Buying or Selling a Home? Here’s why you should consider working with a realty agency

In these days, it seems you can do anything online. Getting answers and information is easier than ever and buying real-estate also seems like an easy job. Just hop on to craigslist, look for anything that seems like a dream house, get the price and call up the agents to schedule a visit.

But when buying a house, working with many agents can get you into a loop, it might put you in a new home, but you lack the trusting relationship of a long term client. Teaming with a professional agent and asking him to work on your behalf makes you a preferred client, which means you will receive loyalty, full disclosure, and probably the best price available, which is not so obvious when you work on your own.

Same goes for selling a house. While FSBO (For Sale by Owner) is not necessarily a bad way to go, homeowners typically do not get the same prices as professional agents. Even after factoring in agent's fees, the amount of work it takes to sell a home tends to make an agent a worthwhile investment. An experienced realtor deals only with qualified buyers with serious intentions of making a purchase. You won’t spend your time dealing with buyers who are not pre-screened or pre-qualified and it’s easy for an agent to direct the potential buyer to places in the house that can attract him most and increase the chances of a sale.

So, if you are looking to buy or sell a home in the Five Towns area and you need a reliable real estate agency, you should probably know that since 2007, Five Towns Miller Realty has been involved in more real estate transactions in the area than any other realtor. When you need a Nassau County home choose a realtor you can trust, hop online and visit www.fivetownsrealtor.com today.

Museum Row is just around the corner – Make yourself a Nassau County day

Museum Row in Garden City is a one stop destination for long island’s best museums. All you need is your family, a day off and a train ticket.

One of the main attractions in Museum Row is The Cradle of Aviation museum. It’s a home to one of Charles Lindberg’s aircrafts and more than 70 aircraft and spacecraft exhibits that celebrates Long Island’s contribution to the world of aviation.


Your kids will love Long Island Children’s Museum that’s located in a short walking distance. LICM is a hands-on museum for kids and their grown ups, with over 40,000 square feet of indoors and outdoors interactive fun.


And if that wasn’t enough, try the Firefighters Museum and stroll amongst old fire trucks, lean about the local volunteer fire service and take a lesson in fire safety.

To end the day, hop on the Historic Nunley’s Carousel that was built in 1912 and recently moved to its new home in museum row:



If If you're thinking about moving to Garden city in Nassau County or anywhere else in the Greater Five Towns of Long Island, including Cedarhurst, Woodmere, North Woodmere, Woodsburgh, Lawrence, Hewlett, Inwood and the eastern end of Far Rockaway, then go go online to www.fivetownsrealtor.com.

The experienced staff at Five Towns Miller Realty, Inc. has completed more transaction than any brokerage in the Five Towns area. So if you’re planning on buying or selling a property, give us a call and we’ll help you find that dream house of yours.

Buying or Selling a Home? Don’t forget the Virtual Tour!

Remember when we used to call front desk and make a hotel reservation? Today, when I book a room, I never talk to anybody. I just go online and start searching hotels and prices. A cheap fee is important, but not less important are photos and virtual tours. When I book a hotel, I want to see the place, feel the lobby, and have a virtual swim in the pool. If a hotel has lots of photos and a good price – I’d probably book it right away. And I’m not alone… Turns out that 99% of consumers prefer virtual tours and lots and lots of photos, but not only while booking a hotel.

Did you know that 87% of home buyers search for real estate online? Do you think that one photo of a living room will persuade a buyer to come over? Not likely… Just like in the hotel business, giving a customer a virtual showcase is probably the most obvious requirement in real estate. Virtual tour saves buyers and sellers time, while providing a convenient and secure transaction.


Now you can enjoy the benefits of a virtual tour if you log on to www.fivetownsrealtor.com and have a private, 360 tour, anywhere in the Greater Five Towns of Long Island, including Cedarhurst, Woodmere, North Woodmere, Woodsburgh, Lawrence, Hewlett, Inwood and the eastern end of Far Rockaway.

Life's beach in Far Rockaway

I’m not a summer person. Not at all. I like the cold, rainy days of New York, and I tend to melt during July-August. So I was pretty happy when everybody around me were complaining about June and the heavy rains and chilly weather. Still, enough is enough. I think it’s about time for some summer, don’t you? I need the beach. I got the color of a frozen chicken and I need to get some tan.


I like to take the A train up to Far-Rockaway to the Rockaway beach and boardwalk. It’s one of the prettiest beaches around the city and one of my favorite summer spots. It’s got more than 170 acres of sun and sand, so there’s pretty much room for everybody. The cool thing about this beach is the fact that it’s the only surf spot in the city and I can feel a little California in the air. You can spot the surfers on the train, follow them to the beach and see them catching the waves.


