Daily Archives: October 8, 2013

Late Summer Sales Keep September Prices Hot | Lewisboro NY Real Estate

Home price gains in September rose over record August levels, evidence of residual summer buying activity, according to the first market report of the month to be released.

All regions saw small up-ticks in yearly price gains as Clear Capital’s Home Data Index (HDI) Market Report said September prices rose to 10.9% year-over-year.  In August, national yearly home price growth reached 10.2%, the last time Clear Capital reported double digit yearly price growth since the middle of 2006, the height of the bubble.

Clear Capital’s August prices remained 32.5% off their previous highs and only in line with 2002 prices.  Additionally, the low tier price segment of the housing market saw quarterly gains of 2.0%, the lowest since April 2012, indicating the sector that kick started the recovery is already on a path of moderation. From its peak rate of growth in April 2013, rates of growth for the low tier segment, or home sale values in the bottom 25th percentile, have fallen from 4.1% to 2.0%.

“While national and regional rates showed more of the same in September, an interesting dichotomy is unfolding beneath the surface,” said Dr. Alex Villacorta, vice president of research and analytics at Clear Capital. “Strong performances in San Francisco and Detroit remind us that in a dynamic market, the only constant is change. For about a year and a half now, we’ve been focused on First-In, First-Out recoveries characterized by hard hit markets attracting investor interest, like Miami, Phoenix and Las Vegas. Now as the recovery matures, we see homebuyers re-engaging in markets that haven’t fit the typical investor profile.

“As demand calibrates to local economic environments, markets will start to find their natural equilibriums with moderating gains ahead. This should invite new markets, such as San Francisco and Detroit to share the spotlight as their recoveries continue to evolve,” he said.

