Real Estate with Dawn Price

The Prayer of St. Joseph to Sell your home, I believe it works. Do you?
Tell me your story in the comments section.
Here is my story:
I walked to a store in my town to purchase the St. Joseph home sale kit, when I was selling my own home in 2007. I call it my walk of St. Joseph, as I walked to the store I prayed. Then as I walked home I said the prayer that came in the box (it is below), I buried St. Joseph upside down next to the sign on the front lawn facing my house. I repeated the prayer every morning and night for about a 1 week. At the first  Open House that week I had an offer on my house. I continued to say the prayer and our home was sold  and closed in  less then 45 days from the offer.

Then when I was selling our travel trailer or as I like to call it my condo on wheels, I again turned to St. Joseph for help. I buried him next to the entrance of the camper and after about 4 months it was sold. I believe in the power of prayer and belief. Since then St. Joseph is on my shelf above my sink in the kitchen to remind me how thankful I am to be in my new home. I share my story with as many people as I can some believe some don’t.

If you are trying to sell your home and need another way to turn I suggest the prayer of St. Joseph and ask for help. If let go and believe, say the prayer and then when all is done take the statue with you to your next home it will work, as it did for me.

If you have a story to tell about selling your home with the help of St Joseph or another belief system, Please share your story.

THE PRAYER OF ST. JOSEPH

O, Saint Joseph, you who taught our Lord the carpenter’s trade, and saw to it that he was always properly housed, hear my earnest plea.
I want you to help me now as you helped your foster-child Jesus, and as you have helped many others in the matter of housing.
I wish to sell this [house/property] quickly, easily, and profitably and I implore you to grant my wish by bringing me a good buyer, one who is       eager, compliant, and honest, and by letting nothing impede the       rapid conclusion of the sale.
Dear Saint Joseph, I know you would do this for me out of the goodness of your heart and in your own good time, but my need is very great now and so I must make you hurry on my behalf.
Saint Joseph, I am going to place you in a difficult position with your head in darkness and you will suffer as our Lord suffered, until this [house/property] is sold.
Then, Saint Joseph, I will redeem you and you will receive my gratitude and a place of honour in my home.
Amen.

There is beautiful waterfront home for sale on Conscience Bay, with breath taking views and a long driveway to keep you secluded from your neighbors and the world.  This is the home of future in-laws to the Music Icon that is engaged to Jason Trawick.  The future Mr. & Mrs. Spears have been known to vacation here when on the East Coast, you can see her at the local beaches and eateries.  Next time you see her ask Britney what she loves the most about the house.

Here are a few of my favorite things about this house on 2 acres of land privately set on the water.  The entrance to this house is grand with a staircase to the bedrooms, walk one way you go into the formal living room the other to dining room or an office area. This uniquely designed house is spacious with three fireplaces one in the living room, the kitchen and the family room.

There are 5 bedrooms; the Master bedroom has a balcony that overlooks the bay, a dressing room, walk in closets, and a bathroom. It also has a back entrance to the upstairs office for those late nights working. The other three bedrooms are for the family with their own bath rooms and from the back staircase a bedroom and bathroom for mom or the housekeeper.

The kitchen is designed with 2 islands, 2 ovens, all Stainless Steel Monogram appliances and an office area to keep an eye on the children while doing homework or playing on the computer.  Plenty of room for that oversized family table, meeting the meal at the end of the day and catching up on everyone’s goings on.  The laundry room is off the kitchen with plenty of space to do all the folding in one place.

The sunroom has a view of the bay, with a wide open entrance into the kitchen.  What a great place to sit in the sun quietly reading a book and relaxing.  The deck off the dining room again overlooks the water that offers a large area to entertain.  So no one is running through your house after being in the pool a room for changing and a bathroom with a separate entrance from the yard for convenience.

This is a one of kind turnkey home located on the North Shore of Long Island among other beautiful mansions and homes, in a community with a private police force and affluent neighbors.  What a great place to live quietly or raise a family.

