Tom Crimmins Realty Blog - March, 2015

New Rehabilitation Loans On The Rise

Have you ever passed by a house that was in need of a lot of repairs? Did you see the potential of this property, and could see it turning into your dream home? 

If only you could afford to fix the place up! If this is something you have found yourself thinking of, a 203(k) home loan may be the loan for you. 

A 203(k) loan is an all-in-one home loan endorsed by the FHA, under the Department of HUD.

This loan includes not only purchase costs, repair expenses and home improvement costs it also allows for a low down payment of 3.5 percent of the purchase price plus construction costs!

What are your options? Well, there are two types of 203(k) loans:

Regular 203(k): For homes that require structural rehabilitation and

Streamlined 203(k): For…

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Painting Tricks To Make Your Home Look Amazing This Spring

When it comes to painting the walls of a house, sometimes subtle is best. You want to add design, color, and texture to the walls, but you don't want it jarring to the eyes. Here are three subtle painting techniques you can try on your home walls.

Tissue Paper Texture

One easy way to add texture to walls is to use tissue paper. You apply the tissue paper to the walls and it stays there until you want something new. Crumple up a piece of tissue paper into a tight ball and then open it up and smooth it out. Small textured lines will appear on the paper. Those lines will remain when you use the paper on the walls.

Use the colored wall paint as glue to adhere the tissue paper to the wall. Paint an area of the wall that's a little bit bigger than the…

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SIBOR Training Makes The Best of Our Agents

Rich Mohr of SIBOR conducted a very instructional seminar for our new FLEX- MLS system solely for our office. I am proud to say that well over 50 Tom Crimmins Realty agents attended the seminar which was held at SIBOR Headquarters. Every agent walked out smarter because of the professional training by expert Rich Mohr. A social mixer was held following the seminar at the Manor House Restaurant. the event was sponsored by Larry Ambrosino of CHL Mortgage.

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February 2015 Staten Island Real Estate Market Recap

We have had a crazy winter this year and Staten Island real estate market shows that too! Below are inventory reports for February 2014 and February 2015, as well as comparisons. 

Comparing February 2015 to last year's month, Staten Island's real estate market had a healthy increase in sale sides from 237 to 263.

February 2015 hit over $100,000,000 monthly volume - more evidence that Staten Island real estate market is picking up! 

…

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2015 SIBOR Agent Breakfast

SIBOR celebrates 100 years and hosts their annual Agent's Breakfast and Agent Trade Show on Thursday, March 19th. We are proud of all our agents for their hard work and dedication this past year.

There was over 300 members who attended the Breakfast and over 90 vendors in the Agent Trade Show.

Click here to read the SIBOR press release.

The full list of honorees from our office include:

Top Producer Gold:

Top Producer Silver:

Top Producer Bronze:

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Excellent Reasons Way You Should Break That "Renting Rut"

It is the never ending question for future homeowners. To rent or to buy? That is the question.

Renting a home is a good option for some, but buying a home just might be the best thing for you. There are some big advantages to buying a house that will help you get out of your renting rut and focus more on your future.

Build Equity

You may not realize this, but when you rent a home - you help someone else build equity. Any changes that you make with your landlord's approval puts money back in his or her pocket. When you buy a home of your own, you have the chance to build equity of your own, which you can use to obtain a loan later.

Save On Your Taxes

When you rent a house, you cannot deduct the money you spend on your taxes. Though some…

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Tom Crimmins Realty Opens 3rd Location on Staten Island

Featured in Staten Island Advance "Winter Real Estate"  Friday, March 6, 2015

Suzanne and Tom Crimmins, Herman and Debbie Herrera (l. to r.)

Suzanne and Tom Crimmins are proud to announce that they have opened a third location at 7319 Amboy Road in the Tottenville section of Staten Island.

"Some times opportunities arise when you have no plans or expectations," said Suzanne and Tom Crimmins.

Herman and Debbie Herrera, formerly of Herman & Co., approached the owners of Tom Crimmins Realty with the interest in joining the firm, along with their hard working staff. This professional husband and wife team also offered their charming and meticulous state of the art office space as part of the joint venture.

"It was a no…

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Spring Cleaning: Follow Our Handy Guide to Organizing

As much as we wish for Spring to be around the corner, we're still surrounded by snow. Even with all this snow, you can get a jump start on "spring cleaning." We might be snowed in soon enough so why not sweep those cobwebs, start reorganization paper and throw away useless junk. 

Gutting Out Your Garage & De-Clutter Your Basement

You'll likely need to set aside a full weekend to organize your garage. Go through tools, unpacked boxes from when you moved and anything else that gets in your way. Separate the items that you want to sell or donate, items that you want keep and stuff that you want to throw away into a separate pile.

Use as much wall space as possible to store tools and boxes by installing shelves inside your garage. Organize the items…

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3 Trends to Be Aware of Before Renovating

Renovating your kitchen is an excellent way to improve its appearance, increase the value of your home and appeal to a more diverse range of home buyers. Kitchen remodeling can cost $10,000 to $20,000 or more, which is why you want to make sure it is the best decision for you and your home. 

Traditional Is Back

Trends are temporary, but classic is forever. Although we personal may want to stick to trends, some times retaining that traditional look are more appealing. 

If you are curious about this year's trends, some of them include darker wood colors for cabinets, tables, counters and even floors. Other trends include rustic farmhouse tables, double porcelain sinks and natural stone counters.

Going Green

It's hard to go anywhere today…

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