Homebuyer Tips

Are you interested in purchasing a Queens home?  These homebuyer tips will help you in the home buying process:

1. Do Your Homework.  Compare houses of comparable amenities and size in the neighborhoods you are interested in by visiting websites such as trulia.com or zillow.com.  It's important to remember that the prices listed on these sites should be used for reference only, since they can be a few months out of date.  Your Realtor® will be able to get you the most recent figures for houses in a neighborhood.

2. Credit is King.  Nowadays, in order to get a good interest rate, you need a credit score of more than 700.  You will want to go over your credit report to fix any mistakes there may be that can have an adverse affect on your credit score.

3. Get Your Credit Score Free Online.  Go to http://www.annualcreditreport.com/ for your free credit report from one or all of the credit reporting agencies.  This is the only federal government sanctioned site for an absolutely free credit report.  However, you will pay a small fee for your credit score.

4. Consider a Lower Bid.  Since list prices are based on contracts that were placed approximately 3-4 months ago, you may want to consider offering 10-15% below the list price.  The current market value may be lower than those in place at the time of the contract.  Again, your Realtor® will be able to get you the most recent figures for houses in a neighborhood.

5. Get Pre-Approved, Not Pre-Qualified.  In the past, you only needed to be pre-qualified to have an idea of what your price range would be before you looked at a home.  However, times have changed.  Being pre-approved will show you as a serious buyer, help you negotiate your purchase price and let you know exactly how much you have to spend.  Sellers are more confident in a buyer who already has a loan.

6. Consider New Construction.  February marked the fourth month in a row that sales of newly constructed homes fell.  So, there is room to negotiate on prices.  You should always check out the reputation of the builder before you buy.

7. Get an Inspection Report.  It doesn't matter whether you are buying an older home or a brand new one.  You will want to get an inspection done before you buy.  Just because it is a new home, doesn't mean that it will be problem-free.

8. Always Read the Title Report.  You will want to make sure that any new additions are fully permitted with the appropriate agencies.

We hope these homebuyer tips help you out.  If you are looking for a Queens home, contact Queens Realty today!

Happy Mother's Day

All of us at QueensRealty.com want to wish all the special mothers out there a very Happy Mother's Day!

Forest Hills Festival of the Arts

The Forest Hills Festival of the Arts is just around the corner. The date is set for Sunday June 13th at 10:00am, and it will be here before we know it. This is a huge event that draws in more than 60,000 people who come to the Forest Hills community to enjoy shopping, dancing, concerts, arts and crafts, cultural performances, children’s theaters and lots of fun!

The festival will be conveniently located near express and local subway stations, buses, major thoroughfares and the Long Island Railroad. The Forest Hills Festival of the Arts is the perfect place for small businesses to sell your merchandise, market your company and distribute your promotional material right in Queen’s most affluent neighborhood; Forest Hills.

Not only is Forest Hills an affluent neighborhood, it is also famous for its many co-op properties that help make Forest Hills a tight-knit community. You can find one, two and three-bedroom units with most buildings being conveniently located near private streets, premier retailers, million-dollar homes, and the Forest Hills Tennis Club.

Living in any of the Forest Hills Co-Ops will put you only 25 minutes from New York City and thirteen minutes from the Long Island Railroad. And, if you have children, students here attend P.S. 196 or P.S 175.

Once in Forest Hills, you’ll soon agree that it’s a great place for shopping, dining, entertainment and being pampered.

Sky View Parc Condos in Queens, NY

The sprawling complex of Sky View Parc condos in Queens, NY real estate has been an uninhabited fortress of solitude for quite a while, until now. The first closings at Sky View Parc are set to begin in June.

The Sky View Parc condos are several towers of condos that sit atop a shopping center at Roosevelt Ave. and College Point Blvd. Original construction began in 2007 and includes three buildings with a total of 448 residential units ranging from studios to three bedroom condominiums. The first tower is 35% sold and the third tower is already 70% sold. There are also plans for another phase for three additional towers with 650 apartments, but no starting date has been set for construction yet.

Retail spaces below Sky View Parc are 70% filled. Some stores include Old Navy, Marshall’s, Bed Bath & Beyond, Best Buy, Target, BJ’s Wholesale Club and Sky Foods.

Queens Realty can help you with any Queens, NY real estate purchase. So, if you’re interested in the Sky View Parc condos, come by our office or give us a call anytime.

Irish Blessings for St. Patrick's Day

What began as a strictly Catholic holiday, St. Patrick's Day has become more of a secular holiday that celebrates Ireland's heritage.  St. Patrick is commonly credited for bringing Christianity to the people of Ireland.  It is said that he used the 3-leaf shamrock to explain the Holy Trinity (the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit).


Here are a few Irish Blessings to help you through your day:

Old Irish Blessing
May the road rise to meet you.
May the wind always be at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
and rains fall soft upon your fields.
And until we meet again,
May God hold you in the palm of His hand.


A Wish for a Friend
Wishing you a rainbow
For sunlight after showers -
Miles and Miles of Irish smiles
For golden happy hours -
Shamrocks at your doorway
For luck and laughter, too,
And a host of friends that never ends
Each day your whole life through!


An Irish Prayer
May God give you...
For every storm, a rainbow,
For every tear, a smile,
For every care, a promise,
And a blessing in each trial.
For every problem life sends,
A faithful friend to share,
For every sigh, a sweet song,
And an answer for each prayer.


Happy St. Patrick's Day from Queens Realty!


Weichert, Realtors - FH Realty, Queens real estate