Articles Tagged "Historic Landmarks"

If you're a resident of Long Island, looking at your community through the eyes of a tourist can help you rediscover or make a first trip to many interesting local destinations. You won't need to worry about traveling far or spending a lot of money, and if you'd like to make a return trip, they're within an easy drive.
  
Our real estate agents suggest exploring the following destinations to take a look at Long Island through a tourist's eyes:  

• Old Westbury Gardens – 71 Old Westbury Rd., Old Westbury, NY 11568
  Old Westbury Gardens and the estate of the same name, located near Old Westbury homes for sale, make you feel as though you've stepped into the pages of The Great Gatsby. The gorgeous grounds consist of 160 acres of lawns, wooded paths, beautiful gardens, water fountains, ponds, and lakes, and you'll frequently find events such as festivals hosted in the gardens. The estate, a 44-room English manor house, was built by financier John Phipps in 1906 and is also available to tour.

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Long Island is rich with history, with several sites that make ideal destinations for trips that are fun and educational. Theodore Roosevelt, as well as the Guggenheim and Vanderbilt families are part of the area's history, so you'll be able to visit their former homes as well as other interesting locations.

Our real estate agents suggest making a trip to visit the past at these historic Long Island destinations and making sure of any restricted hours due to COVID-19 before your visit:

• Vanderbilt Museum and Planetarium – 180 Little Neck Road, Centerport, NY 11721   
  Vanderbilt Museum and Planetarium is located near Centerport homes for sale and is on a 43-acre estate, the centerpiece of which is a spectacular Spanish-Revival mansion of William Vanderbilt II. Take a tour of the mansion's living quarters and then visit its Marine Museum to see wild-animal habitat, dioramas, and more. Then head to the planetarium to watch a show, complete with a full-dome view and surround sound. Finally, finish your visit at the observatory, where you can look at the evening sky through telescopes that provide amazingly detailed views.

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Laffey Real Estate, a leading residential real estate broker on Long Island, launched their Virtual Showing Platform in early April to much acclaim.  The demand for virtual viewings is still strong.  Visit Laffey.com/OpenHouse page to participate.  Interested buyers can find homes to preview every Wednesday from noon to 1:00 pm via Facebook Premier and Laffey.com. 

This is simple and safe home showings.  Go to Laffey.com/OpenHouse page.  Choose the property.  Click on the Facebook Live button under the listing address.  The open houses are scheduled in advance so the date and time is shown on the listing page as well.  Visitors will be notified when they are registered and will receive a notification that their Virtual Open House is beginning.  It is easy to explore open houses from a desktop, laptop and smart device.   

The market is very robust.  Nationwide, there was a 20.7 percent increase in existing-home sales — which includes single-family homes, townhomes, condominiums, and co-ops — between May and June of this year, according to the National Association of Realtors. 

On Long Island, the number of pending sales spiked by 60.6% in Nassau County and by 55.6% in Suffolk last month, compared with a year earlier, OneKey MLS, the multiple listing service that includes Long Island, reported Thursday.

Prices increased in both counties. In Nassau, closed sale prices ticked up 1.1% annually, to a median $551,250, and pending sale prices rose by 6.4%, to a median $580,000. Suffolk County median closed sale prices jumped by 5.8% to $439,000 and pending sale prices rose by 8.4% to $450,000, the listing service reported.

In July 2020, the median list price of single family homes in Queens County, NY was $750K, and media sale price was $650,000; condos median list price was $638,000 and media sold was $530,000. Homes in Queens County, NY sold for 3.5% below asking price on average in July 2020

Combined with record-low interest rates and high rents, City dwellers are adding another element to the frenzied pace of available home buyers. The average interest rate was 2.96% last week, down 0.64 percentage points from a year ago, mortgage giant Freddie Mac reported Thursday.

"This method of engaging our customers have proven fruitful for everyone", explained Donnamarie Chaimanis, President Laffey Real Estate.  "With Zoom, WhatsApp, Google Meets live streaming and showing appointments, the overwhelming number of buyers coming to our website requesting virtual showings and meetings has been awe-inspiring." 

Since mid-April, during the height of the pandemic and beyond, Laffey Real Estate débuted more than 500 Virtual Open Houses reaching thousands of potential buyers across Laffey.com, Agent Websites and Facebook. 

Iconic Melville Estate Rich in History and Design Excellence

Greenvale, NY – Laffey Real Estate is proud to represent the sellers of this mid-century modern masterpiece by the famed Architect of Rockefeller Center, the United Nations Headquarters, the master plan for Lincoln Center, the Perisphere and Trylon at the 1939 World's Fair and many other high profile historically significant structures in New York City. 

