Michael Costa Homes Blog

Then there were two!

2008-01-08T21:09:00.000-08:00

Kai and I, fresh off of banner years, are remaining partners! We complement each other so well, we know that 2008 will be even better than 2007!
Luz has decided to give it a go by herself, and is no longer with us. We wish her well!

2007-12-15T20:27:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas!!!
Happy Holidays!!!
Happy New Year!!!

Have yourself a snowball fight on me!!!
http://www.elfmovie.com/swf/snowball_fight/index.html

2007-10-15T21:05:00.000-07:00

The 10 Most Deadly Mistakes You
Can Make When Selling Your Home

When you are getting ready to put your property on the market, there is a myriad of things to think about, to prepare for and to organize. Here is a short list of some of the pitfalls to watch out for.

Deadly Mistake Number # 1
Incorrectly Pricing Your Home

Every seller wants to net as much money as possible when selling their home. Unfortunately, a listing price that is too high often gets the seller less than a listing priced at market value. If your house is not priced competitively, people looking in your price range will reject your house in favor of other larger homes for the same price.

At the same time, the people who should be looking at your house will not see it because it is priced over their heads. Overpricing usually increases the time on the market and that adds to the seller's carrying costs. Ultimately, many overpriced properties sell below market value.

Once you understand the principles of pricing your home, you will know how to sell your house for the best price. To help you avoid costly mistakes related to pricing your home… just call our office at 516-647-2919 and we will deliver to you a FREE Market Evaluation of your home.

Deadly Mistake Number # 2
Failing to "Showcase" your home

Buyers are looking for homes, not houses, and they buy the home in which they would like to live. They buy emotionally and then back up that emotional decision logically.

Owners who fail to make necessary repairs and don't spruce up the house inside and out, touch up the paint and landscaping and keep it neat and clean, chase buyers away as rapidly as Realtors can bring them.

If you were selling a car, you would wash it or perhaps even detail it to get the highest price and sell it quickly. Houses are no different. Call us at 516-647-2919 for FREE information on how to get your property ready for sale.

Deadly Mistake Number # 3
Staying at home during a showing

As we mentioned above, buying a house is an emotional decision. People like to "try on" a house and see if it is comfortable for them. This is difficult for buyers to do if you are present and even harder if you follow them around, pointing out every improvement you have made.

It will probably have the opposite effect you want. They may feel uncomfortable because they are intruding on your private space rather than making them feel at home. The best strategy is to leave the house when a prospective buyer is scheduled. Even a good Realtor knows that he won't "sell" the house - the house must sell itself. Once you have prepared your house for showing, let your house do its job.

Deadly Mistake Number # 4
Mistaking "Lookers" for Buyers

Folks who try to sell their home themselves always get more activity than houses listed with an agent... no question about it. Realtors will only bring qualified buyers and these will be fewer than if you open your front door to everyone who walks down the street.

Fully 96% of the responses you receive on ads and open houses are not bona fide buyers (these statistics come from the National Association of Realtors). Seventy percent (70%) have a house to sell first, 18% live in the neighborhood and are interested in the value of their home and 8% are just looking for decorating ideas or shopping.

That means that only 4 calls out of 100 are buyers that are ready and able to buy a home. These 4 prospects will look at an average of 18-23 homes before they buy.

Agents pre-qualify buyers before bringing them to your home. An agent does not get paid unless he or she helps someone buy a home. This makes it unproductive for a Realtor to show properties to unqualified prospects.

A Realtor will ask a buyer how much he can really spend for a house, how much he has to put down, how good his credit is, how much he can pay each month, how much he will realize when he sells his present home and about two dozen other similar questions.

Unless your Realtor finds out the facts first, you must ask all these questions before the buyer crosses your threshold. If not, you may end up with a parade of Sunday afternoon shoppers with a dream of owning a home some day.

Deadly Mistake Number # 5
Not knowing your rights and obligations

Real estate law is extensive and complex. A Purchase Agreement is a legally binding contract. If improperly written, the contract can cause the sale to fall through or cost you thousands of dollars for repairs, inspections, taxes and remedies for items included or excluded in the offer. You must be certain of which repairs and closing costs you are responsible for.

You also need to know if the property can legally be sold "as is" and how deed restrictions and local zoning will affect the transaction. If there are defects in your title or your property is in conflict with local restrictions, you or your Realtor must remedy them to avoid losing money.

Deadly Mistake Number # 6
Signing a listing contract with no way out!

