Real Estate News You Can Use!: Jackie Connelly-Fornuff Century 21 AA Lindenhurst NY Real Estate (Lindenhurst Babylon West Babylon N. Babylon West Islip Islip)

Lindenhurst NY Short Sale Sold!

This Lindenhurst NY Short Sale sold and we closed on it today. It was my very first listing and my very first short sale.

I took the listing on February 10th, 2010. Almost two years. Lost a few buyers here and there and this one took eight months under contract to get to closing. The buyers almost walked a few times. Read my post to find out how I didn't lose these buyers: Thank You Sherry at Bank of America.

This Lindenhurst NY home is a Colonial and a Legal 2 by CO. Meaning, the entire home does not have to be owner occupied. The Town of Babylon and Village of Lindenhurst NY do not give homes Legal 2 by CO anymore due to they do not want the town to become a rental haven.

So here we are, a happy seller who avoided foreclosure and happy buyers who bought themselves a great investment property. They already started doing work on their new home.

All I know is I will be getting a good nights sleep tonight knowing my seller is happy and can now move on with their life. Life is good!

Thank You Sherry at Bank of America - One Less Homeowner in Foreclosure

This is one Lindenhurst NY short sale I will never forget.

After eight months under contract the buyer was going to walk. Frustrated, I wrote a blog post venting at how the short sale process at Bank of America was taking way too long. it wasn't normal.

Two weeks later I received a call on a Friday night from Sherry at Bank of America. Sherry stated that she could try and help move the process along. Since it was too late to call her back, I called her the following Monday morning.

First thing that Monday, I called Sherry. She looked at the file and I explained to her what was going on and not going on. She was able to see what I was talking about. Without promises, she told me she would see what she could do. Of course I was apprehensive but still had faith since I never give up without a fight about everything. And besides, my goal was to make sure my seller didn't go into foreclosure. I worked too hard for that to happen. I couldn't let my seller down.

A few days later, I had a short sale approval letter from Bank of America! I still couldn't believe it.

Today is Monday, February 6th, 2012 and we closed successfully without any glitches, hitches and witches. Thank you Sherry for doing what you did. I will never forget this day. Because of my blog post, you reached out to me. Because of your help, I have one homeowner who will not have a foreclosure on their credit.

What Is Wrong With Some of You?

My office to home is literally a five minute drive. What could possibly happen during that time? You would think not much but I beg to differ......

• Lovely Lexus Lady blew a stop sign that was clear as day and missed hitting me by a few seconds.
• Mercedes Woman almost rammed me from behind.
• Mercury Man also almost rammed me from behind. Side Note: If you are going to be that close to me, put a ring on my finger.

What do you think these three lovelies have in common?.................

You guess it. They were driving while on their cell phones.

This is a problem. A BIG problem. I can imagine it being very difficult for the Suffolk County Police to catch more drivers on their cell phones unless they are behind them watching.

I don't get it. What part of NO DRIVING WHILE ON YOUR CELL PHONE do you not understand? 

Is it defiance? "No one tells me what to do". And that is why your kids are the same way towards you.

Just wait. This problem is only going to get worse before it gets better.

FYI: The fine is up to $150 and 3 penalty points on your driver's license. But then again. Why do you care? You know you won't get caught right?

You Agents Work Hard

As real estate agents, we know how hard we work. Our friends and family know how hard we work because they see us working hard. And at times, they do not see us because we work so hard.

But, when a stranger acknowledges how hard we work, for some reason, we feel validated and appreciated. This is how someone made me feel today and it made my day!

I have a short sale listing in Lindenhurst NY that is due to close this coming Friday. It's been a long road: 2 years with this listing. (Details coming forth with a blog post to end all blog posts). I knocked on a neighbor's door to tell him the good news. He invited me in and boy, was he happy to hear the home next door is going to close!

The neighbor does taxes for a lot of industries and also for a few real estate agents. He sees first hand from his clients how hard they work for the money they make. And we do. It shows when our phone is always ringing. The barrage of text messages and emails that fly in and out of our cell phones. As I'm sitting there with him, my phone is going off left and right. "See, that is what I'm talking about" he says.

