Mr. Williamsburg Grows Up!

I was raised in Williamsburg Brooklyn back when a 3 bedroom apartment went for a whopping $600 a month and when you could not walk to certain blocks unless you knew someone there or you would be beaten and robbed. Forget about going to McCarren Park after dark. I grew up thinking the park turned into an earthly version of hell on steroids (thank you mom and dad). Bedford was known as the spot where nothing but prostitutes and gangsters hung out at night. The Williamsburg Bridge was t0he last place you would have ever crossed after dark, unless you were there to venture into the world of illegal graffiti and heroine usage. Wow, how my hometown has changed!

The prices have definitely jumped through the roof. You can't even rent a room in a share for $600 a month. You can now walk through McCarren Park late at night and the only people who will harass you are the couple of broke kids asking to bum a cigarette off of you. Bedford is now the most desirable hangout for all the cool Brooklynites. The Williamsburg Bridge now connects Brooklynites and Manhattanites in a great interchange of ideas, events and hellos. Wow, how my hometown has changed!

I am glad that Graham Avenue still reads Avenida de Puerto Rico, giving respect to the community that built this strip into a great shopping avenue, full of promise and economic stability to the hood. I am glad that the handball courts still stand in McCarren Park, and at IS 49, for they symbolize a game that we poor kids grew up playing since all we had to do was chip in to buy a ball ($1) and take turns playing the game. I'm glad that there are still some great, authentic Spanish restaurants, many churches, and lots of community centers where the old timers and the new jacks can come together and mingle. I am also happy that many changes have taken place so that my children can now walk the streets without worrying about the little gangs that used to chase me for my sneakers. 

My Williamsburg is no longer the ghetto, but it is still my hood. The memories I have of growing up on Graham Avenue, walking to McCarren, getting together with my brothers, cousins and close friends for a game of Johnny on The Pony are still vivid in my mind. The new memories I build with friends who have moved to Brooklyn from far away lands such as Manhattan and Queens, and from even further distanced lands such as other states and other countries, those memories are priceless as well. I am Williamsburg, and will continue to love the growth of my neighborhood and my community.

Tell me about your community and the changes you've seen over the years.

George L. Rosario with Coldwell Banker www.GeorgeRosario.com

Bargain Hunters Sometimes End Up With Bargain Service

The "Bargain Hunters" don't always get the best value for their money. I am a HUGE fan of thrift stores, garage sales, flea markets and other such venues, but when it comes to the big ticket items, I am a fan of going to the professionals. I don't bargain hunt when it comes to my car because my children ride in it every day. I don't bargain hunt when it comes to my teeth because I plan to enjoy a life-long love affair with good foods. I don't bargain hunt when looking for a good pediatrician for my children because they deserve the best. If I were to ever need an attorney, I would not ask him about his fees, but rather would interview several attorneys to see which would serve my needs the best. Price is never an issue when service is of the utmost importance. So why is it that some folks choose to bargain hunt when searching for a real estate agent to list their home with? Why do people rush to the agent that works for 2% commission without learning more about that agent, the brokerage he represents, and the level of service he is capable of delivering? I believe in paying extra for the right level of service and the right results. I therefore believe that my level of service commands a certain level of payment.

As you may already know, more than 96% of today's real estate transactions originate online. Therefore, wouldn't it make sense to list your property with a Realtor that has a REAL online presence?  Unfortunately, many property owners choose their agent solely based on the amount of commission that agent is willing to work for.  How about you remind yourself of the old saying, “You get what you pay for”?  An agent that agrees to sell your property for anything less than 5% commission will probably slap a sign in front of your property and wait around in his office for calls. That means that the only one who will know your property is for sale will be the person who walks by the property and takes the time off from texting, driving or rushing to the train in order to look up, take down the agent’s name and phone number and call if they remember to call. How many times have you written something down with the intention of following up on it, only to forget and find that note days, weeks or months later?

While we do place a sign in front of your property (should you choose to do that), we also focus on many more ways to get your property in front of potential buyers. My team photographs your property in its best setting and lighting. We send out an email blast to other agents who work in the area and let them know about this HOT NEW LISTING. We contact the buyers who have walked through our office and expressed interest in purchasing something in your area. We don’t just dump your property on Craigslist and pray for an answer from the CL gods. We are proactive. We place your property on our local and national MLS, as well as on ColdwellBanker.com, CBKueberRealty.com, ColdwellBankerPreviews.com, Trulia, Zillow, Movato, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Instagram, Foursquare, Yahoo Real Estate, and over 100 other sites. We advertise in LOCAL and citywide papers (not the most effective form of advertising these days but it still generates a little traffic). Finally, we plan open houses, blast a flyer campaign, hit up all the local bulletin boards and push your property as if it is the one and only available listing in the entire country!

