I know that everyone is worried about the asbestos issues. I recently was contacted by the owner Chase Peterson of www.asbestos.com

I thought it was important for home owners to know if not disturbed Asbestos is safe in your home. It is when airborne that there is a danger. Please read on or go to the site to get more information. My firm is here to help anyone who needs advise with housing & interior issues.

 

 

Asbestos – Is very dangerous if disturbed.

There are many things to consider when remodeling or purchasing an older home. Homes built after 1980 have the strong likelihood of containing asbestos. Used in millions of homes throughout the last quarter of the 20^th century, asbestos insulation can become a real dilemma for homeowners due to causing a variety of health problems, including Peritoneal Mesothelioma and Malignant Mesothelioma. These types of cancer take the lives of thousands each year.

In Manhattan and its surrounding areas, the most recent asbestos concern was the estimated two thousand tons of asbestos that fell on New York City on September 11^th, 2001. When the World Trade Center’s fell, a cloud of dust extended as far as New Jersey which included 2,500 contaminants. If you or anyone you know was near the towers on 9/11, it is advisable to you to seek help from a licensed, practicing physician.

Non-regulated asbestos material can be legally performed by homeowners, regular contractors, or licensed asbestos abatement contractors as long as the National Emissions Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP) are not violated. Asbestos removal in public facilities, homes and workplaces must be undertaken by a licensed asbestos abatement contractor. Once the removal is complete, green insulation options should be given serious consideration, such as: Cellulose, Cotton Fiber and Lcynene.

Another message from our friends at Queens community House

QUEENS FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING

 

HUNTERS POINT SOUTH & WILLETTS POINT!

The City Council will vote Nov 13 on two major development projects, 5,000 new apartments at Hunters Point South in Long Island City, and 5,500 new apartments at Willetts Point in Corona/Flushing. Public subsidies will be used at both projects, so the public has a right to live there!

GIOIA. QUINN. LIU. MONSERRATTE. KATZ. CALL THEM TODAY!

You can tell them:

Ø WE ARE COUNTING ON YOU!

Ø The new apartments at Hunters Point South and Willetts Point should serve not only those who can afford market-rate prices and families earning $60,000 to$100,000, but also the majority of Queens families who make less than $60,000, and also those families struggling to stay out of homelessness, who make less than $25,000.

Ø DON’T LEAVE US OUT IN THE COLD!

——————————————————————————————————————————————-

Councilman Eric Gioia: 718-383-9566

Gioia is the Councilman representing Long Island City, where the Hunters Point South project is located. The other Councilpeople will defer to him, and EDC will negotiate directly with him.

Councilwoman Christine Quinn, 212-788-7210

Quinn is the Speaker of the City Council, and has a lot of influence.

Councilman Jon Liu, 718-888-8747

Councilman Hiram Monserratte, 718-205-3881

Liu is the Councilman representing Flushing, and Monserratte represents Corona, where the Willetts Point project is located. The other Councilpeople will defer to Liu and Monserratte, and EDC will negotiate with them. Monserratte has been advocating for affordable housing with the administration.

Councilwoman Melinda Katz, 718-544-8800

Katz is the chair of the Land Use Committee.

Here’s a link to learn more:

JHBG committee wins state grant to create a Green Agenda for Jackson Heights.

Friends of Travers Park and its partner the Queens Community House were awarded a $25,000 grant from New York state in November to create a Green Agenda for Jackson Heights .

You may have already heard a little about the Green Agenda; We started work on the grant proposal for this project in early 2008. The Green Agenda will be a plan to make Jackson Heights a more environmentally sustainable neighborhood. It may include things like more park space, green roofs, more and better bike lanes, and community gardens. That’s where you come in..

The grant will enable us to hold a series of “visioning” meetings with Jackson Heights residents that will help us and planners from the Pratt Community Development Center develop the Green Agenda. We plan to involve all parts of the Jackson Heights community - all ages, income levels, native-born and immigrant - breaking down barriers that often divide neighbors. Ultimately we hope to produce a booklet detailing the green measures supported by the Jackson Heights community and then use this document to make these goals real.

We are psyched about this project. Our grant proposal received a score of 95 from the state Department of Environmental Conservation, the second highest of the 50 grants awarded.

The timing could not be better. If the large voter turnout on Election Day is an indication, people are energized and excited about creating a better nation. Our responsibilities, however, didn’t end on Election Day. Grassroots efforts like the Green Agenda for Jackson Height s are the way people help make a better world in their neighborhood by participating in a process that we hope can become a model for other neighborhoods in New York City to do the same.

So what other environmentally friendly features do you want for Jackson Heights: improved mass transit; bicycle racks at transit centers; programs on how to reduce energy consumption and costs for co-ops and rental apartment buildings; all of the above? So please join your neighbors in creating a better future for Jackson Heights and out city. Yes, you can…. Yes, we can!.

