It's that time of year again! The Gillani Homes family has come together for our latest group photo. This picture includes all of our agents and administrative staff, and is now live on our Facebook and YouTube pages.

This photo is special to us because it has been printed on Gillani Homes magnet calendars and holiday greeting cards. We have been incurring numerous paper cuts in the process of preparing 10,000 of these bundles to be mailed!

At Gillani Homes, we truly value our clients- past, present, and future. We believe that real estate is a person-to-person business, and we are committed to maintaining these relationships over the years and especially around the holiday season.

We wish you and your loved ones a wonderful holiday. Look out…

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The Staten Island Chamber of Commerce held a reception at the Hilton Garden Inn on Friday, December 5th, for the winners of the 53rd Annual Building Awards.

The judging panel was made up of over 20 representatives from various business in the real estate industry. Categories being judged were Exterior, Interior, Craftsmanship, Natural Beauty, Interior Decorating, Green Building, Art, and Outdoor Space Design. An Award of Excellence is the highest honor by category, followed by Awards of Achievement, which signify recognition by the panel while falling just short of the standards.

 

The Chairman's Award is the absolute highest honor the committee can bestow upon one residential building and one commercial building. In the commercial division,…

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I apologize for not getting my events update to you sooner.  Last night was the West Brighton Holiday Stroll, a terrific family event featuring the Forest Ave. strip from Walbrooke Ave. to Broadway!  Businesses set up tables outside their stores/offices, greeting the Strollers, sharing food, goodies, giveaways, singing Christmas carols, sharing information, taking pictures with Santa, the Snowman, Ninja Turtles and much more.  Everyone was happy, enjoying pizza, hot soup, chicken fingers, pasta, hot chocolate, coffee, apple cider, balloons and chatting with friends and making new acquaintances along the way.  Even I got to meet Santa in front of Pastosa Ravioli!

Talk about stores and businesses--How many of you skipped Black Friday, slept in the day…

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KCM, or Keeping Current Matters, is a service which collects national real estate and housing information so that real estate agents may stay up-to-date on market trends. The responsibility now falls on us, as a brokerage, to keep all of our clients informed!

The first major reason why prospective home buyers should seize this moment is: there has been a steady rise in mortgage credit availability. Since November of 2013, banks and lenders have been more and more willing to issue mortgage credit to buyers. 

Another strong motivation to buy now is the decrease in average FICO score needed to obtain a Federal Housing Administration Purchase Loan. Currently, the average acceptable FICO credit score for obtaining an FHA Loan has dropped to 682,…

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The St. George Theatre has been a staple of North Shore entertainment for a whopping 85 years. To celebrate, the theater is hosting a series of holiday-themed events this month.

On Friday, December 5th, the theater will present Irving Berlin's classic musical "Holiday Inn" starring Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire. The viewing party begins at 7pm, and the movie will begin at 8pm. This event is free for all ages.

On Saturday, December 6th, at 8pm, a "Doo-Wop Extravaganza" will take place. The concert will feature the musical doo-wop stylings of Bobby Rydell, Charlie Thomas & The Drifters, Jay Siegal & The Tokens, and The Tymes. Tickets run from $25-$60.

From Friday, December 12th through Sunday, December 14th, the theater will present its annual…

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Gillani Homes has a brand new listing, one week on the market!


936 Clove Way, #A, Staten Island, NY 10301 -$439,900

This newly renovated, immaculate semi-attached home in the Clove Lake area was built in 1986, and has a square footage of 1,260. The house has central air and a forced-air heating system. The hardwood flooring is new, along with the furnace and vinyl siding.

 

The house is divided into multiple levels, with a split staircase connecting each. The full, finished basement contains one separate bedroom, a half bath, and another large space that could easily be a family room or den. Within the basement, there is also access to laundry hookups and a utility room.

 

A few steps up is the spacious, formal living room, and a few steps further lies the…

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Last year, hundreds of Plungers took a dip the ice cold waters of South Beach while many more watched on in support. This year marks the 8th anniversary of the Staten Island Polar Plunge, to take place Sunday, December 7th at the Vanderbilt on Father Capodanno Blvd.


[Polar Plunge 2013. Photo source: silive.com]

Participants, or "Plungers" as they're called, are asked to valiantly tread the chilly water to raise money for athletes of the New York Special Olympics. Plungers are encouraged to ask friends and family for monetary as well as moral support. Every Plunger who raises $125 will receive an official Plunge sweatshirt to bundle up in after their swim. And of course, raising more money leads to even greater prizes.


[Photo source: silive.com]

…

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Well, Thanksgiving is officially over, and that means Christmas, Christmas, Christmas! The big tree in the Staten Island Mall was lit this past week, and now it's time for Borough Hall's tree lighting festivities, one day earlier than the lighting at Rockefeller Center and much closer to home.


[Graphic source: statenislandusa.com]

The Borough Hall Christmas Tree Lighting will take place this upcoming Tuesday, December 2nd at 6:30pm in the plaza outside of the building in St. George. Bring the family, everyone is invited! There will be Christmas caroling, a visit from the North Pole, and books for children who attend.

The weather forecast for Tuesday evening looks to be clear but cold, with temperatures in the 30s. Thankfully, you'll be able to…

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A large retail development is in the works to revamp Hylan Plaza, aiming to turn New Dorp into Staten Island's new "downtown hub."


[Graphic source: kimcorealty.com]

Kimco Realty, owner of the Hylan Plaza shopping center, has posted plans for a new, multi-level complex called "The Boulevard." Development will allow for the addition of nine new buildings to the site on Hylan Blvd at Ebbits Street, while only keeping two existing buildings. Since the work is still in the conceptualization phase, a spokesperson for the company was unable to determine when construction would begin. It is not known which of the existing stores in the space will remain there.

Currently, Hylan Plaza is home to about 32 stores. "The Boulevard" will have ground-level…

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A longstanding icon of Staten Island and a resident-favorite bakery, Holtermann's is the borough's oldest family owned and operated business.


[Photo source: silive.com]

Claus Holtermann, a German immigrant and the bakery's founder, began in 1878 by going door-to-door with a basket, selling baked goods from his shop. As business grew, Claus' son, Albert, eventually built a brick storefront by hand in the 1930s. This building still stands and serves as the operation's current headquarters on Arthur Kill Rd in Great Kills.


[Photo source: silive.com]

Albert passed along the reins to his two sons, Albert and Clifford. Albert (Junior) passed away in 2002, but Clifford, 88, and his wife, Ethel, still lend their hands to the business from time to…

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