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New York, NY Real Estate News

By Donna Dazzo, Home Stager in the Hamptons & New York
(Designed to Appeal, LLC)
Whether it's your home for sale or your client's home for sale, not every seller is convinced right off the bat that staging the home is necessary to get it sold. In a previous blog, I addressed three common objections from both real estate agents and home sellers to staging a home when it's for sale: But, why would I want to be spending money when I can't afford to?  I just need to sell my house/apartment. But, why can't buyers just look past the décor and envision themselves living here?  But, my home looks good.  It doesn't need to be staged.  In another blog, I addressed three more objections: But, why can't the real estate agent or homeowner figure out what needs to be done to stage the home and make it look better? But, similar homes in the neighborhood and/or building sold withou...
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By Laura Cerrano, Certified Feng Shui Expert, Speaker & Researcher
(Feng Shui Manhattan Long Island)
  A Taste of The New Paltz New York Mohonk Mountain House by Feng Shui Manhattan NY consultant Laura Cerrano Exploring New York with Feng Shui Long Island   Mohonk Mountain House New Paltz New York As mentioned in my last post, I had the awesome opportunity to not only visit but present a Feng Shui wellness Workshop for a New York City University in New Paltz New York.  I lived in New Paltz for six years during my college years and was unable to experience the National Historical Landmark Mohonk Mountain House.  Feng Shui has provided me with amazing opportunities to travel and meet new people and I am grateful for each and every moment. Mohonk Mountain House Chairs set up in a circle located by the Mohonk Lake in New York This New York retreat is located in the Mohonk Preserves in New ...
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 LeBron James is a free agent and rumors are abuzz that he may be headed to New York City.Every king needs the perfect home and that's why Diane Ramirez, President, Halstead Property has taken steps to offer LeBron James Halstead's services with promised to donate Halstead's company commission on James' new home to the charity of his choice, noting that the commission "could be a six-figure number." In the video below "Every King Needs A Castle", Diane Ramirez opens the video from a Brooklyn basketball court that offers a good view of the downtown skyline. She sings the city's praises and says, "We want to help the King find his castle." Then she passes the ball to Mr. Starks, who reminisces about better days for the Knicks. "Man, in the '90s, we owned this town, there was nothing like ...
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By Donna Dazzo, Home Stager in the Hamptons & New York
(Designed to Appeal, LLC)
A few months ago I was contacted by Jessica Flagg, a real estate agent with The Corcoran Group.  She told me she had spoken with her client and that her client had agreed to having a home stager come in to do a consultation on her soon-to-be listed Carnegie Hill apartment.     When I spoke to her client, Suzanne Dyer, she said to me:    "I doubt you'll need to be here for more than a half hour.  We really just need to figure out what to do with the dining room that I'm using as an office".      I told her my minimum is 2 hours, and I'm sure we can find some other things to do.   Well, after an initial consultation lasting 3 1/2 hours and a follow up staging lasting 1  1/2 hours, Suzanne was one very happy client:    "The staging process was definitely a worthwhile investment."      and ...
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By Donna Dazzo, Home Stager in the Hamptons & New York
(Designed to Appeal, LLC)
Whether it's your home for sale or your client's home for sale, not every seller is convinced right off the bat that staging the home is necessary to get it sold. In a previous blog, I addressed three common objections from both real estate agents and home sellers to staging a home when it's for sale. So if you find yourself or your clients asking the following questions or stating these objections, carefully consider these answers before you make that final decision not to stage. Why can't the real estate agent or homeowner figure out what needs to be done to stage the home and make it look better? The real estate agent should be spending his or her time doing what he or she does best - marketing and showing the home to potential buyers and renters.  Wouldn't a homeowner rather know th...
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By Mitchell J Hall, Lic Associate RE Broker - Manhattan & Brooklyn
While our country confronts the enviromental disaster in the Gulf Coast, we're reminded yet again of the need to transition to clean energy sources. New York City and State is taking the lead by constructing the ‘Solar Pipeline’, which includes a Solar Map and Solar Empowerment Zones that will integrate solar energy into our nation’s largest city and most complex grid. New York City and Sustainable CUNY have created three Solar Empowerment Zones, strategically selected areas where solar power systems are most beneficial and technically viable, and where development of solar power will be encouraged. Solar power is a reliable, renewable source of electricity for New York City that reduces demand on the City's electrical grid.   New York City has over 1.6 billion square feet of rooftops. ...
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By Donna Dazzo, Home Stager in the Hamptons & New York
(Designed to Appeal, LLC)
Whether it's your home for sale or your client's home for sale, not every seller is convinced right off the bat that staging the home is something as necessary as getting a home inspection or a pre-approved mortgage is for the buyer. So if you find yourself or your clients asking these questions, carefully consider these answers before you make that final decision not to stage. But, why would I want to be spending money when I can't afford to?  I just need to sell my house/apartment.  The softer the market, the more you must differentiate the property from others crowding the market.  Wouldn't it be great to get a bidding war going because your property looks so much better than everyone else's? Remember, staging is an investment not an expense.  A study by the Real Estate Staging Assoc...
