My good friend, Candace Taylor, who is at at the Real Deal, reported on  111 Monroe Street, an new FHA approved condo in Brooklyn.  This is big news for those who want to buy but do not have much downpayment money available.  The developers needed to jump through a lot of hoops to get their project approved by FHA, but in the current environment, I am guessing that they are pleased that they went the extra mile....   Please feel free to give me a call at 646.825.5734 or e-mail me at rich@cpg-nyc.com if you would like more info.     111 Monroe Street banks on FHA approval The Real Deal April 15, 2009 If new Bedford-Stuyvesant condominium 111 Monroe Street had gone on sale a year ago, brokers likely would have touted its white oak plank flooring, 10-foot ceilings and Corian countertops.  ... 04/20/2009

Find Out If Your Contractor Is Licensed - Check This Site First! Whether you want to find out if your home improvement contractor is licensed or have a complaint against a home improvement contractor check out this site or Call 311. It's easy and it's FREE. Tips Get trustworthy referrences - (also check for complaints in neighboring counties ie. Suffolk, Nassau, and Westchester) Cancellation of the agreement- You have the right to cancel the agreement within three (3) days of signing. Get the (DCA) Department of Consumer Affairs Home Improvement Consumer Guide by calling 311 or download it here. Don't pay more than one third upfront to start the job (continue with "progress" payments) Don't take loan advice from your contractor IT'S ILLEGAL! Always use a licensed contractor!! Please not... 04/19/2009

AllNYListings.com is a FREE service to help area home buyers find their dream home. Your first email will list all homes currently for sale that meet your search criteria. Then each morning you will be emailed a list of all of the new homes for sale and price changes since your previous search. No more having to rely on manual searches. Start your auto-email home search today! It's just that easy! To find the value of your home with a FREE, over-the-net home HIGHEST Price Analysis, please visit: http://www.newyorkmarketvalue.com/   SEARCH over 50,000 homes online for FREE and be the first to know about HOT NEW LISTINGS before other buyers do, please visit http://www.allnylistings.com/ Disclaimer: The above Real Estate information was provided by Vincent Martinez, Realtor for the #1 Real... 04/19/2009

I just joined Talk Fusion, a service which allows its users to send streaming video email in just a few short and simple steps. All you have to do is log into your account, click the create a video tab, look into your web cam (provided by Talk Fusion), and hit the send button when you're done. I've already had the opportunity to view a few dozen high quality crystal clear videos. The start up cost will be considered by some as 'a bit pricey'. I on the other hand don't mind paying it (it's worth every penny). Check it out Click Here To find the value of your home with a FREE, over-the-net home HIGHEST Price Analysis, please visit: http://www.newyorkmarketvalue.com/   SEARCH over 50,000 homes online for FREE and be the first to know about HOT NEW LISTINGS before other buyers do, please vi... 04/19/2009

Cool Freebie - Great Site Investor's Comb thru Looking For Properties I'll keep this one short and sweet. I just came across this site today and I haven't heard or seen anyone on AR using it yet. Check it out http://www.flipit.com I hear investors comb this site on a daily basis. Also, the ads are free and you're allowed to renew until the posted property is sold.   To find the value of your home with a FREE, over-the-net home HIGHEST Price Analysis, please visit: http://www.newyorkmarketvalue.com/   SEARCH over 50,000 homes online for FREE and be the first to know about HOT NEW LISTINGS before other buyers do, please visit http://www.allnylistings.com/ Disclaimer: The above Real Estate information was provided by Vincent Martinez, Realtor for the #1 Real Estate offices in New York and ... 04/19/2009

It's yet another alternative to foreclosure. One that I don't really recommend... instead I would recommend a shortsale. Click here to learn about shortsales and how you can benefit from them if you're considering the Deed-in-lieu of foreclosure. You may be able to deed the property to your lender/servicer and avoid a lengthy foreclosure. This would help to keep away from a long-lasting foreclosure. For information on how this will disturb your credit rating, consult an independent tax advisor. This alternative sends to the credit bureau that the economic condition was mitigated. If accepted, the Deed-in-Lieu documents will be forwarded to your banks attorney's office to finalize the procedure. Here are the required documents you will need to complete the process: Updated financial info... 04/19/2009

You may be able to sell your home at fair market value even if the sale's proceeds are less than what you owe on your mortgage(s). This alternative gives you an opportunity to sell your home quickly, while attempting to save your credit rating. At the close of escrow, if the short sale is approved, the proceeds are wired to your bank and your obligations tho them are fulfilled. The documents required: Updated financial information for all parties on the loan (Contact me for more information Click here) Completed short sale documents (i.e. Purchase Agreement, HUD Documents etc.) Verification of income Interior appraisal The short sale process takes roughly 60 days to complete, however it may take longer. The shortsale stages are: Determination of value - Can be done in the first 2 weeks ... 04/19/2009