If you know anyone who is looking for a home on the North Shore of Long Island, I will be happy to help them view this property and others.    As always I can be reached at dawn.price@cbmoves.com  or call 516-650-2711.  Follow this link to view this property: North Shore Home

It has been a great month in Real Estate, the market is moving houses are selling people are moving.  I met a woman at a Brokers Open House I was having for one of my listings about 2 months ago. Her daughter had passed the signs and called her mom to come see the house.  I showed her around, she came back again with her husband and daughter to look again. But in the end it wasn’t the house for them.  I asked what she was really looking for, what her time frame was and why she was moving. I listened carefully to all of her answers and went to work trying to meet her criterias. After showing her a few more houses she asked to give it a break for a little while until spring and then we could start looking again.

I knew she wasn’t going to stop looking for a house, she just didn’t like what was on the market available to her. So I gave her some time like we discussed and after a month I called her. The season had been changing and I now knew what she wanted. When I called her she stated “after attending open houses she still didn’t find a home she wanted”.   I went to work with her in mind as I looked at the market to see the houses that were available and I took her out to see 3 more houses, they just weren’t right.

I kept looking and then I found it I knew this was the one, it had everything she wanted it was perfect. The landscaping was in place, the house was painted, new roof, new kitchen, tray ceilings, wood floors, central air conditioning  this was just a touch of things on her wish list.  I called her and told her we need to get in to see this immediately or it will be gone by the Open House this weekend.  We went in on a Friday, she couldn’t get out of the house fast enough to go call her husband and daughter. Within an hour she was at my office putting in an offer. 

By Sunday night there were two offers on the house after the Open House and a bidding war started. I kept thinking are we really in a recession or is the market soft like everyone is talking about?  No. People will always be buying and selling homes. They get married, have children, divorce, relocate, retire or want there dream home. Homes sell, was it like when we had a crazy boom in the market NO, but houses are selling and people are buying them.

My buyer won the war and she is now in contract on her downsized dream home.  It felt great to know I had helped her find what she was looking for.  I am now helping her sell her home she is moving from, so she will be closer to her daughter.  Amazing how just giving someone what they are asking for and listening to what they truly wanted is so important to them and me.  Not giving in to the woes of the market and the naysayers, the market is great if you just listen. I am blessed and thankful to have met this woman and that  I was able to help her as she helped me. 

The town of Old Field is part of Setauket located on the North Shore of Long Island. It is one of the most affluent communities in the state and is among the wealthiest towns in the United States.  This is a New England style village that is considered one of the best on Long Island. In 2010, the neighborhood of Old
Field was named the 25^th most expensive town in the United States.
There is a median home sale price of 1.8 million and median household income of $185.400.  To find this small upscale town it is located on the North Shore of Long Island, between Route 25A and Old Field Point Lighthouse. Many of the homes are located on the water of Conscience Bay or just across the street with water rights.
Some of  the homes are known to be occupied by Pop Icons to CEO’s of Multi-
million dollar companies. The style of homes range from Tudors to Colonials to
Contemporary homes, built between the 1920’s to 2011.

The residents enjoy that they have a village Police Department that upon request they will perform a house check when a resident is on vacation or away for long periods of time, a Post Office on Old Field Road, and most properties with at least 1 acre. This exclusive neighborhood is a beautiful place with spectacular views of the Bay and the Long Island Sound.

If you are looking for a place to raise your family, a secluded hide away to relax and unwind or you are looking to relocate for business this may be the town for you.  As a local realtor I will be able to show you
around and help you find a house you can call home on the Gold Coast. The picture of this house is for sale in Old Field, give me a call for information.
Dawn Price, 516-650-2711
www.realestatewithdawn.com or www.cbmoves.com/dawn.price

Adapt your home to help with disabilities. This is a great article on homes that are handicap ready and you can make your home handicap accessible in Newsday by Gigi Berman Aharoni. Follow the link to read the article.

http://www.newsday.com/classifieds/real-estate/adapt-your-home-to-help-with-disabilities-1.3586568

The American dream of homeownership is a very feasible aspiration for 2012. This article was written by Jonathan Slappey on January 6,2012 in Home  Buying www.quickensloans.com , I thought it would be great to share with all my readers. My favorite part of being a homeowner is the Pride in ownership.