Many times an agent will have good intentions about marketing your house but circumstances change. There might be a death in the agent's family or the agent may decide to quit the business. In these cases where the agent couldn't or wouldn't perform, you must have the right to fire your agent. In some companies, the broker will assign your listing to someone else in the office, someone you didn't personally select. Always protect yourself by getting a guarantee of performance with the right to cancel.

If you are not 100% satisfied with the service we provide, we will cancel your listing with 24 hours notice -- "no questions asked". Call us at 516-647-2919 for a copy of this guarantee.

Deadly Mistake Number # 7
Limiting the marketing and exposure of the property

The two most obvious marketing tools, open houses and ads in the Homes Magazines, are very ineffective. Surprisingly, less that 1% of all homes sold are sold at an open house. Agents use them to attract future prospects, not to sell your house.

Advertising in newspapers and magazines sell only 3% of all homes sold. Some ads are better than others (ask about my direct marketing ads). You need to spend your advertising dollar on effective marketing. To find out what is effective, you need to understand the philosophy of advertising and then you need to test your ads. Test the publication, test the placement, test the text, test the pictures and then quantify the results into a coherent marketing strategy.

Forty percent (40%) of homes are sold through salesperson contact or firm name recognition. Twenty percent (20%) are sold through the "For Sale" sign that sits in your front yard. Eighteen percent (18%) of all houses are sold through "Direct or indirect" referrals and since most agents pay no attention to this source at all, just imagine what percentage it could be if you had a systematized plan to attract these referrals.

Call us at 516-647-2919 to find out how our guaranteed home selling system works.

Deadly Mistake Number # 8
Believing that a Bank Appraisal is the real Market Value

An appraisal is an opinion of value that is used for a particular purpose. If a lender wants to lend you money (say on a 2nd mortgage or refinance), they may be motivated to make the appraisal come in high. The appraiser may ignore foreclosure, distress sales or highly motivated sellers in order to justify a higher price.

Unfortunately, a real buyer in the real world will not ignore these properties. These properties will, in fact, be your competition. Don't make the mistake of thinking that the value you were given even 6 months ago when you refinanced is what a real buyer would pay. The value of your home must be determined by what comparable houses in your neighborhood have sold for. Look at all of the SOLDS in the area, not the houses listed, and then decide.

Deadly Mistake Number # 9
Not getting Performance Guarantees from your Realtor

Realtors don't guarantee anything. If they get your home sold, great - they get paid, but if they don't, tough luck. Thirty-three percent (33%) of all listings that are put in the Multiple Listing System DO NOT SELL!

Make sure that your Realtor has a better track record than that and make sure that he will be accountable to you if he doesn't do his job.

Call our office at 516-647-2919 for details on any of our unique “GUARANTEED” real estate services. You’ll know what you are getting from us “up front!” There will be no surprises!

Deadly Mistake Number # 10
Choosing the wrong Realtor

It is likely that you don't interview people very often but, in order to find the right Realtor you may interview several. The quality of your home selling experience is dependent upon your skill at selecting the person best qualified.

Getting experienced, competent agents with your best interests in mind generally costs the same as hiring someone who is inexperienced. Bringing that experience to bear on your transaction could mean a higher price at the negotiating table and selling in less time and with a minimum of headaches.

The sale of your home could be the most important financial transaction you will ever make. The person you select can make it a satisfying and profitable activity or a costly, terrible experience. It is your home and your money... the choice of your Realtor is up to you. Make your selection wisely.

************************************************
Let's Talk Straight

We want you to know that we only work with serious sellers. In fact, our straight forward style isn't for everyone - but it's just what the doctor ordered for most people. We sell a lot of homes. We would love to get your home sold for you and we are very interested in earning your business.

So What Do You Do NOW?

Call us now at 516-647-2919. There is no obligation and we’ll be totally straight with you. Even if you don't list with us, we guarantee it will be time well spent.

So, it's your decision on what to do from here. It's totally up to you. We will get your home sold, you just need to take action and call us! We look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,

Michael Costa
Kai Cheng
Luz Soto

P.S. Remember, all of our services are GUARANTEED to get results… this way you have absolutely nothing to lose by calling us… except more time and money!

This letter is not intended to solicit currently listed properties.

Not again!

2007-10-13T19:02:00.000-07:00

Latest news on the Weichert Front...
Kai and I were Agents of the Month again! This is second time in 3 months that we accomplished this feat! AMAZING!
Now that we have added Luz to our team, we should be doing this more consistently! Luz does most of our buyer showings, and is a pleasure to work with!