Determing what stage in the process you are in is the key! Here are your TOP 5 options: Forbearance- Your mortgage company may be able to arrange a repayment plan, to repay your debt over an extended amount of time, based on your financial situation. (I'll help to see if you qualify). Loan Modification- You may be able to modify the terms of your mortgage loan by lowering the rate, extending the term, or capitalizing the interest. This may help you catch up, and sometimes reduce your monthly payments to a more affordable level. (I'll help to see if you qualify). MI Claim Advance- Your mortgage company may be able to work with you to obtain a one-time payment from the Mortgage-Insurance fund to bring your mortgage current. (This loan will be paid back directly to the MI company and is an... 04/19/2009

"Dangerous combination... chess and cons," ponders Jake Green (Jason Statham) in Revolver. This flick was a thinker. I like it when a movie throws out a challenging, confusing plot that introduces you to a group of seemingly unrelated puzzle pieces then, by the end, surprises you by revealing how they are all interrelated. The acting, the mind games, and the way it all fit together in the end was brilliant. Jason Statham is playing a different character this time and he has HAIR! Andre Benjamin was also a very pleasant surprise. He did a great job. At first glance, "Revolver" has the makings of a typical gangster film, teeming with well-dressed tough guys having reputations as swindlers, crime lords, hitmen, and loan sharks. But then the movie takes a sudden left turn and begins to evol... 04/19/2009

This is a flick that invites comparison to "E.T." The movie centers on Angus, a 12-year-old boy who is the son of a housekeeper, Anne MacMorrow living in a luxurious manor in a Scottish village in the midst of World War II. When he discovers a mysterious rock on the beach and peels it, what hatches is a dragon-like creature he names Crusoe that rapidly expands to the size of a horse and has to be re-housed in the local loch. Crusoe is small creature (for the first few weeks), part dog, part giraffe and part who-knows-what emerges, he hides it in the bathroom, keeping its presence secret from his mom, letting its presence known only to his sister, Kirstie and a handyman, Lewis (who conspire with the boy to hide the fast-growing pet from others.) The water horse, which eventually grows wa... 04/19/2009

GREAT INVESTMENT 2 FAMILY HOME IN BROOKLYN VISIT NYINFINITEHOMES FOR MORE INFORMATION GREAT LOW PRICE $485,000 OWNER VERY MOTIVATED TO SELL!!! WILL HEAR ALL OFFERS Colonial,  Semi-detached, # Families: 2 10.0 rooms,  6 Bedrooms , 2 Full Baths School District: Community District 23 Year Built: 1930 Construction: Brick Lot Size: 24 X 100 Appearance: Interior Features Eat-in kitchen, 2 kitchens Dining room: Lr/Dr Full Finished Basement 2 stoves, 2 refrigerators Fuel/Heat Type: Oil, Hw Property Features Det 2.0 car garage Driveway: Pty Great Investment Property. Submit Your Offers. Owner Relocating Very Motivated To Sell. Hugh Price Reduction!!!!!! Make An Appointment. Call Today.   04/19/2009

I know, it's spring, and people are more health conscious, yadda, yadda, yadda... But there is nothing a man likes as much as... Well... You know... (Hot plate! Don't touch!) It's an excellent steak! Going in, the atmosphere is a mix between a butcher shop and a farm house with simple chandeliers. The first time you ever go might be strange.  You see a lot of high-end people eating an extremely high- end steak in a place with low-end decor.   I have been seated next to corporate executives, ball players and stock brokers who have just come off the trading floor, along with the average Joe and his friend talking about how long the ride is from Bensonhurst.  The best steak is not in Manhattan, mind you, it's in Brooklyn, baby!   http://www.peterluger.com/index2.cfm The aged beef and the t... 04/18/2009

Brooklyn Waterfront Construction Following in the footsteps of Manhattan, the Brooklyn and Queens real estate markets also posted price declines and huge drops in sales during the first quarter of 2009—but much like the boroughs themselves—they didn't completely follow in the big island's footsteps. Today the Prudential Douglas Elliman/Miller Samuel Brooklyn and Queens market reports were released (available for download here), and there are some juicy findings:   1) Brooklyn: The median sales price in Brooklyn was $474,600 during the first quarter, a 9.9% drop from the previous year's median mark of $527,000. Interestingly, the decline was consistent across all property types (whereas Manhattan resales took a huge dip, while new-development closings actually went up in price thanks to ... 04/17/2009

