It's Not Easy Being GreenA non real estate-related mini-rant for today.There's much that I can buy from Costco but bananas are not one. In the middle of last summer's heat wave, I bought a giant bunch. I placed them on the counter and waited for them to ripen.And I waited, and I waited...I put them out in the sun. I put them in a brown paper bag. I mixed them with other fruit to get the benefit of their gas emissions. Nothing. After a solid two weeks, I was just about to throw them away, when I saw the barest hint of yellow. I salvaged that bunch but I know it was only because it was hot and humid at the time. Had it been winter, they would have gone into the garbage.I get that bananas come from faraway, tropical climates and Long Island surely doesn't have the perfect growing condition... 01/23/2014

12/20/2013

11/21/2013

When you lose "the perfect house!" Long Island is first now experiencing the extra hot real estate market that has prevailed across the nation for some time.  Lovely neighborhoods, spared from damaging storms, have become super desirable. Great looking homes, priced right, are going under contract the first week they are listed. It's even difficult to get my buyers, who commute from a distance and are only available evenings after work, inside for a showing.  You can find articles everywhere that dole out great tips for winning a house in a multiple bid situation and it's not that you should ever be deterred in bidding on a popular property, if you're positive that's the one you want. But, at the core of my beliefs, exists a certain amount of destiny - every buyer has a house with his n... 11/12/2013

"You got to know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em" This bizarre real estate transaction came to me by way of co-worker referral. A never-ending story, the plot becomes more and more complicated as each month passes. Summarizing it in a way that would make sense to you, my casual reader, seems nearly impossible. Suffice to say that my conundrum has been whether or not to proceed in helping the seller. This situation, which has been ongoing for some time, threatens to last much longer before the proverbial light at the end of the tunnel. The reality exists that none of the participants to the deal will be paid at the end of the day.   A tenacious person by nature, I tend to hang on until the bitter end. But recently, I've been deliberating whether walking away might not be the most... 09/23/2013

The Biggest Loser A while back, I listed a house. The next day, the house next door also went up for sale with a different agent from a different agency. This Realtor was the competitive sort. Whenever, I advertised an open house, his open house sign would, coincidentally, also appear in front of his listing. Except, it wasn't really in front of the house; it was practically in the middle of the street and slightly to the left.  This was designed to attract all the traffic to his property. You noticed his before you noticed mine. It didn't really bother me and it never stopped me from yelling out, "Hey, how are you doing?" which he, of course, ignored.   About 3 months later, mine was Under Contract, but his wasn't. This was right before Superstorm Sandy and before the devastation of pr... 06/25/2013

06/03/2013

The Aqua Condominium located on Lincoln Boulevard and the boardwalk in Long Beach, NY is by far the finest building in Long Beach. Every aspect of the Aqua was designed to improve of the level of condominium living in the City of Long Beach, NY. The list of features and amenities that the Aqua offers is far and above any of the buildings found in Long Beach, NY. A few examples are valet parking services, private elevator access to each unit and two indoor parking spots for each unit.     Although the building is not completely sold out, there are already a few resales available in the Aqua Condominium. A resale is always an excellent choice for buyers who are looking for a great opportunity to enter into a condominium without paying the premium for the privilege of being the first perso... 05/23/2013

HOARDING - When Enough is Still Not Enough In a perfect world, every listed property would double as a model home. It wouldn't be necessary to shut the door on your teenager's mess or turn the other cheek to your husband's massive old tool collection. You know, the one that is conveniently stored in the garage, but leaves little room for the family car? It isn't practical to believe a house will always be company-ready and, very often, real life dictates that rooms be used for something other than their intended purposes.   As a real estate agent, I run into this issue on a regular basis and it makes the entire selling process longer and more difficult than it needs to be. Pristine condition may be really quite impossible to maintain, but this is absolutely necessary when a home is up f... 05/08/2013

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