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Real Estate

HOGALLERY_buyingandselling

Arielle Dollinger

Listing photos highlight a home’s unique features: recording studios, indoor pools, bowling alleys; brick-lined wine cellars, a basement disguised as an Italian pizza shop. 
But the anticipated appeal of a house with custom features does not always translate to a wider profit margin for sellers; and for listing agents, what might seem a selling point can also be a deal-breaker. 
&quot;I think that the biggest challenge,&quot; said Daniel Gale agent Peggy Moriarty, &quot;is trying to break the news that the homeowners have spent a fortune on whatever this specific room is, and nobody has the same passion, and they don’t want to pay for it.&quot; 
As vice president of Center Island Contracting, Evan Lewitas has seen an increase in requests for custom features&nbsp;like home offices and children's homework areas over the past several years.&nbsp;But among his clients' unique requests&nbsp;is a current project: a homeowner is adding a second story to a house for the installation of a golf simulator room. 
&quot;He needs the height —&nbsp;you can't do it in your basement,&quot; Lewitas said. &quot;When you build a second story, you can pick the ceiling height, and that'll give him the 10-foot ceilings he requires.&quot; 
The job is in the preliminary permit phase, he said, but the starting price for a second-story addition is $150,000. The price of a golf simulator varies. The Medford-based company Golf Pro Delivered installs custom golf simulators that can cost anywhere from around $50,000 to over $100,000, according to executive assistant John Manson. A DIY golf simulator kit might start around $30,000, he said. 
Profit aside, an amenity suited to the current owner — a fishing tackle room, shiny purple kitchen cabinetry, sapphire-blue granite tile — may drain the buyer pool. 
And finding that buyer, who wants the house for — not in spite of — its custom features? 
&quot;It’s like finding a needle in the haystack,&quot; Moriarty said. 
And the homebuying process on Long Island is often protracted as it is. 
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<h2>Do buyers like custom features?</h2> 
<blockquote> 
 I think that the biggest challenge is trying to break the news that&nbsp;the homeowners have spent a fortune ... and nobody has the same passion, and they don’t want to pay for it. 
 — Daniel Gale agent Peggy Moriarty 
</blockquote> 
When&nbsp;preparing a home for sale, the common advice to owners is to remove personal effects, including photographs and items that nod to the owner’s personality. The goal is to present the space almost like a hotel room, said Laura Zambratto, an associate real estate broker for Daniel Gale Sotheby’s International Realty, so that prospective buyers can picture themselves inhabiting it. 
&quot;The more customized something is towards a specific seller, and their tastes and needs, the less buyers will be out there to be interested in that very same thing,&quot; said Zambratto. 
<a class="p-smartembed" data-attr-caption="The ultramodern aesthetic of this Huntington house is making it a challenge for EXP Realty agent Jeffrey Jimenez, above, to sell." data-attr-credit="" data-attr-has-caption="true" data-attr-has-credit="true" data-attr-q="0.3" data-attr-w="400" data-onecms-id="contentid/5945d71a-c4cc-4fcf-9895-d25f5bd4a776" data-onecms-type="image" href="javascript:window.parent.actionEventData({$contentId:'contentid/5945d71a-c4cc-4fcf-9895-d25f5bd4a776', $action:'view', $target:'work'})" polopoly:contentid="contentid/5945d71a-c4cc-4fcf-9895-d25f5bd4a776"><img src="/image-service/alias/contentid/5945d71a-c4cc-4fcf-9895-d25f5bd4a776/DSC_2919.jpg?w=400&amp;q=0.3" />The ultramodern aesthetic of this Huntington house is making it a challenge for EXP Realty agent Jeffrey Jimenez, above, to sell.</a> 
<blockquote> 
 You’ve got to fall in love with this style, and if you don’t love the style then it’s not the house for you. 
 —&nbsp;Jeffrey Jimenez 
</blockquote> 
In January, EXP Realty agent Jeffrey Jimenez listed a four-bed, four-bath smart house in Huntington. The 1-acre Austin Lane property is priced at $1.4 million, but offers so far have been below asking. 
With sleek black-stained floors, a poker room, wooden accent walls and a pHountain water filtration system, the two-story house has an ultramodern aesthetic. The garage has been repurposed as a second primary bedroom. 
The specificity of the house has proved&nbsp;a speed bump on the road to a sale for Jimenez. 
&quot;It makes it feel like more of a place that people want to visit as opposed to a place where people want to live,&quot; Jimenez said. 
The sellers have, in fact, used the house as a vacation property, and are looking for &quot;the right buyer,&quot; Jimenez said. 
<a class="p-smartembed" data-attr-caption="Among the customizations in the home Jimenez is representing are black-stained floors and wooden accent walls." data-attr-credit="" data-attr-has-caption="true" data-attr-has-credit="true" data-attr-q="0.3" data-attr-w="400" data-onecms-id="contentid/27ab6706-f0fa-4785-8e54-82e5925e08c0" data-onecms-type="image" href="javascript:window.parent.actionEventData({$contentId:'contentid/27ab6706-f0fa-4785-8e54-82e5925e08c0', $action:'view', $target:'work'})" polopoly:contentid="contentid/27ab6706-f0fa-4785-8e54-82e5925e08c0"><img src="/image-service/alias/contentid/27ab6706-f0fa-4785-8e54-82e5925e08c0/459cdabfe18f95273a0b5db130fc29d1a3a6717c.jpg?w=400&amp;q=0.3" />Among the customizations in the home Jimenez is representing are black-stained floors and wooden accent walls.</a> 
&quot;My approach to it is, you’ve got to fall in love with this style, and if you don’t love the style then it’s not the house for you,&quot; he said. Jimenez acknowledged that the property &quot;stands out like a sore thumb&quot; among&nbsp;listings of comparable price. 
And the appeal of various features is subjective.&nbsp;Whether an amenity appeals to a buyer depends on what the buyer is looking for. 
Jimenez's listing is particularly specific: It is to be sold fully-furnished, televisions and sound systems included. 
&quot;If it’s your taste, it flows very nice,&quot; Jimenez said. &quot;It’s very well-appointed; it has some very unique features to it that most homes in this price range don’t even have.&quot; 
<h2>How do house flippers handle customized homes?</h2> 
<a class="p-smartembed" data-attr-caption="Peggy Moriarty, left, with Christine and Jack Cohen, who flip houses." data-attr-credit="" data-attr-has-caption="true" data-attr-has-credit="true" data-attr-q="0.3" data-attr-w="400" data-onecms-id="contentid/c5ecabf4-f2b9-42e4-9d51-ad9e5b223ef8" data-onecms-type="image" href="javascript:window.parent.actionEventData({$contentId:'contentid/c5ecabf4-f2b9-42e4-9d51-ad9e5b223ef8', $action:'view', $target:'work'})" polopoly:contentid="contentid/c5ecabf4-f2b9-42e4-9d51-ad9e5b223ef8"><img src="/image-service/alias/contentid/c5ecabf4-f2b9-42e4-9d51-ad9e5b223ef8/7f5cdb697c5fa0ff468ce0d0c3d525e6119d08f9.jpg?w=400&amp;q=0.3" />Peggy Moriarty, left, with Christine and Jack Cohen, who flip houses.</a> 
<blockquote> 
 We buy houses that have those unique things, and we tear all of that out. 
 —&nbsp;Jack Cohen 
</blockquote> 
Jack and Christiane Cohen, who are in their 50s and based in Lloyd Harbor, have made a career of flipping houses. Having flipped his first house at age 25, Jack Cohen has seen the gamut of renovation projects. One house in Laurel Hollow, he recalled, had a movie theater and pool, balconies off almost every bedroom, 9&frac12; bathrooms and an art studio. 
Beneath a slate composite roof, the castle-like house included a walkout basement with 10-foot ceilings and three upper floors. Even the attic had ceilings at least 10 feet high, Cohen said. Each bedroom had its own bathroom with a Jacuzzi tub. 
But what seemed like selling points were not quite so. 
&quot;That was a tough sell because nobody wanted this giant house,&quot; Cohen said. &quot;It was just too big for people.&quot; 
Everything inside was oversized. There were a dining room table that sat an estimated 20 people, four fireplaces&nbsp;and tile that measured 2 by 4&nbsp;or 6 feet. Every room had a chandelier; and nobody was into the&nbsp;spa tubs, he added.&nbsp;&nbsp; 
&quot;That house took a long time to sell,&quot; Cohen said of the listing, which sat on the market for about a year and sold for $2.33&nbsp;million — just over half its initial $4 million asking price&nbsp;&quot;Even though it was magnificent, you know, it took a unique buyer.&quot; 
In trying to remodel what might be a hard — or specific — sell, as house flippers&nbsp;the Cohens try to appeal to the widest audience possible. This means cultivating a neutral color scheme, painting walls shades of white and changing bathroom tile to popular options like white porcelain. 
For more prominent features, like additional but impractical rooms installed by homeowners&nbsp;on a budget, the Cohens have a different strategy.&nbsp;If minimal,&nbsp;low-cost renovations will help create a more versatile space, the Cohens will&nbsp;make adjustments before reselling the flipped home. This can&nbsp;include&nbsp;removing walls to turn several small spaces into a more open floor plan. 
&quot;We buy houses that have those unique things, and we tear all of that out,&quot; Jack said.&nbsp; 
The likelihood is a buyer might see the impracticality and feel the need to remove it anyway, he explained. If features are made of drywall,&nbsp;he said, the cost of removal might be lower than the cost of having the house sit on the market indefinitely. 
&quot;That 5, $10,000 investment — if that makes your house sell in the next 30 days, does it make financial sense?&quot; he mused. &quot;I say yes.&quot; 
To appeal to a wide audience, the goal is to offer prospective buyers &quot;just the canvas&quot; to work with. A blank, clean room with white walls and good lighting is what most buyers want, Cohen said. 
&quot;And then, they can put their finishing touch in,&quot; he said. &quot;They could put bookshelves if they want to make it a library, right? They can put in a bar, or pool table, whatever they want to do.&quot; 
If a home's distinctive features are permanent or&nbsp;too expensive to remove, the agent must decide how to market the home accordingly. Experts who spoke with Newsday said they would lean into well-constructed&nbsp;features that could not be removed or changed. When it comes time to sell, how the home's features are&nbsp;framed depends on the preferences of the agent and buyer.&nbsp; 
<h2>Undoing customizations and letting go</h2> 
<a class="p-smartembed" data-attr-caption="Sellers should bear in mind that buyers will likely want to make changes to a home, said Laura Zambratto, of Daniel Gale Sotheby's International Realty." data-attr-credit="" data-attr-has-caption="true" data-attr-has-credit="true" data-attr-q="0.3" data-attr-w="400" data-onecms-id="contentid/d4364220-d4de-47ae-9d2a-915c5f25a855" data-onecms-type="image" href="javascript:window.parent.actionEventData({$contentId:'contentid/d4364220-d4de-47ae-9d2a-915c5f25a855', $action:'view', $target:'work'})" polopoly:contentid="contentid/d4364220-d4de-47ae-9d2a-915c5f25a855"><img src="/image-service/alias/contentid/d4364220-d4de-47ae-9d2a-915c5f25a855/0A2A2538.jpg?w=400&amp;q=0.3" />Sellers should bear in mind that buyers will likely want to make changes to a home, said Laura Zambratto, of Daniel Gale Sotheby's International Realty.</a> 
<blockquote> 
 The most unemotional sellers are the sellers that do the best. 
 —&nbsp;Laura Zambratto 
</blockquote> 
Low-budget, high-reward improvements Cohen suggested include changing doorknobs and hinges to a neutral, modern-looking stainless steel, changing black toggle-style light switches to their decorative counterparts and refreshing the surrounding plates. 
&quot;If you just do the light switches and the outlets, the doorknobs and the hinges,&quot; Cohen said. &quot;If you just do that — night-and-day difference. The amount of money you’ll make selling your house will be tremendous.&quot; 
The next step, he said, would be replacing old-style ceiling fans with white ceiling fans with four lights&nbsp;each, and spending $12 or $15 on white window shades. One step further would be installing base molding, then casing around the doors and windows. 
Each improvement Cohen recommends trends toward standard, not custom, and thinking smaller, not bigger. 
&quot;The most unemotional sellers are the sellers that do the best,&quot; Zambratto said. 
The value the homeowner places on certain pieces of furniture, for example, is &quot;so personalized.&quot; A buyer will likely want to make changes, so it is important for sellers to &quot;almost disengage&quot; emotionally from the house. 
&quot;It’s hard because the homeowner put their heart and soul in it;&nbsp;usually it’s an emotional decision that they made because of whatever their passions are,&quot; Moriarty said. &quot;And then we have to try to sell it to somebody else and have them pay up for it.&quot;

HOCUSTOM240329

Are custom house features dealbreakers for buyers, sellers?

Finding buyers for ultra-custom houses 'like finding a needle in the haystack'

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animation_1711488665

Stacey Altherr

Smart prospective homebuyers know a house inspection is an important part of the experience. A good inspector will let a buyer know if the house has defects and what it may take to fix them;&nbsp;foundation cracks, missing asphalt roof tiles, and heating systems are just a few items included in a detailed home inspection report. 
“I don't insist, but I encourage,” said Dee Dee Brix, a North Shore real estate broker, of hiring a house inspector before buying. “Some buyers bring in a contractor instead. I think it is wise.” 
But no matter how detailed a report, hidden defects can cost an unsuspecting buyer&nbsp;thousands of dollars and time-sucking aggravation that fall outside&nbsp;the home inspection. 
“Any part of a home inspection is visual,” said Rob Byrne, owner of Higher Elevation Home and Commercial Inspections LLC, and who teaches continuing education for home inspectors. “We can’t see what is hidden behind walls.” 
 
According to home inspectors, insurance companies are demanding the reports, so they know if the roof will last, for instance. 
“It’s a new thing,” said Byrne, whose company does about 700 inspections a year. “The insurance companies want to know what they are insuring.” 
But what is not covered? It may be surprising to homeowners what cannot be seen, or what is outside the detailed report. 
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<h2></h2> 
<h2>Water damage</h2> 
<a class="p-smartembed" data-attr-caption="Rob Byrne owner of Higher Elevation Home Inspections LLC inspects a crawl space in the basement of a Huntington Station home." data-attr-credit="" data-attr-has-caption="true" data-attr-has-credit="true" data-attr-q="0.3" data-attr-w="400" data-onecms-id="contentid/2f2fd18d-e95c-4cef-a3b2-4742392423a8" data-onecms-type="image" href="javascript:window.parent.actionEventData({$contentId:'contentid/2f2fd18d-e95c-4cef-a3b2-4742392423a8', $action:'view', $target:'work'})" polopoly:contentid="contentid/2f2fd18d-e95c-4cef-a3b2-4742392423a8"><img src="/image-service/alias/contentid/2f2fd18d-e95c-4cef-a3b2-4742392423a8/HODISCLOSE240315.jpg?w=400&amp;q=0.3" />Rob Byrne owner of Higher Elevation Home Inspections LLC inspects a crawl space in the basement of a Huntington Station home.</a> 
<blockquote> 
 Any part of a home inspection is visual. We can’t see what is hidden behind walls. 
 —&nbsp;Rob Byrne, owner of Higher Elevation Home and Commercial Inspections LLC 
</blockquote> 
Although Long Island is known for its scenic water views, water can be perilous for homes. 
“Water is the enemy to the house,” Byrne said. 
Flooding from the street, low elevation of a home, improper sloping of the landscape toward the house instead of away and groundwater rising through the basement or crawl space can be both a financial burden and a health concern because of mold. Groundwater saturates the land and can seep through foundations. 
Inspectors can see a lot, but not all. 
“The most important tool is our eyes and nose,” Byrne said. “You can smell it. But you can’t see behind walls.” 
However, most home inspection companies, including Byrne’s company, use thermal imaging and moisture meters. If metal columns are rusted at the bottom, it may be from past water damage; another sign. 
Talking to neighbors about the history of water damage on the street also may be helpful. 
A town hall’s planning department may be able to tell prospective buyers if a home is in a groundwater flood zone. 
<h2>Buried old&nbsp;oil tanks</h2> 
<a class="p-smartembed" data-attr-caption="A raised fuel tank cap indicates a buried oil tank that requires remediation.
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A large concern on Long Island is homes with buried oil tanks. Sometimes one can tell there was a tank in the ground by looking at where the lines connect. And that won't show if it has been “abandoned,” that is whether it has been properly emptied and filled with the required fill so it isn’t an environmental hazard. 
An improperly abandoned tank can leak, causing a environmental contamination that could cost up to $100,000 to remedy, because the leak could seep into a neighbor’s property. 
A properly abandoned tank will be registered with the Department of Health in Nassau County. Suffolk doesn’t require it to be registered, said Byrne, but homeowners will usually have a certificate saying the work was done. Abandoning a tank can cost about $4,000, he said, if there is no leakage. 
<h2>Electrical</h2> 
<a class="p-smartembed" data-attr-caption="Rob Byrne, left, checks a meter while Chris Byrne tests an outdoor electrical outlet.
" data-attr-credit="" data-attr-f="3x2" data-attr-has-caption="true" data-attr-has-credit="true" data-attr-q="0.3" data-attr-w="400" data-onecms-id="contentid/c06f8e84-a9c8-44ee-809d-dd89f5e590be" data-onecms-type="image" href="javascript:window.parent.actionEventData({$contentId:'contentid/c06f8e84-a9c8-44ee-809d-dd89f5e590be', $action:'view', $target:'work'})" polopoly:contentid="contentid/c06f8e84-a9c8-44ee-809d-dd89f5e590be"><img src="/image-service/alias/contentid/c06f8e84-a9c8-44ee-809d-dd89f5e590be/427958a7a6488e84457be98f27ecfce79bc0e0f1.jpg?f=3x2&amp;w=400&amp;q=0.3" />Rob Byrne, left, checks a meter while Chris Byrne tests an outdoor electrical outlet. </a> 
<blockquote> 
 Older aluminum wiring, used in the mid-'60s to mid-'70s, was not a good conductor and could have issues of fire hazards and other concerns. 
 — Rob Byrne, owner of Higher Elevation Home and Commercial Inspections LLC 
</blockquote> 
House inspectors can learn a lot about the home’s electrical systems by looking at fuse and circuit breaker boxes, how light switches and outlets are working in each room, and the amp voltage in the home. But inspectors cannot see inside walls. 
“Older aluminum wiring, used in the mid-'60s to mid-'70s, was not a good conductor and could have issues of fire hazards and other concerns,” Byrne said. 
Repairs can be easy, from an outlet to an entire circuit breaker box, which can run from $3,500 to $5,000 for a new service. But if the home needs the aluminum wiring behind walls replaced, it can be much more. 
<h2>Chimneys</h2> 
Many inspectors do not include chimneys in their inspections, and are not required to do so, but can note if they see something wrong, such as if it is leaning or missing bricks or cement. 
“If you get on the roof, you can look at the top part of the crown [of the chimney] and see something you may not see from the ground,” he said. “If we can remove the chimney cap on top of the flue, we might see things from there,” such as cracks in the liner of the flue. 
But even then, inspectors may not see enough, and will tell prospective owners to get a chimney inspection. Severe chimney problems can typically cost up to $10,000 for a new or renovated chimney, he said. 
<h2>Roof</h2> 
While inspectors are not required to walk on a roof, they must state if they inspected using binoculars, a drone, while standing on a ladder looking from the roof’s edge or by walking on the roof. 
Some roofs, such as those on Capes, may be hard to walk on, said Byrne. Still, if not inspected by walking the roof, damage such as missing tiles or flashing can be missed. 
Buyers can ask how the inspection is done at the time of hiring the inspector. An inspector may suggest hiring a roofer, and costs to repair a roof range drastically depending on amount of damage, how many roof tiles may need to get removed, and of course, square footage. 
<h2>Sewer lines</h2> 
House inspectors will run water through all the home’s faucets and flush all&nbsp;toilets to run a large amount of water through the system, both to check the pipes but also to see how the sewer system responds. 
But that won't catch all problems. Depending on the age of a home, metal cast iron pipes can corrode, and large tree roots can penetrate the line, causing leaks and backups. 
“We always suggest getting a sewer line scoped,” Byrne said. Licensed plumbers and companies that specialize in sewers and cesspools can do this work, usually about $350 to $450, Byrne said. 
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<h2></h2> 
Sometimes, things outside the home can affect a homeowner’s quality of life more than a backed-up sewer line or deteriorating chimney. Some things are not as tangible, but just as important. 
Albert Bongiorno, an agent with Nest Seekers International’s Atlantic Coast Division, said that many of these homebuying pitfalls can be&nbsp;found&nbsp;with some detective work. 
“Savvy buyers should broaden their scope and consider the neighborhood dynamics and zoning regulations for a more holistic understanding of the potential investment,” Bongiorno said. 
<h2>Zoning — current and future</h2> 
Are there plans for a new shopping center or is an Amazon warehouse going to be built behind your house? 
Among of the most upsetting news for homeowners is when they discover an empty parcel of land is going to be developed and is zoned for commercial or industrial use, Bongiorno said. 
“This can affect property values and desirability,” he said. 
Local municipalities have maps that show how each parcel is zoned. Prospective buyers can visit their town hall to find out about zoning in the surrounding area. Vacant lots don’t always stay vacant; they are owned by someone and can be built on at any time. 
“This can help anticipate how the neighborhood could change over time,” he said. 
<h2>Neighborhood</h2> 
Buyers may think they know the area well, but it is wise to drive through it several times at different times of the day and night. That is the best way to see if there are traffic problems or houses that often throw loud parties that may impact your quality of life. 
<h2>Schools</h2> 
Real estate agents are limited in what they can say regarding school ratings. Prospective buyers should inquire on their own, said Bongiorno. Asking the school for a tour to see the facility can also be helpful. 
<h2>Nearby amenities</h2> 
Is having a park within walking distance important? How about the quality of shopping? Is there a local house of worship that feels comfortable? Drive the area and time how long it takes to get places from your future home. Visit places around the neighborhood to see how it fits your lifestyle. 
Commuters should also consider access to highways or train station distance.

