Brooklyn Real Estate For Sale

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Brick One Family For Sale Located in Brooklyn's Madison Community

Detached brick home on prime Brooklyn Street for sale, bright and sunny rooms, excellent condition with driveway and garage. Present all offers, with bank qualification. For more information, please call Charles D’Alessandro Your Brooklyn real estate agent with Fillmore Real Estate a call at 718/253-9600 ext 206 or email me at [email protected]

Charles D'Alessandro your Brooklyn real estate agent!

While we all know the economy has taken a hit on the real estate market, that doesn’t mean purchasing a Brooklyn home and putting down roots has turned into an unreachable dream. In fact, you can grasp it quite easily, and there are many benefits to doing so.

Start 2012 off right by setting new life and financial goals for yourself. If you’ve been renting and are planning to remain in Brooklyn, then it’s definitely time for you to consider buying a house. Here are some benefits you should take into account:

• You’ll build equity. If you take out a loan, you’ll be using someone else’s money to turn your property into a piggy bank and eventually make money as your Brooklyn home appreciates. Plus, when you sell down the road, you won’t have to share the proceeds — what’s not to like about making money with your bank’s money!
• You’ll receive tax breaks. The government supports purchasing homes by giving you significant tax breaks on your federal taxes. And when it comes time to sell, you won’t have to pay capital gains taxes either, until you hit a certain ceiling.
• You’ll be able to count on consistent payments year to year. If you can get a fixed-rate mortgage, you won’t need to worry about an annual increase in your housing payments. When you’re renting, you never know what your payments could be from lease to lease, which makes it hard to determine if your current residence will always be within your budget.

While the appreciation on a house you purchase now might not shoot up as fast as it did a decade ago, buying a home is still a wise long-term investment. Paying rent is no investment at all.

If you’re on the fence about the benefits of purchasing a Brooklyn home in the New Year or you’d like to see what’s available, please call Charles D’Alessandro Your Brooklyn real estate agent with Fillmore Real Estate a call at 718/253-9600 ext 206 or email me at [email protected] I’m happy to help.

What to do with those Outdated Items in your Brooklyn Home

If your Brooklyn home is starting to look like a landfill, you’re not alone. You’d like to get rid of all the old stuff you don’t use anymore, but you want to be responsible and don’t know where to take it, right?

Here are some of the most common obsolete items and ideas on what to do with them.

·        Technotrash: This is computer-related waste, VHS tapes, cassette tapes, CDs, DVDs and other obsolete accessories.  A company called GreenDisk can handle all your technotrash disposal needs by safely and securely destroying your old data, recovering reusable components, and recycling all of the rest of your accumulated technotrash.

• Old electronics: Also known as e-waste, this includes old appliances, TVs and monitors that contain valuable metals that can be recycled, along with other hazardous heavy metals that need to be handled responsibly. Many communities sponsor an E-waste Day, when everyone can bring their old appliances in for safe disposal. Some retailers have recycling programs where you can earn gift cards by trading in old electronics.
• Shoes: Don’t trash those outdated shoes or ones you just don’t wear anymore. Soles4Souls is a charity that wants all gently-worn shoes. You can find drop-off locations near your Brooklyn home. The shoes will be sent to people in need around the world.
• Old medicines: If you have medications that are past their expiration date or that you don’t want or need any longer, don’t flush them. Drugs are becoming a serious problem in water supplies and groundwater.  You can now buy a postage-paid envelope to responsibly dispose of many prescriptions and over-the-counter drugs. The Dispose My Meds program is an online resource to help you find local pharmacies that will take back expired or unwanted drugs.

Now that you know where to take your old obsolete stuff, you’re well on your way to getting your Brooklyn home clean and de-cluttered. If your next step is to get it on the market, I can help with that too! Contact me call today Charles D’Alessandro Your Brooklyn real estate agent with Fillmore Real Estate at 718/253-9600 ext 206 or email me at [email protected],

What is Private Mortgage Insurance?

Private mortgage insurance (PMI) is a term many Brooklyn home owners have heard but few understand.  Unfortunately, even more home owners have paid PMI premiums long after it was needed because they didn’t know they could cancel.