I tell him that the reason why our phones are busy is because us real estate agents make the phone ring. Whether it's by door knocking, postcard mailings, blogging and websites, we make the phone ring. There is no such thing as a "slow time" unless we choose it to be.

But, no matter what business we are in, most people work hard for the money they make and it's nice when it's recognized!

Trust Is Everything

I've always been a trusting person. Unless my instincts kick in telling me not to trust someone, I trust until I'm given a reason not to. I also trust and listen to that inner voice that is there to protect me.

But, when someone betrays my trust, it will be a very long time for me to trust them again if ever.

When someone hires me to help them sell and/or buy a home, they obviously trust me. It's a blessing to be trusted by a stranger. I mean, I'm handling their largest assets and here I am, a stranger to them, and they trust me from the get-go 100%. How amazing is that?!?! My job is to take great care of my clients and customers and I would never break that trust we have between each other.

I trust every agent that is in my office. I have never been given a reason not to. Are there any agents outside my office that I do not trust? Yes and only one. That is pretty good considering there are a lot of agents in my area so not trusting one says a lot about the other agents that I do trust. The majority of agents are good, kind, caring, very hardworking and can be trusted.

Six years ago, a friend of mine was identity thieved by a long time mutual friend. $25,000 was stolen by credit cards my friend never opened. I had to help her file police reports on four cards and in about a year, it was all cleared up and off of her credit report with all three credit bureaus. Her and I were both devastated that this other friend could do this! This other "friend" denied, denied, denied. So heartbreaking to say the least. We both felt "cheated" on. Cried every day for months. Never getting an answer to "why" was frustrating. Needless to say, this friend is gone from both of our lives. Even if this person wasn't out of the picture, I could never trust them again. Not being able to trust someone and feeling on guard is not a good feeling at all.

At the end of the day, as long as I am trusted and I can trust back, it's all good.

This post is a submission to the ActiveRain / Adobe EchoSign Trust Contest. I could possibly win a prize. You can find out about the contest by clicking here

Elephants Are People Too - Lola The Baby Elephant

Lola the baby elephant helped me learn something: Elephants grieve just like we do.

Lola passed away from a blood clot embolism in her heart. She was supposed to have surgery but obviously didn't make it that far. Lola was three months old.

When you look at the photo to the right, you can see the grief in the elephants' eyes. The mood is one of somber and loss. Elephants normally look like they are happy but in this photo you know the sadness is there.

When us humans lose someone we love and care deeply about, it shows in our eyes and faces. Grieving is a long process and I wonder if it's the same with elephants? Lola's Mom is 22 years old. Will she feel the effects of losing her baby for as long as she lives like we would? I guess time will tell.

Thank you Lola for teaching me that elephants are people too! Rest In Peace little girl.

***Photo Courtesy of The Huffington Post***

What Is The Average 2 Family Home Worth In Babylon NY?

This was a question asked of me today via email. It is a great question but the answer isn't cut and dry.

Babylon NY has an eclectic mix of homes. There are new construction, historic, waterfront, bay front, etc. Location and condition also matter as always.

I did a search of sold 2 family homes in Babylon NY in the Babylon Village School District since January, 2011 and here are the results:

Four, 2 family homes closed in 2011. The average sold price: $615,500 that number is skewed because this home is in the mix: 55 The Crescent - Babylon NY

What a beauty!

But, million dollar homes do not sell regularly in Babylon NY. So, when I take that home out, the average 2 family home in Babylon NY sold for: $395,667 with an average of 67 days on the market.

Again, it all depends upon the home's condition, location, type of home, bedroom and room count, property size, basement or no basement. The list is almost endless.

The best way to find out what your Babylon NY 2 family home is worth, you need a Market Analysis from a Realtor(R). In case you haven't figured it out, that would be me!

Is Your Long Island Realtor® Breaking The Law?

Please keep in mind that most Long Island Realtors® do not break the law. The few that do, make the rest of us look bad and I am so done with it!

