Long Island Relocation>> Long Island Real Estate

Can someone please tell me what year this is?  Oh right, I forgot - it's 2008!  Why then are some agents still using a "courtesy" key for their listings?  The word "courtesy" is in quotes to point out just how ironic this concept is.  After all, is it really "courteous" to force fellow agents to drive out of their way to pick up a key at an office, only to have them make an extra trip to return the key after the showing?  Even more disturbing is the fact that often times the office holding the "courtesy" key is several miles away from the listing.

Please indulge me as I stand on my soapbox for just a little while.  This post was inspired by the events of the past few days.  Things have started to get much busier lately (which is a good thing).  The bad thing is that, despite technological advances, a number of agents on Long Island are still living in the dark ages.  As someone who works a large area, it is particularly annoying when I have to schedule the pick up and drop off of a key into a very busy day, when there is a far superior, time-saving solution available at a minimal cost. 

As of this year, all members of the Long Island Board Of REALTORS® received a photo ID card which also acts as an electronic lockbox key for SentriLock electronic lockboxes.  No longer are agents required to carry around the bulky electronic lockbox keys that didn't work much of the time because a cell signal wasn't always available.  The SentriLock electronic lockbox is user-friendly, and quite frankly, much more secure than the previous incarnation of the electronic lockboxes.  In order to use these lockboxes, agents must be in good standing with the Long Island Board of REALTORS®, and the cards must be validated every two weeks for security purposes. 

There is no longer a need for "courtesy" keys on Long Island.  If a home can be shown by picking up a key, then there is no reason why it shouldn't be able to be shown by using our hi-tech ID cards on the SentriLock electronic lockboxes.  The most frustrating part is that I've had to pick up keys for a number of listings that are vacant / new construction.  The question that I ask is...WHY? 

Is it the price to buy lockboxes that has listing agents wasting the time and gas money of other agents?  If so, then it's time for those agents to leave the business.  These lockboxes can be purchased from the Long Island Board of REALTORS® for around $80, and they've even run specials where the price has been as low as $50.  If this is too expensive for the listing agent then perhaps they should refer the listing to an agent that can afford to properly market a home.    

I've been told by some offices that it's because of security.  Excuse me?  Security?  Please tell me that you're not actually trying to tell me that the key is "secure" when you hand it to me because I showed you a business card that can be may be totally outdated (or fake for that matter).  How is it possible that this is a better security measure then having me open a lockbox with my bi-weekly validated ID card?  I've actually been told that they are trying to prevent people from making copies of the key.  Really?  How likely is it that an agent is going to get to the house and open the lockbox and then take the key with them to go make copies?  Wouldn't it be much more likely that someone will make copies while they are driving around with the key?  Clearly, "common sense" is not all that "common."

Time is the most precious commodity that we all have, and yet agents continually waste the time of other agents for their own selfish reasons.  You may get me to show your listing once with a "courtesy" key, but never again unless the client specifically asks to see that particular home.  Is making a home difficult to see really in the best interest of the seller?  I think not!

If a homeowner wants to be there for all showings, that is their prerogative, and I have absolutely no problem with that.  However, if the home is vacant, or the homeowner is allowing showings when they are not home, then it is very important that the home be made accessible by using a SentriLock electronic lockbox.  It is the most secure and convenient way to allow for showings.

The time that I spend picking up and dropping off keys could be much better spent doing actual work, or going home and spending time with my family.  With gas prices hovering near $3.50 per gallon, the last thing that anyone wants to be doing is unnecessary driving.  It's time to do away with the "courtesy" key and start practicing actual professional courtesy!

In a competitive buyer's market, it is essential for homes to be in the best showing condition possible.  As the saying goes, "you only get one chance to make a first impression."  So why is it that so many homeowners still refuse to get their homes into "showroom" condition before allowing homebuyers to view the home?  Have they tricked themselves into thinking that the home will get top dollar regardless of condition?  Are they too lazy to do any work?  Too stubborn?  Whatever the reason, the fact remains that if a home doesn't show well early on, then it will most likely sell for less than its potential.

