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Merrick, NY Real Estate News

By Jill Sackler, LI South Shore Real Estate - Broker Associate
(Charles Rutenberg Realty Inc. 516-575-7500)
APPEALING TO ALL THOSE WHO KNOW A THING OR TWO ABOUT SEO   Here's my problem:  Well, only one of many, but, nevertheless, I'd be greatly indebted for your expert SEO opinion regarding this one.   When I started this blog more than 3 years ago, I called it LongIsland Notabilia   (ƞō/tƏ bil/ ē Ə).       To me, it seemed like the perfect title to summarize all the bits and pieces of information that I wanted to include about Long Island.  It's taken me all this time to realize that most people have no idea how to pronounce it and don't even want to try. They usually get as far as Long Island. Some of the braver ones will attempt a beginning to the word like Not-a and stop. I just automatically assumed they would rhyme it with memorabilia, like I do. I never imagined people would be afraid ...
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By Jill Sackler, LI South Shore Real Estate - Broker Associate
(Charles Rutenberg Realty Inc. 516-575-7500)
THE RETURN OF THE FRONT PORCH "Good Fences Make Good Neighbors" was a line made popular in Robert Frost's Mending Wall poem of 1914. Actually, it's a sentiment shared by many cultures and it goes back way before that time period.  Suburban sprawl of the 1950's brought us private backyards, patios, decks, desired privacy and, sometimes, the isolation that came with it.  These days, there are some new housing descriptions popping up in our vocabularies:  co-housing, villages, and pocket neighborhoods. Baby boomers are preparing for their senior years and are getting  creative in the process. They would like to restore an old-fashioned sense of community; homes that are safe, secure and in close proximity to their neighbors.  A porch is a structure attached to the front of a house that ha...
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By Jill Sackler, LI South Shore Real Estate - Broker Associate
(Charles Rutenberg Realty Inc. 516-575-7500)
MARKET REPORT   MERRICK, NY 11566   SEPTEMBER, 2013   RESIDENTIAL/CO-OP   HOW'S MERRICK DOING? Check out the # of sales and median price in September, 2013.    This chart depicts residential and condo/co-op sales for the month of September in years 2011, 2012 and 2013. Year over year, there were 12 fewer homes sold in September, 2013 with 25 home sales. There was one co-ops/condos sold in September, 2013. Available inventory remains low at 162, and the current median list price of $521,900 is up only slightly from $519,000. We'll revisit each month to see how Merrick is faring.  
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By Jill Sackler, LI South Shore Real Estate - Broker Associate
(Charles Rutenberg Realty Inc. 516-575-7500)
SYOSSET, WOODBURY LIFE, OCTOBER 2013    ARE YOU A SNOWBIRD LOOKING FOR SUN? Take a look at the pros and cons of living in a hotel condominium. Due to a change in editors last month, my usual Inside Merrick column was inadvertently overlooked in September and erroneously sent to the neighboring communities of Syosset and Woodbury in October. Irrelevant, I hope you'll still consider the information useful.  
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By Geri Sonkin, Long Island Real Estate & Staging Expert
(Douglas Elliman Real Estate 516-457-7103)
With mother nature orchestrating the perfect day, the 22nd Annual Merrick Street Fair took off without a hitch, playing host to a constant stream of enthusiastic visitors.  There was jaunty music playing in the background, keeping me dance walking down the streets and feeling much younger than my years. I passed smiling children with playfully painted faces, dogs wagging their tails as they got to spend extra time with their people, and friends, old and new as I made my way along the route.  Vendors of all sorts drew interested parties to their products, lines of ticket holders waited, sometimes impatiently for their turn on the rides of their choice. It was one of those days you pray for in early fall.  The sun shone in a pretty blue cloud decorated sky, with temperature settling in t...
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By Jill Sackler, LI South Shore Real Estate - Broker Associate
(Charles Rutenberg Realty Inc. 516-575-7500)
KNOW, LIKE AND TRUST PHENOMENA People first, then business. The most successful and well-known individuals/companies have always recognized the soundness of this concept.  From the earliest days of commerce, it's been widely accepted that we do business with people we know, like and trust. Whether in person, or online, the same principles apply.  Nothing about this concept has changed, but I would argue that doing business in person is innately simpler.   On a computer, we hide behind a wall of anonymity. In the beginning, we don't wish to be contacted. We resist having to supply our name, email or telephone number.  Eureka! We've stumbled upon a relevant post.  We discover someone with something interesting to say - perhaps, advice that can help us in our current stage of development. ...