There are many benefits of owning a home.  Yet some first-time buyers  are skeptical of purchasing with the uncertainty surrounding the housing  market.

The uncertainty many reference when speaking about the housing market  involves a specific date when home values will increase. Since no one can  pinpoint this date, the word uncertainty (when paired with the housing market)  often reveals a negative connotation.

There are some factors we can be certain about in this housing market such as  home values rebounding.  This is true; the housing market often moves in  cycles.

It’s safe to assume that many Americans harbored the same uncertainty during  the George H. W. Bush administration in the early 1990s when the national  homeownership rate fell from its previous historic high of 64.4 percent in 1980  to a low of 64.1 percent in 1991.

In the 1960s Lyndon Johnson illustrated a correlation between homeownership  and accountability by stating “owning a home can increase responsibility and  stake out a man’s place in his community…The man who owns a home has something  to be proud of and reason to protect and preserve it.”

This statement is still true more than 50 years later.  There are many  reasons to take pride in homeownership such as:

• Appreciation – Buying a home now (at the current  rates) can almost ensure your home’s appreciation in the future.  Mortgage rates are near  historic lows and home prices in many parts of the country are down.  This  is the perfect recipe for home appreciation.  Additionally, many foreclosed  homes are available for a fraction of the original cost.  This can  translate to a higher profit if you decide to sell once the market  rebounds.

• Property Tax Deductions – For income tax purposes, real  estate property taxes for a vacation home and first home are fully  deductible.  The IRS (Publication  530) provides detailed tax information for first-time buyers that may answer  many questions about what deductions homeowners are eligible for.

• Preferential Tax Treatment – If you own your home for more  than a year and receive more profit than the allowable exclusion after the sale  of your home, the profit will be considered a capital  asset.  Capital assets are given preferential tax treatment.

• Equity Building – Many factors such as credit  qualification, loan flexibility, and annual  percentage rate (APR) contribute to the final decision of what type of mortgage loan best fits your  goals.  Yet, a new trend being used by some homeowners is to actually add  money to their monthly payment to decrease the principal balance of their loans  at a much faster pace.  This trend is called equity building.  Equity  builders usually select a home loan with a lower interest rate (and a shorter  term loan such as a 15-year fixed) to help build equity faster.  This rapid  payment process allows borrowers to:

• Pay off the principal balance faster
• Lock in near-record-low interest rates
• Shorten the length of their home loan
• Own their home faster
• Pay substantially less mortgage interest

Equity building is a beneficial trend that’s becoming more and more popular  with fiscally responsible homeowners.  Also, home equity is the largest  single source of household wealth for most Americans.

• Pride – Homeownership offers many benefits to many  different types of people.  For some homeowners, playing your music as loud  as you want and painting the walls the color of your choice is a perk.  For  me, homeownership will permit me to build an NBA regulation size basketball  court on my own property.  For my coworker Joel Jarvi, home ownership may  allow him to build the indoor  slide of his dreams.  No matter who you are, homeownership is a  purchase, commitment, and journey that’s sure to bring you pride.

Furthermore, when the uncertainty surrounding the housing market fades and  the market rebounds, homeownership may in fact transform that pride to profit  through a home sale

Read more: http://www.quickenloans.com/blog/top-5-reasons-buy-home-2012#ixzz1jl72z1ap

Happy New Year! The start of 2012 brings with it a new start, a fresh outlook and revitalized hope for a recovering economy and housing market. Everyone is looking forward to the future and the light at the end of the tunnel.

2011 ended on a strong note for the real estate market. The rest of the year remained somewhat flat for most regions. In many markets, sales and prices remained fairly steady, neither depreciating nor appreciating significantly year over year when compared to 2010. That’s not necessarily bad news.

