST HOME The Proven Path To Home Ownership     Learn the difference between Renting vs. Buying with proven and tested models, as well as current market data.       FREE 1st Time Home Buyer Seminar June 30, 2012 11am-1pm 760 White Plains Rd. Scarsdale, NY 10583  For Reservations Call: 914-902-3252 or 914-902-3253 or visit  http://www.RealEstateWorkShop.info Hosted by: Kavita Shah Liscensed Real Estate Salesperson Lead Buyer Specialist Rummy Dhanoa Real Estate Experts www.FreeNYHomeSearch.com 06/20/2012

Home maintenance doesn't have to be expensive. For the penny-pinchers out there, here are some inexpensive ways to       Easy and Cheap Way to Go Green in The Bronx       Money-Saving Ideas   5 Seems like all the green talk today is about buying things: buy Energy Star, buy solar panels, buy tankless water heaters, buy new sustainable building products. Buy, buy, buy. What’s a budget-minded home owner to do? Follow these five easy, cheap green nuggets of advice, of course. 1. Resist the temptation to buy.       If you’ve read this far, you’re probably already on board the no-buy boat. This first piece of advice is simply to provide validation (replacing something that isn’t broken isn’t green, and it’s not too budget-savvy either, and so on) and to encourage you to stay on board. So giv... 05/09/2012

New York is Among the 19 Market Areas Expected to Bottom    Home prices in a majority of the markets covered in Zillow’s Home Value Forecast are set to bottom this year — if they haven’t already, according to a Zillow report released last week..   “From an economic perspective, the latter part of the first quarter is full of positive news as the spring selling season gets underway,” said Stan Humphries, Zillow’s chief economist, in a news release. “While it is unlikely that national home values continue to rise at this rate through the rest of the spring and summer, it is undeniable that we are seeing sparks of life in the housing market.     Nineteen out of 30 markets in Zillow’s monthly report are expected to hit a bottom, in terms of home prices, at some point in 2012, according to t... 04/30/2012

What Not to Do After You Apply for a Mortgage         I learned a long time ago that “ common sense is NOT common practice“. This is especially the case during the emotional time that surrounds buying a home, when people tend to do some non-commonsensical things. Here are a few that I’ve seen over the years that have delayed (and even killed) deals, especially in The Bronx County:   1.   Don’t deposit cash into your bank accounts. Lenders need to source your money and cash is not really traceable. Small, explainable deposits are fine, but getting $10,000 from your parents as a gift in cash is not. Discuss the proper way to track your assets with your loan officer.   2.   Don’t make any large purchases like a new car or a bunch of new furniture. New debt comes with it, including new mont... 04/12/2012

Feng Shui Consultant Laura Cerrano Supports the Google Art Project Feng Shui New York artist Laura Cerrano loves the Fine Arts.  Google is a huge supporter as well and is helping to bring awareness and education by sharing historical paintings along with other mediums from around the world.  It's called Google Art project.  Any art teacher or person simply interested in viewing master works of art can see an awesome collection on Google right now!  Go to Google Art Project and view some magnificent creations form the past up till today :) Thank you Google :)  Feng Shui LI *Carole Provenzale has been a Certified Feng Shui Consultant since graduating from the Country's very first School for Feng Shui Studies that was licensed and accredited in 1997. Carole provides on site Feng Shui Consu... 04/10/2012

Does It May Sense for Bronx Residents to Pay Full Commission in This Market?   Should Westchester Home Owners Pay Full Commission In Today's Market? Does it makes sense to pay a full commission to your real estate agent in today’s market? Sellers, buyers and even agents are debating what should be charged to assist a consumer in completing a real estate transaction. Forget what the actual amount of the commission is. The bigger question is whether you should pay a ‘full fee’ when hiring a real estate expert to guide you through the complexities of today’s rapidly changing housing environment.   If a full fee was the rule in 2006 when completing a deal was so much simpler, why would you now consider cutting the fee of your agent in today’s tumultuous market? You are depending on this per... 03/07/2012

HUD Is Increasing Cost Effective April 2012 This is a BIG DEAL for The NY Real Estate Market In a move to increase their financial standing (and to get the FHA back into required capital requirements), on Monday, HUD announced their anticipated increases in the premiums they charge borrowers. Simply stated, the cost of borrowing is going up. FHA loans, by design, are more liberal in their underwriting guidelines than most conventional loan products (in terms of credit, income ratios, required investment from the borrower, and maximum loan amount). HUD is not a lender. Rather, it is a federally-insured insurance company. They insure lenders against default on loans underwritten in compliance with their published guidelines. It is because of this insurance that lenders approve and close l... 03/01/2012

THE SALES TEAM OF RUMMY DHANOA WOULD LIKE TO INVITE YOU TO OUR INVESTOR'S WORKSHOP:                                                                          http://youtu.be/nwSW_seVvAk   PLEASE R.S.V.P. BY JANUARY 21ST - SEATING IS LIMITED CALL 914-902-3252 or go to www.RealEstateWorkshop.Info   www.FreeNYHomeSeach.com www.RummyRealEstate.com 01/16/2012

        Unemployment Rate Falls During the first week of the new year, mortgage rates continued to be influenced by the same factors as in 2011. Stronger than expected US economic data roughly offset continued concerns about Europe, and mortgage rates ended the week nearly unchanged. Friday's Employment report provided further support that the US economy is gaining strength to begin the new year. Against a consensus forecast of 150K, the economy added 200K jobs in December. The Unemployment Rate unexpectedly fell to 8.5%, the lowest level since February 2009, from 8.7% in November. The decline was partly due to the increase in jobs and partly due to people dropping out of the labor force. Average Hourly Earnings, a proxy for wage growth, increased 2.1% from one year ago. This was an enc... 01/09/2012