Sometimes it is a challenge to get homeowners to take our advice, and the decision to ignore our advice can be a costly one.  As REALTORS®, we are well aware of what it takes to market a home properly, or at least we should be.  So you can imagine my surprise when I recently brought buyers into a home owned by the listing agent, and it showed terribly!  Mind you, this is not a REALTOR® living in a depressed area.  This particular home was listed for over a half million dollars, in a gated community, so expectations were high (to say the least).

As the buyers and I walked through the front door, we were greeted by a group of barking dogs, and one of them kept jumping against our legs.  I happen to be a "dog person" and I found it annoying and distracting, so I can imagine what the buyers were thinking.  The downstairs of the home was fine, although the butler's pantry was used as a catch-all, filled with a lot unnecessary clutter.  Did the buyers notice this?  Probably, but not enough to mention it because there were far more obvious issues to discuss.

We proceeded upstairs to check out the bedrooms.  The master bedroom was very large, which is something that the buyers were looking for.  However, the room size was overshadowed by the large cracks in the wall that easily could have been patched up and painted before putting the home on the market.  The master bathroom was also very large, and in decent condition, but the puddle between the sinks made it look like a public restroom.  How much effort would it have taken to wipe off the sink area before allowing us to view the home?

The hallway was carpeted, which is a bit unusual for newer construction.  Most of the time it wouldn't be an issue, but this particular carpet stood out because of the large urine stains, which carried over into one of the bedrooms.  The buyers instantly made note of the smell as they pointed the stains out to me.  While homeowners have a tendency to overlook things at times, a REALTOR® listing his or her own home should know better than to allow for showings without taking care of the things that obviously would turn a buyer off.

Before leaving the home, I escorted the buyers downstairs to see the basement.  The finished area was a small, cluttered room, but it was the best part of the basement.  On the others side of the stairs, it was apparent that the darkened, unfinished area was filled with clutter as well.  Many people use unfinished basements for storage, and it would have been perfectly acceptable if there were boxes neatly arranged, but this was not the case.  The area was an absolute mess, filled with boxes, junk, and worst of all, papers strewn all over the floor.  How much effort could it have possibly taken to just make this area presentable?

For the record, I understand that people of all walks of life are having some financial difficulties in this economy.  I have no idea whether or not this is the case in this particular situation.  The fact of the matter is that this home could have easily been fixed up to show properly with very little outlay of cash.  All that it would have taken was a little effort on the part of the listing agent / homeowner. 

As a parent of two small children, I know how difficult it can be to keep an orderly home.  This is not a judgment of how this agent lives, but rather how the agent prepared the home for sale.  Agents, just like homeowners, must be mindful of the fact that our homes are products once they are listed for sale, and we must do whatever we can to make our product marketable.  In essence, we must practice what we preach!

While reading a recent post entitled Would YOU Say Something? by Kathy Passarette, a Long Island Staging Professional, it got me to thinking about REALTORS®, photography and MLS photos.  In Kathy's post, she was questioning whether or not to mention to a local REALTOR® that the photos of a particular listing on MLS didn't show the home in the best light.

Being a Long Island REALTOR®, I know that it is a challenge to get people to pay a professional stager to prepare their home for sale on Long Island.  However, even if we cannot convince the homeowners to pay for staging, we should at least take it upon ourselves to have them get their home into "show-ready" condition before photographs are taken for MLS and all marketing materials.

Some homeowners do whatever it takes to get the home into "show-ready" condition, and yet the photos that potential buyers see still don't do the home any justice, and there is a simple explanation for this.  Many REALTORS® take their own photos of their listings instead of letting a professional photographer take them.  In my opinion, this is a mistake.  Of course, there is always an exception to any rule, and there may be a number of REALTORS® out there that take outstanding photos.  Generally speaking though, this is not the case.