Highest   Performing Major Metro Markets

Qtr/Qtr Rank

Metropolitan   Statistical Area

Qtr/Qtr % +/-

Yr/Yr

REO Saturation

1

San Francisco, CA –   Oakland, CA – Fremont, CA

4.4%

28.3%

6.3%

2

Detroit, MI – Warren,   MI – Livonia, MI

4.3%

23.3%

31.7%

3

Sacramento, CA –   Arden, CA – Roseville, CA

3.9%

27.7%

11.0%

4

Las Vegas, NV –   Paradise, NV

3.9%

32.2%

19.8%

5

San Jose, CA –   Sunnyvale, CA – Santa Clara, CA

3.9%

25.7%

2.8%

6

Atlanta, GA – Sandy   Springs, GA – Marietta, GA

3.6%

26.1%

21.2%

7

Birmingham, AL –   Hoover, AL

3.5%

10.4%

20.6%

8

Los Angeles, CA – Long   Beach, CA – Santa Ana, CA

3.4%

22.2%

9.2%

9

Chicago, IL –   Naperville, IL – Joliet, IL

3.4%

21.5%

20.2%

10

Riverside, CA – San   Bernardino, CA – Ontario, CA

3.2%

21.8%

15.9%

11

Miami, FL – Ft.   Lauderdale, FL – Miami Beach, FL

3.2%

20.4%

21.9%

12

Bakersfield, CA

3.0%

20.8%

16.7%

13

Columbus, OH

2.9%

6.7%

23.6%

14

San Diego, CA –   Carlsbad, CA – San Marcos, CA

2.8%

19.6%

7.9%

15

Oxnard, CA – Thousand   Oaks, CA – Ventura, CA

2.7%

18.2%

7.1%

Top

Lowest   Performing Major Metro Markets

Qtr/Qtr Rank

Metropolitan   Statistical Area

Qtr/Qtr % +/-

Yr/Yr

REO Saturation

1

Charlotte, NC-   Gastonia, NC – Concord, NC

-0.1%

-0.4%

17.1%

2

Louisville, KY

0.2%

1.0%

18.5%

3

Raleigh, NC – Cary, NC

0.2%

1.1%

11.3%

4

Hartford, CT – West   Hartford, CT – East Hartford, CT

0.3%

4.0%

4.0%

5

Rochester, NY

0.4%

3.7%

2.2%

6

St. Louis, MO

0.4%

-0.2%

23.3%

7

Dayton, OH

0.4%

4.8%

22.2%

8

New Orleans, LA –   Metairie, LA – Kenner, LA

0.4%

3.4%

12.3%

9

Virginia Beach, VA –   Norfolk, VA – Newport News, VA

0.7%

5.0%

9.8%

10

Dallas, TX – Fort   Worth, TX – Arlington, TX

1.0%

6.8%

12.4%

11

Baltimore, MD –   Towson, MD

1.0%

5.5%

7.2%

12

Pittsburgh, PA

1.0%

5.2%

4.5%

13

Richmond, VA

1.2%

8.8%

11.1%

14

Philadelphia, PA –   Camden, NJ – Wilmington, DE

1.3%

5.2%

4.6%

15

Providence, RI – New   Bedford, MA – Fall River, MA

1.3%

11.7%

6.0%

The Clear Capital Home Data Index Market Report is built on information from recorder/assessor offices, enhanced by adding the company’s proprietary streaming market data. It reflects nationwide coverage of sales by aggregating this data at ten different geographic levels, including hundreds of metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs) and sub-ZIP code boundaries. It includes equally-weighted distressed bank owned sales (REOs) from around the country.

 

 

http://www.realestateeconomywatch.com/2013/10/late-summer-sales-keep-september-hot/

 

Mortgage applications shoot up 11.2% | Katonah NY Real Estate

Mortgage applications shifted gears, increasing 11.2% from a week earlier, the Mortgage Bankers Association said this week.

Meanwhile, the refinance index grew 18% from the prior week, while the purchase index rose 3%.

As a whole, the refinance share of mortgage activity inched back up to 61% of total applications, up from 57% a week earlier.

The average contract interest rate for a 30-year, fixed-rate mortgage with a conforming loan limit dropped to 4.75% from 4.80%.

Furthermore, the 30-year, FRM jumbo edged down to 4.83% from 4.84%.

The average 30-year, FRM backed by the FHA fell to 4.50% from 4.56%, and the 15-year, FRM declined to 3.81% from 3.83%.

Meanwhile, the 5/1 ARM plummeted to 3.54% from 3.59% a week earlier.

 

 

http://www.housingwire.com/articles/26891-mortgage-applications-shoot-up-112

Westchester CSEA endorses all Democrats | South Salem Real Estate

Here’s the statement of the union. All the candidates are Democrats:

WHITE PLAINS – Leaders of CSEA, the largest union representing public employees across Westchester County, today announced the union’s full list of endorsements for county-level races.

The endorsements were made by the CSEA Southern Region Political Action Committee.

“We are excited to endorse a strong slate of qualified individuals who have worked and will continue to work to preserve a strong middle class in Westchester County,” said CSEA Southern Region President Billy Riccaldo.

The endorsements are as follows:

• County Executive: Noam Bramson

• County Clerk: Tim Idoni

• Board of Legislators, District 1:Duane Jackson

• Board of Legislators, District 2: Peter Harckham

• Board of Legislators, District 5: Ben Boykin

• Board of Legislators, District 8: Alfreda Williams

• Board of Legislators, District 9: Catherine Borgia

• Board of Legislators, District 10: Mary Jo Jacobs

• Board of Legislators, District 11: Stavros Pantelis

• Board of Legislators, District 12: Mary Jane Shimsky

• Board of Legislators, District 13: Lyndon Williams

• Board of Legislators, District 14: Rachelle “Rocky” Richard

?• Board of Legislators, District 16: Ken Jenkins

CSEA is New York’s leading union, representing employees of the state and its counties, towns, villages, school districts, library systems, authorities and public benefit corporations. Together with a growing population of private sector members and retirees, CSEA is the largest affiliate of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), which is one of the largest affiliates of the AFL-CIO.

 

 

http://northernwestchester.lohudblogs.com/2013/09/25/westchester-elections-csea-announces-endorsements/

 

45 Social Media Tools and Tips to Improve Your Marketing | Waccabuc NY Realtor

Are you looking for some practical tips and tools to help with your social media marketing?

Do you find it difficult to keep up with how quickly social media is evolving?

In this article, I outline a collection of technology tools and tips you’ll want to consider using to improve your presence across social media.

