Date Archives: October 2020

November 1st is World Vegan Day and also marks the start of World Vegan Month. This is a perfect time to recognize how far the vegan movement has come, promote the undeniable benefits of vegan living, and share vegan meals with friends and family. Whether you're a long-time vegan, a budding flexitarian, or a proud omnivore, our REALTORS® are excited to share some of the best places to enjoy vegan dinner around Long Island.

• Tiger Lily Café - 156 E. Main St., Port Jefferson, NY 11777
  Tiger Lily Café is an alternative vegetarian eatery with a '60s retro look. Meals are served in a funky setting with psychedelic art and eclectic music in the background. Known for their salads and wraps, Tiger Lily complements their food with a complete Juice Bar, featuring nutritious choices of protein shakes, wheatgrass shots, soy smoothies, fresh juices, and more. If you need a caffeine fix, you'll find Mocha Blanca, Black & Tan, Red Bull Chai, and Tahitian Vanilla Chai at the Java Bar. Their vegetarian specialties are tempeh, tofu, soy, fresh vegetables, and whole grains. After Port Jefferson homes for sale appointments, be sure to take a break from the ordinary and enjoy the comfy lounge chairs, colorful atmosphere, and great alternative cuisine at Tiger Lily Café.

• The Purple Elephant - 81B Fort Salonga Rd. W, Northport, NY 11768
  Overlooking Northport Harbor, The Purple Elephant serves healthy and sustainable vegan dishes and drinks in a comfortable and relaxed environment. Their menu covers robust flavors of Latin and Central American cuisine. A portfolio of nonalcoholic drinks may entice you away from the booze behind the bar. Just a stone's throw away from many Northport homes for sale, this purple pachyderm is a perfect place to bring your vegan or non-vegan friends and family to celebrate World Vegan Day.
  
  
• Plant Wise - 15 E Deer Park Rd., Dix Hills, NY 11746
  There isn't a lick of dairy or meat inside Plant Wise, a 100-percent plant-based eatery in a Dix Hills shopping center. This eatery serves delicious and nutritious meals to spread the joy and positive health benefits of eating at least one fully plant-based meal per day. Founders Alex and Pamela are focused on creating healthy, meat-free meals. After touring Dix Hills homes for sale, stop by this extra-ordinary café-style eatery for salads, bowls, smoothies, and custom juices.
  
  
• 3 Brothers Vegan Café - 1038 Montauk Hwy., Copiague, NY 11726
  World Vegan Day is the perfect time to try 3 Brothers Vegan Café. Chef Jay Astafa menu features delicious vegan twists of classic Italian pastas, appetizers, sandwiches, salads, entrées, house-made desserts, and wood-fire pizzas. What sets this fantastic eatery apart from all others is that they have an in-house vegan cheese program. Their pizzas and dishes feature their own house-made cheeses, ranging from cashew milk mozzarella to macadamia feta. The vegan hot spot also caters to dietary needs by offering a lot of allergy-friendly and gluten-free options. The delicious and unique food will make you forget you're swapping out your Italian favorites.
  
  
• True Food Kitchen - 630 Old Country Rd Suite 1040B, Garden City, NY 11530
  Created by a passionate team of visionary restaurateurs, accomplished chefs, and a renowned doctor of integrative medicine, True Food Kitchen is rooted in a belief that conscious nutrition can work without sacrificing creativity, flavor, and indulgence. Located near beautiful Garden City homes for sale, this award-winning restaurant is guided by a simple and researched principle called the anti-inflammatory diet. They select and prepare food to counteract chronic inflammation and help people achieve optimum health over their lifetime. The health-driven menu of natural, hand-crafted beverages and seasonal dishes caters to a range of food preferences, including vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free, and naturally organic.

Are you searching for Nassau County home for sale or Suffolk County homes for sale? Please contact us today to learn more about life on Long Island and begin touring our best properties in the area.

Did you know that your behavior and actions can affect the sale of your home? That's right. No matter how much effort you've put into cleaning, scrutinizing, and staging your home, one wrong move can easily put off potential buyers. Our REALTORS® have laid out seven etiquette rules that every seller needs to know to nail the deal.