As REALTORS®, we can clearly see the pitfalls that people make when they decide to sell their home on their own.  After all, we are professionally trained to do what a FSBO may only do once or twice in a lifetime.  How can they possibly be as effective as we are when marketing their home?  The answer is...they can't!  This is not to say that all FSBO's are doomed to fail, or that they all will receive much lower offers than they would if they used a REALTOR®, although the statistics do show that this is true in most cases.

Can a FSBO sell their home on their own?  Yes, some of them can.  Can a REALTOR® take professional looking photos of a home? Some of us can, but most of us don't.  Our job is to market a home, and while photography is part of marketing a home properly, it is not something that we do often enough to qualify us as professionals. 

I'd like to share with you some examples of homes photographed by REALTORS® and also by a professional photographer.  These are not exaggerated examples for effect.  Both of these homes were previously listed and expired.  When I took over each listing, I had the homes photographed by a professional photographer, who also put together the virtual tour.  The cost for the total package for each was less than the cost to run a photo ad in the local newspaper for two days.

It is widely accepted that the most effective executives are the ones that surround themselves with people that are better than them at certain aspects of their job.  Just like a chain is only as strong as its weakest link, a marketing campaign is only as strong as its weakest link.  Arguably, the most important part of the marketing campaign (outside of price) is visual.  If the photos that you are using are not the best that they can be, then you are placing yourself, and more importantly, your homeowner, at a disadvantage. 

So why do REALTORS® choose not to hire a professional photographer?  There are two main reasons that I can think of, and they are as follows:

[1] COST - Why pay for something that you can do for free?  I'm sure that most FSBO's would agree with this statement.

[2] CONTROL - Many REALTORS® have trouble delegating because they feel that they can do it better themselves.  Again, the FSBO's are probably in full agreement on this one.

We are in a competitive marketplace right now.  Many homes are expiring from the market each day.  Do you want your listings to be the ones that sell, or the ones that sit and eventually expire?  One simple solution to making your listings stand out is to have them be the most appealing looking homes on MLS.  By the way, both of the examples listed above ended up selling for very close to asking price, in a relatively short amount of time, in a declining market.

If you're looking for a point of differentiation when going on a listing appointment, tell the homeowners that you'll be hiring a professional photographer to take pictures of their home.  The odds are that your competition won't be making that same promise.

Smokey Bones BBQ & Grill is nestled behind a Courtyard By Marriott and a Red Lobster on the South Service Road of the Long Island Expressway in Ronkonkoma.  As you're driving along the service road, you could easily pass it by, but you'd be doing yourself a disservice if you did, because you would be missing out on a great dining experience.

As you enter Smokey Bones BBQ & Grill, you'll notice right away that this is not your typical restaurant.  While many waiting areas are crowded and tight, the waiting area here is open and inviting.  My family and I happened to arrive when it wasn't crowded, so we were able to be seated right away.  Of course, my son first had to try out the comfortable leather couches in the waiting area.

The restaurant has a very open feel, and the booths are large and comfortable.  Each booth comes equipped with its own volume box, so you can choose which TV you would like to listen to at the privacy of your own table.  My son chose to listen to the baseball game that was on.  Should you decide to forgo the television volume, you can just enjoy the background music that is playing at a level that is loud enough to hear, but not so loud that you have to raise your voice to speak to each other.

Our waiter, Ken, came over immediately and took our drink order, and asked if we were interested in any appetizers.  My wife and I both ordered a cup of the Brunswick Stew, which has a chili-like consistency, but its own unique flavor.  It is a tomato-based combination of slow cooked pork, chicken and beef with corn.  One spoonful of this sweet yet spicy stew, and we knew that this was going to be an enjoyable meal.  Since the kids had no interest in trying the stew, they were kept satisfied with the extra crackers that Ken brought over to us at my wife's request.

