NY Houses 4 Sale

Even though I have been out of the blogging loop for some time now, rest assure that I am still strong in the actual selling of real estate even being screwed and threatend by (www.NYChouses4sale.com) will not stop me. 

This morning I got an email from an unknown person that asked me a few questions about being in foreclosure.  This is not an area that I claim to be an expert but I do know that avoiding the bank will not help you.  Right now the bank wants to even out the playing field and will work with people who are in trouble.  IF - IF you are providing the banks with what they request.    I also advise to not do this alone, you should seek legal advise and have an attorney look at the loan docs to make sure that you were not subject to predatory lending.    If all else fails and you are finding that the banks are unwilling to work with you or there is no other route that you can go,  sell your home. 

I have noticed every day that there are more sites like this that are popping up.  Please beware.  You do not have to be a rocket scientist to know that there is not a quick fix to the problem and there is not going to be someone swooping in to save you - just because they are nice.  There are strings attached and desperation should not lead you into stupidity. 

Whitestone, 11357

Forgotten NY has taken a leisure stroll around Whitestone NY.  Check it out.

Hey, Do they owe you money???

Just wondering if anyone out there has any unclaimed funds?  Do you ever find yourself wondering if anyone, ANYONE owes you money?  Well,  hit up the New York State Comptroller's website and find out if they owe ya money. 

"Many could easily claim that money - in some cases more than $1,000 - with a phone call or a few clicks of a mouse, said Assemblyman José Peralta, who discovered more than $2.8 million in unclaimed funds for his district alone".  Daily News.

By the way, if you read the Daily News article online,then you know that the URL that they provided was wrong.  The one that I provided above is the correct site. Good Luck! 

What does Avril Lavigine, Slash and Ed McMahon all have in common??

They are all having problems selling their celebrity mansions. 

This crisis has hit everyone everywhere and it actually looks like it will get worse before it gets even  a little better. 

But aside from the market going down, down - down.  It looks like the heading upward trend is sue your real estate agent because it is their fault that the market changed. 

In the recent weeks I have heard comments like:  "I can not wait until Bush gets out of office, he got all of us into this market".  REALLY?  I might not be a financial guru, but I am almost 100% certain that President Bush did not come over to your home and CONVINCE you to take out a mortgage that you can not afford, with hopes that in 5 years you will be able to refinance the home at a lower rate! 

People, come on.  The market dropped and as far as I am concerned it should have actually dropped 3 years ago.     

Foreclosure turning into a flip. What you Say?

Sometimes I have to chuckle.  Its not that I am laughing at someone or behind their back, its more like I am laughing at the situation.  Do you know what I mean? 

In June, I posted about a house that was in foreclosure and was heading right to auction.  More Ironically, I knew the original owners but I did not list the property.  They wanted way too much money and I am not in the habit of taking over priced homes.  I did show the home once or twice but no takers were willing to come up to their asking price.  The home was on the market for MORE than a year and never sold.  There were not alot of price reductions and I assume there were not alot of offers.

The home foreclosed. 

The "investor" now has the home back on the market.  Here is the part I find funny, the home is listed for $120,000 more than the LAST offered price prior to foreclosure. 

Foreclosed for $573,000

Last offering: $630,000

Asking Price Now: $750,000

MLS Tech Fair was a HUGE hit!

Today was a great day at the MLS Tech Fair, it was a SOLD out event that I feel gave Realtors alot of useful information.  I actually over heard a few women in the hallway saying how overwhelmed and overloaded they felt with information and both women hoped that they remembered a quarter of what was said. 

(Dan Green, Joe Ferrara and Phil Thomas Di Giulio from WellcomeMat.com)

I have to say that this was my first time speaking in public to that large of a group.  My nerves were high prior to the panel sitting down but once we got started and I saw how receptive the audience was and I quickly relaxed and enjoyed the moment. 

If there are people from that event reading this blog, I invite you to comment your thoughts and feelings about the session:  What did you like?  What should we change?  Did you walk away with the urge to start your blog?  Have you started a blog of your own yet?   

I felt like our panel worked well together and gave alot of great information.  But, I would like to know what the audience took away from the session (and think of it this way, this is your first step to blogging). 

I want to thank MLSLI for inviting me and I look forward to reading your new blog (which I will add to my blog roll once you have it live).  I want to extend my thank you to Jenny Natale and Beth O'Connor as well as the rest of the crew who assisted us.  I was delighted to take part in such a great function that you planned.  Do you do Weddings? 

I would like to give a shout out to those who introduced themselves to me:

• Wilfred E. Joseph - Daniel Gale
• Mona Holzman - Century21, June Shapiro
• Robin Gordon - Coldwell Banker
• Ben Olivia - Keller Williams
• Scott Mitchell - Century21, Laffey
• Scott Forcino - ProRealEstateCity.com
• Swaranjit Singh - Goldwin Realty

And to those who I already knew, it was great to see you and talk to each of you:

• Paula Annaruma - PCA Realty
• Barbara Gunn - Prudential, Franklin Square
• Judy D. - Remax, Markowitz Group
• Lois Hanson - Coach

And last - To the panel, You guys ROCK!  It was such a pleasure to meet you Dan - Dan, I will think of you when I am cooking up my chili and the next time you are in NY, let me know!  I did not see you before I left and I did not get to thank you in person.  Sorry! 