• Leave the House
  Of course, you're dying to see how potential buyers will react to your kitchen upgrade, but most REALTORS® agree that sellers should not be at home during a showing or open house. Buyers will feel uncomfortable when the owner is around and watching their every move. Leaving the house during those times gives buyers the space they need to visualize living there instead of being spied on. And don't be tempted to drop in to see how your open house is going or to pose as a buyer.
  
  
• Take Your Pets With You
  Aside from you and your family leaving the house, it's also important to have a plan for pets. A playful kitten or barking dog running around the house during an open house or showing can be quite distracting. Not everyone is a pet person, and potential buyers could be allergic. Plus, your pet might be anxious and hostile with all the foot traffic and new faces. Provide a comfortable, stress-free environment for everyone by putting away any paraphernalia and taking your pet for a long walk, to the park, or for a drive.
  
  
• Provide Parking
  Make it easy for prospective buyers to park and view the home. Parking issues are frustrating and a sure way to get a showing off to a bad start. If a potential buyer has to park far away and then walk to your home, they may just skip the home tour altogether. Or if they just decide to take the hike, they may be a little nervous or in a lousy mood. Leaving your car in the driveway also sends the message that there isn't enough parking space. Vehicles should be parked inside the garage with the door closed or somewhere down the street.
  
  
• Provide Important Documents
  Buyers are more willing to put in an offer if they can find information about the home quickly and in writing. It is good selling etiquette to leave copies of necessary documents in an easy-to-find spot. Put out home warranty, home inspection report, monthly bill information, appraisal, and proof of any major repairs for buyers to peruse. Be sure to put away originals and any sensitive personal documents.
  
  
• Respond Quickly to Offers
  When a buyer makes an offer, do your best to respond to it quickly, preferably within 24-48 hours. Take the time to go through the offer and think about it. While making a quick decision is a good gesture, this isn't a matter to be taken lightly either. If you want more time, inform your listing agent so they can try to negotiate an extension. Also, don't be insulted if you get a low-ball offer. Respond with a counteroffer and be willing to negotiate.
  
  
• Listen to the Professionals
  You've done a great job of hiring a real estate agent you trust, but don't shoot the messenger. If your agent provides feedback or some suggestions for improvements that may help sell your home faster, listen to them, and don't allow your emotions to get in the way. This is a business transaction, and you need professional guidance to reach your goal of selling your property. Take criticism positively and move on.
  
  

Whether you're adding your home to the list of Nassau County homes for sale or Suffolk County homes for sale, our pros at Coach Realtors can help you show it off to its best advantage. Contact us to get started.

Fall is the perfect time to plan a family outing to get lost in a corn maze around Long Island. You'll also be able to enjoy other seasonal activities at most of the maze venues, including pumpkin picking and hayrides.

Our REALTORS® recommend the following corn mazes in the Long Island area:

1. F&W Schmitt's Family Farm – 26 Pinelawn Rd., Melville, NY 11747 
   F&W Schmitt's Family Farm has a corn maze that's open on weekends and holidays and has an "Arabian Nights: Legend of the Lamp" theme. Take your time navigating the 7-acre maze or challenge your friends or family to a race to see who can finish first. A haunted corn trail is also available for daytime or scarier nighttime walks, which feature "ghouls."
     
2. Hank's Pumpkintown – 240 Montauk Hwy., Water Mill, NY 11976
   The traditional corn maze is taken up a notch at Hank's Pumpkintown, which has interactive activities like a farm scene investigation game and finger foods along the way. You can also take a narrated hayride through the maze that provides information about the farm. And you may want to plan to spend several hours at Hank's, since there's plenty of other activities, including a 70-foot jump pad, 50-foot tube slide, and farm fun like pig races and calf milking.
   
