Emilia Pizzo Blog

Our REALTORS® know that the neighborhood really matters when choosing your new home. Long Island is full of wonderful neighborhoods ready for you to call home. Throwing a party is a fun way to celebrate the holidays in your new home with family and friends. And no holiday celebration is complete without some holiday cookies. Let's face it, everyone loves cookies! They're perfect to round out the food choices at your own celebration, bring to someone else's party, or to give as a gift for the host or hostess. Here are some of the best places on Long Island to get cookies for your holiday party.

• Cookies by Design - 1969 Jericho Turnpike, East Northport, NY 11731.
  After you're done looking at East Northport homes for sale make sure to stop at Cookies by Design for a dessert everyone at the party will love. Whether you're looking for a gift box with a variety of flavors, a giant cookie to share, or an arrangement of custom-decorated cookies, you'll find what you need here. Hosts and guests alike will be impressed. 

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Are you thinking about capitalizing on the Airbnb trend and purchasing a rental property? You're certainly not alone! Millions of homeowners around the world have embraced Airbnb as a second or even primary source of income, but success isn't as simple as shopping for a Suffolk County home for sale and setting up a mattress in a spare room. Prepping your home to become part of the hospitality industry isn't for everyone, and it takes work to turn your home into an Airbnb earner. Our REALTORS® are here to help you make an informed decision, with a look at the pros and cons of jumping on the Airbnb bandwagon.

Should You Consider Airbnb?

• Turn a Second Home or Spare Room into Extra Income
  Let's start with the biggest pro, and the reason you're probably interested in Airbnb in the first place. If your home has a good location and you prep it properly, you can turn your Airbnb property into a significant source of income. It takes work to excel with Airbnb, but if you stick with it, the payoff can be significant. You can rent out unused space in your own home, or purchase a property specifically as an Airbnb investment. Either way, you can generate extra income without Airbnb being your main job.

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It's hard to believe that the holidays are just around the corner, but yes, it's true! Finding the perfect gift for that special someone can be challenging, but one of the great things about living on Long Island are the fun, quirky arts and crafts fairs.  Our REALTORS® love checking out what local artisans have to offer—here's a sampling of some of their fave fairs to hit for holiday gifts.

• Walt Whitman Fine Art & Crafts Fair -  Walt Whitman High School, 301 W. Hills Road, Huntington Station | Saturday, November 23rd
  With more than 100 vendors offering handcrafted items only, this fun festival is the perfect place for holiday shopping while checking out beautiful  Huntington homes for sale. Admission is $2.00 for those over 12 years old—proceeds go to building a beautiful art gallery for Walt Whitman students.

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Owning your own home remains a crucial part of the American dream, but it isn't always easy. From growing debt problems to an ever-changing real estate market, there are plenty of potential roadblocks to homeownership. For veteran and military home buyers, there are some options well worth considering. 

Our REALTORS® are proud to have helped countless veterans and active servicemen and women buy homes—in many cases, their first homes. We're grateful for the opportunity to help. If you're a veteran or military homebuyer, keep these tips in mind as you start the homebuying process. 

1. Know Your VA Loan Options
   One of the biggest advantages active military and veterans have when purchasing a home is the ability to secure a VA loan. These home loans are backed by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs and are much more flexible than ordinary loans. In most cases, they cover 100 percent of a home's cost, require no down payment, and allow you to buy a home without having to pay for private mortgage insurance. 

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When you're buying a house, many intangible factors come into play. Is it in a safe neighborhood? How is the school system? Does it have a great view? Our REALTORS® find that for many people, job commute is one of the top criteria for evaluating homes.

Today's job landscape has gone beyond the traditional nine-to-five workday, so commute time isn't such a cut-and-dried issue. Here are some expert tips for putting job commute in perspective when choosing a home to buy.

• How Far Is "Too Far?"
  According to the Census Bureau, the average commuter travels just over 25 minutes each way, which is the equivalent of adding an extra half-day to your work week. Times are even higher in congested metropolitan areas. If you're considering a certain home, take a test run of your potential commute under actual traffic conditions so you have an accurate picture.

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