The Lost Art of Discipline

Most adults are nostalgic in one way or another.  For some, this feeling arises when talking about the music, television or the movies that they grew up with.  Others may just be longing for the simpler times that they had before technology became such an integral part of everyday life.  Perhaps technology's biggest downfall is that it has created a society with a very short attention span.

In a recent story on ABC News from a series called "The Lifetime Crunch," it was discussed that multi-tasking has the typical American cramming 31 hours worth of activity into a 24 hour day.  Please spend the next 2 minutes and 40 seconds watching the video clip, before reading the rest of this post..........

NOTE:  The graphic below is just a placeholder.  To watch the video, click on the words "video clip" above.

Did you spend the last few minutes watching the clip, or did you scroll right down to read the rest of this post?  If you watched the clip, thank you for taking the time to do so.  If you scrolled right down to this paragraph, thank you for helping to prove the point that I'm about to make.

We are too busy!  Please don't mistake that statement for laziness on my part.  It's more of an observation that is based on my experiences with today's youth.  As someone that is currently coaching little league (more specifically - Tee Ball), after having coached Pee Wee Football in the fall, I can tell you that our children are being adversely affected by this short attention span society.

Today was the annual little league parade and carnival.  The parade consists of a walk of about a mile from the court houses to the little league complex.  Walking the parade route took less than 30 minutes, but you would think that it was taking hours by the way that many of the kids either lagged behind, tried walking or running ahead, or just wandered aimlessly until they were guided back into place.  Many of the wanderers had to be told on several occasions to stay with their teams.

Is there any reason that children cannot stay focused on the task at hand?  Do you ever wonder why "attention deficit disorder" is so common amongst today's youth?  Is it possible that their short attention span is due to a lack of discipline?  I believe that a lack of discipline is the reason why many children lack focus. 

The explanation for my reasoning will make this post longer than the attention span of most blog readers, especially those that took the time to watch the 2 minute and 40 second video clip, so I've decided to make this a 2-part post.  Part 2 will be out later on today. 

Long Island Bank Owned Homes (Week Ending 5-9-08)

The following is the weekly update of Long Island Bank Owned Homes.  Each week, an updated list of the bank owned homes that came on the market on Long Island during the previous week is provided. 

Bank owned homes are drawing a lot of interest from first-time homebuyers and investors on Long Island.  It is important to keep in mind that bank owned homes are sold in "as-is" condition.  It should also be noted that some bank owned homes are in poor condition, and may not qualify for a traditional mortgage in its current condition.  The good news is that there are mortgage banks that will finance these homes in "as-is" condition.

The bank owned homes listed at the bottom of this post came on the market this past week.  However, there are a number of other bank owned homes available as well.  If you are interested in bank owned homes, please feel free to contact me, and I will do a search based on your specific search criteria. 

Long Island Homebuyers ~ Buyer Representation

Buyer representation on Long Island is still in its infancy, but the tide appears to be turning as more agents are embracing the concept.  REALTORS®, like many people, are often times resistant to change even though change is inevitable.  While there may still be some resistance to buyer representation on Long Island, more and more agents are getting the education necessary to properly represent homebuyers. 

According to Jim Pugliese, one of the instructors of the CBR (Certified Buyer Representative) designation course, the amount of agents getting the CBR designation on Long Island has increased dramatically.  This designation course used to be given only once or twice each year on Long Island, and it is now given monthly, usually to a sold-out crowd of up to 75 agents at a time.  Increasing the amount of Certified Buyer Representatives is a step in the right direction, as it will allow Long Island homebuyers to have the same type of representation that is offered in most areas of the country (including upstate New York).

So what spurred the interest in buyer representation after many years of largely ignoring the practice on Long Island?  First and foremost is the fact that today's consumer is more educated, and thus more demanding of the service professionals that they choose to work with.  The more sophisticated buyers understand, or at the very least are open to the idea, that having their own representation is the way to ensure that their best interests are being served.

Another contributing factor to the shift towards buyer representation on Long Island is the fact that buyers are looking for the best possible deal on their purchase.  It wasn't long ago that homebuyers on Long Island would have to decide (virtually on the spot) if they were interested in a particular home.  There wasn't much time for decision-making, or room for negotiations for that matter, in the red-hot seller's market.  As the market cooled, and inventory rose, the buyers became much more selective of the homes that they view, and ultimately make offers on.

The market trends on Long Island vary from town-to-town and from school district-to-school district.  In some cases, there is such a large gap between the entry level homes and luxury homes within the same market that the trends may vary depending on price points.  Now, more than ever, Long Island homebuyers need to have their own representation to help guide them through the home buying process, especially if they are looking to get the best possible deal on their purchase. 

