Before Staten Island was known as the Forgotten Borough, it was actually named 'Monacnong,' by the original Indian inhabitants, which means Enchanted Woods. The main groups that lived along the outskirts, rivers and lakes, and mountains of Staten Island and New York were the Algonquians, Iroquois, and the Lenape people. Staten Island had mountains? Yes, the last ice age created landforms like mountains and valleys when glaciers had covered the land.  

The tribes traded and grew plants among the Hudson RIver, Delaware River, and the Long Island RIver. Their famous crops were called the "The Three Sisters." "The Three Sisters" were the corn, bean and squash.

The Algonquians and the Iroquois have made many contributions to the Staten Island and New…

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What happens if you find the dream Staten Island property that you want to buy, before you have made the sale on your old property? Ideally you would have sold your current home before you buy your new property. However, sometimes the transition doesn’t work out that way. You don’t want to give up the sale if you have found a bargain on your dream house, so is it possible to buy the property before you have made the sale?

The answer is yes, it is possible. You will need to find a financing option that will allow you to secure your next home before you have sold your existing property.

Getting a Bridge Loan

One option is a bridge loan. This is designed to wrap your payments for your current home and your future home into one loan, which can last…

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Are you applying for a mortgage on your Staten Island home? Keep in mind that a mortgage is a major financial decision and choosing one will have a significant impact on the rest of your life. Many people go into this decision without understanding all of the essential mortgage information they need to know, which means that they are likely to make poor choices that will result in paying much more than they need to.

If you want to save yourself from throwing away your hard earned money, here are a few common mistakes to avoid:

Trying to Bottom Out the Market

Many people will wait too long to make a decision to lock in their mortgage rate, trying to wait until they think that the rates have hit bottom. However, unfortunately most of the time this…

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Online images and local advertisements are usually the first impressions that buyers get of Staten Island real estate — so why not present your home at its best? After buyers decide their price range, square footage needs and the number of bedrooms they want, the next step is to look at photographs to determine if a home is worth visiting in person.

When enlisting the services of a REALTOR to help sell your home, you should inquire how they plan to visually promote it. You want buyers to view your home in its best light, so it’s okay to ask your REALTOR to hire a professional photographer. Below are strategies for getting the best shot, posting images online and selling your Staten Island real estate fast.

Set The Stage

The photographs should…

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Is it the right time for you? Maybe you have been thinking of buying a Staten Island property, but you are not sure if you are ready yet to make the commitment. Buying your first home is a major life decision and it will require a lot of thought before you proceed.

How do you know when you are ready to make your home purchase? Here are a few things to keep in mind that will help you determine whether it’s time to buy your first home.

Do You Have Control Over Your Finances?

You keep a budget and you responsibly spend less than you earn. You pay off your credit card in full every month. You know where your money is coming from and where it goes. If you feel like you have a handle on your financial life and you have strong money management skills,…

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When you find a Staten Island home with a good resale value, it will be easier to sell when the time comes. However, many homebuyers forget to consider resale value when they buy, and they only consider whether the house meets their needs at that moment. This can come back to haunt them years later when they are struggling to sell the home for a good price.

It might seem odd to be thinking about selling a home that you don’t even own yet. However, chances are good that you will need to sell the home at some point, so you will want to own a property that will increase in value and will appeal to a wide range of buyers.

Choose The Best Location

The old real estate cliché goes that you should look for “location, location, location” but it’s…

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If you are looking to renovate your Staten Island home before selling, what are some of the luxurious home features you can add that will really make the home special? These features will not only make your home more impressive, they will also improve your quality of life as you spend time in the home. Another advantage of having these special features in your home is that they will make the property more attractive to buyers when you eventually resell.

Walk In Closet

A walk in closet is a dream-come-true for any fashionista, with enough space for clothing, accessories and dozens of pairs of shoes. This luxurious home feature can give you much more space to organize your belongings and make your home feel much more spacious. When you are selling the…

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When you buy a Staten Island home, it is your space to live in and enjoy and you can renovate and redecorate in order to improve your surroundings in any way that you choose. One of the ways that you can enhance your enjoyment of the property as well as add to the value of the home is to create an outdoor dining space. On a beautiful summer day, what could be nicer than having a place where friends and family can gather and enjoy a few drinks, barbecue up some tasty food and breathe the fresh air?

Here are some tips to keep in mind when you are adding an outdoor dining space to your home:

  • Choose the right location. You want your backyard dining area to be peaceful, quiet and private, so find the best spot on your yard that will be screened from…

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Most men, and even handy women, dream of a perfectly organized work space where their tools are orderly and they can tackle that list of home DIY projects. However, renovations can get put on hold because there’s not a designated place to work. Tools are usually scattered throughout closets and the kitchen table serves as a workbench.

Create a space for all of your improvement projects by turning a section of your garage into a construction-friendly, wonderfully organized haven for your tools and home makeover endeavors. Below are four easy steps to building the perfect garage workshop.

Make Sure You Have Adequate Space

Ideally, you’d still like to be able to get your cars in their designated space, so look for a vacant area at the back of the…

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August means it’s time to get your children ready for school once more. Picking out backpacks, going clothes shopping and finding all the right school supplies can be hectic enough. However, when you’ve moved and your children have to start all over in a new district, there’s even more to worry about!

Summer fun can make the sunny months fly by. It’s easy to forget that with the beginning of school comes excitement and anxiety for your little ones -- especially if they’re starting out somewhere new. So help them get adjusted with the back-to-a-new-school strategies below.

Explain why you’ll be moving.

Whether you’re moving states or just school districts, it’s best to give your children as much notice as possible and explain to them the reason…

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