As a Feng Shui New York based Consultant, I get calls and emails all the time for questions people aren't sure about when making changes for Feng Shui in their own homes.  It is sometimes difficult to get through all the emails though I try but last week I received TWO about the same thing for people ready to paint and found they both had misconceptions about Feng Shui and Color.  One potential client called from Oyster Bay Long Island to get my opinion just before running out to choose paint colors, afraid they would make a mistake. As some of you may know, I've had my own issues with choosing so many paint choices.  I want light and love color and years ago, in Feng Shui, there were some hard and fast rules about color choices.  Some colors, it was said, were destined to ruin an area ... 08/16/2008

    For lovers of animals, there is a new exhibit at Sagamore Hill in Oyster Bay Cove that just opened and will run till Jan. 2009.  Sagamore Hill in Oyster Bay Cove is a neighboring village of Oyster Bay, NY.  It was the summer White House during the Theodore Roosevelt presidency.  The photo exhibit is titled "White House Pets: Ambassadors at Large" sponsored by Friends of Sagamore Hill and the Sagamore Hill National Historic Site.  There are photos of animals at the White House from Thomas Jefferson era all the way to George W. Bush.  Artifacts relating to pets at Theodore Roosevelt White House were also added.   There are lots of exciting stories with the young Roosevelt children and their love of animals.  Apparently Quentin and Archie Roosevelt befriended the pet store owner near t... 08/10/2008

  The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) by mandate of Congress will be updating the country's flood maps.  It is a five-year initiative called Map Modernization using aerial photography and topography of flood-risk zones.   If you live near the water, it is advisable to buy flood insurance before the new Flood Map is adopted in order to take advantage of the low rate.  While you are still out of the floodplain on the old map and buy flood insurance now, your low insurance rate will be "grandfathered in" on the new maps.  Remember flood insurance does not take effect until 30 days after purchase and with the hurricane season ahead of us, it makes good sense to have protection coverage.  FEMA will publish two notices in the local newspapers giving residents a 90-day period to app... 08/07/2008

Long Island Houses SPEAK in Feng Shui As a Feng Shui Consultant on Long Island and New York City, I recently was called to a client's home in the lovely Long Island town of Oyster Bay New York.  I am called to work there often-and I play there as well!  A New York Consultant's Choice for Reconnecting with Nature by Feng Shui Long Island & New York City This particular Feng Shui Client had not revealed much information to me over the phone, although I had asked.  She just said she had an interest in Feng Shui and wanted a consultation.  When I arrived at her home that day, I was prepared to ask her some questions and TEACH the principles and topics of Feng Shui so she would be able to apply it to her office space without having to call me twice.  I make it a point to teach my clients Fen... 07/22/2008

Feng Shui and Children: A New York Feng Shui Consultant's Thoughts For many years I have noticed the sensitivity of children in all things related to Feng Shui.  They are particularly aware of their surroundings and instinctively know what colors soothe them.  For years I have advised my Feng Shui Clients on Long Island and in Manhattan to allow children to choose their own paint colors (within reason, of course) and to give them a hand in decorating...with a Feng Shui point of view in mind. Children are extremely sensitive and often can see, hear and mostly FEEL things that we cannot.  Perhaps because they are so young and open they can feel the energy more.  We live in a vibrational world and are surrounded by energy all the time. I was called recently for a Feng Shui Consultation in ... 07/16/2008

Where does a New York Feng Shui Consultant go to reconnect with Nature?  Since I am often in New York City, I must say I love Central Park.  The energies of the Park change constantly from place to place; some parts have music blaring and lots of activity to the quieter parts of the park where people are just enjoying all the beautiful scenery. When I am on Long Island, one of my favorite places is The Planting Fields Arboretum in Oyster Bay, New York.  It is a quieter energy here, the scenery and historic buildings are beautiful and you find yourself wandering paths with beautiful trees, plants and outdoor flowers or can go into any one of a number of greenhouses to enjoy a more tropical feeling.  It is truly a place for a Feng Shui Consultant to reconnect with nature and the town of O... 06/15/2008

A little Feng Shui in gorgeous Oyster Bay. New York has it's share of beautiful places and there is nothing quite like the "Gold Coast" of Long Island in New York. The estates there are stunning as is the land.  Many sit right on the water and the views are spectacular.  Acres of the beautiful land have been preserved as The Planting Fields Arboretum and it's a spectacular place to visit, wander the grounds and for a Feng Shui Consultant, to reconnect with nature and some of the most spectacular flowers that bloom all Spring and Summer. That was my idea in going there---I couldn't imagine why the traffic was so heavy but this IS Long Island and anything can happen...and usually does. A big principle of Feng Shui is to reconnect with nature and I try to do that often.  I have a knack for... 05/21/2008

