Buying on Long Island: Checks Beyond the Listing

Do not rely only on the mailing address when researching a property. Confirm the county, city or town, and any relevant village, then identify which departments hold the records your attorney and inspector need.

For a Nassau property, the County’s assessment resources and Land Records Viewer are useful starting points for tax and property information. They do not replace building approvals, title work or a physical inspection. Nassau County — Property Assessment · Nassau County — e-Services / Land Records Viewer

Ask for the current tax bills and identify which charges are included in the listing’s annual figure. Check applicable benefits, payment periods and known changes. Use the relevant local office for the address; do not apply an NYC property-tax assumption or transfer-tax calculation automatically outside the City.

Make an alteration list during the showing: extensions, finished lower levels, additional kitchens, converted garages, decks and other material changes. Ask the appropriate building department and your professionals what records and approvals are required. A feature appearing in an old listing is not, by itself, evidence of an approval.

Check sewage disposal, water supply, heating fuel, equipment age, drainage and current or former tanks for each home rather than assuming the same setup everywhere. Have the inspector identify items needing specialist review.

Ask your attorney and survey professional about boundaries, shared driveways, recorded easements and apparent encroachments. Request the supporting records for parking, fences or structures that materially affect your plans.

For a coastal or lower-lying property, use the flood-review checklist as well. A dry inspection day does not answer the history of stormwater or groundwater problems.

Test the actual commute, including access to the station, parking arrangements and the time of day you expect to travel. Verify school assignment and enrollment requirements with the appropriate district; a listing description is not an enrollment guarantee.

Compare objective property characteristics and your stated needs. Do not rely on demographic assumptions about which people belong in a community.

Does a county property record prove an extension is permitted? Ask the correct permitting office and your professionals; different records serve different purposes.

Should I use the NYC closing-cost table? Only for items actually applicable to the transaction. Request a county- and property-specific estimate.

Before relying on the information to make a decision, discuss the address, listing details and open questions with B Square Realty.