Real Estate Blog

WEEKEND EVENTS ON STATEN ISLAND (5/1-5/5/15)

How did you spend Earth Day?  Plant any trees?  Pick up trash in your neighborhood?  Participate in forest restoration at High Rock?  Did you attend the grand opening party at Gotham Motorcycles?  (Did you think about purchasing a Harley, an Indian?)  I put the top down on the convertible and welcomed spring—nothing like fresh air!

If you never saw the play “In the Heights” on Broadway, now is your chance to catch a performance of Port Richmond High School’s production of this high energy, sweet and sentimental show on Friday, 5/1 and Saturday, 5/2 at 7.  I have attended the shows at Port Richmond for many years and have never witnessed a more enthusiastic, hard-working group of students singing, dancing, acting their hearts out to entertain the…

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WEEKEND EVENTS ON STATEN ISLAND (4/25-4/26/15)

Started working on my garden which I’m happy to say is blooming nicely. 

Have you signed up for one of the Community Gardens in your neighborhood?  Did you attend the 2015 Daffodil Festival in Faber Park or participate in the Forest Restoration at High Rock?   Did you make any new friends this week or learn a new skill? 

On Saturday, 4/25 at 1:00, come out and join Red Storm Drum & Dance Troupe in celebrating Native American Culture at the new Heritage Park, Blissenbach Marina, Richmond Terrace.  There will be plenty of traditional story telling and audience participation.  A teepee and artifacts from Staten Island will be on site.

Also on Saturday from 11-6, help celebrate Earth Day at St. George Day in Tompkinsville Park at the intersection…

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WEEKEND EVENTS ON STATEN ISLAND (4/16-4/19/15)

I continue to bellyache about potholes everywhere I drive (why aren’t they repaired/filled in?), trash dumped out of cars in front of my house and by pedestrians wherever they see fit, on the highways, local streets, vacant lots and graffiti.  Does this bother anyone else or are we becoming immune to the state of our Island?  Our elected officials, BP Oddo, Council members Ignizio, Matteo and Rose, have announced the start of a social media campaign where Islanders can share these issues in a number of ways.

• E-mail or phone.

• In the comments of the “Staten Island Spring Cleaning” post on the official’s Facebook page.

• Tweeting with the hashtag #SISpringCleaning.

Include the address and or cross street, photos or any other…

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WEEKEND EVENTS ON STATEN ISLAND (4/9-4/12/15)

Last Saturday, my grandson and I planted a number of flowers in my garden.  He made a new friend (Mr. Worm) and got his hands dirty!  He’s definitely into nature, and for that, I am grateful.  The day after Easter Sunday, tulips, daffodils and crocuses emerged brightening up the garden and the front of my house.  Have you begun getting your hands dirty?  I hope your week was blessed, restful and, if you were able to hang out with your children on Spring break, enjoyable. 

Before I go into the weekend events, I want to remind you that there are only a few more days till April 15!  If you haven’t done so yet, the New York Public Library in Staten Island is offering FREE tax preparation at the following branches:  Richmondtown--Tuesday from 11-3, St.…

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Market Updates: The Difference An Hour Makes

Today in our Market Updates series, our friends at KCM (KeepingCurrentMatters.com) have provided us with a wonderful infographic about the difference only an hour can make when talking about the housing market.

According to the graph, about 550 homes sell, the median home values go up $1.34, and prices rise approximately .0007% every hour in the United States. This only goes to show that every hour makes a huge difference when buying or selling a home!  

Thanks to our friends at KCM, for more from KCM, visit http://www.KeepingCurrentMatters.com or check out our other KCM articles here!

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WEEKEND EVENTS ON STATEN ISLAND (4/2-4/10/15)

Are you in the mood yet to get your hands into the soil and start preparing your garden?  I turned my compost and saw plenty of worms fertilizing the dirt.  If they are ready, I am, too!

Celebrate Spring by picking up your FREE fruit tree as part of the MillionTreesNYC.  Pre-register at www.nyrp.org/treegiveaways.  Upcoming dates and venues are as follows:

4/4, 10:30-12:30, at Rab’s Country Lanes, 1600 Hylan Blvd.
4/25, 11-1, at TD Bank, 1600 Forest Ave.
5/2, 9-11, at Greenbelt Conservancy, 2 Eaton Pl., Carousel For All Children, Willowbrook Park.
5/2, 1-3, at Snug Harbor Cultural Center, 1000 Richmond Terr.  

Friday, 4/3 from 2-4, the NYPD 120th Precinct Community Council is hosting an Easter Egg Hunt and Hop at Tappen Park, Bay St., Water St.,…

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WEEKEND EVENTS ON STATEN ISLAND (3/26-3/29/15)

Spring has sprung!  I actually see green in my yard, buds on the trees and the crocus has begun to show itself.  Have you started Spring cleaning?  Nope, I haven’t either!  On Saturday, 3/28 from noon – 3:00, you will have a chance to Stop ‘N’ Swap at Christ Church in New Brighton at 76 Franklin Ave.  It is sponsored by GrowNYC.org/Swap, an outreach and education program of the Department of Sanitation.  So bring your clean, reusable, portable items such as clothing, house wares, electronics, books and toys that you no longer need.  And take home something new to you, FREE.  P.S. You don’t have to bring something to take something!  How is that for a deal?  I have a few bags already packed to swap.  For further information, call 212-788-0226 or email…

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2015 MTA Toll and Fare Hikes

The MTA's 2015 toll and fare hikes are back in action and will go into effect as of today, March 22, 2015. 

The Toll and Fare Hikes

The toll to cross the Verrazano Bridge will increase from $15 to $16.

The Express Bus fare will jump from $6 to $6.50.

The Subway and Local Bus fare will change from $2.50 to $2.75, which means a single ride ticket now costs $3.

Unlimited Weekly Metro Cards will jump from $30 to $31, and Unlimited Monthly Metro Cards will spike from $112 to $116.50.

You can read the full list of approved price changes here.

The Discounts

Although some of these prices may seem outrageous, the MTA has provided residents a few options that may help us save in the long run.

Verrazano Bridge Options

1. Staten Island…

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WEEKEND EVENTS ON STATEN ISLAND (3/20-3/22/15)

I accompanied my grandson to a special St. Patrick’s Day event at the Tottenville Branch of the New York Public Library on Tuesday.  Miss Amy, one of my grandson’s favorite librarians, read a number of books that featured “green” themes.  After reading, the children sang songs and then watched as Miss Amy turned a stuffed caterpillar into a beautiful butterfly.  Each child was given a chance to open the Velcro caterpillar and observe the transformation.  They were enchanted!  Afterwards, there were arts and crafts to color, decorate with glitter, cut out and bring home.  I always have a grand time watching the children and seeing their faces light up when they participate in reading and programs. 
Did you know there are activities and programs at the New…

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SIBOR's Annual Agent Day Trade Show Article Features Dil Gillani!

Just this past Friday, March 13th, the Staten Island Advance published another article that featured our real estate broker, and SIBOR president, Dil Gillani! 

The article gave detail about the annual agent day trade show coming up this Thursday, March 19th. This year, the show is being held at the Hilton Garden Inn in Bloomfield. The awards breakfast starts at 8:30 a.m., followed by the trade show which starts at 10 a.m., and topped off with the cocktail reception which starts at 4 p.m. The breakfast is $35, but entry to the trade show is free for all SIBOR members. This years agent day will feature over 500 realtors and more than 90 vendors! 

The picture above was the one associated with the article. It's a wonderful picture of Assemblywoman…

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