Tom Crimmins Realty Blog

6 Ceiling Solutions To Update Your Home

If you’re absolutely sick of looking at the popcorn ceiling of your 1980’s home — it’s time for a change. However, behind the façade of a ceiling is a mess of plumbing, wiring, joists and structural beams, so you have to be careful and creative when updating your home.

Whether you’re dealing with an older home, a tricky duct system or an unfinished basement, below are several ceiling solutions to brighten up the space above your head.

Bring back wood paneling.

The 70’s are making a comeback. If you have a flat or slanted ceiling, wood paneling is easy to affix and can create a cozy cabin-like feel. This works well in living rooms, bedrooms and basements where you want generate a warm, comfortable atmosphere. 

Create an industrial vibe.

If…

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5 Energy Efficient Home Upgrades To Save You Money

Making a commitment to go green in your home not only helps the environment, but also your wallet. The federal government and New York are offering tax breaks for upgrades made in 2013. So, take an interest in Mother Nature and advantage of the tax incentives by making your home more energy efficient.

 1. Invest in a tankless water heater.

On-demand water heaters heat your shower or washing machine water as needed, so they are not constantly working to keep a large amount of water continually hot. Electric tankless water heaters can sometimes be twice as energy efficient as standard water tank heaters.

 2. Install ceiling fans.

Ceiling fans help circulate the air in a room to make it feel cooler. This reduces the need to turn on appliances…

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Relay For Life for American Cancer Society

Just 2 days to go!

Each year Tom Crimmins Realty participates in the Relay for Life for American Cancer Society. Tom and his staff solicit sponsors as well dig as deep into their own pockets to raise as much money as possible for cancer research. Each year they raise more money than the previous year for this great cause.

Looking to donate or help out. Feel free to contact Tom Crimmins Realty at 718-370-3200 or donate directly at the Tom Crimmins Realty Relay For Life page. It’s a great feeling to give!

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Selling a Home? Here’s a great idea!

People love garage sales!  If you are selling your home you most likely have personal belongings and furniture you no longer need. 

Combine a garage sale with an open house.  Works great. Be sure to check the weather and advertise it in both the open house section and garage sales section.  Distribute flyers spreading word about both.  It’s an all win situation.  Just make sure your realtor has ample coverage to handle the large expected traffic through your home.  Hey you never know, people that patronize garage sales buy homes too!  Call us to strategically sell your home.  We have both state of the art marketing tools as well as “old school” approaches.

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Should I allow my Real estate broker to put a sign on my lawn?

Absolutely. A real estate for sale sign should be on every house on the market. At least 20% of all buyer calls come from for sale signs. Allow your broker to display a sign. Sometimes the old school way works. As a seller you want every edge.

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Do I sell My Home Myself or Use A Realtor?

People fail to realize that a real estate agent is an experienced , trained, licensed and often seasoned professional. Yes you have to “interview” and hand pick your real estate agent but it is important to have one to guide you and work for you when you are selling your home.

Providing you find a knowledgeable and reputable agent that you feel comfortable with there is no better way to sell your home.

Aside from having all the necessary tools, contacts and needed internet access a realtor knows how to properly market your home to get a seller the best possible price.

Realtors are also savy negotiators. Strong negotiators usually bring much more in the way of final agreed sale price to substantially cover a seller commission and beyond to put…

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What Can a Seller Expect In The Way of Closing Costs?

A seller can expect to pay approximately 1.4% for home sales $500,000 or under and 1.825% for home sales over $500,000. From here a seller needs to add realtor commission and loan payoffs. It is a safe bet to additionally add $1500 for misc. legal and title fees.

Always choose a reputable real estate attorney for what may be the biggest sale of your life! Contact us for some great attorney referrals or for more information for selling your home. Or stop by our comprehensive home seller's guide.

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Crime - A Common Real Estate Question

Crime is a strong concern among buyers. It is human nature to want to know how safe an area is. A real estate agent is under no circumstances allowed to give his/her opinion or advice on crime. It is common practice for a professional real estate agent to refer a potential buyer to the local precinct for advice on the safety of certain areas. I can tell you as a native Staten Islander and retired New York City Police Sgt. that Staten Island is a nice place to live!

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Open Houses

An Open House is an old school tool to lure potential buyers into a listed home for sale. Personally I feel open houses are most as effective as they once were although on occasion they do work.

Face it. In a buyers' market, which we are in now, the buyer is somewhat in control. With that they want to be convenienced somewhat schedule wise. A buyer will request a private appointment that works for them rather than show on a set day between set hours. In a sellers' market, if you recall, 7 to 10 years ago buyers were just racing from one open house to another open house to be the first to bid on the house. Prices were climbing and home inventory was scarce. Today's market is the opposite. In a buyers market there is a larger inventory of homes and…

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Should Buyers Work With One Agent?

Buyers should work with one agent. Many buyers feel that they should jump around from agent to agent or just deal with the listing agent.

In my personal opinion a buyer should work with one agent and only one agent. Yes they should be certain they are comfortable with the agent. The agent should be competent, accessible and knowledgeable. A buyer should actually interview the agent of their choice. Ask agent to verify his/her experience. Ask for stats. Make sure the agent is savy and knowledgeable in the market or area of interest. Inquire about their accessibility. Is the agent full time or part time? Some of the best agents are part time.

Once you have a working relationship with one agent and have established a bond, be loyal to that agent. If…

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