Category Archives: Westchester NY

Historic Philadelphia Victorian with 1920s Addition | South Salem Real Estate

 

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Location: Philadelphia
Price: $1,750,000
The Skinny: An unusual historic home in the Northwest Philadelphia neighborhood of Chestnut Hill is on the market for the first time ever, or at least since H. Louis Duhring, Jr. acquired it. Duhring, who designed many of the homes George Woodward commissioned for the neighborhood, had a four-story wing in the Arts and Crafts style added to the home in the 1920s. This new back end to the stone-clad, circa-1860 Victorian brought the total square footage to about 10,000, which counts two apartments reached via a “grand, skylit stairwell,” and a “library/music room” with an original stone fireplace. There’s also a greenhouse and a pool in back.

First brought to market back in June, the dwelling is listed for $1.75M with design store proprietor and Kurfiss Sotheby’s associate broker Virginia Baltzell, whose family owns the property. She thinks it would make a great B&B.

 

read more…

 

http://curbed.com/archives/2014/12/11/h-louis-duhring-chestnut-hill-philadelphia-home-for-sale.php

 

Home Equity Grows | Bedford Hills Real Estate

According to NAHB tabulations of the third quarter Federal Reserve Flow of Funds, the real estate equity position of U.S. households (the difference between assets and liabilities) increased nearly 1.6% for the quarter.

The market value of real estate held by U.S. households increased $180 billion dollars during the quarter, while liabilities (home mortgages) remained virtually unchanged. The value household-owned real estate, including owner-occupied and second homes, totaled $20.4 trillion for the quarter. Total home mortgage debt outstanding stands at $9.4 trillion.

Recent developments in terms of housing values and mortgage debt outstanding have been largely driven by tight lending conditions and steadily increasing home prices. Rising home prices, in particular, have boosted household balance sheets in recent years.

Chart1

To account for inflation in the quarterly series and measure changes in real values, it is also useful to examine owner’s equity in real estate as a percentage of the value of household real estate. The higher the ratio, the more favorable is the financial position of U.S. households with real estate. The current reading of 53.9% is a slight improvement over the prior quarter. The ratio has steadily improved from the 36.7% reading in the first quarter of 2009 during the depths of the Great Recession.

Chart2

This type of improvement in the balance sheet of U.S. households with real estate generally corresponds with the ongoing recovery in housing. It is likely that tight lending conditions have led to pent-up housing demand, which could release with further improvement to the economy.

 

read more…

 

http://eyeonhousing.org/2014/12/home-equity-grows-during-the-third-quarter/

 

Teatown Lake Reservation update | #PoundRidge #RealEstate

 

December 10, 2014                                                          Like us on Facebook Follow us on Twitter Find us on Pinterest  View our videos on YouTubenull
holiday08
PROGRAMS:
Advanced Registration is required for all programs. Unless noted, all programs meet in the Nature Center and are $7 per person or FREE for members. Please register by calling (914) 762-2912 ext. 110. 

Decorate a Tree for Wildlife
Saturday, December 13
10 am – 11:30 am
Join us for a Teatown holiday tradition that celebrates nature’s gifts. We’ll decorate a tree with goodies for the birds, squirrels and other wildlife.

Pre-Count Bird Survey
Wednesday, December 17
9 am – 11 am
Meet in the Teatown parking lot to carpool to local birding hot-spots with Charlie Roberto as we conduct a pre-Christmas bird count survey. Free.

Visit Teatown
Teatown Discovers 

a Cure


Click here to help fight Nature Deficit Disorder

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Holiday Birthday 

Party Special

Book a party and invite a friend to book a party and each save $25 on the booking fee. Parties may be scheduled for any date but must be booked before December 15.

Please call 914-762-2912, 110 to book your party.

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Shopping on Amazon this

holiday season?

Your purchases can

help Teatown!

Click here for info.