Long Island homebuyers will ultimately benefit from buyer representation, but it will take education for them to fully appreciate the advantages of having a "client" relationship with their agent, rather than a "customer" relationship.  This post is merely an introduction to buyer representation, and will be followed up by a series of posts in the coming weeks further explaining the benefits of buyer representation to Long Island homebuyers.  

Please check back regularly for updates, or if you'd prefer, you can contact me directly and ask to be put onto a list to have future posts on this topic e-mailed directly to you.  Thank you.

Long Island Homes - Market Trends - April (2008)

The following is a Long Island Homes Market Trend Report featuring market trend reports from six school districts in Suffolk County and six school districts in Nassau County for April- 2008.  The April Market Reports provide a year-over-year summary (2007 vs. 2008) of April home sales, and the first quarter of the year.

These reports feature the street name, town, listing price, sales price and days on the market for individual homes.  This will allow anyone that reads these reports to track comparable properties throughout the year. 

If you are a consumer living in an area that is not part of these monthly reports, but you are interested in seeing the trends in your particular area, please don't hesitate to contact me.  I would be happy to create a custom report for you.  All of my contact information is listed at the bottom of this page.

Below, you will find links to each of the 12 market reports that were created for April 2008 and the first quarter of the year.

SUFFOLK COUNTY

Hauppauge School District Homes ~ Market Trend Report ~ April 2008

Commack School District Homes ~ Market Trend Report ~ April 2008

Three Village School District Homes ~ Market Trend Report ~ April 2008

Smithtown School District Homes ~ Market Trend Report ~ April 2008

Kings Park School District Homes ~ Market Trend Report ~ April 2008

Half Hollow Hills School District Homes ~ Market Trend Report ~ April 2008

Hauppauge School District Homes ~ Market Trend Report ~ April 2008

Hauppauge School District Homes Market Trend Report - April 2008.  This report shows a statisical comparison between the first quarter averages and the month of April for 2008, in addition to a year-over-year comparison.  This report provides information about homes sold in the Hauppauge School District including:  location of homes, list price, sold price and days on market.

It is important to note that monthly reports provide a relatively small sampling of homes which often times results in extreme fluctuations that may or may not be indicative of the market trend for the Hauppauge School District.  The quarterly market trend has more data, and as such, gives a more accurate look at the current market trend.  However, it should be noted that the market data is still relatively small and subject to extreme fluctuations based on sales that are atypical of the rest of the sales in the Hauppauge School District. 

This report is designed to give factual information about sales in the Hauppauge School District.  As is the case with many school districts on Long Island, the Hauppauge School District has a very broad spectrum of home prices (starter, mid-level, luxury), and the value of individual homes cannot be determined by evaluating broad market trends.  If you are interested in finding out the market value for your particular home, you should consider having an actual market analysis done. 

These reports are done by school district rather than town because school districts play a very important role in home prices on Long Island.   

Below the actual data you will find an analysis of the real estate trends for homes in the Hauppauge School District.

APRIL 2008 HOME SALES

APRIL 2007 HOME SALES

YEAR-OVER-YEAR COMPARISONS 

MARKET TREND ANALYSIS: 

The Hauppauge School District traditionally has a limited amount of activity, and April of 2008 was no exception.  This small sample size often leads to extreme fluctuations in the statistical data. While inventory rose at a slightly higher rate than the first quarter average of this year and of April of 2007, the home prices seem to have shown very solid growth.  However, a closer look will indicate that one home sale (of the new construction on Brookstone Court) actually made the sales numbers higher, in addition to drastically raising the average days on market.

CONCLUSION:

Overall, the market seems to be relatively stabilized in the Hauppauge School District.  The inventory numbers for April are similar to the inventory numbers for the first quarter of the year, and also of April of 2007.  Even though the numbers continue to rise, there is still a fairly low inventory of homes on the market in the Hauppauge School District.

Home sellers will find some competition, but not an inordinate amount.  The ratio of sold prices to list prices over the course of 2007 and 2008 would seem to indicate that homeowners are pricing their homes to sell, or at the very least, reducing their prices until their home is appealing to homebuyers.  It is important that home sellers continue this trend, and also that they have their home in "showing" condition to maximize the chances of enticing buyers to make an offer on their home.

Homebuyers will find that, while there has been some adjusting of prices, that the starter homes are still priced higher than other areas in close proximity.  This may be due to the fact that the property taxes in the area are lower than most of the surrounding areas due to the businesses that contribute to the tax base.

