sell a house brooklyn ny: THE BEST ICE SKATING IN NYC IS FREE
- 01/09/10 09:49 AM
A lot of people may hate the cold weather, but I love it. New York City turns into a festival of lights during the holidays and yes, there is a place where you can go ice skating for free, Bryant Park! The pond is open for ice skating from eight in the morning till twelve at night! This 17000 square foot rink offers all kinds of amenities: Ice Bites Quick snacks from pizza, hot dogs, and nachos to cookies, brownies, and hot chocolate. Celsius Overlooking The Pond with rinkside views, Celsius offers lunch, dinner, and drinks every day. With spectacular views … (2 comments)
sell a house brooklyn ny: Somebody’s been watching too much “Flip This House”…
- 01/05/10 09:54 PM
Luke Constantino | Remax @ The Slope Just recently I acquired a condo listing in a very nice area in Brooklyn. It's in excellent condition, has parking (which is a luxury in this area) and all the amenities. It also came with buyers who want to "Flip it". I have nothing against people making money, but in this economy? You gotta have a lot of gumption to try to flip a property today. I've been in the business more than 12 years and know how this works, as a matter of fact, it's quite simple: Find a person in distress, offer … (10 comments)
sell a house brooklyn ny: Simple Rules for Bike Riding in Brooklyn
- 01/04/10 10:24 PM
There is nothing like taking a bicycle ride through Brooklyn. Each area has a little nostalgia, great views, history and awesome places to stop and eat. As in any other city, you have to be prepared for your ride: •· Properly fitting helmet •· Sunglasses or other eye protection •· Pump (consider a pump frame that attaches to bike) •· Patch kit or spare tube •· Toolkit for basic repairs, including wrenches that fit your bicycle •· Rain gear •· Your driver's license or other ID, plus an emergency contact person and medical information •· First aid kit •· Reflectors and … (6 comments)
sell a house brooklyn ny: NAR Says: FSBO Properties Being Sold Has Declined
- 12/22/09 07:03 AM
Luke Constantino | Remax at The Slope "According to the National Association of Realtors, the percentage of homes sold nationally by their owners has actually declined, from 14 percent in 2004 to 11 percent in 2009." Published NY Times: December 17, 2009 This economic crisis has been very challenging for everyone. In order to get the best possible price for your property you're going to have to go with a professional. One that follows market trends and only deals with qualified buyers who have an underwriter's mortgage approval. Do you know how to target buyers for you property? I do. There … (2 comments)
sell a house brooklyn ny: The Death of a Contract
- 12/10/09 01:54 AM
Luke Constantino | Remax@ The Slope | December 10, 2009 As we know in this business, we are dealing with people's lives. We try to make sure our sellers and buyers are satisfied at closing, but in this tough economic time, satisfaction is very hard to come by. If I am dealing with a short sale I don't even look at the seller, I just stay as professional as possible, run through my questions, have my documents signed as quickly as possible and go. I have a seller with a beautiful, energy efficient home that wasn't satisfied with the highest bid … (3 comments)
sell a house brooklyn ny: The All American Stay-cation
- 09/03/09 04:05 AM
Luke Constantino September 3, 2009 A lot of Americans are opting to stay close to home this Labor Day weekend. I hear a lot of people are not traveling abroad or flying as much this year because of the economy. I'm hearing a lot about families camping, going to local area beaches, or staying at home for BBQs and block parties. I myself am going to visit with family for a BBQ. Can this poor economy be bringing family and friends closer together? As a Realtor in NYC, I have noticed a lot of stores closing, high end properties for sale and everyone just trying to … (0 comments)
sell a house brooklyn ny: The First Time Homebuyer "No Show"
- 08/11/09 12:45 AM
Luke Constantino| August 11 2009 Anyone in this business can tell you this is a frequent occurrence, especially in this first time home buyer's market. Dealing with a majority of people who are looking for the perfect first home can be confusing to them and for the Realtor. The first time homebuyer tax credit deadline is December 1st. I myself am experiencing a lot of people running around like the sky is falling. What do you do? How can you effectively deal with these people? Here are some tips to change a no show into a close.
Be thorough: When … (1 comments)
sell a house brooklyn ny: the Follow Up and Good Business Practices
- 05/01/09 09:28 AM
Luke Constantino May 1st, 2009 We all have to admit, this has been a very challenging market so far. The banks are very astringent with loans; people keep changing their minds and its "Open contract season"! This is where a person goes into contract with a seller and the seller never signs and keeps it open hoping for a better offer. I do not do this practice, I find it unethical. I find most of my business this year is coming from past clients. People who I have either helped buy or sell property throughout the years. I always keep in … (0 comments)
sell a house brooklyn ny: Brooklyn’s Prospect Park: It’s For the Birds!
- 04/27/09 10:34 AM
It's Springtime here in Brooklyn. A lot of trees are just starting to bloom and there's a lot of strange birds hanging around! A lot of people don't know there are quite a few birds here in the big city, especially in Prospect Park. I never heard of some of the birds local bird watchers Rafael Campos, Gayle & Xandra have spotted. I never knew a lot of them were even indigenous to this area! Here is what they spotted this weekend in and around Prospect Park: Canada GooseMallard Ring-necked DuckDouble-crested Cormorant Great Blue Heron Green Heron: 1 flying around 5 … (1 comments)
sell a house brooklyn ny: Cleaning and development of the Gowanus Canal: Which comes first?
- 04/23/09 02:11 PM
Luke Constantino April 23, 2009 I have lived in Brooklyn all my life and have never seen a clean Gowanus Canal. I don't know if I will anytime soon, but it would be a surprise. As a kid I remember seeing an oily slick over the water and large amounts of trash collecting on the sides. There were warehouses and a Coast Guard fuel depot there along with traffic going by. Why was I there? As a kid, New York City was my playground - all of it.
