Central New York Real Estate Blog » Syracuse

Downtown Living Tour May 19th 12-6 PM

Pei Lin — Tue, 15 May 2012 17:55:17 +0000

We can’t help but get excited for the Downtown Living Tour - we are after all realtors- we make a living when people buy places to live. But what really gets us jazzed is the diversity of shelter that the greater Syracuse area has to offer and none better displayed then the array of city lofts, green apartments, condominiums etc…at the Downtown Committee’s annual open house extravaganza.

Walking this tour really gives you the opportunity to see just how manageable a city like Syracuse is by foot. Shuttles are also available along with special discounts at downtown restaurants, shops and more.

If you’re thinking about a move downtown or your guilty pleasure is peeking at cool interiors then this is the tour for you. If you’ve got a thing for historic preservation or love that urban scene, then this tour is for you too. It’s a fun day with a great vibe celebrating the emergence of Downtown Syracuse as THE place to be and live.

Mother’s Day and the Perfect Gift!

Pei Lin — Fri, 11 May 2012 19:19:53 +0000

Just a few days until Mother’s Day – and the quest is on to find an appropriate way to let the most important woman in your life know just how much she means to you. Polls have shown that Moms nationwide really do like to receive flowers, spa treatments and thoughtful cards -both homemade and store bought. Most crave a little time for themselves but will almost always opt for some quality time with their families over any other gift ideas.

Sycamore Hill Gardens holds an annual Mother’s Day tour in Marcellus. Proceeds benefit Baltimore Woods . Even if I can’t be with my mom on Mother’s Day, I can’t think of a more beautiful way to honor her then strolling the grounds of this unique and beautiful spot while helping to raise money for the nature center. She passed her love of gardening on to me.

Spa gifts are a click away with coupons good at thousands of spas and wellness centers, or who can resist chocolate and fruit artfully arranged in bouquets?

Remember, as mom used to always say, “actions speak louder than words,” so keep the following in mind when selecting that special gift for that special someone.

Don’t buy . . . a new telephone
Do . . . call often to say I love you.

Don’t buy . . . 500-thread count sheets/ quilt cover/ bed ensemble
Do . . . let her lie in bed as long as she likes on a regular basis and bring her breakfast

Don’t buy . . . a toaster- even if this season’s model is adorned with trendy stripes
Do . . . clean out the crumbs from her old one.

Don’t buy . . . a microwave.
Do . . . take her out for dinner – regularly.

Don’t buy . . . a picture frame.
Do . . . dig out a special photograph from yesteryear and then buy a frame.

Don’t . . . ask your Mum what she wants for Mother’s Day or make your purchase at the last minute.
Do . . . think about what she’d love rather than what she needs and get the practical stuff another time. Remember, the card is as important as the gift. And making her feel special is most important of all. (Do’s & Don’ts Courtesy PerthNow.com)

Tax Credit Extension

Pei Lin — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 01:56:45 +0000

In what has been urged as a must-have by real estate professionals and builders, the $8000 tax credit for first-time home buyers (previously due to expire Nov. 30), has been extended through April 30, 2010, according to the Associated Press. Not only has it been extended, but it has also been expanded to include more buyers.First-time home buyers who bought after January 1, 2009 (original date of credit term) and close before April 1 2010, would get the full $8,000. In cases where a binding sales contract is signed by April 30, 2010, a home purchase completed by June 30, 2010 will qualify.

Current homeowners looking for a new home could also qualify for a $6,500 credit if they have lived in their existing primary residence for at least five years. However they must have purchased the new home after Nov. 6th 2009 to qualify for this tax credit.

Two publications from the National Association of Realtors provide detailed information:
Homebuyer Tax Credit Changes
Homebuyer Tax Credit Changes: Most Frequently Asked Questions

100 Best Bang-For-The-Buck Cities!

Pei Lin — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 23:22:52 +0000

Syracuse named #15 of 100! Forbes.com has recently analyzed housing affordability, travel time, unemployment, real estate taxes, vacancies, job forecast, home price forecast, and foreclosure rank to come up with America’s Best Bang-For-The-Buck Cities.

Locating a desirable spot to settle down means something quite different today than it did just three years ago. That’s when Americans flocked to coastal and Sun Belt cities like Orlando, Fla., and Las Vegas, where properties were easy to acquire and home values were expected to noticeably appreciate.Now, with home prices nationwide down 29% from their 2006 peak, according to Case Schiller, areas that were left behind during the home-building and home-buying craze suddenly look more attractive. Buying an affordable home in a city with a stable housing market, among other pluses like reasonable property taxes and minimal travel time to work, is the new definition of bang for the buck.

Click here to see full list.

2009 Ride for the Rescue!

Pei Lin — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 13:04:16 +0000

Last year’s Rescue Mission Ride for the Rescue raised more than $130,000 to fight homelessness in our community! With over 300 riders and 20 virtual riders, this year’s celebration promises even greater opportunities to change lives in a big way.
Mark your calendars now!

This year’s giant bicycling event takes place July 19th at The Inner Harbor.

Your support of Ride for the Rescue helps provide:

meals for the hungry
beds for the homeless
clothes for the poor
hope for those in despair

Ready to make a difference? Here’s how!

RIDE

Ride for the Rescue offers routes for bicyclists of all ages and skills.

Take part in the 2-mile Family Fun Ride
Challenge yourself to the 62-mile Metric Century Ride
Choose something in between — 10 miles, 20 miles or 40 miles.

BECOME A VIRTUAL RIDER

You can be a part of this great cycling celebration and without getting on a bike! As a virtual rider, you will participate just like actual riders without all the pedaling!