HODISCLOSE240315

Home inspections: What can be missed, how to find out

'Hidden behind walls': What home inspections can miss

HODISCLOSE240315_photos

Claude Solnik

Steven Galvez realized he had spent nearly $100,000 renting in Flushing, Queens. And he was ready for a change. 
&quot;I rented for five years,&quot; said Galvez, 34, a trucker. &quot;I'm not going to see that money.&quot; 
He and his fiancee, Emily Sosa, 33, a surgical technician,&nbsp;decided it was time to buy their first home together. After bidding on several&nbsp;houses starting last April, they finally bought a house in Ronkonkoma in October. 
&quot;It was like putting food in a fish tank. All the fish went crazy. Everybody was buying everything,&quot; Galvez said of bids made last year amid lower mortgage interest rates.&nbsp;&quot;There were lines outside houses.&quot; 
Galvez and Sosa bid on the home on the spot, paying $630,000 — slightly below their budget of $650,000 — at a 6.7% mortgage interest rate and moving into the house in January. 
&quot;We did an offer that day, literally outside the house,&quot; Galvez added. &quot;We filled out the paperwork.&quot; 
As the spring homebuying season approaches, increasing interest rates, combined with high demand, low inventory and rising asking prices, are more often forcing Long Islanders to make&nbsp;a tough call: buy a house now and absorb&nbsp;a&nbsp;financial hit or stay on the sidelines and risk missing their shot at homeownership. 
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Although location still rules the real estate game, mortgage rates have become a&nbsp;more important&nbsp;factor in the homebuying process, industry experts say. Unlike recent years when rates were significantly lower —&nbsp;about half of what they are today — bidders and buyers alike now&nbsp;need to decide how to manage high prices and&nbsp;high rates, a challenge&nbsp;experts say compounds an&nbsp;already onerous process. 
While low rates during the pandemic led to a surge in offers,&nbsp;bidders and buyers these days need to decide how to manage the dual challenges of high prices and high rates. 
<h2>Buying a house before market gets worse</h2> 
<a class="p-smartembed" data-attr-caption="Steven Galvez and Emily Sosa bought their first home together in Ronkonkoma at a 6.7% mortgage rate." data-attr-credit="" data-attr-has-caption="true" data-attr-has-credit="true" data-attr-q="0.3" data-attr-w="400" data-onecms-id="contentid/eb249533-144b-4a22-b159-751a05386c31" data-onecms-type="image" href="javascript:window.parent.actionEventData({$contentId:'contentid/eb249533-144b-4a22-b159-751a05386c31', $action:'view', $target:'work'})" polopoly:contentid="contentid/eb249533-144b-4a22-b159-751a05386c31"><img src="/image-service/alias/contentid/eb249533-144b-4a22-b159-751a05386c31/0e66e45eae396fb111273ead4c7872adf8998f5c.jpg?w=400&amp;q=0.3" />Steven Galvez and Emily Sosa bought their first home together in Ronkonkoma at a 6.7% mortgage rate.</a> 
<blockquote> 
 We did an offer that day, literally outside the house. 
 —&nbsp;Steven Galvez 
</blockquote> 
Mortgage rates during the pandemic —&nbsp;around 3% at their lowest —&nbsp;helped spur a feeding frenzy among buyers that continues now, even as rates rise, local real estate experts say. 
&quot;On Long Island, there were multiple offers on every house during the low-rate environment, resulting in many buyers shut out of buying homes,&quot; said Anna Beigelman, a licensed broker associate at Exit Realty Premier.&nbsp;Despite today's higher rates, &quot;multiple offers continue to come in.&quot; 
Current rates — just over 7% —&nbsp;and low inventory are proving a perfect storm for homebuyers, impacting where they look, bid and buy. Galvez initially looked at Nassau, but chose Suffolk after interest rates and prices rose. Tired of looking toward tomorrow, he and Sosa ultimately moved to their 2,000-square-foot high ranch on nearly a third of an acre in Ronkonkoma. 
 &quot;It was going up every month,'' he said. ''It felt like if I didn't get in, it would be sky high.&quot; 
<a class="p-smartembed" data-attr-caption="Tim Chiraz and Marissa Fielstein are in contract to close on a two-bedroom condo in Ronkonkoma at 6.5%." data-attr-credit="" data-attr-has-caption="true" data-attr-has-credit="true" data-attr-q="0.3" data-attr-w="400" data-onecms-id="contentid/5ee2a0a0-d892-4262-ba4a-19b2f791af15" data-onecms-type="image" href="javascript:window.parent.actionEventData({$contentId:'contentid/5ee2a0a0-d892-4262-ba4a-19b2f791af15', $action:'view', $target:'work'})" polopoly:contentid="contentid/5ee2a0a0-d892-4262-ba4a-19b2f791af15"><img src="/image-service/alias/contentid/5ee2a0a0-d892-4262-ba4a-19b2f791af15/824bad02e9158da7ecfa76b8ddc81fd2f0d96c67.jpg?w=400&amp;q=0.3" />Tim Chiraz and Marissa Fielstein are in contract to close on a two-bedroom condo in Ronkonkoma at 6.5%.</a> 
<blockquote> 
 We held off last year. We didn't want to hold off another year. 
 —&nbsp;Marissa Fielstein 
</blockquote> 
Meanwhile, Marissa Fielstein, 34, a licensed clinical social worker, and her husband, Tim Chiraz, 34, a healthcare data analyst, are in contract to close on a $389,000, two-bedroom condo in Ronkonkoma at 6.5%, after renting in Hauppauge. 
&quot;We held off last year,&quot; Fielstein said. ''We didn't want to hold off another year,&quot; she&nbsp;said,&nbsp;noting they expected high rates. 
Northport residents Edwin Hopkins, 45, an engineer, and Christine Hopkins, 45, a teacher, watched both rates and prices rise. 
&quot;There was a weird phenomenon,&quot; Edwin said. &quot;Interest rates would go up, but the housing prices would also go up.&quot; 
In summer of 2022, they bid on an Eaton's Neck house&nbsp;only to see rates rise before their offer was accepted. 
&quot;They didn't accept it. Then the interest rate went up and they accepted it,&quot; Christine said. &quot;We withdrew it, because it wasn't the same thing anymore.&quot; 
The Hopkinses in late February bought an approximately 3,000-square-foot five-bedroom house in Northport with a pool near Crab Meadow Beach. They closed&nbsp;for $800,000 at a 6.875% rate —&nbsp;higher than they hoped and nearly twice the interest rate they got for their previous house. 
&quot;If we waited a couple of years, our kids would be older and it might not be the same situation,&quot; Edwin said. &quot;We were looking for a place where our children would have their own room and where I could work and my wife could do work as an office. This house has all that.&quot; 
<h2>Postponing buying — and selling</h2> 
Some buyers and sellers are engaging in a waiting game, hoping rates decline. 
&quot;A lot of people are staying in place trying to wait for rates to go down,&quot; said Sharon Frank, 59, owner of Sharon R. Frank Real Estate LLC. &quot;The people who would have been buying are waiting.&quot; 
Ronald Feliciano, 31, a former U.S. Marine, rents in Centereach. He has been looking to buy a house in Suffolk for six months,&nbsp;but said high interest rates are perpetuating his wait. 
&quot;I'm ready to have something in my name,&quot; he said. &quot;What I find is overpriced. Interest rates go into the mix. If they got lower, that would be better.&quot; 
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Frank said she's seeing &quot;a boom in the rental market&quot; as people wait for a potential rate drop. Debra Russell, a real estate salesperson in Cold Spring Harbor for Daniel Gale Sotheby's International Realty, believes buying is best, because you build equity. &quot;If you keep renting, you'll never get ahead,&quot; she said. 
Lisa Pellegrino, an agent at Douglas Elliman Real Estate, based in Merrick, said when residents see &quot;rates climb, sometimes they can't afford it.&quot; Fearing they won't find what they want at a price they can afford, more residents are staying put, especially older generations. 
&quot;The elderly are afraid to leave,&quot; she said. &quot;They're afraid they can't afford to go anywhere, because of what's going on with the rates.&quot; 
<blockquote> 
 [Would-be sellers] are staying put because they are more in love with their 2% or 3% mortgage rate than their house. 
 —&nbsp;Anna Beigelman, a licensed broker associate at Exit Realty Premier 
</blockquote> 
Beigelman said amid higher rates, many would-be sellers &quot;are staying put because they are more in love with their 2% or 3% mortgage rate than their house.&quot; 
Empty nesters are often delaying selling, which is&nbsp;depleting inventory, Russell said. 
&quot;Some are staying longer, but usually empty nesters want to scale down and buy smaller houses,&quot; she said. &quot;They have to put up with running a larger home, maintenance and utilities.&quot; 
People choosing to stay rather than sell further shrinks the number of houses on the market, fueling a frenzy. 
&quot;Inventory is one of the bigger issues,&quot; said John Vlogianitis, a senior loan officer at Citizens Bank specializing in Long Island real estate. &quot;People are losing out because of inventory. It's not just the rates. It's how many houses are on the market.&quot; 
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Houses are selling quickly, amid low inventory. Nassau houses were on the market 56 days before selling as of January, down from 66 a year ago, according to OneKey MLS. In Suffolk, it was 48 days, down from 61. 
Pellegrino said she had 60 people and 17 offers, including many over asking, at a recent Merrick open house. &quot;They go from open house to open house, making bids on homes going over asking,&quot; Pellegrino said. 
&quot;There's such limited inventory,&quot; Russell confirmed. &quot;And there's an abundance of buyers.&quot; 
<h2>Buying, selling in 2024? What to expect</h2> 
James Keogh, a licensed real estate agent on the Atlantic team at Douglas Elliman Real Estate,&nbsp;said while some wait, many are done delaying. 
&quot;There was a long waiting game for the soft or hard landing,&quot; Keogh said. &quot;People got tired of waiting.&quot; 
The spring real estate season could bring a boost in inventory, others said. &quot;Normally, additional properties come on the market in April, May, June,&quot; said Susan Chen, 53, a real estate broker at S.A.C. Properties, Valley Stream. &quot;People look to sell their house when their kids get out of school.&quot; 
Meanwhile, some predict rates will drop. Greg McBride, Bankrate's chief financial analyst, recently predicted average 30-year fixed mortgage rates would reach 5.75% by year's end. 
&quot;Many factors could play out between now and year-end to change those projections,&quot; according to Bankrate, citing inflation and Federal Reserve decisions. 
<blockquote> 
 If the rates drop a lot, there will be more competition. It will drive the price up. 
 —&nbsp;Debra Russell, a real estate salesperson in Cold Spring Harbor for Daniel Gale Sotheby's International Realty 
</blockquote> 
But with declining rates and increased inventory, demand and prices could swell. &quot;If the rates drop a lot, there will be more competition,&quot; Russell said. &quot;It will drive the price up.&quot; 
Russell recently sold a house with a mortgage about twice the 3% on their existing house, but high sales prices help defray the cost of higher rates on new purchases. 
Beigelman in December sold a house listed at $950,000 for $1.06 million with 12 offers at asking price and above in one weekend. 
Even if rates dip, they are likely to remain far from pandemic rock-bottom lows. &quot;People are coming to the realization that these are our interest rates,&quot; Russell said. &quot;And if they want to purchase, they will have to purchase with the interest rate.&quot; 
Homebuyers sometimes seek revenue to defray mortgage costs. Galvez, for instance, hopes to add an accessory apartment. Meanwhile, some are considering looking beyond Long Island to find lower prices, amid high rates. 
&quot;I have been postponing this,&quot; said Lisa White, 50, a teacher in the New York City public schools looking in Nassau, Suffolk and Queens. &quot;I'm starting to consider out of state.&quot; 
<h2>Can you get a lower mortgage rate?</h2> 
Although rates are higher than the recent past, buyers can do things to lower them. &quot;There are different products,&quot; Russell said. &quot;If you want a lower rate, you might want to take a bigger loan to achieve the lower rate.&quot; 
ARMs, or adjustable-rate mortgages, can increase or lower rates. And it's possible to buy points, paying upfront while holding down rates. Vlogianitis said a point typically costs 1% of loans. 
Buyers also may be able to put more money down. &quot;They have family members helping with bigger down payments, so they don't take as much of a mortgage,&quot; Russell said. 
Vlogianitis said some banks lower rates for clients who move assets into their bank. 
Refinancing also can let buyers lower rates later. &quot;If rates come down, you could refi if you stay in the house,&quot; Russell said. 
Vlogianitis said many homeowners refinance or relocate within six years. &quot;Even though you think you will be in the house for 30 years, there's a good chance you won't,&quot; he said.

HOTRAP240308

Mortgage rates force Long Islanders to choose: Buy now or postpone?

Buy or wait? Whether mortgage rates rise or fall this spring, LIers will face tough choice

HOTRAP240308_photos

Predicting how long it will take to buy or sell a house is like predicting the arrival time of a flight, according to real estate attorney Antonio Corcella.&nbsp; 
&quot;When you get on an airplane, you do not have control over the flight, in a sense,&quot; said Corcella, based in East Setauket. &quot;But what is the key to that flight? Preparation.&quot; 
There are two ways to&nbsp;measure the time it takes to sell a home: days to pending, which represents the number of days a home sits on the market, and days to closing. But in a market with low inventory and high competition, what can buyers and sellers do to speed along the process? And what differentiates New York's norms from those of other states? 
<h2>How long does it take to sell&nbsp;a house on Long Island?</h2> 
The median number of days to pending — counted from the time a home is put on the market to the time an offer is accepted — was 28 in the United States last year, according to data provided by Zillow. In New York, the parallel figure was 47 days in 2023. On Long Island, the median &quot;days to pending&quot; number for Suffolk County was 44, compared with 48 in Nassau. 
The listing price and condition of the house are two major factors that influence the number of days from listing to pending sale, said associate real estate broker&nbsp;Elizabeth Markovic, of Compass. 
&quot;The inventory is still really low, and so if it's priced right, it should not sit,&quot; Markovic said. 
Once an offer is accepted, the timeline is even less predictable. 
&quot;With each milestone, your likelihood of success in closing, right, exponentially increases, but also the distance between the milestones start to decrease and the milestones start coming faster,&quot; Corcella said. 
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In New York, contract language often includes a phrase that gives sellers more time: &quot;on or about.&quot; In other states, including New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Florida, experts said, closing dates are usually &quot;on or before&quot; dates, which offer a more concrete time frame. 
&quot;We deal with different language, contractually, that allows for more manipulation of the timeline,&quot; said real estate agent Shaughnessy Dusling, of Exp Realty.&nbsp;&quot;Our dates are like due dates when you have a baby. You kind of know when the baby's going to come, but sometimes it wants to come early, sometimes it comes on the due date, sometimes you have to get induced.&quot; 
According to Hauppauge-based real estate attorney Sura Sakran, an &quot;on or about&quot; closing date means that the parties have an additional 30-day window built in, which can prolong&nbsp;the process. 
The Long Island real estate landscape is unique, not only compared with those outside&nbsp;New York, but other regions of the state. In Buffalo, said attorney&nbsp;Darren Aronow, lawyers are not necessarily involved in real estate transactions. Upstate&nbsp;he said, sometimes the realtors can draw up contracts.&nbsp; 
&quot;We’re like our own ecosystem;&nbsp;we kind of work differently from a lot of places,&quot; said Aronow, who is also licensed in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. 
<h2>What commonly delays, slows the process?</h2> 
<a class="p-smartembed" data-attr-caption="A red light camera at Indian Head Road and Jericho Turnpike in Commack in 2016.
" data-attr-credit="" data-attr-f="3x2" data-attr-has-caption="true" data-attr-has-credit="true" data-attr-q="0.3" data-attr-w="400" data-onecms-id="contentid/4eb131ff-0266-412a-adf1-5ea65b074e77" data-onecms-type="image" href="javascript:window.parent.actionEventData({$contentId:'contentid/4eb131ff-0266-412a-adf1-5ea65b074e77', $action:'view', $target:'work'})" polopoly:contentid="contentid/4eb131ff-0266-412a-adf1-5ea65b074e77"><img src="/image-service/alias/contentid/4eb131ff-0266-412a-adf1-5ea65b074e77/9306e0404e6dd56c12a82a63ddd4edd69362d8ba.jpg?f=3x2&amp;w=400&amp;q=0.3" />A red light camera at Indian Head Road and Jericho Turnpike in Commack in 2016. </a> 
<blockquote> 
 If you have red light tickets, whether you're a buyer or a seller, and you do a title search, they come up, and they have to be satisfied and paid prior to you being able to close. 
 —&nbsp;Shaughnessy Dusling, of Exp Realty 
</blockquote> 
As a mortgage lender, Jason Marcus said he most often sees delays on the seller's side, not the buyer's. 
&quot;The biggest delay in process is normally the seller and what their intentions are and what they're doing,&quot; he said. 
The seller may be waiting for their new home to be built, or facing complications with the property they are buying. In some cases, a seller may not know where they are going next. If the seller is not yet ready to move out, the process may lag.&nbsp; 
&quot;The second biggest block that will delay it has to do with something in the house being not up to code that needs to get addressed and satisfied before the attorney is going to give the green light,&quot; Marcus added. 
A seller's next move is not their only worry: It is most often their responsibility to address issues that come up in a title search, which&nbsp;can raise such concerns as unpermitted structures on the property, and unpaid taxes and liens, according to Aronow.&nbsp; 
&quot;The title report is an issue that the seller needs to clear;&nbsp;not the buyer, but the buyer’s stuck waiting for the seller to clear the issue,&quot; Aronow said. 
The title search is typically ordered at least halfway through&nbsp;the homebuying process, Marcus estimated; and the permits required by municipalities on Long Island are different from those required by their Virginian counterparts, Marcus added. 
&quot;A lot of times something may come up in the title work that an attorney may come back and say, 'You know what, this is something that needs to be sorted, be it, a permit needs to be applied for and expedited,' &quot; Marcus said.&nbsp; 
What else can come up in a title search?&nbsp; 
&quot;If you have red light tickets, whether you're a buyer or a seller, and you do a title search, they come up, and they have to be satisfied and paid prior to you being able to close,&quot; said&nbsp;Dusling. 
<h2>What can buyers, sellers do to speed the process?</h2> 
<a class="p-smartembed" data-attr-caption="A sale sign outside a home in Wyndmoor, Pa.
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<a class="p-smartembed" data-onecms-id="contentid/1a761a4a-a5d0-495f-bd43-51e67d83588e" data-onecms-type="storywidget" href="javascript:window.parent.actionEventData({$contentId:'contentid/1a761a4a-a5d0-495f-bd43-51e67d83588e', $action:'view', $target:'work'})" polopoly:contentid="contentid/1a761a4a-a5d0-495f-bd43-51e67d83588e">STORYWIDGET: HOSELL240213_grid</a> 
On the buyer’s side, planning might start with determining a budget. 
&quot;From a mortgage standpoint, it is critical that any and every buyer get prequalified or preapproved, before they start looking for a house,&quot; said Certified Mortgage Planning Specialist Warren Goldberg. &quot;Not after they’ve found the house, but before they even start looking.&quot; 
Goldberg, president and founder of Mortgage Wealth Advisors&nbsp;Inc., warns against estimating a realistic price range. Waiting too long to apply for a mortgage can delay and complicate the homebuying process, he said. 
&quot;They may find that they’re not qualified for what they think they could afford; they may be qualified for more than what they think they can afford,&quot; he said. 
Additionally, Goldberg often encounters prospective buyers with &quot;complicated&quot; finances. When a client is working with various bank accounts and frequent money transfers from one account to another, tracing money moves becomes complex and requires more paperwork. 
&quot;Many times I’ll tell people, ‘Have one bank account where all your money is going that you plan to use for the house,’ &quot; Goldberg said. &quot;If there’s enough in that account, and it’s relatively stable, that’s the only asset I have to show.&quot; 
A buyer or seller can also expedite the process by proactively answering&nbsp;questions a team of real estate professionals will ask them. 
For sellers,&nbsp;Sakran and Corcella&nbsp;recommend knowing the answers to questions that may seem obvious. Are there any open mortgages? Is there a mortgage forbearance? Are there any violations on the house, any features that were not permitted? Is there any money owed? 
&quot;People should be knowledgeable of what they owe and what they don't owe,&quot; Sakran said. &quot;The seller has to be honest with themselves.&quot; 
For buyers, Sakran recommends the same sort of honesty. Developing a true sense of budget can prevent snags in a sale, and knowing the answers to the aforementioned questions can help&nbsp;facilitate a smooth and swift transaction. 
<blockquote> 
 Do you know how many selling clients speak to me, and I go, 'Hey, tell me about your house; do you have the C/O for that pool? Did you ever open a building permit?' Nine times out of 10, they can't even answer that. I go, 'This is your home, not mine!' 
 —&nbsp;Antonio Corcella, real estate attorney 
</blockquote> 
Corcella&nbsp;often begins&nbsp;client interactions with a question he has learned to explicitly ask each&nbsp;of his sellers: Do you own the house? 
From there, he asks further questions. Sometimes, clients have&nbsp;the answers. 
&quot;Do you know how many selling clients speak to me, and I go, 'Hey, tell me about your house; do you have the C/O for that pool? Did you ever open a building permit?' &quot; Corcella said. &quot;Nine times out of 10,&nbsp;they can't even answer that. I go, 'This is your home, not mine!'&quot; 
Aronow&nbsp;advises prospective buyers start saving their weekly or biweekly pay stubs, having tax returns ready in PDF format and preparing to clearly show all sources of all income. This includes documentation to support any help from a parent or friend with the down payment, or a co-signer.&nbsp; 
Sometimes, Aronow finds, prospective buyers who think they have mortgage preapproval do not. A bank asking for only annual income and credit score cannot responsibly preapprove a mortgage applicant, he said. The preapproval process should involve submitting tax returns and pay stubs to a mortgage bank, he noted.&nbsp; 
<h2></h2>

HOSELL240213

How long does it take a house to sell on Long Island?

How long can it take a house to sell on LI — and what can you do about it?

HOSELL240213_photos

Rachel Weiss

A five-bedroom, two-bathroom home in Oceanside hit the market last July, but didn’t sell until December. 
&quot;There was nothing wrong with the house,&quot; said its&nbsp;listing agent, Jovanni Ortiz, of Douglas Elliman Real Estate. &quot;It was a great house, priced fairly in a hot area.&quot; 
Despite a market with low inventory, high demand and record-breaking prices, this can still happen on Long Island. When it does, it can stem from location, price points&nbsp;or&nbsp;a marketing issue, experts say. Poor photography, a description lacking key information or low visibility on social media can torpedo a listing, requiring a fresh approach. 
As for the Oceanside property, it closed for $715,000 following a new approach involving networking and new photos. 
Ortiz specializes in previously listed properties. Whether the houses are for sale by owners or being re-listed, he helps his clients find different ways to publicize their homes and garner more interest. 
&quot;&nbsp;'Expired listings'&nbsp;is what we call them, but I don’t love that term,&quot; he said. &quot;It makes people think of something like expired milk, which means it’s no longer good. But with homes, just because it’s expired, doesn’t mean it’s not good. Sometimes it just means that there’s a new approach or strategy to try.&quot; 
Making sure the listing includes high-quality photos is key, he said, to ensure that the property is being presented in the best way. And the description should be thorough, while leaving a prospective buyer wanting more&nbsp;— for example, mentioning a skylight could entice someone to come see it in person, to observe how the light pours through. 
&quot;So much of how the buyers navigate this market is done online,&quot; Ortiz said. &quot;We want to try to get them in the door, so if the pictures or description aren’t great, it ends up being a disservice to the seller.&quot; 
Beth Catrone, an associate broker with Daniel Gale Sotheby's International Realty, had an experience like this while helping a client sell their home in Port Washington.&nbsp;It had been on the market for nearly a year. 
&quot;It’s very hard to rebrand a house when it’s been on the market for so long,&quot; she said. &quot;There’s almost a stigma attached to it. The key is to make it stand out from all the other homes.&quot; 
This could mean taking care of minor details before showings such as cleaning the windows and maintaining the landscaping, but sometimes re-staging the house could also help, Catrone said. 
For the Port Washington listing, Catrone worked with a photographer to take exterior photos at night &quot;just to make it look different&quot; for prospective buyers scrolling through, she said. 
Social media can also get new eyes on a property, as long as you know how to engage your audience. 
&quot;Having a video of a house is very interactive,&quot; Catrone said. &quot;And it’s certainly a great way to put your house front and center.&quot; 
Of course, there are some harder sells that can hinder interest, such as the location and price point. 
&quot;The higher-end listings seem to sit on the market longer,&quot; Ortiz said,&nbsp;&quot;like some North Shore properties&nbsp;[and] multimillion dollar homes, because the buyer pool is smaller.&quot; 
But patience is key, these agents agree. 
&quot;There’s a buyer for every house,&quot; Ortiz said. &quot;You just have to go out and find them.&quot;