When the surf’s down and the waves are gone, I love to bring in a fishing pole and catch me a nice striped bass for dinner.


If you're thinking about moving to Far Rockaway or anywhere in the Greater Five Towns of Long Island, including Cedarhurst, Woodmere, North Woodmere, Woodsburgh, Lawrence, Hewlett, Inwood and the eastern end of Far Rockaway, then go go online to www.fivetownsrealtor.com. The experienced staff at Five Towns Miller Realty, Inc. has completed more transaction than any brokerage in the Five Towns area. So if you’re planning on buying or selling a property, give us a call and we’ll help you find that dream house of yours.

Selling a house? Avoid stinky surprises and start cleaning like there's no tomorrow!

Selling your house? Getting your home ready for the big show is an important step. When buyers come to see a house, they don’t look at walls and staircases. They look at your home, the way you organized it, how the furniture look in the living room and how does a king-bed fit in the bedroom. You wouldn’t like sell the house to a messy buyer that seems to be disorganized and keep loosing the papers. Buyers wouldn’t jump on a house that’s owned by messy residents as well. They might think that the looks suggests some hidden problems. So what can you do?

"Lawn? What Lawn?!"

For example, repainting the interior and exterior of your home is relatively inexpensive and offers huge results in terms of curb appeal. Inside, it's best to make your home as free of clutter as possible. Cut the loan and clean the gutters. Remove the clutter and clean the rooms. You may even want to rent a storage space for extra furniture and items - even your closets should look spacious. Look for dripping pipes and faucets, cracks and mold. Take out the trash a couple of times a day and avoid stinky surprises. Making your house available to be shown on short notice (within reason) is critical. Buyers often give little lead-time that they're available to see houses and if they can't get into yours, they won't buy it.

A reliable real estate agent might not be able to clean your house for you, but he should be able to handle most of the negotiations, home inspection, contractor appointments, mortgage pre-qualifications, and getting the attorney's on the same page. At Five Towns Miller Realty we’ll make sure to give you all that but leave the final decisions on price and sale to you. That’s why the experienced staff at Five Towns Miller Realty, Inc. has completed more transaction than any brokerage in the Five Towns area. Because we’re fair and we care. Visit us at www.fivetownsrealtor.com today!

Buying a house? Get pre-approved in advance!

The purchase of real estate is one of the most important transactions you will ever make. Of course that Financing is a crucial step in the buying process. One important thing to work on before you even start looking is your mortgage pre-approval. To be pre-approved means doing all the loan paperwork in advance. If you are pre-approved, than you have been fully screened by the lender and approved for a loan.

When you are pre-approved you’ll have more negotiating power. Most sellers will go with candidates that are pre-approved, since there's less risk that the deal will fall through. If a seller has two proposals and yours is pre-approved - you will have better chances to get the deal.

When you are pre-approved, it also means that you know your price range. You won’t get distracted with offers that are beyond your price range, and you won’t waste time on offers that are too low.

Remember that there is a big difference between being pre-approved and being pre-qualified. Many buyers don’t realize that pre-qualification is only a rough estimate of how money you will be able to borrow, when that happy day comes.If you have anymore questions about buying a house, go online to www.fivetownsrealtor.com. The experienced staff at Five Towns Miller Realty, Inc. has completed more transaction than any brokerage in the Five Towns area. So if you’re planning on buying or selling a property, give us a call and we’ll help you find that dream house of yours.

How much is my property worth?

There are a few ways to find out the approximate value of your home. The first way, and you can do this by yourself, is by looking around and comparing your property to other properties that were recently sold in your neighborhood. Just by reading the papers or by following the news, you can get a pretty good understanding of how much your property is worth. By doing this little research, you actually become a real estate agent! Comparative market analysis is an essential part of every agent's job.



A market evaluation will determine the value of homes in the neighborhood based on recent sales, but remember that a value of a home is also partly subjective. Presentation plays a great deal in property evaluation. Even mowing the lawn can eventually lead to a higher value. Any good agent will be able to glean the pertinent information from a market analysis and apply it to a particular property. If you are ready to play the agent part, a useful and accurate CMA tool awaits for you online through Five Towns Miller Realty.