Located in Melville at a very desirable address, the Harrison House imbues architectural excellence.  This 3.6 acre private and masterfully restored estate is just as much a home as it is a work of art that celebrates form, material and the architect's penchant for circular spaces. 

Harrison House was the place for the lively social and artistic "who's who of the time" hosting everyone from Alvar Aalto and Marc Chagall to Robert Moses and French Painter Fernand Leger. 

In 1975 the house was sold to art dealer Harold Diamond and his wife. If the name doesn't spark a memory, the Diamonds are parents to Mike D of Beastie Boys fame.  During their ownership, the Diamonds were instrumental in getting the house designated on the National Register of Historic Places though it offered no protection from demolition. 

Fast forward, the current owners, while admittedly knowing very little about modernist architecture, recognized that the house was special and vowed to restore to its original luster.  Together with the guidance of Steve Schappacher and his partner Renee White, SchappacherWhite DPC and the new owners embarked on a 2-year odyssey to restore, rework and repair the once magnificent estate where it remains today as a testament to the memory of Harrison's remarkable vision. 

Three original circular rooms are the center design elements of this mid-century modern home. The circular living room with the original terrazzo/wood dance floor was the model for NYCs Rainbow Room. Grand rooms include the Gourmet kitchen with clerestory windows, upper and lower family rooms and library. Design features include 5 fireplaces, custom millwork and cabinetry throughout the house by Dune, walnut flooring and walls of glass which allows abundant light and landscaped grounds into the fabric of the home. An expanded lower level boats a multimedia theatre, wine cellar and gym and a convenient walkout to the rear grounds.

The grounds are a private resort with a stunning circular saltwater pool, new Turf Tek surface tennis court, slate patio, 8 hole mini-golf, waterfall and rolling hills of lush mature landscaping complete this architectural showcase.

Offered at $5,999,000 by Broker Owner Philip C. Laffey  516.359.1489 plaffey@laffeyre.com

About
Laffey Real Estate is one of the largest privately-held independent family-owned residential real estate firms on Long Island with a network of over 575 agents in 11 offices throughout Nassau, Western Suffolk and Queens Counties. Their global partnership with Leading Real Estate Companies of the World^® and Luxury Portfolio^® extends their reach to more than 70 countries worldwide. 

The firm is a full-service provider offering expertise in sales, rentals, relocation, mortgage, new development marketing, mortgage and title insurance to the Long Island marketplace. Their pioneering sales management platforms, worldwide brand identity and industry-leading training curriculum embody best in class standards throughout the industry. Consumers trust in Laffey Real Estate name to represent their home buying and selling interests locally and globally. 

Consistently ranked by the two of the industry's leading consulting and research firms, REALTrends and T3 Sixty, Laffey Real Estate has an exceptional record of success proudly recognized in the largest independent brokers, total sales volume, largest brokers nationwide and network partner Leading RE affiliates. 

Greenvale, NY  (August 29, 2019)  – Laffey Real Estate is pleased to announce the sale of the late Oleg Cassini's sprawling 43 acre estate in Oyster Bay Cove.  This is the highest recorded price for a home in Nassau County year to date 2019. Located at 313 McCouns in Oyster Bay Cove, the estate sold for $9,035,000 million in less than 260 days.  Philip C. Laffey and Mark T. Laffey, Broker Owners, handled both sides of the transaction.  . 

"We have listed some amazing properties but this one was truly remarkable," explained Philip Laffey.  "The history and celebrity of Cassini and his impact on the fashion world was found throughout the estate.  Of course, the property itself really captivated the uniqueness and opulence of the Gold Coast age."  According to a 1918 piece in Architecture Magazine, John Chandler Moore, Chairman of Tiffany & Company c. 1915 built the Oyster Bay Cove property that bears his name.  'Moorelands' was designed by architect, Charles Berg, in the Italian Renaissance style of the day. 

Purchased by Oleg Cassini, the late designer lived there until his death in 2006.  The estate remains a pristine reminder of early 1900s affluence and social standing. A testament to superb construction standards, the main residence was one of the few remaining inhabited Gold Coast estates. 

Surrounded by private estates, the natural deciduous and coniferous plantings that border the hilly property provide ample sound and privacy buffers.  Year round views of Oyster Bay Harbor add to the tranquility of the visual landscape.  The winding tree-lined drive, flanked by canopy of mature deciduous trees and multi-hued hydrangeas, opens to the massive (appx) 12,000 sq ft. brick 14-bedroom, 8.5 Bath three level main house.  In addition to the resort like pool and cabana on the grounds, the property has a pond, tennis court, two barns, and a large Carriage House with 4 apartments encompassing 8 bedrooms, 5 baths and 4 kitchens.

