Long Island Housing And Tax Solutions (Part 2 of 2) - 11/30/07 08:34 AM
In the first part of this two-part series (click here to read Part 1), the discussion revolved around the implications that school taxes are having on Long Islanders' ability to remain on Long Island.  This is a problem that effects current homeowners, and also makes it challenging for first-time homebuyers.  However, even if the school taxes are lowered by a significant margin, it still will leave many potential first-time homebuyers struggling to afford a home on Long Island. 
 
So what can be done to help out the person who grew up on Long Island, and would stay on Long Island if he or she thought that … (2 comments)

So Many Faces In And Out Of My Life - 11/29/07 10:50 AM
Earlier in the week, I put out a post entitled Bits & Pieces (An Inspired By Song! Series), announcing this 4-part series.  Each installment was inspired by Billy Joel's, "Say Goodbye To Hollywood," and will be titled as such.  This is part 1 of the series.....So Many Faces In And Out Of My Life.
   
Do you remember what it was like to be a kid in school?  Did you find comfort in seeing the same people over and over again?  Did you ever think about the fact that most of the people that were there for your formative years would not be there for your adult years?  This … (31 comments)

Bits & Pieces (An Inspired By Song! Series) - 11/25/07 08:18 PM


For those of you that are not aware, I recently started a group on Active Rain called Inspired By Song! This group was co-founded with Paul Slaybaugh and Jason Crouch. The focus of the group is to write posts based on songs or music that inspires you. There are some songs that don't have a title that would make sense as a post title, but there are parts of the song (hence the title bits and pieces) that are inspirational. This inspiration usually comes from more than one part of the song, so these will be a sort of mini-series … (50 comments)

Long Island Housing and Tax Solutions (Part 1 of 2) - 11/24/07 08:06 PM
Affordability and Long Island are two words that are rarely used in the same sentence anymore.  Taxes have been increasing by a large percentage each year, and home prices are still very high compared to other parts of the country.  At the current pace, we could be facing a crisis in our local workforce in the not-too-distant future.  So what are the solutions?
 
First and foremost, the tax situation needs to be remedied in short order.  In September, I wrote a post about Long Island Tax Relief, which discussed how Senator Dean Skelos is working on a plan to alleviate the tax … (17 comments)

Island Harvest Holiday Challenge - 11/24/07 03:33 PM

 
 
Long Island is a place that features some of the highest home prices and highest property taxes in the country.  You might think that the people that live here are well-off, or at the very least, able to make ends meet.  However, this is not the case.  There is far more poverty here than most people would imagine.
 
 
Island Harvest is a local charity that distributes seven million pounds of food through the cooperation of hundreds of community-based groups.  In a recent post, I wrote about the Turkey & Trimmings Collection Campaign that Island Harvest was sponsoring.  Last year, this program was … (8 comments)

“Sirius” Music Lovers & The Holiday Season - 11/23/07 05:54 PM
Are you someone that is Inspired By Song?  Do you find yourself with music on in the background whenever possible?  Do you get frustrated with commercial interruptions while listening to the radio?  If you answered "yes" to these questions, then please continue reading.
For those of you that didn't know it, my career before real estate was in the music industry.  I even majored in Music Industry in college.  Music was then, and is today, a very important part of my life.  One of the reasons that I chose to leave the music industry was that consolidation of the radio industry caused … (36 comments)

The Pain Of Procrastination! - 11/21/07 06:22 PM
I've had the idea to write this post for days, but I've been putting it off.  Many of you may be laughing right now, but unfortunately, this ironic statement is true.  This post, along with all of my other posts that have been written in the past week or so, are being composed on a "loaner" computer. 
Technology is an amazing paradox.  Because of technology, our lives have been made much easier, but also much more difficult at the same time.  Do I long for the simpler days?  Not exactly, but maybe a little bit of the simple life wouldn't be … (78 comments)

Long Islanders – Does The IRS Owe You Money? - 11/21/07 09:26 AM
If you have moved recently, or have changed your mailing address, you may have money waiting for you from the IRS.  In New York State alone, there were over 7000 tax returns that were unclaimed as a result of the checks being returned to the IRS as "undeliverable."
 
With almost $10 million in unclaimed returns belonging to New Yorkers, the average unclaimed refund is approximately $1300.  As the holiday shopping season approaches, this "found" money may make your shopping a little less painless and a lot more fun.
 
To claim your unclaimed tax returns, you can go to the IRS's website by clicking … (16 comments)

A Season To Remember - 11/17/07 06:57 PM
As a youth growing up on Long Island, the only organized sport that I played was little league baseball.  There was one season of junior high school football sprinkled in, but for the most part, baseball was the sport that I looked forward to most.  As a grown-up, football grew to be my favorite sport.  My son, following in my footsteps, has been a huge football fan since he was around 2 years old.
 
