YOUR SOCIAL SECURITY

count. So, after Ted dies, Alice will keep getting her $3,000 teacher’s pension and she will get $800 in widow’s benefits on Ted’s Social Security account.

If I were Carol, I’d be the one complaining that teachers get such a sweet deal from Social Security that no one else can get.

If you have a Social Security question, Tom Margenau has two books with all the answers. One is called “Social Security -- Simple and Smart: 10 Easy-to-Understand Fact Sheets That Will Answer All Your Questions About Social Security.”

The other is “Social Security: 100 Myths and 100 Facts.” You can find the books at Amazon.com or other book outlets.

COPYRIGHT 2023 CREATORS.COM specifically for tenant privacy issues, and misunderstanding something that a human would not. However, in some situations, information would still need to be analyzed and checked by doing due diligence until AI is more perfected in the future.

Real Estate Brokers using AI will be more reliant on that information when making and providing data for crucial decisions affecting their client’s purchases. However, the balance should be in the combination of using AI and blockchain technology for the betterment and advancement of assisting businesses and consumers in striving for more seamless, reduced paper usage and simplified transactions in the path to greatly reduce costs. But most critical, for now, will still be centered around the rapport, and short and long-term relationships that are nurtured and created between Broker and client that AI will hopefully never replace. I firmly believe that the human touch and close business connections that are established will always be necessary in order to perform the required services as well as the social interaction that people will still need and want. As we have seen with the pandemic, the lack of in-person and social meetings (not on Zoom) has had an immense effect on the mental stability of many in our population. The touch and feel of a handshake, a hug, and a smile will never go out of style and will further enhance that transactional human relationship for the most expensive asset that most purchasers will ever own. G_D forbid if AI will ever replace the interactions and relationships between the real estate Broker and/or agent and their sellers, investors, buyers, and renters. If this were to happen, it will truly be a sad day for all of us.

Philip A. Raices is the owner/Broker of Turn Key Real Estate at 3 Grace Ave Suite 180 in Great Neck. He has 40 years experience in the Real Estate industry and has earned designations as a Graduate of the Realtor Institute (G.R.I.) and also as a Certified International Property Specialist (C.I.P.S.) and in 2022 has earned his National Association of Realtors “Green Industry designation for eco-friendly construction. He will provide you with “free” regular updates of sold and new homes in your town via the Multiple Listing Service of Long Island (MLSLI) or go to https://WWW. Li-RealEstate.Com and you can “do it yourself (DYI) and search on your own. For a “FREE” `15 minute consultation, as well as well as a “FREE printout or digital value analysis of what your home might sell for in today’s market without any obligation or “strings” attached. He can also provide a copy of “Unlocking the Secrets of Real Estate’s New Market Reality, and our Seller’s and Buyer’s Guides for “Things to Consider when Selling, investing or Purchasing your Home.

You can email or snail mail (regular mail) him with your request or ideas, suggestions or interview you for a specific topic and a Q & A for a future column with your name, email and cell number. He will email or call you back and respond to your request ASAP as long as he has your complete name, cell, email and/or full home or business address. Again, for a “FREE” 15 minute consultation, he can also be reached by cell: (516) 647-4289 or by email: Phil@ TurnKeyRealEstate.Com to answer any of your questions and concerns in selling, investing, purchasing, or leasing residential or commercial property.

BY DENNIS MAMMANA

Week of March 5-11, 2023

One of the most common questions I hear under the night sky is: “How do I find the North Star?”

I’m always surprised by how many folks believe that the North Star (or Polaris, as astronomers know it) is the brightest star in the heavens. At this time of year, I frequently hear people pointing toward the dazzling star Sirius, saying, “There’s the North Star.” The fact that it’s in the south apparently doesn’t bother them much! If you have ever believed this astronomical myth or use a similarly bright star to find your way at night, you’re sure to become hopelessly lost.

No, the North Star is, as you might expect, in the north. And it’s not the brightest star in the sky, either. Far from it. In fact, it’s the 48th brightest star, so unless you have pretty dark skies without much light pollution or moonlight, you’ll be surprised at how tough it is to see.

Though it’s quite faint, locating it at this time of year becomes a bit easier because the Big Dipper has returned to our evening sky, and as just about every scout in the world knows, the Dipper serves as a very clear pointer toward Polaris.

Later this week, when the brilliant