The kids menu has a nice variety, and doubles as a fun activity booklet to keep the kids entertained.  My son ordered the macaroni & cheese with a side of toasted corn.  If you're kids are mac & cheese fans, they will certainly appreciate the ample portion of this homemade gooey dish.  

I ordered the Smokehouse Burger (a half pound burger with barbequed onions, BBQ sauce, bacon, lettuce, tomato, red onion slices and pickles).  It comes with cheddar cheese also, but I ordered mine with no cheese.  The burger was cooked to perfection, and ended up being more than a meal, perhaps because of the two Strawberry Lemonades that I drank (which I highly recommend).

My wife ordered the hand pulled pork sandwich with seasoned fries, but ended up having to eat the corn that my son wouldn't eat once he tasted the fries.  Our waiter, Ken, brought my wife a side of fries anyway at no extra charge.  Her sandwich came on a delicious bun with tender meat.  A splash of Smokey Bones own BBQ sauce was the perfect compliment to the sandwich.

Before the meal even started, we were all looking at the dessert menu and salivating, so we knew that we'd have to save a little room for dessert.  All of the decadent desserts looked appealing, but the portions were so large that we couldn't eat too much more.  We decided to split a bag of donuts.  Prior to eating at Smokey Bones BBQ & Grill, my wife and I always thought of "bag of donuts" as a fictional mob-like character "Joey Bagga Donuts," but it turns out that it's an actual dessert, and it is not to be missed! 

These cinnamon sugar donuts are made fresh for each customer, and arrive at the table in a plain white paper bag.  They truly are made-to-order, as they are too hot to handle right away.  As if the half dozen donuts weren't a decadent enough treat on their own, they also come with two dipping sauces (chocolate and strawberry). 

If you're looking for a family-friendly restaurant with great food, service and atmosphere, you'll want to make sure to check out Smokey Bones BBQ & Grill.  This is a chain restaurant, but this is the only location on Long Island.  According to our outstanding waiter, Ken, the whole menu is about to be revised.  All of the favorite dishes will remain, and about 30 more selections are being added to the menu.  To see the current menu, please click here. 

For driving directions to Smokey Bones BBQ & Grill, please click here.

In part 1 of this series, Long Island FSBO's and the Multiple Listing Service, it was discussed that there is a business model that allows homeowners to appear on the Multiple Listing Service (MLS) while still having all of the responsibility of selling their home on their own. 

In part 2 of this series, Long Island FSBO's and the Multiple Listing Service (Part 2), I addressed the issue of how flat fee brokers don't have the same incentive to get the home sold as a full service broker does because they are paid in advance, rather than after the home is sold.

In this part of the series, I will discuss one of the most important factors that homeowners fail to address when deciding to sell their home on their own - putting aside their emotions when negotiating. 

Many people feel that they are best suited to negotiate the sale of their home because they have the most to gain or lose during the negotiations.  A common misconception is that agents and brokers are just looking for "fast" deals so that they can move on to the next sale, and not the "best" deal for the homeowner.  This may be true on occasion, but it is more the exception than the rule.

The truth of the matter is that agents and brokers are trained to make decisions based on facts, whereas homeowners are more likely to base their decisions on emotions, and there is a logical reason for this.  When a homeowner decides to sell their home, they usually don't think of their home as a product.  They think of their home as a place where holidays were celebrated, where life-changing events occurred and where memories were made.  Homeowners take pride in any improvements that were made, and often times give these improvements undue weight when negotiating the sale of their home.

There's nothing wrong with having an emotional attachment to a home, nor is there anything wrong with being proud of the work that has been done.  However, when it comes to negotiating, pride and emotion have a way of clouding one's judgment, which often leads to illogical decision-making.

When choosing to hire a brokerage whose only service is to place a home onto the Multiple Listing Service, homeowners take on the burden of directly negotiating the sale of their home.  Negotiation, like most things in life, is a skill that requires constant practice to perfect.  A homeowner that sells a home every few years will still only have a fraction of the negotiating experience that an experienced agent has, and thereby will have a difficult time achieving the same results.

