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]

Consider hiring a Brooklyn real estate agent like Charles D’Alessandro for the purchase or sale of your next home.

You’ve decided it’s time to sell your Brooklyn home. Now you’re dreading the process of hiring a Brooklyn real estate agent. Don’t worry! There are many outstanding agents available. Interview at least three agents, call a few of their clients and check their references before hiring a Brooklyn real estate agent.

To help you through this process, here are 6 key questions to ask before hiring a Brooklyn real estate agent:

1. How many homes have you sold in this area in the last year and how long did it take you to sell them?

Obviously, the more homes a real estate agent has sold, the better, and the quicker the homes sold, the better. Hiring a Brooklyn real estate agent who has sold nothing in the last six months isn’t the best idea. If they haven’t sold many Brooklyn homes, they most likely do not know how to sell in the current market.

2. How much did the Brooklyn homes you sold sell for?

Hire a Brooklyn real estate agent who has sold homes priced similar to yours. He or she will know how to determine the best price for your home. They will know how to market your home well, too.

3. Do you live and work in the Brooklyn area?

It’s important to hire an agent who thoroughly knows the Brooklyn real estate market. You want a real estate agent who knows what homes are selling for in today’s market, what buyers in your area are looking for and what’s for sale in your area right now.

4. How do you market homes online?

You want to be hiring a Brooklyn real estate agent who is comfortable using Facebook, Twitter or YouTube to market Brooklyn homes. Look at the agents’ websites to see how many photos and videos they’ve posted for other homes they’re selling.  Visit real estate websites such as Realtor.com, Yahoo Real Estate, Trulia and Zillow to see how the agent showcases homes he or she is selling. Buyers like to see pictures and videos of homes. You need an agent who will provide professional pictures and videos of homes as a regular part of his or her service.

5. How do you market homes offline?

While searching for homes online is by far the most popular way to find homes for sale these days, you don’t want to miss out on offline marketing. Hiring a Brooklyn real estate agent who markets your home with a multitude of mediums, which may include house-for-sale flyers, real estate magazines or newspapers, is smart marketing.

6. What are the most common problems that come up when selling a home and how would you handle them?

Hiring a Brooklyn real estate agent who is experienced is important. When they are experienced they will be able to tell you what to expect throughout the entire process. They will talk about the most common problems that may arise and how they can be avoided.

If you’ve decided it’s time to sell your home, then it’s time to be hiring a Brooklyn real estate agent like Charles D’Alesssandro of Fillmore Real Estate. He welcomes the opportunity of working with you to sell your home. Call (718) 253-9600 ext 206 or email [email protected] to schedule a time for an interview with Charles today. He knows Brooklyn real estate.

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.

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]

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.

As a Brooklyn real estate agent, I spend a lot of time rushing in and out of  Brooklyn homes. It’s easy for me to get caught up in the hustle-bustle of real estate transactions, and I forget to slow down to appreciate the pleasures of owning a home. So today, I want to take a moment to reflect on the home aspect of real estate.

My job (one I love) is to help people just like you find a house that suits their lives.  Once you move in, you make that house into a home.

Holiday Traditions

Your Brooklyn home is where you and your loved ones celebrate holidays and where you create and continue family traditions. Whether you deck the halls with layers of tinsel and wreaths or have the whole family over to spin Hanukkah dreidels, the spirit of the season comes from the energy of the people gathering together in your home.

Season of Family Warmth

While you’re making your famous sugar cookies or spiking your secret-recipe punch with extra holiday cheer, pause for a moment to enjoy the warmth and beauty of your Brooklyn home. My wish for you is that you live every day like it’s a holiday, being thankful and spending time with loved ones.

Happy Holidays!

May your home be filled with the joy of family and friends this holiday season. There’s truly no place like home for the holidays!

Does Your Brooklyn Home Have Curb Appeal?

As a seller preparing to sell your Brooklyn home, you may be busily emptying closets and painting walls, but don’t forget about the outside of your house. Home buying is emotional and, like many emotional reactions, it can be heavily impacted by first impressions.

Here are some suggestions on how to encourage love at first sight by increasing the curb appeal of your Brooklyn home:

Tidy up – You may be so used to seeing the crumbling stack of firewood by the garbage cans and the old paint cans by the shed that they fade into the landscape, but potential homeowners see the mess.  As you look at the outside of your house, think about what you can throw away or put out of sight. The broken swing on the tree actually takes away from the grandeur of that old oak.  An extra hint: Not everyone will enjoy the garden gnome collection as much as you do.

• Trim Everything – If the hedges under the front windows of your Brooklyn home are so unruly that they cover the windows, it’s past time to find the clippers.
• Repair the Front Walk – If you have crumbling cement or stepping stones that slide deeper into the mud with every raindrop, check into updating the front walk so that it is inviting, safe, and weed-free.
• Power-wash decks so they look fresh.
• Clean the gutters – Tiny maple trees in your gutters scream “Water damage!” to potential buyers.
• Paint – If the paint is peeling on the outside of your house, potential buyers go in wondering what the upkeep is like inside. Spend money before you put your home on the market to get a better sale price and quicker purchase. If you absolutely can’t afford to paint the whole house, consider painting the shutters and front door for a fresher look.
• Make Friends with Mulch – If your green thumb is actually brown, and your garden sports a post-apocalyptic motif, consider the wonders of mulch.  It covers up that patch under the oak where the grass won’t grow. Buy a few simple plants and mulch around them to achieve a calm canvas on which gardeners can imagine more complex plantings, while those with challenged gardening skills can envision easy maintenance.

The theme of all these tips is to create an image of your home as a place of order, calm and cleanliness; a place where prospective home buyers feel comfortable and cozy.