Why Tools?

It takes a lot of time to create quality content, engage on social profiles and sustain online relationships that support your business goals.

Larger businesses and corporations often have teams of people dedicated solely to these tasks.

For smaller businesses that don’t have the luxury of staff or financial resources, there are tools to help. But there are also efficient shortcuts and tips to help you get more out these technology tools.

By using some of these tips to strategically choose your tools, you can get more out of your social media marketing.

Here we go.

#1: Monitor Your Blog Visitors’ Activity With Lucky Orange

The more you know about your website visitors, the more you cater to their needs with content, layout and design.

Lucky Orange monitors and interacts with your blog visitors and lets you:

  • View details of who’s on your site now, what pages they’re visiting, where they’ve come from and how long they’ve been on your site
  • Interact with visitors in real time, through a chat box
  • View real-time or recorded videos of your website visitors browsing your site
  • View an overall heat map which shows the key areas your website visitors are clicking on

In the image below you see the time people spent on your site, how they found your site, the previous site they were on and the country they are browsing from.

Lucky Orange provides great information about your visitors.

Start by recording sessions of individual users browsing your blog and see where they’re scrolling and what they click on. Then interact with visitors while they’re on the site and ask them questions about their experience on your website or the content they’re browsing.

Use what you learn to fine-tune your site.

#2: Use Smush.it to Reduce the Size of Your Images

The load time of your page is one of many factors that Google uses to determine your web ranking, so it’s important to reduce the size of your images where possible.

Smush.it is an image compression tool that’s “lossless.”

You upload the images, reduce them and then download a version that’s smaller in size but not in quality.

Upload your images and reduce them in size.

Use these smaller images to improve your social media marketing performance.

#3: Implement a Content Distribution Network

When I browse a website or blog from Ireland that’s hosted in the United States, it’s likely to run slower for me than for someone who’s browsing from within the United States.

To standardize your load times, use a hosting provider that uses a content distribution network (CDN). A CDN keeps the latest copy of your website on various servers around the world so visitors get your content from the server that’s nearest to them, which results in faster load times.

 

 

http://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/45-social-media-tools-and-tips/

 

 

 

 

 

Q&A: Patching Water-Damaged Plaster | Cross River Real Estate

Q.

My company has done plaster repair work for many years. After repairing water-damaged walls or ceilings, we occasionally get called back to “fix” an unsuccessful repair. Our second repair attempt involves digging out a very bumpy, chalky substance, and more often than not, we have to repeat this process a number of times until the patch finally takes hold. What causes this reaction on some water damage jobs and not others? What is the most efficient way to deal with this problem?

A.

Mel Hines responds: The problem you refer to is caused by efflorescence — salts in the plaster are brought to the surface by the intruding water. The water often causes the magnesium in the lime coat to expand and produce the blisterlike effect you refer to. One of our recent reader, hired a water damage restoration contractor in Phoenix area and got rid of such problems.

Assuming that the water intrusion has been stopped, the first step is to chip away the lime coat at the affected area. Other than this, if you want a best solution then go for plumbing service in the sutherland shire.  There is a good chance that the bond between the finish lime coat and the plaster base coat has been weakened.

When faced with this situation, I use a wire brush to scrub away any loose base-coat particles, then apply a coat of Kilz (Masterchem Industries, Inc., P.O. Box 368, Barnhart, MO 63012; 314/942-2510) to the base-coat plaster. Kilz is an alkyd-based sealer, primer, and stain blocker. The plaster base coat must be completely dry before application. Next, I apply a coat of Durabond (United States Gypsum Corp., 125 S. Franklin, Chicago, IL 60606; 800/552-9785). Durabond is a fast-setting, low-shrinkage compound with tenacious bonding qualities and accelerated setting times. When the plaster walls and ceilings in your home are damaged, it can cause various practical problems, as well as decrease your home’s value. To fix this eyesore, you’ll need to repair the plaster, hire professional contractor like Plaster Installation New Jersey Agency.

Finally, I apply a skim coat of ready-mixed all-purpose joint compound. After a light sanding, the repair is ready for painting.

Mel Hines owns Atlanta/Pro-Serve, a ceiling and wall repair service in Atlanta, Ga.