Coats 4 Kids

2007-09-26T21:45:00.000-07:00

The Neighborhood Cleaners Association kicked off its annual Coats 4 Kids campaign in Nassau County on Monday. Although I was not abke to attend due to illness, I am sure Artie Epstein from Randi's Cleaners in Mineola did a fine job. Over the next few months he will personally clean over 1000 coats, at his expense!
If anyone would like to donate coats, p-lease call me at 516-647-2919 and I will be glad to pick them up and deliver them to Artie!
Artie should be praised for the amount of time and money he personally puts into this "pet peeve" project of his!

PROCRASTINATION

2007-08-18T07:41:00.000-07:00

This was copied from Farm and Land Realtor Magazine - October, 1917!

To Buy or Not To Buy,
That is the Question

I hesitate to make a list
Of all the countless deals I missed;
Bonanzas that were in my grip---
I watched through my fingers slip;
The windfalls which
I should have bought
Were lost because I over thought.
I thought of this, I thought of that,
I could have sworn I smelled a rat,
And while I thought things over twice
Another grabbed them at the price!

It seems I always hesitate,
Then make up my mind much too late.
A very cautious man am I
And that is why I never buy.

How Nassau and Suffolk grew!
North Jersey and Staten Island too!
When others called those sprawling farms
And welcomed deals with open arms---

A corner here, ten acres there,
Compounding values year by year,
I chose to think and as I thought,
They bought the deal I should have brought.

The golden chances I had then
Are lost and will not come again
Today I cannot be enticed
For everything's so overpriced,
The deals of yesteryear are dead;
The market's soft---and so is my head.

Last night I had a fearful dream
I know I wakened with a scream;
Some Indians approached my bed---
For trinkets on the barrelhead
(In dollars worth twenty-four
And nothing less and nothing more)
They'd sell Manhattan Isle to me,
The most I'd go was twenty-three.
The redmen scowled: "Not on a bet!"
And sold to Peter Minuit.

At times a teardrop drowns my eye
For deals I had, but did not buy;
And now life's saddest words I pen---
"If only I'd invested then!"

New addition

2007-07-24T19:09:00.000-07:00

In order to serve our clients/customers better, Kai and I have added Luz Soto to our team. Luz is a hard-worker and will do showings for us, assist at Open Houses, and bring in listings for our team. We want all our clients/customers to welcome Luz, as we do. Luz also is fluent in Spanish!

First Time Buyer's

2007-07-23T08:09:00.000-07:00

FIRST TIME BUYERS:
Are you tired of paying off your landlord’s mortgage?
Are you ready to “sprout your wings” and leave mom and dad’s nest for your own? Is your apartment too small? Is a new addition coming to the family? Want to have your own backyard where you can invite friends over for a toga party or a BBQ?
Whatever your reason, if you are looking for your first home in Nassau or Western Suffolk County…you have come to the right place!
My name is Mike, and I work with a whole team of specialists that cater to you, the first time buyer! I have 2 partners, Kai and Luz, and each one has there own area of expertise. Kai is heavy into construction and can show you how to make that fixer-upper into a mansion. All you need is a little insight, which he has and will be glad to share it with you. Luz, on the other hand, is very much into decorating and design. Want to know what colors match that peach bedspread? Luz is the gal! She is also a good listener!
Besides my partners in real estate, I have developed another team to help you, the first time buyer, each and every step of the home buying transaction! From Real Estate Attorneys, to Mortgage Specialists with fantastic First Time Buyer Programs, to Interior Decorators, to Insurance People, to Home Inspectors, to Personal Trainers, to Landscape and Design Specialists…my Power Team is with you all the way to make your first home purchase a pleasant experience!
Not ready to buy yet? Have questions? Want to know how much you can afford? Give me a shout! I will steer you to the right people to answer your questions.
Before you go, make sure you sign up for my free Home Buyers e-course. Did I mention that it’s free? Also, if you are interested in attending one of our 2 hour Home Buyer Seminars, e-mail me and let me know a couple of dates that you are available, and I will try to set something up. In the past, we have had Real Estate Attorneys and Mortgage Specialists as guest speakers for these seminars.

Well, thanks for stopping by. Remember, if you are looking to purchase your first home in Nassau or Western Suffolk County, the only site you need is www.michaelcostahomes.com!

Are you looking to downsize or upsize? Don’t feel left out! My Power Team will work just as hard for you!