Whether you’re ready to sell or need more information before taking the plunge, I can help. Give 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]

Should You Rent or Buy a Brooklyn Home?

If you’re sitting in your apartment right now thinking: I wish I could paint it, but my lease doesn’t allow it, maybe it’s time to talk to a Brooklyn real estate agent about purchasing a new home.  Before you rush off to the store to look at paint samples or, more importantly, sign on the dotted line of any mortgages, consider the pros and cons of buying.

Pros

1. Financial Investment: Given the gloomy news on foreclosure rates across the country, it is easy to forget that buying Brooklyn real estate is also a means of saving and investing.  The money you pay in rent to your landlord goes to your landlord; the money you put toward a mortgage goes toward building equity in your home.
2. Pride of Ownership: By buying a home, you will be able to paint the interior walls any color, renovate to your heart’s content, put nails in the walls and know that it is truly your territory. As a homeowner, you have a level of control over your environment that renters lack.
3. Putting Down Roots: Purchasing Brooklyn real estate is a commitment to a community, akin to staking a flag in the ground.  You’re not just passing through, if you own your own home.  Most mortgages are 15 to 30 years.  Certainly, you can sell before that time is up, but with closing and moving costs and an uncertain market, the era of flipping houses for fun and profit is at a close. Buying your first home may involve considerations on other long-term decisions such as where you want to raise your children.

Cons

1. Additional Expenses: Even if the mortgage you secure on your home is less than your current rent, home ownership comes with a lot of extra bills. You may not have considered the cost of yearly real estate taxes, insurance, repairs, and maintenance.  If your water heater dies as a renter, your landlord is required to replace it.  As a homeowner, you’re looking at the time and expense of getting it replaced yourself.
2. Less Flexibility: Rental leases often include provisions for leaving before the termination of the lease.  So, if you’ve decide to accept a job offer in Paris, while you might lose some money in security deposits, you can sever your connection relatively easily. That’s not the case with a mortgage.  You are responsible for the payment on the mortgage whether you live in your home, rent it out while you’re in Paris or leave it vacant. Buying [city] real estate is a serious, long-term commitment.
3. Less Time: With most apartments, someone else is raking the leaves, shoveling the snow, mowing the lawn, and replacing that broken water heater.  As a homeowner, those duties would fall to you or someone you hire to tend to those issues.

Whether you’re ready to stop renting and buy a home or you need more information before taking the plunge, I can help. Give me a 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]

How to Sell a Haunted Brooklyn House

With Halloween right around the corner, you’re probably planning costumes, decorating for fall and maybe becoming aware of eerie home happenings that you wouldn’t normally notice. While the prospect of living in a haunted home could be scary to some, the idea of selling spooked Brooklyn real estate might be even more horrifying!

Rumored ghosts and past suspicious incidents could result in your home being moved from buyers’ purchase lists to their black lists. If you or your neighbors believe your home is haunted, take the following ghost-busting tactics into consideration before you put it on the market.

Follow the law – If you think your home is haunted, consult with a Brooklyn real estate agent to ensure you’re following the law. Every state’s legal procedures are different. You could be obligated to notify potential buyers or face legal ramifications down the road — or you may not have to utter a word.

• Squash the rumors – If you don’t think your home is haunted but others do, it falls into the category of stigmatized property, which includes all houses with perceived problems. Talk openly and lightheartedly about the rumored problems, and put an end to scary stories. Also, host a ton of open houses so buyers can experience the home’s aura for themselves.
• Seek out professional haunting help – Believe it or not, some mediums make a living from clearing houses of negative energy, ghosts or whatever you want to call the eerie feeling people get inside your home. If your Brooklyn real estate agent can tout that you’ve had your home cleansed of negative energy by professionals, you might be one step closer to a closing date.
• Reduce and be rid – You might just have to bite the bullet and reduce the price drastically. The goal is to entice an investor who isn’t planning on actually living in the home, but has other plans for it.

If the cat’s out of the bag about your home for sale being haunted, please call me at Charles D’Alessandro Your Brooklyn real estate agent with Fillmore Real Estate at 718/253-9600 ext 206 or email me at [email protected], for more ghost-busting information.

Flyers, open houses and stagnant real estate websites don’t cut it anymore. Property buyers and sellers are more technologically savvy than they’ve ever been, and they rely on social media’s instant communication forums for information, advice, suggestions and reviews to guide their decision-making processes.

Real estate agents’ roles within the industry have evolved — they’re no longer just gatekeepers.  Now, they need to be interpreters between their clients and the constant stream of social media information.

To determine if a  Brooklyn  real estate agent is socially savvy online, ask the following questions:

Strategy – Before signing a listing agreement with an agent, find out what marketing strategies he or she usually implements. Is he or she using any social media platforms to promote their properties or gather feedback from buyers?

• Following – Ask about how many people and organizations he or she reaches on a regular basis. The number of Facebook “Likes” or Twitter followers is a direct correlation to how many people could be exposed to your Brooklyn home for sale.
• Activity – Ask how often he or she updates and posts on social media sites. Having 2,000 followers means nothing if the agent isn’t active on the social media site. A constant flow of information and communication is essential to effectively promote a property. If he or she just has a stagnant Facebook page with a biography on it, that doesn’t benefit you in any way.

From sending out tweets about houses for sale to posting new listings on Facebook walls, social media platforms are one of the quickest and most targeted ways to reach potential buyers. To achieve your real estate goals, seek out a Brooklyn real estate agent who uses social media as a tool to build loyal followers and promote properties.

If you’re looking for a Brooklyn real estate agent who successfully uses social media as a marketing tool, call me at (718) 253-9600 ext 206 or email me at [email protected]