HOSTALE240223

How Long Island real estate agents revamp listings when a house isn't selling

Expired house listing? How to revamp it, make a sale

HOSTALE240223_photos

Alice Bopp has lived all over the world: She was born and raised in Rio de Janeiro, moved to San Diego, where she lived&nbsp;for about 10 years, and now she and her family reside in Lindenhurst. 
&quot;People always ask, 'Why would you leave California?' &quot; said Bopp, 49. &quot;But I absolutely love it here. I love the change of pace. And I come from Rio, which is a big city, so it's a huge change. But it's close enough to New York City to jump on the train.&quot; 
At the same time, there are some aspects of living in Lindenhurst that are not too dissimilar from city life, she said, such as the revitalized downtown scene along Wellwood Avenue. That includes the presence of Bopp's own business, Muni's Coffee Joint. 
&quot;When we opened in 2019, Wellwood was super dark and slow,&quot; she said. &quot;Things really started to kick in, and now there's so many things that you actually have a hard time parking. The parking lots are expanding more and more.&quot; 
Homebuyers have a vision for what they want, whether it's a taste of New York City life, laid back beach vibes or even a specific community on Long Island. But those desires are often out of reach in an ever-changing market with high competition and low inventory. With the help of local real estate agents, homebuyers are making compromises that satisfy their needs and keep them on budget. 
<h2>If you want NYC energy</h2> 
<a class="p-smartembed" data-attr-caption="Alice Bopp owns Muni's Coffee Joint in Lindenhurst, where she and her family moved from Queens.
" data-attr-credit="" data-attr-f="3x2" data-attr-has-caption="true" data-attr-has-credit="true" data-attr-q="0.3" data-attr-w="400" data-onecms-id="contentid/459d407d-3d4e-4cca-bc87-d5bbbb7cc17c" data-onecms-type="image" href="javascript:window.parent.actionEventData({$contentId:'contentid/459d407d-3d4e-4cca-bc87-d5bbbb7cc17c', $action:'view', $target:'work'})" polopoly:contentid="contentid/459d407d-3d4e-4cca-bc87-d5bbbb7cc17c"><img src="/image-service/alias/contentid/459d407d-3d4e-4cca-bc87-d5bbbb7cc17c/1803a5a9c2e0143c29b99195eda9fd56258a49eb.jpg?f=3x2&amp;w=400&amp;q=0.3" />Alice Bopp owns Muni's Coffee Joint in Lindenhurst, where she and her family moved from Queens. </a> 
Millennials&nbsp;— those born between 1981 and 1996, per the Pew Research Center — make up a huge portion of current&nbsp;homebuyers. Similarly aged real estate agents — all of&nbsp;whom grew up and still live on the Island —&nbsp;use their professional experiences and&nbsp;firsthand knowledge to predict the future of where their generation will find their forever homes. 
Rachelle Fabre, 34, has been working in real estate for six years. As an agent with EXP Realty, based in Hauppauge, she mostly helps first-time homebuyers. 
&quot;Bay Shore is very common for people to inquire about,&quot; said Fabre. Many of her clients have taken an interest in Suffolk County over Nassau while house-hunting, often due to property sizes, she said. 
&quot;They feel like they can get a little bit more bang for their buck,&quot; said Fabre, who was born and raised in Nassau County&nbsp;and now lives in West Babylon. 
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Bay Shore could be a good option for a New York City transplant, said Rachel Jackson, of Integrity Core Realty in Jericho. 
&quot;Bay Shore's downtown area is city-like, with their bars and restaurants, and you have access to the ferry to head over to Fire Island,&quot; said Jackson, 32. She grew up in Bay Shore and still resides there.&nbsp;&quot;It attracts that young crowd — same with Patchogue, too.&quot; 
Danielle Christopherson, of Bay Shore, is the owner of Flour Shoppe Cafe on West Main Street. She used to work in Patchogue and although the communities are similar, there is a different vibe when comparing their downtown scenes: Patchogue is more focused on nightlife after sundown, she said. 
<a class="p-smartembed" data-attr-caption="Real estate agent Rachel Jackson touts her native Bay Shore as a possibility for people who want the city vibe.
" data-attr-credit="" data-attr-f="3x2" data-attr-has-caption="true" data-attr-has-credit="true" data-attr-q="0.3" data-attr-w="400" data-onecms-id="contentid/5a9fa641-2acb-49e0-9fce-a8a024cf723c" data-onecms-type="image" href="javascript:window.parent.actionEventData({$contentId:'contentid/5a9fa641-2acb-49e0-9fce-a8a024cf723c', $action:'view', $target:'work'})" polopoly:contentid="contentid/5a9fa641-2acb-49e0-9fce-a8a024cf723c"><img src="/image-service/alias/contentid/5a9fa641-2acb-49e0-9fce-a8a024cf723c/5e3ad58d4145f38d5538b50352b35f68f0a13bd0.jpg?f=3x2&amp;w=400&amp;q=0.3" />Real estate agent Rachel Jackson touts her native Bay Shore as a possibility for people who want the city vibe. </a> 
<blockquote> 
 Bay Shore's downtown area is city-like, with their bars and restaurants, and you have access to the ferry to head over to Fire Island. 
 —&nbsp; Rachel Jackson, real estate agent at&nbsp;Integrity Core Realty 
</blockquote> 
&quot;It's different with Bay Shore,&quot; said Christopherson, 47. &quot;It doesn't get rowdy like that and you still have that hometown feel, in a sense. It's family-oriented and it has that nightlife, but also there are a lot of activities to do with the kids.&quot; 
With four children&nbsp;and four grandchildren, Christopherson, who lives with her boyfriend, often takes her family to events and parks in town. Her children all&nbsp;live farther east, but they love her neighborhood, she said. 
&quot;Families come out here in droves,&quot; said Christopherson, originally from Shirley. 
There are some parts of Long Island that find a &quot;perfect balance&quot; in busy main streets and&nbsp;quiet residential areas, like Huntington, Jackson said. She added that Ronkonkoma is a centrally located community that might attract homebuyers looking to ease into a more suburban lifestyle. 
&quot;It's a hub; it offers so many modes of transportation,&quot; she said. &quot;The Long Island Rail Road, the LIE, MacArthur Airport. I would suggest Ronkonkoma to people making a transition from the city to get that suburban feel, but it has an urban, city feel as well.&quot; 
Then there are clients who hope&nbsp;to get the best of both worlds. While&nbsp;working with people who have jobs in New York City but want to live on Long Island, Dominique Ehrlich, an agent with Mr. Homes Realty in Levittown, has found her clients are becoming more comfortable with longer commutes. She's noticed&nbsp;that people&nbsp;are willing to face an hourlong drive&nbsp;to work,&nbsp;if it means landing their dream home. 
&quot;It really is worth the drive to be happy where they are,&quot; she said. &quot;It's just a mindset shift, especially in this market.&quot; 
<h2>If you want the Hamptons vibe</h2> 
According to the National Association of Realtors Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers for 2023, 60%&nbsp;of buyers cited quality of the neighborhood as the most important factor while determining the location of their home. 
Twenty-eight&nbsp;percent took proximity to shopping into account, while 22%&nbsp;of buyers cited convenience to entertainment and other leisure activities as a main factor influencing their neighborhood choice. 
&quot;The common denominator is that people want a nice lifestyle,&quot; said Kate Works, of Compass. &quot;A downtown where restaurants, bars and shopping are all convenient, and we're lucky that on Long Island there are so many villages like that on the South Shore.&quot; 
Bayport and Bellport are smaller versions of the Hamptons — same access to beaches and boutiques, without the East End trek&nbsp;—&nbsp;local real estate agents say. 
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&quot;Bayport is super quaint,&quot; Ehrlich said. &quot;It has that same feel [as the East End], but it's more affordable with the same Hamptons-style homes.&quot; 
Works, 33, grew up in Bellport and&nbsp;believes many prospective homebuyers aren't&nbsp;familiar with the area. 
&quot;There are all these beautiful, old homes,&quot; said Works, who has been working in real estate for 10 years. &quot;And a main street with cute boutique shops. It really has that Hamptons feel, without being in the Hamptons.&quot; 
Bellport also has some&nbsp;amenities for its residents, such as its own ferry to Fire Island and a private beach. 
As you move closer to the water, home prices increase in&nbsp;Bayport and Bellport. North of Montauk Highway in Bayport, there are houses on the market between $520,000 and $700,000, according to OneKey MLS. 
Annie Rohrmeier has lived in Bellport for 50 years. While working at Eileen Green Realty, she has&nbsp;seen plenty of Long Islanders&nbsp;discover&nbsp;her village for the first time. 
&quot;People say it reminds them of a quaint New England town,&quot; she said. &quot;And it's close enough to the Hamptons, without all that traffic.&quot; 
The price range can fluctuate, though, from $575,000 for a house in the heart of the village, to an $8 million waterfront property, Rohrmeier said. 
It's essential to get a sense of all a community has to offer before committing to a house, Works said. 
&quot;The nice part of Long Island is that there are so many different options,&quot; she said. 
<h2>If you have your heart set on one spot</h2> 
If your heart is set on a particular hamlet, but you're priced out of it in the current market, Amanda Palmeri, of Signature Premier Properties, recommends looking right next door. 
&quot;Farmingdale is a town that has really become popular, and there's a lot to do there,&quot; said Palmeri, 31, citing the village's businesses and nightlife along Main Street. &quot;That would be almost a more affordable option to Massapequa Park, or somewhere like that. You don't have the waterfront aspect, but you have lots of shops, apartment buildings and restaurants.&quot; 
The&nbsp;median home price&nbsp;in Massapequa Park by the end of last year&nbsp;was&nbsp;$677,500, with the median in Farmingdale at&nbsp;$610,000, per OneKey MLS data.&nbsp;But it takes no time to travel between the areas, with Farmingdale&nbsp;being just a few miles north. 
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As for the North Shore, Works compared Huntington&nbsp;to Manhasset: &quot;Huntington is a really good alternative,&quot; she said. &quot;There's a very convenient train, a cute little main street&nbsp;and you can get into the city quickly.&quot; 
In Suffolk County, Babylon and Lindenhurst are also comparable while being close to each other, Palmeri said. 
&quot;A lot of people want that Babylon feel, but don't want that price tag,&quot; she said. &quot;Lindenhurst has really evolved with its revitalization of Wellwood in the last few years. They have a lot to offer.&quot; 
In fact, these&nbsp;real estate agents have compared Lindenhurst to both New York City (because of its vibrant downtown) and the Hamptons (because it's close to the water). And they agree: The village has become a hotspot for families and first-time homebuyers. 
<h2>If you want something completely different</h2> 
<a class="p-smartembed" data-attr-caption="From left, Madelyn Gonz&amp;aacute;lez, daughter Angeline Torres and husband Luis Torres moved to Lindenhurst from Queens.
" data-attr-credit="" data-attr-f="3x2" data-attr-has-caption="true" data-attr-has-credit="true" data-attr-q="0.3" data-attr-w="400" data-onecms-id="contentid/71b3dff3-e759-4a30-8ae2-36e134f3e089" data-onecms-type="image" href="javascript:window.parent.actionEventData({$contentId:'contentid/71b3dff3-e759-4a30-8ae2-36e134f3e089', $action:'view', $target:'work'})" polopoly:contentid="contentid/71b3dff3-e759-4a30-8ae2-36e134f3e089"><img src="/image-service/alias/contentid/71b3dff3-e759-4a30-8ae2-36e134f3e089/83ff52e16efd64edfdf8884f08cd7e53a378528a.jpg?f=3x2&amp;w=400&amp;q=0.3" />From left, Madelyn Gonz&amp;aacute;lez, daughter Angeline Torres and husband Luis Torres moved to Lindenhurst from Queens. </a> 
<blockquote> 
 It was a no-brainer. [Lindenhurst]&nbsp;fit all the criteria. 
 —&nbsp;Madelyn Gonz&aacute;lez 
</blockquote> 
Madelyn Gonz&aacute;lez, her husband&nbsp;and their 16-year-old daughter moved from Jamaica, Queens, to Lindenhurst last year. &quot;I knew nothing about Long Island, in terms of why to move there and what the benefits would be,&quot; she said. From October to December 2023, the median home price in Lindenhurst was&nbsp;$560,000, according to OneKey MLS. 
Her uncle used to live in Seaford, so she was somewhat familiar with the region, but began her house search in Garden City and Levittown. Gonz&aacute;lez and her husband, who is an&nbsp;optician, even put in an offer on a house in Levittown. 
But then they noticed some similarities to their home in the city,&nbsp;from which&nbsp;they had been trying to get away. 
&quot;When we were driving to go back home to Queens, we were feeling kind of the same vibe, in terms of traffic,&quot; said Gonz&aacute;lez, 54. &quot;The homes were close together; we had more space than our home in Queens, but not a huge difference.&quot; 
Gonz&aacute;lez's real estate agent, Dominique Ehrlich, suggested that they start searching in Suffolk County.&nbsp;They purchased their five-bedroom, three-bathroom house for $1.15 million, which was over the asking price,&nbsp;Gonz&aacute;lez said. 
&quot;It was a no-brainer,&quot;&nbsp;she said. &quot;It fit all the criteria. Close to the Long Island Rail Road, good backyard, walking distance to the village&nbsp;and the house is beautiful.&quot; 
Overall, she prefers the change of scene. 
&quot;We're actually visiting the city more now that I'm on Long Island,&quot; said Gonz&aacute;lez, an assistant principal at Community School District 24 in Queens. &quot;We're going to museums more than I was when I was living in Queens, because instead of just avoiding the craziness of crowds, now we go whenever we feel like it.&quot; 
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Many of Gonz&aacute;lez's coworkers had recommended Lindenhurst to her while her family was house-hunting, and a &quot;large population of teachers&quot; at her school live on Long Island, she said. Now, she understands why. 
&quot;We own a second home in Florida, and our intentions were to relocate to Florida once I retire,&quot; she said. &quot;Now, our plans have changed.&quot; They hope to sell the home in Florida someday, and put that money toward their mortgage in Lindenhurst. 
For those anticipating taking a similar leap to Long Island, Works has some advice: Take some time to check out places in town, such as&nbsp;grocery stores and restaurants. Drive around at different times of day to get a sense of&nbsp;traffic patterns. And most important, talk to the&nbsp;residents. 
&quot;Totally envelop&nbsp;yourself in the search,&quot; she said. &quot;Every town has a different vibe — find one that speaks to you, and the quality of life that you're looking for.&quot;

HOTHAT240202

Where to find Hamptons, NYC vibes for lower prices on Long Island

Want NYC energy or Hamptons vibes but can't afford them? Try these LI communities instead

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Frank Lovece

Even if you and your partner each work two jobs, the reality is you still might not be able to afford a house on Long Island. 
Mortgage rates at a 20-year high&nbsp;and the high cost of buying a traditional home have put ownership out of&nbsp;reach for&nbsp;many buyers — particularly young people and those working in the service professions. 
There is an alternative: manufactured homes — the current term for what colloquially have been called trailers or mobile homes. Once the myths and stereotypes get stripped away, manufactured homes, which have never been particularly mobile, could be a way for potential homeowners to become upwardly mobile. 
“I’d looked into purchasing a house, but they were all out of my price range with the down payment,” said&nbsp;Darrin Miller, 42, a custodian at two schools in Suffolk County, who also prepares taxes for H &amp; R Block during tax season. 
Then three years ago, he and his wife, Katora, 38, who works as a licensed massage therapist and as a member-services representative for Suffolk Credit Union,&nbsp;were able to finance a new $120,000 three-bedroom, two-bath manufactured home. 
Living at Youngs Mobile Home Park in Riverhead with their three children — third-grade twins and a high school sophomore — they pay about $1,300 monthly for the leased lot on which their home sits. They expect to pay off their $1,200 monthly home loan in five years. 
“It’s an affordable way for people to stay on Long Island,”&nbsp;said&nbsp;Lynn Lombardo, manager of the manufactured-home park Calverton Meadows, owned by the conglomerate Hometown America. 
<h2>How much do mobile homes cost on Long Island?</h2> 
<a class="p-smartembed" data-attr-caption="Darrin Miller, center, with his son Damien Moore, 15, wife, Katora Miller, and daughters Tatumn, 8, in red, and Autumn, 8, in green, at their home located inside Youngs Mobile Home Park in Riverhead, Saturday, Jan. 6, 2024." data-attr-credit="Newsday" data-attr-f="3x2" data-attr-has-caption="true" data-attr-has-credit="true" data-attr-q="0.3" data-attr-w="400" data-onecms-id="contentid/1f2b1983-e936-4ad7-a057-107653815df7" data-onecms-type="image" href="javascript:window.parent.actionEventData({$contentId:'contentid/1f2b1983-e936-4ad7-a057-107653815df7', $action:'view', $target:'work'})" polopoly:contentid="contentid/1f2b1983-e936-4ad7-a057-107653815df7"><img src="/image-service/alias/contentid/1f2b1983-e936-4ad7-a057-107653815df7/DSCF5461.jpg?f=3x2&amp;w=400&amp;q=0.3" />Darrin Miller, center, with his son Damien Moore, 15, wife, Katora Miller, and daughters Tatumn, 8, in red, and Autumn, 8, in green, at their home located inside Youngs Mobile Home Park in Riverhead, Saturday, Jan. 6, 2024.</a> 
<blockquote> 
 [Manufactured homes are] a very viable option for people my age who can’t buy a $600,000, $700,000 house. 
 —&nbsp;Darrin Miller, of Riverhead 
</blockquote> 
The <a href="https://www.newsday.com/business/long-island-homes-for-sale-prices-november-2023-ra6e4rhd">median price</a> of a traditional single-family home in Suffolk County, even outside the pricey Hamptons and North Fork, was&nbsp;$600,000 in November, according to OneKey MLS.&nbsp;Meanwhile, a large manufactured home at one of the more than dozen parks in Suffolk County — Nassau has none — can sell for almost $300,000. 
Of nearly 30 mobile homes listed for sale in Suffolk County on OneKey MLS, asking prices range from $55,000 for a one-bed, one-bath single-wide in Riverhead&nbsp;to $675,000 for a three-bedroom, 950-square-foot home in East Hampton. 
And while still generally, if erroneously, referred to as mobile homes, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) in 1976 upgraded building standards and established the new term to differentiate such factory-built homes meant to be placed on a permanent foundation. 
“A young family or a young couple can basically get a starter home,” said Douglas Elliman real estate agent Dolores Peterson, who often handles manufactured-home sales in Suffolk County. “They're able to save up money living in an inexpensive home with inexpensive taxes” and possibly move on to a brick-and-mortar home in the future. 
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“I’ve got 1,190 square feet,” Miller estimated&nbsp;of what used to be called a double-wide, but which the industry now calls double-section. 
“It’s still hard to make ends meet, but it’s easier than owning a [traditional brick-and-mortar] home,” he said,&nbsp;calling manufactured homes “a very viable option for people my age who can’t buy a $600,000, $700,000 house.” 
And with homes in his park spread 10 to 15 feet apart, with private driveways, Miller said, “It’s better than living in a town house where you’re right up against your neighbors.” 
Peter Baldwin, 79, and his wife, Gale, 75, moved from their three-bedroom, roughly 1,100-square-foot home in Ridge more than 20 years ago, retiring to a 1,731-square-foot manufactured home in Riverhead’s Riverwoods, one of Long Island’s many parks restricted to seniors 55 and older. 
Having bought the home in 2000 for $91,500, “I could probably sell it for between $150,000&nbsp;and&nbsp;200,000,” Peter Baldwin said. It’s a small sum for a home that size in the desirable East End. And unlike in decades past when mobile homes would depreciate, the value of manufactured homes on Long Island and many other areas nationwide now generally go up.&nbsp;According to 2022 findings by LendingTree, manufactured homes in the U.S. appreciated at nearly the same rate as single-family homes between 2016 and 2021. The median value for a manufactured home in that period increased 34.58%, with traditional houses increasing 35.44%. 
“It's got a living room, a kitchen, a dining room, a breakfast nook,” the retired&nbsp;appliance-company warehouse manager described.&nbsp;“It's got a heated Florida room. Two big bedrooms with walk-in closets. Two full bathrooms,” one of them en suite and featuring a garden tub. 
There is no basement or attic, but there is a laundry room with washer and dryer&nbsp;and there are ceiling fans throughout, in addition to central air-conditioning&nbsp;and three skylights. The couple’s monthly site fee of $1,177.17 includes use of a clubhouse equipped with a gym, library, billiard room and other amenities. 
<h2>What are the laws and drawbacks of mobile home living?</h2> 
<a class="p-smartembed" data-attr-caption="Gale and Peter Baldwin at their home located inside the Riverwoods mobile home community in Riverhead, Saturday, Jan. 6, 2024." data-attr-credit="Newsday" data-attr-f="3x2" data-attr-has-caption="true" data-attr-has-credit="true" data-attr-q="0.3" data-attr-w="400" data-onecms-id="contentid/f76c1ebb-ef00-4384-9f58-acb03c12a04d" data-onecms-type="image" href="javascript:window.parent.actionEventData({$contentId:'contentid/f76c1ebb-ef00-4384-9f58-acb03c12a04d', $action:'view', $target:'work'})" polopoly:contentid="contentid/f76c1ebb-ef00-4384-9f58-acb03c12a04d"><img src="/image-service/alias/contentid/f76c1ebb-ef00-4384-9f58-acb03c12a04d/DSCF5155.jpg?f=3x2&amp;w=400&amp;q=0.3" />Gale and Peter Baldwin at their home located inside the Riverwoods mobile home community in Riverhead, Saturday, Jan. 6, 2024.</a> 
It's not all a walk in the park: Unless you own a private lot zoned to allow a manufactured home, your only option is a manufactured-home park. This means that while you own the home, you don’t own the land on which it sits. Homeowners in these “land-lease communities” pay a monthly site fee that generally includes upkeep of the park’s roads and trees, plus water and septic, cesspool or sewer service, and possibly trash pickup and amenities like a clubhouse. 
But in a national trend, real estate investment firms have bought up what used to be mom-and-pop parks — and, often, raising the monthly fee so high that New York State stepped in and enacted the Housing Stability and Tenant Protection Act of 2019. This&nbsp;limited&nbsp;increases to 3% annually, or 6% if justified by capital expenses or increased operating costs. 
Often, there are separate charges. The Baldwins, for instance, pay&nbsp;$20.64 a month for garbage pickup. It is unclear if such fees are allowed under the rent-cap law. 
&quot;According to the statute,&quot; said an aide for&nbsp;Sag Harbor-based Assemb. Fred W. Thiele Jr., an advocate for manufactured-home owners, &quot; 'rent'&nbsp;is defined as 'all costs, including all rent, fees, charges, assessments,&nbsp;and utilities.' This seems to encompass various costs, including garbage-pickup fees, landscaping fees and road-maintenance fees.&quot; However, the aide noted, this has not been tested in court. 
In an additional protection, the state in 2008 gave manufactured-home owners a right-of-first-refusal if a park comes up for sale — allowing them to band together and make an offer. Otherwise, they could be evicted if new owners want to construct condos or a shopping center there — and moving a manufactured home from its foundation costs thousands of dollars and risks serious damage. 
“There was a small mobile-home park behind the current Walgreens on Route 58 in Riverhead,” remembered&nbsp;Gale Baldwin. “Those people were evicted to make room for the chain drugstore because there was no law on the books” at the time. 
“Where the homeowner owns their house but not the land, and there are a limited number of mobile-home-park slots and moving a home is so difficult, it creates an unequal relationship” between homeowner and landlord, said Thiele,&nbsp;a primary sponsor of a bill signed into law on Oct. 25&nbsp;that strengthens that right-of-first-refusal. 
He acknowledged&nbsp;that manufactured-home parks sell for millions of dollars, but, “What makes this law realistic is that the State’s [office of] Housing and Community Renewal has funding programs and technical help to assist in buying the park,” he said. “Otherwise, having right-of-first-refusal would be an empty gesture.” 
<a class="p-smartembed" data-attr-caption="Grace Swift outside her home at Calverton Meadows." data-attr-credit="Newsday" data-attr-has-caption="true" data-attr-has-credit="true" data-attr-q="0.3" data-attr-w="400" data-onecms-id="contentid/436e2ca7-e50d-4c1b-a805-09002e870baa" data-onecms-type="image" href="javascript:window.parent.actionEventData({$contentId:'contentid/436e2ca7-e50d-4c1b-a805-09002e870baa', $action:'view', $target:'work'})" polopoly:contentid="contentid/436e2ca7-e50d-4c1b-a805-09002e870baa"><img src="/image-service/alias/contentid/436e2ca7-e50d-4c1b-a805-09002e870baa/DSCF5757.jpg?w=400&amp;q=0.3" />Grace Swift outside her home at Calverton Meadows.</a> 
Yet another issue, said Grace Swift, 90, a homeowner at the seniors-only Calverton Meadows and a longtime activist with the Mobile/Manufactured Homeowners Association of Suffolk, is that “any park out here that allows rentals has problems because people who rent have no stake in” making improvements to a home — and what she characterizes as “slum landlords” let homes get run down. 
Calverton Meadows, which like most others here is owner-occupied only, is very well run, she says. “If it snows, our guys are out there instantly plowing.” A clubhouse featuring a gym, a bingo room, a community kitchen and other amenities is well maintained, and she calls park manager Lombardo “extremely attuned to seniors and goes out of her way. She has instituted a lot of pluses, like putting in a food pantry” for residents needing help. 
<h2>Finding the mobile home community for you</h2> 
<a class="p-smartembed" data-attr-caption="Lynn Lombardo is the Community Manager at Calverton Meadows." data-attr-credit="Newsday" data-attr-has-caption="true" data-attr-has-credit="true" data-attr-q="0.3" data-attr-w="400" data-onecms-id="contentid/a1178f15-e8d6-452b-8fee-a06681a71502" data-onecms-type="image" href="javascript:window.parent.actionEventData({$contentId:'contentid/a1178f15-e8d6-452b-8fee-a06681a71502', $action:'view', $target:'work'})" polopoly:contentid="contentid/a1178f15-e8d6-452b-8fee-a06681a71502"><img src="/image-service/alias/contentid/a1178f15-e8d6-452b-8fee-a06681a71502/DSCF5698.jpg?w=400&amp;q=0.3" />Lynn Lombardo is the Community Manager at Calverton Meadows.</a> 
There are peccadillos, as anywhere. At Riverwoods, said Peter Baldwin, management will remove dead trees, but not trim them otherwise, even when they pose a hazard to roofs. 
“They leave that up to you, if you want to pay somebody to come and do it,” he said. 
Darren Bolling, manager of the park, owned by Utah-based Vintage MHC Holdings, did not respond to phone calls seeking comment, but afterward, Gale Baldwin later said, “The park brought someone in and they have been taking down all the bad trees, including one that we had, so that problem has been fixed.” 
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“Do your homework before you pick the park you want to live in,” advises Peterson. In addition to things like pet policies and whether a park falls under a homeowners association, the real estate agent notes that “certain towns have higher property taxes than others — Riverhead’s is higher than the Town of Southampton’s, for instance.” She also suggested: “Ride through the community certain times of the day and in the evening — check it out like you would if you were buying a traditional house. You want to make sure it's the right neighborhood for you.” 
It is for Miller and his family. “Pretty much my community is good,” he said. “We all help each other with things like unfreezing pipes” in winter. While his park, Youngs, has no clubhouse or playground, the latter of which Miller has been trying to persuade the owners to install, he finds no stigma attached to manufactured-home life. 
But, Lombardo noted, “People do have terms like ‘trailer trash,’ and we have to explain that’s not what it is.” 
Indeed, said&nbsp;Miller: “A lot of mobile homes used to be drug dens and [used for] prostitution. That’s why my wife didn't want to live here at first — she thought it was a bad area.” But that stereotype proved outdated, he said, noting that his park is home to mostly families, and his neighborhood has 10 to 15 kids. &quot;We couldn’t be happier.”

