Long Island Homeowner & Seller Resources
Owning a home on Long Island comes with its own list of headaches: a tax bill nobody warns you about, old oil tanks, permit paperwork, winters that go after your pipes, and local issues that can move your home's value. And when it's time to sell, the decisions pile up fast.
I've spent more than 20 years helping Nassau and Suffolk homeowners through all of it. This page collects my guides on owning, protecting and eventually selling a Long Island home, organized so you can find the one you need.
Start here
- Thinking about selling? Start with getting your Long Island house ready to sell.
- Taxes too high? Read how to grieve your property taxes. Nassau's 2027 filing window runs January 4 to March 1, 2027.
- Clearing out a house full of decades? See how one Hicksville sale came together, with the people who helped.
- Behind on your mortgage? Read pre-foreclosure and short sales in New York, and know free help is available at 1-855-HOME-456.
- Just want a number? Get your home value.
Jump to: Getting Ready to Sell | Downsizing & Life Changes | Taxes & Costs | Protecting Your Home | Local Issues | Who to Call | FAQ
Getting Ready to Sell
Most Long Island sales that get stuck get stuck on prep and paperwork, not price. These guides cover what to handle before your house hits the market.
Getting Your House Ready to Sell
Open permits and COs, oil tanks, cesspools, disclosure rules, what's worth fixing, and how to prep for showings.
Oil Tanks on Long Island
Removal vs. abandonment, Nassau verification letters, Suffolk rules, gas conversions, and selling or buying a house with a tank.
Listing Photo Prep Checklist
How to get every room ready for the photographer, inside and out.
Setting a List Price
How comparable sales, market conditions and your net proceeds shape the right price.
Home Inspections
What an inspection covers and why it matters to buyers and sellers.
Lead Paint Pamphlet
The federal lead hazard pamphlet sellers of pre-1978 homes give to buyers.
Downsizing, Moving and Life Changes
Some sales are about more than the house: a move back to the city, a parent's home, or a mortgage that's fallen behind.
Downsizing on Long Island
The step-by-step order for clearing out and selling a house you've lived in for decades, who to hire, estate sale costs and taxes.
Selling an Inherited Home
Who has authority to sell, the Surrogate's Court, stepped-up basis and estate tax, and protecting a vacant house.
A Hicksville Downsizing Story
A house and two garages full of decades of belongings, from first phone call to closing, and the team that made it work.
Pre-Foreclosure, Short Sales & REO
How New York foreclosure works, your options if you're behind, free help, and what buyers should know about distressed sales.
Property Taxes and Costs
On Long Island, the tax bill can matter as much as the mortgage. Here's how to make sure yours is fair and how to run the numbers.
How to Grieve Your Property Taxes
2027 deadlines for Nassau and Suffolk, step-by-step filing, the evidence that works, and DIY vs. hiring a company.
Finance Calculators
Mortgage calculators to estimate payments before you buy or sell.
Protecting Your Home
Long Island weather and geography come with their own maintenance list.
How to Prevent Frozen Pipes
Protecting your plumbing, vacant and seasonal homes, and what to do if a pipe freezes or bursts.
Winter and Holiday Home Safety
Heating, smoke and CO alarms, outdoor plumbing and safe holiday decorating.
North Shore Bluff Homes
Erosion, coastal permits, disclosure and insurance for homes on Long Island's North Shore bluffs.
Flood Insurance on Long Island
Flood zones, when it's required, how FEMA prices it now, passing a policy to a buyer, and what an NFIP lapse means for closings.
Local Issues That Affect Home Values
Some of the biggest questions I get have nothing to do with the house itself. They're about what's happening around it.
Bethpage Toxic Plume Updates
Cleanup status, water quality resources and the history of the former Grumman site.
Sunrise Mall Redevelopment
The latest on the Sunrise Mall site in Massapequa and what's been proposed.
Who to Call: People I Trust
Getting a house ready, or clearing one out, usually takes a team. These are people I've worked with on real Long Island sales:
- Downsizing and organizing: Stow & Behold
- Moving and storage: Relocators
- Estate and tag sales: It's Simply Done
- House and garage cleanouts: Nicky's Property Management Corp.
- Deep cleaning: Cyclone Cleaning Corp.
- Listing photos: EPM Real Estate Photography
Recommended by neighbors: for plumbing, PP Plumbing (Paul Lutz) in Lindenhurst, 631-404-6087, gets consistently strong reviews from local homeowners. I haven't worked with him personally yet.
Direct contact info for each is in the Hicksville story. Tell them John Cordeira sent you.
What Is Your Home Worth Right Now?
Whether you're grieving your taxes, planning a move or just curious, it all starts with a real number. Get a free estimate, and I'll tighten it up against recent sales on your street.
Long Island Homeowner FAQ
When is the property tax grievance deadline on Long Island?
For 2027, Nassau County's Assessment Review Commission accepts appeals from January 4 to March 1, 2027. In Suffolk, Grievance Day is May 18, 2027. Details are in my tax grievance guide.
What should I fix before selling my Long Island house?
Anything broken, leaking or unsafe, plus anything a buyer's inspector or attorney will flag, like open permits, missing COs, smoke and CO detectors, and oil tank or cesspool issues. Big remodels usually don't pay for themselves. See my prep guide.
Who can help me clear out a house before selling?
Usually a combination of an organizer, a mover, an estate sale company, a cleanout crew and a cleaning service. My Hicksville story shows how they fit together, with contact info for each.
Where can I get free help if I'm behind on my mortgage in New York?
The New York State Attorney General's Homeowner Protection Program connects homeowners with free housing counselors and legal services. Call 1-855-HOME-456. My pre-foreclosure guide explains the process.
How do I find out what my home is worth?
Start with a free home value estimate, then talk to me. I'll compare it with recent sales of similar homes nearby.
Have a Question About Your Home?
Taxes, repairs, a parent's house, or whether now's the time to sell: ask me. I'll give you a straight answer. I'm John Cordeira, Broker/Owner of Cordeira Homes, with more than 20 years helping Long Island homeowners.
What Should I Add to My Homeowner Resources?
I want this page to answer the questions Long Island homeowners actually ask. If there's a topic you've had to figure out the hard way, tell me. Contractors, inspectors, organizers, movers and estate sale pros: if you see the same problems over and over, I want to hear about it too.
These guides are general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Rules and deadlines change. Confirm details with the appropriate agency, your attorney or a tax professional.
John Cordeira
Broker/Owner, Cordeira Homes
#RippedRealtor