Looking to sell your home? My Team will handle that expertly, too! With over a 95% success rate in selling homes as opposed to the National Average of 66%, feel confident that we will sell your home! Give us a call! Sign up for my free Home Seller’s e-course, too!

STATISTICS

2007-06-28T16:04:00.000-07:00

Did you know...

There are 238 homes for sale in the Merricks (11566) ranging in price from $259K-2.15 million!
In Bellmores (11710) there are 235 homes for sale ranging in price from $319K-2.6 million!
Anybody looking to buy those in the high price range, if you are looking to adopt someone, I can be had very cheap!

Website Update

2007-06-13T11:18:00.000-07:00

My website has been updated. Right smack in the middle of my Home Page, you will find pictures that lead you to the best parts of my website. The telephone will tell you about my 24/7 Listing Hotline...the For Sale Sign will lead you to my fantastic FREE HOME SELLER'S E-Course...the house hunter picture will send you to my FREE HOME BUYER'S E-COURSE...and the FILM will take you to the absolutely best videos on homeownership you can find! Check them out! You will not be disappointed!

2007-05-23T19:55:00.000-07:00

http://i-proclaimbookstore.com/brofed.html

The above link will take you to the new novel, The Broad of Education, written by me! Comments would be appreciated! Let's get me on NY Times Best Seller List!

Home Buyers Seminar

2007-04-09T14:19:00.000-07:00

Are you looking on MLSLI and seeing homes...then when you call about them, they are under contract???

Attend our FREE HOMEBUYERS SEMINAR!

COMING SOON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Score Card

2007-03-07T21:15:00.000-08:00

Since January, Kai and I have done the following:
N. Babylon-Durhamoc St. SOLD
Massapequa Park-Beverly St. In Contract
Farmingdale-Grant St. In Contract
Hollis Hills-Peck Ave. Listing
Bellmore-Newbridge Rd. Listing and 1st accepted offer in 2 days!

Not too shabby for the Mi-Kai Combo!

Who says the market is slow?

Cell phone goodies!

2007-02-27T16:43:00.000-08:00

THINGS YOU NEVER KNEW YOUR CELL PHONE COULD DO.
There are a few things that can be done in times of grave emergencies. Your mobile phone can actually be a life saver or an emergency tool for survival. Check out the things that you can do with it:

FIRST Subject: Emergency
The Emergency Number worldwide for Mobile is 112. If you find yourself out of the coverage area of your mobile; network and there is an emergency, dial 112 and the mobile will search any existing network to establish the emergency number for you, and interestingly this number 112 can be dialed even if the keypad is locked. Try it out.

SECOND Subject: Have you locked your keys in the car?
Does your car have remote keyless entry? This may come in handy someday. Good reason to own a cell phone: If you lock your keys in the car and the spare keys are at home, call someone at home on their cell phone from your cell phone. Hold your cell phone about a foot from your car door and have the person at your home press the unlock button, holding it near the mobile phone on their end. Your car will unlock. Saves someone from having to drive your keys to you. Distance is no object. You could be hundreds of miles away, and if you can reach someone who has the other "remote" for your car, you can unlock the doors (or the trunk). Editor's Note: It works fine! We tried it out and it unlocked our car over a cell phone!"

THIRD Subject: Hidden Battery Power
Imagine your cell battery is very low. To activate, press the keys *3370# your cell will restart with this reserve and the instrument will show a 50% increase in battery. This reserve will get charged when you charge your cell next time.

FOURTH How to disable a STOLEN mobile phone?
To check your Mobile phone's serial number, key in the following digits on your phone: * # 0 6 #
A 15 digit code will appear on the screen. This number is unique to your handset. Write it down and keep it somewhere safe. When your phone gets stolen, you can phone your service provider and give them this code. They will then be able to block your handset so even if the thief changes the SIM card, your phone will be totally useless. You probably won't get your phone back, but at least you know that whoever stole it can't use/sell it either. If everybody does this, there would be no point in people stealing mobile phones.
And Finally....

FIFTH
Cell phone companies are charging us $1.00 to $1.75 or more for 411 information calls when they don't have to. Most of us do not carry a telephone directory in our vehicle, which makes this situation even more of a problem. When you need to use the 411 information option, simply dial: (800) FREE 411, or (800) 373-3411 without incurring any charge at all. Program this into your cell phone now.

This is the kind of information people don't mind receiving, so pass it on to your family and friends.

