Archive for February, 2012

Take the Leap and Purchase Brooklyn Real Estate this Year

Thursday, February 23rd, 2012

Is your family starting to feel cramped in your current house, or are you ready to quit renting and start investing? With the extra day added into this leap year, you have an additional 24 hours this month to decide if you’re.

Not sure how to decide if this is the year? Whether you’re a property-purchasing pro or a first-time home buyer, take a look at the three points below to determine if you’re prepared to take the leap and invest big.

You have a sizeable down payment. Knowing what you can actually afford is half the battle. A good estimate is to triple your household income, and that will roughly be what you’ll want to spend. Whatever you’ve saved as a down payment can go on top of that or, if you’re frugal, can just be used to reduce your monthly payments. The larger the down payment you have, the smaller your mortgage payments will be, and it could possibly get you a better interest rate.

  1. You have a good real estate agent. It’s important to find a trustworthy, competent agent before you find your dream house. Take the time to thoroughly interview agents and get referrals. You’ll want to make sure you have someone who is knowledgeable about the Brooklyn real estate market to help you make one of the biggest decisions of your life.
  2. You have a brag-worthy credit score. Strike while the iron is hot! If you’ve taken the time to build up and ensure a great credit score, use your good standing to take advantage of today’s low interest rates.

If you meet all three qualifications, consider taking advantage of this month’s extra day, as well as the low interest rates and home prices, and leap into a new home. Please call Call Charles D’Alessandro of Fillmore Real Estate at (718) 253-9600 ext 206 or email me at [email protected] if you have questions concerning your credit score and down payment, or want to work with a knowledgeable Brooklyn real estate agent.

Get Your Brooklyn Home For Sale Ready for Its Close-up

Friday, February 17th, 2012

The winter season makes staging, or the concept of showing your Brooklyn home for sale  at its best, even more important.  Follow these tips to make your home irresistible:

  1. Make every surface shine: Shine bathroom fixtures, stove, refrigerator and faucets.
  2. Sweep your front porch: Sweep away all those leaves stuck in the corners.
  3. Clean, Clean, Clean: Everything from lamps and light fixtures to bulbs and baseboards.
  4. Add fresh flowers: Put them on the entry table, dining room table and anywhere else that needs a splash of color.
  5. Remove all clutter: Put it in a storage locker or a friend’s garage. Take down all your personal pictures.  Buyers want to picture their belongings in the house, not yours.
  6. Burn potpourri: Or bake something to leave out for potential buyers.
  7. Leave every light on: And every interior door open.
  8. Keep snow and ice at bay:  If your Brooklyn home is under winter conditions, be sure to keep walkways and driveways clear of snow and ice.
  9. Warm it up. Adjust the thermostat so your home is warm and inviting.

10.  Take advantage of natural light: Encourage showings during daylight hours. Have all curtains and blinds open during the day and closed at night.

11. Wash the windows: Buyers act on first impressions; the strong winter sun can reveal grime and turn away prospective buyers.

12.  Create a little atmosphere: Play music softly in the background. Tune the radio to a classical station, and turn it down so that you barely hear it in the background.

13.  Show off hardwood floors: Pull up that wall-to-wall carpeting, clean the floors, store the throw rugs and show the wood!

14.  Freshen the walls: At a minimum, clean the walls from top to bottom.  If they still look dingy, give them a fresh coat of paint.  That is the quickest and fastest way to freshen up a room.

15.  Use the rule of 3 – Three items per surface, in every room.  Make it look uncluttered and clean by doing this.

If you are ready to sell your Brooklyn home , I can help you get it on the market and sold.  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] for more information.

The Bottom is Here and It’s Time to Buy Brooklyn Real Estate

Tuesday, February 14th, 2012

The latest statistics indicate that the U.S. real estate market is at or very close to the bottom right now. And it may be  Time to Buy Brooklyn Real Estate !

On January 18, Bloomberg News reported, “Confidence Among U.S. Homebuilders Climbs to Highest Since 2007.” Bloomberg said, “The confidence measure, which increased for a fourth straight month, improved in all four regions of the U.S. This is ‘yet another indication of the gradual but steady improvement that is beginning to take hold in an increasing number of housing markets nationwide,’ Bob Nielsen, chairman of the National Association of Home Builders and a builder from Reno, Nevada, said in a statement.”

The official data on home prices might not show the recovery yet, because they are always months behind, but most other data indicates that in general the housing market has hit the bottom.

Right now, homes in America are the best value they’ve been in many generations. And right now, mortgage rates are off-the-charts low. In short, now is the time to buy Brooklyn real estate.