   
3. Stakey's Pumpkin Farm – 270 West Lane, Aquebogue, NY 11931  
   Pit your wits against the twists and turns of a 3-acre corn maze at Stakey's Pumpkin Farm, but make sure to pick up your Corn Maze Trivia game before you start the puzzle. If you answer correctly, you'll be headed in the right direction, but wrong answers will lead you to wrong turns. And if you'd like to pick out some pumpkins, you'll find 26 acres to choose from.
   
   
4. Fink's Country Farm – 6242 Middle Country Road, Wading River, NY 11792
   Family owned and operated for over 50 years, Fink's Country Farm offers a corn maze and plenty of other family fun. Pick your own pumpkin, take a hayride, treat yourself to roasted corn and hot cider, and more while you're at the farm. And on Halloween, grab a flashlight and wind your way through the maze as you enjoy musical entertainment.
   
   
5. Fairview Farm at Mecox – 19 Horsemill Lane, Bridgehampton, NY 11932  
   This year marks the 20th anniversary of the corn maze at Fairview Farm at Mecox, which winds through about two miles of paths. As you go through the maze, you'll pass over two bridges that provide amazing views of the Atlantic Ocean as well as Mecox Bay.
   
   
6. Harbes Family Farm – 1223 Route 25, Jamesport, NY 11952
   Try out a newly themed Robin Hood maze at Harbes Family Farm this fall. You can test your knowledge of the famous character as you work your way through the maze and also help him via an interactive video mission. While you're at the farm, pick out a pumpkin to buy and take time out for a relaxing hayride.

Contact us if you're interested in Nassau County homes for sale or Suffolk County homes for sale.

There are six crucial questions that our REALTORS® recommend asking during a video tour. The answers you receive will let you know whether it's the right property for you, or whether it's time to move on down the road to the next house. 

1. Do You Have Any Concerns?
   This is a broad question, but it is very important to ask when the video tour comes to an end. This allows your Realtor to tell you what they think about the property. Maybe the storage space is inadequate, or perhaps the windows don't allow sufficient light into the home. There may be structural flaws, high utility bills, or an unsavory history of neighborhood problems. Asking this one question allows your realtor to tell you all the flaws and problems they see.
   
   
2. Can You Show Me a Close Up of the Cabinets/Appliances/Fixtures?
   A little polish and a touch of wax can make any cabinet or stainless steel finish look fabulous from afar. However, dings, dents, and blemishes become clear as day the closer you get. So, don't hesitate to ask Mr. Demille to give these the close up they deserve. If there is nothing to hide, the homeowner will happily oblige your request.
   
   
3. How Silent is the Home?
   If you have children or work from home, then you know a silent space is worth its weight in gold. Ask the homeowner how well the home is soundproofed and whether there is additional insulation between walls and floors. It's also a good idea to ask them when the home was last insulated and what R-Value products were used. This is a bonus that can clue you into the home's energy-efficiency and whether or not the furnace is adequate to heat the home in winter effectively.
   
   
4. How Long Has the Home Been on the Market?
   Most Nassau County and Suffolk County homes aren't on the market for long. If the home has been on and off the market for a long time, it could be because the home is overpriced for the neighborhood, has structural defects, or has a negative history attached to it. Whatever the reason, it's not likely you want to try and tackle a problem that can leave you with a poorly performing investment.
   
   
5. What Do You Like (and Not Like) About the Home?
   Homeowners will gladly tell you about the many things they like about their home. They may even wax nostalgic over holiday parties on the patio, birthday celebrations in the dining room, and family gatherings in the yard. Listen to how they answer these questions because they may just hide a few details they don't want you to know; like the fact the neighbors constantly complain about noise, the HOA's rules prevent gatherings, or the water heater doesn't supply enough hot water when guests come to visit.
   
   
6. Are There Any Structural Issues with the Home?
   Listen to the sounds of carpets and flooring as your hosts walk around. Please pay attention to the way hot water heaters, faucets, stoves, and other elements sound when they are in operation. If it sounds over the video, you can bet it sounds worse in person.

We're open for business, and it is always our pleasure to schedule video home tours for Nassau County homes for sale and Suffolk County homes for sale. We encourage you to contact us to schedule a video tour of the homes you want to see in the region.