Philip and Mark, co-owners of Laffey Real Estate, have a history of working with the affluent and celebrated sellers including the late Alan King's Estate on the bluff in Kings Point.  Their curated brand of marketing homes pales in comparison to the vast network of affluent buyers and investors of premier homes on the North Shore and beyond.

About Laffey Real Estate

Laffey Real Estate is one of the largest privately held independent family-owned residential real estate firms on Long Island with a network of over 500 agents in 13 offices throughout Nassau, Western Suffolk and Queens Counties. Their global partnership with Leading Real Estate Companies of the World^®, Luxury Portfolio^® and Who's Who In Luxury Real Estate^® extends their reach to more than 70 countries worldwide. The firm is a full-service provider offering expertise in sales, rentals, relocation, mortgage, new development marketing, mortgage and title insurance to the Long Island marketplace. Their pioneering sales management platforms, worldwide brand identity and industry-leading training curriculum embody best in class standards throughout the industry. Consumers trust in Laffey Real Estate name to represent their home buying and selling interests locally and globally. 

Consistently ranked by the two of the industry's leading consulting and research firms, REALTrends and T3 Sixty, Laffey Real Estate has an exceptional record of success proudly recognized in the largest independent brokers, total sales volume, largest brokers nationwide and network partner Leading RE affiliates. 

Media Contact:  Cathy M. Poturny  Laffey Real Estate  516.626.1500 x390  cpoturny@laffeyre.com

With so many current military members and veterans living on Long Island, it's no surprise that Memorial Day holds a special place in the hearts of our residents. Our real estate agents are humbled by the sacrifices the brave women and men of our armed forces have made and plan on honoring their bravery throughout the weekend. You and your family can celebrate this important annual holiday as well by attending one of these Memorial Day events.

1. Memorial Day Flag Placement at Long Island National Cemetery – Wellwood Ave, Farmingdale, NY 11735
   What better way to honor those who have died for our country than at the Memorial Day Flag Placement Ceremony at Long Island National Cemetery? Beginning at 6:00 am on May 26th, volunteers will place flags at the headstones of our beloved veterans who have defended our freedom. At 2:00 pm, a ceremony will take place at the Memorial Garden. If you would like to show your respect and appreciation for our fallen soldiers, donate your time and make sure each headstone is not without a proud American flag. Just down the road from Farmingdale homes for sale, the ceremonial events at the Long Island National Cemetery offer an admirable way to spend your Memorial Day Weekend.
   
   

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Our REALTORS® want to invite you to celebrate the beauty of the natural world in Oyster Bay. Arbor Day is coming, and it's the perfect time to appreciate the outdoors.

Oyster Bay homes for sale are situated within a beautiful landscape that incorporates green spaces making full use of gorgeous its surrounding Long Island real estate. Although Oyster Bay is home to more than 294,000 people, its many trees give it a relaxed air.

Not surprisingly, the Oyster By community recognizes and protects its natural heritage. When Arbor Day arrives on April 27, people come out to celebrate and to plant trees for the next generation.

It's the Arbor Day Family Festival, and it's an event you won't want to miss.

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Huntington homes for sale are attracting plenty of acclaim these days, and our real estate agents are ready to handle the increased demand. But, naturally, even the most dedicated house-hunters don't spend all of their time looking for homes – they also want to get acclimated to Long Island's Gold Coast and all its amenities and sights. And what sights they are!

The Gold Coast is known for both its natural and man-made wonders.  In addition to the Gold Coast's beach and historic lighthouses, it has a collection of gorgeous mansions. Some modern, some historical, all of these fabulous constructions are impressive in their own way. There are even mansion tours so you can see all of them in a whirlwind tour that will leave you breathless.

If you only have time to see one magnificent mansion, though, we have the pick for you.  It's the Oheka Castle, also known as the Otto Kahn Estate.

And it stands out as truly unique in an area that's replete with architectural wonders. 

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Our real estate agents are forever on the lookout for the very best properties throughout Long Island. Not surprisingly, it's the place to find some of the most striking modern homes anywhere in the region – and many of them even find their way on the market. 

Naturally, living in an older historic property has some interesting challenges. Maintenance and even cleaning can be more complex. But there's simply nothing like knowing that your very own home is a part of the Long Island story. Laffey Real Estate can help you get there.

The most unforgettable historic estate to hit the market in ages is the Old Westbury Estate.

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Our real estate agents at Laffey Real Estate are always looking for ways to introduce more home buyers to everything Long Island has to offer. Our local area has a character all its own that you won't want to miss. Even if you're familiar with Manhattan, Long Island is an experience! 

One amazing aspect of Long Island is all the history you can still find standing side by side with beautiful, modern homes and amenities. It's impossible to overlook all the wonderful ways its past and environment has shaped all Long Island offers its residents.

One of the centerpieces of Long Island's unique beauty is the Montauk Point Lighthouse.

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