In previous posts, I wrote about my son playing football for the Hauppauge Youth Organization in the five and six-year old division.  On a team of fourteen kids, my son was … (14 comments)

Turning Levittown Green - 11/16/07 11:52 PM
Long Island towns have many similarities, but each one has its own unique quality as well.  In the case of Levittown, the distinguishing feature is that it is known throughout the world as one of the first suburban towns.  The Levitt Home is the model that was used for many post World War II suburban communities.   This community originally started out as an experiment in low-cost, mass produced homes.
 
Years later, this Long Island town is again on the cutting edge.  "America's first suburb" is now on the cusp of becoming "America's first green suburb."  To achieve this goal, a dozen … (12 comments)

A Feature Beyond The Rain! - 11/16/07 12:15 PM
Do you ever wonder who is reading your blog outside of Active Rain?  Are you one of those that isn't sure whether or not you will ever generate business by being here?  For those of you that are still having doubts, this post should give you encouragement to keep on blogging. 
 
Every time that I answer the phone or receive an e-mail and the dialog starts with "I found you on Active Rain," it gives me great satisfaction to know that my efforts are paying off.
 
Last week, I received a call from an agent in New Jersey that found me through … (112 comments)

Florida Discovery Weekend For Long Islanders - 11/16/07 11:40 AM
As a relocation specialist, I am aware that many Long Islanders are looking to leave the Island to move to a warmer climate.  Florida is one of the most popular relocation destinations for Long Islanders.  If you've been thinking about making a move to Florida, or possibly buying a vacation home, you will have the opportunity to get a lot of your questions answered this weekend. 
 
On both Saturday and Sunday, a program called Florida Discovery Weekend will be featured from 11am - 4 pm.  You will have the opportunity to learn about every aspect of the Florida lifestyle.  Learn about … (8 comments)

Long Island Restaurant Review – Butera’s (Nassau & Suffolk) - 11/15/07 07:55 PM
 
      
                                                                 TAKE A BITE...LONG ISLAND 
                                                                  
                                                                                                                                                                                                 
Welcome to the first installment of Take A Bite...Long Island.  This recurring column will feature reviews of various restaurants and food on Long Island.  This first column happens to indirectly tie-in to real estate.  Years ago, I took did my real estate training to get licensed in Woodbury.  The class was given at a hotel on Jericho Turnpike, just down the road from the shopping center where Butera's Restaurant of Woodbury is located.
 
The real estate class was given over the course of six full days.  On the first day, I stumbled upon Butera's, and … (24 comments)

The Dark Side Of Family! - 11/10/07 03:02 PM

As a co-founder of the group Family Ties, I know that the goal of this group is to talk about the positive experiences that we have with our families.   If you've read my blogs, you will know that I often talk about the joys of fatherhood and of being a husband.  In the future, the majority of my posts will talk about the great family experiences that I have on a regular basis.  This disclaimer is here because I've just heard a story that is the polar opposite of what I am about, and I felt the need to express it … (26 comments)

Blame It On The REALTORS®! - 11/09/07 03:05 PM
Are you tired of hearing this phrase?  Do you think that it's unfair that we get the blame for many things that are beyond our control?  Wouldn't it be nice to be thanked once in a while instead of blamed?  Well, today's the day!
On Monday, I posted a blog entitled STOP the Brookhaven Tax - VOTE TOMORROW!  Many other REALTORS® did their part as well over the past month or so to spread the word about this proposed tax increase aimed at homebuyers.  Due in large part to the efforts of REALTORS®, the transfer tax proposal was defeated.
Basically, had this proposal … (40 comments)

Ted Nolan – New York Islanders Head Coach - The Personification Of Class - 11/09/07 04:21 AM
If there is one thing that stands out about professional sports today, it is the fact that money and instant gratification are the predominant driving forces.  Coaches are given a very short time frame to achieve success, as are the players.  The days of coaches being a mainstay, and the face of the organization, have long since passed.  Owners of professional sports teams have invested large sums of money in their players and coaches, and demand results, often times in unrealistic timeframes. 
 
About the only time that a "throwback" moment occurs is when teams wear uniforms from another era.  While there may … (8 comments)

Stuff The Mayflower Food Drive (November 9th & 10th) - 11/08/07 07:33 AM
Over 93,000 children, and an even greater amount of adults and seniors across Long Island, take advantage of emergency food programs.  In keeping with the theme of the Thanksgiving holiday, the Advance Relocation Resource Group is teaming up with the Long Island Radio Group and Waldbaum's to support Island Harvest's Turkey and Trimmings Collection Campaign.
 