The information transmitted is intended only for the person or entity to which it is addressed and may contain CONFIDENTIAL material. If you receive this material/information in error, please contact the sender and delete or destroy the material/information.

Home Buyers Seminar

2007-02-12T08:13:00.000-08:00

Kai and I had our Home Buyers Seminar. The attendance was on the low side, unfortunately, but we think all that attended went away with tons of knowledge! We had a video presentation regarding purchasing a home...Kai's "potato farmer" story, along with his step by step breakdown of the buying process...Real Estate Attorney Howard Kurtzberg's insight on the buying process from a legal point of view, and Evan from Mortgage Concepts chimed in about interest rates and so on. We also had tons of refreshments...feed the brain, feed the belly!
If you attended, we thank you very much and look forward to hearing your comments! If you did not attend, we will be doing another one in the near future...so stay tuned! We will announce it on this Blog, and via e-mail!

My Mission Statement!

2007-02-08T17:42:00.000-08:00

Old-fashioned work ethic combined with state-of-the-art technology to bring you the ultimate real estate experience!
Hi, I'm Mike, and welcome to your website! Unlike most other Real Estate Websites that are more or less ego trips for the Real Estate Agent, my website was developed with YOU in mind!
First-Time Buyers - If Long Island is the place you want to move, you have come to the right place! Together with my POWER TEAM, I will walk you through the whole looking to closing process, holding your hand when needed, guiding you when needed, and advising you the whole time! You will be taken care of like you were a relative! Sign up for my FREE BUYER E-COURSE!
Moving-on-up Buyers - Are you ready to upgrade? Together with my POWER TEAM, I will be constantly on the lookout for homes that meet your criteria. I will e-mail them to you on a daily basis and together we will find you your dream home! Sign up for my FREE BUYER E-COURSE!
Downsizing - Basically the same as moving-up-buyers, but in reverse, I will e-mail you daily all of the homes that meet your criteria until you find your smaller dream home. Sign up for my FREE BUYER E-COURSE!
Selling a Home - You have come to the right place! I am an old-fashioned guy that believes in a nose-to-the-grindstone work ethic, and I compliment that work ethic with the most modern and unique marketing tools. So whether it is knocking on doors and personally inviting people to an Open House, or setting up a Talking House box in your home, I will utilize everything and anything in marketing to get your house sold, for the most money possible, in the shortest amount of time, with the least amount of inconvenience to you! Sign up for my FREE SELLER E-COURSE!
Expired Listings/For Sale By Owner - If you are having trouble selling your home, or it just didn't sell, there has to be a reason! There are five main reasons why a house does not sell. Give me a call and we can discuss the reasons and together we should be able to pinpoint the reason your house did not sell or is not receiving any offers. This is a free consultation with absolutely no obligation at all! Sign up for my FREE SELLER E-COURSE!
Your website is chock-full of helpful articles that you can peruse at your leisure and at any time, if you have any questions, I am always an e-mail or a phone call away!
So if Long Island is where you are interested in buying or selling a home, then this is your starting and ending place! Remember, I PUT YOU WHERE YOU BELONG…FIRST!

Good Grief....

2006-12-26T08:31:00.000-08:00

This little ditty from Power Team Real Estate Lawyer Howard Kurtzberg: Grieve your taxes every year! If the lawyer is unable to get your taxes lowered, there is no fee. (There might be a small processing fee to file the petition...usually around $25.) If they are successful at reducing your taxes, you pay them 1/2 the amount that they saved you that year! (They save you $500...you pay them $250.) Any questions, e-mail Mr. Kurtzberg at kurtzlaw@aol.com.

Dom Deluise's Mom's Meatball Recipe

2006-11-22T07:32:00.000-08:00

Here it is...Dom Deluise's Mom's Meatballs:

2 pounds ground chuck
1/2 pound ground pork
1 1/2 cups flavored Italian Bread Crumbs
4 eggs
1 cup milk
1 cup fresh parsley-chopped
1/2 cup grated cheese
1 Tablespoon olive oil
2-4 cloves of garlic chopped very fine(5 if you're my mom)
1 minced onion
1/2 cup pine nuts(optional)

Place all ingredients in a large bowl...Mix thoroughly.
Make your meatballs.
Fry gently in olive oil until lightly browned...
or put in oven on a tin foil on a cookie sheet and bake for 30 minutes @ 350 degrees.
Gently place in your own HOT pasta gravy and cook on medium-low heat for 1 hour.
MANGE!