Flat means that prices and sales have stabilized in many regions. Though sharp surges in growth were nonexistent, the steep decline that the industry began to experience in 2007 has slowed significantly or has ended completely in the majority of markets. In some communities, Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage saw a rise in home sales and prices, bidding wars, and overall improvement.

Of course the real answer everyone wants to know is what will happen to real estate in 2012. Though some economists and industry watchers have various opinions, we at Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage remain positive that 2012 will continue to show improvement. Improvement may not take place at lightning speed, but remember steady always wins the race. Steady also means a healthy and balanced market.

More so now than ever, real estate remains a long term investment that can bring long term gain. With proper planning, a home purchase has historically proven to be one of the strongest investments one can make. Additionally, we purchase homes because of lifestyle changes and necessity. We all need a place to live, so despite fluctuations in the market, we at Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage know that there is value in owning real estate in 2012 and beyond.

If you want to own a home, or if you need more detailed information about selling a home in today’s market, please feel free to contact me your Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage sales professional. As your Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage sales professional  I can explain the home buying and selling process, the benefits of homeownership, and can guide you through each step of the way.

From, Joe Mamone Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage.

Should I take my home off themarket during the holidays?
This is a question that we at Coldwell Banker
Residential Brokerage are frequently asked this time of year.

Keeping a property on the marketduring the busy holiday season
may seem difficult for some home sellers. Those with young children,
an extremely demanding holiday schedule, or those with
visiting family members, could feel anxious about keeping their home sparkling
clean and available for frequent showings.

However, having your home on the market can be a prime
opportunity. There can be some real benefit for those
home sellers who brave the seasonal carolers and keep their homes on the market
during this highly festive albeit stressful time of year.

Not many realize that selling during the holidays can
be just as profitable as selling during the spring, and
it may even be a better time to feature your property. There tends to be fewer
homes on the market during the holidays which means less competition. Less
competition gives home sellers more opportunity to showcase their property.
Home sellers can also take advantage of the holiday decorations which help to
make homes look more cozy and inviting.

If you need to sell and are concerned about listing your
home during the holidays, or if your home is
already on the market and you are concerned about showings, your Coldwell
Banker Residential Brokerage sales professional can work with you to determine
a schedule and marketing plan that is most beneficial to you. Additionally your
sales professional will ensure that your property is properly priced for the
market. Don’t forget that while there may be fewer buyers in the market during
the holidays, the buyers that are in the market are serious and driven to find
their perfect home.

Your Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage
real estate professional will analyze a graph similar to the one here
that shows comparables in your market, inventory levels and price points in the
area that could impact your success. From all of us at Coldwell Banker
Residential Brokerage, please have a joyous, safe, and festive season.

*This article is from the Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage Newsletter. I thought it
would be of interest to share.

What qualifies a home to be considered handicapped
accessible, to the people with special needs?
I have been in a lot of homes as a Realtor, many say handicap accessible
maybe it is a ranch or a back door entrance that is ground level. Well that is
great if it is a temporary disability with short term needs or if you have some
reason you can’t do stairs anymore. But, what about someone that is in a wheel
chair permanently that is able to function doing things we all do such as;
cooking, entertaining, using a shower by them self (we will leave out cleaning,
no one likes that). Is a house that has a ground entrance really a handicap accessible
home?

I have been in a home that meets the needs of a woman that
has been in a wheelchair for approximately the past 17 years, before that she
was a dancer, mother, wife, and a member of the community that gave to others.
The only difference now is that she doesn’t dance, her life has some challenges
and special needs but she is an amazing woman that handles a lot of the
household chores, is still a wife and mother and gives back to the community
offering her time and talent to the church youth program putting on plays and
programs.

Her home is designed for her needs yes it is a ranch, but it
is so much more it has been re-designed for all her needs from the floors,
bathrooms, hallways, doorways, kitchen, utility room, bedroom with an exercise
tool hanging on the wall.  It has been
designed with her needs in mind and also the other members of the family so it
allows them to use the house and mainly the kitchen without any inconvenience
to them. There are two bathrooms so only one had to be re-designed as handicapped
accessible.

