So who is Alan Lasher and why is he sending me all of these emails?

Hello again.

This is the email where I talk about myself.

I am Alan Lasher. I am a 4th generation Staten Islander, Licensed Real Estate Broker in New York and New Jersey, in the same building where my family operated the Meiers Corners Department Store.

I come from a very civic minded family. My mother, Audrey Lasher, was a Staten Island Advance Woman of Achievement; and the Deputy Commissioner of the NYC Dept of Ports and Terminals.

My father, Richard Lasher, was one of the founders of the Mid Island Little League, and the South Shore Swim Club, but his favorite cause was the Richmond County Bar Association which he single-handedly ran for decades.

My parents were recently written up in the Memories column of the Sunday Staten Island Advance-

Remembering ...

When my father had a stroke in 1987, I continued to “ghost write" the Bar Association Newsletter under his name for 8 years, and for another 8 years after he died using my own byline. I am especially proud of the issue that I wrote right after September 11, 2001.

http://www.richmondcountybar.org/newsletter/pdf/fall2001.pdf

I miss writing, and that’s why I came up with Lasher's List.

Anyway, I have been in the Real Estate Business for the past 30 years, having developed numerous parcels of vacant land; built new homes and renovated many buildings, and received numerous building awards, and accolades

I don't accept NO as an answer when I think the answer should be something else. I don't accept that you can't do something, when I think that you should be able to. I have taken on numerous projects, and obtained approvals, after everyone else had given up after hitting stone walls.

Many say that I single handedly turned Westerleigh around when I rehabilitated the stores 264-286 Watchogue Road in 1985 & 1986. It took years to get the project started because the architects and contractors said to forget about it, or I was told to just tear it down and start over again.
After the rehabilitation of 264-286 Watchogue Road virtually every house in a two block radius was renovated. Channel 5 called it non-governmental urban renewal.

Meanwhile at the end of the 80’s/early 90’s, some of you may remember there was a real estate crash. So many banks failed that the government started the RTC (Resolution Trust Corp) to handle to sale of the assets of the banks that went under, and the properties being foreclosed. Staten Island lost two local banks: Westerleigh Savings & Loan, and Community National Bank. The price of homes fell dramatically for the first time in anyone’s memory. The short sale was developed to help people who owed more than their houses were worth.

The price of real estate fell everywhere- except Westerleigh- where the price of homes remained steady, or rose.

Anyway, that’s about enough of me.

So here is a little tidbit:

100 years ago or so when people gave directions through Westerleigh, there was a huge Oak Tree that was the landmark. Directions would be to Watch for the Oak Tree- over time Watch Oak became Watchogue Road.*

So stay tuned for more interesting useful and useless information to entertain, educate, and inform.

Please feel free to send in any questions about anything that you may have, if I don’t know the answer I will find it out, especially about Real Estate.

Thanks for listening, see you next time.

……………………..to be continued