Real estate is a well known to be competitive. We try to help you be a step ahead of everyone else in selling your home, and investing in another.

For buyers and sellers, choosing the right Staten Island real estate agent is an important and may seem like a difficult decision, but making the right selection is critical. Consider the following essential characteristics for a real estate agent before signing a contract:

Experience

An agent must understand the Staten Island real estate market as well as the practices and processes of buying and selling. While a new agent may have energy and desire, experienced agents will be able to offer insights and experiences which are likely to give their clients the edge in their deal. Experience also indicates negotiating skill.

Of course an agent must be licensed, but they must also be knowledgeable about the specific Staten Island neighborhoods and…

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Many home buyers have found the perfect Staten Island house, signed the dotted line and think they’ve watched enough home improvement shows to know if they’re getting a good deal. And then some make the mistake of skipping a home inspection in order to save a little cash. Don't be one of these followers!

Even if a home has already stolen your heart and you’re ready to pay for it “as is”, you need to bite the bullet and hire a home inspector to let you know what repairs and financial repercussions await you. Do the right thing by you and your dream home and hire a home inspector.

Why You Should Hire an Inspector

You might know a thing or two about home remodeling and repairs. However, most people are not experts on the inner workings. That why…

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Spring has arrived! The best season to sell your Staten Island home is here, and with the added natural light and blossoming colors, you can easily take advantage of the benefits of spring when it comes to selling your home. Make sure to show it for all it’s worth, and follow these simple tips for staging your home in spring that will make your listing the home buyers can’t resist.

Fresh Flowers: Put Mother Nature To Work

Nothing says spring like fresh-cut flowers. Bring the beauty of nature inside your home and brighten up your space with fresh flowers. You can get colorful flowers in your kitchen as a table centerpiece, as well as smaller arrangements for around the house. Orchids also make for lovely decorative pieces, and are best for bathrooms…

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Whether you are listing your home or you are buying the Staten Island home of your dreams - you are given a handful of paperwork to fill out and sign. But do you understand any of it? Well one of the important pieces of paperwork that is given to homeowners and buyer is the lead paint disclosure form. 

Before 1978, most homes and condominiums built had lead-based paint. Throughout the years, as many paints do, it chips or deteriorates and turns to lead dust which causes a serious health problem. It's important for Staten Island first time homebuyers to get an understanding of the lead-based hazards they may encounter. 

"Congress passed the Residential Lead-Based Paint Hazard Reduction Act of 1992, also known as Title X, to protect families from…

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Just as pictures are worth a thousand words in selling your Staten Island home, your listing description is just as powerful. Words that you use in your real estate listing can really impact the first impression that the property makes on potential buyers. Whether you are writing the real estate listing, or the house is being promoted by one of our real estate professionals, it is important to use the right words to convey what pictures might not be able to. 

Here are a few words to use in your description that will really bring positive attention to your real estate listing:

"Within Walking Distance Of..."

People like knowing their surroundings, some times street names don't ring a bell but businesses and bus routes do. Can you walk from your…

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The debate between which is the better option- renting or buying - is always at work. The truth is that both choices have their own advantages, and their own disadvantages.

Thinking About Your Wallet

Many people, especially recent college graduates, decide to rent, thinking that it to be cheaper. However, is not necessarily true. Both Staten Island renting and buying a property come with their own costs. Buying a house is strenuous, as well as expensive -the hundreds of thousands of dollars can be intimidating. Because of this, people continue to rent for longer periods of time, and delay buying their own home.

Food for thought - home prices may be frightening and discouraging, but you never have to pay the entire amount upfront although down…

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A borrower's credit score is one of the most significant driving factors that can influence the interest rate and loan terms they qualify for, and this can impact the mortgage payment and even loan qualification and approval. Because of how important a credit score is in the home loan process, many are searching for ways to improve their credit score. The good news is that there are several tips to follow to improve a credit rating.

Reduce Outstanding Balances

It is not necessary to have all debts paid off in order to have a great credit score, but a credit rating can be dinged if outstanding balances are too high. Paying off accounts that have a low balance and reducing balances on accounts that are close to being maxed out can be beneficial. For…

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Buying or selling a Staten Island home, comes great responsibility. Your Staten Island real estate professional also has the same responsibility to uphold when it comes to equal housing opportunity.

What is Equal Housing Opportunity?

The Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity (FHEO) was established "to eliminate housing discrimination, promote economic opportunity, and achieve diverse, inclusive communities by leading the nation in the enforcement, administration, development, and public understanding of federal fair housing policies and laws."

How is Responsibility Shared?

Responsibility is held by home buyer, home seller and your Staten Island real estate professional.

Home sellers and landlords have a requirement under the law not…

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Buying a Staten Island home? You need to consider that you aren't only buying a home - you are buying a Staten Island neighborhood, a school zone and neighbors. So start playing detective to ensure that not only your future house could be the home of all your real estate dreams but be sure that it is a neighborhood you will love also!

Think outside the box and really look into the Staten Island area you're interested in. Buy a cup of coffee and stake out (so to speak) your potential new Staten Island home and neighbors. Take strolls along the block at different times of the day. On a lax weekend, observing the neighborhood and getting a vibe will tell you a lot about the area's real estate owner's and tenants. Do the neighbor's interact or wave to each…

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When you're grocery shopping it's common sense to try and cut costs when you can - like purchasing the store brand products over high-name brands. Although in your Staten Island home, you can do a lot of DIY's and it will save your wallet some hurt; however, there are limits on where you should cut costs and when you should not be sparse when working with a contractor. Be aware of contractors that will try to take any money.

Virginia Sherry from the Staten Island Advance put together a list of tips to avoid home improvement pitfalls from contractors in your Staten Island home. Below are her tips:

  1. The home improvement contractors' company name, address, phone number, and license number.
  2. A list of the materials to be used in the project,…

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