___________________

APellegrino

1600 Spring Valley Road
Ossining, NY 10562
914-762-2912

 

Teatown Lake Reservation’s
mission is to inspire our community to lifelong environmental stewardship.
Nature Center hours:
9 am – 5 pm daily
Trails are open 365 days a year from dawn to dusk.
Click here for Teatown membership benefits, details,
and to purchase or renew
your membership online.

Your donation can make

an immediate impact and help

support our environmental education programs and the stewardship of our 1,000 acre preserve.

Upcoming Events and Workshops:

Christmas Bird Count
Saturday, December 20
8 am – 9:30 am
Celebrate nature this holiday season by helping Teatown educators in this important census to count wintering birds. The information gathered is compiled and sent to National Audubon which uses the information to monitor trends in populations and other conservation issues that impact avian health. Free. Dress for the weather, bring binoculars and wear hiking boots.

Whoo Loves Winter?
Saturday, December 27
10 am – 11:30 am
Now is the time when great-horned owls begin to pair up and call for their mates. By mid-winter the females are sitting on eggs with snow falling on their heads. Come learn about these nocturnal winter-loving top predators, and meet one of Teatown’s great-horned owls.

Last Hike of the Year
Sunday, December 28
10 am – 11:30 am
Let’s see out the old year and welcome in the new with an invigorating hike up Teatown Hill. Dress for the weather and wear hiking boots. This hike is intended for adults only. 
In the Nature Center Gallery:

 

Ceramic Plates & Sculpture 

by Barbara Krohn


On exhibit December 2014

Ms. Krohn and her family have long standing connections to Teatown and we are very pleased to be hosting an exhibit of her recent works.

 

Click here for more info.

Teatown Highlight:

Experience! Nature
Teatown is proud to launch Experience! Nature an after-school enrichment program for Sleepy Hollow Middle School students focused on place-based learning at Peabody Preserve (a recently opened 39-acre, outdoor classroom owned by the school district and located in Sleepy Hollow). Our partners in this program include the Tarrytown Union Free School District, the Jacob Burns Film Center, Family Services of Westchester and the Friends of Peabody Preserve.

 

Experience! Nature is a journey of exploration and discovery, engaging students’ natural curiosity and awakening their innate ability to connect to the world around them.  Teatown educators will serve as mentors and teachers, guiding students to learn about the natural world and the environmental impacts they make where they live, while gaining insight about themselves and their relationships with their peers.

 

Media partner JBFC will collaborate with Teatown’s  educators and students to produce a dual-language, digital field guide to the Peabody Preserve.   The field guide will be easily accessible as a resource for the entire community.  Regular field trips in all seasons, led by Teatown to the Preserve will enable students to connect with nature, learn ecological concepts improving their ecological literacy as well as their English language skills.

Holi-daze Mini-Camp
December 29, 30, 31
The holidays are coming: when school is out and nature is in! Come for a day, or two or more of fun in the outdoors. There will be hiking, crafts, and enough adventure to keep your child  busy and active throughout the holiday season.

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Astorino: No Tax Hikes, Layoffs In 2015 Westchester County Budget | Chappaqua Real Estate

Westchester County has approved a 2015 budget plan, with a modest spending increase and no hike in the tax levy.

The $1.75 billion spending plan also contains no layoffs, and maintains and improves essential service delivery, according to the office of county Executive Rob Astorino.

“This is a smart and responsible budget that protects the interests of all county residents,” Astorino said in a news release. “It strikes the right balance between taxes and services.”

The budget increases spending by 0.5 percent, or $10 million – less than the rate of inflation, the release said. There will be no reductions in services, and the county’s safety net was maintained with spending for the Department of Social Services at $545 million, the release said.

The tax levy will remain at $548 million for the fifth year in a row, and sales tax was projected to rise by 4 percent to $414 million, the release said.

The budget passed by a vote of 10 to 7, winning the vote of all seven Republican and three Democrats on the Westchester County Board of Legislators, the release said.

