Category Archives: Waccabuc NY

The Creation Of The Eternal Miami Marine Stadium | Waccabuc Realtor

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The Miami Marine Stadium, designed by Hilario Candela, stands as one of Miami’s most crowning architectural achievements. The stadium undeniably captures the essence of the Miami Modern, or MiMo, architectural style—a term coined by Randall Robinson and Teri D’Amico that describes the adaptation of the International Style of modernism to South Florida’s environment and culture from the end of WWII until the late 1960s. Recently an effort to save the stadium from demolition and restore it has received much attention and support, all in the interest of the enormous architectural and social impact the stadium has had on Miami through its history.

marine%20stadium%202for%20web.jpgPancoast, Ferendino, Skeels, and Burnham’s as built plans of Miami Marine Stadium. 1963. [Courtesy of Hilario Candela]

In 1962 the City of Miami hired the Chicago firm of Ralph H. Burke to master plan a new park on Virginia Key, along the Rickenbacker Causeway. The proposal called for a monumental racecourse for speedboats, similar to Rome’s Circus Maximus but with water. It would include a grandstand on the south side and be open to Biscayne Bay on the northwest end. The project’s total estimated cost: $10 million.

The inclusion of a grandstand and other amenities for a large audience came at a time when boat racing and water skiing were exploding in popularity throughout the country. Amateurs and professionals alike embraced a sport that had once only been accessible to the wealthy who owned yachts or belonged to private clubs. Yet no city in America had an adequate boat racing course. In Miami, the annual Orange Bowl Regatta in December attracted hundreds of spectators and boat entries to the event. However, due to the lack of unprotected and limited space the event also gained public criticism.

The new stadium was to be the world’s first specifically designed for powerboat racing. Though other marine stadiums existed, such as the Long Beach Marine Stadium in California or the Jones Beach Marine Theatre in New York, each was built for either rowing/boat races or musical concerts, respectively. Miami’s new stadium would capitalize on tourism and local revenue with a diverse list of events to be hosted on site including major regattas, shows, and concerts.

To carry out the project the City of Miami hired the Miami-based architectural firm of Pancoast, Feredino, Skeels and Burnham, as well as Dignum Engineers. Dignum’s lead engineer Jack Meyer and Hilario Candela, a young Cuban-born architect from Pancoast, Feredino set out to construct an ambitious concrete wonder.

marine%20stadium%203for%20web.jpgConstruction photos of Miami Marine Stadium. 1963. Photo by Pancoast, Ferendino, Skeels, and Burnham. [Courtesy of Hilario Candela]

The then 27-year old Hilario Candela had a resume of experiences prior to this project that he usefully drew on for the stadium. Candela trained at the Georgia Institute of Technology and his mentors, a group of men that were leading the pathway with concrete structure experimentation, included Italian architect Pier Luigi Nervi, Spanish structural engineer Eduardo Torroja, and Spanish-Mexican architect Félix Candela. After graduation Candela returned to Havana, Cuba where he interned under Max Borges, Jr., designer of the famed Arcos de Cristal at the Tropicana Night Club, and Sáenz, Cancio, Martín, Álvarez and Gutiérrez-the largest firm in Havana at the time. It was here that Candela was introduced to thin-shell concrete construction and expressive rooflines. Coming to Miami to join Pancoast, Feredino, Skeels and Burnham, Candela’s first project was to construct a series of buildings for the first campus of Miami Dade College—something he continued for 30 years.

 

http://miami.curbed.com/archives/2013/12/09/marine-stadium-marvin-aguilar.php

 

Prices Turn Frosty in First November Data | Waccabuc Real Estate

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National and regional rates of growth showed clear signs of winter chills in November, as summer buying activity gave way to the typical winter slow down.  Nationally, home prices cooled off to a 10.8% year-over-year growth, a slight tapering over the previous quarter’s 11.0% yearly growth.

