Long Island, NY Real Estate and Homes For Sale

The sister hamlets of Baldwin, Baldwin Harbor, & N. Baldwin are close-knit communities where residents share the same zip code, school district, retail stores, services and parks.

Revitalization efforts include neu street lights, brick pavers and store facades along Grand Avenue. The Baldwin Public Library was recently expanded to 45,650 square feet.

Many different neighborhoods with wonderful tree-lined streets make up the town. Some earlier developments feature either Capes, Colonials, Split Levels, or Tudors, while other sections share a mix of architectural styles and some waterfront homes. Baldwin Harbor has some original cottages that have been renovated.

Baldwin Harbor Park, a town facility bordering Middle Bay, offers athletic fields, a playground, bike paths, a roller rink and skate park.

Sales volume is way down between 2007 and 2008 (almost 50%)  average selling prices for the 2^nd Quarter of 2008 are only down a little less than 9%.

Baldwin,Baldwin Harbor, & N. Baldwin Real estate sales stats are in

Statistics for June 2007 sales

Statistics  for June 2008

Statistics for 2Q 2007

Statistics for 2Q 2008

(Calculations are done excluding zero-values except for %Difference)

Just a few years ago, making a commitment to help the environment meant recycling your plastic bags and glass bottles. But today that concept can be taken much further, to the products we buy, the cars we drive, and even the homes we live in.

Now builders have the know-how to make your home healthier, more energy-efficient and more cost-effective by using green materials and technologies. Here are some questions you may want to ask if you are interested in hiring a professional who is also committed to the cause.

• Have you completed any special education or training courses on this topic? Some states and local agencies offer training and even certificate programs for builders who are serious about putting green technologies to work for their clients.

• How can we use the latest technology to reduce costs and boost comfort? This could include using specific kinds of insulation, a special ventilation system, or even solar panels to supplement traditional energy sources.

Empire State housing sales up from February

Albany - April 23, 2008 - Sales of existing single-family homes in New York State in March increased by more than 10 percent compared to February, but lagged behind March 2007, according to preliminary single-family sales data accumulated by the New York State Association of REALTORS.

New York REALTORS sold 5,035 existing single-family homes in March 2008, a 10.1-percent increase compared to the 4,575 sales recorded in February. The March sales total represents a 29-percent decrease compared to the March 2007 total of 7,094.

The March 2008 median selling price of $210,000 represents a 6.7-percent decrease from the February median of $225,000. The March 2008 median selling price represents a 14.7-percent decrease compared to the March 2007 median of $246,150.

In March 2008 sales gains were reported in 31 counties compared to February, while just four experienced growth compared to March 2007.

Thirty-one counties reported gains in median selling price in March 2008 compared to February 2008, while 20 posted gains compared to March 2007.

“With a more than 10 percent increase in sales of existing single-family homes in March compared to February, the New York State housing market is performing better than the national housing market,” said Duncan R. MacKenzie, NYSAR chief executive officer. “While changes in the median selling price fared better on a national level, New York’s median price continues to remain above the national median." 

The New York State Association of REALTORS is a not-for-profit trade organization representing more than 61,000 of New York state’s real estate professionals. The term REALTOR is a registered trademark, which identifies real estate professionals who subscribe to a strict code of ethics as members of the National Association of REALTORS. These REALTORS are also members of the New York State Association of REALTORS as well as their local board or association of REALTORS.

Improving Affordability = Buying Opportunity

Here’s an all-points bulletin to prospective homebuyers: The protracted decline in home prices has made many houses more affordable than they’ve been in years. You know what this means? Housing could shift from a buyer’s market to a seller’s market before you know it.  Remember, incomes are still rising, so home prices don’t have to fall as much as you think before buyers decide that they can once more afford the home of their dreams. Sooner or later, the fact that housing is more affordable will sink in. That’s when the market will turn.

– “Housing Market May Turn More Quickly Than You Expect,” by Dr. Irwin Kellner, MarketWatch,June 3, 2008.

Declining home prices across the nation are bringing valuations - the difference between what a home should cost and its actual price - back to pre-bubble levels, according to a survey conducted for financial research firm Global Insight and banking company National City Corp. “We’ve covered a lot of territory in terms of restoring balance in the housing market. The froth has been completely blown away.”

– Richard DeKaser, National City’s chief economist, “Housing Affordability Back to Pre-bubble Levels,” by Ben Rooney, CNNMoney.com, June 2, 2008.