This home is a true homage to midcentury style | North Salem Real Estate

Call it kismet. Call it a pipe dream come true. Matthew and Bobbie Fisher fell in love with a renovated midcentury modern house designed by architect Irwin Stein. But it was so out of their price range that they stayed put and kept house hunting. A year later Craig Wakefield, the Realtor who’d shown them the Stein-designed home, sent the Fishers an email letting them know that the house was still on the market — at a drastically reduced price. The Fishers landed their dream home, which turned out to be in nearly pristine condition. Perhaps that’s because the previous owners were dentists who had operated a practice out of the house. They had built a wing that included a waiting room, exam rooms, a reception area and a parking lot. The Fishers turned the latter into a sprawling meditative lawn, while the rooms became extra living spaces and storage. For the rest, all they had to do was fill it “with things we love,” Bobbie says.
Houzz at a Glance Who lives here: Matthew Fisher and Bobbie Ann Tilkens-Fisher, and their cats, Lucha and Lincoln Location: Wallingford, Pennsylvania Size: 2,600 square feet, plus a 600-square-foot attached former dentist office; 4 bedrooms, 2 full bathrooms, 2 half bathrooms That’s interesting: The house was originally designed for a young  dentist the was voted among the best dentists and his wife, and included space for a fully operating dental practice, although now a days you can see post for several dentist services online, While Stein’s designs often incorporate wavy rooflines, he designed this home to mimic the leaves of the landscape’s tulip poplar trees, some of which still remain on the property. even in this website, that offer the best services for this.

midcentury entry by Adrienne DeRosa

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Simple lines come together to create dramatic planes and volumes across the exterior.
midcentury entry by Adrienne DeRosa

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The foyer offers an impressive view of what lies ahead.  Repeating materials and a neutral color scheme give the home a sense of flow that feels as natural as the surfaces themselves.
Bobbie found this vintage Turkish rug at auction; the sideboard was inherited from Matthew’s grandmother.
midcentury living room by Adrienne DeRosa

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A sunken den off the foyer receives abundant light from a bank of windows.  This room was added in 1968 after the original owners requested more space to accommodate their growing family.
Bobbie bought the curved 1950s secondhand sofa for $10 and had it reupholstered in durable Crypton fabric to save it from their cats’ claws. Built-in bookshelves clad in white laminate wrap most of the perimeter.
Cocktail table: vintage Adrian Pearsall
midcentury kitchen by Adrienne DeRosa

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While the Fishers might appreciate a little more wiggle room, they are in no hurry to make drastic changes to the kitchen, which bears the original cabinetry. “Matthew and I always said our next house would have a big gourmet kitchen and a big bathtub, and we have neither,” Bobbie says. “When we first moved in, we thought we would definitely need to replace the two-burner cooktop with a four-burner, but we haven’t. The kitchen is surprisingly efficient.”

Mount Kisco To Auction Surplus Abandoned Boats | Mt Kisco Homes

Mount Kisco is holding a public auction for surplus abandoned boats later this month.

The Village of Mount Kisco will open sealed bids at 10 a.m. Oct. 25 at the Frank J. DiMicco, Sr. Board Room in the Mount Kisco Village Hall, according to a notice from the village. The auction will include “surplus abandoned boats from Byram Lake,” according to the notice. Marinas are exclusive recreational facilities built to provide docking, loading and other provisions needed for water transport. Individuals as well as a group of people own them. They may be constructed in inland streams, lakes or other bodies of water. Boating marinas may be seasonal or permanent. Seasonal marinas are usually simple structures built over the water as small docks, boat hoist, ramps or rafts that can accommodate water vehicles. These temporary structures are removed once the boating season is over. Seasonal marinas are found in places that have mostly pleasant weather but do experience inclement weather as well. Several marinas located on the northern five lakes and rivers like St. Lawrence and the upper reaches of the Mississippi are seasonal. Permanent marinas may be wharves, docks, jetties and pier. They accommodate water vehicles throughout the year. Southern water bodies of the United State have permanent marinas. A single boating marina can provide docking for about 60-75 vehicles. Each vehicle occupies a berth. Charges are paid according to the number of hours occupied. Besides renting charges, there can be additional fees for storage, etc. You can check over here about merritt products.