Here are answers to questions I am most frequently asked about PMI:

What is Private Mortgage Insurance (PMI)?

As its name states, PMI is insurance.  Like all insurance, it protects someone against the loss of something.  For example, car insurance protects the car owner against the loss of his car.  In this case, PMI protects lenders against the loss of their money if borrowers fail to repay their mortgage.

If you buy a house and make a down payment of less than 20%, lenders require that you pay for PMI insurance.  Let’s use an example of Jane buying a Brooklyn  home for the purchase price of $400,000.  She has $40,000 for a down payment, which is 10% of the purchase price. That means she has to pay for PMI.

What’s the cost of PMI?

PMI premiums vary depending on the mortgage insurance company you use.  Generally, they range from .5 to 1% of the amount of your home loan.  You have the option of choosing the insurance company you would like to work with, and there are many to choose from.  As with any insurance, you should shop around to find a company with which you feel comfortable.

Do all loans require PMI?

No, if you put down 20% or more of the purchase price of your Brooklyn home, you are not required to buy PMI.

I’ve made mortgage payments for 2 years why do I still need PMI?

Understanding how your loan works is very important.  The first several years of your mortgage payments go toward paying down the finance charges (interest) on your home loan.  PMI is based on the principal (the amount you actually borrowed), not including finance charges.  Because of this, it can take many years to reach the point where you’ve paid off 20% of the price of your home.

How do I know when I can stop paying for PMI?

The Homeowners Protection Act (HPA) requires lenders to inform a buyer at closing that PMI can be cancelled and at what point in the loan this will occur.  However, it is still your responsibility as the home owner to request cancellation once you qualify.  In other words, no one is going to automatically cancel your PMI when you’ve paid off 20% of the price of your home.  You must do that or you continue to pay.

What if I forget to ask to have my PMI cancelled?

If you do not ask for PMI to be cancelled, you’ll continue to pay PMI until you’ve paid off 22% of the price of your home.  Fortunately, the lender is required to automatically cancel PMI once you’ve reached the 78/22 point, which means you’ve paid off 22% and only owe 78% of the price of your home.  However, if your loan isn’t current or has more than one late payment in the past year, you still must pay for PMI.

What if I have had late mortgage payments in the past?

As long as you have had no more than two late payments in the past two years, the lender will allow you to cancel.

What if I have had more than 2 late mortgage payments?

The lender will require you to maintain PMI until your home loan reaches 77/23, at the earliest.  In some cases, the lender can require you to maintain PMI up to the halfway point in your home loan, at which time they are required by HPA to cancel.

Will I ever have to get PMI again for my Brooklyn home loan?

No.  Once PMI has reached the cancellation point and has been cancelled, the lender can’t require you to purchase additional PMI.  The only way that can change is if you refinance your current home loan.

If you’re looking for an experienced, energetic, resourceful  Brooklyn real estate agent or just have a few real estate related questions,I’m happy to help. Give me Charles D’Alessandro your Brooklyn Realtor® with Fillmore Real Estate a call at (718) 253-9600 ext.206 or email me at [email protected]

Living in New York City there is plenty of  things to do! Here is one that is absolutely free!

Shaping Up has never been this easy! Shape Up NYC offers free fitness classes every week at dozens of locations across the five boroughs.

Our free Shape Up NYC classes are taught by expert fitness instructors who know how to make fitness fun. Class offerings are varied and include aerobics, yoga, pilates and zumba. No pre-registration is required, so just find the location in your Brooklyn neighborhood and start to Shape Up today!

Getting rid of clutter in your Brooklyn homes can be a challenge for anyone.  We are overwhelmed with junk mail, paper from our children’s school, bills, magazines, trinkets, toys and clothes.  It can be difficult to sort through the mess to determine what we really need.  Even when the clutter is all sorted, new clutter seems to replace it overnight.  There are several ways that you can get rid of the mess in your home.

• Start in one room and finish it.  It can be overwhelming to try to organize a whole house.  Start in one room and go through it.  Discard things that you have not used in the last six months.  If you have not worn it or used it in that time, then you don’t need it.  Discard all broken or stained items.  You aren’t going to fix them, or you would already have done it.