PR-162-09 is a very interesting press release. Here's a sneak peek of what you'll be reading about: "Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, Deputy Mayor for Economic Development Robert C. Lieber, and Brooklyn Navy Yard Development Corporation Chairman Alan Fishman and President Andrew H. Kimball today opened the Perry Avenue Building, the nation's first multi-story green industrial facility at the Brooklyn Navy Yard. Mayor Bloomberg also announced the creation of Duggal Greenhouse, a 60,000-square-foot LEED Platinum certified facility that will be used to manufacture eco-friendly products and will become a laboratory for new sustainable products." There have been a lot of political debates about going green in NYC and I have to admit I've been very curious to see what the botton line would be rega... 04/11/2009

Luke Constantino April 11, 2009 I have a client who checks Zillow.com consistently.  He calls me one day and tells me "Luke, do you know the price of houses is going up?" I answer him with a question: "Really, that's great, where did you get this information?" He starts to elaborate on where he got his results. I have been in the business for quite a while and get this from time to time. If the prices in this market are going up, it would mean there is more buying and the inventory is going down. At the same time there are different price categories of properties which might not affect the owner at all. This is not what a client wants to hear, but sometimes giving them the definition of the market is the best thing instead of hurting them. His property was in the mid to high range area ... 04/11/2009

Luke Constantino April 10th, 2009 "Omne vivum ex ovo" Latin for "All life comes from an egg". It has always been a well known fact in the Christian region that the egg was a symbol for life. Not only did you have to give something up for Lent, you were also forbidden to eat eggs. So what comes after Lent? Easter, when you can eat all the eggs you want! So where does painting eggs come from? Well, it has nothing to do with religion.  It was a tradition that came from the ancient Persians. They used to celebrate the new year by (what else?) painting eggs! Are certain religions similar? You are the judge: In the Jewish religion, at the Passover Seder (relives the enslavement and subsequent Exodus of the Children of Israel from Ancient Egypt) a hard-boiled egg dipped in salt water symbolize... 04/10/2009

Luke Constantino | April 9th, 2009 Yesterday I was working: on a contract, 3 people bidding on the same place, a partition, a new listing at $2.2M, and a rental.  Hey, it's that time of year here in NYC.  I just recently switched offices and had a lot on my plate.  On top of this, I have another broker trying to squeeze me for extra money so I called a lawyer friend of mine to help me out. He told me it wasn't a problem and he would shoot a letter out to this broker.  Problem solved.  We started talking and have known each other for quite a while.  At the end of the conversation he said:  "Luke, are you sure you have been doing real estate for only 12 years?  Every time I talk to you I feel like I'm talking to an extremely seasoned pro - you know everything!" I was extremely flattered a... 04/09/2009

Luke constantino | April 8, 2009 Changing Offices: Park Slope I just changed my office location from Bensonhurst to Park Slope and I couldn't be happier! Park Slope has become one of the most beautiful neighborhoods in the Brooklyn Heights area. With brownstones, limestones and small shops, this area has always had a small village type feel to it. I remember  Park Slope from when I was a kid in the 70's, and it has come a long way. Prospect Park at the end of Park Slope was the place I used to be all the time. This is not as well known as Central Park but it was built by the same architects. There was always something to do there. From bicycle riding, ice-skating, fishing, to horseback riding, there was always something to do there. The park even has its own zoo! Now I go to the Farmer'... 04/08/2009

United States Air Force Auxiliary I received an email today on this aircraft and was amazed by its ability and versatility.   As a long time avid lover of small crafts I have always been interested in single prop planes. If anyone does not know or have not heard of The Civil Air Patrol - The Official Air Force Auxiliary, this organization has been a long standing not for profit of great success and proud service to the people of the United States and abroad. If you want more information on Civil Air Patrol go to CAP.GOV or you can email me and I will be more than happy to get you connected to the right commander in charge. KB An amazing GA8 an Amazing Plane. 04/04/2009

 Village Gyro 1000 Coney Island Avenue Brooklyn, NY 718 421 0505 The food at Village Gyro is freshly made, healthy, and the portions are large. This is a very inexpensive place to eat. Pakoras are sold by the pound for four dollars a pound. A pound of Pakoras is all you could possibly eat and easily fills a large plate. An entrée with rice and salad averages about $12. I have heard from the community elders that American Pakistani restaurants no longer compete on how spicy hot they can make their dishes, my guess the restaurants is that they like us are becoming soft Americans. The Village gyro dishes do have some heat, but the level is reasonable and Zantac is not a necessary precaution. I do not speak either Urdu or Russian, but I do have a god enough ear to tell the difference betwee... 04/02/2009