Every week, Gillani Homes will share a featured listing right here on our blog. Each listing has its own distinct personality and features that vary from home to home. As a prospective buyer it is most important to find the right home that fits your needs and checks off all the boxes on your list. Between size, neighborhood, finishings, proximity to transportation, and more the task of finding the right home can be daunting. Luckily, here at Gillani Homes we have a diverse selection of homes for sale on Staten Island that are bound to make your search a rewarding one! 

This week's featured home is 10 Pine Terrace, located in the heart of Annadale. This home is centrally located within short walking distance to the Annadale train station allowing for an…

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A request for expressions of interest for Staten Island beachfronts was issued by by the city earlier this year. This could mean that amusement parks may be returning to the eastern shore, perhaps as early as summer 2014! Back in the early 20th century, Staten Island beaches were popular tourist destianations and featured rides and attractions on the scale of parks exisiting today, like Coney Island's Luna Park. These new additions would help restore the shore to its former glory. 

Vintage Postcard: Great Roller Boller Coaster Amusement Co., South Beach, Staten Island. Collection Milstein Division, New York Public Library

The request mentions the possibility of rides and carnival attractions at a vartiey of sites. One such site is Midland Beach,…

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Another mega project is heading to Staten Island, this time, at the Stapleton Waterfront. The mixed used development broke ground at the site of a former Navy Port. The $180 Million project is part of the city's "New Stapleton Waterfront Reviltalization" plan. In addition to housing, it will add 30,000 square feet of retail and a public waterfront esplanade.

In the wake of Hurricane Sandy, devlopers are making sure to include multiple flood-prevention measures. The structure will be surrounded by open space that will protect against flooding and shoreline corrosion. A 30,000 square foot area of tidal wetlands will be created between Canal & Water Streets. An additional storm water management system will remove pollution from the water before it can…

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Exciting news for Staten Island Residents has been annoucned today! Governor Cuomo has instated a policy that discounts the Verrazano Narrows Bridge toll for Staten Islanders. This plan has been long awaited by residents tired of coughing up the astronomical fee. The plan could be put into effect as early as April 1st. The $14 Million Dollar deal required the state Legislaute and the Metropolitan Transit Authority each paying $7 Million.

Staten Island E-Z Pass Drivers will now pay $5.50 per trip over the crossing. In addition, all commerical vehicles with E-Z Pass are eligible for a discount if they make more than 10 trips across the Verrazano per month. It is expected that local commercial drivers, rather than out of state, will benefit most from the…

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Following the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, the Bluebelt will be expanded in the Oakwood Beach area. It was announced by Senator Schumer on Thursday that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) approved the project to minimize flooding caused by storms like Sandy. 

The expansion, formally known as the Creek West Branch project, will address wetland rehabilitation and flood management in the area, which is prone to flooding. The Bluebelt is a crucial part of Staten Island's storm water management system and currently services one third of the Island. 

"The tremendous damage wrought by Hurricane Sandy to both inland and shoreline areas in Staten Island made it crystal clear that we need to enhance our flood mitigation and sewer capacity measures…

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More than 4 million Americans buy a home each year, but many offers are discarded along the way. Since the real estate market has bounced back in various regions of the country, buyers are facing considerable competition. Of course, the best way to get the home you want is to offer the most money, but there are other ways to make your bid stand out among the rest. Two top real estate agents have given some tips on how to make your offer come out on top.

The key to making your offer heard is by calming the seller's fears. Seller's main concern in the selling process is the risk of a deal falling through. It's important to have your financing in order before submitting an offer. Make sure the lender checks your credit, assets, and employment status before…

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Last night, the Gillani Homes family had the privilege of being present at a very special event honoring Assemblywoman Nicole Malliotakis. The Holy Trinity-St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church held its annual gala at the Vanderbilt at South Beach, where it lauded the assembly woman for her stellar efforts after Hurricane Sandy.

Dil Gillani Broker/Owner of Gilani Homes and his wife Jasmine raved about the evening, Dil said- " It was nice to be present at this great event organized by such hard working people to honor Nicole. She is an amazing young lady who has done so much for this community."

Rev. Proropresbyter  Nicholas P. Petrooulako said- "She had been on the streets before the storm was even over- she had literally rolled up her sleeves and gone…

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Project Hospitality, Staten Island's largest social agency, is looking for volunteers this monday to conduct a count of the homeless.

The Homeless Outreach Population Estimate, or HOPE count, aims to estimate the number of homeless living within the five boroughs. It also provides a rough figure of how many homeless are not accessing shelters or other services available. The data collected will also help the department determine the best allocation of funds. 

Volunteers are especially needed on the south and east shores of Staten Island to search for homeless who may have been displaced by Hurricane Sandy. While the homeless rate on Staten Island has not grown as much as the other boroughs, 279 new beds were filled as a result of Sandy.

To…

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Deer have been spotted all over Staten Island over the past few years. First in the more wooded areas of the South Shore near the Charleston shopping center, then down in Prince's Bay by Mount Loretto. Recently, they've  been found as far north as South Beach and even up high in Todt Hill!

The abundance of deer has been a heated debate topic among islanders. Many accidents have been caused by deer unexpectedly darting out onto the roads. Others worry about the effects overpopulation would have on the environment and the possibility of deer carried diseases spreading to humans. 

The question remains- How do we control the deer population in the most humane and efficient way? Birth control may be the answer. This idea is not without it's challenges.…

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An additional $700 Million of federal funds will be allocated to the Build It Back program which has done wonders for Staten Islander's hit hard by Hurricane Sandy. The funding comes from the 1.4 billion dollars the city was awarded for community devlopment. According to The Staten Island Advance, the breakdown is as follow- "Slightly more than $1 Billion will go towards housing- the bulk of it, $716 million, to rebuilding or repairing one to four family homes through Build it Back."

According to the city, the funds set aside for home repairs should be enough to cover damages incurred by "priority one" homeowners. The residual should cover some reimbursement to "priority two" homeowners. Even still, the city expects to see more money funded into the…

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