Lindenhurst NY Real Estate Century 21 AA Realty: December 2009

Maureen's Kitchen Smithtown New York

The Best Breakfast You Will Ever Have!

For months now, my husband has been asking me to go to breakfast at Maureen's Kitchen. He and his running friends will eat breakfast there when they go for a run in Smithtown, NY.

Since my workload is light this week and he is on vacation, we went to Maureen's Kitchen this morning. I am glad we did!

I had a croissant french toast stuffed with cream cheese and raspberry preserves with a light dusting of cinnamon and powdered sugar. How's that for something different? It was delish!

My husband had pancakes with chocolate chips and walnuts (ok, not so different here) with the best homefries you will ever have! They make them with red potatoes and a perfect amount of onions and green peppers. Very tasty to say the least.

They also serve lunch.

They have cow decor all over the place and that is NOT a real cow in the photo but it does look real.

Just a warning. They are always packed so be prepared to wait at least 20 minutes to a half hour. They do not take credit cards.

Here is a link to their location and reviews: Maureen's Kitchen

Enjoy!

Relationship Advice From Long Island New York - Enjoy Your 20's NOW Before They Are Gone!

Time and time again, I see young women and men in their 20's pursuing people that do not have an interest in them. Why do you do this?

I have a teenage son and I'm always telling him to not lower his standards and chase after someone that is not into you. No, he has never done this and I try to instill in him not to.

The 20's is a great time in your life. You are still learning about yourself. Concentrate on you. Go out into that world and seize every opportunity out there. Find out what makes you tick. Live at home with your parents for as long as they let you and save money. Wouldn't it be nice to be able to buy your first home without having to do it with someone else? Don't wait for that right person to come along because they may not come along until you are well into your 30's. You just never know.

When someone has no interest in you, move on. There is a cover for every pot so what is the rush to get married and have kids? When you get married life changes. When you have kids, life changes even more. It's not about you anymore at that point.

Take advantage of going to college and work on your career. Without and education it will be harder to support yourself. Why rely on someone else to take care of you? Take charge and take care of yourself. Life has no guarantees. You get married, have kids and 50% of the population gets divorced. What then? A lot of women end up at dead-end jobs after divorce because they never educated themselves in the first place. Why put yourself in that position? Staying married forever is not promised to us. It takes a lot of hard work to make a marriage solid. Choose that person that you want to spend the rest of your life with wisely.

If you are in a realtionship now that is going nowhere, get out of it. Why stay with that person if there is no real futue together? Do not lower your standards. You are better than that!

When you are not in a rush to get married and concentrate on yourself for a while, the rest will come. It will happen when you least expect it.

Make 2010 the year about you. Follow your dreams and you will be happier for it.

Happy New Year!

Buying A House Lindenhurst NY - Offer Accepted, Now What? 

Congratulations! Your offer has been accepted. What happens now?

A multitude of things are going to happen. The quicker you get them done, the faster the transaction may go. Here are several things you need to do in this order:

1. You have to get a home inspection and a termite inspection pronto! Do not drag your feet on this one or the seller and their agent will think you are not serious and therefore may accept another offer that could have came in behind you.
2. Once you are happy with the results of the home inspection, it's time to get that mortgage! Hopefully you were pre-approved when you started your house hunting and this can make the mortgage processing go faster. In about 4 weeks you should receive your commitment letter from your bank. It will state what is needed in order to go to closing so make sure to follow those instructions to the "T"!
3. Once you have been officially approved and a closing date is set, get your homeowner's insurance dated for the date of your closing because that is when you will own the home.
4. Get moving on obtaining a moving company. Ask friends, relatives and co-workers if they can recommend a mover. Please do not try moving yourself just to save a few bucks. Your back will thank you.
5. Make sure to get your phone, gas, electric and cable into your name. Hopefully your real estate agent can set this up for you like we do here at Coldwell Banker. Either way, you want these things turned on right before you move in. Can you imagine moving in the middle of winter or summer and having no heat or air conditioning? Yikes! I would not be happy.
6. Go to the post office and change your address. Mail out the Change of Address cards either right after the closing on that same day or the next day.
   
7. The final walk though. You are almost there! Isn't it exciting?!?!??! This gives you the chance to view the property one last time before going to closing. You need to examine any repairs the seller may have done as you requested. Make sure they are done. Do not stay a few minutes. Really walk through the home to make sure everything is good to go and you are 100% happy!
8. Closing Day! You are shelling out a lot of money on this day! I am sure you are nervous and excited all at the same time. Your attorney will have gone over what Certified Checks you need to bring most likely 2 days before closing or sometimes it's the day before. Yeah, I know, stressful! You will get photocopies of these checks before you leave the closing table. You may need these for tax purposes as well for the next tax season. Keep all the documents you sign at closing in a file folder with a file jacket. It will keep your papers organized and in one place.
9. Keys! Woohoo! You are now proud owners of your new diggs! Enjoy it for years to come and create wonderful memories!
   