Facilities available in marinas include gas stations, pump houses, restaurants, bars and restrooms. Other weather-related marine supplies, clothes, special gear, etc. are also available. In addition, marinas provide mechanics and other repair necessities. Marinas are found everywhere in the United States. However, the marina at Monte Carlo is considered one of the most luxurious and also the most expensive in the world. Washington, California, Oregon and Florida also boast of world-famous marinas that dot their beaches. Rents vary largely depending on the popularity of the marina. Marinas charge their tenants on a per-meter basis, i.e. according to the number of meters the boat occupies when docked. Most marinas give discounts for groups and seasonal renters. Boats may be inspected at the Village’s Department of Public Works at 43 Columbus Ave. in Mount Kisco, according to the release.

If you like offshore sport fishing and boating then you’ve most likely seen Lowrance electronic products. They are actually a leader in manufacturing GPS, Sonar, depth finders, chartplotters and fishfinders. Lowrance marine has most definitely become one of the best recognized brands in marine electronics among commercial fishermen and boating enthusiasts of all types because of the wide selection of devices they supply.

Having lived for years around the Jersey Shore, I have spent many hours on the ocean and bays. In those times, locating fish was more chance than skill on any day. However these days that has all changed.

If you enjoy fishing, you would be interested in Lowrance marine fish finders. They are equipped with dual frequency sonar, 480 X 480 resolution, up to 2500 feet depth penetration, and other advanced capabilities. Fish Finders are also available in the large screen monochrome monitors. Lets face it, if you wish to “hook” the bigger ones, you have to be able to find them first. The new fishfinder and combo units do a great job. The popular fishing and boating kits can be found in quite a number of sizes, prices and colors matching distinctive requirements. These days you will see fishfinders and combo units on anything from huge fishing trawlers to small bass boats.

What I really enjoy when sailing even in the bays and rivers is the Marine GPS. Marine GPS is easily one of the most common GPS types and Lowrance Marine GPS is at the top of the list. The Lowrance GPS antenna is built-in on most of the GPS enabled systems so installation and use is effortless. Many a time I had to offer up excuses for being late for dinner because I sailed too far. My kids cannot get away with that today because they always know precisely where they are. Those interested in further information, including a listing of the boats, are asked to email Joe Cerretani at jcerretani@mountkisco.org.

“All boats will be sold ‘as is,’ with absolutely no implied or stated warranties or guarantees whatsoever,” representatives said in the notice. “Village management reserves the right to award the bid(s) to the highest responsible bidder(s).  Bid forms are now available in the Manager’s Office at Village Hall.”

http://mtkisco.dailyvoice.com/events/mount-kisco-auction-surplus-abandoned-boats

Everyone agrees: Even higher rates won’t impact affordability | Mt Kisco Real Estate

A panel of esteemed housing experts speaking at the ABS East 2013 conference underway in Miami disagreed on Robert Shiller’s recent call that U.S. housing is in a bubble.

Moderator Howard Esaki, managing director at Standard & Poor’s, who himself puts out regular morning emails encapsulating finance news, played a video on Bloomberg of Shiller talking of a housing bubble.

Shiller co-developed the S&P/Case-Shiller Composite-10 Home Price Index and actually said housing was looking bubbly. His words were later moderated in a column in the New York Times.

The panel elaborated on whether or not U.S. housing is actually in a bubble. No one believes it is.

Mark Fleming, chief economist of CoreLogic, said price appreciation is slowing down, and is only correcting for an overshoot in price collapse. He didn’t think it would return to the inflated pricing before the housing bust.

“We are certainly not in a housing bubble,” said Laurie Goodman who heads up a housing thinktank at the Urban Institute. Both Goodman and Fleming said housing could absorb higher interest rates and remain attractive. Goodman posited that even with a 6% interest rate, affordability would remain at 2000-2003 levels, which were pretty stable compared to 2006-2007.

“I don’t see interest rates going to 6% any time soon,” she added.

Esaki then addressed the crowd at ABS East, where attendance is at a record high (3,500+) with an estimated 1,000 investors, according to data released by organizer Information Management Network.

