What Are The Dog Laws in The Town of Babylon? One law I discovered when owning a dog in the Town of Babylon is that you cannot have more than four dogs residing in the household at the same time. Never knew that. Not sure what the Town of Babylon would do if there are more than four dogs living in the same household at the same time. What about dog breeders? They usually have more than 4 pups at the same time in a litter. It's New York State Law that all dogs must be up to date with their rabies and other required shots, licensed and leashed when off their property. 11/06/2012

How To Help Lindenhurst NY Residents Devastated from Hurricane Sandy DO NOT drive down south of Montauk Highway just to see the devastation. If you go there, offer help like getting them something to eat, offer to do their laundry, give them garbage bags, work gloves, hot beverages. You get the idea. DO NOT drive down with your pick-up truck and pick through the trash of these homeowners. The residents down there feel bad enough without you picking through their memories. I've already chased away a few people from my Brother's home and a friend's home and I will do it again. DO NOT steal from these residents. The National Guard will catch you whether you come in by foot or by boat. The Suffolk County Police Department are flying helicopters above these neighborhoods with flood lights. T... 11/05/2012

Does LIPA Have Energy Rebates for Appliances? Yes, LIPA does have rebates for appliances and other products: Dehumidifiers - Download RebateFurnace Fan Motor - Download RebatePool Pump - 2 Speed - Download RebatePool Pump - Variable - Download RebateRefrigerators - Download RebateRefrigerator RecyclingThe rebate forms must be postmarked by December 31st, 2012. Any rebates postmarked after that date will be denied. LIPA Energy Efficient ProgramsLighting EfficiencyRenewable EnergyThese rebates add up so take advantage of it. 11/04/2012

Are Buyers Getting Mortgages for Lindenhurst NY Homes? This is one question I get asked a lot from homeowners and buyers. Sellers think buyers aren't getting mortgages and buyers think it's very difficult to get a mortgage. Both are just not true. Yes, you need a job, cash in the bank for the down payment, good credit scores and a maximum of 4 to 1 debit to income ratio. Some banks will go a little higher but not much. So far in Lindenhurst NY for 2012, there are more buyers getting conventional mortgages than FHA. They have the money to put down 20% which is a requirement for a conventional mortgage. Some can put down less than that but always consult with a mortgage banker to see what type of mortgage you qualify for. The chart below represents the mortgage products buyers are getting... 11/03/2012

Lindenhurst NY Food Drive for Hurricane Sandy Victims There will be a donation station in Lindenhurst NY at the main Firehouse located at 225 S. Wellwood Avenue on Saturday, November 2nd, 2012 from 12:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. Items needed are clothing, non-perishable food, and school supplies. Gift cards will be a huge help also. I am sure items like blankets will be accepted as well. For those of you that are not affected by Hurricane Sandy, please do what you can to help those that are suffering. Some are sleeping in their cars because they have no where to go. Whatever you can donate will help greatly and thank you! Map and Directions to Lindenhurst NY Fire Department View Larger Map 11/02/2012

It Takes More Than 30 Minutes To Buy A Home You know the real estate reality shows where the buyer chooses a home after seeing only three homes in a half hour? Did you know that the home the buyer chooses already bought it? That is a fact. I know someone that received the requirements to be on those shows and he sent it to me. That agent has to have a buyer that already bought a home. And, the people in the shows have to be "easy on the eyes". I am sure there are folks out there that think real estate is easy since these shows make it look that way. Real estate is not always easy and that is my reality show. I am sure my colleagues would agree. I used to like these shows but I do not watch them anymore. They depict buying and selling real estate is flawless and that can't be more furthe... 11/02/2012

Photos of Lindenhurst NY After Hurricane Sandy Lindenhurst NY south of Montauk Highway is a disaster area. At least 100 homes are completely destroyed. Some homes went right into the Great South Bay. The tide was high at 8 p.m. Monday night when Sandy arrived and then again at 8 a.m. Tuesday morning. This is why this area is devasted. The National Guard and Suffolk County police have every street south of Montauk Highway blocked off starting from S. Wellwood Avenue & West to Copiague. It really is disheartening to see. Some photos below I took and some were taken by others: Corner of Park Avenue & Montauk Highway Photo below Courtesy of Long Island Private Investigator House fire on S. 6th Street Lindenhurst NYPhoto Courtesy of Lindenhurst Patch Shore Rd & Montauk Highway The National G... 10/31/2012