SPONSOR

Support a friend, family member or co-worker through a generous gift. Your gift helps those who are served at the Rescue Mission, and may also help your sponsored rider win great prizes!

VOLUNTEER

Every event requires hundreds of hands to ensure success.Are you a worker bee? Check out the Volunteer Opportunities.

Pei Lin Huang and the Pei Lin Team are proud to be a sponsor of Ride for the Rescue.

Ready. Set. Register.

The Eighth Westcott Art Trail

Pei Lin — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 07:25:19 +0000

We are proud to be one of the sponsors for the eighth Westcott Art Trail June 6-7, 2009. Featuring over 60 area artists in 20 locations, the Westcott Art Trail promises to have something for every art lover. The proceeds will benefit the Westcott Community Center.

Join us Saturday, June 6th from 10-5 and Sunday, June 7th from 12-5.

Last year I discovered the ceramic butter keeper… local potter Meg Conner, a dear friend, recently made me my very own!
You fill the lid with butter, fill the base with water, and voila, fresh, soft butter all the time without fear of it going rancid. Meg will be at the Clayscapes booth (#15) at 241 Buckingham Ave.

There are so many lovely things…so much talent in our little neighborhood!
The locations include artists’ homes and studios.

Fourteen artists will be giving live demonstrations in silk painting, henna, watercolor, ceramic wheel throwing and firing, oil painting, origami, jewelry making and more!

Want a little “hands on experience”?

Visitors will be able to glaze and take home their own ceramic piece that has been fired in an outdoor Raku kiln.

The Westcott Community center will have a local Farmer’s Market that will include, refreshments, with a wide selection of Cabot Cheese and a bake sale for youth programming.

They will also host the Lost Boys of Sudan and their ceramic cows.

Be sure to stop by the Westcott Community Center on the corner of Euclid Ave and Westcott Street.

The Westcott Community Center has been serving the Syracuse area for over 13 years, providing many needed services and programming to everyone in the community. They feature monthly art shows for emerging artists in the community centers art gallery. Be sure to check out the Westcott Community Center Facebook page.

Come on out for a great cause, meet your neighbors, have some food, fun, make and buy beautiful artwork from local artists.

Bright yellow flags mark each artist location.

Download a map listing participating artists or pick one up at the Westcott Community Center.

Victorian House & Garden Tour

Pei Lin — Wed, 27 May 2009 21:51:21 +0000

Victorian House & Garden Tour in Syracuse’s own Hawley-Green neighborhood, Saturday, May 30, 2009 at 12:00 noon. Meet at the First English Lutheran Church at James and Townsend Streets for a guided tour of Victorian restorations, community garden, architecturally significant buildings and charming streets.

Catered by area cafes and restaurants this promises to be a delightful and delicious way to spend the afternoon!

Included in the tour will be our featured listing at 417 Howard St., a Victorian treasure with natural woodwork, stained glass AND updated mechanicals, 3 bedrooms, 1 full bath PLUS a third floor apartment.

House and garden tour fee is $5, reservations recommended.

Contact Hawley-Green (at) aol (dot) com or 315-214-4340.

Searching for the Perfect Home

Pei Lin — Sun, 15 Feb 2009 10:55:39 +0000

We all have individual tastes and budgets when it comes to finding our dream home. Looking for a classic Craftsman? An end unit townhome? Or a traditional with wooded views? A Colonial in the University area? Or something in historic Berkeley? We will do whatever it takes.

Pei Lin helped me buy my house and she helped me sell it. To put it mildly, buying and selling a home can be a trying experience. Pei Lin made the process clear and walked me through each step. When I bought my home she listened to what it was that I was looking for, and only showed me homes that I was interested in. And at the time I had to sell my home, I was living 400 miles away. She took care of details that I would never have been able to handle and marketed my house like it was her own. Pei Lin’s team was also a wonderful asset for a person who was doing all this for the first time. They were always available to answer questions and were very conscientious in assiting me. I never missed a deadline, my paperwork was always complete and they knew every detail of the laws and regulations I had to follow. They helped me with the ins and outs of financing and proved to be a great source of knowledge when assessing the physical characteristics of the homes I looked at. My experience with them was nothing but enjoyable. I highly recommend Pei Lin Huang and her team for anyone buying or selling a home. — M. Maguire

View homes I have sold here.
Search the MLS here.

New York Central Station

Pei Lin — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 11:13:23 +0000

Many people may not know or remember that the main lines of the New York Central and Lackawanna railroads used to run through the streets of downtown Syracuse. Maximum speed was limited to 15 miles-per-hour. This situation was not remedied until the completion of the new New York Central Station (now Time Warner cable channel 10) on Erie Boulevard with its accompanying elevated tracks (now I-690) in 1936.

Pei Lin CNY Home Team

Pei Lin — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 13:02:18 +0000

Buying or selling a home will be one of the largest financial commitments you make in your lifetime. Whether you are in the market for the first time or you are a seasoned homeowner, choosing the right team is crucial to your success. I have been selling homes in Syracuse and the surrounding areas full time since 1987. Our team has over 30 years combined experience, and we strive to guide our clients through all aspects of real estate transactions — from setting a financial goal to keeping abreast of available and competing homes to simplifying all the legal paperwork. All of our team members engage in ongoing educational seminars on relevant laws and current technology to assure that you, our client, are always given the best service and advice.

When you work with our team, your goals and needs will be attended to, making your transition as smooth as possible. Our strength is teamwork which we achieve by making your goals our own. Whether it is a local move or out of state, we are here to help.