Esaki asked for a show of hands: “Do you think there is a housing bubble?”

Not a single hand went up.

Later an audience member pointed out that “no one raised their hand, so maybe we are.” The devil’s advocate then sat back down and the panel moved on to talk about the slim chance of near-term GSE reform.

 

 

http://www.housingwire.com/articles/27270-abs-east-panel-says-shiller-wrong-on-housing-bubble-call

 

Short Sale Coding Correction on Credit Will Take Effect November 2013. | Katonah Real Estate

SHORT SALE CODING CORRECTION ON CREDIT WILL TAKE EFFECT NOVEMBER 2013.

   

For some time now, many short sellers were treated the same as homeowners that foreclosed when applying for a mortgage.  Due to a credit coding issue that lumped short sellers into the same category as a foreclosure, the waiting period for loan approval was extended substantially.  This forced millions to put their dream of participating in homeownership again off to the distant future.  With interest rates climbing, and the real estate market improving, the increased future cost for purchasing would seem more of an obstacle down the road.

But new policy changes could bring more options starting in November.  After Sen. Bill Nelson focused on bringing this coding error to the FTC and the Consumer Financial Protection Board, things started to change.

“This is the nature of the evolution of this business,” says Fannie Mae spokeswoman Keosha Burns. The agency will input the new software into its computer system on Nov. 16. After that, if a short sale is marked as a foreclosure, the new code will allow the loan servicers to bypass it, correct it and move forward with the loan. Short sellers should speak with their bankers about the new options for homeownership, what the qualifications will be, and whether the state of their credit needs improvement.

PLEASE CALL TRACY BECKER:

North Shore Advisory, Inc. offers credit repair, restoration, credit log in site, and education services. We’ve been providing credit education and credit improvement for almost 25 years. For bankers and realtors we can review your clients credit reports and scores to see if we can improve them.

 

We can help you with your business credit needs as well as any personal credit scores.

 

Contact Us:

How Much Does it Cost to Remodel a Basement? | Bedford Hills Real Estate

Average reported cost:
$23,073
based on 233 cost profiles
Most homeowners spent between:
           $19,605 –            $26,541
Minimum cost:
$9,200
Maximum cost:
$44,640
We are still gathering data for this location.
Average reported costs:
Most homeowners spent between:
National
              $19,972               based on 2,672 cost profiles
          $16,979 –           $22,965           based on 2,672 cost profiles
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New York
              $19,947               based on 156 cost profiles
          $16,836 –           $23,058           based on 156 cost profiles
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New York, NY
              $23,073               based on 233 cost profiles
          $19,605 –           $26,541           based on 233 cost profiles
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Remodeling your basement is a big job potentially involving many different parts: moving or adding walls, installing floors and window coverings, and furnishing. While it is difficult to predict the exact cost, there are general factors to consider before starting the project.
Square footage

The size of your basement is a large factor. Some homeowners only remodel part of their basements to curb total remodeling costs. Any project with a large square footage will be more expensive as it means more materials and longer construction time.  Continue Reading

Materials

For a basement remodel, you’ll have to consider walls, ceilings, flooring, lighting, and insulation. If you’re adding a bathroom, then you’ll deal with installing countertops, cabinets, a toilet and even a shower or bathtub. All of these options mean various price ranges, depending on the types of materials selected. It’s important to figure out your budget and then choose the most important aspects to focus on for the remodel.

Electrical

Your basement will likely need to be fitted with additional wires to support more lights and electronics. You will need to hire a licensed electrician if you plan to install additional overhead light fixtures, outlets and other components that require additional wiring.

Plumbing

If you’re adding a bathroom, then you’ll need to hire a licensed plumber to install the necessary elements. The more you decide to install in your bathroom, the higher the bathroom remodeling costs will be. Adding a shower or bathtub might be necessary if you plan to use the basement as a guest suite. Otherwise a half bath may be perfect if the basement is used as a living or family room space.

Resale Value

Adding a bedroom or another living space to your home might cost you a lot by the end, but you will see a return on your investment when you go to resell your home. Having another room adds value to the house, which means someone will pay more for your home when it comes time to put it on the market.