With tenants and rental property, chances are you'll have to evict a tenant sooner or later either because the tenant hasn't paid his rent or because strange people keep visiting him at odd hours of the night. Whatever the reason, the tenant hasn't lived up to the terms of the lease agreement and you want him out. The question is, how do you go about evicting him?   First and foremost, remember that the laws in your state may require different procedures than the general advice in this post, so get familiar with the rules in your area and get yourself a good lawyer - preferably one that specializes in landlord/tenant disputes.   With the legal disclaimer stuff out of the way, let's look at some general eviction steps that apply in many states. As the real estate law section of FreeAdvic... 12/19/2011

JUSTIN CRUZ EARNS PRESTIGIOUS DESIGNATION TO HELP HOMEOWNERS IN DANGER OF FORECLOSURE   Justin Cruz  of Remax Voyage has earned the prestigious Certified Distressed Property Expert (CDPE) designation, having completed extensive training in foreclosure avoidance and short sales. This is invaluable expertise to offer at a time when the area is ravaged by “distressed” homes in the foreclosure process.   Short sales allow the cash-strapped seller to repay the mortgage at the price that the home sells for, even though it is lower than what is owed on the property. With plummeting property values, this can save many people from foreclosure and even bankruptcy. More and more lenders are willing to consider short sales because they are much less costly than foreclosures.   In the Bronx area, mo... 10/28/2011

Justin Cruz and Remax Voyage are featuring a 2 family Handyman special located in Throgs Neck. Handyman make great investments. Makes it simple for your home everything you want it to be,  more productive, more functional or more beautiful. Since they are often offer at a low price, buyers don't have to put a lot down to buy the property, and can then make the the necessary repairs to get the home in move- in or sellable condition. whether you are a handyman yourself, or you hire a contractor to fix up the home for you, fixer upper home can help you have huge amounts on new homes or investment properties. This home  is great investment opportunity. This home does need a lot of work but it is located in one of the most beautiful areas of the Bronx. Features a 2-3 bedroom apartment with b... 10/21/2011

Today Justin Cruz and Remax Voyage are featuring a short sale home, located in the section of wakefield in the Bronx.  Excellent corner property that features a three bedroom apartment over a two bedroom apartment plus a fully finished walkout basement. Nice size backyard and parking in the 2 car garage. Very quiet area to live in and close to all transportation. Very affordable to own this home in the Bronx with as little as 3.5% downpayment FHA financing available. Live in the beautiful Wakefield section of the Bronx for less than $1500 monthly and you will own the house. Because the property is offered as a Short sale that makes it even more affordable to own. At Remax Voyage we have plenty of good homes for sale in the Bronx, for more info, call Justin Cruz 917-304-3710   Are you or... 09/19/2011

Bronx New York Foreclosure Report May 2011 According to Realty Trac, Inc. There were 158 foreclosure filings in Bronx New York in April of 2011. That works out to be 1 in every 3,229 homes and represents a 46% increase over April 2011. A 46% increase is very alarming.The increasing number of foreclosure filings are further evidence that the housing crisis is not over.. From my understanding the Banks and The Department of Housing and Urban Development have all agreed that 2011 will be the year they push through with most of the pending foreclosures that have been held up due to title issues, faulty assignments and moratoriums. Many economists believe that the best way to deal with this problem is to get through it as quickly as possible. Sellers who are facing foreclosure have two prim... 06/23/2011

New Nextage Realty Office in Bronx, NY - Real Estate Careers - Become A Real Estate Agent What comes to mind when you think of the Bronx? (No, it's not the Bronx Zoo, even though it is home to a very rare and beautiful snow leopard named Leo.) With Spring Training well underway, it's the Yankees, of course. They've had some of the most celebrated players in Major League history, including Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Joe DiMaggio, Mickey Mantle, and Yogi Berra. The Bronx is also the fourth-most populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Now why would that be important? Well, it's the home of our newest Nextage Realty franchise! Let's welcome Minerva Perez, excited owner of Nextage Platinum Group. The office is located at 1418 Williamsbridge Road, Bronx, NY 10461 Congratulations, Minerva... 06/02/2011

What is the difference between a short sale and a foreclosure?   Unfortunately in these times, one out of every 45 home are being served with a foreclosure filing.  I have spoken with many home owners that are facing foreclosure, and the question often comes up; what is better for me?  should I do a short sale or just let the bank foreclose on my property? While this is a difficult position to be in, and most people wish to keep their homes; the decision between short sale and foreclosure is like deciding between a rock and a hard place.  Obviously the best choice is to try and keep your home, but when that is no longer looks like an option, a tough decision must be made. The best thing to do is to line up all the facts and understand the differences between letting foreclosure happen o... 05/17/2011

What an icredible event. I got the chance to rub elbows with The Bronx's largest builder, Mastermind - Jose Perez, Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. and many other movers and shakers in NYC. I got to learn first hand what is in store for The Bronx. The Bronx Real Estate Summit is a gathering of active Bronx real estate professionals - sharing ideas and experiences, learning from each other's successes! Developers, lenders, property owners, builders, nonprofits, brokers, business owners, and other interested parties are invited to network, exchange useful strategies, and gain insider knowledge from other respected individuals in the field. After the summit I got the opportunity to tour The Bronx Museum of Arts. I really enjoyed the Urban Archives:Happy Together exhibit.       MICHAE... 04/04/2011