Closing Week on Long Island: A Day-by-Day Moving Checklist for Homeowners
A day-by-day closing-week moving checklist for Long Island homeowners covering movers, utilities, mail, wire safety, and the final walkthrough.
Buyer Tips
Practical buying guidance — inspections, contracts, contingencies, offer strategy
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New York’s Mansion Tax on Long Island: Who Pays, How It Is Calculated, and What Two Pending Bills Would Change
NY mansion tax on Long Island: the 1% buyer tax at $1 million, the seller’s transfer tax, East End rules, and two pending bills that would move the line.
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The 2% Tax Cap That Wasn’t: Long Island’s 2026 School Budget Votes
New York’s school tax cap is 2% for 2026-27, yet Three Village voted on a 4.54% levy hike. How the cap, budget votes, and STAR shape a Long Island tax bill.
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Elevation Certificates for Long Island Flood Zone Homes
What a FEMA elevation certificate records, how Risk Rating 2.0 changed its role in flood insurance, and how Brookhaven’s code uses it for Long Island homes.
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Mortgage Rates Reach 7.40%: What the Climb Costs a New York Home Buyer This Fall
Freddie Mac’s 30-year rate reached 7.40% on Oct. 8, the highest since 2023. See what the climb does to a Suffolk County payment and what buyers can check.
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Albany Floated Mansion Tax Changes in 2026. The Final Budget Taxed Second Homes Instead
Albany weighed NY mansion tax changes in 2026, then taxed NYC second homes. A dated timeline, the court fight, and what Long Island buyers still pay.
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New York Home Inspections: What the State Standards Cover and Skip
A New York home inspection reports what can be seen, not what hides behind walls. Here is what state standards cover, skip, and how to read the report.
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Fall Home Maintenance Checklist for Long Island: What to Finish Before the First Freeze
Fall home maintenance checklist for Long Island: pipes, heating, chimneys, smoke and CO alarms, dryer vents, gutters and Suffolk’s Nov. 1 fertilizer cutoff.
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Three Boroughs, Three Directions: What Q3 2026 Home Prices Show Across Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens
Manhattan’s median rose 10.9%, Queens 14.1%, and Brooklyn slipped 1.0% in Q3 2026. How the reports differ, and what the numbers do not explain.
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NYC or Long Island: Buying the Same $760,000 Home in Each
Buying a home in NYC vs Long Island at the same $760,000 price: closing taxes, monthly bills and market data side by side, with a 7.40% rate.