Linda, I think you and I could have talked for hours.  Keep in touch, now that I know you work within the same area as FOXWOODS, you might have an overnight guest.  Frequently!  (Ok, I kid!)

I hope you both made it home safe!

To my best blogger buddies, what can I say?  It is always a pleasure, I learn something new every time we meet.  I wish you nothing but the best - always.  I appreciate your coat tails and wings that you have provided me.  Thank you is not enough!

Local Queens Realtor Plays with the "Big Boys"

When I started to blog over a year and a half ago, I really had no direction, no idea what I was doing or where this would take me.  I have never declared to be the authoritative blog.  I don't go heavy into the politics of Real Estate and I steer clear of the heated discussions about Zillow, Redfin or any new technology.  I have never quoted anything Latin on my blog and I certainly do not air out my laundry on my blog. 

But I still blog.

I blog about my local area.  I stick to what I know and I know Queens Real Estate.  Sure there are agents who sell more and some that list more than I do.  But none of them blog.  I am almost the only Realtor that even has a blog, let alone blogs the way that I do.  There are blogs that talk about their listings and blogs that repeat what articles say word for word, like snipping them out of the newspaper.  But I feel that I have stood out. I am doing what no other Realtor or Company is doing.  So for right now, I shine. 

This past August, Ralph Roberts published a book "Foreclosures for Dummies" and believe it or not,  he added me as a contributor!  I was very flattered and so thrilled to get my complimentary book and I have read it from front to back.  My take?  Anyone who is looking to buy foreclosures should read this book.  Right now you can buy it in your local Barnes and Nobles book store or you can click right here to go directly to Amazon.com. 

More News:  Tomorrow , er Today, I will sitting on a panel for the LIBOR MLS TECH FAIR.  How cool is that?  I will be speaking at the sold out event with the "Big Boys".   Sitting with me will be Blog Tour Boys, Sellsius, Dan Green from The Mortgage Reports and Linda Davis from Eastern CT Real Estate Blog. 

Hopefully, after tomorrow I will begin breathing again and I will update you on the skinny about blogging, but for right now I am feel all hyped up and nervous.   

Linnaeus Park in Bayside NY, the next Field of Dreams?

I have lived in Queens for the last 18 years and I just found a park that I never knew existed. 

This afternoon my youngest son played baseball at a little field called Linnaeus Park, it is located at 230th Street and 57th Road. 

I have been in this area a ton of times, I have sold a few houses and rented a couple apartments, how did I ever miss this park? 

Its a well kept secret. 

So kept, that the park is in desperate need of fixing up.  This park was "a bedraggled lot, choked with weeds and crabgrass that only rarely encountered a lawn mower. No one around it even knew it had a name".  Then one day in 1992 a construction crew came to do an extreme makeover and the residents were not happy.    Odd, but true.   They felt that this new beautiful park would harbor late night parties, out of control kids and an attraction for outsiders. 

That was then, but this is now. 

Now that is field has been in active use for sometime now, wouldn't it be nice to make this the Queens Field of Dreams?  It really could be beautiful. 

I love Queens, I love Bayside and Whitestone.  I have traveled to many ball fields since my oldest started playing ball 8 years ago and one thing that Queens NY lacks is nice ball field.  The means are there, we already have the outlets, why can't Queens have the nice manicured fields that Long Island has? 

You can see the condition of the field in this photo, yes.. that is my little pudge catching - ok, check out his stance - he looks good doesn't he?  Anyhow - notice that there is no batters box?  A ton of crab grass?  See that there is no drawn base lines?  Yep, this is Queens Ball Fields and they are all like this.  How sad! 

So Mr. Avella and Mr. Padavan and Mrs. Carrozza - What can we do about these sad looking fields?

How do you spell corruption??

Ohhh Geesh, if this is not a total case of corruption then I honestly don't know what is. 

Today the TimesLedger had the update about Brian McLaughlin and his trial that has been postponed until... ohhhh how do you mark indefinitely on your calendar?  I don't see a month for INDEFINITE.  That's right, there will not be a trial.  Not because he settled, nope.  Not because he paid back what he stole from city unions, nonprofits, his own campaign committee or Electchester Little League, which by the way was more than 2.2 million in nickels and dimes or not because they found him not guilty.  They postponed his hearing because ...

"But the timetable for the proceedings was altered after the case was reassigned to Judge Richard J. Sullivan from Judge Kenneth Karas on Sept. 7. A spokesman for the U.S. attorney said Monday the trial would go forward as scheduled, but Thursday the Manhattan office said the trial had been postponed indefinitely because the case would be overseen by a new judge." (TimesLedger)

Do NOT look into the light...

Athol would appreciate this one...

YIKES...