2020 started with strong demand for housing and a brisk spring selling and buying season was emerging. As we all know the corona pandemic hit and sent the stock market in a freefall. These are unchartered waters which we have never navigated in our modern and global economies world wide. So the question that this poses is how will this affect the local Staten Island real estate market. At the current time it seems that most buyers will continue to stay in the market and keep looking to purchase their first home, or sell and buy their future home. That being said, the fact that we are being advised to practice "social distancing" this  will slow down showing appointments and sellers are showing signs of waiting to come to the market. As far as the…

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It is interesting that most people do not know what it means to be a Realtor versus just a real estate salesperson.  Yes, there is a difference.  Everyone engaged in the selling of real estate needs to be licensed in the state they conduct business but not all real estate salespeople are also Realtors.  A Realtor belongs to the National Association of Realtors (NAR), which is the largest trade association in the country. As of May 30, 2013 there were 997,148 Realtors in the United States.  Being the largest trade association means that Realtors, as trade association, have a powerful voice in government decision making that can affect you the consumer.  For example, right now the NAR is lobbying hard to keep the mortgage interest deduction; one of the few…

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You may have heard on the news that inventory of homes for sale is tight and wondered if that is the case for Staten Island.  To give it to you in a nut shell...it most certainly is.  Currently on Staten Island, it is starting to look like a seller's market.  That being said, sellers should not be fooled into thinking that the glory days of run away price appreciation of homes is back.  The fact that interest rates are still holding at historic lows is keeping the buyers active and willing to buy.  Rest assured however, that the buyers are drawn to reasonably priced homes.  Overpriced homes are still sitting on the market with minimal showing requests and without getting offers to purchase.  The take away of this market is that although it is very active,…

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Happy New Year and may 2014 bring all your dreams to reality!  As we leave 2013 behind us, many of you might be thinking how 2013 fared in the real estate arena.  More specifically, you may be wondering what the real estate climate was in our local market on Staten Island.  Well there is good news for both sellers and buyers of real estate on Staten Island.   Below you will see the latest statistics for the island overall as of November, 2013.   November 2013

November was largely another encouraging month for residential real estate. Our attention has shifted from multiyear high prices and sales volumes to seller activity, inventory levels and building permits. And let’s not forget the calendar effect. As families gather together, fewer house…

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There are many articles and discussions on the internet that argue over the value a Realtor when the time comes to selling your largest financial asset which is usually your home, or other real estate holdings.  When it comes to selling, many homeowners feel that they should try to sell on their own thus “saving” the commission.

Many articles and blogs will argue that a Realtor is not worth their commission because the homeowner can do the same if not a better job at selling their home.  After all, they know their home more intimately and can pitch its virtues better than any Realtor they will hire.  In today’s internet world with homeowner’s access and ability to post their home for sale on numerous websites it seems so easy to sell without a Realtor. …

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The spring selling season is underway and with the warm weather we have been experiencing on Staten Island the home buyers are ready to move in before the full blown summer heat is upon us.  With that in mind, many sellers are eager to know what would get their home sold as fast as possible so they can move on to their next dream home.

The number one rule in selling is if you think about it a no brainer...and that is to SHOW THE HOME.  Now you may read this and think that I must be kidding with you.  Of course sellers show their home, why wouldn't they.  They know they have to show to sell.  You would be correct in thinking that sellers show their home.  However, as a full time agent working with both sellers and buyers I can tell you first hand that…

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I have been working with both buyers and sellers of real estate in Staten Island and everyone has felt a little confused lately.  The sellers are still hoping for higher prices than they are realistically going to get in this market.  At the same time the buyers are expecting miracles in that they think that the sellers will sell for a lot less than the listed sales price.   Well of course somewhere in the middle is where most deals are struck.

In my opinion, when a Staten Island seller is presented with a solid offer from a well qualified buyer they should really try to strike a deal and sell their home.  If they are move up buyers, the home that they will be purchasing will be less today than it would have been at the height of the market.  So in…

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Staten Island home sellers are always asking … Are homes selling?  The answer to that question is short and sweet but maybe a little bittersweet.  This past weekend as a Realtor I hosted three open houses on my homes listed for sale.  The weather was cooperative as it was a beautiful weekend on Staten Island so the buyers were out.  After this weekend I can answer with confidence that yes homebuyers are out looking to buy and are purchasing homes.

To give you the buyers’ profile, almost all the buyers were first time buyers, and just starting to search for a home.  It seems to me that there are many buyers who may have been on the fence, or just waiting for the right time to buy.  The home buyers might have decided that the right time may have finally…

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