If you're interested in contributing to this very worthy cause, you can make a donation at the Waldbaum's on Route 110 in Melville.  The address is 890 Walt Whitman Road (1/2 mile north of the Northern State Parkway on the right).
 
The goal of the Stuff The Mayflower … (11 comments)

Does This Home Feature I.O.L.? - 11/07/07 03:43 PM
How many times do you read an MLS listing and see abbreviations that have no meaning to us as REALTORS®?  Is there a chance that a potential homebuyer is going to know what these abbreviations stand for?
Here is an example of an actual MLS listing description:
Orig. Owners/'94 Rf/'02 Bur/Surb Ter K/Petro Oil-Tk-Decomm-Nw Ag Tk-'05/Nw Sk+Com/Vin Eav-'95/Vin Sid-'99/1 Gar Ee/
Does the above description inspire you as an agent to want to show the home?  If you were a homebuyer looking at this online, would you feel that you've just found your dream home?  Is the homeowner benefiting from this kind of marketing?  Is … (87 comments)

Emotions Stir at the Corner of Baker Street and Main Street - 11/06/07 07:02 PM
Sometimes music can bring you back to a place in time.  Do you ever find that just a few notes of music can totally alter your mood and stir your emotions regardless of the lyrical meaning of the song?  How many of our favorite songs have emotional meaning to us, but the lyrics are either unknown or secondary to the feeling that you get from hearing the music?
 
There are a number of songs that create this stirring of emotion for me, and many of them will be the subject of future blogs.  Two such songs really stand out in my mind, and because … (37 comments)

STOP the Brookhaven Tax – VOTE TOMORROW! - 11/05/07 06:12 AM
ATTENTION: Brookhaven homeowners and interested home buyers.  Tomorrow is a very important day for you, and you will want to make sure that you get out and vote.  Not voting is allowing the Town of Brookhaven to make buying or selling a home in your community much more difficult and expensive.
 
On Long Island, we already have high property taxes and high closing costs.  In fact, there are willing home buyers that have found the necessary down payment money and closing costs to be a barrier to entry into the housing market.  While this proposed transfer tax will be placed on the … (18 comments)

There Are Many Paths To Success - 11/03/07 10:15 PM
As listing agents we often times find ourselves competing for one "position."  In a buyer's market, it is more important than ever that we find the "right fit," and that we feel confident that we are on the same page as the seller.  This is equally as important to today's home sellers, as they are likely going to be working with their chosen agent for some time.
 
It would unrealistic to think that any of us are the "only" ones that can get the job done, because there are only so many different ways to market a home.  The choice … (26 comments)

Experience + Youth = A Great Team - 11/03/07 01:07 PM
Many in the real estate industry have moved towards the team model.  This is one of the best ways for experienced agents to share their knowledge, while at the same time learning from young agents that may bring something new and exciting to the table.  As the average age of a real estate agent hovers around fifty or so, an infusion of youth can be positive for the overall industry.  The inspiration for this thought did not come from real estate, but rather from the world of professional sports, more specifically, the NFL.
Fans of the game know that football is a game that … (33 comments)

Morning Music – A Great Start To The Day - 11/02/07 12:28 PM

 
Most REALTORS® probably wouldn't consider themselves to be "morning people" per se.  This is understandable, since our business tends to get moving as the day goes on.  Personally, I've always loved mornings, ever since I was a kid. 
These days, some of my mornings are starting earlier than I prefer.  It's just the way that it is since my wife starting working part-time at Starbuck's, but it's well worth it!  Starbuck's is one of the few companies around that offers full family benefits for working only 20 hours each week.  The skyrocketing cost of benefits is the reason that my wife … (59 comments)

I Just Want To Celebrate - 11/01/07 07:20 PM

There couldn't be a more appropriate song title to choose for my first post in the newly created group Inspired By Song! than "I Just Want To Celebrate."  The creation of this group with my fellow founders (Jason Crouch and Paul Slaybaugh) has been in the works for some time now.  The planning is complete, the announcement has been made, and it's time to celebrate the launching of a group that promises to thrive on inspiration and fun.
 
"I Just Want To Celebrate" was released in the summer of 1971 by a band called RARE EARTH.  Here's a sampling of the lyrics … (48 comments)

 

Adam Waldman - Long Island REALTOR®

Hauppauge, NY

More about me…

Westcott Group Real Estate Company

Cell Phone: (631) 357-2036

Email Me

Long Island Real Estate and Relocation Specialist. Please read my blog for tips on how to sell your home for the most amount of money in the shortest amount of time, general real estate advice and consultation on out-of-state relocations. View Adam Waldman's profile on LinkedIn <!-- Start of StatCounter Code -->
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