With Halloween just around the corner it's time to start thinking about the best possible ways to decorate around the home to get everyone into the Halloween mood! This year, we've brought you three creative and fun ways to make your house look absolutely spook-tacular! 

 

Pumkin Luminary Halloween Jars:

With a mason jar, some tissue paper, and some pieces of black felt you can create this one of a kind jack-o-lantern that's much less intimdating and sure to last longer than a real pumpkin!

Click the photo below for a full tutorial on how to make these cute and spooky halloween friends!

Carve-By-Color Pumpkins:

If you are looking for that real pumpkin feel, this can be a fun activity to do with adults and children alike! These…

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Today in our Market Updates series we will be talking about boomerang buyers and what their recovery means for the housing market.

As seen in the infographic above provided by our friends at KCM, a boomerang buyer is defined as a former homeowner who has gone through a "short sale," "foreclosure," or "bankruptcy" in the past few years and has been saving for a downpayment in preparation of the expiration of the waiting period, in order to qualify once again for a mortgage. 

Between 2006 and 2014 over 7 million homeowners went through a short sale or foreclosure. However, in 2014 about 350,000 homes were sold to return buyers. According to the National Association of Realtors up to 1 million consumers have already restores their credit since the…

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Today in our Market Updates series, we have some interesting information about the average interest rates and mortgage payments throughout the last 4 decades and into today. 

The infographic above, provided by our friends at KCM (Keeping Current Matters) shows the difference in interest rates and mortgage payments from the 70's to today. In the 70's the average interest rate was at 8.86% with average mortgage payments costing about $1,589. In the 80's the average interest rate skyrocketed to a whopping 12.7% with average mortgage payments costing about $2,166. In the 90's interest rates lowered to a similar 70's rate at 8.12% with an average mortgage payment of $1,484. In the 2000's the interest rate lowered again to about 6.29% with average…

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In today's edition of Market Updates, we'll be using this amazing infographic from our friends at KCM (Keeping Current Matters) to discuss the benefits of hiring a real estate agent.     Whether you are buying or selling, hiring a real estate agent holds many advantages for everyone involved in the buying/selling process. They understand all the paperwork that has to be filled out, know all the tips and tricks for negotiating deals, have knowledge and experience in all aspects of real estate, know the proper values of any home, and have a clear understanding of the current market conditions. Hiring a real estate agent makes every step of buying or selling a home a simpler process. You'll have a cunning and educated person taking care of all…

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My vegetable garden did not do as well as in summers past, but my grandson and I were able to harvest some beans (we ate them immediately after picking), a few small tomatoes, a few green peppers, a bunch of hot peppers, four butternut squashes and lettuce.  Luckily for us, our neighbors have shared their long green Sri Lankan beans which have also attached itself to my Rose of Sharon so we had plenty to keep our bellies filled. Below is the last of the long green beans and tomatoes. 

Even the figs have been slow to ripen.  Now is the time to get your composting sifted and placed on top of your flower and vegetable beds and around your fruit trees.  I was told that next year my apples will be perfect if I prep the soil correctly with compost.  If you…

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The New York Times recently posted an article listing the top 10 most cost effective ways to renovate your home and get the most out of it. A costly renovation won't always mean a dramatic increase in the value of your home when you're looking to sell. These 10 cost effective renovations will increase the aesthetics in the home while bringing it up in value.

Something like adding a new wooden deck to the backyard can be a cost-effective investment with a high return in property value!

This is the NY Times top 10 Cost-Effective Renovations list:

For Apartments and Houses:


1. Refinishing hardwood floors.

2. Painting walls.

3. Replacing kitchen counter tops. 

4. Installing new kitchen appliances.

5. Replacing kitchen cabinet…

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With Halloween just around the corner the Garibaldi-Meucci Museum on Tompkins Avenue is ready to get Islanders into the spirit (in more ways than one)! This Friday October 2nd and Saturday October 3rd,  two renowned ghost hunters, Brian Cano and Chris Mancuso, will be taking all who dare on a paranormal tour of the museum and it's surroundings. They'll tell tales of previous paranormal findings on the grounds and take you on an active hunt using the latest technologies in ghost-hunting. Plus, all proceeds from the event will go towards the museum and it's programs. What better way to get into the Halloween spirit?

Call (718) 442-1608 to make your reservation today! 

Tickets are $50 in advance, $60 at the door. 

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The Grand Opening and Ribbon Cutting Ceremony of the Staten Island Museum took place on Saturday. The Museum, situated in Building A, is grand with plenty of room to meander throughout the exhibits.  The Mastodon exhibit was a hit as well as the fossils on the first floor!  I loved the art, science and history exhibits.  The Autumn Moon Festival was entertaining with music performances, martial arts demos, dragons in the midst of the audience and a fashion show by the New York Chinese Qipao Association.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Over 200 people attended the POW-MIA Recognition Day Ceremony at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Park on Sunday.  The Thomas J. Tori Chapter 421 hosted the event with membership and Honor Guard remembering POW-MIA’s…

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Did you dispose of harmful household products at the DSNY SAFE Disposal Event?  I don’t know about you, my gentle readers, but I have the best intentions when I say I’m going to do Spring Cleaning.  I clean windows, curtains and the usual a few days at a time.  I become lackadaisical when Summer arrives and hang out in my garden.  I try to have a garage sale but visit other garage sales instead. When Fall arrives, I again promise to do major cleaning.  Yesterday, I began going through drawers, closets and discarding what I have not used or needed in many years.  It felt like a burden was lifted.  As a real estate broker, I see houses being sold every day where my clients are forced to deal with a lifetime of clothes, jewelry, furniture and unwanted…

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Did you take that first step toward improving your public speaking skills at the New Day Toastmasters group?  My readers told me the Staten Island Philharmonic Winds were spectacular at Snug Harbor.  Check out the pictures that were taken at the Richmond County Fair this weekend!  It was nice to meet some of my gentle readers as well as making new friends and meeting new customers/ clients.

You still have time to experience New York City Honey Week.  This week-long festival (which began 9/8 and ends on Sunday, 9/13) is designed to educate the public on the importance of the honeybee, beekeeping and to enjoy and purchase local honey products.  The honey-producing bee population is on the decline.  Activities feting honey will take place…

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