There are other factors to consider when negotiating the sale of your own home as well.  In part 4 of this series, the issue of fair housing will be discussed.  Most homeowners don't realize that they are legally bound by the same fair housing laws that agents and brokers are bound by.  In part 4, homeowners will learn about what can happen when fair housing guidelines are not followed.

The following is a Long Island Market trend monthly overview featuring market trend reports from six school districts in Suffolk County and six school districts in Nassau County.  The February Market Reports provide a year-over-year summary (2007 vs. 2008), in addition to a month-over-month summary.

Each monthly market report will compare and contrast the coinciding month from the previous year, as well as the preceeing monthy from this year.  By the time that 2008 is completed, you will be able to see the trends on a monthly, quarterly and annual basis.  The information provided will show the busiest times of the year for listings and sales, as well as the slowest times of the year to listings and sales.

These reports feature the street name, town, listing price, sales price and days on the market for individual homes.  This will allow anyone that reads these reports to track comparable properties throughout the year. 

If you are a consumer living in an area that is not part of these monthly reports, but you are interested in seeing the trends in your particular area, please don't hesitate to contact me, and I can create a custom report for you.  All of my contact information is listed at the bottom of this page.

The following is the February 2008 Home Trends Market Report for the Levittown School District.  For the first time ever, this report will show month-by-month comparisons, in addition to year-over-year market trends.  This report provides statistical information about homes sold in the Levittown School District including:  location of homes, list price, sold price and days on market.

It is important to note that monthly reports provide a relatively small sampling of homes which often times results in extreme fluctuations that may or may not be indicative of the market trend for the Levittown School District. 

This report is designed to give factual information about sales in the Levittown School District.  If you are interested in finding out the market value for your particular home, you should consider having an actual market analysis done.

These reports are done by school district rather than town because school districts play a very important role in home prices on Long Island.   

Below the actual data you will find an analysis of the real estate trends for homes in the Levittown School District.

FEBRUARY 2008 HOME SALES

FEBRUARY 2007 HOME SALES

MONTH-BY-MONTH / YEAR-OVER-YEAR COMPARISON 

MONTH-BY-MONTH MARKET TREND ANALYSIS: 

The inventory trend improved, although it is still increasing.  The average list price, sold price and ratio between list price and sold price improved.  Most importantly, there was a noticeable decrease in average days on market.

YEAR-OVER-YEAR MARKET TREND ANALYSIS: 

The inventory trend deteriorated slightly, however, the average list price, sold price and ratio between list price and sold price all improved.  The average days on market showed a slight improvement as well.

CONCLUSION: 

Overall, there were some positive signs for homes in the Levittown School District, although it is still early in the year to determine a true market trend.  Should the inventory trend remain stable, and prices continue to improve, it may indicate a rebound in the local market.  This will be determined in the coming months.

The following is the February 2008 Home Trends Market Report for the Hicksville School District.  For the first time ever, this report will show month-by-month comparisons, in addition to year-over-year market trends.  This report provides statistical information about homes sold in the Hicksville School District including:  location of homes, list price, sold price and days on market.

It is important to note that monthly reports provide a relatively small sampling of homes which often times results in extreme fluctuations that may or may not be indicative of the market trend for the Hicksville School District. 

This report is designed to give factual information about sales in the Hicksville School District.  If you are interested in finding out the market value for your particular home, you should consider having an actual market analysis done.

These reports are done by school district rather than town because school districts play a very important role in home prices on Long Island.   

Below the actual data you will find an analysis of the real estate trends for homes in the Hicksville School District.

FEBRUARY 2008 HOME SALES

FEBRUARY 2007 HOME SALES

MONTH-BY-MONTH / YEAR-OVER-YEAR COMPARISON 

MONTH-BY-MONTH MARKET TREND ANALYSIS: 

There was an increase in the monthly inventory, although average list price and average sold price increased as well.  The ratio between list price and sold price deteriorated slightly, and the average days on market showed a marginal improvement.

