Real LI: Posts from our daily blog
CLINICS FOR HOMEOWNERS
Home ownership is a complicated business. These seminars and clinics coming up in 2012 offer guidance for getting your finances in order, buying a home or avoiding foreclosure.
* Foreclosure legal consultation clinics:
Nassau County Bar Association volunteer attorneys will answer foreclosure questions and provide resources for Nassau residents at these free clinics. Housing counselors, bankruptcy attorneys and representatives from Nassau/ Suffolk Law Services will be available. Call 516-747-4070 for reservations, which are required. Clinics are from 3 to 6 p.m. Jan. 9, Feb. 6, March 5, April 2, May 7 and June 11 at the NCBA headquarters at 15th and West streets in Mineola.
* First-time home buyer seminars:
Community Housing Innovations Inc., a HUD-approved housing counseling agency, is offering a series of seminars January through March for first-time home buyers. On Jan. 12, learn to assess your home ownership readiness and go over budgeting and credit topics. On Feb. 23, the topics are shopping for a home and financing a home. On March 15, the class covers maintaining a home and finances. Classes are held from 6 to 8:30 p.m. at the Brentwood campus of Suffolk Community College in the Captree Commons Building, Room C114, Crooked Hill Rd., Brentwood. Call 631-475-6390 for information. Register online at chigrants.org/li_educational_seminars.htm.
* Financial fitness classes
The nonprofit Community Development Corp. of Long Island will teach homeowners and renters how to maximize their incomes, increase their savings and reduce their debt. Course topics include "Banks and Other Financial Institutions," "Money Management and Savings," "Establishing Good Credit," "Steps to Repair Your Credit" and "Consumer Awareness." There is a $25 materials fee. Suffolk classes will be from 7 to 9 p.m. Feb. 13, 15, 27 and 29, April 5, 12, 19 and 26, June 18, 20, 25 and 27 at 2100 Middle Country Rd., Centereach. There also are day classes from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. July 16, 18 and 30 and Aug. 1. Nassau classes will be held from 7 to 9 p.m. March 7, 14, 21 and 28, April 30 and May 7, 14, and 21 at 54 W. Merrick Rd., Freeport. Register at cdcli.org/services/homeownership-center/financial-fitness-health-and-wealth or call Andre Boxwill at 631-471-1215, ext. 133.
FRESHEN UP YOUR LISTING
Has your home been on the market since before the holidays? Don't let your listing look like last year's leftovers. Follow these tips to freshen it up and stay competitive in 2012:
* Change your photos: "The exterior photos should be season-specific," says Diane Saatchi, associate broker/ senior vice president with Saunders & Associates. If your pictures have seasonal signs, such as Christmas decorations or pumpkins, replace them.
* Grieve your taxes: Has your home's value taken a hit in recent years? Prove it, and there's a shot you could get a tax reduction, says Cori Kaplan of All Island Tax Grievance in Huntington. If you've begun the grieving process, mention it in the listing.
* Schedule an open house: Give your home a good post-holiday scrub and hold an open house. Even if you've held one recently, remember that with a new year comes a new crop of potential buyers.
* Update the copy: Any improvement to your home since you listed it, from an appliance replacement to a new paint job, is worth noting in the description.
* Cut the price: If you haven't had any offers, chances are you're asking too much. "Find a number that will excite the public," advises Lynne Kleinman of Daniel Gale Sotheby's International Realty in Manhasset. "The public is educated, so they'll know if it's priced to sell." -- KRISTIN TAVEIRA
