Tom Crimmins Realty Blog

It's Never Too Early!

It's never too early to think about or plan to buy real estate. Aside from saving as much as possible, it is vital to establish good credit and make sure to keep your credit blemish free.

Here are some suggestions to establishing good credit:

1. For the college students - if your parents have good credit and pay bills on time ask to piggy bank onto their charge account to gain positive credit ratings.
2. Get your own minimal charge card or two. Usually a gas card or department store card is an easy one for a new applicant to secure.
3. Don't pay your new charge card off entirely each month. Pay the minimum for a few months then pay it off. Repeat this process. Credit bureaus like to see this.
4. College loans help establish credit. Pay them on time…

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Tom Crimmins Realty Ending the Year By Giving Back

Tom Crimmins Realty ends 2014 by giving back to the community by donating toys to Catholic Youth Organization and Police Officer Rocco Laurie Foundation. Over 800 toys were donated this year, toys were also distributed to PS 48. 

It is truly heartwarming to see how many people give back to those who are struggling during this time of the year. It is important to be thankful for those of us who are more fortunate than others.

CYO's mission is to provide recreational, cultural and spiritual activities to the young people of the Archdiocese of New York. The Police Officer Rocco Lauri Foundation is in memory of 23 year old officer who was assassinated in 1972.

Here at Tom Crimmins Realty, we help support non-profit organizations in trying to do…

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Renter Helpful Checklist Part 2

There are many common mistakes renters make while apartment hunting. We broke down a checklist for potential rents into two parts. In case you missed it, here is Part 1 from last week.

1. Are there carbon monoxide detectors and smoke alarms? Are they hard wired or battery operated? Is there a working burglar alarm?
2. How about further security? Do you have your own exterior door and key or is it a common for all the tenants? Is it a buzz in set up? Are there security cameras or possibly security guard or doorman? 
3. Is there ample shopping nearby - even walking distance? Are these any nice restaurants close by?
4. Is there a pet policy? You might not have a pet now but you may want one another day. Or you may not want to hear a neighbors dog barks…

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Renter Helpful Checklist Part 1

There are many common mistakes renters make while apartment hunting. We broke down a checklist for potential rents into two parts.

1. Potential renter should check past recent utility bills. Inquire about how will home is insulated. Remember heat rises. Are you on the first floor and helping heat the second floor? Are windows new or are you losing heat?
2. Did you buy a cup of coffee and stake out the block and area? Did you do this on different days and different times? Is parking an issue? Try to get away with leaving a small depost to stall for some time and stand watch.
3. DId you meet yout neighbors? Don't be afraid to ring a few doorbells. Introduce yourself. Ask questions. Make a list of questions that are important to you.
4. Do you have easy…

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Westerleigh Improvement Society Kicks Off The Holidays With Their Christmas Party

Owners Suzanne and Tom Crimmins joins Council Member Steven Matteo, a few of our agents and guests to celebrate the holidays at the Immanuel Union Church with the Westerleigh Improvement Society

Our friends, the Westerleigh Improvement Society, hosted their annual Christmas Party at the Immanuel Union Church. Council Member Steve Matteo was in attendance, who is a fellow Westerleigh residence.

As most of you may know, the Westerleigh Improvement Society aims to address concerns in the community and preserve the beauty of Westerleigh through ongoing projects. Some of their successful projects this year consisted of: a street survey regarding “street pavement conditions, street signs and painted lineage”, “land use” and rezoning the…

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Realtors to the Heroes Toy Drive

On December 4th 2014, the team Realtors to the Heroes of Tom Crimmins Realty held its annual toy drive. This year, the special event was held at Flanagan’s Tavern. Flanagan’s is located on Amboy Road in the Great Kills section of Staten Island.

Tom Crimmins Realty recently opened its second office, located at 282 Nelson Ave in the Great Kills area of Staten Island. We strive to not only provide excellent service to our clients, but to give back to our communities. This year’s Realtor to the Heroes toy drive is for the Police Officer Rocco Laurie Foundation. The foundation has annual scholarships for junior high school students and participates in outreach endeavors.

The event held at Flanagan’s garnered hundreds of toys, mostly donated by active &…

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DIY: How to Keep Heat Inside & Ideas to Insulate Your Windows

According to the U.S. Department of Energy, 10% of air leaks out of the average house through the windows. Also, Energy Star estimated homeowners could save an annual 7-15% on their energy bills by replacing their own windows with more efficient models.

If you live in an old home, it might not be possible to replace all of the windows in your home. But there are still come inexpensive ways to insulate your windows.

Apply Rubber Weather Sealing

You'll be able to find some inexpensive strips of rubber weather sealing that is self adhesive at your local hardware store. You can cut a long strip down to fit your window and then peel it off and stick it to the frame in order to close gaps and keep out drafts. This is a cheap solution, but it can be…

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Should You Still List During the Holiday Season?

Holiday season is here and sellers have numerous real estate questions on their minds. Should I keep my property on the market? Should I list now or after the holidays? When is the best time to list?

It was originally thought that listing your property during the holidays was not the wise decision. However, with the Internet and potential buyers constantly on their phones, this forces the old logic to hold off until after the holidays out the window. Zillow said it best, "As a result of the Internet, our hectic schedules and mobile lifestyles, the fall months are no longer a real estate dead zone...There’s plenty of action happening after Labor Day through Christmas. The reality is, the home buying season is now year-round."

Today's serious buyers…

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Celebrating 50 Years of Verrazano-Narrows

50 years ago today, the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge became the first pathway from Staten Island to Brooklyn and visa versa.

"When the Verrazano opened to traffic on November 21, 1964, it was the longest cable suspension bridge in the world, edging out its West Coast rival, the Golden Gate Bridge, by a mere 60 feet. Today it remains the longest in the United States, spanning 9,865 feet. The Verrazano remains the major commuting artery connecting Staten Island to the rest of New York City, carrying nearly 200,000 drivers each day." (x)

Embrace the Culture

Historic Richmond Town will be hosting the exhibit, "Spanning the Narrows for Five Decade." The exhibit has been open since mid-August at the Staten Island Historical Society and will continue to run…

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October 2014 Staten Island Real Estate Market Recap

We are continuing our fall season in the Staten Island real estate, and below is October 2013 and October 2014 Staten Island real estate report. 

The fall season started with 298 monthly sale sides last month in September; Staten Island finished October 2014 with 313 monthly sale sides. 

There has been a great improvement in Staten Island's real estate market from October 2013 to October 2014. There has been more monthly sales and an almost…

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