"today's writers...tomorrow's leaders"

Alas, the Tom Crimmins Realty 5th Grade Essay Contest has ended!

Students were asked: To what extent will the St. George Ferris Wheel impact the Staten Island community? Support all answers with either three major benefits or disadvantages.

Over 500 essays were submitted and read. Our young writers varied in listing benefits and disadvantages of the 625 feet tall St. George Ferris Wheel and side attractions that will follow. Benefits ranged from new job opportunities like handymen, tour guides, chefs and waiters in local restaurants to a boom in St. George real estate market to the wheel's efficient energy usage. Some disadvantages extended from lose of parking spaces, littering and finally to an idea of…

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Newly renovated Westerleigh Park has been on the up and up lately. Westerleigh Improvement Society and Friends of Westerleigh Park teamed up to bring the beautiful neighborhood of Westerleigh a fun and eventful summer for all families. 

June 14 - Fitness Mobile    12-2PM June 21 - Make Music New York    3-9PM *June 22 - Patriotic Sunday In The Park    2-4PM July 1 - Puppet Mobile    12-12:30PM July 8 - Art In The Park    10AM-12PM July 15 - Art In The Park    10AM-12PM July 17 - Starlight Concert July 22 - Fitness Mobile    12-2PM July 29 - Skating In The Park    12-2PM Aug 8 - Army National Guard Band    7-9PM Aug 29 - Movie In The Park    TBA Sept 3 - Wag Your Tail Social    8-10PM Sept 13 - Westerleigh Park…

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Now that the title search is complete and you have your mortgage commitment signed, you are ready to set a closing date.

When setting a closing date, there are a few things to keep in mind. First off, most people decide to close at the end of the month. The reason behind this desire is due to the fact that there is prepaid interest due at closing. This means that at closing, you are required to pay the interest for the month you are closing. The prepaid interest is calculated from the date you close until the end of that month. For example, if you close on the March 14th, you will pay interest from that date until March 31st. If you close on March 30th, you will pay interest until March 31st, or only one day’s worth of interest. Closing towards the end…

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By Timmy Rail of Citybrook Corp.; NMLS I.D. #: 12812

As a homebuyer in today's marketplace, one should be aware of all mortgage programs that are available to a borrower. The first step in the home-buying process should be getting "pre-qualified" by a seasoned mortgage loan officer that can assist in showing you all of your available options and answering all of your questions. Today, we focus on a comparison of a Conventional mortgage versus an FHA mortgage and emphasize the benefits of the Conventional loan. On a 1-family unit, a borrower can obtain a Conventional mortgage with 5% down. Assuming a 760 FICO score, let's compare a Conventional mortgage versus an FHA mortgage at today's interest rates:

  • As evidenced above, although FHA…

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Animal Planet Treehouse Masters

Remember when you were a kid climbing up that knotted rope to get to your secret place up in the trees? Well Animal Planet's Treehouse Masters does not create your typical childhood hideaway. If you haven't seen or heard of Animal Planet's brillant new show - think of ABC's Extreme Home Makeover but with an obvious twist.

This past Friday, Treehouse Masters and Pete Nelson have returned for their second season. 

Pete Nelson is the mastermind treehouse builder. He has his own treehouse-building business, runs a treehouse hotel in Washington State and has written a number of books about treehouses all over the world.

Nelson and his crew of contractors travel across country to build luxury backyard escapes that feature arboreal architecture. All…

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Picture this: Feeling the wind blow, rustling the leaves on the sky-high trees. No obscene traffic or horrendous car horns whaling over the chirping of birds. Walking a short distance to a quiet place along freshly cut green grass and a variety of colorful flowers. 

Although a relatively small square within a big island, Westerleigh Park plays a large role in its community as the site of countless school performances, field trips, dance lessons, art exhibits, seasonal festivals, and holiday performances. (x)

Westerleigh Park has improved immensely over the years and was even featured in New York Times.

Stephanie Slepian from the Staten Island Advance reported back in November 2013 the park had $1.2 million in capital improvements:

"The…

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Get out the soaking bucket and scraping tool, wallpaper is coming back into style. Wallpaper is going to help you accomplish a fashionable living space faster and easier than you could have imagined. It's time to get with the trends, and give your home a quick and easy facelift!

A World Of Design With Wallpaper

With many patterns and styles available, suddenly your home's imperfections can easily be hidden. You can give the small room in your home a facelift with a wallpaper pattern with vertical stripes, instantly making the room feel larger. Or you can suddenly have the accent wall you've always dreamed of but have been to afraid to commit to, creating a focal point behind the bed in your master bedroom, or behind the sofa in the living room. Or…

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Staten Island's real estate market is still on the upside. April 2014 had a sight monthly sales decrease but increase in average sale price in camparison to April 2013.

Staten Island April 2014 Real EstateLast month, the Island had 241 sale sides with a monthly volume of $96,902,646. This differentiates to April 2013's 255 with a monthly volume of $100,133,380. There was an increase monthly sales from March 2014 to April 2014. 

Month Year Monthly Sales Monthly Volume Avg List $ Avg Sale $ Median Sold $ Avg DOM
April 2014 241 $96,902,646 $426,255 $402,085 $375,000 135

Staten Island wrapped April up with an average sale price of $426,255. This is a small increase from the $422,374 that was raked in April. There was also an improvement of…

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Even the most aesthetically pleasing homes can have mold issues. A type of fungus that thrives on moisture, mold can trigger symptoms such as itching eyes, asthma attacks and bouts of sneezing or coughing. As a result of the possible health issues, mold is the sort of problem that should be dealt with prior to listing a home.

For those who are in the market to buy a home or those who are under contract - should hire a licensed professional to conduct a mold test. Here is a rundown of five places in the home where mold could be hiding.

Not On The Kitchen Menu

We all have saved leftovers; however, not all of us remember what is in our fridges and forget. WhatsCookingAmerica says it best, "While most molds prefer warmer temperatures, they can grow…

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By: Daniel Boxman of United Northern, NMLS ID# 1077102

What is a home appraisal and why do lenders need to know my home’s value?

An appraisal is a report that outlines an appraiser’s professional opinion of your property’s value at a specific point in time, based on specific factors. These factors include the location of the property, square footage, age and room count. The appraiser will also take into account what comparable properties have recently sold for in your area. 

Whether you’re refinancing or buying, a bank must have a good idea of the value of your home because it determines your maximum approvable loan amount. Once they have your home’s value, they can determine your loan-to-value ratio. Your loan-to-value ratio is one of the…

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