Real LI: Posts from our daily blog

PRETTY IN PINK

There's something about oceanfront homes painted in pastel colors. They're common in tourist destinations, like some of the islands, but not so much on Long Island.

That didn't stop Emily Marino from painting her oceanfront home in Lido Beach pink. Why pink? Marino -- who has listed the house with Pat McDonnell of Lido Beach Realty for $1.9 million -- says she was inspired to keep history alive by painting it the same color as the former Lido Beach hotel, which is now a non-pink condominium complex. Not to mention, "pink and the beach work well together," Marino says.

She recalls when she had the house painted in 1990. At the time, it was blue. She says a neighbor was not pleased, saying, "I have to look at it." Then, after a couple of weeks, the same neighbor said the color totally works, Marino says.

She says she and her husband, Joseph, plan to do some work on the three-bedroom, 21 / 2-bath house. "But we are going to leave it pink," she says.

POSTCARDS BRING IN A CROWD

Not all real estate stories are home-selling horrors. Last week, Peter Demidovich, an associate broker at Realty Connect USA, had not only a good turnout at an open house in South Huntington, but an accepted offer over the $399,999 asking price.

Demidovich took to his Facebook page to spread the news, saying that he thinks it was the once-tried-and-true way he marketed the three-bedroom, two-bathroom Cape that led to the deal. "I sent out 500 glossy postcards and invited the neighbors to come," he says.

About 30 people showed up. "I usually am happy with four or five couples," he says. "Any more than that, and it's a big success! Certain neighborhoods draw more attention to them, but I was blown away by this weekend's turnout." The offer came in the next day, he said.

Those who attended the open house were a mix of buyers as well as some who were scouting for family members and even an investor in search of a project. "It kind of indicates to me that people are out there, and it's not all doom and gloom," Demidovich says.