Classifieds

HOMOBILE240119

Mobile, manufactured homes offer Long Islanders shot at homeownership in tough market

Manufactured homes give LIers shot at homeownership for fraction of the price

HOMOBILE240119_photos

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Nearly two decades into her real estate career, associate broker Carol Szynaka is using artificial intelligence and video to keep up with an industry built on ever-evolving technological terrain. 
As calendar pages turn, Szynaka has resolved to cultivate a cohesive marketing plan that incorporates long and short-form videos in 2024. This means using every tool available to her — a property's summer flowers or falling leaves; natural light at the right time of day; clothing coordinated with the color and style of the home — to show viewers herself and her listings in a more comprehensive way. 
&quot;Photos can be deceiving,&quot; said the Southold-based broker. &quot;You can make one picture of a room look fantastic, that gives you no idea what the rest of the house or the property looks like.&quot; 
In front of the camera and behind it, Szynaka is experimenting; and the tech is not the lone variable. 
With 2023 coming to a close, real estate professionals are looking toward the new year with some semblance of hope.&nbsp;The adoption of new technology, policy changes and lowered interest rates bring the potential for modest improvements to a trying housing market. 
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<h2>Prepare to act quickly</h2> 
National Association of Realtors Chief Economist Lawrence Yun predicts 4.71 million sales of existing homes across the United States in 2024 —&nbsp;a 13.5% percent increase from the organization's&nbsp;2023 prediction. 
&quot;Agents have to prepare themselves for a more active 2024,&quot; said OneKey MLS CEO Richard Haggerty. &quot;But it’s still going to be a very tight inventory environment.&quot; 
The market activity that occurred as the pandemic waned had &quot;sucked a lot of the oxygen out of the room,&quot; Haggerty said. Those who might have moved in one to three years made decisions on a shorter timeline. By 2023, which Haggerty called &quot;a flat year,&quot; there were extremely low inventory and heightened interest rates. 
<blockquote> 
 Agents have to prepare themselves for a more active 2024. But it’s still going to be a very tight inventory environment. 
 Richard Haggerty, CEO of OneKey MLS 
</blockquote> 
&quot;The buyer pool is out there, they are ready to pounce, and they typically do pounce when anything comes on the market; but sellers just were not motivated [in 2023],&quot; Haggerty said. 
To all parties, Haggerty offers the same 2024 resolution: &quot;Both consumers and agents have to be able to act more quickly.&quot; 
In light of this, OneKey MLS resolved to promote a new tool on the company’s relaunched consumer website. Those in the market for a home&nbsp;can opt into text message alerts on changes to a listing’s status, price and open house dates. If a prospective buyer is tracking a specific area, they can sign up to receive alerts as new properties pop up. 
&quot;I think it’s going to give consumers the ability to react much more quickly than they have been in the past,&quot; Haggerty said. 
<h2>Do your homework</h2> 
The home buying process typically requires some navigation, said Tricia Gleaton, vice president of the homeownership center of CDCLI. But in the current market, though lowered interest rates offer a glimmer of promise, Gleaton encourages prospective buyers to respect the weight of the decision. 
&quot;Yes, you want to be poised to make a move,&quot; Gleaton said. &quot;But you are about to make a significant financial investment, so it does need to be a thoughtful one.&quot; 
The distinction between a swift decision and a rushed one is preparation, Gleaton explained. Educating oneself about the home buying process — perhaps through a nonprofit like CDCLI, which has its own housing educators — and handling formalities in advance of a purchase&nbsp;puts a prospective buyer in a position to make a quick decision from an informed place. 
<blockquote> 
 Yes, you want to be poised to make a move. But you are about to make a significant financial investment, so it does need to be a thoughtful one. 
 —&nbsp;Tricia Gleaton,&nbsp;vice president of the homeownership center of CDCLI 
</blockquote> 
Formalities might include hiring a buyer’s agent, a home inspector and an attorney. In addition to securing mortgage pre-approval, Gleaton recommended buyers complete a budget analysis,&nbsp;including property taxes and any applicable homeowners association fees, to assess their financial situation. 
While lenders base calculations on gross income, Gleaton urged prospective buyers to consider their net income and to factor in their lifestyle and priorities. 
&quot;That way, once they look, if that really is the property that they’re interested in and proceeding, then they’re poised to make an offer pretty quickly, because they already know that,&quot; Gleaton said. &quot;There’s no hesitation about making an offer, because the affordability analysis has already been done.&quot; 
An affordability analysis leads to not just homeownership, but to &quot;maintaining and sustaining&quot; a home, Gleaton&nbsp;said. 
&quot;The key to sustainability is really understanding affordability from the beginning, and also understanding that payment includes things that fluctuate, such as: homeowner association dues, and taxes and insurance.&quot; 
<a class="p-smartembed" data-onecms-id="contentid/a26cc313-ae2c-4642-b473-d3749dfa7b14" data-onecms-type="storywidget" href="javascript:window.parent.actionEventData({$contentId:'contentid/a26cc313-ae2c-4642-b473-d3749dfa7b14', $action:'view', $target:'work'})" polopoly:contentid="contentid/a26cc313-ae2c-4642-b473-d3749dfa7b14">STORYWIDGET: HORESO_CUSUMANO</a> 
When it comes to waiting to make a decision, Lora Cusumano, an agent who works exclusively with buyers through Lux House Hunters, reminded clients that a decision must be made eventually. 
&quot;You can’t always wait for everything to be perfect,'' Cusumano said. ''There’s no crystal ball to say the interest rates are going to keep going down, or if they’re going to go up.&quot; 
If interest rates decrease, there is the option of refinancing, she offered. 
&quot;It’s hard to live in limbo,&quot; Cusumano said. &quot;Life is short. Get the house, and move into it, and start enjoying your life.&quot; 
<h2>Don't panic</h2> 
While a prepared shopper may have an advantage in the 2024 market, Haggerty warns against rash decision making and encourages homebuyer education. By keeping informed, homebuyers and sellers put themselves in a position to make choices confidently, but not hastily.&nbsp; 
&quot;Unless they’re comfortable making the decision, they probably shouldn’t,&quot; he said, &quot;But they should not be guided by fear, they just need to educate themselves as to what’s in the market, they need to educate themselves as to what they can and can’t afford, they need to educate themselves as to what their options are.&quot; 
His prediction? Hesitancy to make a decision will wane, too. 
&quot;I think that everybody has gotten into this cycle of waiting, and I get it; especially on Long Island,&quot; he said. &quot;I don't think that that is going to continue with the same type of depth as 2023.&quot; 
Haggerty’s consumer counsel parallels the advice Long Island Board of Realtors&nbsp;2024 president-elect Mark Donnelly has for agents: &quot;Educate yourself, and increase your professional development so you can be the best agent possible for your client, so that they can go to you as their trusted resource.&quot;&nbsp; 
This includes ensuring up-to-date knowledge of fair housing rules and an awareness of an agent’s hyperlocal market, Donnelly said. 
&quot;Buyers and sellers want a local expert when it comes to helping them navigate this new normal that is our market,&quot; said Donnelly, who works as a career advancement coach and licensed associate broker for Howard Hanna Coach Realtors. 
In choosing an agent to work with, Cusumano recommends prospective buyers interview&nbsp;several before making a choice and pay attention to experience and designations like ABR (Accredited Buyer Representation), CBR (Certified Buyer Representative) and CEBA (Certified Exclusive Buyer Agent). For information about&nbsp;important questions to ask, Cusamano points toward the National Association of Exclusive Buyer Agents website, NAEBA.org. 
Further research might include reviewing the real estate company's website and agent's bio page and reading agent reviews online. 
&quot;Look for someone that is a strong negotiator, organized, responsive, knows the market you're interested in, and gels with you,&quot; Cusumano said. 
<h2>Expect housing inventory to rise</h2> 
Like Haggerty, Donnelly expects increased housing stock as interest rates dip and an increase in activity. 
&quot;With inflation going down, we’re seeing those rates continue to do so, and that creates increased housing affordability,&quot; Donnelly said. &quot;That will help buyers who are out there now to have a little bit more buying power, and it will help buyers who, maybe it wasn’t achievable at the going rates, to be able to come back into the market.&quot; 
With the possibility of increased purchasing power for buyers, Donnelly emphasized the importance of agents asking questions to understand their clients’ goals, and clients equipping themselves with information. For prospective buyers and sellers, this means aligning with &quot;expert, trusted sources.&quot; 
&quot;That’s a real estate professional that knows your market, and knows your goals; that’s an attorney who can help you with any legal advice; that is a loan officer, who can go over the different products and options that are out there,&quot; Donnelly said. 
<h2>More agents using AI</h2> 
<a class="p-smartembed" data-attr-caption="" data-attr-credit="" data-attr-f="3x2" data-attr-has-caption="true" data-attr-has-credit="true" data-attr-q="0.3" data-attr-w="400" data-onecms-id="contentid/bc6020b2-c6f6-4eea-b63b-06e2ffb3095e" data-onecms-type="image" href="javascript:window.parent.actionEventData({$contentId:'contentid/bc6020b2-c6f6-4eea-b63b-06e2ffb3095e', $action:'view', $target:'work'})" polopoly:contentid="contentid/bc6020b2-c6f6-4eea-b63b-06e2ffb3095e"><img src="/image-service/alias/contentid/bc6020b2-c6f6-4eea-b63b-06e2ffb3095e/cf30725b04a15b4c9d4963679f56973a80b4ad1e.jpg?f=3x2&amp;w=400&amp;q=0.3" /></a> 
<blockquote> 
 It’s going to help those who really embrace it. The people who fear it, just like with the internet: if you didn’t embrace the internet when it came along, you got left behind; and I think AI is going to be the same way. 
 — Carol Szynaka, associate broker at&nbsp;Daniel Gale Sotheby’s International Realty 
</blockquote> 
By her estimate, Carol Szynaka started dabbling in AI 18 months ago. An early adopter of Zillow, the North Fork broker and lifelong technology aficionado makes the effort to refresh her kit as new tools hit the market. 
&quot;It’s going to enable me to be able to service my clients with the latest and greatest tools; and for homeowners, it’s going to make me be able to list their properties and market them to a bigger and better audience with more clarity,&quot; said Szynaka, who sells real estate for Daniel Gale Sotheby’s International Realty. 
Szynaka uses AI as just that: a tool to enhance her abilities, not a replacement for her own skill set. She can edit videos more quickly and effectively, track trends and use predictive data to market to the most-likely movers in her database of approximately 10,000 clients. She feeds AI copy she has written over the years&nbsp;so it can learn her tone of voice and areas of emphasis. She has watched as the technology has gotten increasingly good at writing property descriptions that sound like her. As she puts it, she is training the AI to think the way she does. 
&quot;It’s going to help those who really embrace it,&quot; she said. &quot;The people who fear it, just like with the internet: if you didn’t embrace the internet when it came along, you got left behind; and I think AI is going to be the same way.&quot; 
<a class="p-smartembed" data-onecms-id="contentid/aa0477da-5af2-4fd2-b67f-1144af9ff61d" data-onecms-type="storywidget" href="javascript:window.parent.actionEventData({$contentId:'contentid/aa0477da-5af2-4fd2-b67f-1144af9ff61d', $action:'view', $target:'work'})" polopoly:contentid="contentid/aa0477da-5af2-4fd2-b67f-1144af9ff61d">STORYWIDGET: HORESO_VETRANO</a> 
Going into 2024, Szynaka plans to continue to use AI; and Carmine Vetrano&nbsp;plans to continue encouraging agents to use it as the senior digital marketing strategist for Daniel Gale Sotheby’s International Realty. 
&quot;I think what we’re seeing, not only in the real estate world but just kind of across all industries is, how can you use AI to help?&quot; Vetrano said. &quot;What could AI do to kind of alleviate some of the day-to-day work or some of those pressure points that you’re seeing?&quot; 
Within his role, Vetrano has been training agents on best practices for AI use. This includes teaching the importance of specificity when using AI. He urges agents to make specific requests and ask specific questions. 
&quot;A lot of our 2023 efforts were kind of bringing agents up to speed on how to properly use AI,&quot; Vetrano said. &quot;Moving into 2024, in my opinion, it’s going to be more of kind of how to master it.&quot; 
<h2>Watch for big changes</h2> 
As vice president of policy advocacy for the National Association of Realtors, Bryan Greene is focused on policy changes that will affect the real estate market. 
Among this year’s highlights, Greene said — &quot;one of the biggest changes that began to change the landscape&quot; — was the February reduction of mortgage insurance premiums for homebuyers with a Federal Housing Administration-insured mortgage. The 30-basis-point reduction was a move the Department of Housing and Urban Development made through the FHA. 
&quot;This should significantly help new and low- and moderate-income homebuyers,&quot; Greene said. According to a HUD release, the reduction was expected to save&nbsp;borrowers an average of $800 annually starting in 2023. 
<h2>Accessory dwelling income in mortgage qualification</h2> 
Moving toward 2024, Greene said, another &quot;big policy win&quot; will see its first full year in effect. In October, the FHA announced that it would allow lenders to consider income from an accessory dwelling during the mortgage-qualification process. 
&quot;If you buy a property, and it has either a shed or carriage house out back — or if you want to introduce a building out back that can be an accessory dwelling unit — you can count the income that will generate towards the mortgage qualification,&quot; Greene said. &quot;Not only does it help put more people into housing, but it helps increase the housing stock, too, to encourage the development of these accessory dwelling units.&quot; 
On a local level, Greene advises real estate agents to familiarize themselves with down payment assistance programs in their communities and how to use them. 
&quot;It’s important that real estate agents acquaint themselves not only with the programs, but these new opportunities that I described — like the accessory dwelling unit opportunity — so that they can help more people qualify for homeownership.&quot; 
Those with questions about the home buying process or various programs available can also turn to nonprofit organizations like CDCLI, which offers free housing counseling and advice, as well as online financial education, for first-time and repeat homebuyers.&nbsp; 
The Long Island Housing Partnership also offers first-time homebuyer counseling, default and foreclosure prevention counseling, an online homebuyer education course and rental counseling.&nbsp;

HORESO231229

Buying or selling a home this year? 7 things experts say to look out for in 2024

HORESO231229_photos

About 700 miles&nbsp;from home, surrounded by&nbsp;a handful of family and friends, Danielle and Daniel Creegan&nbsp;were married on the sand of North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Their 2-year-old Great Dane, Daisy, was one of the select guests of honor. 
&quot;We had a small ceremony on the beach and then went out for dinner,&quot; said Danielle, 28. &quot;Our biggest expense was hiring a photographer.&quot; 
Back home, their future awaited: Their house in Farmingdale, which was the reason for the intimate, faraway nuptials. 
Amid the rise of local wedding expenses and the increase of home prices across Long Island, the Creegans — and many other Long Island newlyweds and engaged couples — are&nbsp;finding smaller scale ways to celebrate their love and instead putting their money toward buying a house. These couples have opted for low-key&nbsp;wedding ceremonies and receptions, either by hosting the festivities in a family backyard or leaving Long Island to tie the knot. 
When it came time to make her guest list, &quot;everybody really understood,&quot; said Danielle. &quot;They knew the house took priority. It’s a hard choice because everybody wants that big wedding, but it only lasts for a few hours.&quot; 
<h2>Destination wedding, multiple jobs help&nbsp;pay for gut renovation</h2> 
&nbsp; 
<a class="p-smartembed" data-attr-caption="Daniel and Danielle Creegan married in a small destination ceremony that included their Great Dane Daisy.
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Local weddings average $62,000, Heather Cunningham, owner of bridal organization Brides of Long Island, <a href="https://www.newsday.com/lifestyle/fashion-and-shopping/wedding-cost-long-island-vr4papqw">told Newsday</a> in September.&nbsp;And, in October, the median home price in Suffolk County hit <a href="https://www.newsday.com/business/long-island-homes-for-sale-prices-mortgage-rates-ql0e8jjm">a record $600,000</a>, with Nassau County’s median home price reaching $725,000, according to data released by OneKey MLS. 
&quot;I think you have to work harder now than ever,&quot; said Athan Vorilas, CEO and president of Lighthouse Financial Network in Melville. &quot;When you’re young, you have to sacrifice and work more than you ever did. You might have to work two jobs to get to the point of buying a home or [making] a down payment.&quot; 
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Leading up to their July wedding, the Creegans started&nbsp;working on&nbsp;their house.&nbsp;They inherited it from Daniel’s parents and took&nbsp;over their mortgage. In the meantime, the couple is staying at her parents' house nearby. 
Their four-bedroom, 2&frac12;-bathroom home&nbsp;required a gut renovation, including plumbing and electricity, costing them $350,000 on top of their mortgage, Danielle said. Of course, finding ways to pay didn’t stop after their wedding day. 
&quot;My husband sold his truck to go toward fixing the windows in the house,&quot; said Danielle, a paralegal. &quot;And he got a second job.&quot; He&nbsp;is an RV mechanic and runs the Zamboni for the New York Islanders practice rink. 
<a class="p-smartembed" data-attr-caption="Daniel and Danielle Creegan kiss on their wedding day. Their home in Farmingdale was being renovated at the time." data-attr-credit="" data-attr-has-caption="true" data-attr-has-credit="true" data-attr-q="0.3" data-attr-w="400" data-onecms-id="contentid/54fa92be-1557-4564-92f9-934c46afc22a" data-onecms-type="image" href="javascript:window.parent.actionEventData({$contentId:'contentid/54fa92be-1557-4564-92f9-934c46afc22a', $action:'view', $target:'work'})" polopoly:contentid="contentid/54fa92be-1557-4564-92f9-934c46afc22a"><img src="/image-service/alias/contentid/54fa92be-1557-4564-92f9-934c46afc22a/090d60f7cb65dd0b612f5096f47007154aef6676.jpg?w=400&amp;q=0.3" />Daniel and Danielle Creegan kiss on their wedding day. Their home in Farmingdale was being renovated at the time.</a> 
<blockquote> 
 It’s a hard choice because everybody wants that big wedding, but it only lasts for a few hours. 
 — Danielle Creegan 
</blockquote> 
&quot;We’re saving money any way we can: We don’t go out to eat as often, and we cut back on spending if not for the necessities,&quot; she added. 
The couple spent $5,000 for their wedding photographer, and found ways to save elsewhere. For example, Danielle purchased fake flowers from Michaels and Hobby Lobby, and asked her friend, a floral designer, to make bouquets and boutonnieres with them. They spent about $10,000 on the wedding altogether, she said. 
With friends in South Carolina, picking their wedding destination was easy. But once their home renovations are complete (she's hoping by the end of next summer), perhaps they’ll have a small reception with some local pals, Danielle said. 
&quot;I haven’t thought that far ahead,&quot; she added. &quot;In the next two or three years, maybe we'll do something.&quot; 
Having a strong safety net&nbsp;is essential as a new homebuyer, said Vorilas. The way expenses add up can be overwhelming, leading to household sacrifices along the way. 
&quot;You’re not just buying a house,&quot; but must also account for mortgage, taxes, potential&nbsp;family plans and multiple types of insurance, he said. &quot;It’s a different world than it was back in the day, so having that discipline to save money and spend it wisely is the most critical aspect of being successful.&quot; 
<h2>DIY wedding helps boost savings</h2> 
<a class="p-smartembed" data-attr-caption="Jamie Genoa and Justin Marczewski currently live in an apartment with dog, Benny, and are saving for a home." data-attr-credit="" data-attr-has-caption="true" data-attr-has-credit="true" data-attr-q="0.3" data-attr-w="400" data-onecms-id="contentid/4076a819-0777-4bbb-907d-0ef6190c29e1" data-onecms-type="image" href="javascript:window.parent.actionEventData({$contentId:'contentid/4076a819-0777-4bbb-907d-0ef6190c29e1', $action:'view', $target:'work'})" polopoly:contentid="contentid/4076a819-0777-4bbb-907d-0ef6190c29e1"><img src="/image-service/alias/contentid/4076a819-0777-4bbb-907d-0ef6190c29e1/DSC_1022.jpg?w=400&amp;q=0.3" />Jamie Genoa and Justin Marczewski currently live in an apartment with dog, Benny, and are saving for a home.</a> 
<blockquote> 
 I know it’s expensive, but our life is here. Our jobs are here, our family is here, so why would we move? 
 —&nbsp;Justin Marczewski 
</blockquote> 
Jamie Genoa sported a pink-and-blue sundress on her wedding day in August, which took place in&nbsp;her new in-laws’ backyard in Bethpage. She and her husband, Justin Marczewski, 46, live in Islip. 
&quot;It was a pizza party,&quot; said Genoa, 43. &quot;It was just immediate family; that was it. Not even friends. And everything was DIY.&quot; 
Genoa’s mother, a judge, officiated the ceremony, while Marczewski’s brother took photos and video. Marczewski’s family also surprised the couple by decorating&nbsp;for the event, which included a large lawn display that read: &quot;Congrats Jamie &amp; Justin.&quot; 
Right now, the couple lives in a one-bedroom co-op that&nbsp;Marczewski first moved into in 2006.&nbsp;They’re looking for a house within the $500,000-to-$600,000 price range, in eastern Nassau or western Suffolk. 
Genoa, a social worker, said the process has been frustrating, noting that the longer it takes to find a home, the more they must push their timeline back while planning for their future. 
&quot;I know it’s expensive, but our life is here,&quot; said Marczewski, who works for Suffolk County’s information technology department. &quot;Our jobs are here, our family is here, so why would we move?&quot; 
<a class="p-smartembed" data-attr-caption="Marczewski's family surprised the couple with decorations that included a large lawn display." data-attr-credit="" data-attr-has-caption="true" data-attr-has-credit="true" data-attr-q="0.3" data-attr-w="400" data-onecms-id="contentid/75338450-5b66-42be-a1f5-c3b5de25fbbf" data-onecms-type="image" href="javascript:window.parent.actionEventData({$contentId:'contentid/75338450-5b66-42be-a1f5-c3b5de25fbbf', $action:'view', $target:'work'})" polopoly:contentid="contentid/75338450-5b66-42be-a1f5-c3b5de25fbbf"><img src="/image-service/alias/contentid/75338450-5b66-42be-a1f5-c3b5de25fbbf/Jamie%20-%20Justin%20with%20sign%20.jpg?w=400&amp;q=0.3" />Marczewski's family surprised the couple with decorations that included a large lawn display.</a> 
Genoa works in Baldwin, while her husband's job is based&nbsp;in Bohemia, so they’re hoping to settle down in&nbsp;between. But searching for that has been a bit discouraging. 
&quot;Walking into houses and seeing what we’re actually going to get for our money these days, unfortunately it’s just a constant disappointment,&quot; Genoa said. 
Patty Vorilas, an agent with Douglas Elliman Real Estate, said many of her clients are forgoing traditional weddings&nbsp;to save for homeownership. As her son gets married, she has seen firsthand how expenses add up. 
&quot;Whether they’re having a luncheon at a nice restaurant or not having the band or the DJ, it’s going to cost them a lot less,&quot; said Vorilas, who married Athan Vorilas in 1991 and moved to West Babylon together. 
<blockquote> 
 Everybody’s going way over asking [price] ... I’m advising them, especially first-time homebuyers, to get a home to grow into and expand if they really love the neighborhood. 
 — Patty Vorilas, real estate agent with Douglas Elliman 
</blockquote> 
Once young couples finally attain homeownership on Long Island, it can be easy for them to outgrow their starter homes, even after investing so much in them, Vorilas said. 
&quot;Everybody’s going way over asking [price],&quot; she said.&nbsp;&quot;And if they buy a three-bedroom, one-bathroom house as newlyweds and have a couple of kids, the house becomes too small for them.&quot; 
Vorilas also encourages her clients to consider future factors, such as seeing equity in your home purchase. 
&quot;I’m advising them, especially first-time homebuyers, to get a home to grow into and expand if they really love the neighborhood,&quot; she added. 
After house hunting for about a year, Genoa and Marczewski have learned&nbsp;to best help each other through the process. 
&quot;Communication is key,&quot; Marczewski said. &quot;We’ve been able to communicate our feelings, thoughts and frustrations this whole time, and support&nbsp;each other.&quot; 
<h2>Backyard wedding now, larger reception later</h2> 
Jenna Mercurio, 27, and her fiance bought their expanded ranch&nbsp;in Medford&nbsp;last summer. It took a year-and-a-half to land their three-bedroom, two-bathroom house. 
&quot;It was awful,&quot; said Mercurio, a registered nurse. &quot;We had two houses and we were under contract with both of them, and the seller had revoked their offer last-minute because of a cash offer, both times.&quot; 
The couple got engaged in August 2022 and were&nbsp;living with their respective parents at the time, not wanting to put money into a rental property. They ended up buying directly from the seller, whom the couple knew personally, for $500,000. 
&quot;That was the only way you were able to find a house at that time,&quot; Mercurio said. 
Their closing date was June 15. Exactly one year from that day, the couple will get married in Mercurio’s parents' backyard, in West Islip. The ceremony will be for&nbsp;family only, with a larger reception including friends to follow. 
The couple has narrowed down what’s important to them — centerpieces, but no flowers; a barbecue instead of a catered dinner; a DJ to play music, with the help of a family friend to take photos. 
&quot;It’s very easy to go overboard with a backyard wedding,&quot; Mercurio said. &quot;But we’re just doing a simple tent — nothing too crazy, no bells and whistles.&quot; 
Having a wedding&nbsp;like this has always been the plan, she added. 
&quot;From the very beginning, we said we wanted a house before we wanted a wedding,&quot; said Mercurio. &quot;So we knew in the process of buying a house that we were not going to be able to have a typical wedding with a venue and everything. We’re OK with it; we had to put it into terms of what was a priority for us at the time, but everyone’s different.&quot; 
<blockquote> 
 One day we’ll have a whole house, but for now, we have a home. 
 — Jamie Genoa 
</blockquote> 
Genoa and Marczewski plan to have a reception with no more than 75 guests next in March, as a belated celebration of their nuptials. They're planning to budget no more than $20,000 for the occasion,&nbsp;Marczewski said. 
Until then, the couple and their 6-year-old shih tzu mix, Benny, are making the best of their current living situation, while dreaming of a larger house with a fenced-in yard. 
&quot;A one-bedroom is not ideal,&quot; said Genoa. &quot;Having to walk our dog in all kinds of weather is not ideal. But we have each other and a roof over our heads, so we’re still so privileged, especially with everything going on in the world. One day we’ll have a whole house, but for now, we have a home.&quot;