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By Malcolm Carter
(Charles Rutenberg Realty LLC)
Six of one and . . . (Flickr photo by theilr) Starting March 12, the city changed the way it displays property records in its online database, the Automated City Register Information System, or ACRIS.  The modification was little noticed until the Real Deal ran a piece on its Web site the other day. For example, as the publication observed, the closed sale price of a unit at 10 West 66th St. that had shown a recorded sale price of $1 million jumped to $1.75 million. A studio at 61 Jane St. had a price tag of $87,900 when the deal closed in 2009, then $439,500 after the change in ACRIS, from which StreetEasy.com and PropertyShark.com draw data. The change is meant to reflect virtually everything a buyer expends to purchase a co-op, plus – and this is the part that really hard to underst...
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By Malcolm Carter
(Charles Rutenberg Realty LLC)
Not only do buyers glom onto glam in an apartment and long for light, but the charm of original details as varied as dentil molding and pocket doors may well appeal to many of them. Pomander Walk Although such characteristics often can’t hold a candle to the allure of a particularly lovely Manhattan block, the aura of an enclave such as ones that come to mind near Washington Square Park, on Murray Hill or on the Upper West Side can trump an ordinary block’s charm in the opinion of many buyers. The attached homes in those areas generally have rooms of small proportions and carry assorted other burdens. But so powerful is the draw of their scale and ambiance that many buyers are happy to accept any tradeoffs necessitated by coveted Old World features in such enclaves. So few are the prope...
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By Louis Snitkin, "Results That Will Move You"
(Halstead Property)
I'm often asked this question, and there is always the chance that the answer is no.  There are several buildings where apartments have lost their view due to "lot line" windows....... One of the things that people look for in a New York apartment is a great view.  I've seen some spectacular views in New York City, and their impact on market values can be significant.  Unobstructed skyline views from multiple windows or breathtaking park scenes from the living room can add tens of thousands of dollars to the price of an apartment.But what happens when you have to block up the window? To answer this question, we can refer to an article written by Real Estate Attorney Jerry Feeney: "The unique concentration of NYC real estate has created a phenomenon known as the "lot line window." While ...
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By Mortgage Refinance, Auto Refinancing
(Refinanceitt)
  Federal government loan modification includes programs that have been developed and federally funded specifically to reduce the number of homeowners that are in danger of losing their homes because of a foreclosure. As the foreclosure rates continue to rise and the number of homeowners out there that are capable of maintaining their mortgage payment continues to decrease, it has become a a required measure for the government to take on some responsibility in reducing the rate of foreclosure among homeowners by utilizing loan modification programs. There are many advantages of taking advantage of home loan modification programs, compared to private and commercial financial lenders. Home loan modification programs often enable you to have lower monthly mortgage payments over the typical...
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By Donna Dazzo, Home Stager in the Hamptons & New York
(Designed to Appeal, LLC)
As a real estate agent, you may be wondering why you should make the effort to convince the homeowner to stage their home.  Here are ten reasons why you should do so:   Gives You More Control - That's right.  Here's a common scenario for you -  the seller may desire a certain dollar amount for the home but you know that unless some changes are made, the seller won't get it.  By incorporating the home staging process, you are controlling more of the outcome of the sale.  Gives You Credibility - When you bring in "experts" who do this for a living it adds to your own credibility.  Would you seem credible if you also appraised and inspected the homes that you sold?  No, it waters down your expertise because people know you can't be an expert in everything!  When you're focused on your own ...
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By Andrew Cohn
(ALC Risk Solutions and The Jewish Business Magazine)
From the Jewish Business Magazine     It is not very easy for one person to take a simple idea, and completely revolutionize an entire industry. But that is what Peter Shankman has done with his service, Help a Reporter Out. If you are not in the public relations or media industry, you probably do not know about Help a Reporter Out, but if you are in any business, you’ll wish you knew about Peter and HARO sooner. Peter Shankman is a nice Jewish boy living in New York inflicted with what he describes as “A.D.O.S.S or Attention Deficit…ooh something shiny”.  But despite that short coming Peter has indeed revolutionized the way journalist find sources and sources find journalist, and has forever changed both Public Relations and the Media. What is Help a Reporter Out or HARO, as its thous...
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By Donna Dazzo, Home Stager in the Hamptons & New York
(Designed to Appeal, LLC)
In 1973 a film entitled "Don't Look in the Basement" was released.  It was originally entitled "The Forgotten" in reference to the ignored patients of an insane asylum, but someone thought it would attract more movie goers with a new title.  After all, basements can be creepy.  Dark, dank and dirty is what usually comes to mind, never mind those hidden corners where something just might pop out! Well, perhaps "The Forgotten" was an appropriate name after all, since basements are one of those areas in a home that is often overlooked when staging a home for sale. Basements, whether finished or unfinished, add valuable square footage to the house. Basements should receive as much attention as the rest of the house when it comes to the Must Do's of staging:   Begin by decluttering.  Discard...