Lindenhurst NY Home Selling - Price It High They Will NOT Come!

You sit down with me, your Realtor, and I tell you what the market value of your Lindenhurst NY home is. You cringe thinking you can get more for your home. "What made you think you can get more?" I ask. You tell me your friends and relatives, who are not real estate professionals, tell you, you can.

Why are you listening to them?

You see, I know what market value is and so does the bank appraisers. This is key here.

Let's say we list your home above market value and you get a buyer (that really won't happen but stay with me here). You accept the above market value offer and the buyers get the home inspected and all is good there. Now you go to contract then the buyer starts the mortgage process. Six weeks in and guess what? The bank appraiser says your home is above market value and states what they know what the market value is which is usually the number I came in with in the beginning when we first met. Now what?

Well, you can either go with the market value price in order to keep the deal going which would be the smart thing to do or the buyer is going to walk. Now, if the buyers walk and then you agree to market value and we drop the price by $25,000 or $50,000, that buyer pool that has been "watching" your home will think something is wrong with it.

Bank appraisers use the same methods to come to market value as I do and this is why I know what bank appraisers will state what the market value is. Knowing what bank appraisers appraise at is to your advantage, not mine.

Listening to me, your Realtor, in the first place will keep the above scenario from happening. And, I will not take an overpriced listing to begin with plain and simple. Yes, another Realtor might, but I will not. I want to keep our relationship intact before it begins.

You need to trust my knowledge with the real estate maket. I do not pull numbers out of the sky and let's face it, your friends and relatives or outsiders who do not have the resources I do, have no clue as to what the market value of your home is.

If you are not in a rush to sell your home and market value is not good enough for you, then don't put it on the market. Just wait and you will be happier in the long run.

Lindenhurst NY Home Selling - 55 And Over Senior Citizens

Thinking of selling your Lindenhurst NY home so you can downsize and not have to worry about lawn care, high costs of heating and electric, snow removal, etc.?

Senior Citizens need a break these days. You work most of your life, raise your children, hardly take vacations that are well deserved in the first place. Now you want to sell your home so you can move maybe into a 55 and over retirement community on Long Island or you want to move out of state like the warm South. Either way, I will help you sell your home.

I look at my Mom who is 69 and I  hear a lot about rising health care costs and low social security, a cap on how many hours she is allowed to work because she collects social security and they tell her she can only work so many hours which is ridiculous! And, I would like to think someone would do right by her like I would.

Contact me today for a free Comparable Market Analysis to find out how much your Lindenhurst NY home is worth in today's market.

Long Island Real Estate Market - Buying A Home on Long Island - What Are You Waiting For?

The first time home buyer tax credit will expire on 4/30/2010 and it doesn't look like the government will extend it this time around. You need to be in contract by that date.

Are you on the fence about buying your first home? Ask yourself why you are hesitant.

It's always a good idea to get pre-approved for a mortgage because you will know better as to how much house you can afford. Getting 2 pre-approvals is always a good rule of thumb. Make sure to get those 2 pre-approvals within 30 days because it will only count as 1 inquiry on your credit report and not 2 inquiries.

The first bank of choice should be the bank you currently deal with that holds your checking and savings accounts. The second can be from the mortgage professional that is associated with the real estate brokerage your agent is working from.

At my Coldwell Banker office, we have an awesome mortgage professional that will sit down with you to find you the best mortgage program. Some clients think they can't get approved for 10% down or less being that banks have tightened their requirements. Not true. Banks are giving mortgages to qualified buyers plain and simple.

I know 4/30/2010 is four months away but do not assume you will find your dream home in a week. It may take one week or a few months to find that house you will call home. I have a lot of patience when working with clients and work hard to find that dream home for them. I want to see you in a home you love as opposed to just liking.

So, get off the fence and take advantage of the $8,000.00 first time home buyer tax credit! Your new home is out there waiting for you.

Have a Happy New Year everyone!

Christmas Memories on Long Island New York

This is what Christmas is all about:

My Brother, Son and Nephew

My Son and Newphews

My Son and I. He's 14 and taller than me! Not right, not right! :)

My Mom and her funny face.

My Son with our dog Kyra. My Mom bought her antlers and she hated them! :)

My Son collects celebrity autographs through the mail so stamps are all he ever wants.

My Mom kept making me laugh when my husband was trying to take the picture. She stood behind him.
Mom denied it.

Ok Mom, you are snagged! :)

Montauk Point Long Island New York

Every July my family and I vacation in Montauk Point. We go with a group of runners from the Massapequa Road Runners organization.
I am not a runner but my husband is and my 14 year old son is starting to run here and there.

We stay at the Ocean Beach Resort which has an indoor/outdoor pool. It has a retractable roof so when it's raining you can still swim since they will close the roof. No other resort in Montauk Point has this type of pool. Their rates for the Summer are reasonable. They have a rate card you can download from their site. You will be steps away from the beach which is why we stay there. And, it's walking distance to the heart of the town where you can shop 'til you drop!

