Brokers talk buying and selling in Malverne

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As the temperatures rise, so does interest in buying and selling homes, which — according to local experts — means that the Malverne real estate market should be busier in the coming months.
“The market has been heating up steadily,” said Phillip Greenblatt, a real estate broker for Village Plaza Realty in Malverne. “Right now it’s very, very hot.” He added that many homes have sold for more than their asking price.
If he’s correct, residents may see an influx of potential buyers checking out the area this summer. “I think it’s a strong market,” Greenblatt said. “It’s absolutely a seller’s market.”
“There’s definitely young people that are buying, but there’s always a mix,” said David Zivotofsky, a real estate salesman for Realty Connect USA in West Hempstead. “There’s always older people that sometimes move to be closer to their children and grandchildren.”
“It’s a mix,” Greenblatt agreed. “There are people that are trading up from lower-price houses to larger houses. There are people coming in that are younger and starting out.”

Real estate experts said that it’s not difficult to interest buyers in moving to Malverne, a village that primarily features colonials and Capes.
“Malverne tends to be a steppingstone for a place like Rockville Centre and Garden City going up, as well as coming down,” Greenblatt said. “People move up to larger homes in those areas, and a lot of people come back to Malverne after their families have grown and move out, and they downsize to smaller homes.”
“Malverne is such a unique place,” said Patricia Murphy, a real estate saleswoman for Village Plaza Realty. “Most people that are buying in Malverne want to move here because of the quaintness.”
Inventory has been limited for many real estate agencies on Long Island, but local brokers are hopeful that it will increase as the weather warms up. “The lack of inventory is the most difficult part right now because you have great buyers out there who are really great people, and there’s very little to show them,” Green-blatt said. “Traditionally, spring is a time where people list their homes so that might increase the inventory.”
Whether buying or selling, experts recommended finding a broker you trust to help. “Having somebody work with you and look out for your best interests definitely pays off,” Zivotofsky said. “It’s in your best interests to do that.”
Greenblatt listed service, listening and care as the keys to a successful sale. He said that as a broker, “You have to be available to your buyers and your sellers.”
“You really have to know your area. That is number one,” Murphy added.
When selling, experts said that cleanliness goes a long way. “Being neat, clutter-free and clean are the main things for sellers to focus on,” Murphy said. “It’s the same old thing. Real estate never changes. We don’t sell a house. A house sells itself.”
As for buyers, people should “put the time in to look and to examine the houses, to have the inspections done and do their due diligence as well,” Greenblatt said. “They have to check everything out for themselves.”
“Don’t hesitate too much,” Zivotofsky said. “If they really like it, they shouldn’t let it go because somebody else might swipe it the next day.”
Competition among buyers has driven Malverne’s median price up to $514,500, according to Zillow, with home values increasing by 9.4 percent last year.