More notable moderation took place in quarterly growth. November national quarterly growth of 1.8% was nearly cut in half when compared to the previous quarter’s 3.3% growth.  The regions experienced moderation over yearly and quarterly rates of growth as well, with few exceptions. The Midwest and the Northeast were the only regions to see slight gains in yearly rates of growth over the previous quarter, according to Clear Capital’s Market Report

While REOs and short sales accounted for 21.6% of all national sales over the previous quarter, it is substantially lower than peak rates of 41.0% in 2011Distressed sale activity, as a portion of total sales, can increase over winter due to some fair market sellers waiting for the more active spring season to list their homes.

Prior to the recovery taking hold, increasing distressed sale saturation rates pushed prices down. Yet, the First-In-First-Out recovery saw distressed markets drive gains, creating a new relationship between high levels of distressed sale saturation and price gains.

The Phoenix MSA has embodied this behavior as one of the first markets to exhibit a sustained recovery alongside its high levels of distressed sale saturation. After significant gains, the market’s growth is now moderating with quarterly growth of 2.4%, less than half of the current annual rate of growth when annualized. Having led the recovery for the better part of a year, Phoenix no longer sits on the top 15 performing list. Other metro markets also confirm higher levels of distressed sale activity can now correlate with higher price gains.

Average rates of yearly growth in the top performing markets were 19.2% in November, while average distressed sale saturation sat at a relatively high 24.5%.

Low performing markets, on the other hand, had average rates of yearly growth of 4.9% in November, while average distressed sale saturation sat at a relatively low 17.2%.

 

http://www.realestateeconomywatch.com/2013/12/prices-turn-frosty-in-first-november-data/

Dreaming in Color: 8 Ravishing Red Bedrooms | Waccabuc Real Estate

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I’m not a morning person, so I’ll take any help I can get for waking up early and feeling motivated to start my day. Bold red is an attention-getting hue, so it’s a great color for those who need assistance getting revved up and energized. Keep in mind, though, that red has been shown to raise blood pressure slightly as well as increase stress and anxiety levels, so it’s not a good color for those who need their bedroom to be a mellow sanctuary. Of course, deeper and darker reds that veer toward burgundy are less “hot” and therefore more soothing, so look for those if you prefer a more calming effect in your bedroom.

For those of you ready to go red, check out these eight bold red bedrooms from around Houzz, along with a few tips for working with the hue in your own bedroom.

I love a strong accent wall color, especially when it’s picked up elsewhere in the room via textiles, furnishings and decorative accessories. This deep red is gorgeous set against the rich wood details, and the white wall helps lighten it all up.
If a solid red wall is too intense for you, try breaking it up with plenty of white. This is a fantastic and affordable way to get a one-of-a-kind look in your bedroom, with just masking tape and paint.
Or use red as an attention-getting background hue for fun, decorative wall decals that are easy to install and also easy to change out down the road. This is another cost-effective way to get a supercustom look in your bedroom.

New Jersey home prices dip in October | Waccabuc Real Estate

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Home prices in New Jersey remained stagnant between September and October, reflecting a nationwide cooling down-period for the real estate market, according to a monthly Home Price Index report from CoreLogic, a real estate analytic firm.
The average price of a single-family home in New Jersey fell by 0.33 percent month-to-month. In the Newark region, one of the statistical areas studied by CoreLogic, prices slipped by 0.74 percent. Atlantic City and the Jersey City-New York-White Plains area saw gains of 0.19 percent and 1.21 percent respectively. Camden and Trenton saw declines of 0.66 percent and 0.27 percent.
Nationally, prices increased 0.2 percent.

Mark Fleming, chief economist for CoreLogic, said in a statement that the “monthly growth rate is expected to moderate even further in November and December.”

CoreLogic president and chief executive officer Anand Nallathambi said “the housing market appears to be catching its breath.”

 

 

http://www.nj.com/business/index.ssf/2013/12/new_jersey_home_prices_dip_in.html

Ideabooks Aid Design Collaboration in Seattle | Waccabuc Real Estate

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Style can be hard to verbalize. What’s my personal home decor style? It’s a little bit of this and a little bit of that. I don’t know that I could sum it up in a sentence, but I do know that I could point it out in a picture. Tom and Jessica Freeman discovered this while remodeling their 1902 Seattle home. Both had strong opinions about what they wanted in their new house but were unsure how to communicate that to the right architect.
After browsing the 2 million-plus photos on Houzz, the couple narrowed their search by metro area so they could look at projects in Seattle. They came across architect Michael Knowles’ work. Drawn by his more traditional projects they saw on Houzz, they ended up hiring both Knowles and his wife, Colleen, an interior designer. Sharing and collaborating design concepts via their Houzz ideabooks streamlined the process and helped lead the couple to their dream home.
Houzz at a Glance Who lives here: Tom and Jessica Freeman Team: Michael Knowles, architect; Colleen Knowles, interior designer Location: Seattle Size: About 2,400 square feet; 3 bathrooms, 2 bedrooms
Photography by Tom Marks