YEAR-OVER-YEAR MARKET TREND ANALYSIS: 

There was an increase in inventory over 2007.  However, there was a noticeable improvement in list price and sold price.  The ratio between list price and sold price deteriorated, but there was a vast improvement in average days on market.

CONCLUSION: 

It's early in the year to determine a true market trend for homes in the Hicksville School District, but there are indicators that the trend is starting to point upwards.  The inventory didn't grow by a large margin, but the prices have started to rise, indicating that the area may already be starting to rebound.  In the coming months, the true market trend will be determined.

The following is the February 2008 Home Trends Market Report for the Bethpage School District.  For the first time ever, this report will show month-by-month comparisons, in addition to year-over-year market trends.  This report provides statistical information about homes sold in the Bethpage School District including:  location of homes, list price, sold price and days on market.

It is important to note that monthly reports provide a relatively small sampling of homes which often times results in extreme fluctuations that may or may not be indicative of the market trend for the Bethpage School District. 

This report is designed to give factual information about sales in the Bethpage School District.  If you are interested in finding out the market value for your particular home, you should consider having an actual market analysis done.

These reports are done by school district rather than town because school districts play a very important role in home prices on Long Island.   

Below the actual data you will find an analysis of the real estate trends for homes in the Bethpage School District.

FEBRUARY 2008 HOME SALES

FEBRUARY 2007 HOME SALES

MONTH-BY-MONTH / YEAR-OVER-YEAR COMPARISON 

MONTH-BY-MONTH MARKET TREND ANALYSIS: 

The amount of new inventory on the market remained relatively flat.  Average list price and average sold price both increased, but this may be due to the very small sample size for February 2008 closings.  The ratio between list price and sold price dropped slightly, but average days on market showed improvement.

YEAR-OVER-YEAR MARKET TREND ANALYSIS: 

The amount of new inventory increased slightly, while average list price and average sold price decreased.  Again, this can be attributed to the small sample size for the month.  The ratio of list price to sold price dropped slightly, and days on market increased.

CONCLUSION: 

Since the sample size of homes sold was so small in the Bethpage School District for February 2008, it is difficult to determine the absolute direction of the market.  As the year progresses, the trend will be more easily determined.

The following is the February 2008 Home Trends Market Report for the Plainview-Old Bethpage School District.  For the first time ever, this report will show month-by-month comparisons, in addition to year-over-year market trends.  This report provides statistical information about homes sold in the Plainview Old-Bethpage School District including:  location of homes, list price, sold price and days on market.

It is important to note that monthly reports provide a relatively small sampling of homes which often times results in extreme fluctuations that may or may not be indicative of the market trend for the Plainview-Old Bethpage School District. 

This report is designed to give factual information about sales in the Plainview-Old Bethpage School District.  If you are interested in finding out the market value for your particular home, you should consider having an actual market analysis done.

These reports are done by school district rather than town because school districts play a very important role in home prices on Long Island.   

Below the actual data you will find an analysis of the real estate trends for homes in the Plainview-Old Bethpage School District.

FEBRUARY 2008 HOME SALES

FEBRUARY 2007 HOME SALES

MONTH-BY-MONTH / YEAR-OVER-YEAR COMPARISON 

MONTH-BY-MONTH MARKET TREND ANALYSIS: 

Inventory increased at a slower rate, List price declined slightly, but sold price dropped noticeably, which resulted in a drop in the ratio between list price and sold price.  The average days on market remained relatively flat.

YEAR-OVER-YEAR MARKET TREND ANALYSIS: 

While inventory showed a slight increase, the average list price and sold price did improve.  The ratio of list price to sold price improved slightly, and there was a small increase in average days on market.

CONCLUSION: 

It is early in the year, and the trend for home sales in the Plainview-Old Bethpage remains to be seen once there is more data.  While there was a decline since last month, there was improvement compared to 2007.