The board did reach a compromise in borrowing to pay tax certioraris – the claims made against the county by property owners challenging their tax assessments. The county will only borrow $5 million rather than the $8 million it borrowed last year, as an alternative to service cuts or layoffs that otherwise would have been used to offset costs.

 

read more….

 

 

http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2014/12/09/astorino-no-tax-hikes-layoffs-in-2015-westchester-county-budget/

Households Show Willingness to Take on Most Forms of Debt | Bedford Hills Real Estate

Data released by the Federal Reserve Board indicates that consumer credit outstanding increased over the month of October 2014. The data released by the Federal Reserve Board covers most short- and intermediate-term credit extended to individuals, excluding loans secured by real estate. According to the release, total consumer credit outstanding expanded by a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 5%. Both revolving credit, which is largely composed of credit cards, and non-revolving credit, mostly auto and student loans, grew over the month. Revolving credit increased by a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1% ($11 billion) while non-revolving credit grew by 6%, $148 billion.

Over the past year, revolving credit rose by 3% while non-revolving credit has grown by 8%. Data from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York confirms the growth in consumer credit outstanding. It also shows that the portion of consumer debt that is secured by housing also rose. However, the increase in housing secured consumer debt outstanding reflects an increase in mortgage debt outstanding, while the total amount of outstanding home equity lines of credit fell over the year.

According to the figure below, auto loans recorded the largest percentage increase over the year, rising by 11% between the third quarter of 2013 and the third quarter of 2014. However, the size of the increase ranked third behind student loans and mortgages. Meanwhile, student loans recorded both the second largest year-over-year growth rate, 10%, and the second highest growth level, $99 billion. Credit cards, a component of revolving credit outstanding, recorded the smallest rate of positive growth, 1% and $8 billion. By virtue of its size, mortgage debt outstanding recorded the largest increase, growing by $234 billion over the year. However, this translates into annual growth rate of 3%. Although home equity lines of credit recorded a larger percentage drop, 4%, relative to mortgages its total decline, $23 billion, was much smaller than the increase in mortgage debt.Presentation1

 

 

read more…

 

http://eyeonhousing.org/2014/12/households-show-willingness-to-take-on-most-forms-of-debt/

 

Town of Bedford Recreation News | Bedford Real Estate

 

Town of Bedford Recreation News
Upcoming December Events & Programs

BREAKFAST WITH FROSTY 
Saturday December 13
8:30 – Breakfast and visit with Frosty 
9:00 – Entertainment – Mario the Magician

For Ages 1 – 8 with Adult 
$6.00 per person preregistered 
$10.00 at the door if space is available 
 
Click here for the registration form

 THUNDER RIDGE SKI/SNOWBOARD PROGRAM
Got snow? Have you always wanted to learn how to ski or snowboard? Here’s your chance to get off the bunny slopes and traverse down those hills! Bedford Recreation in cooperation with Thunder Ridge Ski area is offering ski lessons (gr. 1 and up) and snowboard lessons (gr. 3 and up)
Click here for more information and registration form.

BUILD A GINGERBREAD HOUSE 
Construct your own Gingerbread House and decorate it too!
This is a fun creative program for grades 2 – 6
Sat. December 13
12:30 – 2:30
Bedford Hills Community House 
$25.00 (includes lunch)
Click here for registration form

 

WINTER PROGRAMS  
DON’T MISS OUT
NOW ENROLLING
PRESCHOOL PROGRAMS – Creative Movement, Learn Build Play with Duplo Bricks, Mommy and Me Music, Cooking with Little Hands, Tiny Dragons, Crazy About Crafts, Preschool Yoga, Kiddy Korner Jamboree

 
SCHOOL AGED CLASSES – Ukulele Lessons, LEGO Building, Hook Rug, Cooking Creations, Creative Crafting, Babysitting Training Course, Girls Volleyball, Marital Arts, Ski & Snowboard Lessons

 