The reason sales are slowly turning around is that smart homebuyers recognize that prices will recover. They’d rather benefit from the next boom than see the current seller get it. When have you ever seen housing retest previous lows? This past year is the first in decades in which housing prices went lower. Typically, housing prices beat inflation by one or two percent. The 2007-2008 housing recession is an anomaly. You’ve seen housing prices retreat as far back as 2004 in some locales, but you don’t see them retreating to 2000.

– Richard DeKaser, National City’s chief economist, “Realty Viewpoint: Guess What? Equity Recovers,” by Blanche Evans, Realty Times, May 30, 2008.

Foreign Buyers Have Confidence in U.S. Housing Market

Declining prices and a weak dollar have made U.S. property more appealing to overseas buyers, while a weak U.S. economy has forced real estate agents to look farther afield for buyers.  Last year one-third of American agents worked with at least one international buyer, according to the National Association of Realtors. The top five countries supplying international customers were Mexico, Britain, Canada, India and China.

– “They’re getting away from it all, to the U.S.,” by Jane Hodges, MSNBC.com, June 4, 2008.

While Americans are discouraged by images of neighborhoods blighted by “For Sale” signs and taped-off properties, foreign buyers are much more optimistic, especially about the long-term health of the U.S. market. “The foreign buyer has an unbridled confidence in the U.S. market that is lacking in the domestic purchaser today. They view this as the bargain of a lifetime and are terribly excited about it.”

– David Michonski, a certified international property specialist, “Foreign Buyers Flock to U.S. Housing Market,” by Aleksandra Todorova, SmartMoney.com, May 23, 2008.

Long Island NY home sells for Less than $60,000!!!

This week at the foreclosure auction  Nassau County Courthouse in Mineola on Tuesday May 6 2008 at 11:30 am 98 Brittle La, Hicksville NY 11801 was sold to an investor for $57,000.00. (pictured below)

The same unknown investor bid $231,000.00 on 24 Primrose Ave Levittown NY 11756 and was the winning bid. (pictured below)

These 2 were the only Long Island Foreclosed homes that were purchased or even bid upon by investors.

The following properties were offered for bid, and recieved no bids from the investors at the Nassau County foreclosure auction on Tuesday May 6 2008 at 11:30 am

230 West Pine St Long Beach NY 11561 a 2 Family, The Bank was looking for bids above $481,000.00

1675 Cornelius Ave Wantaugh NY 11793 a 4 bedroom 2.5 bath splanch, The Bank was looking for bids above $780,000.00

176 Biltmore Ave Elmont 11003 a colonial built in 1918 that needed work, the bank was looking for bids above $297,658.00

186 Jerusalem Ave Levittown NY 11756  a 5 bedroom 2 bath Hi Ranch on a 50 foot by 86 foot lot, the bank was looking for bids above $334,400.00

161 Colonial Ave Freeport NY 11520 a 4 room cottage on a 50 x 165 foot lot, the bank was looking for bids above $280,000.00

106 Peters Ave Hempstead NY 11550 a 2 bedroom 2 bath cape, Deutsche Bank was looking for bids above $251,487.07

1933 Anita Ct N. Baldwin NY 11510 a 3 bedroom Cape styled house, Deutsche Bank was looking for bids above $339,690.37

178 Hollywood Valley Stream NY 11581 a 3 bedroom ranch, Wells Fargo Bank was looking for bids above $364,012.60

100 Jerusalem Ave Levittown NY 11756 a 4/2 cape cod styled home in the Levittown School District, Wells Fargo Bank was looking for $403,394.00 US

148 Harris Ave Freeport NY 11520, a 3 bedroom 1.5 bath colonial house, Option One Mortgage Corp was looking for bids above $ 320,450

18 Andrews Ave Roosevelt NY 11575, a cape that the previous owner said was a Huge Dormered  Cape With Room To Grow! 6Brs,3 Full Baths, And A Pos Mother/Daughter. Extra Large 100X125 Yard (Pos Sub-Division). Ideal For Landscaper, Contractor, Builder! Great Buy! Reduced Thousand For Quick Sale!!!! Hsbc Bank Usa was looking for more than $278,414.07 

These homes will be REO properies for sale soon. 

Foreclosures are on the rise for more go to http://www.nypost.com/seven/01282007/news/regionalnews/foreclosures_soaring_regionalnews_elizabeth_wolff.htm