Yes we can! Barak Obama started his slogan of “YES WE CAN!” more than 22 months ago. Yes we can! The youth has spoken to America! The world is recognizing us as a changing society. It is our time as “old hippies” and baby boomer to regain our independence from the established corruption! Hippies were Anti-establishment…today we should be… We need to be fighting for our youth against the Corruption of government, Wall Street, Corporations. Yes, all those who have stolen from the kind and less greedy! Maybe the world can see our neighborhood, Jackson Heights as a model for the world. We are the most diverse zip code in America and we all live together harmoniously. Yes we can! Yes we can!

Artistic endeavors are dreamy in the beginning. The conceptual ideas grow from your original vision into a plan. Architectural designs are learned techniques coupled with intuitive senses. Interior design and decoration is a functional art that is visual, tactile, illusion, auditory and spacial. As a practicing professional one needs to understand to focus on creativity and budget.

Interior Design (ID) takes vision. ID/Art takes time and patience to achieve one’s goals. Whether you are going to design a room or a full residence, it all takes time and the vision to make it function.

Art comes in many different guises. Architectural ID is a very disciplined art form. A majority of people today think they can do their own designs. Some are very talented with many ideas and styles of design but cannot visualize the scale or spacial relationships between objects and the room. Have you purchase an item and when you get it home it is too small or too large?

When starting a design project…many many details are uncovered or over looked… UNTIL a day or 2 into the construction. Then a lot of unforeseen issues come into play! The average person says “Oh my goodness, what are we going to do at this point in the process?” Then comes…the fear! There is a fear of taking a chance with your interior design. Somethings are permanent elements and others are changeable.

The road to redecorating starts the day you realize your ID fears! The public fears the unknown of an Interior Designer! Others just don’t want to admit that you do not understand design. Interior Design is very different than fashion. ID is a long term commitment because you live with your decisions longer and it is very expensive endeavor. Very different than purchasing a suit or shoes! The showrooms and retail outlets may have ideas but no scale is involved in a large store when you see a vignette of a room etc. It is very different when you add architectural elements such as ceiling height, wall space etc. into this designer’s room vignette. In general, most people have no experience with transforming their ideas to interior design.

Recently this happened to my client. After painting, refinishing floors, purchasing some furniture and art they said: “Where do we go from here? Gulp! Dead stop… WOW we just cannot figure out how to make it look finished!” Has this happened to you?

This couple who lives at Terrace View on 34 Avenue in JH. (Terrace View is a luxury full service co-op with door man, terraces & parking.) Danielle & Mark reached a road block in decorating their space!

Our first meeting was a consultation in order to create a program. Then we had a design plan meeting. After reviewing the program Danielle began to have a clear understanding of the project. To begin the budget was very small. We decided to take on the first phase of the project with window treatments throughout the apartment.

MASTER BEDROOM WINDOW TREATMENT & BED LINENS

The program included for all the items necessary to update the apartment within a 1 to 3 years plan in phases. The future plan was to renovate the bathroom and kitchen. The renovation plans will begin sometime at the end of 2008.

LIVING ROOM WINDOW Spring 2008

STUDY & GUEST ROOM Spring 2008

Doing a program after a preliminary meeting an Interior Designer considers all Walls, floors, window openings, doors,closets, set architectural features, circulation space and entryways are set items. It always depends upon one’s budget and projected length of stay/longevity in this particular home will predicate how you should plan for the renovation. This will eliminate expensive mistakes!

Hi Bloggers…I just received this email from one of our firm’s representatives, Jocelyn McGinnis at Apple Mortgage Corp. New York & Hoboken.

Dear Beaudoin Family-

I hope you are doing well today. Below is an article I found in the Wall Street Journal. It might be helpful either for yourself or your clients to understand rates in this climate.

Also, I am pleased to announce that Apple Mortgage Corp. has been given exclusive incentives to provide funding to the Jackson Heights area; therefore being able to provide clients with lower than market interest rates on certain products. Let me know if you have any questions.

Jump in Mortgage Rates Disappoints Home Buyers

Mortgage rates have jumped in the last two days even as rates on Treasurys have fallen, disappointing homeowners and potential home buyers.

Rates on 30-year fixed-rate conforming mortgages currently average 6.11%, according to HSH Associates, a financial publisher in Pompton Plains, N.J., after dropping below 6% last week. Rates slid a bit more on Monday before jumping by roughly one-eighth to one-quarter of a percentage point in the past two days, mortgage lenders and mortgage brokers say. Rates currently average 7.42% for 30-year fixed-rate jumbo mortgages, which are loans too large to be eligible for purchase by government-sponsored mortgage investors Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac.

Mortgages are still well below their recent highs of 6.7% in July. But the latest increase is notable because rates on 10-year Treasurys have fallen by roughly 0.32 percentage point since Friday, to 3.41%.

Rates on 30-year fixed-rate loans have tended to move in line with rates on 10-year Treasurys. But the relationship has weakened in the past year or so. “When people look at the 10-year Treasury and mortgage rates don’t follow, that’s a surprise,” says Wells Fargo & Co. Executive Vice President Joe Rogers. “But the two rates do not move in tandem.” Even with the latest increase, mortgage rates are still “quite attractive,” he says.