There is plenty to do in Montauk. Shopping, fishing, bike riding, swimming, and eating! There are tons of restaurants to choose from. From fine dining to beach casual dining. There is the famous Gosman's Dock. If you love seafood, this is the place to be! They also have a fish market and you can get fresh seafood everyday. There are cute, little clothing boutique shops that have an array of prices from the affordable to the higher-end pricing. Everyday my husband and his running friends do an ice cream run. They run from Ocean Beach Resort to Gosman's Dock and eat ice cream then they run back. Fun huh?

My favorite place to have breakfast is John's Pancake House. It is so popular, there is always a line out the door and down the block. It's worth the wait and their chocolate chip pancakes are awesome! It's my favorite :)

Another favorite restaurant of mine is Bird On The Roof. They open at 8:00 a.m. and also serve lunch. They even have a clothing boutique which is reasonably priced.

Love to go fishing? There are a lot of marinas to choose from. I can't recommend one, but I have never heard of any complaints about any of them. You can choose from all day fishing to half day fishing. I used to love fishing until I was in my 30's and never find the time to do it when we go to Montauk. Next year, I will find the time! It's very relaxing and very exciting when you get a blue fish on your line. They like to fight and I love that challenge!

Since we stay on the beach, we set bon fires every night. The beach is loaded with them from other vacationers. It's fun and it's nice to do that with the friends we go with.

That picture I took. Not bad for shooting at night.

Just goes to show you how hot a fire can get.

It's beautiful though isn't it?

There was a full moon that night. I was amazed at how good this picture came out. It took many tries but this one was the best.

I hope you enjoyed this post about Montauk Point. If you decide to go, you will not be bored!

This post was written by Mark Hall located in Vancouver, Washington

Renter's Insurance - Nothing Bad Will Ever Happen - Think Again!

Last night I signed into Facebook. I see a post from a friend of mind stating her house went on fire on Christmas Eve. I thought she was kidding. She was not unfortunately:

This is only a sampling of the destruction. They moved into the house 7 weeks ago. My friend told me she was GOING to get renter's insurance. Going, going, GONE! Hindsight is 20/20. Nothing bad ever happens to ME. Woulda, shoulda, coulda.

They are now living with their son in his 2 bedroom apartment in Upstate New York. She has 6 kids and her husband.

Here is the article about this fire (names and location have been changed to protect their identity)

A devastating Christmas Eve chimney fire has left one family without the comfort of their home to celebrate the holiday. The Fire Department arrived to the scene of ABC Street within minutes after the 8:30 p.m. emergency dispatch Thursday evening, arriving to find flames bursting from the two-story home’s rooftop. “The fire was already vented through the roof when we got there,” said the Fire Chief. “Fortunately, we didn’t have to do any roof operations because there was a metal roof and it was pretty slick.” According to the Fire Chief, the inferno was extinguished within 10 minutes after arrival and the house was then “overhauled” — meaning the ceilings and walls were opened up to ensure the fire was not spreading internally. No one was injured in the blaze.

The family, including four children age 9 to 16, were busy working in the charred home on Christmas Day as they tried to clean up what they could in the wake of the destruction. “We’re going to be staying at my son’s home in Saugerties,” said Jane Smith, matriarch of the destroyed household, as she packed shopping bags full of groceries from the refrigerator. According to Smith, the fire was started by embers that escaped from the fireplace smokestack, which runs through a central location of the home. “We looked up and saw sparks,” Smith recalled as they sat around the living room. “We saw that the ceiling and the roof were glowing red.” The children were upstairs in their rooms when Smith and her son Bob Smith noticed the burning roof from the ground level living room. The kids were playing with gifts they were allowed to open early. “I heard a crackling but thought it was rain or something,” said young Alice, who was upstairs playing when she heard the noise.

The family quickly evacuated the home before firefighters arrived. Fortunately, everyone made it out unscathed but many of the children’s gifts were lost among the charred remains. The roof and an upstairs bedroom were completely destroyed by the fire but Smith said the family is still blessed for making it unhurt. “Every time we start to feel bad about it, I thank God it was earlier, we weren’t asleep and that we got out without anyone getting hurt,” she said. Smith also said they are currently renting the home, did not have renter’s insurance, and will likely not recover what was lost in the blaze, which included of the children’s shoes and clothing. The homeowner, Michael Brown, intends on rebuilding the home so the family can move back in. The Fire Chief offered to have the American Red Cross provide temporary shelter to the family but they turned it down so that their two dogs won’t have to be put in an animal shelter. “I didn’t want the kids to be without their dog for Christmas,” said Smith.

So, do you still think nothing bad will ever happen to YOU or your loved ones?

My friend was lucky that all of them were not asleep or I would be going to some funerals.

Get renter's insurance. It's cheap. Have I made myself clear? I hope I have.