The 1902 house had undergone an extensive renovation in the 1980s, but the bones of the house were good. “We pretty much touched every room, but some had a lighter touch than others,” says Michael Knowles.
The kitchen went through the biggest changes. Although the footprint remains the same, a few structural changes and new surfaces resulted in a dramatic update. Previously it had a vaulted, open ceiling with a clerestory window. Although the window was intended to bring in more light, a neighbor’s house blocked the view, and the open ceiling felt like wasted space.
The floor plan made the most of the space and worked well for the couple’s cooking habits. The Freemans didn’t particularly like the color of the cabinets, but they were solid wood and well made, so they kept them.
AFTER: After searching through dozens of kitchen photos on Houzz featuring black granite, the Freemans determined the look they wanted very quickly. “The ideabooks allowed us to communicate with Michael and Colleen much faster,” says Jessica Freeman. “It was an absolute dream to work with them.”
Michael closed off the kitchen ceiling and repainted the cabinets in a bright white. The cabinets had to be removed during construction, but he put them back in using almost the same layout. A new granite countertop and gray tile backsplash add contrast to the color palette, while new pot lights and ceiling pendants make the kitchen feel brighter than it did with the higher ceiling.

Nation’s home recovery may be on shaky ground | Waccabuc Real Estate

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Concerns are rising that the nation’s year-long revival in residential housing might be facing an uncertain future. The latest publication to tackle the issue was none other than the venerable Economist, which had this to say:

What effect will this slowdown will have on builders? Previous busts have taught them to control the inventory of new properties coming to the market. If they react abruptly to falling sales by building less, the housing market may be “on the verge of a significant correction”, argues Ian Shepherdson of Pantheon Macroeconomics. Although residential construction is only 3% of GDP, in each of the past five quarters it has contributed around a quarter of America’s economic growth.

                    Source: The Economist

Facebook is for grandparents | Waccabuc NY Realtor

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It’s time to move on. The feeling is becoming more and more significant with each passing day and it just keeps spreading.

It’s just not it any more… we want something new, exciting, which can take us places we’ve never been. We want to be surprised again. We want a new, better social network.

Facebook may say its user base is growing, but original members from the last decade appear to be leaving in droves. As more niche networking services and platforms enter the space, people are finding that not any one company is serving all of their networking needs. Our tastes and channels are becoming fragmented, and users are pushing back on accepted norms in the social media space.

This is inevitable. It’s a natural life cycle for any product; unless it somehow becomes a living organism with its own reproductive system and evolution, one will eventually wither and die. Facebook cannot evade this process – it regenerates with nuances, but is not reinventing itself.

For inventions, it usually looks like this:

bellcurve 520x321 Facebook is for grandparents: What we need in a next gen social network

Early adopters as shown in the Rogers’ bell curve

This curve is missing something important – the two-way migration that happens over time. When the late majority joins in, the innovators and early adopters are already feeling uncomfortable.

Facebook today doesn’t resemble a thriving, living metropolis – it’s more of a friendly neighborhood bar. For that reason, FB will face its cruel destiny of simply fading away. Living in the same city as your parents is forgiven and acceptable; there is enough diversity and distance between everyone. But finding yourself sitting in the same bar as your mom and dad – that’s horrifying. When your father posts pictures of sunsets and breakfast on his wall you know it’s over.