Commack School District Homes ~ Market Trend Report ~ April 2008

Commack School District Homes Market Trend Report - April 2008.  This report shows a statisical comparison between the first quarter averages and the month of April for 2008, in addition to a year-over-year comparison.  This report provides information about homes sold in the Commack School District including:  location of homes, list price, sold price and days on market.

The following is the March 2008 Home Trends Market Report for the Commack School District.  This report shows month-by-month comparisons, in addition to year-over-year market trends.  Since this report comes at the end of the first quarter of the year, there is also a comparison of the year-over-year quarterly market trends.  This report provides statistical information about homes sold in the Commack School District including:  location of homes, list price, sold price and days on market.

It is important to note that monthly reports provide a relatively small sampling of homes which often times results in extreme fluctuations that may or may not be indicative of the market trend for the Commack School District.  The quarterly market trend has more data, and as such, gives a more accurate look at the current market trend.  However, it should be noted that the market data is still relatively small and subject to extreme fluctuations based on sales that are atypical of the rest of the sales in the Commack School District. 

This report is designed to give factual information about sales in the Commack School District.  As is the case with many school districts on Long Island, the Commack School District has a very broad spectrum of home prices (starter, mid-level, luxury), and the value of individual homes cannot be determined by evaluating broad market trends.  If you are interested in finding out the market value for your particular home, you should consider having an actual market analysis done. 

These reports are done by school district rather than town because school districts play a very important role in home prices on Long Island.   

Below the actual data you will find an analysis of the real estate trends for homes in the Commack School District.

APRIL 2008 HOME SALES

APRIL 2007 HOME SALES

YEAR-OVER-YEAR COMPARISONS 

MARKET TREND ANALYSIS: 

Inventory rose slightly in the Commack School District in April compared to the first quarter average for 2008 and to April of 2007.  Home prices showed a slight decline.  The most positive trend is the average days on market, which showed improvement over both the first quarter average for 2008 and for April of 2007.  The ratio of sold price to list price remained steady, although still down a bit from 2007.

CONCLUSION: 

The drop in average sold price and list price can be attributed somewhat to the sale of two homes for $350,000 or less, which is unusual for the Commack School District.  With a relatively small sample size, these two sales can bring the average down.  Home sellers that are motivated to sell their homes should definitely factor in the rise in inventory and price their homes against the competition accordingly.  Homebuyers are finding some opportunities to purchase a home in the area for less money than in the past, with an occasional opportunity for homes to be purchased in the typical price range of first-time home buyers.  However, the competition for such homes tends to be higher than that of high-priced homes, as evidenced by the sale on Magnolia Drive, which only was on the market for 7 days.

Three Village School District Homes ~ Market Trend Report ~ April 2008

Three Village School District Homes Market Trend Report - April 2008.  This report shows a statisical comparison between the first quarter averages and the month of April for 2008, in addition to a year-over-year comparison.  This report provides information about homes sold in the Three Village School District including:  location of homes, list price, sold price and days on market.

It is important to note that monthly reports provide a relatively small sampling of homes which often times results in extreme fluctuations that may or may not be indicative of the market trend for the Three Village School District.  The quarterly market trend has more data, and as such, gives a more accurate look at the current market trend.  However, it should be noted that the market data is still relatively small and subject to extreme fluctuations based on sales that are atypical of the rest of the sales in the Three Village School District. 

This report is designed to give factual information about sales in the Three Village School District.  As is the case with many school districts on Long Island, the Three Village School District has a very broad spectrum of home prices (starter, mid-level, luxury), and the value of individual homes cannot be determined by evaluating broad market trends.  If you are interested in finding out the market value for your particular home, you should consider having an actual market analysis done. 

These reports are done by school district rather than town because school districts play a very important role in home prices on Long Island.   

Below the actual data you will find an analysis of the real estate trends for homes in the Three Village School District.

APRIL 2008 HOME SALES

APRIL 2007 HOME SALES

YEAR-OVER-YEAR COMPARISONS 

MARKET TREND ANALYSIS: 

The increase in the luxury home market sales helped boost all of the numbers for the Three Village School District.  This is a multi-segmented market, which makes determining an overall market trend more difficult.  For example, in the month of April, there was a home sale for $320,000 and also a home sale for $1,700,000.  While the two homes are both part of the same school district, they are not really a part of the same market.  For this reason, all trend numbers should be studied, but not relied upon for individual homes in the area.  Being that this is a very large school district with a large gap between starter homes and luxury homes, there is bound to be extreme fluctuations.  There are, however, a few numbers that can be looked at for the overall market - inventory numbers and average days on market, both of which showed improvement in comparison to the first quarter of 2008. 

