Tom Crimmins Realty Blog - Thomas Crimmins

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.

2296 Views, 0 Comments

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.

2120 Views, 0 Comments

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…

2088 Views, 0 Comments

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.

2508 Views, 0 Comments

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!

3297 Views, 0 Comments

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…

2400 Views, 0 Comments

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…

2741 Views, 0 Comments

The Importance of a Pre Qual for a Home Buyer

Buying a home can be a long drawn out and stressful process. It is so important to surround yourself with true professionals. Among these professionals are a real estate broker, an attorney, a home inspector and a mortgage broker.

Your first stop aside from maybe sitting with a real estate broker to make sure you feel comfortable and “hit it off” is to contact a mortgage broker to learn or verify your true buying power. Many naïve buyers look at homes first and then worry about buying power. Wrong! Aside from not wasting your time, seller’s time and real estate agents time, a buyer needs a pre qual from a reputable banking institution for various reasons:

• You need to know true buying power
• You need to know the monthly cost or expected budget
• If…

2403 Views, 0 Comments

Realtor of Choice among NYPD/FDNY

Home buying and selling is not an easy thing to do. Real estate professionals broker the deal to make the process go smooth, quick and stress free. At Tom Crimmins Realty we service all walks of life from first time buyers to investors to luxury home clients. Our very seasoned and diversified staff handles it all. With many active and retired police officers and firefighters on our staff we have become the realtor of choice on Staten Island among Police officers and Firefighters! Aside from having a true connection and much in common so we can understand our clients needs we are in the circle of professionals (attorneys, mortgage reps, inspectors, ect.) that offer PBA/FD programs that are very beneficial to the professionals that protect our city. Every…

2374 Views, 0 Comments

Some Smart Ideas When Selling A Home

Selling a home can be stressful even with a true Real Estate Professional. You can help your sale with some very inexpensive suggestions. Here they are:

• Clear all clutter. Keep all couner tops, furniture, floors free of unecessary clutter!
• Open blinds. Let all natural light in. 
• Turn on all lights prior to buyer showing up. Don't wait until they arrive. The more light the better. Rooms look bigger.
• Light a few scented candles. Just an inexpensive way to give a nice touch.
• Fill a few vases with flowers.
• Limit or remove most personal photos. Allow your buyer to start to picture your home as theirs.
• In season, plant bright flowers in gardens. Fill garden pots.
• Keep room temperature proper. Have air on ahead of time in summer and have…

2287 Views, 0 Comments