Tom Crimmins Realty Blog - January, 2014

Tips For Selling Your Home In The New Year

Many people think that selling a home during the winter season is a bad idea. Most people are not in the home buying mood because they are thinking about the holidays. Also, buyers will think that you are desperate and they will give you offers that are less than list price.

However, there are some advantages to selling your home over the holidays and into the new year. There will be less homes on the market, so there won’t be as much competition. Also, buyers will likely be on their holidays from work, so they will have much more time to view properties and look around at homes. Another factor is mood – buyers will generally be feeling more cheery and relaxed over the holidays, which will result in them being more likely to make the decision to buy a…

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Home Decor Tips and Trends

In order to keep your home decor looking fresh and up to date, it’s important to pay attention to the trends as they shift and change. 

Planning to redecorate this year? Consider these trends to pay attention to.

Getting Personal

Social media has made a big bang in 2013, and it is following into 2014. People are able to share their interests through pictures and inspire others with DIY ideas.

Printstagram turns your Instagram pictures into prints for frames, posters, calendars, and more.

Hang these pictures of family and friends or even scenery on the walls. Postcards or letters you may have collected and saved over the years will also add a personal touch. 

If you're looking for more pop culture rather than personal, an amazing website…

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Google Zeitgeist Wraps Up 2013

Hourly to daily, trends are constantly changing but we can always rely on Google to keep track of what users are searching for. From ObamaCare to the Government Shutdown and the Royal Baby to Taylor Swift's relationships, Google compressed 2013's search engine trends regarding major events, pop culture and terms in its Zeitgeist. 

BatKid stole our hearts, whereas the Boston Marathon bombing and the death of Nelson Mandela broke them. Miley Cyrus managed to become the most searched person. Courtesy of pop culture, Oxford Dictionaries Online added words such as 'twerk', 'selfie', and 'derp.' 'What is ObamaCare?' was the seventh most popular term. Viewers bid farewell to their favorite TV show characters in Breaking Bad to 30 Rock. Playstation 4 went up…

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4 Tips To Save For That Down Payment

When you take out a mortgage on your new home as a first time homebuyer, the more you can pay as a down payment the better. The down payment on a mortgage reduces the principle of the loan and means that you will be paying tens of thousands less in interest payments over the life of the loan.

Most financial experts recommend that you should save up at least 20% of the value of the home as a down payment. Depending on the value of the home that you want to buy, this can be a serious chunk of money. You will need some strategies for saving big. Here are some tips to help you get closer to that down payment:

Make A Separate Savings Account

No matter how much you have already saved for your down payment, create a new savings account to put the money…

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Staten Island Is Hit With A Second Snowstorm This Winter

New York experienced its second snowstorm since the beginning of the year.

On Tuesday, January 21: we were hit with an early blast when snow started to come down around 8 a.m. and sanitation trucks seemed to have been invisible on the streets. 

Mayor De Blasio’s spokeswoman Marti Adams claimed the city does not dispatch plows until there is two inches of accumulation.

There have been reports that a number of streets on the Island still looked unplowed as of Thursday morning. Islanders called 311 seeking assistance for untouched side street such as, Greanleaf and Delafield Avenue by Blessed Sacrament where parents drop their children off. 

According to the New York Post: The city’s 311 help line had been swamped by nearly 125,000 calls,…

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Sourcing Your Assets For Your Home Mortgage

By Timmy Rail of Citybrook Corp.  NMLS•: 12812

When applying for a mortgage, lenders require a 60-day history of the assets that you are using for your down payment and settlement costs. Generally, all "large deposits" that a lender sees going into your account over this 60-day time-frame need to be "sourced." For example, if a parent were to give their child a gift for the purchase of a new home, this is a totally acceptable source, but needs to be proven the correct way, whereas that Super Bowl pool you won at the office may not be such an acceptable source.

When clients are close to their wedding, I always remind them that although lenders have become very picky on wedding gift monies, if properly documented the correct way, the funds can be used…

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Silver Lake Park

The original Silver Lake was known as Fresh Pond, up until 1860. During the 19th century, a casino and saloon once existed on the property and several companies harvested ice. The lake's body of water was used for boating and ice skating. In February 1897, Silver Lake hosted the National Skating Amateur Championship races.

When the population was growing, Silver Lake Park was created for families and their children to have recreational grounds to play on. 

As ice harvesting became old news, the lake was drained and converted to a working reservoir by the Board of Water Supply in 1913. Less than five years later, Silver Lake Reservoir became the endpoint of the city’s Catskill water supply system. 

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Staten Island in the 1860s

April 1864 — Staten Island Savings Bank is founded in Stapleton

Staten Island Savings Bank was founded by Francis George Shaw and numerous other men, as a mutual savings bank in 1864. The Savings Bank opened for business three years later and became Staten Island’s first successful bank.

For over it's first 60 years, Staten Island Savings Bank remained a local bank but as business continued to expand in the twentieth century, it began to open branches in other communities on the island. The first branch was opened in St. George in 1931. Branches in New Dorp, Castleton Corners and Grasmere followed years after.

March 17, 1865 — Pioneer photographer Elizabeth Alice Austen is born in Rosebank.

Alice Austen was one of America's earliest and most…

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Don't Get Caught Off Guard With Closing Costs

Home sale closing costs can take you by surprise. Here is an estimate of what a buyer or seller can expect in the way of residential closing costs - but always be sure to discuss this with your real estate attorney or mortgage rep.

Closing Costs are fees for final property transfer not included in the price of the property. Typical closing costs include charges for the mortgage loan such as origination fees, discount points, appraisal fee, survey, title insurance, legal fees, real estate professional fees, prepayment of taxes and insurance, and real estate transfer taxes. 

Here are the breakdowns:

A buyer utilizing a loan can expect between 4.5 and 6% of the purchase price depending on the loan amount.

A buyer paying all cash can expect…

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2013 Real Estate Market Recap

Home sales have substantially increased on Staten Island due to various factors. Buyer confidence is back, sellers are in acceptance for realistic asking prices, and historically low interest rates wrap up the formula of strengthened sales. 

"The key to real estate success in Staten Island, aside from having a seasonal professional staff," said Tom and Suzanne Crimmins, owners of Tom Crimmins Realty LTD.. "Is a well managed and maintained Internet website, aggressive Internet advertising, social media and good old school sale marketing."

Tom Crimmins Realty experienced a phenomenal year. Personal sales increased from 218 sale sides in 2012 to 386 in 2013. These numbers do not include their rentals or Brooklyn sales.

According to Tom Crimmins,…

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