Sal Calabrese

The Short Sale - What You Need to Know

A short sale basically means a lender will be willing to take less than the total amount due on the property, in order to sell it as quickly as possible. These are not foreclosures - they are properties where the seller can no longer make payments, and is trying to avoid bankruptcy or foreclosure proceedings. This can be very appealing to buyers - good properties, at a great price. With so much potential for a excellent deal, it can seem to good to be true.

There are no guarantees, however, that a short sale will be a breeze. Or even "short". An acceptable offer that the lender finds appropriate takes research and an understanding of the current market. While the lenders are looking to sell properties, they aren't going to be willing to take just anything you put on the table.

Your first move should be to find a Real Estate Agent with short sale experience. This is an invaluable tool to getting the right house for the right price, without the drama! The process is not simple and experience will be your number one tool in getting through it all.

A Real Estate Agent with short sale experience will help guide you through the steps of making the right offer on the right house. With all the extra details and paperwork, you want to work with a trusted Agent to help make the right decisions. They will protect your interests and expedite your deal, while managing all details. You don't want to undertake this journey without the right Agent at your side.

You and your Real Estate Professional will want to do your research before making an offer. Public records will assist you in finding out the amount owed on the home and any foreclosure notices that are linked to the property. With knowledge of the specifics of the house - and the surrounding areas - you can make the right offer, the one the lender will be inclined to accept.

The right Agent and the right offer will give you the very best chance in getting a short sale home!

For more information about short sales and RE/MAX Metro please visit www.remaxmetrony.com. We have locations at 585 North Gannon Ave., Staten Island, NY 10314, 718-979-3000 and at 95-04 3^rd Ave., Brooklyn, NY 11209 (Bay Ridge) 718-491-2100 and 70-24 18^th Ave., Brooklyn, NY 11204 (Bensonhurst) 718-236-7100 . Contact me or your local office with any of your real estate questions or needs.

One Family Colonial for Sale in Staten Island - Move Right In!

Beautiful semi-detached One Family located in the Tottenville section of Staten Island - truly a must see. Great location, fantastic details - three bedrooms, three baths, all impeccably kept!

The basement is fully finished with a full bath, kitchen and front entrance - a great detail perfect for use as a rec, family or guest room.

Off street parking and lovely landscaping greet you at first glance. The backyard features a retractable awning over the deck, which is accessible from the kitchen. Lovely move in ready home in a great section of Staten Island. A can't miss opportunity.

The heart of the home is the kitchen and this Staten Island Colonial serves this up in stylish fashion. The custom designed kitchen features stainless steel appliances and granite counter tops, with gorgeous wood cabinets and a perfectly sized nook for family meals. No detail is overlooked in this great space.

The open air plan of the first floor is accentuated by the 10' ceilings and sharp designer details. The combination living room and dining room provides abundant space for comfortable daily living and easy entertaining.

Cathedral ceilings upstairs frame the charming three bedrooms of this Staten Island home for sale. Plenty of space, great details - beautiful. The full finished basement is a bonus room with a kitchen and bathroom and natural light.

If you're thinking about living in Tottenville, Staten Island, New York or for more information about homes in Staten Island, call RE/MAX Metro or please visit www.remaxmetrony.com. We have locations at 585 North Gannon Ave., Staten Island, NY 10314,95-04 3rd Ave., Brooklyn, NY 11209 (Bay Ridge) and 70-24 18th Ave., Brooklyn, NY 11204 (Bensonhurst). Contact me or your local office with any of your real estate questions or needs.

The decision to rehab or renovate a property is a big one. Maybe it's the perfect location but needs TLC. Maybe the bones are there but updating is mandatory. Or you need more space than the current layout provides. The temptation to buy a home and remake it into your ideal home is oh so tempting!

However - there are questions to ask yourself and honest answers to contemplate before you make a commitment to take on the task.