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By Jill Sackler, LI South Shore Real Estate - Broker Associate
(Charles Rutenberg Realty Inc. 516-575-7500)
MARKET REPORT   MERRICK, NY 11566   AUGUST, 2013   RESIDENTIAL/CO-OP   HOW'S MERRICK DOING? Check out the # of sales and median price in August, 2013.    This chart depicts residential and condo/co-op sales for the month of August in years 2011, 2012 and 2013. Year over year, there were 11 fewer homes sold in August, 2013 with 24 home sales. There were no co-ops/condos sold in August, 2013. Available inventory remains low at 184, and the current median list price has dropped to $519,000. We'll revisit each month to see how Merrick is faring.    
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By Geri Sonkin, Long Island Real Estate & Staging Expert
(Douglas Elliman Real Estate 516-457-7103)
A new little bistro opened in August in Merrick with a different take on food and a versatile menu -- crepes, panini, wraps and other light fare, served fresh and at reasonable prices.  A quick visit to their facebook page will, if you're anything like this writer, reveal some mouthwatering photos of their offerings (just scroll down the page).  I stopped by shortly after their grand opening party to wish Brian Sztabnik well in his new venture and to try a tasty little creation called a farmer's crepe.  I left licking my lips and promising myself I'd be back. Standing guard and proferring menus to all comers is Pierre, the restaurant mascot.  A delightful little fella, you can tell him all your secrets and rest assured he won't utter a word. The next time you're anywhere near Merrick, ...
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By Jill Sackler, LI South Shore Real Estate - Broker Associate
(Charles Rutenberg Realty Inc. 516-575-7500)
A National Obsession With Organization   To organize is to declutter. To declutter is synonymous with to simplify and simplifying is surely the path to happiness for those among us with an already over-extended existence. As more and more businesses jump on this organizational wagon, the above message is the one they hope we receive. Are you aware that The Container Store boasts 63 locations nationwide? Did you know that a Marshalls' dressing room requires that we immediately make a choice between Definitely, Possibly, and Tomorrow? When Gmail came out with their new email categories: Primary, Social & Promotions, I didn't like them. Now that it's been a few weeks, I'm used to the change but, still feel it was unecessary. All Gmail has afforded me is the opportunity to ignore the mail I...
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By Geri Sonkin, Long Island Real Estate & Staging Expert
(Douglas Elliman Real Estate 516-457-7103)
This morning's ActiveRain meeting at Bagel Boss in Merrick was a surprise in many ways.  Until a few days ago it wasn't even on my agenda, but when Jill Sackler asked me if I would come, I eagerly looked forward to going and meeting everyone.  A too early morning, after a too late night did little to dampen my spirit as I rushed through a few tasks in the office to try to get there as close to the scheduled time as possible. By the time I did arrive, the group, more punctual than I, was ensconced at a table, deep in conversation. A small, but homogeneous group, we chatted amiably for longer than I would have imagined before the responsibilities of the day intruded and brought us back to reality. If I'd handpicked the group, I couldn't have chosen four nicer, more charming and intelligen...
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By Jill Sackler, LI South Shore Real Estate - Broker Associate
(Charles Rutenberg Realty Inc. 516-575-7500)
ActiveRain Meetup Long Island, New York, August 19, 2013   Everyone in attendance agreed that Long Island's ActiveRain Meetup, scheduled for this morning, was a big success! It was a tranquil breakfast meeting, held at the local bagel cafe.  Our shop talk was both informative and very, very pleasant.  I greatly enjoyed meeting real estate greats Geri Sonkin and Elizabeth Wallace along with the extremely personable AR newcomers Peter Brown and Dan Spiegel. I'd love to connect with them again and, perhaps, do business together in the near future.  
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By Jill Sackler, LI South Shore Real Estate - Broker Associate
(Charles Rutenberg Realty Inc. 516-575-7500)
Long Island Summer Concert Series 2013 video What could be better than listening to some really great music on a beautiful summer's eve? The Long Island summer series has been going on for a while but there's still time to get in on it. Lots of great groups are lined up for August. Here's a link to the schedule:  Town of Hempstead Summer Concert Series 2013   One of my favorites is a group called That 70's Band. They opened for Gloria Gaynor one night. Here's a clip of some of the disco classics:   
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By Jill Sackler, LI South Shore Real Estate - Broker Associate
(Charles Rutenberg Realty Inc. 516-575-7500)
MARKET REPORT   MERRICK, NY 11566   JULY, 2013   RESIDENTIAL/CO-OP   HOW'S MERRICK DOING? Check out the # of sales and median price in July, 2013.    This chart depicts residential and condo/co-op sales for the month of July in years 2011, 2012 and 2013. Year over year, there were more homes sold in July, 2013 with 38 home sales. There were no co-ops/condos sold in July, 2013. Available inventory is still low at 182, and the current median list price is around $549,000. We'll revisit each month to see how Merrick is faring.      