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By Terry Henry
(Keller Williams Prestige Properties)
Manhattan, New York City: Is Manhattan the Greenest Town on Earth? Earth Week 2010 is officially over, but many of us are still in the environmental consciousness swing-of-things. And with the green movement more popular than ever, you may consider Manhattan an environmentalist’s nightmare. After all, it’s a classic concrete jungle, super crowded, with seemingly epic traffic jams, right? As you know, the "green movement" is a catch-all term for people or organizations that promote protecting the environment. Ironically, compared to many suburbs throughout America, New York City is a model of environmental leadership, and it may actually be one of the greenest cities on earth! Fact is, how many Manhattanites do you know that drive to work and add to already worrisome air pollution levels...
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By Laura Cerrano, Certified Feng Shui Expert, Speaker & Researcher
(Feng Shui Manhattan Long Island)
Breaking Feng Shui News?..Feng Shui Manhattan New York has Got It Covered Laura Cerrano of Manhattan Feng Shui by Ey EyeWitness News Van When there is breaking Feng Shui News anywhere in Manhattan NY, Queens NY and Long Island NY..you can bet Laura Cerrano of Feng Shui Manhattan NYC will be there!! This just in!!   Laura Cerrano and Carole Provenzale of Feng Shui Long Island NY and Feng Shui Manhattan NY will be presenting at the "Eyes of Learning Center" May 21st at 8:00pm.  This event will be held at the Levittown Hall located in Hicksville NY .   Cost for members is $10/ non-members $15 For additional information please visit Eyes of Learning or call 516 731-0909                                                                                                       Feng Shui Long Islan...
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By Mortgage Refinance, Auto Refinancing
(Refinanceitt)
  Though the Obama administration is trumpeting over the fact that they have achieved their goal of modifying half million mortgage crisis a month in advance, it cannot be ignored that last month less number of homeowners accepted to modify mortgage loans, as reported by the Treasury Department. The report suggested that even though the eligible count of homeowners increased the number of people who accepted it dropped. According to the administration this can turn out of a serious problem. According to the data and information collected from 136,560 in June to 186,601 in September, the numbers have grown and homeowners have been taking advantage of the scheme. Everything seem to be right on track from June to August where the number went from 93,146 to 133,192 homeowners but sadly in S...
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By Mercedes E. Santana, Investment Properties
(Santana Property Group)
  Multifamily property ownership will provide an investor with a great counterweight to a sagging economy. It is one of the best ways to build a Real Estate portfolio offering a solid return (cap rate) on your investment.  Owning several units will give you a greater income cash flow to cover your expenses including debt support and provide you with a larger profit margin that would enable you to purchase more multifamily properties. A huge advantage of owning several units is that if you have a vacancy, your other units still generate the income you need to maintain your property.  If you owned several single family homes for income versus a multifamily property, a single vacancy is a 100% income loss.  A multifamily unit vacancy, while it is also a loss of income, is offset by the inc...
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By Paul Zweben
(Douglas Elliman)
The Saratoga, 330 East 75th  Street   The Saratoga is a luxury condominium built in 1984 by Schuman, Lichtenstein, Claman & Efron and is located on Southwest corner of 75th and 1st Avenue.  With 39 stories and approximately 196 units, 330 East 75th Street is a large, single tower condominium with apartments ranging in size from studios to three bedrooms and a small number of larger combined apartments.  The façade of the Saratoga displays narrow horizontal bands of red brick, broken up by the large reflective windows, a great feature in all apartment lines.  The height of the building provides spectacular views for the higher floor apartments and the original apartment features boast hard wood floors and marble baths. The Saratoga is a white glove condominium, catering to a luxury lifes...
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By Laura Cerrano, Certified Feng Shui Expert, Speaker & Researcher
(Feng Shui Manhattan Long Island)
Say What!? Who doesn't like the New York City Ferry rides? Maybe they are not so bad after all.  Maybe the world can stand a few more Scully.  This magnificent ferry ride called The New York Ferry Way takes you around the Manhattan NYC skyline to view spectacular architectural wonders and historical landmarks.  Not long Long after leaving our lovely Feng Shui consultation on the upper west side of Manhattan in NYC, Laura and I decided to take a quick tour. We began our adventure from the mid-town NY port and traveled our way past the Hudons Miracle site to Down town New York by the Financial district.  New York city Mid-town to Down-town areas It was such a fun experience for all.  We had the choice to sit below or above on the New York Ferry to view the  City skyline.  I sure wish ther...
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