My Love/Hate Relationship With HGTV by a Realtor!

So I have a blog for my Office but I don't generally blog....... I have People that blog....and they do a much better job than I think I can..... But as I prepare to put my house up on the market this weekend- a blog has formulated in my head (over and over for the past few weeks......) Should I entitle it- Why every Realtor should put their house on the market every few years? OR  My Love/Hate Relationship with HGTV..... I decided on the love/hate thing. The content and message are pretty much the same- but I think maybe the Love/Hate thing might get a bit more attention. People generally love HGTV..... not so much Realtors! (weewoo- sorry staff and fellow Realtors- but you know this to be true.....)
So my husband and I decided it was time to put our house on the market. We love our house! There are so many wonderful things about it.....from the outside porch overlooking Manatuck Lake (lots of Heron sightings and ice skating Norman Rockwell type moments- to all the wonderful nooks and crannies inside.  We feel it is time..... But now- we have to PREPARE to put our house on the market. I have to do all the things I casually say to my clients that they should do to make their houses more marketable.....things like "you need to declutter.... bathrooms should be spotless, personal photos to a minimum, landscaping spruced up...... things like that! In fact- I have a fabulous list of suggestions written in bullet points I hand to my clients when we meet for the first time! I can rattle these things off like nobody's business! As I rattle these things off to my husband and prepare new lists each day - the sideways looks he first gave me are turning to arched eyebrows to a low whistle to a resounding "are you crazy?" How did this come to be- you might wonder? ahhhhhhhhh here comes the tie in: My Love/Hate relationship with HGTV (and Realtor Internet sites too!) Before the Internet and HGTV (yes I have been a REALTOR that long!) people relied on their Realtor to take them to houses they thought were good houses.  The houses looked like people lived in them. They didn't have perfectly straightened closets with their clothes in color order! Personal photos were all over the place- and houses with kids actually had toys strewn about!!!!! Stagers didn't need to be hired- because people actually let people see what it was like to live in these houses!!! Ahhhhhhh I miss the good old days! As I work to make my house look like we are an Episode to be featured on HGTV- I encourage you to come see my work of art this Sunday 9/13/2015 from 12-2 pm at 9 Lawrence Lane, Bay Shore, N.Y. 11706. You won't be disappointed- my closets are not only in size order- they have bins labeled inside!

Take a Long Island Stay-cation!

So many of us are sick and tired of this cold weather and need to get away, but not many of us have time or funds to put an entire vacation together. But do not fret! We have some fun, exciting ideas for a stay-cation- a vacation right in your area- to escape the cold, dreary weather.

          Inside 97-acre Hidden Pond Park in Hauppauge, The Rinx has two indoor ice rinks. The venue provides figure skating and hockey lessons as well as daily public skate sessions, including “Rock & Roll” night every Friday 8:15p-10:15p. Admission varies depending on the day and time of your visit so check out therinx.com for details about prices, times and events. Ice skating is an enjoyable winter activity the whole family will love!

          If you’re not in the mood to move around, then the movies is the place to be! There are so many movie theatres on Long Island to choose from, like the Deer Park Regal Cinemas at the Tanger Outlets. This theatre has a large selection of movies for all ages.

          If you really aren’t into bearing the cold, then baking is a fun, crafty thing for everyone in the house to take part in! Stay in and stay warm by the oven and make yummy treats all day long! Another in-home activity would be arts and crafts- paper snowflakes, gingerbread houses, and anything winter! This is great to keep kids busy and parents happy.

          Use these tips of the trade to keep busy and out of the cold this winter! No matter your time or budget, these activities will fit any family and make your stay-cation one for the books!

Martin Luther King, Jr

Martin Luther King Jr. 

      Martin Luther King Jr. was the biggest face during the Civil rights movement in the 1960s. Many attribute this man with the social freedom of blacks everywhere. Although the Emancipation Proclamation was signed more than 100 years before, blacks were still being targeted by the Klu Klux Klan and were subject to segregation because of the Jim Crow Laws. Martin Luther King Jr. took steps to end the struggle of absolute freedom for blacks throughout the United States.

