Great DIY landscaping takes some practice, but getting it right is well worth the effort. Your landscaping has a major impact on how your home is perceived from the street. A well-maintained lawn, healthy shrubs, and blooming flowers can make a tremendous difference, especially when it comes time to sell your home.

Our real estate agents are busy doing yard work most weekends, so we thought it'd be a great opportunity to share some tips. Here is a quick list of common landscaping tips we often see homeowners make:

If you're looking for something fun to do on the weekends, why not take a step back in time and explore Long Island's rich history this summer?

Visiting historical locations is a great learning experience and can also be a ton of fun. Long Island served as one of the early 17th-century European settlements, so there is so much history across all of our communities. Historical mansions, parks, and farms — you'll find it all. Here are some historic location recommendations from our real estate agents:

Enjoying a delicious meal at an upscale restaurant is one of the best ways to celebrate a special event or simply spend quality time with family. Indulging in a high-quality steak or seafood entree paired with a glass of fine wine has a way of making things seem even more memorable.

No place does fine dining quite like Long Island. Thanks to our highly diverse population, our communities are home to some of the best restaurants in the country. You'll find outstanding food, great wine, classy atmospheres, and more. If you're looking for a new place to try, our real estate agents recommend grabbing a reservation at one of these upscale Long Island restaurants:

Diving into the real estate market for the first time can be fraught with uncertainty. From deciding where to live to negotiating a contract, there are many big decisions to make, and it can be easy to make mistakes along the way.

According to our real estate agents, the best way to prevent mistakes is to do your research and work with a qualified expert. Here are some of the most common mistakes we see first-time home buyers make: