Aren't You Wondering Why No One is Showing Your Long Island NY Home? Maybe the question is, why is my listing agent the only one showing my Long Island NY home? For the most part, Long Island NY real estate is in a seller's market. This means that there are more buyers than nice inventory available to these buyers. Buyers are starting to "get it" and are slightly going above asking price. Sounds wonderful doesn't it? What isn't so wonderful is when agents are being blocked from showing their buyers homes. We are starting to see some agents wanting to double-end the commission by securing their own buyer for their listings. Like I said, it's some agents not all. It' is also MLS illegal for agents to do this and they can be brought up on Ethics charges. When you sign a listing agreement ... 05/21/2013

When Should The Seller Be Told About Inspection Issues? Seems like an obvious answer right? How about waiting 2 weeks and at the contract signing? Thinking maybe you have the seller by the kahonas? Wrong! You do not wait 2 weeks after the home inspection to let the seller know the home inspection results. You do it immediately. One of my listings got a 2nd showing and an offer came in immediately after that showing. A higher offer that was hard to ignore and of course my seller took it. Who wouldn't? I asked the first selling agent via text message the day after the inspection if there were issues and I was told NO. Two weeks later there were issues and the first selling agent didn't think it was a big deal. It was a very big deal to wait that long. The issues were little but there wer... 05/13/2013

Lindenhurst NY Recent Home Sales May 2013 Since January 2013, 60 homes have sold in Lindenhurst NY. That is up from 57 compared to this time in 2012. 102 Lindenhurst NY homes went under contract (pending) so far this year. That is up from 83 compared to this time in 2012. Currently there are 175 homes on the Lindenhurst NY real estate market and that has remained the same since the beginning of 2013. With inventory low, buyers are having a hard time finding "the one". They are being met with 1st accepted offers, contracts 1/2 signed and home inspections already completed. Buyers are thinking when they first start out that it is a buyer's market. When they lose out on a few homes, then reality hits and they realize it is a seller's market. Prices do not have to rise in order for any mar... 05/13/2013

Show The House! When a home goes under contract in our MLS that means both the buyer and seller have signed the contract. Then the listing status in our system will be changed from New to: UC Pretty simple stuff. I tried to show a listing a few weeks ago and the agent said the buyers have signed the contract and the homeowner will be signing tomorrow and they do not want anymore showings. The homeowner has the right to do that. I do not advise that since another offer could come in and it could be higher and more "air tight" than the first offer. But wait, there is a problem. As of right now the seller of this home hasn't signed the contract. Turns out through a casual conversation, I know someone who knows this seller and they know for a fact they haven't signed the contract until the... 05/08/2013

3 Bedroom Cape for Sale with a Pool in Lindenhurst NY ***1st Accepted Offer!*** The pride of homeownership stands out with this lovely 3 bedroom Cape in Lindenhurst NY. My client has meticulously taken care of this home and renovated down to the studs in 2003 including sheetrock, sub-flooring and insulation. Even the radiator covers and door knobs are high quality! You will never find a home this well-loved in Lindenhurst NY. The backyard is professionally landscaped with a brick patio, retractable awning and large swimming pool. Conveniently located to the Lindenhurst NY train station and you will enjoy an easy commute to Penn Station. This home is also very close to shopping at the Great South Bay Shopping Center and along Wellwood Avenue. For those of you that love to eat out, there... 05/07/2013

This 3 bedroom Wideline Ranch in Lindenhurst NY is new to the market. Located at 28 Bolton Street with the closest corner to Wellwood Avenue. Very convenient to Route 109, Southern State Parkway and Sunrise Highway to the south. 28 Bolton Street Lindenhurst NY Property Details:3 Bedrooms with wood floors under carpetEat in Kitchen with recessed skylightDining room with exposed wood floorsSpacious living room with wood floors under carpetFull bath with skylightMassive Florida room with french doors from Dining room for you to enjoy those cool summer evenings1 Car garageFull unfinished basement with high ceilings that is the entire width and length of the home.100 x 105 well kept propertyProperty Taxes: $9,849 All for just $289,000! Call Jackie today (631) 703-0201 to request a showing.  04/28/2013

Even In a Seller's Market, Price is Still King! Whether it's a buyer's market or seller's market pricing a home correctly is still a key factor. Pricing a home is based on recent comparable sales. Your home must be compared to similar homes and not mini-mansions. When you overprice your home even in a seller's market your home will get little or no showings at all. All the marketing in the world will not sell an overpriced home. In fact, you will get offers that reflect what your home is worth. Buyers know after seeing homes for a while what homes are priced right and what homes are overpriced. You can do a few things like reduce the price (what a concept!), leave it alone and let your home linger for months and months and you will end up selling it for less than if you priced it right... 04/17/2013

Does My Long Island Home Inspector Have To Be Licensed? In New York State a home inspector has to be licensed or they cannot call themselves a home inspector. Read about home inspector licensure requirements on the New York Department of State website. One of my buyers recently asked me if the home inspector has to be licensed and I told them yes. They were considering hiring a "friend" who was $150.00 less than the home inspectors they were calling. There is a reason for that I told them and home inspectors are trained to find problems/issues with homes. They have to be able to explain the in's and out's of plumbing, electrical, heating & cooling systems. They also inspect structural components like the roof, masonry and foundation. Some will even bring a termite professional with the... 04/17/2013

Lindenhurst NY Recent Home Sales 4/14/13 Three homes sold and closed since April 1st in Lindenhurst. For privacy reasons the house numbers have been omitted:   3rd Street - Listed for $189,000, and sold for $165,000. It is a four bedroom, six room Cape with 1 full bath. This home was in poor condition and on the market for 416 days.   Linden Street - Listed for $250,000 and sold for $237,000. It is a three bedroom, six room Split with 1 full bath. Need a lot of updating and on the market for 15 days.   South 3rd Street (Merridale Park) - Listed for $256,700 and sold for $256,700. It is a four bedroom, eight room Colonial with 2 full baths. On the market for 211 days.   Homes Currently Under Contract in Lindenhurst NY59 homes are under contract since January 2013. I'll be breaking down ... 04/13/2013

Going, Going......Gone! These are the three words I am using to describe the Long Island Real Estate Market. Homes come on the market, then they go off the market. Bidding wars are upon us, buyers are becoming upset at losing "the one" and are realizing the tables have turned and it is now a seller's market. Housing prices have not come up yet but they will sooner than later and mortgage rates are slowly rising. This is why buyers are out trying to buy a home. These smart buyers know prices and rates will rise and want to buy a home now and not later knowing they will have a reasonable mortgage payment. My buyers made an offer on a nice home in Lindenhurst NY last weekend. A little while later another offer came in. This buyer's offer was higher and will pay cash. A few weeks earlier t... 04/03/2013

Lindenhurst NY Short Sale for Sale 3 Bedroom Ranch for Sale Lindenhurst NY 488 N. Ontario Avenue Lindenhurst NY Offering $279,000 This 3 bedroom Ranch in Lindenhurst NY is brand new to the market! Located in the highly sought after Daniel Street Elementary School District. Conveniently located to Sunrise Highway, Route 109 and plenty of shopping centers. Home is also located in the Lindenhurst Village. This home boasts 3 bedrooms, Eat-in kitchen with an outside entrance to the 75 x 100 backyard. Spacious dining room & living room. Wrap-around unfinished basement with endless possibilities! Property Taxes without Star Program: $10,504.66Property with Basic Star Program: $9.259.66VIllage Taxes: $864.56 Since inventory is low in Lindenhurst NY, grab this gem up before it's gone! Call Jack... 04/01/2013

Lindenhurst NY Home Prices for March 2013 Real estate market data provided by Jackie Connelly-Fornuff of Century 21 AA Realty of Lindenhurst NY Lindenhurst NY Home PricesThe median sold price in March was $255,000 down from $278,000 in February. The list price versus sold price was tighter in March than in February. The current inventory status is low with 159 homes for sale in Lindenhurst NY. Up until last year, we consistently saw 200+ homes on the market. We are seeing homes selling faster than ever now. Buyers are becoming frustrated and are now realizing the buyer's market that once was is now a seller's market. Lindenhurst NY Real Estate Market Summary30 homes went under contract in March with an average of 60 days on the market. That is up from 24 homes that went under contract i... 03/31/2013

Lindenhurst NY Housing Market - Seller's Market, Yes. Prices Rising, NO.   Due to lack of inventory in Lindenhurst NY, we are seeing the beginnings of a seller's market. However, prices are not rising yet. We need to see more homes sell above list price and we are not quite there. It will be a long time before we get back to 2004/2005 prices. 36 sold homes closed since January 1st, 2013. Four of these homes sold at list price and not above. In order for prices to rise we need to see more of a demand. In the chart below you will see homes selling close to list price as well.   We are seeing homes getting first accepted offers fairly quickly and buyers are becoming frustrated. More and more homes are getting back-up offers and in some cases, multiple buyers race to get under contract at ... 03/30/2013