CONCLUSION:

As it was stated above, this is an unusual market that can be evaluated on different levels (starter, mid-level and luxury homes).  A number of homes are selling relatively quickly, while others are taking longer than the average to sell.  Overall, the prices for April are in line with the first quarter average for the Three Village School District.  The prices for 2008 are showing marked improvement over 2007, but this may just be a sign that the luxury market has picked up this year, as evidenced by the three sales of million dollar homes in 2008, compared to none in 2007 for the same time last year.  In fact, the highest priced home sold last April was just slightly above $800,000. 

So what does this mean for the overall market trend for the area?  It cannot be determined easily, but there are some very positive signs in the market.  First and foremost, average days on market has shown a dramatic improvement.  More homes sold faster than the average than slower than the average, indicating that the homes that sold are being priced properly for the most part.  However, a steady rise in inventory shows that there is a lot of competition, and pricing to sell is the best way to get your home sold.

Home buyers at all levels will find opportunities in the Three Village School District.  However, it should also be noted that homebuyers have competition for properly priced homes, so it is not a good idea to assume that the "right" home will last on the market, despite what the mass media would have you believe.

Smithtown School District Homes ~ Market Trend Report ~ April 2008

Smithtown School District Homes Market Trend Report - April 2008.  This report shows a statisical comparison between the first quarter averages and the month of April for 2008, in addition to a year-over-year comparison.  This report provides information about homes sold in the Smithtown School District including:  location of homes, list price, sold price and days on market.

It is important to note that monthly reports provide a relatively small sampling of homes which often times results in extreme fluctuations that may or may not be indicative of the market trend for the Smithtown School District.  The quarterly market trend has more data, and as such, gives a more accurate look at the current market trend.  However, it should be noted that the market data is still relatively small and subject to extreme fluctuations based on sales that are atypical of the rest of the sales in the Smithtown School District. 

This report is designed to give factual information about sales in the Smithtown School District.  As is the case with many school districts on Long Island, the Smithtown School District has a very broad spectrum of home prices (starter, mid-level, luxury), and the value of individual homes cannot be determined by evaluating broad market trends.  If you are interested in finding out the market value for your particular home, you should consider having an actual market analysis done. 

These reports are done by school district rather than town because school districts play a very important role in home prices on Long Island.   

Below the actual data you will find an analysis of the real estate trends for homes in the Smithtown School District.

APRIL 2008 HOME SALES

APRIL 2007 HOME SALES

YEAR-OVER-YEAR COMPARISONS 

MARKET TREND ANALYSIS: 

The market trend for the Smithtown School District can be difficult to determine because of the disparity between prices of starter homes and luxury homes.  In April of 2008, there were no luxury home sales, which contributed to the decline in both listing and sold price.  In April of 2007, two homes sold for nearly $1 million, whereas the most expensive home sale in April of 2008 was just over $700,000.  Although there are more closings each month in the Smithtown School District than other areas (due to the size of the district), the sample size is still relatively small, and a few sales can alter the statistics.  As is the case in some other districts, Smithtown is a multi-segmented district (starter homes, mid-level, luxury).  Each of those markets may have their own trends.

CONCLUSION:

Because of the make-up of the market in the Smithtown School District, the trends tend to fluctuate a bit.  However, there are some numbers that can be evaluated in a broad term - inventory and average days on market.  The inventory in April improved in comparison to the first quarter average of 2008, but declined slightly in comparison to April of 2007.  The average days on market has remained relatively consistent. 

The key number to keep in mind is rising inventory.  This factor necessitates proper pricing in order for homes to sell quickly due to competition on the market.  Overpriced homes usually end up staying on the market longer, and require price adjustments to find a buyer.  Home sellers that do not adjust to the market often times end up having their listing expire without selling or the home gets taken off of the market.  As is the case in most markets, properly priced homes not only sell faster, but also much closer to, at, or slightly above the asking price, whereas overpriced homes generally take longer to sell and have a greater disparity between listing price and sold price.

Home sellers that are motivated to sell their homes should realize that competitive pricing is essential to selling a home, as is having the home in "showing" condition.  Homebuyers will find opportunities in the Smithtown School District, due to the amount of inventory, however, homebuyers should also remember that they will have competition from other buyers for homes that are priced to sell.

Kings Park School District Homes ~ Market Trend Report ~ April 2008

Kings Park School District Homes Market Trend Report - April 2008.  This report shows a statisical comparison between the first quarter averages and the month of April for 2008, in addition to a year-over-year comparison.  This report provides information about homes sold in the Kings Park School District including:  location of homes, list price, sold price and days on market.