HOWED231215

Buying, saving for a house instead of wedding on Long Island

Why these couples put money toward a house instead of a big LI wedding

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Liza N. Burby

Fiances Joe Fodera and Louis Lasala wanted to downsize, so they put their Wantagh home on the market&nbsp;last December for $675,000. 
Fodera, 31, a hairdresser, initially thought it would be too stressful to decorate their home&nbsp;for the holidays. But he thinks the d&eacute;cor — which included holiday table settings and artfully placed touches like gold tabletop trees —&nbsp;helped seal the deal. 
&quot;The amount of compliments we got, I think that was part of the appeal and I think ultimately what sold the house,&quot; said Fodera, adding&nbsp;that one of the comments came from a family at an open house who ended up&nbsp;purchasing the&nbsp;home. 
&quot;I was satisfied with the traffic the house drew during the holidays and it went for the price I wanted,&quot; said Lasala, 42, an agent with Keller Williams Realty in Bayside. The four-bed, two-bath expanded Levitt ranch&nbsp;sold for $650,000. 
With all the items already on your to-do list between Thanksgiving and New Year's, putting your home up for sale — or keeping it on the market — might seem like the last thing you want to deal with. But with housing inventory <a href="https://www.newsday.com/business/long-island-mortgage-rates-homes-for-sale-dscxqqaz">continuing to trend low</a>, experts suggest that this might be the ideal time to add a &quot;For Sale&quot; sign to your holiday decorations. 
<h2>Should you put your home on the market during the holidays?</h2> 
<a class="p-smartembed" data-attr-caption="Joe Fodera decorated with holiday table settings and artfully placed touches like gold tabletop trees.
" data-attr-credit="" data-attr-f="3x2" data-attr-has-caption="true" data-attr-has-credit="true" data-attr-q="0.3" data-attr-w="400" data-onecms-id="contentid/d568b4e7-b317-4912-a363-e3e919055a91" data-onecms-type="image" href="javascript:window.parent.actionEventData({$contentId:'contentid/d568b4e7-b317-4912-a363-e3e919055a91', $action:'view', $target:'work'})" polopoly:contentid="contentid/d568b4e7-b317-4912-a363-e3e919055a91"><img src="/image-service/alias/contentid/d568b4e7-b317-4912-a363-e3e919055a91/f1dab6ab3454be6555ad2ac869840fca0bb797c7.jpg?f=3x2&amp;w=400&amp;q=0.3" />Joe Fodera decorated with holiday table settings and artfully placed touches like gold tabletop trees. </a> 
<blockquote> 
 The amount of compliments we got, I think that was part of the appeal and I think ultimately what sold the house. 
 — Joe Fodera 
</blockquote> 
The decision to list a house during the holidays can be a boon to sellers and buyers, each of whom may have specific reasons for why they need to move now. Milagros Billitzer, an agent with Coldwell Banker American Homes in Long Beach, said there are many family situations where people must sell quickly, like a relocation for a job, a death, divorce or marriage, and the same can be said of the buyer who may be equally motivated. 
&quot;Traditionally there are fewer buyers this time of year, but there's a whole demographic who are very serious,&quot; said Debra Russell, a real estate salesperson with Daniel Gale Sotheby's International Realty in Cold Spring Harbor. &quot;This is also a time when people who are thinking about starting 2024 in a new area or neighborhood will be out looking.&quot; 
In the past, homeowners might not have wanted to worry about the hassles of open houses and showings during the holidays, Russell said. But &quot;since COVID, everything's changed. People are more immediate because they know anything can happen. So if they know this is something they want to do, they jump in.&quot; 
Listing your home now can also be to your advantage as it gets you ahead of everybody else, added Russell. She is working with a seller in Huntington who just listed a home to take advantage of the strong market now, rather than wait until spring. 
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Another positive note to sellers is that yours would likely be one of the limited homes on the market, added Matthew Chiarelli, 44, a licensed real estate salesperson at Douglas Elliman Real Estate in Franklin Square. 
Meanwhile, there are buyers on Long Island who may want to get into the market before interest rates — now at <a href="https://www.newsday.com/business/mortgage-rates-interest-housing-real-estate-xk2kc4bf">7.44% for a 30-year mortgage</a> —&nbsp;potentially increase further, said Billitzer. Some are trying to buy by the end of 2023 for tax purposes, said Kimberly Cammarata, a licensed associate real estate broker at Douglas Elliman West Hampton Beach. 
Russell said she anticipates similar activity this year. Here's a shopping list of tips to help if you decide to jump into the action. 
<h2>Selling during the holidays? Here's what to do.</h2> 
<a class="p-smartembed" data-attr-caption="Real estate agent Debra Russell is helping a Huntington homeowner list their house to take advantage of the current market.
" data-attr-credit="" data-attr-f="3x2" data-attr-has-caption="true" data-attr-has-credit="true" data-attr-q="0.3" data-attr-w="400" data-onecms-id="contentid/4071b1fe-a348-4ba9-a746-ff057d20e5bc" data-onecms-type="image" href="javascript:window.parent.actionEventData({$contentId:'contentid/4071b1fe-a348-4ba9-a746-ff057d20e5bc', $action:'view', $target:'work'})" polopoly:contentid="contentid/4071b1fe-a348-4ba9-a746-ff057d20e5bc"><img src="/image-service/alias/contentid/4071b1fe-a348-4ba9-a746-ff057d20e5bc/6f83e516d8ba4c3b44a39e4c13a2d1bf0e183d05.jpg?f=3x2&amp;w=400&amp;q=0.3" />Real estate agent Debra Russell is helping a Huntington homeowner list their house to take advantage of the current market. </a> 
<blockquote> 
 The market is so strong that if you strategically plan it and if you're priced correctly, you can be in and out of the market in a matter of weeks. 
 —&nbsp;Debra Russell 
</blockquote> 
Price it right. Price your house to attract buyers, no matter what time of year it is, said Kristina Cardoza, an agent from Compass Realty in Manorville, who recently moved to Florida. 
&quot;A lot of people make the mistake of overpricing and it doesn't get the activity they want and then a few weeks later we have to do a price reduction,&quot; she said.&nbsp;&quot;And then buyers question, 'what happened there?' So just price it right from just out the gate and you'll get the number you want.&quot; 
Make it work for your schedule. The idea of dealing with open houses and last-minute showings during the holidays might be stressful, but Russell said you can adjust those appointments to your lifestyle. Besides, it shouldn't last long. 
&quot;The market is so strong that if you strategically plan it and if you're priced correctly, you can be in and out of the market in a matter of weeks,&quot; she said. 
Get ready. Russell said the best thing homeowners can do is get their house photographed before they put up their decorations. 
&quot;It makes the photos have longevity. You don't want to reshoot after the holidays,&quot; she said.&nbsp;Sellers ideally should have photos taken before winter regardless, she added, because &quot;it takes until the end of April before you start to see any green.&quot; 
<a class="p-smartembed" data-attr-caption="Real estate agent Kristina Cardoza suggested pricing a home to attract buyers, regardless of the season.
" data-attr-credit="" data-attr-f="3x2" data-attr-has-caption="true" data-attr-has-credit="true" data-attr-q="0.3" data-attr-w="400" data-onecms-id="contentid/4a0f3cd4-252d-4495-a723-c4d9dd056c3e" data-onecms-type="image" href="javascript:window.parent.actionEventData({$contentId:'contentid/4a0f3cd4-252d-4495-a723-c4d9dd056c3e', $action:'view', $target:'work'})" polopoly:contentid="contentid/4a0f3cd4-252d-4495-a723-c4d9dd056c3e"><img src="/image-service/alias/contentid/4a0f3cd4-252d-4495-a723-c4d9dd056c3e/51b0d243e581e8fd5e9033b4233bf5bdfb64f845.jpg?f=3x2&amp;w=400&amp;q=0.3" />Real estate agent Kristina Cardoza suggested pricing a home to attract buyers, regardless of the season. </a> 
<blockquote> 
 A lot of people make the mistake of overpricing and it doesn't get the activity they want ... Price it right from just out the gate and you'll get the number you want. 
 — Kristina Cardoza 
</blockquote> 
Make it festive. The season offers a great opportunity for appealing sights and smells to add to the curb appeal. 
&quot;The holidays can give your house a chance to shine — literally — because a home never feels more like a home than during the holiday season,&quot;&nbsp;Cammarata said. &quot;It's cozy and warm and you could see how you can make memories with your families at the next holiday.&quot; 
Don't go overboard. Decorations should enhance the home, not overwhelm it. Billitzer suggested balance. 
&quot;Decorate so that it fits your family's traditions, but don't go over the top,&quot; she said.&nbsp;&quot;For instance, don't put multiple inflatable Santas in front of the house because that detracts from the beauty of the house.&quot; 
Consider festive staging. Russell said the idea of staging is to clear out as much of your items so the buyer can see themselves living there — in this case, imagining themselves celebrating Thanksgiving 2024. 
&quot;If you want the living room to have a Christmas tree, you might want to move out some of the furniture so when people are viewing the house, they can walk around freely,&quot; she said. 
Adjust your mentality. Cardoza said that while selling during the holidays can have its stressors, sellers should accept that it will be a different kind of holiday. 
&quot;You know you're going to be moving into a new home, whether it's upgrading or downsizing, and that's exciting,&quot; she said.&nbsp;&quot;Focus on that and the new memories you're going to make in that home.&quot; 
Expect delays. Keep in mind that even when there's an accepted offer, the banking and legal side of things tend to move a little bit slower during the holidays, so build that into your schedule. 
Typically, this part of the process will take 60 to 90 days, said Patricia Moroney, an agent with Daniel Gale Sotheby's in Manhasset. Add in the holidays — many businesses will be closed Christmas week — and it may be a little bit more challenging to get a contract signed quickly. 
While Lasala said putting their house on the market last December worked out well, it wasn't until March that the contract was signed. Between delays that the buyer was dealing with and the couple's search for a new place to live, the closing was delayed until July. However,&nbsp;Lasala said it all turned out for the better for both parties. He and Fodera now live in a two-bedroom apartment in Hempstead. 
<h2>Buyers' advantage during the holidays</h2> 
It's not just the seller who can benefit in this unique market. Homebuyers can profit from the seller's situation, said Chiarelli. 
&quot;They may be more than willing to negotiate a little bit than otherwise during the year because they're probably working on a truncated timetable,&quot; he said.&nbsp;&quot;If you get the impression that a seller needs to move, maybe you can get a bit of a discount on the purchase price.&quot; 
Buyers can also gain from less competition from other buyers, said Moroney. &quot;If you've been in the market and you've lost a couple of houses, you really know what you want. So you're out there, you see the house, and you feel educated and able to move forward.&quot; 
However, all of this requires an agent who has a full understanding of the market and the tools to help you reach your ultimate goal of buying a house, said Moroney. &quot;You need an agent who has knowledge and the resources to help you get from offer to closing, like a local attorney, mortgage broker, someone to do an inspection.&quot; 
In some cases, she said, you might even ask an interior designer or a contractor to look at the house to find ways to make it work for you. &quot;But that's consistent all year no matter what season. You need somebody that advocates for you and also knows that particular local market.&quot; 
<h2>What if my home is already on the market?</h2> 
Thinking about taking your home off the market during the holiday season? Cammarata said that could be a mistake, as you're only helping your competition. 
&quot;While the less serious sellers pull their homes off the market, it gives the ability for the more serious sellers to get more exposure amid less inventory and competition,&quot; she said. &quot;If someone calls me to see your house at the holiday, I will get that they're very serious. I find that more substantial deals are made during the holiday season than people think.&quot; 
If your home has been on the market for a while, this is a great time to refresh your price and your home, said Moroney. 
&quot;Get rid of the rotting pumpkins and decorate for the next holiday,&quot; she said.&nbsp;&quot;The buyers that are out there know the market and if they're coming to look at the house during the holiday season, you have a really good shot of getting it sold.&quot;

HOHOLIDAYS231124

Selling or buying a house during the holidays? What you need to know.

Putting your house on the market during the holidays? Here's what you should know.

HOHOLIDAYS231124_photos

HOELDER230922

Student loans, COVID, house prices: Why millennials delay buying homes

Student loans, COVID, bad timing: Why Long Island millennials are delaying buying homes

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Ellen Yan

House hunter Mason Sofia fell in love &quot;with the opportunity of a wreck,&quot; as his real estate agent put it. 
 Sofia, 28, an architect, and fiancee Brooke Campione, 28, a nurse, were tired of move-in ready homes being whisked away and decided to buy a 1960s ranch that had good bones but needed a new roof, siding, windows, wall repairs and other work. 
 &quot;It's the perfect opportunity to create something we want,&quot; said Sofia, who closed on his five-bedroom, 2,200-square-foot East Northport house in June. &quot;It was exactly what I and she had been looking for to start, a big garage and plenty of room to start a family and a huge backyard. And the neighborhood is fantastic.&quot; 
 The key to the couple's switch in house hunting strategy: A 203(k) loan, which covers the estimated cost of renovations on top of the home purchase. They borrowed just under $800,000, including about $150,000 for renovations. 
 ''The 203(k) allowed us to get a foot in the door,&quot; Sofia said. 
<h2> What is a 203(k) loan? </h2> 
 The 203(k) loan is probably the best known type of rehab or construction loan on the market. People can use it to buy homes that need repairs or updates, rolling the purchase price and renovation cost into one loan. Homeowners can use it to refinance their existing mortgage to upgrade their home, make the house presentable for a sale or fix damages. 
 These are long-term loans insured by the Federal Housing Administration, part of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, and offered by <a href="https://www.hud.gov/program_offices/housing/sfh/lender/lenderlist">FHA-approved lenders</a>. The maximum loan amount cannot exceed FHA’s limit for the area, currently $1,089,300 for a single-family home on Long Island. 
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 The 203(k) program covers a range of renovations and requires a federally&nbsp;approved expert, such as an appraiser or construction professional, to oversee the work and pay the contractors. The project can be as complex as razing and rebuilding a house — as long as the existing foundation is kept&nbsp;— or as simple as making over a bathroom. 
 The funds can be used to buy an uninhabitable house, which conventional mortgages do not cover. The program is not for investors, only borrowers who plan to make the house their home. 
 The FHA sets the rules as part of Section 203(k) of the National Housing Act. The program started in 1978 in an effort to protect people from home improvement loans that carry high interest rates and short repayment periods.&nbsp;It’s aimed at helping first-time and low-income buyers and also restoring distressed house to boost the supply of quality, affordable homes.&nbsp;&nbsp; 
<h2> How does a 203(k) loan help first-time homebuyers? </h2> 
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 Some listing agents, lenders and mortgage brokers see 203(k) as a needed antidote to Long Island's challenging market for buyers. 
 Especially in a seller's market, they said, the sales price often drains the buyer's funds, leaving little for renovations. Also, move-in-ready homes are snatched almost as soon as they're listed, real estate veterans said, because many first-time homebuyers, especially millennials, don't want to undertake repairs. 
 &quot;They don't want to close and not move in for another three months,&quot; said Peter Browning, treasurer of the Empire State Mortgage Bankers Association, a trade group, and vice president of business operations for East Coast Capital Corp., a Melville-based lender. &quot;They want to have a house that's already fixed up for them, move in, turnkey. They want to buy a house like they're buying a new car.&quot; 
 That leaves many homes needing work languishing on the market.&nbsp; 
 At the same time, many&nbsp;agents, sellers and some mortgage professionals don't know much about the 203(k) program, experts said. 
 &quot;203(k) is the most important product out there and the most underutilized product out there,&quot; said Pete Muratore, president of Silver Lining Funding, a Ronkonkoma-based mortgage broker. 
 Sofia said he is grateful for the program, especially its minimum 3.5% down payment, which allowed him and his fiancee to buy a home as they pay off student loans and save for their wedding. The couple has been ripping out some walls and pruning parts of the large yard, where they may hold their wedding to save further on costs. 
 &quot;It opened the largest door for us and gave us the most room to renovate,&quot; Sofia said. &quot;We both had good credit, but the conventional loans were that much stricter.&quot; 
<h2> Who can get a 203(k) loan? </h2> 
 There are two types of 203(k) loans. 
 The limited 203(k) loan covers up to $35,000 and can be used to make minor repairs, such as making a house ready for sale with new paint, carpet and other improvements, but not structural repairs. 
 The standard 203(k) loan covers renovations that cost at least $5,000, structural repairs, labor, equipment, appliances and other work that improves the value of the property. The loan amount cannot exceed the projected value of the property after renovations. 
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 Borrowers can have a credit score as low as 500, compared to 620 required by &nbsp;mortgage insurance giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Those with scores of 580 and above can pay as little as 3.5% down, while borrowers with lower scores would have to pay at least 10% down. The maximum debt-to-income ratio is 43% in most cases, while Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have a maximum ratio of 36% for most mortgages. 
 The 203(k) program may not work for all buyers, and a lot of agents, brokers and lenders avoid&nbsp;it due to requirements and potential delays to the closing, agents and mortgage experts said. 
 &quot;There are a lot of moving parts,&quot; said Robert Cicero, who has inspected homes for 203(k) loans as president of Premier Home Inspection Group in Lake Grove. 
<h2> Consultants help keep things on track </h2> 
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<blockquote> 
 She probably protected me from getting the wrong contractor, from getting a contractor who was going to dash off with a $20,000 deposit. 
 —&nbsp;Patrick Nolan, of Babylon 
</blockquote> 
 Once 203(k) applicants pick a property, they face two key missions: submitting renovation plans and working with a <a href="https://entp.hud.gov/idapp/html/f17cnsltdata.cfm">HUD-approved consultant</a>. 
 Patrick Nolan was grateful to his consultant when he was buying his first home with a 203(k) loan 11 years ago. The consultant told the contractor that if he didn't have funds to buy supplies, he should back out of the project, Nolan said. 
 &quot;She probably protected me from getting the wrong contractor, from getting a contractor who was going to dash off with a $20,000 deposit,&quot; said Nolan, 41, of Babylon. 
 The program requires all work to be completed within six months, and the renovation&nbsp;plan must provide details, including contractor estimates and any engineering and architect reports. 
 For many, a top advantage of the program is the HUD consultant. The consultant <a href="https://www.hud.gov/sites/dfiles/SFH/documents/MO_203k_CnsltRole_FS.pdf">plays a key role</a> before and after the loan closes, acting as a liaison among the buyers, lender and contractors. Sometimes, the lender will pick the consultant, but homebuyers can also interview and pick one from <a href="https://entp.hud.gov/idapp/html/f17cnsltdata.cfm">HUD's list</a>. Limited 203(k) loans don't require a HUD consultant. 
<h2> 203(k) loans may come with delays </h2> 
 One of the biggest raps against the program is the potential delay in closing. 
 &quot;On a purchase, you would think maybe 45 days for a normal loan [closing],&quot; Muratore said. &quot;On a 203(k), you've got to add probably another 15 days on to that. But that's if everybody's working together. I've had some contractors that take three weeks just to get their insurance documents over.&quot; 
 Instead of one appraisal, two are required before the loan closes — one on the current state of the house plus an&nbsp;estimate of post-renovation value based on a review of the proposed work, lenders and brokers said. 
 It can take time for a homebuyer to interview and pick contractors, settle on a work plan and possibly obtain work permits, they said. 
 Experts said borrowers can avoid headaches by working with those experienced in 203(k) loans. 
 &quot;It's not like it's a hard thing to do,&quot; said Richard Drury, Sofia's agent, an associate broker at Douglas Elliman. &quot;They have to have the right people in place to give them guidance.&quot; 
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<h2> Costs in 203(k) loans </h2> 
 It's a give and take when it comes to finances in a 203(k) loan. 
 The interest rate can be up to three quarters of a point&nbsp;higher than standard FHA loans, which are geared toward first-time or lower-income borrowers. But the 203(k) rate is generally lower than market rates on conventional mortgages, mortgage industry experts said. 
 Sofia said he got a 6.75% rate while lenders were charging about 7% for conventional mortgages when his loan closed in June. 
 Extra professional fees can be several hundred to more than a thousand dollars, covering appraisals, the consultant and paperwork reviews by the lender, brokers and lenders said. 
 Another added cost is the contingency reserve. Most lenders require 10% to 20% of the renovations budget. The FHA calls for a maximum of 20% only in certain cases. For example, the FHA requires 10-20% contingency when utilities are not working in homes that are at least 30 years old. Once renovations finish, monthly loan payments are lowered when remaining contingency funds are no longer needed, experts said. 
 The 203(k) program charges a mortgage insurance premium of 1.75% of the borrowed amount. A 1.75% fee on a&nbsp;$500,000 mortgage would be $8,750.&nbsp; 
 That's on top of a monthly insurance payment that lasts the life of the loan. 
 &quot;You have to refinance to get rid of it,&quot; Sofia said. He and mortgage experts said refinancing into a conventional mortgage can possibly save on the 203(k) insurance costs. 
 Many fees and the contingency reserve can be rolled into the loan. 
 In what may be a financial advantage to some borrowers, the FHA program recognizes that some of the homes start out uninhabitable due to a hole in the roof, for example, or no electricity, no plumbing, no kitchen or other unsafe conditions. 
 Borrowers don't have to pay the monthly mortgage if they cannot live in the house during renovations and these payments can be added to the loan amount. It avoids having the homeowners pay for rent and the mortgage while the house is under repair. 
 &quot;It allows you to roll in the mortgage payments but only for the duration of time that I say the house is uninhabitable,&quot; said Cicero, the home inspector. &quot;If the home is going to take three months to complete and it's going to be uninhabitable for two months, they would allow you to roll in the mortgage payments for two months.&quot; 
<ul> 
</ul>

HOTHREE230901

What's a 203(k) loan and how can it help Long Island first-time homebuyers?