The Differences Between Working in Real Estate & Being in Real Estate A few weeks ago and I was being read the riot act of how "my sister is in real estate" from a homeowner. I politely said, "she isn't active and just has her license which doesn't equate to working in real estate". Besides, the comparable homes she gave him are no where near similar to his home and he agreed. He stated he's going to piss someone off today and I'm happy to report it wasn't me. With that said, it takes hard work, dedication and fortitude when working in real estate. I educate myself everyday by looking at the market on our MLS to see what is new, under contract and closed sales. I know off the top of my head how many homes are on the market, the median sales prices and what homes recently sold. Knowing ... 03/26/2013

Why Having No CO's Can Hurt the Sale of Your Long Island NY Home A CO means, Certificate of Occupancy. When you receive one this means that the town/village says you are in compliance with their building codes and the dwelling is suitable for occupancy. So what happens if you do not have a CO when selling your Long Island NY home? Sellers are responsible for getting a CO. If not, buyers are faced with getting one themselves but most banks want a CO in place before closing. The seller can place money into an escrow account for the buyer. The amount of money is usually negotiated between the seller and the buyer. Some will not get a CO because it will raise their property taxes. When buyers are buying a home and they find out some improvements do not have a CO, they may not buy the house ... 03/21/2013

Seeing Long Island NY Homes You Cannot Afford Will Break Your Heart Most buyers I work with are realistic with how much home they can afford. If they are preapproved for a mortgage at $300,000 they will not look at homes priced at $315,000 and up.This is because I tell them upfront that unless the home is in "ok" condition or worse, you will not get a home for $20,000 off the asking price. Staying realistic throughout the home buying process will prevent your heart from breaking. Right now, the Long Island NY real estate market is heating up and we are seeing the beginnings of a seller's market. Inventory is low across most towns on Long Island. We need more demand in order for prices to go up and we are not there..........yet but we will be. I worked with a buyer who was prequalified f... 03/20/2013

Why Are Some Long Island NY Homes Harder To Sell? Some Long Island NY homes are harder to sell than others. The #1 perception of these homes is they are priced too high. That is not always the case. Below are some reasons, other than condition and location, as to why some Long Island NY homes stay on the market longer than others. Co-Ops - Coops are apartments and price-wise are affordable. Most coop Boards have set minimum income requirements like $60,000 a year or more. There are also FICO score, debt-to-income ratio and down-payment minimums to meet. These requirements can reduce the buyer pool for these homes by as much as 25% or more. Unique Homes - Some are so unique in interior design like Victorian style homes that have captured that Era and a lot of buyers want "modern" style h... 03/14/2013

Lindenhurst Village Passes Bamboo Restrictions The Village of Lindenhurst passed a new law that restricts bamboo and is in effect immediately. Mayor Tom Brennan told Lindenhurst Patch they are not stopping people from growing bamboo but they cannot have it invading neighbors' property. To prevent bamboo from migrating, residents have to install an impenetrable barrier that is at least three feet deep. Residents can report migrating bamboo to the village and they will issue a warning. If there is a second complaint, a summons will be issued to appear in the village court. To the Lindenhurst Village residents, control the bamboo and you won't get a summons. 03/13/2013

Free Market Analysis of Your Lindenhurst NY Home The Lindenhurst NY housing market is seeing very low inventory. Buyers are having a difficult time finding "the one". Mortgage rates are slowly rising. Before you know it, you will miss the boat and regret not buying in 2013. Not everyone in Lindenhurst NY can sell their home now. It all depends upon when you bought, your mortgage balance and what you can sell your home for. That is where I come in. I preview your Lindenhurst NY home first because I need to know the room sizes, what your kitchen and baths looks like, the size of your property, the overall condition and of course location. Once I have the market analysis completed, I will call you so we can set up a day and time that is convenient for you and we will go over the results o... 03/04/2013

Five Months in With a Bank of America Short Sale This is my first Bank of America short sale with a buyer. I have always been on the listing side of a short sale. After asking a lot of questions to the seller's attorney who is handling the short sale, I felt confident that this short sale would close in 3 months like I was told. Here we are five months later and nothing has improved. My buyers were told by their landlord this weekend that they have 30 days to sign a new lease or move. I am now in the process of finding them a house that is not a short sale. Their mortgage banker can close them in 30 days or less. There is a major shortage of homes on the market in Lindenhurst NY so it has been a challenge and still a work in progress. Bank of America has failed yet again. This short sa... 02/25/2013