How Do I Get a Copy of My Deed in Suffolk County? If you live in the Town of Babylon and purchased your home before 2005, a copy of your deed may be filed with the Town of Babylon Assessor's Office. I never knew this and it would be more convenient to go to their office than going to the Suffolk County Clerk's office which is in Riverhead. You can call them at (631) 957-3014 All deeds are also filed with the Suffolk County Clerk's Office located in Riverhead, NY. You can call them at: (631) 852-2000 Helpful Links:Town of Babylon Assessor's OfficeSuffolk County Clerk's Office 10/30/2012

Another 3 Bedroom Ranch Home Sold in Lindenhurst NY! This lovely 3 bedroom ranch home in Lindenhurst NY closed on 10/26/12. Listed for $254,323 and sold for $252,290. This is a great starter home with the perfect size property and a circular driveway. My seller was happy and the buyers couldn't be happier to be moving into their new Lindenhurst NY home. The closing took an hour which was refreshing for a change. Most closings I attend are at least 1-1/2 hours. All in all, it was a happy day for everyone. Call Jackie today (631) 703-0201 to see what your Lindenhurst NY home is worth in today's constantly changing real estate market. 10/28/2012

Maybe This Little Guy Is A Sign That Hurricane Sandy Won't Hit Long Island Life is full of little surprises.....found this Praying Mantis on the side of my sliding glass door this morning. Maybe it's good luck and hurricane Sandy will bypass Long Island. Nothing wrong with wishful thinking. Always good to be prepared just in case: Get gas for your grill so you won't be eating pop-tarts for days. Make sure you have batteries, flashlights and candles. Remove lawn chairs and anything else that can "fly". Increase the temperature for your fridge and freezer to the highest setting. If we do lose power it will take longer for the fridge and freezer to get to room temperature. Fill your bathtub with water so you can use it for the toilet. Buy milk, bottled water, bread and anything else you ma... 10/26/2012

Don't Let One Rotten Apple Spoil The Bunch In my prospecting travels I meet so many nice and interesting people. I am in my fourth year of real estate and it has truly taught me that most people are nice and kind. I have found when I meet with homeowners that they are trusting right from the beginning. Knowing this, I would never want to do anything to break that trust. Lately when I prospect expired listings I am feeling a discord towards real estate agents. Hearing some homeowners telling me how their agent was unethical, unresponsive and uncaring and needing a break from it all. I can understand that. When a homeowner has issues with their listing agent, they should sit down with them and hash out their grievances. If that doesn't work, call their Broker. If that doesn't work, file a... 10/25/2012

What Are My Closing Costs When I Sell My Lindenhurst NY Home? This is vital information to know before placing your Lindenhurst NY home on the market. If your net proceeds are less than what you expected, it's better to know now then later after you have a buyer for your home. What a mess that would be. Below is a sample chart for closing costs: Not every Lindenhurst NY homeowner will have the same closing costs obviously. Some will have more, some less. Some will have to pay a nursing home out of the closing proceeds so that has to be included. If there is a mechanics' lien, tax lien, etc., they get paid too. My job when meeting with Lindenhurst NY homeowners is to find out what their home is worth and what their estimated closing costs will be. As far as I'm concerned, you can't sell ... 10/23/2012

Where To Go Apple Picking On Long Island Don't you just love Fall? It's that time of year where you can pick your own apples at orchards across the Eastern end of Long Island. I always enjoyed apple picking with my son when he was little. Whatever Long Island orchard you choose, just have fun! Davis Peach Farm - 561 Hulse Landing Road, Wading River NYWebsite: www.davispeachfarm.com Hank's Pumpkin Town - 240 Montauk Highway, Water Mill, NYWebsite: www.hankspumpkintown.com Harbes Farm & Orchard - 5698 Sound Avenue, Riverhead, NYWebsite: www.harbesfamilyfarm.com Lewin Farms - Fresh Pond Avenue, Calverton, NYWebsite: www.lewinfarm.com The Milk Pail - Horsemill Lane, Water Mill, NYWebsite: www.milk-pail.com Seven Ponds Orchard - 65 Seven Ponds Road, Water Mill, NYPhone: (631) 726-8015Wickham... 10/22/2012

Can I Have a Bedroom in My Basement in My Lindenhurst NY Home? Yes you can and the ceiling height must be at least 7 feet 6 inches with an egress window in that bedroom. An egress window is when it's large enough for exit or entry in case of an emergency. It must be built to code always. Call the Town of Babylon's Building Department: (631) 957-3058 to find out what the code is for Egress windows. When you add a bedroom in your basement, do not add a kitchen. When you do that, you just created an illegal apartment and if the Town of Babylon finds out, you will be fined. Most towns, if not all, across Long Island do not allow basement apartments. 10/22/2012