A good place to start is budgeting. By researching the actual price of your "dream home" you can start with a dollar amount to compare the fixer upper property and costs associated with the renovation. Will it save you money in the long run?

If you decide that rehabbing is the way to go, it's important to then figure out your realistic estimates of what it might cost.

Are you doing the work yourself? Or will you need to hire a contractor - and a plumber and an electrician and an architect, etc. - in order to complete the necessary work? Get realistic estimates of these then add twenty percent. The same with supplies, fixtures, flooring, wall treatments...

The point of these numbers is to give you the best picture of what you're undertaking, not to scare you away! Home renovations and rehabbing is notorious for going over estimates by ten, twenty or even fifty percent of a homeowner's budget. If money is not a concern, this may not be an issue. But for everyone else, these estimates are vital to planning.

The other consideration is the liveability of the home itself. If there is secure shelter in part of the house, an area for cooking and personal hygiene, then living in the house during the work shouldn't be a problem. It may be a bit tiresome but worth it if you can move right into the space while you're renovating.

When you are doing the work yourself, your timeline may be different than those who are hiring outside contractors. A realistic estimation of your time is as important as the one for your resources! Working a full time job, raising a family and heading a home rehab can take more hours in a day than currently exist! It's important to take this into consideration when making the decision.

The final point to ponder is whether or not you plan to live in the house long term or if this is a short term purchase (five years or less). Will you recoup your investment when its time to sell? There are no guarantees in today's market that a completely renovated house will yield the type of return you might expect after doing all that work. The projects which give the best returns during resale are things like adding a deck, or vinyl replacement windows. Adding rooms and upgrading energy-efficiency in the home also increase value. But that new kitchen or spa tub may not add the money that you were expecting. Discuss issues such as these with a Real Estate Professional for current market trends.

The decision to rehab a house has many components - money, time, expectations. Within each level of your plan there are questions. It's important to get as much information as you can, from research and professionals, including your Agent, in order to make the right choice for you and your family.

If you're thinking about purchasing a home for renovation and rehabbing in Staten Island, New York or Brooklyn, New York, call RE/MAX Metro or please visit www.remaxmetrony.com. We have locations at 585 North Gannon Ave., Staten Island, NY 10314, 655 Rossville Ave., Staten Island 10309, 95-04 3rd Ave., Brooklyn, NY 11209 (Bay Ridge) and 70-24 18th Ave., Brooklyn, NY 11204 (Bensonhurst). Contact me or your local office with any of your real estate questions or needs.

Home Staging, Curb Appeal and Selling Your Home!

Your home isn't sold on the basis of an advertisement or a photo - what a buyer sees and feels when they tour will dictate a final decision. In order to showcase the best parts of your house for sale, staging and curb appeal can make a world of difference.

Staging your home can highlight the lines and livability of each room while curb appeal is a potential buyer's first impression and you want it to be the best possible one!

Curb Appeal 101

An overgrown lawn, dead plants and an abandoned appearance may hide a perfectly wonderful home - but you'll never get anyone through the front door to find out if that's their initial opinion.

Simple fixes can make a world of difference in selling your home - curb appeal reflects a home that's been taken care of and maintained inside and out! Not to mention, outdoor decorating can increase your potential buyer traffic without making a dent in your budget.

Lighting, landscaping and cleaning are three areas that will show off the exterior of your home in the best possible way. Start small and always observe the big picture - what are your home's best features? Those you want to play up. Great windows mean showing them off. Prune back trees and bushes, paint the trim and clean them to a shiny sparkle. Consider painting the door a complimentary color to your siding or paint. A square of color can draw the eye to your front door - which is where you want potential buyers to go!

Greenery and flowers are obvious choices but consider decorative rocks and boulders, fountains and decorative grasses. Solar lighting is an inexpensive option for lining walk and driveways. Remove any junk or rubbish from the property and remember your mailbox! Paint or replace it if need be.

