Relocation
Whether you're coming across the country or heading out of state, the paperwork is the same for everyone and it has deadlines. Here's the honest checklist Donna walks her relocation clients through, with the official links so you never have to take anyone's word for it.
Answered by Donna Barilla, Long Island Realtor with Signature Premier Properties since 2007. Updated November 2026.Moving in
On Long Island, ZIP codes, hamlet names, town lines and school district lines don't line up neatly. Donna confirms the town, the school district and the tax bill for every specific house before you fall for it.
Donna does live video walk-throughs, so you can narrow the list before you book a flight. When you're ready to visit, she'll plan a tight showing day.
Talk to a lender who closes loans in New York before you start touring. Long Island sellers expect to see a preapproval with an offer.
In New York, buyers and sellers each usually hire a real estate attorney. Yours reviews the contract, works through title and runs the closing. Donna can share names, and the choice is yours.
Since March 20, 2024, sellers of most one-to-four family homes must give buyers a Property Condition Disclosure Statement before the contract is signed, including questions about flooding. The old $500 credit to skip it is gone.
Long Island property taxes include school taxes, and they vary by town and district. If the house will be your main home, register for the STAR credit with the NYS Tax Department. New homeowners register with the state, not the town.
Homes in East Hampton, Riverhead, Shelter Island, Southampton and Southold carry an extra transfer tax paid by the buyer, the Peconic Bay Community Preservation Fund tax, on the price above an allowance. Your attorney will calculate it.
Once you become a New York resident you have 30 days to swap your out-of-state driver license and to register your car here. A vehicle registered in New York must carry New York insurance.
Start searching Long Island homes Plan a video tour with Donna
Moving out
Plenty of Donna's sellers have already moved. She handles showings, access, vendors and updates, and your attorney can tell you which closing documents can be signed ahead of time.
Moving away doesn't change the rules. Plan on completing the Property Condition Disclosure Statement before a buyer signs, so start it while the house details are fresh.
If you are no longer a New York resident when the deed is recorded, New York requires an estimated income tax payment on any gain, filed on Form IT-2663 at closing. Ask your attorney and accountant about timing before you list.
Moving out mid-year usually means a part-year resident return. New York can still treat you as a resident if you keep a home here and spend more than 183 days in the state, so get advice from a tax professional.
Turn in your New York plates and registration to the DMV before you cancel your New York auto insurance. A lapse reported to the DMV can follow your license to your new state.
Donna can refer you to a licensed agent in your new area and keep both sides of the move on the same calendar.
Free guide
Relocation questions
New York DMV requires new residents to exchange an out-of-state driver license within 30 days of becoming a resident, and to register their vehicle here within 30 days. Students who live here only while in school generally do not need to exchange their license.
It is the standard practice in New York for buyers and sellers to each hire a real estate attorney, who reviews the contract, handles title issues and conducts the closing. Donna can share referrals, and you choose who to hire.
STAR is New York's School Tax Relief program. If the home will be your primary residence, you register for the STAR credit with the NYS Department of Taxation and Finance, online through the Homeowner Benefit Portal. Eligible homeowners receive the credit as a check or direct deposit.
Yes. Donna handles showings and access while you're away. If you are a nonresident of New York when the deed is recorded, New York requires an estimated income tax payment on any gain using Form IT-2663, so talk with your attorney and accountant before you list.
It depends on your domicile and where you spend your time. Moving mid-year usually means a part-year resident return, and someone who keeps a permanent place to live in New York and spends more than 183 days here can be treated as a resident. A tax professional can review your situation.
No. Since March 20, 2024, New York sellers of most one-to-four family homes must deliver the Property Condition Disclosure Statement before the buyer signs a contract. The option to give a $500 credit instead was eliminated.
Yes. Donna can refer you to a licensed real estate agent in your new area and coordinate timing so your sale here and your purchase there line up.
Donna gives every client the same facts about every town. Where you live is your call, always. Donna follows the federal Fair Housing Act and the New York State Human Rights Law. NYS Housing & Anti-Discrimination Notice.
General information, verified November 2026. Donna is a licensed real estate salesperson, not an attorney, accountant or tax advisor. Confirm your own situation with your attorney and tax professional.
Book a time with Donna
Tell Donna where you're coming from or headed, and your timeline. She'll map out the steps on both ends.
Prefer to reach her directly?
Office: Signature Premier Properties, 750 Route 25A, East Setauket, NY 11733
