Trees in Long Island's orchards are laden with apples for picking. Whether you favor sweet Golden Delicious or tart Granny Smith, there's one that will be the apple of your eye. Many orchards offer family-friendly activities for pre- or post-picking that range from wagon and hayrides to tours.
Most growers who offer u-pick are open seven days, but if the crop is "picked out," they may close for a day, so call to check or visit the Web sites listed before you head out.
The Milk Pail
1346 Montauk Hwy. and 732 Mecox Rd., Water Mill
631-537-2565
milk-pail.com
Hours: 9:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday (u-pick opens at 10 a.m. Sunday)
Cost: $26 for a 20-pound bag ( 1/2 bushel)
Jonamac, McIntosh, Zestar and Sansa and other snappy varieties are being picked right now. Peaches, home-baked goodies and cider also are available. Picking is off Mecox Road, the first road east of the stand on Montauk Highway. Dogs not allowed in the orchard.
Woodside Farms
Route 25, Aquebogue, and Manor Lane, Jamesport
631-722-5770
woodsidefarmsli.com
Hours: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily for u-pick
U-pick begins Sept. 20, with several varieties expected to be available for harvest this season (check Web site for specifics). Homemade pies are fresh-baked Wednesday through Sunday and cider doughnuts are made daily. You may get a chance to watch cider being made. Cider slushies are a cold treat after an afternoon of picking apples.
Wickham's Fruit Farm
Route 25, Cutchogue
631-734-6441
wickhamsfruitfarm.com
Hours: 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday through Saturday; closed Sunday
Cost: $20 a peck plus $1 entry fee per person
Besides choice u-pick apples (and peaches, for as long as they last), cider, preserves and freshly made doughnuts and pies are available. Other attractions include tours, wagon rides, bee observation and a picnicking area. Dogs allowed on leashes.
Seven Ponds Orchard
65 Seven Ponds Rd., Water Mill
631-726-8015
Hours: 9 a.m.-6 p.m.
Cost: $1.25 a pound
Dwarf apple trees are easy for kids to reach, and red Radio Flyer wagons are available for carting your apples back from the orchards - you'll find Ginger Gold, Gala, McIntosh, Macoun, Mutsu and Golden Delicious varieties. Enjoy a corn maze, hayrides and a picnic area. Besides apple picking, there's blackberry and raspberry picking (plus flowers and tomatoes as long as they last). Pies, jams, candy apples and other goodies are on sale.
Davis Peach Farm
Hulse Landing Road, north of Route 25A, Wading River
631-929-1115
davispeachfarm.com
Hours: 9 a.m.-5 p.m. daily
Cost: $1.30 a pound
Such varieties as Cortland, MacIntosh, Fuji and Gala are ready for picking. There's a hot- dog stand for famished pickers. No dogs or strollers.
Lewin Farms
812 Sound Ave., Wading River
631-929-4327
lewinfarms.com
Hours: Open every day 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Cost $1 a pound
Don't forget the cider
Jericho Cider Mill
73 Rte. 106, Jericho
516-433-3360
When fresh apples are available by the bushel, someone's bound to be making cider. Jericho Cider Mill has been pressing apple cider since the 1800s in an old barn, where you can also find fresh apples, apple pies, crisps and other baked goods. It is expected to open later this week, when the first local apples are delivered.
For more u-pick information, go to pickyourown.org/nylongisland.htm.
A complete directory of orchards in the state as well as information about when apples ripen, health benefits of apples and recipes, can be found at nyapplecountry.com. Go to nycider.com for a directory of producers.
See a complete list of Long Island farm stands.
Henry Blodget has an interesting interview with Yale Professor Robert Shiller on the housing crisis. Watch the video here. Highlights are below:
From Yahoo! Finance:
Home price declines are already approaching those in the Great Depression, when they plunged 30% during the 1930s. With prices already down almost 20%, it's not a stretch to think we might exceed that drop this time around.
There are about 10 million homeowners whose debt is higher than their home value, which has broad implications for how Americans feel about their wealth and spending habits (read: more pressure on consumer spending).
The current hopeful consensus-that house prices will bottom soon and then begin to recover-is most likely a dream. Housing markets don't usually have "V-shaped" recoveries. And even if house prices stabilize in nominal terms, after adjusting for inflation, most homeowners will continue to lose money.
Thoughts?
In its 34th year, the two-day event annually draws thousands of people from across the tristate area to the community known as Polish Town, USA, to celebrates all things Polish, including "the spirit of the folks who came here at the turn of the century and settled Polish Town," says Burte Harris, an organizer of the event. Proceeds help beautify the area and support charitable efforts in the neighborhood, she says.
That spirit is still alive and well, Harris says, in the people who come to "express their roots" and, of course, to eat. "I always like to say they come here to eat their way from one end of the fair to the next," she muses. "The kielbasa on a Kaiser roll with sauerkraut is out of this world."