        Every third Monday of January, Americans take a day to reflect and remember what King accomplished to better our society and the people within it. Because of his achievements, every person has equal opportunity to do anything they want. Children of all different ethnicities go to school and play together. The world and its acceptance has grown drastically since King’s time, and it continues to grow because of thinkers like him. We can all learn from the trials and triumphs that he overcame to become one of the greatest Americans leaders ever. Because of him, schools, restaurants, bathrooms, and basically every public facility are desegregated. There were many other Civil rights movement contributors, yet King was the most effective in that he was a fearless and great leader that gave freedom to every person after him. On this Martin Luther King Day, let us all take it as a time of observance and remembrance for this incredible man and all he has done to improve and inspire our nation.

In The Spirit of Thanksgiving

     In the Spirit of Thanksgiving we join together around a table and show gratitude for our food, our families, our friends, our homes, our blessings.

While we are grateful every day for so many things in our lives, we don't often share that every day, and so this holiday is one that is very special.  This gives us a day to actually reach out and remember those that have made a difference in our lives.  For some it may be their family, it may be friends, it may be a teacher, a pastor, a neighbor, our military.  For us here at Meg Smith and Associates it is all of the above, and our customers and clients too.

This is the one day of the year that we don't only think about our gratitude but we have the opportunity to express it.  We can reach out and say "I'm thankful for you" by sending a card, making a call, stopping by with a gesture of some kind.  It's the one day, all year long, that nobody is going to question our over zealous appreciation and expression of thankfulness.

A career in real estate means meeting new people all the time.  Some are just beginning their journey and searching for their first home.  Others are scaling down and looking for life a little less stressful, and some are taking big strides and moving up with their growing families.  Allowing us to be a part of these very monumental moments in your life is truly rewarding.  Our referrals are the heart of our business, and as you thank us by speaking of our services to others, our business grows, and for that we are forever grateful.  

So while we sit around the table with our families this holiday we will be thankful for all around us, our family, our food, our friends, our God and our military, and you - our faithful and loyal clients and customers.  Happy Thanksgiving all year through!

Falling for the Children...We hope you will join us

At Meg Smith and Associates our community is so very important to us. Each year we combine our efforts to help in some way.  This year we have chosen to focus on children with Autism and are proud to announce our  "Fall Festival to Fight the Mystery"!

All of the proceeds of this fundraiser will go directly to the EJ Autism Foundation to help those in need.

The fabulous fun fall event will be held on October 18th from 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. at St. Luke's Lutheran Church, 3 Lawrence Lane (corner of Montauk Highway) in Bay Shore.

There is fun for the whole family!!!  We will have pumpkin picking, Face Painting, Carnival Games, Bounce House, Mums and Fall Decor, and Chinese Auction Raffle Baskets, plus snacks and drinks, caramel apples and cider all in one great location.


We hope to see many of you there as we enjoy the beautiful fall festival and help families that are fighting the mystery of the Autism.

A Fathers Day Message from Meg Smith and Associates.

This month we celebrate Fathers Day.  As your local realtors we realize that when we help you search for the perfect house, we are not only finding you a home, but we are helping you find the perfect place where you will choose to build the future of your family.

In the eyes of a Dad, the yard becomes the playing field where his children will soon practice their sports and hobbies, the family room becomes the room that will soon be filled with toys and games, and the garage becomes the area that will provide for storage of bicycles and strollers.

There is no greater smile on the face of a Dad than when they see their children excel in their school academics and take part in the various athletic teams.   You see, greater than any job a Dad may have, is his job of being a father.  This job of being a vital role in the lives of our children is the most strenuous, yet most rewarding and  greater than any vision he has for himself, is the vision he has for his children. 
To all of the wonderful fathers out there who take the time to play with their children, attend the huge number of timely events, learn to use facebook, twitter and texts just to stay connected, pushed strollers through parks and maintain your beautiful home for your family to enjoy,  we thank you.  We thank you for your involvement, your love and your parenting.

As the saying goes “A father is a man who has replaced the currency in his wallet with the snapshots of his kids” .  Always know the time you spend never goes unnoticed, unwanted or unappreciated.  To all the great dads out there…Happy Fathers Day!

Meg Smith and Associates Memorial Day Tribute

As Memorial Day approaches we reflect on the men and women that have served our Country and lost their lives in doing so.  Not a day goes by that we are not grateful for the freedoms we share and in such, not a moment passes that we ever neglect to feel thankful for the blessings bestowed upon us by those to fought and made our freedom possible.

To the families of these soldiers we extend our heartfelt gratitude for the sacrifice you too have made in the loss of your loved one.  The honor given to our country by these individuals should be remembered every day of the year, and not just on Memorial Day.

God Bless all of you, and all of your families that are living without you, so that all of our families may live in Freedom.