Curb appeal projects can also downplay less than desirable aspects such a small lawn or a lack of property. Consider planters of flowers to add color or window boxes to bring life to the outside. Keep decorations to a clean neutral minimum; that means your gnome collection should probably be tucked away until you unpack at your new home!

Staging 101

Staging is not decorating. Decorating is an expression of your personal style. Staging is framing your home in the best possible way to appeal to the widest majority of buyers.

The first and most important part of staging is decluttering! One of the first things a professional stager will do is whisk away half your furniture - your house will instantly look larger and the lines of each room will be more visible. The focal point shouldn't be the belongings but rather the home itself.

Rooms will also feel larger if the remaining furniture is grouped off the walls. Reposition sofas and chairs into a conversation pit in the center of the room - instant space!

If you have a room or rooms that have no distinct purpose, consider staging them as something that will increase the value of the home. A small desk, chair and lamp speaks to a home office, a cozy armchair and bookshelf becomes a reading nook and a twin bed and small dresser mean a guest room. You don't have to spend a lot of money - repurpose items from around the house, keep it neat and simple and you'll be amazed at the changes you can make.

Lighting is extremely important. You want every room to glow - no dark corners, no hard to make out features. Up the wattages in lamps and overhead fixtures and add lights where necessary.

Paint can be an excellent pick me up. Stick with neutral colors and coordinating dark accents to create a clean, inviting palette. Complete the picture with artwork, accessories (but not clutter!) and clean rugs or flooring. And remember - closet and storage space is always a huge bonus to a prospective buyer. Clean out closets and basements so people see space, not things.

Picture Perfect

On Open House day, sweep the front walkway, clean the windows and pull the weeds. Inside, put fresh flowers in the entry way, candles in the bathroom and open the curtains. You're ready to put your best foot - and best home - forward!

Brooklyn New York Housing Styles

Like the impressive cross-section of cultures which settled - and continue to settle in - Brooklyn, many housing styles are represented and available for sale. 2.5 million residents have many requires for where they want to live and Brooklyn provides options in a myriad of ways, from single family detached to multi-family homes, condos, lofts and more.

Within that collection of residences, we have styles that are more prominant than others, such as brownstones, Victorians, and Colonials. Which one is right for your family?

The Victorian

The classic and beautiful Victorian-style house is instantly recognizable due to its elaborate exterior trim, porch, and distinctive roof line. Brooklyn is home to many of the common styles of Victorian - Queen Anne and Gothic Revival most prominant. These classic homes, generally built in the United States during the latter part of the 1800's, are scattered through out the borough. They are marvelous examples of the history of the borough.

Photo credit www.cityrag.com

The Colonial

Amongst the more recently built styles in Brooklyn, the Colonial is a popular choice for the area. Traditionally a two story rectangular house, the Colonial includes one and two family styles, modern versions and homes barely changed from their original forms.

With so many options, the Colonial is perfect for growing families who want space and versatility.

The Brownstone

One of the most common housing styles in Brooklyn is the rowhouse or Brownstone. Brownstones are also referred to as terraced houses, the term "terrace" borrowed by English architects to describe rows of houses whose uniform fronts and heigh create a stylish line. They are generally two or three story structures that share a wall with a neighboring unit.

Brownstones are terrific for their substantial space in the middle of a city block, or they can provide comfortable living with rental income potential.

These homes are very popular around the world and figured prominantly into the construction of New York City and surrounding boroughs during its settlement. They can feature any number of architectural styles including Italianate, Federal style brick, Gothic Revival, Wood Frame and brick.

If you're thinking about living in Brooklyn, New York or for more information about home styles in Brooklyn, call RE/MAX Metro or please visit www.remaxmetrony.com. We have locations at 585 North Gannon Ave., Staten Island, NY 10314, 655 Rossville Ave., Staten Island 10309, 95-04 3rd Ave., Brooklyn, NY 11209 (Bay Ridge) and 70-24 18th Ave., Brooklyn, NY 11204 (Bensonhurst). Contact me or your local office with any of your real estate questions or needs.