Over the past few weeks, I'm being told from other Long Island Realtors® that pursue expired listings that the homeowners have told them they re-listed with their "current" agent. The Realtors® show the homeowner the expired listing and in our MLS and it doesn't state the home is back on the market. What form did they sign in order to put the home back on the market?

NOTHING the homeowners are telling my fellow Realtors®

These homeowners have not signed any paperwork stating that they wanted the home back on the market with their "current" Realtor®.

So, how is the home being placed back on the market in our MLS without the homeowner's permission you ask? It's simple. These Realtors® are breaking the law.

In order to extend the listing before it expires, the form below has to be signed as per the Multiple Listing Service of Long Island:

Take a look at #2: Expiration Date of Listing Agreement is amended to: the date the listing will expire will be placed on the line to the right. Then at the bottom it states you are entitled to a copy of said Listing Agreement Amendment.

Report of Change for Listings for Long Island Realtors

If the listing expired, a new Listing Agreement and corresponding paperwork needs to be completed.

If you discover your home is back on the market and you didn't want it to be, call the Realtors® Broker. Some homeowners feel there is nothing they can do but there is. The choice to do something about it is yours.

West Babylon NY Housing Market 2011

Overall, the West Babylon NY housing market saw a 0.34% increase in the median sales price since January 2011. Let's look at the West Babylon NY housing market since January 2007:

2007 - 12.63% decrease
2008 - 16.04% decrease
2009 - 1.67% increase
2010 - 4.67% decrease
2011 - 0.35% increase

Since January 2007 to December 2011, the West Babylon NY housing market decreased by 31.06%.

The West Babylon NY housing market saw the worst in 2008 with a 16.04% decrease and saw the best in 2010 with a 4.67% increase.

Since the quarterly median sales prices of 2011 stayed fairly tight, I'm hoping that 2012 will be the year for stabilization for the West Babylon NY housing market. When stabilization occurs, it will stay that way for a while. Do not expect a sellers market in 2012.

West Babylon NY Buyer Activity:
2011: 107 homes sold. 16 of them were short sales.
2010: 119 homes sold. 13 of them were short sales.
2009: 133 homes sold. 8 of them were short sales.
2008: 101 homes sold. No short sale homes sold in 2008.
2007: 131 homes sold. No short sale homes sold in 2007.

When I show homeowners this data, they realize the West Babylon NY housing market isn't "bad". When you watch the news, they report about the real estate market nationally. Real estate is local and always will be.

Women, Men and Downsizing

Last year I listed a 55 & Over condo in Lindenhurst NY. The couples that came to my open houses and called to preview the home taught me one thing: Men and Women feel differently about downsizing.

Men: They could have moved last week.
Women: On the fence about moving.

Why?

Men: They are tired of mowing the lawn and shoveling snow.
Women: They raised their kids in their home, there are special memories in every room of the house, more closet space, larger kitchen for food prep and cooking, love their flower and vegetable gardens, more privacy from neighbors, no stairs (most owned a one-level ranch), overall living space.

Being a woman, I understand how the women feel. The "man" side of me sees the men's point of view. My husband and I moved from a 2 bedroom co-op apartment to a 2 bedroom townhouse almost 5 years ago. We needed more room and a full basement. Both of us didn't want to spend our time mowing a lawn and shoveling snow. I wanted a larger kitchen and closet space. Not too big and not too small living space-wise. Since it's a HOA, we have landscaping service and snow removal service. We got lucky and found our "perfect" home. For us it was a move-up with downsizing elements.

But, not all buyers who are looking to downsize will not be as lucky as us. It will be a wait to get the kind of space we have unless they want to go at least 30 minutes East on Long Island. Or, Nassau County where condos/townhomes are more expensive and not as much space.

The advice I give to the men: Be patient, she will come around. It's going to take time. Downsizing is very emotional to women.

My advice to the women: No matter where you go, your memories are a part of you. When you move, the memories go with you. Nothing can take that away. As far as living and closet space, either wait it out for "the one" or learn to downsize your home now to get you emotionally & mentally prepared. Whatever you do not use, donate or give things away to family and friends.