'The opportunity of a wreck': Federal loan helps LIer with fixer-uppers

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Drawn to those lush lawns and the burst of color from rows of perennials and flowering trees at the home you're interested in buying? Relying on that elaborate landscaping you've maintained for years to sell your house for you? 
 No matter which stage of homeownership you're in, curb appeal is almost always the first attraction to a house. 
 &quot;And if there's a backyard as well, most people buy into the whole emotional aspect that it's beautiful in the front and tranquil and serene in the back,&quot; said Noreen Graham, a salesperson at Paul Gold Real Estate in Long Beach. 
 But appearances can be deceiving, because all that beauty is an investment of time and money. Just as buyers need to ask about the cost of a home's monthly utility bills, experts said they should also learn the costs of lawn care, pruning, fertilizing and other aspects of property upkeep. 
 Graham said sellers can increase their asking price by up to 10% with carefully maintained lawns and gardens. Meanwhile, sellers should be mindful that if they haven't kept up on their grounds, it can cost them. 
 Whether you're buying or&nbsp;selling, or you own a home and could use some landscaping tips, here are the seeds of advice that should help cultivate even the most challenging garden situations. 
<h2> Buying a house? Add landscaping to your budget. </h2> 
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 This time of year, it's easier for buyers to see what the grounds look like, with everything in bloom and outdoor furniture and umbrellas set up, said Nikki Sturges, an associate real estate broker at Daniel Gale Sotheby's International Realty in Huntington. 
 But while buyers may fall in love with the color, aroma and appearance of a property, they have to see the bigger picture, said Graham. 
 &quot;Someone who is buying a house where they think the landscaping looks fantastic should consider that you could spend eight to 10 hours on a weekend maintaining a 40-by-100 property,&quot; she said.&nbsp;&quot;So, you have to factor in either your time or the landscaper.&quot; 
 Graham, 57, who lives in Lido Beach, advises buyers to ask the neighbors if they're maintaining their own properties or if they recommend their lawn care professionals. 
 Particularly if you have limited experience with this kind of property ownership, you could contact a reputable professional who is licensed and insured to get an estimate, said Carol Isles, a representative of Long Island Nursery &amp; Landscape Association in Sayville, which represents more than 100 member companies and other professionals working in the horticultural field. She added that some professionals can get aerial photos of the house online and give you an estimate based on that. 
 &quot;Every home transaction requires a home inspection, so consider this like a property inspection,&quot; Isles said. &quot;Contact a licensed professional who's going to look at the property and give you an idea of what it might cost to keep it well maintained. Even if you're doing the mowing yourself and you just need somebody to come in and do the fertilizing and the spring and winter cleanups, they can estimate those expenses.&quot; 
<h2> Average landscaping costs on Long Island </h2> 
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 Costs for lawn care services are typically based on the size of the property and the scope of work, like mowing lawns, trimming hedges and bushes, weeding, mulching beds, aerating and thatching, and plant health care, like applying fertilizer, pesticides or herbicides. Other services can include a fall and spring cleanup, like raking leaves and removing debris, which can run up to several hundred dollars. 
 Lawn care costs vary throughout the Island, but most companies charge $150 to $200 per acre —&nbsp;or $0.01 to $0.06 per square foot —&nbsp;per visit to mow a lawn, according to Angi. With the average property being 40-by-100 feet, that can mean starting at around $40 a week. 
 Isles said other costs to consider are the irrigation and outdoor lighting systems and arboriculture services. Irrigation lines need to be turned on in the spring and blown out in the fall so the pipes don't freeze, for a total cost of about $200 to $300, depending on how many zones the system has. Outdoor lighting systems might need occasional maintenance. And trees might need to be trimmed, especially if there are potentially hazardous dead branches. 
 All of this should be part of your household budgeting, Sturges said. &quot;It's an important consideration just like how much do you have to put down? How much can you spend on taxes? How much can you spend on utilities? And how much can you spend on landscaping?&quot; 
<h2> How much time will it take to landscape your own property? </h2> 
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 Maybe you can do the lawn care and gardening yourself, but it's time&nbsp;consuming. Will you set aside time every Saturday? Do you have kids activities that will pull you away from the house on the weekend? 
 &quot;And do you know how?&quot; said Graham. &quot;I've done a lot of landscaping myself and I've done a lot of things that were not 100%&nbsp;right and homeowners have to work through that. Do you know how to weed and split the hosta and move plants around when a bed is too overgrown? You may need some help even if you do try it yourself.&quot; 
 But don't necessarily be put off by a home's landscaping; if the outlines are there, with a little work, you can get it where you want it to be. 
 &quot;If there's a home that has older landscaping, view it as a blank slate,&quot; Sturges said. &quot;Plan for that and do it in sections and try plantings that come up every year so you don't have to knock yourself out every season. Hit the nurseries when things go on sale and plan a section at a time. You don't have to do the entire property at once.&quot; 
 Another important consideration is asking the home sellers which of their plants are high maintenance, said Mina Vescera, extension educator and nursery/landscape specialist at the Long Island Horticultural Research and Extension Center in Riverhead. Is there a specimen tree on which they spend $5,000 a year to maintain its vigor, like an American elm that's being treated for Dutch elm disease? 
 &quot;Sometimes there are trees that will sell a property because they're gorgeous, but you want to make sure if there are any disease or pest issues that you're inheriting with that property because that could mean deciding to continue treating it or removing it,&quot; said Vescera, 47. 
<h2> Selling a house? Do cleanups and&nbsp;plantings </h2> 
 When preparing to list their homes, Graham said,&nbsp;most sellers tend to forget that the outside needs attention as much as the floors indoors&nbsp;might need sanding. For the seller who hasn't been taking care of their landscaping, now is the time to look around. 
 She suggests making sure that all your plants are spaced properly. &quot;You don't want things to look congested because then it looks chaotic,&quot; she said, adding that it can be done yourself or with the help of a landscaper. 
 Sturges added that overgrown plantings in front of the home need to be tended to before it goes on the market. &quot;You don't have to change everything, but anything that's up too high and too big and too bulky should be taken care of, as that cleanup makes a house look younger and fresher.&quot; 
 Graham said that when clients contact her to say they're thinking of selling their house after the winter, she recommends a yard cleanup in the fall. Follow that by planting bulbs that will lay dormant through the winter — these include tulips, alliums, which look like purple snowballs — and climbing rosebushes, all of which appear in early spring. 
 Whether you invest in a cleanup and fall plantings — together, they usually cost under $1,000, she said —&nbsp;or do it yourself, it all has to take place six to eight months ahead of a listing. &quot;It's money well spent,&quot; she added. 
 If you're thinking of putting your home on the market at any point, and you're satisfied with your current landscaping, Sturges recommends taking photos this summer. But keep people out of them so buyers can imagine their own family in your yard next year. 
 No matter what condition your landscaping is in, a quick fix is to make sure there's a riot of colors in the front of the house, said Graham. That can include hanging pots from the porch or placing flowering pots near the front door. Consider something aromatic near the main door, like spearmint or lavender. A birdbath and a bird feeder will attract nature that can add to the curb appeal. 
<h2> Balancing gardening, managing budgets </h2> 
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 Wherever your garden grows, it's a managed landscape that requires labor, said Vescera. 
 &quot;For example, if it has perennials, for the most part, they will need to be maintained. Eventually they'll need to be divided in order for them to maintain their vigor. A lawn usually is cut, but a lot of people are going the natural route by letting some of their lawn become meadow.&quot; 
 Find your own balance. &quot;I'm a gardener and I absolutely love it. And it's a great workout as well. It's about how you can value your time. Some people consider that a meditation time,&quot; said Vescera. &quot;If they just want to observe the garden as an artistic feature within their landscape and don't want to put their hands in the soil or touch a plant, that's where the landscapers come in.&quot; 
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 For Carl Ramirez, 68, designing and maintaining his 40-by-80 waterfront Lido Beach property is a labor of love. Now that he's retired after 50 years as an accountant, he'd rather invest in weekly lawn maintenance for $250 a month so he can devote his spare time to puttering in the dirt with his flowers. He and his wife, Joan, 67, an accountant for the Long Beach School District, are empty nesters.&nbsp;Joan gets&nbsp;her hands dirty too by gardening with him, and they maintain a small greenhouse on their property. 
 But it was trial and error to get to this point. The Ramirezes have owned three homes, all of which needed landscape work. Ramirez said creating and maintaining the grounds for all three was a hobby, but he's learned to analyze the elements to determine what will do well. 
 &quot;Are there some shady areas that certain flowers do well in? You have to make an assessment as to where and what kind of plants you can plant,''&nbsp;he said. 
 Ramirez spends at least an hour a day maintaining his gardens and more on weekends, especially this time of year. &quot;I could spend $3,000 a season asking a landscaper to make my property beautiful, but that wouldn't be satisfying to me.&quot; 
 He added:&nbsp;&quot;I've been doing this since 1987 when I got my first home. It's not that I want to save money; I want to be in touch with nature.&quot; 
<h2> Low-maintenance, manageable landscaping </h2> 
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 When it comes to landscaping costs, it can be more manageable if your plant choices aren't based solely on what you see in your neighbor's yard, but rather on sustainability, according to Rusty Schmidt, 52.&nbsp;A&nbsp;landscape ecologist at Nelson, Pope &amp; Voorhis, LLC, an environmental, land use, planning and economic firm in Melville, he recommends&nbsp;buying plants native to Long Island. 
 &quot;They don't need extra water and they grow to a certain height so don't need to be trimmed. If you want a plant that is 5 feet, get a plant that's 5 feet. Don't get one that's 7 or 8 that has to be trimmed all the time,&quot; he said, adding there are 1,500 local species from which to choose. &quot;And most importantly, stop getting things that are invasive species like bamboo, English ivy and forsythia, because they're not only problematic at your house, but will spread to your neighbors' and beyond.&quot; 
 Sometimes homeowners just have to live and learn. When Sue McGovern and Shel Lipsky moved into and renovated their Centerport home 15 years ago, they thought planting low-maintenance perennials and dwarf shrubs on their sloped property would save them time and money. They figured without a lawn — their quarter-acre property has few flat areas for grass — they'd save $35 a week on mowing. 
 But their beds need constant weeding and attention. McGovern, 78, said she can't do it because of back issues, and Lipsky, 87, has other things he'd rather do. So now they spend between $100 and $150 a week during the summer on maintenance to enjoy their gardens. 
 McGovern, a retired librarian, said the house came with some gardens,&nbsp;but some didn't work well and had to be ripped out. They have invested about $50,000 over the years, including on an irrigation system and repairing a rock retaining wall. McGovern said that they couldn't have done it differently because the maintenance is overwhelming for them. Besides, they enjoy the way their property looks. 
 Still, Lipsky, a retired engineer, advised homebuyers to &quot;really think about it and be aware that there's going to be expenses. But if you're in a situation like us where you don't have a choice or if you really want that kind of a look, then buy low-maintenance plants.&quot;

HOLANDSCAPING230818

Landscaping on Long Island: How much does it cost for curb appeal?

You bought a house for the landscaping. Now you have to pay for it.

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On days when road turned to river, Lisa Ludwig donned hip waders for walks to the bus stop with her school-aged children. With a kid on her back, she sloshed up the street, then turned around to deposit the dry school-goer on the first step of the bus.&nbsp; 
 Ludwig, 61, has lived in a home on the water in Babylon for&nbsp;three decades. 
 &quot;It’s a whole different world,&quot;&nbsp;she said of life on the waterfront. &quot;It’s not all beautiful, sunny days.&quot; 
 At August’s onset, hurricane season intensifies.&nbsp;And for those unfamiliar with life in a flood zone, real estate is rife with potential sinkholes. 
 Experts and residents recommend prospective homebuyers ask strategic questions, read listing write-ups with a discerning eye&nbsp;and gather information independently. But no amount of due diligence comes with guarantees in a flood zone. 
 &quot;You're on Long Island and if you ever look at a map, it looks like a forearm that's stopping the ocean,&quot; said&nbsp;Thomas Song, a resiliency specialist and acting regional flood insurance liaison for the Federal Emergency Management Agency. &quot;We are at risk for hurricanes and coastal flooding and nor'easters.&quot; 
 Still, when Superstorm Sandy devastated parts of Long Island in 2012, Song said, it caught some residents&nbsp;off guard.&nbsp; 
 &quot;The idea that the ocean can swell up 30 feet, it was something that people didn’t think could happen, and it did,&quot; said Song, who lives in Syosset. &quot;You really need to respect the fact that Mother Nature can be ferocious at times.&quot; 
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<blockquote> 
 Both neighbors lied to me... The [previous] owners of the house lied to me, told me they never had water in the house. 
 —&nbsp;Lisa Ludwig, Babylon resident 
</blockquote> 
 Before purchasing her property, Ludwig knocked on neighbors’ doors to ask whether flooding was an issue for them. 
 &quot;Both neighbors lied to me,&quot;&nbsp;Ludwig said. &quot;Told me that, 'no, no, it’s fine.'&nbsp;The owners of the house lied to me, told me they never had water in the house.&quot; 
 Eventually, a neighbor came clean. 
 &quot;He said, 'Oh, don’t worry, when you sell, I’ll lie for you, too,' &quot;&nbsp;recalled Ludwig, who started working in real estate herself several years ago. &quot;I said, 'No, that’s OK, I wouldn’t do that.' &quot; 
<h2> What is 'FEMA-certified?' </h2> 
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 Across the real estate landscape, the term &quot;FEMA compliant&quot; is spoken freely. Agents use it, insurance brokers use it and it appears on house listing sites beneath photographs of raised waterfront homes. But the definition of &quot;FEMA compliant&quot; varies by the user, and there is no such thing as a FEMA-certified house. 
 &quot;FEMA does not certify buildings,&quot; said Song. 
 The term &quot;FEMA compliant&quot; could mean that a house meets National Flood Insurance Program requirements, Song said. These requirements satisfy New York State standards, he explained Song said, but some communities have additional regulations determined by local authorities. 
 &quot;FEMA compliant&quot; is real estate industry jargon, said agent Leah Tozer, who grew up in Merrick and acquired much of her home resiliency knowledge from the Land Use Alliance Training Program through Pace University and Touro Law School. 
 &quot;That just means the house is a certain amount of feet above the base flood elevation; it means it has flood vents all the way around the house for the free flow of water to go in and out; that the living space and the technical real living area starts at a certain base flood elevation,&quot; Tozer said. &quot;It’s not to trick people;&nbsp;it’s to just take a very long, convoluted way to explain something and just make it, 'it’s FEMA compliant.'&quot; 
 Buzzwords aside, Tozer offered a few action items for prospective buyers. To start, she said, ask the right questions. 
 If a house were affected by Superstorm Sandy, find out what the flood insurance payout was. Ask about the flood history of the house and whether the land is a repetitive loss property known to see damage from flooding. 
 &quot;Unless you’re asking these questions, or you know, or you have the right buyer’s agent to explain it to you or you have somebody who’s ethical that is telling you all of this up front, it could be so damaging,&quot; Tozer said. 
<h2> Researching houses near the water </h2> 
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<blockquote> 
 If you want to buy a house, and it’s on the water, if you didn’t go there at high tide, low tide, and when it rains ... then you’re not buying that house. 
 —&nbsp;Leah Tozer, real estate agent 
</blockquote> 
 When Tozer represents a buyer, she said she has two standard requests. 
 &quot;I always immediately ask for the declaration page of the flood insurance policy, and I want the flood loss payout on that property,&quot;&nbsp;she said. &quot;Those are my one hundred percent, have to have, for my buyers. And then, I make my sellers do the same thing.&quot; 
 For sellers, this becomes important because a lack of transparency could disrupt a deal that is almost done.&nbsp; 
 &quot;I say, 'we’re going to have to deal with this, and I have to know, how am I selling your house the right way?' &quot;&nbsp;Tozer said.&nbsp;&quot;You have to know what you’re doing on both sides because you want to protect the people that you’re putting into these houses.&quot; 
 Tozer also advises prospective buyers to protect themselves by doing their research and not rushing into a purchase. 
 &quot;There's one thing I tell people to do,&quot;&nbsp;Tozer said. &quot;If you want to buy a house, and it’s on the water, if you didn’t go there at high tide, low tide, and when it rains at high tide, and when it rains at low tide, then you’re not buying that house.&quot; 
 Often, Tozer finds herself having to insist clients do this instead of making an uninformed purchase that could leave them surprised at how much water pools when it rains. 
 &quot;People do more work and due diligence on the bicycles that they buy, right?&quot;&nbsp;Tozer said. &quot;They do more due diligence on the phones that they buy, or the cameras that they buy, or the cars that they buy. And the houses are the least of it.&quot; 
 Beyond the protection an ethical agent can offer, prospective buyers can take protection into their own hands by sourcing their own experts and turning to resources like the Federal Alliance for Safe Homes (FLASH) Resilient Homebuyers Guide. 
 &quot;Instead of trying to give everybody all the answers, what we did is we created a guide with all the questions —&nbsp;because the answers are out there if you know what to ask,&quot;&nbsp;said Leslie Chapman-Henderson, FLASH president and CEO.&nbsp; 
 In addition to a basic resilience checklist, there are disaster-specific checklists on the topics of flood, hurricane, earthquake, tornado and wildfire. 
 &quot;The bottom-line counsel that we give,&quot;&nbsp;Chapman-Henderson said, &quot;is anywhere it rains, it can flood.&quot; 
 FLASH advises any homeowner to buy flood insurance, even if the area is not prone to flooding. In areas that do not typically see flooding, Chapman-Henderson said, the cost of taking this precaution is particularly low. 
 &quot;In event after event after event, people go, 'Well it never happened before.' &quot;&nbsp;Chapman-Henderson said. &quot;Right, OK,&nbsp;because it doesn’t happen until it happens then.&quot; 
<div class="embedcode-widget" data-embedcode="insurance by zip"> 
 <h1> What does flood insurance cost on Long Island? </h1> 
 Below is the average annual cost of flood insurance for single-family homes on Long Island by ZIP code as of the end of September 2022, according to FEMA. Costs may vary within a ZIP code due to differing levels of risk. ZIP codes with an asterisk have five or fewer policies in force, so figures are not made available. Select your community for more information or search by individual address. 
 <iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="520" mozallowfullscreen="" msallowfullscreen="" oallowfullscreen="" src="https://newsday.carto.com/builder/f462ad71-6c2e-4982-bfa6-119558ab273e/embed" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="100%"></iframe> 
</div> 
 Michael Salerno, a Massapequa Park resident who works as an insurance agent for Remco in Wantagh, asks prospective buyers for a copy of the&nbsp;current owner’s flood insurance policy.&nbsp; 
 &quot;I strongly recommend you reaching out to an insurance professional, to work up quotes, work up accurate flood quotes for yourself, so you’re not shocked after you sign off on the dotted line with the contract,&quot;&nbsp;Salerno said. 
 Flood insurance cost is specific to each individual piece of property, and dependent upon factors including elevation.&nbsp; 
 &quot;You and I could be next-door neighbors and you could be paying one thing and I could be paying a completely different thing,&quot;&nbsp;Salerno said.&nbsp; 
 After purchasing flood insurance, homeowners can look into structural strategies specific to&nbsp;protecting&nbsp;their property.&nbsp; 
<h2> Budgeting for flood insurance </h2> 
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<blockquote> 
 For us, it was a calculated risk... We had to go find somewhere that was affordable enough, but still on the water. 
 — Anaam Wafa 
</blockquote> 
 On the East End of Long Beach, two blocks from sand and sea, a raised home stands equipped with pumps and French drains. For water to enter the house, it would have to rise past a 6-inch cove base and the related pump would have to fail. 
 &quot;Knock on wood, this year will be nine years that we haven’t had any water come into the basement after we implemented those pumps,&quot;&nbsp;said Julia Camacho-Sasso, who works as a real estate salesperson for Douglas Elliman. &quot;It would take&nbsp;6 to 7&nbsp;feet of water for it to hit the main floor, so we’re sort of lucky with our house being raised.&quot;&nbsp; 
 But Camacho-Sasso made her own luck. Having learned that the basement of the house was affected by Superstorm Sandy,&nbsp;she spent an estimated $30,000 to install the pumps, an epoxy floor&nbsp;and a cove base around the perimeter to protect the drywall in the basement.&nbsp; 
 &quot;I’m in property management 17 years, and I know, as a landlord, water is your biggest enemy,&quot;&nbsp;she said. &quot;I’m just familiar with leaks and how they’re a thorn; and so I want to make sure my house is watertight.&quot; 
 Ten miles away, in Freeport, Anaam Wafa and his wife, Katherine Servidio, made luck of their own. 
 Wafa, 33, and Servidio, 34, went into contract on their four-bedroom high-ranch home just as the COVID-19 pandemic was starting in March 2020. The property borders a canal. 
 &quot;For us, it was a calculated risk,&quot;&nbsp;said Wafa, who works as&nbsp;director of operations for an engineering firm. &quot;We lived in Long Beach, so we kind of got used to being close to the water... we had to go find somewhere that was affordable enough, but still on the water.&quot; 
 The couple, who are expecting&nbsp;their first child early next year,&nbsp;examined elevation certificates and topographical maps to broadly assess the flood risk of areas of interest. The pair also talked to neighbors, who were more candid than Ludwig’s, about flooding on specific streets. 
 &quot;We were looking also at Island Park and a few other towns that were waterfront within our price range, and we did the same practice there,&quot;&nbsp;Wafa said. &quot;A few places that we were looking at, the neighbors actually said, 'Yeah, if you are OK with your car having water up to the door handle whenever there’s high tide, you’re OK over here.'&nbsp;Obviously that wasn’t OK for us.&quot; 
 Eventually, Wafa and Servidio moved from a one-bedroom apartment in Long Beach to the 2,100-square-foot Freeport home they purchased for $540,000. Flood insurance on the property costs approximately $1,600 a year, said Wafa. 
 The cost of flood insurance is another variable to consider, as is the possibility that the owner is responsible for maintaining the bulkheads on the property, Wafa noted. A bulkhead&nbsp;is a retaining wall between the property and a body of water. 
 &quot;Sometimes you look at the house price and you’re like, 'Oh yeah, that’s awesome, that’s amazing, that’s right in our budget,' &quot; said Wafa. &quot;And then once you start to factor in obviously the high Long Island taxes, and then the regular home insurance and then your flood insurance, it starts to become more of an astronomical number that is less digestible.&quot; 
<h2> Ask Google, neighbors, officials for help </h2> 
 A few years before Wafa and Servidio made their purchase, Janissa Betances, 36, and her husband did the same. The four-bedroom high ranch was in foreclosure, so the couple bought it for $440,000. Flood insurance on the property costs approximately $1,500, Betances said. 
 Betances’ family has been in the area for 30 years, and her familiarity with the risk that comes with the waterfront made her a skeptic. But her neighbors-to-be approached her before she approached them, and answered her questions. 
 &quot;If you see anyone in the neighborhood walking a dog or pushing a stroller, I would ask, 'Hey, you live on this block? I’m interested in buying this house,' &quot;&nbsp;said Betances, who works as a personal-injury attorney. &quot;Because while the person you’re buying from might disclose some things, your neighbors will probably disclose more.&quot;&nbsp; 
 In addition to asking neighbors for insight, Betances recommends paying attention to details like the height of electrical sockets, and asking when the boiler and hot water heater were replaced.&nbsp; 
 &quot;That will tell you if it was replaced during Sandy,&quot;&nbsp;Betances said. 
 Betances also suggests asking potential inspectors whether they’re familiar with bulkheads, water damage and mold —&nbsp;and learning about those subjects as a prospective buyer.&nbsp;By the time she was ready to make a purchase, Betances&nbsp;said, she could recognize black mold on her own. 
 &quot;It’s a sport, buying a house,&quot;&nbsp;Betances said. &quot;You’ve got to train for it.&quot; 
 That training —&nbsp;or research —&nbsp;can&nbsp;start with an internet search,&nbsp;Song said. He also advises reaching out to local officials with questions about specific properties. 
 &quot;There’s a lot of information out there that’s publicly accessible that talks about flood risk. We have maps, we have reports, we have handouts,&quot;&nbsp;Song said. &quot;Doing just a simple Google search I think will be a good starting point for most people.&quot; 
 CORRECTION: The name of Anaam Wafa was misspelled in a previous version of this story.

HOFEMA230804

Hurricane season: What to know when buying a house in a flood zone on Long Island

It's hurricane season. What to know if you're house hunting by the water.

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What to know if you&#39;re looking to buy a home in a flood-prone area near the water. NewsdayTV&#39;s Arielle Dollinger reports.