SPECIAL EVENTS FOR SCHOOL AGED KIDS – Yoga and Sing Along, American Girl Doll Fun, Challenge Game Night, Kids Night Out, and Kids BINGO

 

ADULT PROGRAMMING – Mah Jongg, Happy New You, Skinny Buddha Organic Cooking

 

ADULT FITNESS PROGRAMS – Aerobics, Insanity, Zumba, Yoga, Lunchtime Workout, Indoor Cycle, Pilates, Melt Strength

 

PLATFROM TENNIS LESSONS – offered in Katonah and Bedford Village Parks

 

Make sure you find the perfect program for you.  For more information please visit our Recreation Brochure here.

 

IT”S HERE
The 2015 Winter Brochure is now available on-line!
Click here to view the Winter Brochure

ICE SKATING 
@ HARVEY SCHOOL 
Bring your skates and take a few laps around the rink!
Friday December 26 
12:45 – 2:45 PM
$5.00 per person 

OUTDOOR ICE SKATING 
Ice skating will be available at the Bedford Hills Memorial Park, Lake Marie and Cherry Ridge Lake on Lakeside Drive in Katonah. Weather and conditions permitting. Appropriate signage will be posted at each site indicating whether the lakes are safe for skating.
 

SANTA’A MAILBOX 
“SANTA’S REINDEER EXPRESS”

will be arriving at the Recreation Department after Thanksgiving to accept letters to Santa.
Please make sure all letters include child’s name, age and return address.
For grades K- 3
Letters must be in to the office by Dec. 12.
Contact Us
Town of Bedford
Recreation and Parks Department
914-666-7004 (office)
914-864-3777 (hotline)
We respect your right to privacy. The Town of Bedford will not contact any person who submits an email address for any purpose other than the original intended communication. E-mail addresses will not be disclosed to a third party, unless required by law.

Farmers Markets | North Salem Real Estate

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Rye’s Down to Earth Farmers Market
has been EXTENDED by 2 weeks!

We’ll be open every Sunday, through December 21st, from 8:30 am-2:00 pm

Located in the parking lot on Theodore Fremd Avenue (behind Purchase St. stores)
fall collage again

The following farms and food makers will sell fresh foods – and holiday gifts! – at some or all of the upcoming Sunday markets. Please visit the webpage of Rye’s Down to Earth Farmers Market for full details.

Alpacatrax – Yarn, roving, and finished goods made from alpaca fibers

Bombay Emerald Chutney Company

Christiane’s Backstube – German-inspired baked goods

Dr. Pickle

Karl Family Farms

Meredith’s Bread

Migliorelli Farm

Newgate Farms​ – Seasonal foods, hand-crafted holiday wreaths, and more

Our Daily Bread

Pie Lady & Son

Simple Eats with Chef T – Healthy prepared foods to go

Taiim Falafel Shack

Tierra Farm

Yellow Bell Farm
Thank you for supporting local farms and food businesses!

Down to Earth Markets is a certified B (Beneficial) Corporation that manages farmers markets in Westchester County, Rockland County, and New York City. We believe that seasonal, local food is a vital part of our heritage that ensures the health of our communities and environment.
Visit DowntoEarthMarkets.com for updates on the Rye Farmers Market, as well as to learn more about our company.

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Local Farmers Markets | Waccabuc Real Estate

JAN2014-DTE-E-Mail-Masthead_(722x226pxl)FRESH-2-(1

 Alpacatrax Brings Yarn, Roving, & Finished Goods to Ossining & Rye;
SIX Rotating Vendors on Saturday in Larchmont;
COMPOST Debuts in Ossining with Creative Plantings + More


December 4-10th, 2014

DowntoEarthMarkets.com
GermanGinger
What’s New, In Season, and On Sale This Week
Down to Earth Markets Holiday Gift Guide – EXPLORE here!