Are There Health & Fitness Clubs in Lindenhurst NY? There are plenty of health & fitness clubs in Lindenhurst to choose from. I know my husband likes LA Fitness and my Mom like Fitness 19. Me? I do pilates from home since I need to get started by 5 a.m. :) LA Fitness 455 Park AvenueLindenhurst NY Phone: (631) 412-6000Website: www.lafitness.comFitness 19660C N. Wellwood AvenueLindenhurst NYPhone: (631) 225-1995Website: www.fitness19.comPowerHouse Gym132 N. Wellwood AvenueLindenhurst, NYPhone: (631) 956-3539Website: www.powerhousegym.comAll Natural Fitness163 S. 11th StreetLindenhurst, NYPhone: (631) 957-7373Website: www.allnaturalgym.comBody Awareness50 W. Montauk HighwayLindenhurst NYPhone: (631) 957-4692Website: www.body-awareness.bizRetro Fitness1039 Route 109Lindenhurst, NYPhone: (63... 10/21/2012

How Long Do I Have To Work With MY Long Island Real Estate Agent? If I had to work with me, I'd run away fast. It's bad enough I have to live with myself.... All kidding aside, how long you work with your Long Island real estate agent depends upon you and your agent. In New York, buyers and agents sign the Buyer Broker Agreement which has a section for the duration you work together. When I meet with new buyers I go over the buyer broker agreement in detail but I do not have them sign it. Signing upon the first meeting is like signing a prenup on the first date. We both have to be comfortable with each other.  When you do sign the buyer broker agreement, you are working with one agent only for a specific period of time. It could be a month or six months depending upon your comfort level... 10/21/2012

Brick Homes For Sale in Lindenhurst NY There are five brick homes for sale in Lindenhurst NY. Prices range from $217,500 to $337,500. Lindenhurst NY brick homes are nice to own but the brick work needs to be taken care of. Always replace loose mortar by filling it with more. If you leave it cracked or loose, air can get into the home causing drafts and say hello to higher heating bills. Also expect higher property taxes with brick homes. I am not sure why this is but this is what I have found. Of course property taxes also reflect the size of the property and also the size home itself. See all five brick homes for sale in Lindenhurst NY For Lindenhurst NY homeowners that own a brick home, buyers do not have a lot of choices obviously. If you own a brick home and decide to put it on the ... 10/20/2012

Why Do I Need an Attorney To Buy A Long Island Home? Because New York is an Attorney state. Whether you are buying or selling a Long Island NY home or anywhere else in New York, you need a real estate attorney because real estate agents cannot draw up contracts. We can't do addendums to contracts either. Article 13 in the National Association of Realtors® Code of Ethics states: "Realtors® shall not engage in activities that constitute the unauthorized practice of law and shall recommend that legal counsel be obtained when the interest of any party to the transaction requires it". One of my buyers last year asked me that same question. Buyers and sellers need their own attorney for real estate transactions. They are there for your protection. There are 11+ pages to a contract and attorne... 10/15/2012

I'll Give My Clients The Good News When I See It On Paper It's nice to hear when you have an offer on a listing. Last year, an agent had called me to let me know he was meeting with his buyer-customer to write an offer on one of my listings. I didn't see this offer until almost 3 weeks later. The home did close but it was like pulling teeth in the beginning to get this deal together. Until I have an offer on paper, I won't even tell my clients an offer may be coming in. I don't want them disappointed. My clients know this upfront before signing the listing agreement. Selling a home is an emotional one as it is and I'm not going to give them false hope. If I did, I would lose credibility with them and that is a place I never want to be in. Offers have to be in writing, not verbally. A wr... 10/14/2012

Greeted with Cuteness After a Long Day of Showing Long Island NY Homes Been working with a buyer on and off for almost a year. She has an important job that takes her away each month overseas for three weeks at a time so seeing homes is a challenge for her. Last week, I showed her as many homes as possible since she was leaving for overseas that evening. At the last home we were seeing, no one answered the front door. So, we went around the house and found a side door and were greeted with this: The cutest puppy ever if you ask me! I took the photo through the sliding glass door. Once the homeowner came home and let us in, this terrier puppy was so happy to see all of us. I had to pick him up. All he did was give me kisses. Total sweetness! After a long day of showing Long Island NY hom... 10/13/2012