Now others may say they are prepared to do the same, and that is when I want you to go online, Google my full name in quotation marks “George L. Rosario”, and do the same with their names. Do it with their company as well. Google their company and then Google Coldwell Banker! We are not worried. We prefer working with sellers who have researched others and choose to research us as well. The Coldwell Banker brand has been serving the American public since 1906. I’ve been in the business since 1990 and my team has over 100 years of collective knowledge and experience. Coldwell Banker supplies us with all the tools necessary to make things move. Training magazine named Coldwell Banker the TOP national real estate franchise in agent training and education.

Go ahead…

Google my name... "George L. Rosario". I'm easy to find.

George L. Rosario

Licensed Real Estate Salesperson

Coldwell Banker Kueber Realty

718-628-0100 OFFICE 

718-628-0399 FAX 

917-945-4211 CELL 

http://www.coldwellbanker.com/website/glrosario

I am a New Yorker. I love New York!

As many already know, I LOVE NEW YORK!!! I'm a life-long New Yorker, Brooklyn born and raised, with a real estate office in Queens and a satellite office in Midtown Manhattan. I'm a New York fan (NY Mets, NY Knicks, NY Giants, NY Rangers, NY Liberty, NY Red Bulls, Brooklyn Cyclones). I went to PS 250 and IS 318 in Williamsburg Brooklyn (and my children attend the same schools). I went to Lafayette H.S. in Bensonhurst Brooklyn. I studied Liberal Arts at Borough Of Manhattan Community College (Manhattan), studied Psychology at Hunter College (Manhattan), studied Business Dynamics at Boricua College (Brooklyn), acquired my New York State Real Estate License at Express Real Estate School (Brooklyn), studied Freelance Creative Writing and Advanced Public Speaking at LaGuardia Community College (Queens), and I've taken a pre-law course at NYU (Manhattan). My parents live in Ridgewood Queens. I live in Brooklyn. My in-laws live in Bayside Queens. My oldest son lives in Hillside Queens. My second oldest son lives in Hamilton Heights Manhattan. My brother, his wife and children live in Elmhurst Queens. I am a product of New York. We are a New York family. I am a New Yorker. I love New York.


I don't think I would ever be a better fit anywhere else. Sure, I love vacationing in the continental United States. I love our yearly Florida trip. I love visiting family in North Carolina, Washington D.C., Texas, Vegas, California, Baltimore, Ohio, Connecticut, Colorado, Indiana, etc. I love visiting family in Canada, Puerto Rico, Greece, Italy, Hawaii, The Philippines and other parts of the world. Every single one of those places is amazing and I love spending time there. Still, I have to admit that the best part of my ONE to FOUR week vacation to any one of those places is the trip back home to New York City. I am a New Yorker. I love New York.


The children in my family, including my own children, my nieces & nephews, my cousins' children, my wife's side of the family, and yes, even those that have simply grown up as cousins even though they have absolutely no direct relation to us (a very New York thing to do), all those children are in love with our great city. They know the local beaches, the parks, the museums, the shopping areas, the event spaces, the libraries, the restaurants, the bridges, all the New York attractions, etc. They are New Yorkers. I am a New Yorker. I love New York.


New York to real New Yorkers is the GREATEST city in the world. Songs, books, stories, movies, scripts, etc. have been written and presented in and about New York. New York has produced famous people such as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Lucille Ball, Humphrey Bogart, James Cagney, Tom Cruise, Claire Danes, Sammy Davis Jr., Henry Louis Gehrig, George Gershwin, Jackie Gleason, Washington Irving, Billy Joel, John Jay, Vince Lombardi, The Marx brothers Chico, Groucho, Harpo and Zeppo, Herman Melville, John D. Rockefeller, Mickey Rooney, President Franklin D. Roosevelt, President Theodore Roosevelt, President Martin Van Buren, President Millard Fillmore, President Chester A. Arthur, President Grover Cleveland, Barbra Streisand, Tupac Shakur, Edith Wharton, Walt Whitman, my favorite actors Robert De Niro & Alfredo James "Al" Pacino, our own original Superman Christopher Reeve, and George L. Rosario (oh wait, that's me). These are just a few, because if I chose to name them all, this site would probably crash from the size of this file. These are all very well known New Yokers. I am a New Yorker. I love New York.


We have sites that say "America" to the rest of the world. Our many museums, our Broadway culture, our Central Park, our Prospect Park, our diverse style of architecture, the huge diversity or different racial, ethnic and economic backgrounds in our communities, the Statue of Liberty and Empire State Building, and all the special attractions within the Greater New York City area all symbolize everything that our country stands for; "Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness." I am a New Yorker. I love New York.


So when people ask why I decided to dedicate my talents and skills to a career in real estate in the Greater New York City area, I simply remind them that I am a New Yorker, and that I LOVE NEW YORK! What better career path than one that allows me to help others find a home in my great city? I don't have a job. I have a dream career that gives me the ability to produce smiles at the end of every closing. I am a New Yorker. I love New York.


If you want to learn more about my great city, contact me. I am always willing to spend time talking about the city I call home. I am a New Yorker and yes, as I've said so many times throughout this post, I LOVE NEW YORK!