To make a home handicapped accessible there are a few things
you need to do to make it easier to get around.
The floors should be wood or a tile, which makes it easier for the chair
to move. The doorway openings should be 32” minimum 36” is optimal. The best to
get through the hall ways is with a minimum width of 48” making it easier to maneuver
a chair through the door. This is just the basics, most important is the
bathroom.

Wheelchairs need to be able to maneuver within the
bathroom and turn if possible. Access to the shower area is necessary, or the
ability to enter the bath from the wheelchair. Wheelchair users also need to be
able to be able to line their wheelchair up so they can transfer to the toilet
from the wheelchair and this should be considered in the bathroom design.

Shower stall drainage in the bathroom should be
considered if there is flat floor or lip to the stall, so the water can drain
properly keeping the floor from flooding.  There should be safety bars installed in the
shower, the shower heads and knobs should be at the height of a person sitting
down able to reach and those without special needs.

The kitchen can be redesigned with removal of the
cabinets under the sink so a wheel chair can get close enough to the sink or
the range top. Even placing a microwave in a lower level can make it more
accessible. The oven should have enough room on the side to open the door and
counter top to place items taken out.  The
kitchen is a place that doesn’t always have to be re-designed depending on the users’
needs, not everyone wants to cook or does the cooking. So the time and money on
renovations may be better spent elsewhere in setting up the needs of the
household.

Most important is being able to get into the house and
if it has steps you will need to put in a ramp with an increase in the incline
should be between 3 and 6 degrees depending on the type of wheelchair if it is
designed for manual or motorized. There should be antiskid matting every 12
inches to help on rainy and snowy days.

Not every house that says handicapped accessible
actually is, sometimes it is just a door to enter that is ground level. Which,
is the best type of house to start with to make the renovations needed to
become a handicap capable home.

PRESS RELEASE – FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

DATE: November 19, 2011

CONTACT: Dawn Price, 516-650-2711

dawn.price@cbmoves.com www.cbmoves.com/dawn.price

LOCAL PROFESSIONAL EARNS ACCREDITED STAGING PROFESSIONAL® (ASP®) DESIGNATION

The softening Real Estate market is increasing homeowner demands for tools to help bring a profit in the sale of their homes. ASP Home Staging has become one such tool. By properly cleaning, decluttering and preparing a house before it is listed on the market, homeowners have a better chance of selling their home at or above list price. In a recent study conducted by Stagedhomes.com, of over 1000 homes, (55% Vacant, 45% occupied) across the United States and Canada, showed that homes that were prepared for sale by an Accredited Staging Professional (ASP®) were on the market 80% less time before selling than non ASP Staged Homes. And the average ASP Staged Home sold for more dollars depending upon the market, price range of the house and the neighborhood. Averages ran from 7.9 %more dollars to over 25% or more than non ASP Staged Homes. Dawn Price and Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage is now serving the Long Island area as an Accredited Staging Professional (ASP®). Dawn is among the network of more than 21,000Real Estate Agents and professional Home Stagers worldwide, who are providingsellers with the knowledge and tools they need to sell their homes faster and/or for more money. Dawn has completed the Accredited Staging Professional Course provided by StagedHomes.com, where she received hands-oninstruction and was required to and demonstrated techniques by Staging a home that was listed on the market. The Accredited Staging Professional Course was created by Barb Schwarz, the Creator of Home Staging®, President and CEO of Stagedhomes.com and the International Association of Home Staging Professionals®. Barb developed the concept of Home Staging in the early 1970’s and has since educated more than one-million people on the subject. She is a nationally known and award-winning speaker, author and trainer and has been featured on ABC’s Good MorningAmerica and 20/20, NBC’s The Today Show, PBS, The CBS Evening News, Fox News, as well as many local news programs. To have your property ASP® Staged please contact Dawn Price at 516-650-2711 or dawn.price@cbmoves.com.