And just so you know, thousands of families have bought or sold their home thanks to the hard work of the realtors at Five Towns Miller Realty. If you’re selling a home, condo, co-op, or just looking to start a new, exciting life in Five Towns, Cedarhurst, Lawrence or Woodmere - then visit us today at www.fivetownsrealtor.com

Take a Bike to Five Towns

This weekend, try something else for a change. Get up from that couch, leave the shopping for next week, hop on that bicycle and get yourself to Five Towns. Bring water, a camera, a beach towel and get ready to cruise through some of the most peaceful scenery in New York. You’ll ride along beaches and boardwalks, bays and channels, and see the best communities and neighborhoods of Long Island. Ready? Start the day around the Woodmere Country Club. Paddle along the lovely boardwalks and beaches that surround it. You will find yourself riding next to beautiful greenery and impressive estates. Imagine yourself living in one of those houses and relax! Continue towards Lawrence Village Pond. Have a stop on the grass near the water, watch the kids playing ball and think how nice it would be taking your children to play here on the weekends. Continue down to Atlantic Beach and ride along the shore, admiring the magnificent ocean. Having a white sandy beach near your house could be a dream come true. Wipe the sand off your feet and go back north to Cedarhurst, where you can cruise down the lively business district, stop at the boutiques and come back home with presents and lots of great memories to share.

How about making this peaceful day into a lifetime? This is an outstanding time to make this dream into a reality. As a smart home buyer you will probably look around for the best realtors available. Just so you know, thousands of families have bought or sold their home thanks to the hard work of the realtors at Five Towns Miller Realty. If you’re selling a home, condo, co-op, or just looking to start a new, exciting life in Five Towns, Cedarhurst, Lawrence or Woodmere - then visit us at http://www.fivetownsrealtor.com/ today!

Amazing Cedarhurst Coop For Sale

Ceaderhust, NY is the perfect place to purchase property. Not only is it apart of the famous Five Towns (communities of Cedarhurst, Woodmere, North Woodmere, Woodsburgh, Lawrence, Hewlett and the eastern end of Far Rockaway) it's also perfect place for settling down and starting a family.

If you are interested in Cedarhurst realestate, there is currently a beautifully maintained cooop in the heart of Cedarhurst. It has hardwood floors, indoor parking, a full bath, refrigerator, dishwasher, and stove.

If you are looking to purchase a home in the communities of Cedarhurst,
Woodmere, North Woodmere, Woodsburgh, Lawrence, Hewlett and the eastern
end of Far Rockaway then visit Five Towns Realty at http://www.fivetownsrealtor.com/.

The Truth About Foreclosures in Five Towns

One myth about foreclosures in Fives Town (Cedarhurst, Woodmere, North Woodmere, Woodsburgh, Lawrence, Hewlett) is that all foreclosures go for well below market value. With the popularity of foreclosed properties reaching ordinary home buying, many believe that foreclosed homes present a bargain, and that's just not always the case.

People believe that they can buy a foreclosed home for cheap, fix it up and then sell it for prices well above market and gain a profit. Some believe they can rent it and get instant equity.

Because foreclosed homes are saturated in today's market, the bidding process has marketed up these homes and banks are not dumb. They realize the real values of these properties and are beginning to not give them away for low prices. Especially in Cedarhurst, Woodmere, North Woodmere and Woodsburgh.

Most of these "bargain" foreclosed homes are in very bad condition and require some major work. After you purchase one of these homes and fix them up, you have basically paid way more than what the house was worth at market. So what about the homes that don't require fixing? Well, you'll be paying full price for those because the banks know how much they are worth and they will not sell them for cheap.

If you do your homework and work with a great Realtor, like Five Towns Miller Realty, you can get homes in those areas at reasonable prices. But don't expect an amazing deal to fall in your lap, there is always a catch. Especially in areas that are doing well. Unlike Las Vegas and other places whose housing bubble has popped and deflated beyond repair, areas where families and communities are still vibrant just don't have these "foreclosed prices" that people believe they do.

Don't be fooled again. If you are looking to do business in the communities of Cedarhurst,
Woodmere, North Woodmere, Woodsburgh, Lawrence, Hewlett and the eastern
end of Far Rockaway then visit Five Towns Miller Realty at http://www.fivetownsrealtor.com/.

Five Towns Miller Realty

In this economy home buyers and sellers are looking for a quality businesses who can help them sell or purchase a home using ethical practices that not only benefit the them but also benefit communities and the economy.

Five Towns Miller Realty provides sellers with honest brokers who not only care about you but also about your home. We always make sure we fully examine every aspect of your homes value and give you an honest assessment of any possible scenarios. We provide buyers with the space and time they need to make their purchase while still relaying the facts, pros and cons in a timely and efficient a manner.

Whether you are buying or selling a home, this blog is for you. We will discuss the ins and outs of the industry, give you researched tips and help you navigate the housing market informed.

If you are looking to do business in the communities of Cedarhurst, Woodmere, North Woodmere, Woodsburgh, Lawrence, Hewlett and the eastern end of Far Rockaway then visit Five Towns Realty at http://www.fivetownsrealtor.com.