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By Jill Sackler, LI South Shore Real Estate - Broker Associate
(Charles Rutenberg Realty Inc. 516-575-7500)
Now Just A Part of the View   Every day, I take the same route home. For more than 5 years, there's been a house for sale on one particular street. The other day, it occurred to me that I don't even notice it anymore as I drive past. The For Sale sign on the front lawn has been there so long, it's just become part of the view.    I've often wondered why the house never sold. I've been inside on more than one occasion and it's a nice looking house, with a flow that makes sense and features that are in demand for today's multi-generational living. Initially, the asking price was too high but, after quite a few price drops. it seems just right.   I know it can be hard to recover if you start out asking too much. You'll always be chasing the market. In this case, I really do believe the pro...
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By Jill Sackler, LI South Shore Real Estate - Broker Associate
(Charles Rutenberg Realty Inc. 516-575-7500)
Chasing that Elusive Viral Video Lately, I've been reading up on this topic and discussing it with other ever-so-hopeful Internet sensations in-the-making. I'm trying to pinpoint the one fickle ingredient that will guarantee my videos some measure of success. I'm relatively new to YouTube (My Channel) with only 25 productions to my credit. Admittedly, with only 11 views at the low end of my range and 832 at the high, I clearly haven't come close to cracking the code.   Following expert advice like shooting real people in real locations and making a unique production, has made no difference at all in the viewing results.  I've come to the conclusion that, to begin with, a positive outcome requires a large subscriber list for each one of our channels. In turn, each one of those subscriber...
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By Jill Sackler, LI South Shore Real Estate - Broker Associate
(Charles Rutenberg Realty Inc. 516-575-7500)
MARKET REPORT   MERRICK, NY 11566   JUNE, 2013   RESIDENTIAL/CO-OP   HOW'S MERRICK DOING? Check out the # of sales and median price in June, 2013.    This chart depicts residential and condo/co-op sales for the month of June in years 2011, 2012 and 2013. Year over year, there were as many homes sold in June, 2013 with 30 home sales. There were no co-ops/condos sold in June, 2013. Available inventory is still low at 167, and the current median list price is around $539,000. We'll revisit each month to see how Merrick is faring.    
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By Jill Sackler, LI South Shore Real Estate - Broker Associate
(Charles Rutenberg Realty Inc. 516-575-7500)
INSIDE MERRICK, JULY 2013 ISSUE, HOARDING: ENOUGH IS NEVER ENOUGH Inside Merrick is a community magazine that welcomes contributions from local residents. It's terrific hometown exposure, with a circulation of 5000, distributed the old-fashioned way - by U.S. Postal Service!         Look for me in Inside Merrick. I'll be sharing information on what I'm most passionate and knowledgeable about - the trials and tribulations of moving!  
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By Jill Sackler, LI South Shore Real Estate - Broker Associate
(Charles Rutenberg Realty Inc. 516-575-7500)
OUR NEW CAPTCHA - EVEN A CAVEMAN CAN DO IT!     Let me be the first to say how incredibly happy I am with our new Captcha. For example, dragging the paperclip to the circle on the side - this I can handle!  I can forget about digging up that magnifying glass that used to help me interpret the bizarre presentation of letters and numbers I was supposed to duplicate.  More often than not, it was never right on the first try. Happy Days are here again...    
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By Jill Sackler, LI South Shore Real Estate - Broker Associate
(Charles Rutenberg Realty Inc. 516-575-7500)
WHAT'S BEHIND THE RED DOOR?       As I drive through my neighborhood, I can't help but notice the many homes I pass with their door painted red and I find them all very attractive and welcoming.               Instinct tells me and research confirms that Feng Shui has played an integral part in the color choice. In this discipline, the front door is considered the "mouth of chi." Important life sustaining energy (which is generally understood to include people, money and opportunities) pass through this opening.                       In Feng Shui, there is an optimal front door color based on the direction the house is facing. Red is the perfect color for homes facing South (as depicted in all 3 photos.)                            
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By Jill Sackler, LI South Shore Real Estate - Broker Associate
(Charles Rutenberg Realty Inc. 516-575-7500)
MARKET REPORT MERRICK, NY 11566 MAY, 2013 RESIDENTIAL/CO-OP   HOW'S MERRICK DOING? Check out the # of sales and median price in May, 2013.    This chart depicts residential and condo/co-op sales for the month of May in years 2011, 2012 and 2013. Year over year, there were fewer homes sold in May, 2013 with 20 home sales. There was 1 co-op sold in May, 2013. Available inventory is still low at 158, and the current median list price is around $549,945. We'll revisit each month to see how Merrick is faring.    
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