The conclusion is undeniable; a new social network is needed. These are the things that will make it awesome and sustainable…

 

 

 

http://thenextweb.com/socialmedia/2013/11/24/

If prospective buyers can’t picture living in a particular home, they’ll walk away | Waccabuc Real Estate

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While showing homes to a young couple with two small children I discovered a house can look too perfect. Since I just met the buyers as they had arrived in town, I didn’t have much time to schedule appointments and make my showing schedule. Some of the sellers had only a couple hours’ notice to prepare for the showings. Even with the short notice, these sellers have extremely neat homes. There was not one child’s toy left out, or book, dish, wrinkled pillow or toothbrush out of place.

The buyers kept commenting about how neat these homes were and even questioned if these occupied homes had real people living there. The houses looked too perfect. I know for a fact that one of the homes was professionally staged because the listing agent always requires her sellers to stage their homes. Some of the other houses may or may not have been professionally staged.

Staging — when done right — can help a home sell. I have seen some wonderful staging jobs. But a couple of these homes lacked that warm, lived-in feeling. This turned off the young couple with the two small children. I saw them squirm and cross their arms. They made generic statements about how this is nice and that looks pretty, but not buying-sign comments.

We saw some vacant homes and some new construction, too. Seeing these homes empty did not seem to bother the buyers, as they could see the real potential the homes offered — a clean palette, so to speak.

I showed another home that was occupied where the sellers left it neat but with a lived-in feeling. You could feel it the moment you stepped in the door. The buyers responded very favorably and started seeing themselves living there. They wanted to linger and ask questions. Yes, there were some personal family photos around, toys in the corner, things on the kitchen counter. The beds were made and the house was clean, but it felt lived in by a happy family.

– See more at: http://www.inman.com/next/when-marketing-to-families-a-staged-listing-should-evoke-lived-in-feeling/#sthash.IdbSlOrt.dpuf

Most Popular Manhattan Rental Listings Of The Last Week | Waccabuc Real Estate

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Yesterday we rounded up the top 10 most expensive rental listings in the city, but those places aren’t exactly where most of the city’s renters are looking. So today, we are looking at the top 10 most popular Manhattan rental listings of the past week, according to data from StreetEasy. The listings, which were sorted by the number of pageviews, highlight that everyone is always searching for the best deal—the most expensive unit on this list is a $3,000/month two-bedroom.

↑10) 32 East 7th Street, East Village The listing for this two-bedroom makes no mention of a living room, and judging by the photos, there may not be one. The kitchen is small, and one of the bedrooms is a super weird shape, but it’s just $2,350.

↑ 9) 402 East 78th Street, Upper East Side A no-fee 1BR/1BA near First Avenue is listed for $1,895, and the photos looks pretty great, but the place has been sitting on the market for more than two months. The price was also recently reduced by $155, and there’s a free month of rent, so it seems like there’s something wrong with the place that’s not evident in the listing.

Screen-Shot-2013-11-20-at-10.08.03-AM.jpg

↑ 8) 226 West 16th Street, Chelsea There are no photos of this 600-square-foot 1BR apartment, which is never a good sign, but the price, $1,995, has obviously attracted attention. The listing says the unit is rent-stabilized and has a full kitchen, but it also says the rent is $2266.52.

↑ 7) 322 West 11th Street, West Village Possibly the nicest unit on this list is this 2BR/1BA asking $3,000 per month. The kitchen is small, but there are high ceilings and both bedrooms can fit a queen-sized bed.

67149568.jpg

↑ 6) 551 West 165th Street, Washington Heights For just $925/month, there’s a furnished studio next to the Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center. The brokerbabble describes the building as “immaculate, secure and very safe,” but the place looks like a hotel room in the photos.

↑ 5) 10 Jones Street, West Village If this listing for a $2,200/month one-bedroom in the West Village seems too good to be true, that’s because it is. It’s actually just for a bedroom in a 2BR/1BA duplex apartment that has 16′ ceilings and exposed brick walls. The photos were taken at nighttime, which always makes apartments, no matter how nice they are, look like a scene from a horror movie.

↑ 4) 251 West 15th Street, Chelsea Between 7th and 8th Avenues, there’s a small duplex asking $1,680/month. The kitchen is teeny, with a half-sized refrigerator, and the sleeping loft looks like it’s only about 4-feet high.

 

 

 

 

http://ny.curbed.com/archives/2013/11/20/the_most_popular_manhattan_rental_listings_of_the_last_week.php