In the past week, the spread between 10-year Treasurys and 30-year fixed-rate mortgages has risen by roughly 0.35 percentage point, says Mahesh Swaminathan, a mortgage strategist at Credit Suisse Group. The wider gap reflects a variety of factors, he says, including reduced demand for mortgages because of the bankruptcy filing by Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. and the planned sale of Merrill Lynch & Co. to Bank of America Corp. Both Merrill and Lehman have in the past been buyers of mortgages. At the same time, investors are fleeing from all but the very safest assets in the wake of financial troubles at Lehman and insurer AIG Corp.

“There’s a credit panic going on, and people are afraid of buying anything but U.S. Treasurys,” says Thomas Zimmerman, a managing director at Credit Suisse.

Rising rates aren’t the only issue for borrowers. Many who would like to refinance can’t because of tighter standards and falling home prices. “You have people who can’t fully document their income, but are still making their payments, still have good incomes and good reserves, but under the new rules can’t qualify for a new loan,” says Jon Eisen, a mortgage broker in San Diego.

One big problem for borrowers is that over the past year, Fannie and Freddie — the two main providers of funds for U.S. home mortgages — have raised the fees they charge to lenders, and those fees get passed on to consumers.

Fannie and Freddie recently raised their “delivery” charge for loans that will be bought or guaranteed by the companies to 0.5% of the loan amount from 0.25%. That 0.5% fee translates into an interest rate about 0.125 percentage point higher than it would have been before such fees were imposed last year.

In addition, Fannie and Freddie charge another set of fees to all but the most solid borrowers. These fees are highest for borrowers with weaker credit scores or smaller down payments. For instance, effective for loans purchased on or after Nov. 1, Fannie will impose a fee of 1.25% on a borrower with a credit score of 660 to 679 who is making a hefty down payment of 25%. On a $400,000 loan, that means $5,000 in extra fees, some or all of which might be paid in the form of a higher interest rate.

The median credit score for Americans is about 720, according to Fair Isaac Corp.

If the goal is to revive demand for housing, “it isn’t going to work this way,” says Lou Barnes, a mortgage banker in Boulder, Colo.

The regulator of Fannie and Freddie, the Federal Housing Finance Agency, or FHFA, took over management control of the companies early this month, partly because of worries that they no longer had the financial strength to provide enough support to the housing market. Mortgage bankers hope the companies, backed by promises of financial support from the Treasury, will now be able to reduce some of the fees. A spokeswoman for the FHFA said Fannie and Freddie are reviewing their fees, but she declined to discuss when they might adjust them.

A Fannie spokesman declined to comment on the fees. A spokesman for Freddie said: “We are always looking at the market and making appropriate adjustments.”

Jocelyn A. McGinnis

Senior Mortgage Consultant

Apple Mortgage Corp.

19 West 44th Street, Suite 1514

New York, New York 10036
Tel: (212) 221-6666 x 121 (800) 698-6297
Fax: (212) 221-6633
e-mail: jmcginnis@applemortgagecorp.com

TIME OUT NY writes an article in September 19 -26 issue, ‘According to longtime resident Daniel Karatzas…Jackson Heights Historian, “Nothing is perfect in our fair city, but thanks to the scale and the sense of place in Jackson Heights, newcomers have found it a pleasant place to call home.”

“Jackson Heights is indicative of the future of the U.S., where whites are no longer the majority,” says Dalton Conley, sociology chair at NYU. “

Our Community is a model for the U.S.. It works when you see three business men from 3 different parts of the world discussing something and they understand each other! It is amazing how we all can work together.

Click HERE & TIME OUT NEW YORK logo to go directly to the article. Enjoy reading…

2008 Discover Queens Restaurant Week Participants

Select Restaurants will offer two for $25 or two for $35 on Special menus.

Go to the above logo and go to RESTAURANTS and you will get the list, then click for location or website. September 15 to 28th….get started! Happy eating!

 

Children’s Sports, Art, ChessSign up Saturday, Sept. 13, 11 a.m!St. Joan of Arc Msgr. Boylan Auditorium, 82

St. between 37^th and 35^th Avenues.   The St. Joan of Arc Youth Council is

Jackson Heights’ leading sports and youth-activities program. For decades, the Youth Council has provided high-quality activities at a reasonable cost to all the children of

Jackson Heights.  Fall Activites: Art, Competitive Basketball, Basketball Clinic, Chess, Competitive Soccer, Soccer Clinic and Track  

Please note: Each child must provide proof of age. For Competitive Basketball you must have proof of address within the parish boundaries.  Parish boundaries are:

69^th St

and the BQE, Broadway past

Elmhurst Hospital (including the North side of Baxter Ave, South side of Northern Blvd to West side of

88^th St

to

Roosevelt Ave.

 

ANY QUESTIONS CONTACT:  LMANACE @aol.com

 

 

 

 

 

Author: Jackson Heights Blog

NY State Statistics on Housing says the market is strong in New York state!

This is a chart of NY State’s counties sales comparison from June 2006 to 2008 sales. Take a look for yourself, if you have money to buy there are some good deals out there… Keep your eyes and ears open for good sales.