HOFEMA230804_video

Buying near the water? Here's what to know

Suffolk

Nassau

Newsday

'You should ask for elevation certificates, flood history of the property'

Rose and Joseph Perrone looked for their dream home for 18 years. 
 They scoured the South Shore of Long Island. They found homes that didn't meet their expectations. They were outbid on homes that did. Sometimes, they couldn't agree on what they wanted. At their breaking point, the Perrones even considered leaving the state to live near family in Virginia or Georgia. 
 But their hearts were always set on Long Island. 
 In the meantime, they lived in what Rose Perrone described as a &quot;tiny apartment&quot; in Holbrook. The couple had to take turns walking through the front door and taking off their shoes&nbsp;— that's&nbsp;how small the entryway was, she said. 
 The couple always imagined their next home would be different. 
 &quot;My husband really wanted a two-car attached garage,&quot;&nbsp;said Perrone, 40. &quot;I wanted a big entryway and a beautiful block where we could walk to a park. Those were the sticking points for us.&quot; 
 Then, it finally happened: The couple and their 5-year-old son, Everett, recently moved into their forever home in Bay Shore. 
 &quot;We had just put other offers on houses that didn’t work out,&quot;&nbsp;Perrone said. &quot;This is probably the fourth house we seriously considered.&quot; 
 With the right real estate agent, some flexibility and knowing where to look for help, millennials — those born between 1981 and 1996, per the Pew Research Center — are becoming first-time homebuyers all over Long Island. Among the regions gaining popularity in this age group, agents say, is the South Shore of Suffolk County. 
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 &quot;Babylon, Bay Shore and Islip are the more popular areas,&quot;&nbsp;said Colleen Colasacco of Daniel Gale Sotheby’s International Realty. &quot;Definitely for millennials, specifically.&quot; 
 There are a few reasons, but Colasacco, a Bay Shore resident, has started to notice a theme.&nbsp; 
 &quot;What I see is a lot of times, people who grew up out here may have moved into the city or said, 'I’m never going to live where I grew up,'&quot;&nbsp;she said. &quot;But ultimately, they’re gravitating back this way because there are options that are affordable, and places that are interesting and vibrant.&quot; 
<h2> 'A tough battle' </h2> 
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<blockquote> 
 I think millennials get a lot of pressure from parents, and I think we’re feeling that without truly being able to afford it. So it’s been a tough battle, but I’m proud we’re still out there. 
 Amanda Mas-Spears 
</blockquote> 
 Amanda Mas-Spears is a millennial real estate agent at Coach Realtors in Mount Sinai. Her primary clients are close to her own age, and she has assisted many of them on lengthy searches for their ideal home. 
 But millennials don’t tend to give up easily and are willing to make sacrifices to forgo renting a place, she said. 
 &quot;The Long Island rental market is just as competitive, if not more competitive, than the owning side of things,&quot;&nbsp;said Mas-Spears, 35. &quot;I think millennials get a lot of pressure from parents, and I think we’re feeling that without truly being able to afford it. So it’s been a tough battle, but I’m proud we’re still out there.&quot; 
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 Laura Thompson, 36, and her husband, Sean Thompson, also 36, bought their home in Islip Terrace in 2021. 
 &quot;We had been living in Hauppauge, in an apartment at an aunt and uncle's house, for seven years,&quot;&nbsp;she said. 
 The couple bought the house for $415,000. They moved into their two-bedroom, one-bathroom home with their now 2-year-old triplets. The family&nbsp;also welcomed their fourth child this year. 
 As a nurse at Stony Brook University Hospital, a straightforward commute was an added bonus for Laura. But the East Islip School District was a main selling point for them, he said, and they’re finishing the basement to expand their living space. They now live three houses down from her sister-in-law, and it was important for the Thompsons to live near family. 
 &quot;We got lucky with the house,&quot;&nbsp;she said. &quot;It’s a little smaller than we wanted, but the price was right.&quot; 
 While walking around Islip Terrace, Laura has noticed all sorts of ages on her block. 
 &quot;Our next-door neighbor's kids are in college,&quot;&nbsp;she said. &quot;But on the other side, they have babies, so it’s a little bit of a mix.&quot; 
<h2> Playing the lottery </h2> 
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<blockquote> 
 I grew up here and I would love for my children to grow up here. But in the last couple years since COVID, it’s become largely unaffordable for most millennials. 
 —&nbsp;Sam Law 
</blockquote> 
 For millennial renters, using local resources is essential, said Sam Law, 36. She lives in one of the new apartment buildings&nbsp;near the Long Island Rail Road station in Wyandanch. 
 &quot;I was looking to move out of my parents' home,&quot;&nbsp;she said. &quot;I ended up applying to the apartment through their lottery and getting the apartment, and moved in, in 2015.&quot; 
 Law applied for the lottery through the website of the Community Development Corp. of Long Island. When she moved in, she appreciated the amenities of the building, including energy-efficient appliances, a fitness center and a community room. There’s also a park nearby, and the LIRR into New York City is moments away. 
 &quot;My building is mostly millennials,&quot;&nbsp;Law said. &quot;Mostly, I would say the community is people probably between 27 or 28, to 45.&quot; 
 The rent of each apartment is income-based, which was a plus for Law,&nbsp;who was a graduate student at LIU Post at the time. Eight years later, she is still happy with her home and feels the community is worth consideration, even for those who wouldn’t stay permanently, because it's affordable&nbsp;and convenient&nbsp;to reach other major hubs of&nbsp;the Island and city. 
 As for staying on Long Island with her two children (and one more on the way), &quot;that’s the goal,&quot; Law said.&nbsp;&quot;That’s where my heart is. I grew up here and I would love for my children to grow up here. But in the last couple years since COVID, it’s become largely unaffordable for most millennials.&quot; 
 Law currently runs her company, YHP Cares, which offers service coordination for people with disabilities, from her home. Looking to the future, Law said she’s looked at houses in Bay Shore. 
 &quot;To me, that area is the most millennial-friendly.&quot; 
<h2> Broadening horizons </h2> 
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<blockquote> 
 I wouldn’t want to live any place else, especially with raising kids now. 
 —&nbsp;Joseph DeBello 
</blockquote> 
 Colasacco recently helped a millennial couple that had been set on Massapequa while looking&nbsp;for a house. 
 &quot;We looked in every possible area of Nassau,&quot;&nbsp;she said. &quot;And 20 houses later, I said, 'Maybe it’s time to broaden your scope.'&quot; 
 They began looking at houses in Bay Shore, Babylon and surrounding communities. The couple ended up buying their dream home in West Islip, Colasacco said. 
 &quot;It checked every box,&quot;&nbsp;she added. &quot;They were thrilled to have Christmas there, and the whole family came.&quot; 
 When meeting her millennial clients for the first time and determining what they want, Colasacco will usually show them houses throughout their preferred county, instead of within one radius or community.&nbsp; 
 &quot;Nine times out of 10, even if it’s not during the first round or two, eventually they may say, 'You mentioned this town before, maybe we should open up the scope of our search a little bit wider,' &quot;&nbsp;she said. 
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 Rakisha Johnson of Fave Realty Inc. in New Hyde Park has sold houses to millennial clients in Bay Shore, but also found an&nbsp;alternative for her clients to consider, albeit a bit farther east. 
 &quot;Coram is definitely up and coming,&quot;&nbsp;she said. &quot;I feel like more people will see it’s similar to Bay Shore, but with Bay Shore, the median home price is about $550,000. In Coram, the median home price is more like $450,000.&quot; 
 Johnson has been encouraging her buyers to look farther east, especially those who start their search in Nassau. &quot;To me, it’s just better,&quot;&nbsp;she said. &quot;In Nassau County, the yards are not as big. In a place like Bay Shore, you get a bigger yard, the rooms are bigger and the taxes are not as high.&quot; 
 Joseph DeBello never thought he'd leave New York City. He grew up in Farmingdale, and his husband, Gabe Gaglio, 45,&nbsp;was raised in West Islip. Gaglio was convinced that DeBello would like the village of Babylon, if he’d just give it a chance. 
 &quot;When you live in Nassau County, you always go west,&quot;&nbsp;said DeBello, 36. &quot;You never really go east. I knew Babylon existed, but I didn’t really know what Babylon was. So we did a couple of weekend trips and I fell in love with it.&quot; 
 DeBello loved it so much that after buying a house there in 2018, he also opened two businesses in the village: Hitch, a market for handmade goods, and BesTea, a tea bar. 
 They bought their four-bedroom,&nbsp;two-bath home&nbsp;for $408,000. It’s a good fit for their sons, ages 6 and 7. 
 &quot;I wouldn’t want to live any place else,&quot;&nbsp;DeBello said, &quot;especially with raising kids now.&quot; 
<h2> The search is over </h2> 
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<blockquote> 
 Even for me personally, it’s the sense of community... [Long Island]&nbsp;is our hometown, and it's just a great place to raise a family. 
 —&nbsp;Lyndia Toro-Segarra 
</blockquote> 
 As a millennial, Lyndia Toro-Segarra of Cosmo Group Realty in Westbury said she clicks well with clients around her age. 
 &quot;I already know what they’re looking for; they just have to verbally confirm it with me,&quot;&nbsp;said Toro-Segarra, 42. &quot;And being that I'm from Bay Shore, I know the town like the back of my hand.&quot; 
 One reason that Bay Shore appeals to a younger crowd is its bustling Main Street, she said. 
 &quot;When you’re a millennial, you want to live in an area that mimics the city,&quot;&nbsp;Toro-Segarra said. &quot;In the sense of there’s always something to do and somewhere to go, without driving out too far. They gravitate toward places with a lively downtown, like Bay Shore, Islip and East Islip.&quot; 
 At the same time, when millennials move in and expenses start to add up, they want to make the most out of their living space. 
 &quot;Millennials are looking to turn their homes into their own entertainment oasis,&quot;&nbsp;said Toro-Segarra. &quot;If they don't plan on renting out their basement, they may turn it into a space where family and friends can come hang out, so they don’t have to leave. The first couple of months, the budget is kind of tight.&quot; 
 The Perrones spent days shuttling their belongings from the apartment in Holbrook to their new home in Bay Shore. Even after&nbsp;getting the help of a moving company for some of it, there were still about three carloads for Joseph to pick up, he said.&nbsp; 
 But they're settling in with gratitude,&nbsp;after a seemingly endless search for the right home. Rose is a nurse practitioner and Joseph, 41,&nbsp;is in the Air Force. They’ve been married for 16 years, and have&nbsp;spent all of that time looking for the place&nbsp;to raise their children. Her schooling and his work often delayed the house-hunting process. 
 &quot;A lot of life events had gotten in the way, and we just kind of understood what we really wanted,&quot;&nbsp;Rose Perrone said. 
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 Since her husband's work sometimes takes him out of the state,&nbsp;Perrone said being on the same page during this process was always key. 
 &quot;Thank God we know each other well,&quot;&nbsp;she said. &quot;And we know what it is that we want. At this point, compared to the beginning of the search, what we want is totally different. And the big push, too, is that our baby is coming.&quot; 
 Perrone is due to have their second child within weeks of their move-in day. But everything worked out the way it was supposed to, she said. About a year ago, the couple had looked at a different house on their street. 
 &quot;I just didn't like the house, but I really wanted to,&quot;&nbsp;she said. &quot;I loved the block. It’s a beautiful neighborhood, and it was always in the back of my mind.&quot; 
 So when the couple saw a different house in the neighborhood a year later, she recognized the street name. The asking price was $549,000 and they paid $540,000, she said. 
 If they were ever to move, it would be due to her husband's job, Perrone said. For now, they feel anchored on Long Island by family and friends.&nbsp; 
 Toro-Segarra said that’s the reason many millennials make it work to live here, no matter how challenging the house hunt can be. They want to settle in the places they grew up, especially now that many of them are working from home. 
 &quot;Even for me personally, it’s the sense of community,&quot;&nbsp;she said. &quot;During the pandemic,&nbsp;you had people coming back from New York City to Long Island, so that tells you how good of a place Long Island is to live. This is our hometown, and it's just a great place to raise a family.&quot;

HOMILL230804

Babylon, Islip, Bay Shore, Wyandanch: Why Long Island millennials are moving here

Why this Suffolk area is a hot spot for millennial homebuyers

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From Babylon to Bay Shore and beyond, why&nbsp;Long Island millennials are moving here. NewsdayTV&#39;s Rachel Weiss reports.

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Bay Shore

Babylon

Islip

Islip Terrace

Wyandanch

West Islip

South Shore vibes drawing millennials to this Suffolk hotspot

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As she prepared to list her Bellmore home for sale, Samantha Cohen hired a painter to brush creamy, yellow walls a neutral beige. She had vaulted ceilings repainted to undo damage done by years of showering and cooking. She condensed her linen collection to highlight available closet space. 
 Cohen attributes&nbsp;what happened next to her $3,000 investment in home improvements: the house sold for $825,000, far surpassing the $785,000 asking price. But there may have been a bidding war anyway. 
 In today’s market, inventory is low, and demand for homes is high. The only time Montauk builder Jason Biondo recommends investing in a new kitchen or bathroom is when the homeowner&nbsp;is planning to stay. 
 &quot;Because the market is so high right now, if your kitchen is 20 years old, it’s fine; it’s&nbsp;not going to devalue the house,&quot; Biondo said.&nbsp; 
 In the interest of selling a house , experts suggest making minimal adjustments that can influence&nbsp;a prospective buyer’s perception of the space. This means holding off on a $20,000 kitchen renovation project, and focusing instead on polishing the home’s existing details. 
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 &nbsp; 
 In looking for a new home to purchase, Cohen found herself looking for signs of upkeep. 
 &quot;There were places that we looked at that had let’s say, relatively updated kitchens and baths, but I didn’t want to touch the cabinets to even open them,&quot;&nbsp;said Cohen. Her offers on houses with &quot;potential&quot;&nbsp;were lower. 
 &nbsp;For a home seller, experts say, cleanliness should be a priority. 
 &quot;You could have the oldest house, but if it’s a clean house, you’re going to get offers on it,&quot;&nbsp;said Realtor Tricia Schreck.&nbsp; 
 Schreck, of Coldwell Banker American Homes in East Meadow, suggests putting &nbsp;resources toward cleaning, decluttering, and painting — in addition to fixing any active leaks. These tasks require labor and not much else, Schreck said, and her colleagues agree. 
 “I always say, if you do nothing else, those are the three most important things: declutter, clean, and paint,” said Beth Catrone, a Daniel Gale agent based in the Port Washington and Sands Point areas.&nbsp; 
 Compass agent Lisa Adragna, who works out of Syosset and represented Cohen, warned that dark&nbsp;colors can make rooms look smaller and may appeal less to prospective buyers. She recommended painting walls light, neutral colors like grays, beiges, and whites. If walls are already dressed in neutrals, consider touching up chipped paint.&nbsp; 
 Clear kitchen counters, Shreck said, and create a space that is clutter-free. Prospective buyers cannot see past clutter, she said.&nbsp; 
 “To me, they’re going to get the same amount – or, they’ll probably get more – than if they spent $50,000 or whatever to put a new kitchen in,” Schreck said. “You’re not guaranteed to get that back.” 
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<h2> </h2> 
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 A black halo where the bathroom tile meets the base of the toilet or tub can signal neglect to a prospective buyer, said Adragna.&nbsp; 
 “When you see that black ring, you’re obviously looking at mold, right, and you’re thinking, ‘Okay, well, if they didn’t take care of that, what else are they not taking care of as a maintenance thing?’” Adragna said. “It just kind of sets the tone for what you are to expect throughout the whole house.” 
 She suggests sellers hire someone to caulk areas like this, and cautions individuals against doing so themselves unless they are especially handy. An unprofessional caulking job can look messy, she said.&nbsp; 
 Adragna refers clients to a general contractor who rips out the old caulk, kills the mold with bleach&nbsp;and re-caulks the area in question.&nbsp; 
 “It’s so small, and so overlooked, but it’s so important,” she said.&nbsp; 
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 If there are hardwood floors underneath, Schreck and Adragna advise clients to pull up the carpet before selling. If the carpet is there to stay, consider shampooing it.&nbsp; 
 “Replacing carpet, if it’s cheap enough, is not a bad idea if it’s really, really, really beat up,” Adragna added.&nbsp; 
 She also suggests having tile floors steam cleaned. 
 “People have no idea how dirty their grout got,” Adragna said. “Sometimes when they do that steam clean on tile, you all of a sudden now have refreshed grout lines, which make it look very bright and new.” 
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<h2> </h2> 
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 The family photographs and artistic prints that bring personality to a living space may not work in a seller’s favor. Readying a house for sale – or “staging” the home – means catering to as wide an audience as possible by removing personal touches and paying attention to detail.&nbsp; 
 Catrone brings a stager to her listings for a one-hour consultation. The client has the option to hire the stager, or to take the recommendations from the hour-long session and act accordingly.&nbsp; 
 A recent client hired the stager to bring in rented furniture and spent an estimated $35,000 on improvements that included painting, lighting, and landscaping, Catrone said. But this level of investment is not necessary – or even, according to many experts, recommended – for the house to sell in today’s market. 
 “Right now, if you put a house on the market, if you price it well, it will sell and you’ll get multiple bids,” Catrone said.&nbsp; 
 A large-scale project like a kitchen renovation could take six to eight months, Catrone noted, and prolongs the selling process. She said she would rather see a seller price a home accordingly than put on a new roof, for instance.&nbsp; 
 “We have a shortage of inventory across the board,” Catrone said. “I would tell any seller who’s thinking about selling, I would encourage them to list it sooner rather than later because we definitely have a supply and demand issue.”&nbsp; 
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<h2> </h2> 
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 “Sell the product that you have,” Adragna tells sellers. “Price it accordingly.”&nbsp; 
 While minor tweaks might be worthwhile – Hauppauge-based Realty Connect realtor Andrea Hallock reminds sellers to repair handrails, check smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, take a Magic Eraser to greasy cabinets – experts say expensive alterations do not typically prove necessary or even beneficial.&nbsp; 
 “Nine out of ten buyers are going to come in and gut the whole kitchen anyway,” Adragna said of a recent client interaction. “Why spend four grand on quartz that someone’s going to throw in the garbage in three months from now?” 
 If a minor component or two could use updating and a client has the budget for it, Adragna is not against it; but if the whole house needs work, she advises clients stick to decluttering and cleaning and go to market. Prospective buyers will see potential in a clean, well-maintained house, she said.&nbsp; 
 “The truth is,” Adragna said, “any house will sell.”

HOVALUE230526

Want to put your house on the market quickly this spring? 5 fast ways.

Want to get your home on the market quickly? Here's how.

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When Christine and Tom DeCillis Blaney bid $10,000 less than asking price on a three-bedroom condo in Oceanside,&nbsp;the seller’s agent tried to get them to increase their offer. 
 Instead, “we stuck to it,” said Christine, 31, a 401(k)&nbsp;administrator. “We came to a number we felt was reasonable.” 
 They believe getting a buyer’s agent and making an offer two months ago, outside the peak spring and summer season, played a key part in snagging their spacious&nbsp;new home for $515,000. 
 “We really didn’t have to worry too much about a bidding war,” said Christine. 
 Many agents say the market, still more a seller’s dream than a buyer’s, has been buffeted by several factors, from house hunters leaving the market due to higher interest rates to empty nesters staying in their homes instead of selling. 
 Median closing prices on Long Island inched down&nbsp;in March compared to a year ago, according to the latest data from OneKey MLS. Nassau’s dropped 0.8% to $645,000, while Suffolk’s dropped 2.6% to $515,000. 
 “There are buyers getting homes today for less than asking price — it’s just not a whole lot,” said Frank DellAccio, chair of the board of managers for OneKey MLS, Long Island’s home listing service.&nbsp;Among sales last quarter, one in three homes sold for above asking price, according to data from&nbsp;Douglas Elliman and Miller Samuel.&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Five key strategies can boost the odds of snagging a home, getting a better price or&nbsp;polishing the buyer as a serious one who can close quickly, according to housing market veterans. &nbsp; 
<h2> Get a buyer's agent </h2> 
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 Many house hunters believe they’re being represented by the agent who’s been showing them properties and chitchatting about hopes and dreams for months. 
 But that’s a big misconception, DellAccio said. 
 “The buyer should have representation,” said DellAccio, broker owner of Century 21 AA Realty in Lindenhurst and Massapequa. “If you don’t have a buyer’s agent, you need to understand the agent you’re working with is working in the best interests of the seller.”&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Any agent can be a buyer’s agent by signing a buyer’s agreement with the house hunters, who can interview agents to see who they like.&nbsp; 
 Most agents are open to negotiating terms of the contract, and just like a listing agent’s contract, the agreement can cover the timing, fee, agent’s commission and conditions for ending the relationship, said Lora Cusumano, broker-owner of Melville-based Lux House Hunters. &nbsp; 
 Her agency works only with buyers, because she believes inherent conflicts of interest may arise when agents with listings also agree to be a buyer’s agent. 
 Buyer's agents have a fiduciary responsibility to house hunters. They’ll point out pros and cons, research the home’s history and provide sources of information on the neighborhood, said Cusumano, incoming president of the National Association of Exclusive Buyer Agents. A buyer’s agent would strategically “package” the buyer in the best light, including having mortgage preapproval, an attorney and home inspector ready to go, she said. 
 “I feel like I am not a salesperson,” she said. “I am a professional service. You’re going to have a person who’s going to do more research on the property, maybe do a deeper dive into the building department to find things on record and also maybe do a little digging on the sellers to see if you can come up with other ways [to get the house] besides just the prices.” 
<h2> Get a mortgage commitment </h2> 
 Over the last two years, more house hunters have gone through loan underwriting processes before signing contracts or even seeing their dream homes. &nbsp; 
 This step is usually done after a contract is signed, but agents have been driving this trend since the pandemic-fueled rush. 
 “When the prices and houses were being snapped up, they didn’t want to be caught in the middle of having a contract without a buyer being qualified,” said mortgage broker Rich Biondi of RJB Financial Consultants in Farmingdale. 
 Biondi said about half the lenders he works with will go through the underwriting process to issue buyers commitment letters, with the loan amount stated as &quot;to be determined.&quot; 
 He and several lenders say they don’t charge for preapproval upfront but an underwriting cost, which can be set from a few hundred dollars and up, would likely show up in closing fees.&nbsp; 
 More banks and lenders have noticed the trend, including Bethpage Federal Credit Union, which plans to roll out its early preapproval service this year aimed at helping borrowers. &nbsp; 
 To Embrace Home Loans, a national lender, it made sense to take documents needed for basic preapproval vetting — including credit reports, pay stubs, proof of salary and bank statements — and run them through the underwriting process, said Frank Virga, a vice president and manager of its Hauppauge branch. 
 Sellers take buyers more seriously and know they’re not window shoppers when underwriters have approved them, experts said. 
 “We’re trying to make them the diamond in the hay bale,” Virga said. 
<h2> Find motivated sellers </h2> 
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<blockquote> 
 They want the house to go to another family who's going to take care of the house the same way their family did. 
 Susan Chen, broker owner of S.A.C. Properties in Valley Stream 
</blockquote> 
 Finding motivated sellers can pay off.&nbsp;House hunters and their agents can try to find out if the seller has any terms that they need to meet and also ask whether the seller has a deadline.&nbsp; 
 Some want a quick sale to avoid carrying mortgages on old and new homes, agents said. Others might want to remain in their homes after closing to pack. 
 Christopher Reyes listed his East Meadow home in March and signed a contract for over asking price in April. In that time, about 25 families attended his three-hour open house and 36 private showings afterward. Some offers fell through; others were lowballed. 
 Before he signed the contract to move to a house he was having built in Florida, he was willing to consider a lower offer to close quicker to avoid the hassle. 
 “You got to make the house look like you don’t even live there, and I have a 9-year-old so that’s almost impossible,” said Reyes, 42, an insurance claims adjuster who works remotely. “Sometimes, I go sit in my car in the driveway with the dogs in the car.”&nbsp; 
 Emotions count, and it's not unusual for sellers to pick a buyer who may not offer the highest price but loves the house, agents said.&nbsp;Some agents said they would request to meet with the seller’s agent and the seller to make a pitch for their house hunters.&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 &quot;They want the house to go to another family who's going to take care of the house the same way their family did,&quot; said Susan Chen, broker-owner of S.A.C. Properties in Valley Stream. 
<h2> Look for older and expired listings </h2> 
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<blockquote> 
 I call or write a letter to the homeowner. Sometimes you can buy the house for a better price because you're not competing with other buyers or because the seller is saving by not paying the listing side of the commission. 
 Lora Cusumano, broker owner of Melville-based Lux House Hunters 
</blockquote> 
 “What’s wrong with the house,” DellAccio said he hears when buyers see a property languishing on the market. 
 But he and other agents said those listings are not necessarily in bad shape. They may be overpriced — especially leftovers from the low interest, high demand days. 
 Owners may be flexible on price because they don’t want to keep paying the taxes and monthly mortgage, especially if they’re already in their new homes, DellAccio said. 
 Recently expired listings could offer opportunities, Cusumano said, and agents have access to them, even though they’re gone from public real estate websites. 
 Between September and the end of April, more than 1,000 Long Island listings expired and several hundred were temporarily off the market, she said in looking at local data. 
 “I call or write a letter to the homeowner,” Cusumano said. “Sometimes you can buy the house for a better price because you're not competing with other buyers or because the seller is saving by not paying the listing side of the commission.” 
<h2> Waive the buyer's demands, not the inspection </h2> 
 Amid bidding wars, real estate agents say many house hunters waive home inspections, sometimes at the behest of agents,&nbsp;so sellers won't be saddled with demands for making expensive repairs. 
 But many agents say other bidders are willing to&nbsp;do the same, so it might not help reduce the price or get the house. 
 &quot;It's risky, especially for a first-time homebuyer or some with no experience in construction,&quot; noted Lisa Boncich, associate broker of The Toscano Realty Group in Massapequa. &quot;If I have a buyer that plans on redoing the house, I see it as more acceptable.&quot; 
 A better strategy:&nbsp;Get the inspection, but waive demands to the seller, she and other experts said.&nbsp; 
 &quot;Know what you're getting into,&quot; said Peter Elkowitz, chief executive officer of the Long Island Housing Partnership, a nonprofit that counsels first-time homebuyers. &quot;It may need $20,000 in repairs if they found something.&quot;&nbsp; 
 A line of people at a property's first open house is not always a sign of how many buyers want it, he said.&nbsp; 
 There’s been much talk about low inventory on Long Island and high demand, but housing experts acknowledge that data on the number of house hunters is not compiled. &nbsp; 
 The buyer pool may be dwindling, said Margaret Trautmann of the Locust Valley office of Compass. Many homeowners with low-interest mortgages don't want to sacrifice them for the current higher rates, she said. Others cannot afford to overpay due to higher interest rates, she said. In April, average 30-year mortgage rates rose to 6.39%, according to Freddie Mac.&nbsp;This was up from 5.11% at the same time in 2022, and 3.15% when rates hit historic lows in December 2021.&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 &quot;I don't find that the homeowners are in the driver's seat even though they think they are,&quot; she said. 
 Elkowitz said the rush to buy is partly driven by an industry in which the professionals get paid only if they sell. The 2008 real estate market collapse was preceded by agents and lenders advising house hunters to buy soon because housing prices were rising quickly, he noted. 
 Like several agents and buyers, Elkowtiz said not to lose hope.&nbsp; 
 Years ago, Elkowitz said he and his wife lost a bid but another dream house came along. “A better home will come around,” he said, and other agents agreed. He advised, “I wouldn’t rush into buying a home. It’s going to be basically one of your biggest purchases in life.”