• Throw things away.  Don’t set things aside to sort later, just in case you may need it.  When sorting, make a bin of items to keep and a bin of things to throw away.  Getting in the habit of discarding unneeded items can be difficult at first, but it will drastically cut down on clutter in your Brooklyn homes.

• Give things away.  Get rid of clutter and help those in need by donating items that you’re no longer using.

• Label your storage bins.  Many times clutter develops because there is no set place to put things.  For instance, in the toy room, have individual storage bins for toy cars, railroad tracks, dolls and crayons.  Each bin should be clearly labeled so that all family members can participate in putting things where they’re supposed to go.  With young children, it may be helpful to take a picture of the items that go in the bin, and tape it to the front of the container.

It’s easy to have clutter free Brooklyn homes using these organizing tips.

If your home is already organized, but you still don’t have enough room, it may be time to buy a larger home.  I can help.  Call me today at (718) 253-9600 ext.206 or email me at [email protected] for more information.

Charles D’Alessandro

[email protected]
tel 718 253-9600
fax 718 253-9573

Brooklyn Real Estate Blog The NYC Citizen Corps Council is proud to announce a new community service Youth Program

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The NYC Citizen Corps Council is proud to announce a new community service Youth Program for NYC high school students currently enrolled in grades 9 to 11. Participants will gain valuable experience in emergency preparedness and disaster response, while developing relationships with important citywide organizations and other NYC youth. Once selected, youth leaders will meet every other Tuesday evening from February to June 2010. These leaders will be trained in NYC emergency management and work on improving existing preparedness messaging for high school youth.  Youth leaders will attend hands-on training sessions with community leaders and emergency managers from organizations like the American Red Cross and NYC Office of Emergency Management, among others. They will also offer feedback about current preparedness outreach tactics and work to design a youth-oriented emergency preparedness event.  The application deadline is Friday, January 8. To download the Youth Program application or for additional information, visit www.NYC.gov/citizencorps or email [email protected].

Herman Schaffer,

MSW Director, Community

Outreach New York City Office of Emergency Management

165 Cadman Plaza East Brooklyn, NY  11201

Tel: 718-422-4821 Fax: 718-422-8451

Charles D’Alessandro

[email protected]
tel 718 253-9600
fax 718 253-9573

Brooklyn Real Estate Blog Can Your Brooklyn Home for Sale Beat the Rising Competition?

— @ WiseStamp Signature. Get it now

If a Brooklyn condo lifestyle sounds interesting to you, here are a few things to consider about living in this type of residence:

Ownership

When you purchase a Brooklyn condo, you own the space within your condo’s walls.  The actual walls are co-owned with your neighbor, as well as the common areas like the hallways; building exterior; yard and amenities such as the pool, gym, and walking trails.

Condo Association Fees

Each condo has Association fees that are in addition to the mortgage.  These fees are used for maintenance and repairs of the common areas.  The Association fees also pay for the landscaping and, usually, trash removal.

Condo Association Rules

Associations also have rules.  They have regulations about what you can do with your property, including what kind of pets, if any, are allowed.  Most Associations don’t allow making changes to the exterior of the property.  You can paint the walls inside your condominium, but can’t paint the outside.

Neighbors

So you’ve found the condominium that works for you.  The next thing to consider is what kind of neighbors you’ll have.  Disruptive and noisy neighbors can ruin even the perfect condominium.  A good thing to do is stop by the condo at different times on different days, so you can get an accurate impression of what living there is really like.  Think about looking at the Association’s board meeting minute.  They’ll list what complaints the other owners have, and by looking at those you can get the big picture of life there.

Don’t let Association fees and close neighbors scare you away from condominium life.  While purchasing a Brooklyn condo is not simpler than buying a single-family home, living in one may be.

Thinking of buying a condo?  I can help.  Call me now Charles D’Alessandro of Fillmore Real Estate at (718) 253-9600 ext 206 or email me at [email protected].

Fraser Square –  Kings Highway, between Ave. M, East 34^th & E. 35^thStreets.  The Parks Dept. is exploring design options for a fence or low wall around the park to provide a safety barrier between the occupants of the park and traffic moving along the surrounding streets. Councilman Lew Fidler has secured $320,000 for this project.