The Environmental Protection Agency requested a Superfund listing for the canal, which … (1 comments)
sell a house brooklyn ny: Trulia: Leaving Q&A comments for all the wrong reasons
- 04/22/09 10:40 AM
Luke Constantino April 22, 2009 I went ion Trulia, a very good real estate website and went to the questions and answers section. I was browsing through the questions and saw one that I thought was kind of obvious: "How Come A lot of People Don't List Their Properties on the MLS in The Hamptons Anymore?"
For the times we are going through this one was pretty obvious, a no brainer. Most Realtors want the buy and the sell end, no co brokers. Greed was the answer to this question. Hey, I know getting the buy and sell end on … (0 comments)
(Hot plate! Don't touch!) It's an excellent steak! Going in, the atmosphere is a mix between a butcher shop and a farm house with simple chandeliers. The first time you ever go might be strange. You see a lot of high-end people eating an extremely high- end steak in a place with low-end decor. I have been seated next to corporate executives, ball players and stock brokers who have just come off the trading … (1 comments)
sell a house brooklyn ny: Same sex marriage bill announced in New York
- 04/17/09 02:38 AM
Luke Constatino | April 17th, 2009 On April 16th, New York Governor David Patterson spoke about same sex marriage as a prejudice that needs to be corrected in our society. He compared the bill to the long time discrimination against blacks. Mayor Bloomberg was also there with other politicians to enforce this bill. In the past, New York has said it would recognize gay marriages contracted elsewhere. In my personal opinion, I don't find anything wrong with this bill. It should be passed and other states should follow suit (yes that includes you Texas!). Its 2009. I believe everyone should have … (10 comments)
sell a house brooklyn ny: Closing Traffic through Prospect Park in Brooklyn
- 04/14/09 11:01 PM
Luke Constantino April 15, 2009 Bike riders, joggers, runners and walkers are very happy to hear about the plan to close Prospect Park totally off to traffic. The 3.35 mile loop that stats from 3rd Street in Park Slope and ends across the park at 16th street in Windsor Terrace has been of great concern to activists who want the park to stay as green as possible. This closing will not stand in the way of plans to improve Park Circle will also improve Prospect Park.
A lot of motorists will have to find a different route than going through … (2 comments)
sell a house brooklyn ny: Are Property Values Going Up?
- 04/11/09 03:13 AM
Luke Constantino April 11, 2009 I have a client who checks Zillow.com consistently. He calls me one day and tells me "Luke, do you know the price of houses is going up?" I answer him with a question: "Really, that's great, where did you get this information?" He starts to elaborate on where he got his results.
I have been in the business for quite a while and get this from time to time. If the prices in this market are going up, it would mean there is more buying and the inventory is going down. At the same time … (1 comments)
"Omne vivum ex ovo" Latin for "All life comes from an egg".
It has always been a well known fact in the Christian region that the egg was a symbol for life. Not only did you have to give something up for Lent, you were also forbidden to eat eggs. So what comes after Lent? Easter, when you can eat all the eggs you want!
So where does painting eggs come from? Well, it has nothing to do with religion. It was a tradition that came from the ancient Persians. They used to … (3 comments)
sell a house brooklyn ny: The Compliment
- 04/09/09 03:01 AM
Luke Constantino | April 9th, 2009 Yesterday I was working: on a contract, 3 people bidding on the same place, a partition, a new listing at $2.2M, and a rental. Hey, it's that time of year here in NYC. I just recently switched offices and had a lot on my plate. On top of this, I have another broker trying to squeeze me for extra money so I called a lawyer friend of mine to help me out. He told me it wasn't a problem and he would shoot a letter out to this broker. Problem solved. We started talking and … (2 comments)
sell a house brooklyn ny: Changing of Offices: Remax at The Slope
- 04/08/09 10:39 AM
Luke constantino | April 8, 2009 Changing Offices: Park Slope I just changed my office location from Bensonhurst to Park Slope and I couldn't be happier! Park Slope has become one of the most beautiful neighborhoods in the Brooklyn Heights area. With brownstones, limestones and small shops, this area has always had a small village type feel to it. I remember Park Slope from when I was a kid in the 70's, and it has come a long way.
Prospect Park at the end of Park Slope was the place I used to be all the time. This is not … (2 comments)
2 br 1 ½ ba 1,442 sqft Single-Family Home This exceptional, well built 2 bedroom home with parking for 3 cars is located at the end of a beautiful cul-de-sac in a safe, secured gated community (The Landings). The Landings Feature: Gated secure community with camera surveillance, Tennis courts Large gated pool with community gazebo 2 large lakes for fishing and casual enjoyment Walkways with beautifully maintained landscaping Property features: Two carpeted master bedrooms (One with skylight and sliding glass door to private spa area). 2.5 bathrooms … (2 comments)
Before I worked in real estate, I was a stock broker for a very successful firm just when oil and gas was shooting up in the early 90's. Most of the brokers knew each from working with one another at different firms from time to time. We received incentives and perks for pushing the firms IPOs or just generating a lot of sales.
Some of the perks were trips to New Zealand, Tahiti, a Rolex watch or Krugerrand gold coins. The presidents of the firm … (2 comments)
A lot of people may hate the cold weather, but I love it. New York City turns into a festival of lights during the holidays and yes, there is a place where you can go ice skating for free, Bryant Park! The pond is open for ice skating from eight in the morning till twelve at night! This 17000 square foot rink offers all kinds of amenities:
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