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What can you negotiate when buying a home on Long Island?

5 ways LI homebuyers can stand out, get a better price and snag a home in this market

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At a recent open house, real estate agent MaryBeth Darcy &nbsp;noticed a dozen prospective buyers arrive unaccompanied by an agent. The scene that played out was familiar to her: when asked about their representation, one spouse would ask the other&nbsp;to pull up an email with an agent’s name.&nbsp; 
 &quot;If an agent tells you to just go to an open house and give your card, it’s a red flag,&quot; said Darcy, who works full time in real estate&nbsp;for Daniel Gale Sotheby’s International Realty. &quot;Our job is to show them properties.&quot; 
 The nuances of finding the right real estate agent are often overlooked, especially by anyone without real estate experience. But when preparing for what is likely the largest transaction of an individual's life, recognizing the green flags and avoiding red flags is critical for prospective homebuyers.&nbsp; 
 &quot;The best thing they can do is arm themselves with as much knowledge about the process,&quot; said Tricia Gleaton, vice president of the Home Ownership center of the Community Development Corporation of Long Island. &quot;The more educated an individual is, from a neutral third-party like a homebuyer education course or workshop, the more they go into those interactions prepared and fully knowledgeable of what looks good, what should be happening, what doesn’t sound like it should be happening.&quot;&nbsp; 
 From communication to friendliness, here's&nbsp;what homebuyers should look out for when working with a real estate agent: 
 &nbsp; 
<h2> Green flag: They ask the right questions&nbsp; </h2> 
 In a productive real estate agent-client relationship, the agent asks questions about preferences and objectives.&nbsp;An agent should be trying to get to know you and paying attention to what you do and do not want.&nbsp; 
 &quot;Are they taking that interest in you as an individual, to try to meet your goals?&quot; asked&nbsp;associate real estate broker Shaan Khan, of Charles Rutenberg Realty Inc.&nbsp;&quot;Because that’s really what it’s about, right? You’re hiring someone for a service. To help you reach your goal.&quot; 
<h2> Red flag: They don't know the area&nbsp; </h2> 
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 Someone who knows the community —&nbsp;and, ideally, lives there — is best equipped to answer questions about neighborhoods and businesses from an insider's perspective, rather than relying on Google.&nbsp; 
 &quot;We’re starting to see a lot of one-off Realtors listing houses in towns that they don’t know at all,&quot; Darcy said. &quot;I think we’re selling&nbsp;a lifestyle, not just a house; so you’ve got to have someone that knows that area.&quot; 
 Darcy, who is from Rockville Centre and lives in Point Lookout, said she only sells in towns she knows and focuses on her hometown.&nbsp;This tip is especially relevant&nbsp;for those who are new&nbsp;to Long Island. 
 To find out whether an agent is familiar with an area, read reviews, look for any of their sales in relevant communities, and ask questions: Do they live near the listing? Which local restaurants do they know? What else does this community have to offer? 
<h2> Green flag: They're friendly </h2> 
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 Pay attention to an agent's&nbsp; interactions with others at open houses, looking for signs that an individual is sociable and has contacts in the industry. 
 &quot;You want to see that your real estate agent is outgoing,&quot; Darcy said.&nbsp;When she takes buyers to an open house, Darcy introduces them by name to the seller’s representation. 
 If Darcy and her clients&nbsp;make&nbsp;an offer later that night, it is more likely the selling agent will remember them. 
<h2> Red flag: 'Just trust me' </h2> 
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 &quot;If somebody is not making you feel heard, somebody is not giving you the feeling that you and your concerns are important to them,&quot;&nbsp;Khan said, &nbsp;&quot;that's a huge flag.&quot; 
 And if an agent gives a &quot;Just trust me&quot;-type of response, Gleaton said, be wary.&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 &quot;Anybody who is resistant to answering questions or providing information, steering them &nbsp;into certain neighborhoods, those are the things that I think we would recognize as concern,&quot; Gleaton said.&nbsp; 
<h2> Green flag: A good communicator&nbsp; </h2> 
 &quot;You want somebody who can communicate what’s happening in the market,&quot; Khan said — someone who can &quot;give you guidance and advice on a property, the pros, the cons, the things you should be considering.&quot; 
 Khan said &quot;finding a comfortable fit&quot; means finding someone with a compatible communication style. 
 An agent who is not willing to take phone calls presents another red flag. Darcy said agents should be accessible, and that she values communication by phone — not just via&nbsp;text or email.&nbsp;&nbsp; 
<h2> Red flag: They're impatient </h2> 
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 A real estate agent should be considerate of you and your needs, and accommodate accordingly. This might mean helping a client through a language barrier, or taking extra care to explain a concept to a first-time homebuyer.&nbsp; &nbsp; 
 &quot;If somebody isn’t taking the time to explain things to you, and is rushing you, you know, that happens,&quot; Khan&nbsp;said. But if that concern is voiced and not acknowledged, that becomes a problem. 
<h2> Green flag: Someone you know recommended them </h2> 
 Just as one might ask a friend or family member to recommend an orthopedist, Darcy recommends asking for real estate agent referrals and reading reviews online.&nbsp; 
 &quot;You can’t just walk blindly into an office and say, ‘Hey, can I have a real estate agent?&quot; Darcy said. Also, the &quot;Request a Tour&quot; link on real estate listing websites may lead interested parties to a real estate&nbsp;agent who advertises with the website, not the listing agent. 
 &nbsp; 
<h2> Red flag: They don't do their homework </h2> 
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 An agent should be available to preview listings for their clients. This means visiting a listing before the buyer does, and letting the buyer know whether it meets their&nbsp;criteria.&nbsp; 
 A good agent also does their research — verifying details like taxes and property size — before visiting a property with a client,&nbsp;Darcy said.&nbsp; 
<h2> Green flag: They have a&nbsp;strong network&nbsp; </h2> 
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 &quot;The agent should have a team of people that work with them, be able to refer a mortgage person, a real estate attorney, an inspector,&quot; Darcy said.&nbsp; 
 However, Gleaton reminds prospective buyers to remember that they are the ones assembling their own team.&nbsp;A real estate agent is one member of that team and may recommend others, but the client makes the final call. 
 &quot;It’s important for individuals to know that they have choice,&quot; Gleaton said, adding that any attempt&nbsp;to limit someone’s&nbsp;freedom of choice is a red flag.&nbsp; 
<h2> Red flag: You don't trust their opinion </h2> 
 &quot;There’s a lot&nbsp;of extremely knowledgeable and professional people,&quot; Khan said. &quot;You have to be able to feel you can trust the guidance you’re being given. Otherwise it’s not going to help you.&quot;

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How do you know a real estate agent is a good fit? Look for these red and green flags.

10 red and green flags of working with a real estate agent on LI

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Matt and Michelle Porcaro had placed offers on 10&nbsp;houses. They were two years into their search, with hearts set on living near their parents in Massapequa.&nbsp; 
 But time after time, they were beaten out by cash buyers — usually builders with big renovation plans, said Matt Porcaro. 
 “Because it was so challenging to find anything, we started sending mail to people in the area,” he said. “We wanted to go right to the sellers, to see if they’d be willing to sell directly to us.” 
 Matt and Michelle, both 32,&nbsp;work as an electrical engineer and physician assistant, respectively. Together they drove around Massapequa, taking note of houses they liked. They wrote down the addresses and mailed letters to the homeowners, asking if they’d be interested in selling anytime soon. Ultimately, this is how they found their home.&nbsp;&nbsp; 
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<blockquote> 
 Because it was so challenging to find anything, we started sending mail to people in the area. We wanted to go right to the sellers, to see if they’d be willing to sell directly to us. 
 —&nbsp;Matt Porcaro 
</blockquote> 
 Millennials — anyone born between 1981 and 1996, per the Pew Research Center&nbsp;— represent about half the homebuyer market right now, said Compass real estate agent Kaitlynn McCartney. And several local agents agree that millennials, like the Porcaros, often come into the process dead-set on where they want to live. 
 Some hot spots for young buyers right now are in the eastern part of Nassau County and the western edge of Suffolk County: Farmingdale, Massapequa, Bellmore and West Babylon. Some factors that are important to millennials while house-hunting are proximity to New York City, walkability and access to nightlife, local agents said. 
 “I think it's really important for them to establish their roots in neighborhoods that have that convenience factor, as well as a social scene and some exclusivity in a way,” McCartney said. “They want to know the hottest new place to go.”&nbsp; 
<h2> Swapping city life for the suburbs </h2> 
 Elaine Patterson has been a real estate broker for more than 25 years, and has been at Douglas Elliman Real Estate since 2005. Farmingdale is a hot spot, she said, and most of her clients interested in the area are millennials. 
 Patterson has noticed that an essential factor is accessibility: Whether their house is close to major roadways and mass transit, and also walkable&nbsp;to businesses nearby. The apartments near the Long Island Rail Road station attracted plenty of millennial renters who wanted easy access to New York City, she said. 
 This generation of clientele also prefers turnkey over a fixer-upper, Patterson found. 
 “In that millennial age, they’re looking for things that are mostly done and updated,” she said. “They’re spending a lot of money on their home, and don’t want to spend a lot of money to make improvements on that home.” 
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 Schools, distance to New York City and property size are all top of mind for Christine Collins’ millennial clients at Shane’s Anchor Realty in Seaford. But, “the closer you get to the city, the less property size you have. As you get closer to Suffolk, you get more,” she said. 
 Patterson agrees, noting that while property size is the obvious difference between the counties, taxes for starter homes have actually become comparable between Nassau and Suffolk in the last decade. 
 Collins looks at millennial hot spots by zones, an industry term real estate agents use to divide regions on Long Island. In her experience, zone five — southeastern Nassau communities, including Bellmore and Massapequa — is the most sought-after region in that age bracket. She said one reason is because many of these clients work in New York City. 
 Many millennials who grew up here are coming back to the area from Brooklyn and Queens, especially due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Patterson said. 
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<blockquote> 
 In our younger days, we would have stayed in Queens. But after having kids, we wanted to venture out and find better school systems and more space. 
 —&nbsp;Renee White 
</blockquote> 
 Renee White and her husband, Jonathan, both 37, moved from Queens to North Bellmore in January 2021. Their house hunt began in 2017. The family&nbsp;had lived in Queens for about 15 years, and Jonathan is a New York City employee. 
 “The pandemic hit, and we stopped looking,” said Renee, who works for an accounting firm based in Melville,&nbsp;“which was the biggest mistake we could have made.” 
 The couple was paying $2,200 a month for their apartment in Cambria Heights, but the landlord increased their rent in 2020 to $2,320, Renee&nbsp;said. It pushed them to continue their quest for homeownership, initially focusing on houses in Lynbrook and Valley Stream. 
 Then,&nbsp;while researching school districts for their daughters, Milan and Sydney, ages 15 and 5, they discovered Bellmore and Merrick. White also found houses with larger yards as she looked farther east. 
 The couple purchased their house for $625,000 in October 2020. 
 “My husband works in Queens, and it’s still really close,” said Renee. And, as an avid traveler, being able to drive to Kennedy Airport in under a half-hour&nbsp;without traffic is a plus. 
 White said their four-bedroom house, in a cul-de-sac among other millennial residents, doesn’t feel much different from their neighborhood&nbsp;back in the city. It’s within walking distance to the supermarket, restaurants and other businesses, Renee&nbsp;said. 
 “In our younger days, we would have stayed in Queens,” said Renee. “But after having kids, we wanted to venture out and find better school systems and more space.” 
<h2> The search for a social scene </h2> 
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<blockquote> 
 A lot of [millennials] grew up in these towns... But you have to open up and look in a little bit of a larger scope, otherwise you're not going to find anything. 
 — Kaitlynn McCartney 
</blockquote> 
 “In terms of millennials that I work with, everyone wants the same neighborhoods in Nassau County,” McCartney said. “And that's Merrick, Bellmore, Wantagh, Seaford, Massapequa and Massapequa Park. It’s that straight run.” 
 As a millennial, McCartney, 30, has noticed Long Islanders in her age bracket flocking to areas with a vibrant social scene. Nunzi’s Restaurant, Croxley’s Ale House and 317 Main Street are popular spots in Farmingdale, and young adults want to move closer. 
 “I think that’s really where millennials want to be: at the center of the action,” she said. 
 On the other hand, many millennials end up settling in communities that feel familiar, Patterson noted. 
 “A lot of them grew up in these towns,” she said. “They left their families and moved west to be closer to work. But when they get married, not a lot of them move back to their hometown. It’s really interesting — they’ll look within a radius. But you have to open up and look in a little bit of a larger scope, otherwise you're not going to find anything.” 
 Andrew Shapiro and his wife, Ashley, both 33, were renting in Massapequa together before trying their luck on the buyer’s market. They both grew up in Levittown, so they started looking for their forever home around there. Andrew is CEO and founder of Tomahawk Shades, an eyewear company, while Ashley is vice president of training for Bareburger. 
<blockquote> 
 We saw 30 or 40 homes and couldn't find anything we loved. But the minute we started to look in Babylon, we instantly found something that we liked. 
 —&nbsp;Andrew Shapiro 
</blockquote> 
 “Originally we were looking at Massapequa, Seaford, Wantagh and Levittown,” Andrew&nbsp;said. “And we were just kind of looking, no expectations.” 
 But the Shapiros quickly found that for their selected price range and radius, the houses available would need a lot of renovation. So they expanded their search. 
 “We looked in Lindenhurst, and Islip was a thought,” Andrew&nbsp;said. “And it was strange because when we were looking, we saw 30 or 40 homes and couldn't find anything we loved. But the minute we started to look in Babylon, we instantly found something that we liked.” 
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 In February 2023, <a href="https://www.newsday.com/business/long-island-home-prices-february-2023-nfgfmhh7">the&nbsp;median price among closed sales</a> in Nassau was $640,000, per data from OneKey MLS.&nbsp;Meanwhile in Suffolk, the median price at that time&nbsp;was $533,500. 
 The couple bought a house in West Babylon for $550,000, and moved in&nbsp;last December. “Our backyard neighbors all have young kids, with pools and trampolines, and they’re roughly our age,” Andrew&nbsp;said. “So it’s good to see that in our area.” 
<h2> The Island’s future </h2> 
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<blockquote> 
 [Rockville Centre and Merrick] were significantly out of my budget. And Wantagh was not on my radar. 
 —&nbsp;Lauren French 
</blockquote> 
 Rakisha Johnson, a real estate agent at Fave Realty Inc.&nbsp;in New Hyde Park,&nbsp;has encouraged her clients to consider looking at houses that are farther east than their preferred radius. Last year, after lots of searching, she ended up helping a homebuyer move from Brooklyn to Medford. 
 “But people love Nassau,” said Johnson, who has lived in Baldwin for 19 years. “They really do. It's just about the convenience of it all.” 
 Johnson has been in the business for five years, and has learned to give her clients as many options as possible so they can figure out exactly what they want. 
 “I’ll just show them a lot of places,” she said. “Something they can't afford, and places that they can.” 
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 Lauren French, 33, grew up in Hempstead. After relocating to Houston for work, she made her way back to Long Island in hopes of starting a family and living near her parents. At first, she looked for houses in Rockville Centre and Merrick. 
 “Both were significantly out of my budget,” she said. “And Wantagh was not on my radar.” 
 But her real estate agent found her a three-bedroom home in Wantagh that French purchased for $505,000. The home has&nbsp;an in-ground pool, which French saw as “a nice perk” and which she rents out by the hour using the app Swimply. 
 “It allows me to collect additional funds as a homeowner,”&nbsp;said French, who works in finance. 
 As for the Porcaros, they purchased their ranch-style East Massapequa home&nbsp;from its original owner for $615,000 last June. The place needs some work, Porcaro said, but he is up for the job. 
 “We took out a HomeStyle Renovation loan,” he said, referring to a program through Fannie Mae, “which allows you to purchase a property and wrap the renovation budget into your mortgage. So we were looking for anything that could use some TLC to be able to afford it and make it our own.” 
 The couple has a 1-year-old son, Luca, and welcomed their second&nbsp;baby, Capri, last month.&nbsp;Without a doubt, they’re here to stay, Porcaro said. 
 “With Long Island, people are here for a reason,” he said. “Our entire family is here, and we’re lucky enough to have them nearby. We want this to be our forever home. As long as our family’s here, we’re going to stay here.”

HOHOTSPOTS230331

Babylon, Merrick, Farmingdale among hotspots for millennial homebuyers

Where are millennials buying homes on Long Island?

Downtowns like Farmingdale have become a popular destination for&nbsp;millennials who are in the market for a home.&nbsp;NewsdayTV&#39;s Rachel Weiss reports.

HOHOTSPOTS230331_video

Why Farmingdale is a hot spot for millennials to settle down

Farmingdale

West Babylon

Merrick

Massapequa

Massapequa Park

Bellmore

North Bellmore

Seaford

Wantagh

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James Kindall

When Debra Crookendale, a former military nurse, began searching for a home four years ago, she wanted to take advantage of a perk for her time spent in the service — a Veterans Administration loan that helps vets potentially avoid a down payment and reduce their closing costs. 
 What she found shocked her. 
 The first three banks she approached didn’t want to deal with it, she said. Several real estate agents she contacted didn’t either. Some said they had never heard of the program. 
 “A lot of people say thank you for your service,” said Crookendale, 47, who is the nurse manager of the critical care unit at St. John's Episcopal Hospital in Far Rockaway. “But when you tell them you want to use a VA loan they say, no I don’t want that.” 
 It was a similar struggle for Taylor Hommen Sawyer, 28, a Marine veteran who dealt with a hesitant bank loan officer who at one point suggested she marry her boyfriend&nbsp;to bolster her chances of approval. 
 “I thought, I’m not going to get married just because you guys think it’s a good idea,” said Hommen Sawyer,&nbsp;a special education teacher at Pierson Middle-High School in Sag Harbor. 
 William Gomez,&nbsp;a former Marine who worked on Harrier jets and had tours of duty in Iraq, Afghanistan and throughout the Middle East, spent two long years searching for a house on Long Island while getting conflicting information from banks about how a VA loan would work for him, he said. 
 &quot;I felt like they should have said, ‘Hey, this guy’s a vet; let’s help him out,' ”&nbsp;said Gomez, 37, a military clothing and textiles quality inspector for a government agency. 
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<h3> History, advantages of the loan </h3> 
 Signed into law by President Franklin Roosevelt as part of the GI bill in 1944, the program was designed to give vets a leg up in the housing market with loans that don’t necessarily require a down payment or&nbsp;mortgage insurance, have easier credit standards, and can offer lower closing costs. They proved so popular that they accounted for one-fifth of all single-family residences built between the end of WWII and 1966. 
 But getting a VA loan these days&nbsp;can be frustrating for veterans. Stories told by Crookendale and others indicate that&nbsp;although there are lending institutions that readily participate in the program, some would rather tell a veteran to “Drop and give me 50” than offer it as an option. 
 “It’s crazy,” said Milagros&nbsp;&quot;Millie&quot; Billitzer, an agent with Coldwell Banker American Homes who helped Crookendale get a VA-financed five-bedroom waterfront Colonial in Baldwin Harbor and now is helping her sell it as she and her husband plan a move to Florida. “You served your country and this is what you get?”&nbsp; 
 Veterans Affairs officials said they seldom get complaints from veterans about lending institution problems. John Bell III, the VA executive director of the Loan Guaranty Service, said VA loan closing times are competitive. “True, a VA fee panel appraiser must provide a valuation of the home, but that has been speeded up to about the same as a conventional loan,” he said.&nbsp;About 13% of loans today are VA backed, officials said. 
 Anecdotally, vets say they still encounter banks that balk at the program, try to talk them into more expensive regular loans or delay the processing until their patience runs out. 
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 For instance, Sawyer and her then-boyfriend (now husband), Vincent Sawyer, a 34-year-old former Marine who works as a&nbsp;maintenance mechanic at Plum Island,&nbsp;had their eye on a house in Shirley. But they lost their opportunity because of just such delays. 
 “They made us jump through so many hoops and it still ended up not being enough,” she said. “It was very frustrating.” 
 Crookendale didn’t anticipate the&nbsp;gauntlet she had to run when she began looking for a home. Having served as a nurse in the Army and an airman in the Navy before being discharged with a disability, she had no trouble qualifying for it. But the banks she applied to said she needed at least a 20%&nbsp;down payment. 
 “They tried to sway me the other way and not use the benefit I’m entitled to,” she said. 
 With Billitzer’s aid, she at last was connected with a cooperative lender and a seller sympathetic to veterans, buying a five-bedroom, 2&frac12;-bathroom home&nbsp;for $699,000 with a loan at 4% interest and no down payment. She and her husband, Gary Bryan,&nbsp;53, a former Navy fireman who works in computer information systems and also runs a catering service,&nbsp;have enjoyed watching&nbsp;swans swim in the canal next to their home. 
 “It’s peaceful,” Crookendale&nbsp;said. “For a vet suffering from PTSD, it’s very therapeutic to be able to look out over the water.” 
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 “Misconceptions about the program are common,” said David Goldberg, vice president of sales at&nbsp;Mid-Island Mortgage Corp., a delegated VA lender based in Westbury. One example is that the seller must pay a VA loan’s closing costs. That isn’t true, although the seller may opt to do so. Others fear it can become a headache since it requires a VA appraiser and that,&nbsp;because veterans don’t have to make a down payment, they are more likely to abandon the loan. 
 But, Goldberg said, VA appraisal requirements aren’t necessarily onerous: “We see just the opposite.” 
 He pointed out that veterans still need to meet the same loan qualifications as anyone else, but his firm encourages them to use all their VA advantages. 
 Still, traditional lenders are going to look more favorably at people who have some “skin in the game” with a down payment, he said. 
 “They feel they are going to be less inclined to walk away from that property.” 
 Paul Perrone, a broker with Realty Connect USA, agreed that applicants should at least put down some earnest money to hold a home, but as far as red tape holding things up? Not so. 
 “I did a VA loan from contract to close in 21 days,” he said, “one of the fastest non-cash closings I’ve ever had. So, it can be done.” 
<h3> A 'super cute' home purchase </h3> 
 Although disappointed after missing her first chance at a home, Hommen Sawyer,&nbsp;who did aircraft weaponry maintenance in the Marine Corps,&nbsp;was thrilled to find a “super cute” home for sale in Center Moriches that is close to shopping and the beach. With Goldberg’s guidance, she and her husband purchased it for $235,000 in 2019 with no&nbsp;down payment. They also were able to use the VA program that allows vets to refinance if rates go down. Now, they pay 2.75% in interest.&nbsp; 
 “It’s a little cottage on a half-acre on a dead-end street,” she said. “I call it our little pink house, you know, like the John Mellencamp song.” 
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 When he was house hunting, Gomez said he had a “hassle” with his first bank since it was based in Texas and didn’t understand New York prices. Eventually, he did have a happy ending after getting some initial resistance from a lender on Long Island. Most of that was simply because of a lack of information, he said. 
 “They hadn’t dealt with a lot of vets so they didn’t know how it worked,” he said. “The guy I was using was open to listening and they did everything right by me at the end of the day.” 
 Gomez and his wife, Sonia Lora-Gomez, a registered nurse, finally&nbsp;purchased a&nbsp;three-bedroom, one-bath ranch for $336,000 in Freeport in 2016 with a VA loan with a 3.25% interest rate that his bank helped him secure. They&nbsp;opted to put&nbsp;in around $58,000 for&nbsp;a down payment and fees. 
 Gomez raises chickens in his Freeport backyard, which he said helps with his PTSD. It also means he doesn’t have to buy eggs at the grocery store. 
 “My friends laughed when I told them I was going to raise chickens,” Gomez said. “They’re not laughing now.”

HOVETS230210

Trying to buy a house with a VA loan? Here's how to do it on Long Island.

Veterans face tough battles to buy houses on Long Island with VA loans

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Buying, selling a house on Long Island: Guides, resources, tools and tips

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