Joan Bischoff van Heemskerck

Rentals may be a great way for homeowners to make some hard cash to help defray the cost of second home ownership... and a great and economic way to have afabulus vacation for families or friends. We've started sending out the first leases and it appears to become a very strong rental season for appropriately priced rentals.
Rentals on the North Fork come in many different kinds, from luxurious Peconic Bay or LI Sound waterfronts (top rates around 30K per month, 65K for the season from Memorial Day to Labor Day), to lakeside cottages (around $1500/Wk).
It appears the life style changes dictate that people rather have shorter term leases, but are wiling to pay a little more for these shorter terms, acknowledging the extra costs and efforts associated with shorter term rentals. And for REAL short term rentals the B&Bs are very attractive alternatives. visit www.northfork.org for availability of B&Bs.
Waiting until the last minute is risky; the North Fork is a small region and the season is really not so long. The vineyards, the beaches and, more recently an impressive array of fine restaurants which are creating a following for local fare and fish, accompanied by local wines. All this creates a busy traffic during the season, and lately even during the off season!
So if you need information on summer rentals, visit our website www.buyersconnections.com or call Joan or Nicholas at 631 298 4646

It's after the Holidays and the snow is falling.... and the North Fork is getting busier again. The Winter Fest and its 2009 Jazz- theme are allowing daytrippers and weekenders from all over the world, from Manhattan to Tokyo, Boston to London and Munich, to come and enjoy the bountiful harvest of the North Fork, wine, seafood, local produce and potatoes, the waterfront and winter walk beaches, the ferries to shop a day in Sag Harbor or Greenport, Love Lane, Atlantis Aquarium, or just rural landscapes and nature. It's great, the long lines and crowds are gone and all seems even more enjoyable; plus the rates are much more affordable. Stay at a B&B or rent a home.

And while you are at it: Real Estate is on sale and who knows how long that sale will last? Join the many apartment dwellers from the city who got their feet wet as country folk on the North Fork (and got a mortgage tax deduction on their income....). A house with a dock for your boat to go fishing in some of the best fishing grounds on the East Coast (catch blues, sea bass, or out in the Ocean some of the sweetest Tuna you'll ever taste, or just rent a boat with Captain Sloan Gurney and let him do the work while you take the credit and the fish home.

And if you are interested in being shown around and look at some homes, great deals, waterfronts, vacation cottages, weekend homes or retirement paradise are all waiting. Call Nicholas at 631 948 0143 for an appointment, he's a licenced realtor and loves to connect you to what's local here.

North Fork Wine Country has great deals to offer in this weak economy; most vineyards are slow during the off season, and even more so now. When I drive by the vineyards I see sales and discounted wines, and some of the vineyards now have sales in their shops as well. Beat the crowds and visit the vineyards! Also the B&Bs have specials you can enjoy.

And once you are here, you may find Real Estate on sale... your chance to get in and look around, let us help you! Call Nicholas or JOan at 631 298 4646 or visit www.buyersconnections.com for more info on Real Estate, on the Vineyards or on visiting the North Fork!

It is true that the North Fork Market held up relatively well compared to other regions... Nevertheless, the wake-up call for sellers is now: 37% fewer contracts in 2008, 26% fewer contracts signed overall, and 27% down in volume is not that great either. And this trend seems to have worsened in December with only 4 contracts signed on the real North Fork according to MLS...
What better environment to make offers and get them accepted when sellers are presented with these statistics! When sales volume slows to a tiny trickle the imbalance will only allow for more transactions with an increase in demand or a decrease in supply. Sellers need to realize that for now there is demand, but this demand will intially be satisfied by sellers who HAVE to sell. So the market will be determined by these sales, and comps for future mortgages will use these distressed sales figures to allow new mortgages. Pricing your house retail now puts properties at a distinct disadvantage for year-end buyers. These buyers are seeing competing offerings in other areas where pricing has come down substantially more severely. And make no mistake, these areas in Nassau and the rest of Suffolk ARE competition.
So a seller who wants to sell needs to price a property aggessively. Buyers are now in the market at 25-30% below "retail" prices. Grab them while you can, sellers!

This creative use of your home may help pay the bills!

We have requests for homes to be rented short term (for few days or a week or so in general, sometimes more) for use as a movie set or (fashion) foto shoot...

We are so close to New York, US Fashion Capital, and the North Fork is a movie stage extraordinaire.

If you have a (special) home on the North Fork, let us discuss if your home would work.

So talk to us and we will try and connect you. Call Nicholas at 631 948 0234 or 298 4646!