  As we celebrate Presidents' Day today, I thought of writing something about the home of one of our famous presidents.  Sagamore Hill is the home of Teddy Roosevelt located in Cove Neck, just few miles from the village of Oyster Bay.  Sagamore is a title of the head of an Indian tribe.  I am proud to be living in the same town where Teddy Roosevelt, our 26th President called home from 1886 until his death on January 6, 1919.  He and his second wife raised six children in the house.  During his presidency from 1902 to 1908, Sagamore Hill was his Summer White House.  As a young man of 22, Teddy Roosevelt purchased 155 acres of land on Cove Neck for $30,000.  In 1884, he hired Lamb & Rich, a New York architectural firm to build a Queen Anne home.  Sagamore Hill was finished at a cost of $... 02/18/2008

I realize this new advanced feature has not made it around to all the areas of the United States yet. My Long Island Multiple Listing Service just picked it up at the very end of 2007. It allows you to give an account to your buyers and sellers and interact with them on a constant basis viewing listings in your Multiple Listing Service. They have the lee way to set the parameters of their search or you can do it for them. You see exactly what they are looking at and what they are saving to their favorites. You are able to write notes back and forth on a particular property. It sends your buyers and sellers a daily up date in the morning with new listings or price changes on the properties that they are interested. It is a great tool to share with your clients. Since the beginning of Jan... 01/29/2008

If you are thinking of living in Oyster Bay, here are few facts about this historic town. Oyster Bay is a picturesque small village on a peninsula with tree lined residential streets, historic landmarks and beautiful waterfront area. The downtown area which the residents lovingly call the Hamlet has small shops, restaurants, hair salons, hardware stores,few banks, houses of worship of different denominations and several museums. The residential downtown area is lined with colonial and victorian houses. Nearby is Oyster Bay Cove where Sagamore Hill is located. For people who is not familiar with Oyster Bay, Sagamore Hill was the home of President Theodore Roosevelt, the 26th president of the United States. His graveyard is close by near the intersection of Cove Rd and Cove Neck Rd. On th... 01/29/2008

Oyster Bay Real Estate increased in the number of sales from 2006 to 2007 by 29% while the median sales price dropped by 14%. Colonial homes in the Oyster Bay Real Estate market once again were the most desirable with 25 sold in 2006 and another 31 closed in 2007. Taxes on residential Real Estate in Oyster Bay dropped by an average of 3% from 2006 to 2007. Average days on the market increased from 96 to 147.  There are 9 homes currently under contract in the Real Estate market of Oyster Bay. Find out more about Oyster Bay or the North Shore Real Estate, contact me at 516 376-3899 or visit Joseph Mimmo at Laffey Associates.  Joseph MimmoAssociate BrokerCentury 21 Laffey AssociatesOffice: 516 922-9800 Ext. 209Cell: 516 376-3899Fax: 516 922-9153 01/26/2008

Oyster Bay Real EstateOyster Bay Real Estate in Long Island N.Y. is exclusive and very desirable. It will take an Oyster Bay Real Estate Expert and local native of over 40 years to give you that real estate edge when finding the best value in Oyster Bay Real Estate. Oyster Bay is situated on the North Shore of Long Island also known as the Gold Coast. Summer Home of Theodore Roosevelt the 26th President of the United States, Sagamore Hill in Cove Neck and also the final resting place of Teddy. Many of the Estates in Oyster Bay Cove have at least 2 acres and are in a country setting as picturesque as any New England post card. I can show you any of these estates and negotiate for you the best price and terms. Oyster Bay Real Estate and the Oyster Bay Community are both exclusive and have... 01/26/2008

This house belongs to some of the best clients I have EVER consulted for---and that's saying a lot!  They live in the beautiful town of Oyster Bay on Long Island, New Yorkand were in need of repairs, Feng Shui and Organizing.  You couldn't ask to meet more wonderful, warmhearted people and despite their state of disrepair in their home, they never stop and complain or let it get them down.  That's pretty hard to do when you're living in a state like this, but that's the way they are.  They truly LIVE The Secret every day and know things will get better.  Although it's been a long haul for them, they are getting there.The damage was caused by Termites that went undetected for a very long time.  Long enough that I don't believe there was any part of their home that hadn't been affected.  ... 08/29/2007