WHAT YOU'LL SEE
On Saturday, the street fair kicks off at 10 a.m., with a Polish Mass at St. Isidore Roman Catholic Church (622 Pulaski St.) - the spiritual center of Polish Town, named after the patron saint of farmers. There also will be a flag-raising ceremony with a Polish choir and a re-enactment of an old-fashioned Polish wedding.
Then, visitors can explore the 250 booths along the fair route, which will be offering Polish and other ethnic foods, arts and crafts, jewelry, imports and entertainment, including polka music by the Eddie "D" Dmachowski's Band, Maximilian Kolbe Polish Dancers, and Joe Thomas' Jolly Men.
The day also includes lots more Polish music, a cornhusking contest and the presentation of the newly crowned Miss Polish Town USA 2008, Riverhead's own Elizabeth Yakaboski.
At 5 p.m., the Polka Dance Festival begins at the pavilion at Polonaise Park, Osborne and Lincoln streets, with guest performers Stanky & the Coalminers and Dyna Brass.
The street festival continues on Sunday from noon to 5 p.m. in the park with line dancing, games and inflatables, music by Andy, the Re-Dancers Show and a presentation by students from St. Maximilian Kolbe Catholic School.
WHERE: Osborne Avenue, Riverhead
WHEN: Saturday and Sunday
COST: Free ($13 for Saturday's 5 p.m. to midnight Polka Dance Festival; $5 for 9 and younger)
631-369-1616
polishtownusa.com
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Selling Prime Homes From the Great South Bay to the Long Island Sound.
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Many Sellers are misled by other Realtors who advertise in the local editions of Sunday Newsday's "Long Island Life" Section which means the placement ONLY in local Islip or Babylon Town editions of this publication, therefore not reaching the higher priced Buyers living in Nassau, Queens, Brooklyn, Manhattan and the North Shore, where our marketing efforts are directed. These Buyers, coming from areas West of Suffolk County and along the North Shore, are selling their homes for substantially higher prices which allows them to more easily afford homes in our area.
Purchasers are "Pre-Approved" for mortgages by our affiliate, MortgageAmerica, before Offers to Purchase are presented to Sellers. A critical part of the mortgage process, the Credit Report, is reviewed by us so that a true "Pre-Approval" is provided before presenting any Offer. We review these Reports so that we are made immediately aware of issues that may impact the ability of a potential Buyer to qualify for a Mortgage and thus unnecessarily tie up a home on the market for sale. MortgageAmerica can also provide mortgages for our clients in virtually the entire United States.
2008 is expected to be another consecutive year of continued growth for us at COLDWELL BANKER MATHERSON in Residential and Commercial Real Estate as well as for our affiliated Mortgage Broker, MortgageAmerica. Ultimately, this benefits You, our Clients and Customers.
Resources for Buyers A real estate agent will be your major resource for help and information. Your agent will be your access point for the MLS (Multiple Listing Service), which lists all available properties on the market. While many sites allow you to view the MLS, you will need an agent to actually tour the homes. Beyond simply finding you a home, your agent can often help you find a good source of financing.
Financing is a crucial step in the buying process. It's important to be pre-approved for a mortgage before looking seriously at homes. Pre-approval means that you have been fully screened by the lender and approved for a loan; this can be a huge help when the time comes to make an offer. Most sellers will go with candidates that are pre-approved, since there's less risk that the deal will fall through.
Your real estate agent will also be critical when it comes to negotiating and making your offer. The home buying process is long and involved, but with the right resources--namely, a good agent--it can be exciting and fun.
Get the Agent's Advantage 
At some point in the selling process, most people consider selling the property themselves. While FSBO (For Sale By Owner) is not necessarily a bad way to go, homeowners typically do not get the same prices as professional agents. Even after factoring in an agent's fees, the amount of work it takes to sell a home tends to make an agent a worthwhile investment.
After finding a real estate agent you trust, the next critical step is pricing your home. Look around at similar houses for sale in your neighborhood and price yours in that range. Of course, the interior and exterior condition of your home will make a large difference. For example, if you've remodeled recently or have new appliances, the price will naturally increase. Your real estate agent will use the MLS (Multiple Listing Service) to come up with an appropriate price; however, this will simply be a suggested price. The final decision will be up to you, which is why it pays to do a bit of comparative research.
The next step is getting your home ready to show. Open houses are critical in stirring up interest in your home, but too few sellers really take the necessary steps to make their homes buyer-friendly. For example, repainting the exterior of your home is relatively inexpensive and offers huge results in terms of curb appeal. Inside, it's best to make your home as free of clutter as possible. You may even want to rent a storage space for extra furniture and items--even your closets should look spacious. The offer(s) on your home will most likely come from open house attendants. After that, your agent will be able to handle most of the details, though the final decisions on price and sale will be yours to make.
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ActiveRain Corp. is not responsible for the accuracy of the site's content (which is written by members of the ActiveRain Real Estate Network) and does not endorse the views of the real estate agents, mortgage brokers, and others listed here.
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