The reasons to buy now are incredibly basic:

Of course, there is no guarantee that this is the bottom. But with prices this low and with very few other great places to invest your money, now’s the time to seriously consider buying Brooklyn real estate. If you can buy now and hold on to it for a few years, it could be one of the lowest-risk, highest-reward investments you ever make.

If you’re still not convinced real estate is one of the best values out there right now, please give 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 will share specific numbers with you about our Brooklyn real estate market.

Brooklyn Real Estate Deal Of The Week

Tuesday, February 14th, 2012

Brooklyn Home For Sale !

Located in the beautiful

Midwood Community

Midwood spacious grand home located in the heart of Brooklyn’s Midwood community ,

House needs TLC! House sold “as is condition”. Lots of potential! Priced to sell!

For more information, Call Charles D’Alessandro your Brooklyn Realtor®

with Fillmore Real Estate today (718) 253-9600 ext 206

or e mail me at [email protected]

For private tour , and or Open House Schedule !

for these or any other Brooklyn House For Sale, priced to deal !

Brooklyn Real Estate Deal of The Week

Thursday, February 9th, 2012

Ditmas Park Professional Building

Ditmas Park Corner Property for Sale CLICK ON PICTURE FOR MORE INFORMATION

Ditmas Park Professional Building. Two family converted to dentist office with professional tenants,

corner property close to transporation. For more information, Call Charles D’Alessandro your Brooklyn Realtor®

with Fillmore Real Estate today (718) 253-9600 ext 206

or e mail me at [email protected] today for private tour and or

Open House Schedule !

for these or any other Brooklyn House For Sale, priced to deal !

Show the Love with Heart-Warming Photos of Your Brooklyn Real Estate

Thursday, February 9th, 2012

In honor of Valentine’s Day, sellers should take this month to highlight what they love best about their homes for sale. Instead of just focusing on the square footage, buyers will get the chance to see what makes your Brooklyn real estate surprisingly special. The best way to project a loving image is to let Cupid take over and shoot your home — with a camera, of course.

As a seller, you constantly hear tips about de-cluttering and depersonalizing a home that’s on the market. However, when you’re taking pictures to post online, be sure you capture the details you love most about your home, because buyers are likely to love them too. Below are a few photography tips to get you started:

Capture the heart of your home. Ensure that you get pictures of all the living spaces, from the kitchen and living room to the finished basement and backyard. Any place that a family will spend most of its time together should be highlighted.

  • Make sure you have good lighting. Photograph on a day when there is a lot of natural light coming through the windows. Also be sure to turn on all inside lights and lamps — this gives your home that cheery, glowing feeling.
  • Highlight your home’s best features. Do you love your wrap-around porch, built-in bookshelves, shaded backyard or beautiful stained glass windows?  Be sure to showcase each of those unique features in the photos of your home. You might be surprised at what catches the eye of a potential buyer.
  • Double-check your online upload. Take care to verify the online uploading of your photographs. Carefully read website parameters for picture size and captioning. This will probably be many potential buyers’ first impression of your home, so you definitely want to make it a good one!

Don’t just quickly snap pictures using your phone. Be sure to employ a little love and effort when capturing your Brooklyn real estate. Then you’ll highlight its best features and pass on that heartwarming image to potential buyers.

If you’re looking for a Brooklyn real estate agent who will photograph your home to show off its best features and market it extensively online and off, please call me, 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]

Tips for Successful Brooklyn Short Sales

Thursday, February 2nd, 2012

Short Sale  And Your Brooklyn Home

The reality of today’s real estate market means that there are many opportunities to purchase Brooklyn short sales.  While the process can still be confusing, it is increasingly common. Here are a few tips on how to make sure you leap through the extra hoops a short sale requires with ease and grace:

  • Avoid short sales with multiple mortgage lenders: Offers on Brooklyn short sales with two different lenders are at a much higher risk of being declined. The first mortgage lender will likely only allow a small percentage to go to the holder of the second mortgage – who will therefore be likely to veto a deal, on the hope that more funds would be generated in a foreclosure.
  • Check the Real Estate Agent’s Short Sale Track Record: Agents with experience in short sales are much more likely to be able to successfully navigate the system than those new to the vagaries of short sales.
  • Make Reasonable Offers: Short sales can be better deals, but they are unlikely to be magically cheap.  No matter what, the bank isn’t going to give the home away just to avoid foreclosure.  You want to put together an offer that makes the buyer and the bank happy.
  • Follow Up on the Details: With the bank involvement, there will be more negotiation and more detail.  Keep your i’s dotted and t’s crossed to make sure the process doesn’t stall.
  • Allow For Extra Time: Short sales are not a short process, so if you are truly in a hurry to close a deal, consider other options.

If you’re looking for a real estate agent with experience in Brooklyn short sales, give me a call.  I can help you navigate the system and close on your new home. You can reach me at 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]