Luke Constantino Luxury and high end homes, short sales

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 them what the bank will accept and throw it back on the market for a quick profit (I know, but I'm going to leave the other factors out to shorten the story). The ultimate goal here is to buy the property, close, find a buyer and close again as soon as possible.

These "Flippers" aren't in any way like my friend Peter Pasternak, he's a seasoned pro and has many ways and resources to flip a property (Yes, Peter is a good friend of mine, he's on the show "Flip This House"), but they did come with a plan, a good one, and they are ready...

I'll keep you updated.

Luke Constantino
Commercial | Residential
RE/MAX @ THE SLOPE
Direct: (212) 300-3919 | Fax: (360) 368-0098
Email: LukeConstantino@aol.com
http://LukeConstantino.com

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 flashing rear safety light

•· Brightly-colored clothing to improve visibility

•· A few dollars for emergencies

There are a lot of beautiful sites to see throughout our borough, but you also have to understand, this is a city, be careful and aware of your surroundings! Cars may not see you so make sure you see them!

Here are some links to some of Brooklyn's bicycle paths and some other interesting links:

•· http://www.nycbikemaps.com/maps/brooklyn-bike-map/

•· http://recteck.com/bike_CI.html

•· http://www.tourdebrooklyn.org/ (This is a lot of fun)

Luke Constantino
Commercial | Residential
RE/MAX @ THE SLOPE
Direct: (212) 300-3919 | Fax: (360) 368-0098
Email: LukeConstantino@aol.com
http://LukeConstantino.com

Luke Constantino | Remax at The Slope

Living in NYC is not as easy as it is in other areas. Our children don't have much of a selection of Parks and playgrounds and in some areas you have to jump on a train or bus to get there, think about how hard it is for a dog owner! Where are all the dog parks/runs? It's almost impossible to get on a train or bus with a medium or large sized dog! If you are a dog owner here in NYC you have to stay connected.

(My doggies!)

I have 2 beautiful dogs, trained and chipped. As all dog owners know, they are like our children, so we try to find good areas for them to play. The best way to stay connected is by coversing with other dog owners online and knowing where the best dog parks are by reading reviews. Here are a few sites that might help a dog owner in NYC:

http://www.nycgovparks.org/facilities/dogruns

http://www.doggeek.com/Dog%20Parks/New%20York.shtml

http://www.dogfriendly.com/server/travel/guides/dogpark/dogparkstateNY.shtml

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/872541/the_best_dog_parks_in_new_york_city.html

http://dogblog.dogster.com/

Luke Constantino
Commercial | Residential
RE/MAX @ THE SLOPE
Direct: (212) 300-3919 | Fax: (360) 368-0098
http://LukeConstantino.com

I believe the best investment someone can make is in themselves. How others perceive you is very important in this business and yes, first impressions do count! No one wants to see someone with a negative attitude. I find exercise to be better than that cup of coffee in the morning. Just a little something each morning can keep you positive and vibrant!

I'm not saying you have to be a beauty queen or Mr. America and kill yourself in the gym every morning; just enough to get a good sweat going is fine. Sometimes I just do 20 -30 minutes on the treadmill and that's all I need. Keeping hydrated is also very important, don't forget your metal water bottle!

So get off your chair...

Let's all have a great year, stay vibrant and healthy!

Luke Constantino
Commercial | Residential
RE/MAX @ THE SLOPE
Direct: (212) 300-3919 | Fax: (360) 368-0098
http://LukeConstantino.com

Luke Constantino | Remax at The Slope

I was born and raised in New York City, so it just seems fitting, every year, to go see our neighborhood tree in Rockefeller Center on Christmas Eve and have reservations to a good restaurant for the evening. Usually it's packed to the gills like a sardine can with people from all over the country, all over the world, but not this year. Yes, there were a lot of people, of course, but not as many as usual. There were more street vendors than I have seen before, but not many people were buying.

I had reservations at Bar Americain, Bobby Flay's restaurant, which is usually packed on Christmas Eve. I was worried about getting there on time or losing my reservation, but when I got there, there were quite a few empty tables. Needless to say, the food was exceptional, it just didn't seem like a lot of people were going out to eat that evening.

They keep saying our economy is getting better on the news, but from what I can see on the streets it doesn't seem so.