It is important to note that monthly reports provide a relatively small sampling of homes which often times results in extreme fluctuations that may or may not be indicative of the market trend for the Kings Park School District.  The quarterly market trend has more data, and as such, gives a more accurate look at the current market trend.  However, it should be noted that the market data is still relatively small and subject to extreme fluctuations based on sales that are atypical of the rest of the sales in the Kings Park School District. 

This report is designed to give factual information about sales in the Kings Park School District.  As is the case with many school districts on Long Island, the Kings Park School District has a very broad spectrum of home prices (starter, mid-level, luxury), and the value of individual homes cannot be determined by evaluating broad market trends.  If you are interested in finding out the market value for your particular home, you should consider having an actual market analysis done. 

These reports are done by school district rather than town because school districts play a very important role in home prices on Long Island.   

Below the actual data you will find an analysis of the real estate trends for homes in the Kings Park School District.

APRIL 2008 HOME SALES

APRIL 2007 HOME SALES

YEAR-OVER-YEAR COMPARISONS 

MARKET TREND ANALYSIS: 

Inventory increased in the Kings Park School District by comparison to both the first quarter of 2008 and April of 2007.  With a relatively low number of closings, the average asking price and sold price was easily boosted by the sale of one home in Fort Salonga for $1.65 million.  This particular home happened to sell rather quickly, which helped reduce the average days on market, along with one other home that sold quickly, but for far below the listing price.  The trend is skewed by these numbers, giving the market a stronger appearance than what other indicators are showing. 

CONCLUSION:

Rising inventory in comparison to the first quarter average for 2008 and April of 2007 tells only part of the story in the Kings Park School District.  The average days on market also showed a significant increase, although the list price and sold price seemed relatively strong.  Of course, these numbers can be largely attributed to the luxury home sale in Fort Salonga for $1.65 million.

The year-over-year quarter trend for the first quarter actually showed some positive signs, so the numbers from April might very well be an abberation.  It will take more data in the coming months to determine if the trend is being altered by the sale of luxury homes at different times during the year. 

The days on market average for the first quarter of the year was actually a very positive sign, and the listing and sales prices indicated that the market has stabilized.  As the year progresses, it will become clearer if the trend for the first quarter was accurate or if the market is actually still volatile. 

Half Hollow Hills School District Homes ~ Market Trend Report ~ April 2008

Half Hollow Hills School District Homes Market Trend Report - April 2008.  This report shows a statisical comparison between the first quarter averages and the month of April for 2008, in addition to a year-over-year comparison.  This report provides information about homes sold in the Half Hollow Hills School District including:  location of homes, list price, sold price and days on market.

It is important to note that monthly reports provide a relatively small sampling of homes which often times results in extreme fluctuations that may or may not be indicative of the market trend for the Half Hollow Hills School District.  The quarterly market trend has more data, and as such, gives a more accurate look at the current market trend.  However, it should be noted that the market data is still relatively small and subject to extreme fluctuations based on sales that are atypical of the rest of the sales in the Half Hollow Hills School District. 

This report is designed to give factual information about sales in the Half Hollow Hills School District.  As is the case with many school districts on Long Island, the Half Hollow Hills School District has a very broad spectrum of home prices (starter, mid-level, luxury), and the value of individual homes cannot be determined by evaluating broad market trends.  If you are interested in finding out the market value for your particular home, you should consider having an actual market analysis done. 

These reports are done by school district rather than town because school districts play a very important role in home prices on Long Island.   

Below the actual data you will find an analysis of the real estate trends for homes in the Half Hollow Hills School District.

APRIL 2008 HOME SALES

APRIL 2007 HOME SALES

YEAR-OVER-YEAR COMPARISONS 

MARKET TREND ANALYSIS: 

While it appears that the market trended down in the Half Hollow Hills School District in April, the sample size was fairly small, and the sale of one home in Wheatley Heights for under $300,000 (which is highly unusual for the area) dragged down the average prices by a noticeable amount.  All of the other numbers indicate a relatively flat market in comparison to the first quarter of 2008, and not really much different than April of 2007.  The average days on market increased, but this can be attributed to one particular home that was on the market for 493 days (significantly higher than the average).

CONCLUSION:

A relatively small sample size of data, combined with the fact that the market in the Half Hollow Hills School District features starter homes and luxury homes, makes analyzing the trend more of a challenge.  The inventory has risen at approximately the same rate as the first quarter of this year, and only slightly more than April of 2007.

However, this is a fairly large market, and there is enough competition out there for buyers to choose from.  Home sellers in the area would be wise to price their homes to sell against the competition, or risk having their home languish on the market.  There are still homes selling relatively quickly (when properly priced).

Homebuyers will likely appreciate the opportunity to find homes in the area that may have previously been out of their price range.