Brooklyn Real Estate Q&A and Info

The first thing you’ll notice about Kings Village and the Old Mill Basin section of Brooklyn, is how peaceful it is.  The Kings Village Co-op is situated in the middle of a quiet residential area, with abundant trees and manicured lawns.  The co-op consists of 5 buildings between Avenue I and J.

Getting into Manhattan from Kings Village is simple. Hop on a number 46 Limited Bus which runs along Utica Avenue, and you’ll quickly find yourself at the Crown Heights/Utica Avenue Station on the number 4 Line, which is only 5 stations away from lower Manhattan.   You can also catch the number 6 Bus at Avenue H and take a 10 minute ride to the number 2 or 5 Trains.

Kings Village is affordable.  Studio apartments sell for around $115,000, 1 bedrooms for around $170,000, 2 Bedrooms for $255,00 and 3 Bedroom Apartments for only 325,000.  Here are some the other great features of the Kings Village Co-op:

1. Maintenance includes everything except electricity.
2. Newly Renovated Lobbies, hallways and elevators
3. Large windows, some have unobstructed Manhattan views.
4. Beautiful wood Floors. 
5. Private Security On Site
6. Some apartments have terraces.
7. Ample Closets.
8. Storage is available at an additional cost.
9. Parking available at an additional cost.
10. Kings Plaza, the New AVIATOR Sport Center, beaches and horseback riding, and hiking trails only minutes away. 

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If you looking to purchase an apartment that is affordable in a picturesque setting, then King Village Co-op may be what your looking for. For more information, give me a call at 917-544-2662 or Click Here.

The mortgage meltdown that we are experiencing at this time makes it all the more important for anyone thinking about purchasing a home to make sure he or she does everything possible to improve his or her credit score.  Here are seven things that you can do to increase your FICO score.

1. Pay Off As Much Debt As You Can - This is the best and quickest way to improve your credit score.
2. Pay Your Bills On Time - It may sound like a simple thing, but few things will adversely effect your credit score like having late payments.
3. If You Are Behind On Payments, Catch Up - Do everything you can to get current on all payments to your creditors and stay current.  The longer you keep paying your bills on time, the better your score will be.
4. Having Trouble Paying Bills?  Get Help - If you find that you just can’t keep up with all your bills, contact your creditors and see if you can make arrangements or contact a credit counselor.
5. Do Not Open Any New Credit Accounts - Having the ability to borrow money doesn’t effect your score, but owing a lot does.  Don’t tempt yourself.  Open new accounts only when absolutely necessary.
6. Do Not Close Old, Paid Off Accounts - Closing those accounts lowers the total credit available to you and makes the balances you do have loom larger in credit score calculations.   Also closing older accounts can shorten the length of your reported credit history and make you seem less credit-worthy.
7. Keep Track of Your Credit Score - You are allowed to get a free look at your credit report with all three credit bureaus (Experian, Equifax and TransUnion) once a year.  Any one of the three credit bureaus will calculate your FICO score for a nominal fee.  Should you find any errors, follow the credit bureau’s instructions on how to get the problem corrected as soon as possible.

These seven tips can help you increase your FICO score (remember 850 is the best and 300 is the worse), and improve your chances of getting a loan with the lowest possible interest rate.   Happy House Hunting!

According to an article posted on the New York Post Website, home sales in Brooklyn have dropped sharply compared to the same time last year.  “They’re down a staggering 43.6 percent in the last 12 months” the article states. 

The article futher adds that some of the hardest-hit neighborhoods in Brooklyn are Crown Heights, East New York and Bedford-Stuyvesant, where the number of sales dropped 53.7 percent and median prices plunged from $561,350 to $499,902.  

What does this mean for you?  If you plan on selling a property in Brooklyn it means that you’ll be getting less money then you would have a year ago.  If you’re serious about selling, putting your property up for sale at the correct price is essential.  For a comprehensive evaluation of how much your property is worth right now, fill out my Home Evaluation Form.  Its free and there’s no obligation.

If you’re planning on buying, it means a property in Brooklyn, in Crown Heights or Bedford Stuyvesant in particular, are more affordable then ever.  Its a great time to buy!  If you’re interested, use the form below to set up an appointment so we can get the ball rolling and get you into your new home.

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If you want to send potential buyers running for the hills, having offensive odors meet them at the door is a great way to do it.

I recently had an open house at a home that always smelled fine on all the other occasions that I visited it, but this particular Sunday afternoon, the house smelled like pee.  As tactfully as I could, I asked the homeowner about the “slight urine smell”.  She quickly answered that her youngest son often peed the bed, and she just didn’t have time to do laundry that weekend.  Sure enough, as I went toward her son’s bedroom, my eyes began to water.  Air freshener didn’t help, and removing the offending linen seemed to be too little too late.

Needless to say, the home was not sold that day.  First impressions in real estate sales is almost everything (pricing is more important, but that’s another blog entry), so when you’re planning to sell your home, give it a good sniff in every room (don’t forget the basement).  If you can detect any bad odors such as mold, cat or dog smells, cigarette or cigar smoke, or strong food odors like garlic, then its time to take measures to correct the problem.

Often times, a good scrubbing is all your home needs.   Soft surfaces hold odors so cleaning carpets, curtains, bed linens and other fabrics will often solve pet and food odor problems.   Cleaning (or removing) ashtrays, mopping floors and wiping down walls, in addition to cleaning all soft surfaces, will often eliminate or reduce the stale cigarette smell left behind by smoking.  However some odors require the replacement of old carpets or the priming and painting of walls to remove them.

If you want to get the best possible price for your home, preparation before every showing is essential, and part of that preparation is to eliminate any offensive odors.

If you’re looking for a place to live while you attend school at Pratt Institute’s Brooklyn Campus, or you simply love the Clinton Hill area, then Willoughby Walk Co-op Apartments is a great place for you to consider purchasing an apartment. 

Tall and majestic, this co-op has terraces that let you enjoy the great out of doors without leaving your apartment (technically), and breathtaking Manhattan views that rival any postcard.  Here is a list of the other great features that makes Willoughby Walk an ideal place to call home:

1. 100% owner occupied.
2. Only 10% down required by the co-op!
3. Large windows bring a lot of light into the apartments.
4. This is a gated community with 24-Hour Security.
5. The Co-op is Pet Friendly.  Dogs and Cats are welcome.
6. Some apartments have terraces.
7. Some apartments have picture postcard Manhattan views.
8. The Co-op has great Financials and cash reserves.
9. Brand new laundry facilities on campus.
10. Storage is available.
11. Steps away from The Pratt Institute’s Brooklyn Campus and St Josephs College.
12. Fort Greene Park, Myrtle and Dekalb Avenues are also steps away.  Both streets are lined with marvelous shops and restaurants. 

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Apartments in this co-op do not become available often, so when one does, its an event not to be missed. If you’re interested in finding out about apartments for sale at Willoughby Walk Co-ops, give me a call at 917-544-2662 or Click Here.