Gift Boxes: Both in Chutney Varieties & Ayurvedic Spices
Bombay Emerald Chutney Company

Holiday Cookie Boxes,
Cupcakes, Linzer Cookies,
Pies & More

Meredith’s Bread

Lebkuchen – pictured above!
German gingerbread ornaments
Christiane’s Backstube

Marzipan Stollen
Sweet bread baked with raisins
& almonds

Christiane’s Backstube

Roasted Butternut Squash & Corn Squash Samosas
Samosa Shack

Zimtsterne
Star-shaped cinnamon cookies
Christiane’s Backstube


Click on a Market to see all vendor and event details…                  


Ossining

Saturdays
8:30 am-1:00 pm
OPEN ALL YEAR

Moving Indoors to
Claremont Elementary School
Saturday, January 10, 2015

Larchmont

Saturdays
8:30 am-1:00 pm
Through Dec. 13th

Mamaroneck Winter
Opens
Saturday, January 3, 2015

Rye

Sundays
8:30 am-2:00 pm

**EXTENDED!**
Now through Dec. 21st

Headed to the city? We’ve got markets there, too. CLICK HERE for details

Announcements
Open This Weekend + Winter Farmers Markets

This weekend, our farmers markets in Ossining, Larchmont, and Rye are OPEN.

Also, we’re excited to host two winter markets in 2015:

The Mamaroneck Winter Farmers Market will open on Saturday, January 3rd at St. Thomas Episcopal Church, 9:00 am – 1:00 pm, through early May. It’s located at 168 W. Boston Post Road. AND…

We are thrilled to announce that the Ossining Winter Farmers Market will have an indoor home for the 2015 Winter Season. All your favorite vendors will be easy to find at Claremont Elementary School, on Van Corlandt Avenue, off of N. Highland Avenue/Route 9. (For GPS, the address is 2 Claremont Road).  According to Google Maps, it is ONLY a 3 minute drive from our main market home at the corner of Spring and Main Streets in downtown Ossining.

The Ossining Farmers Market will continue to take place in its current location through Saturday, December 27th, 2014. We’ll open in Claremont Elementary on Saturday, January 10th, 2015. See you there!

For additional events, visit our Down to Earth Markets Event Calendar.

Stay tuned to all market happenings via our Down to Earth Markets Facebook page
and follow us on Instagram and on Twitter @DowntoEarthMkts.

Rotating* Vendors This Week
*Vendors who rotate through various markets during the season.
They enjoy getting to know many communities, and here’s where to find them this week:

Larchmont

Aroma Roast Coffee
Calcutta Kitchens
Hudson River Apiaries
Pie Lady & Son
Samosa Shack
Simple Eats with Chef T (Healthy prepared foods to go)

Ossining

Alpacatrax (Yarns, roving, and finished goods made with Hudson Valley alpaca fibers)
Compost (Creative plantings for home; also make great host gifts)

Rye

Alpacatrax
Bombay Emerald Chutney Company
Christiane’s Backstube (German-inspired baked specialties, including holiday treats)
Simple Eats with Chef T

Picking a real estate agent | Bedford Real Estate

The proliferation of online real estate information makes it easier than ever to be an informed consumer when buying or selling a home. Yet the digital revolution has done little to lessen the importance of choosing the right real estate agent to work with you.

The right agent can help you buy your dream house or sell your existing home quickly. The wrong agent can botch the transaction, leaving you with egg on your face and nowhere to call home.

Despite the high stakes, many buyers and sellers give little thought to choosing an agent, whether they’re buying or selling.

It takes a lot of commitment and a great deal of energy to keep up with the offerings from Innisfil real estate agents, but they do have a wealth of offerings. A few areas they really love to serve are Fordsbridge, Orpington, Cambridge, Oakbury, Belmont, Fairfield Village, North Cambridge, Sudbury, West Springfield, and more. So if you need a little bit of proof that there’s life after real estate, check out the many offerings from Innisfil and see what they can offer you! You won’t be disappointed.

“They get dazzled by these great listing presentations,” says Michael Soon Lee, regional manager of Better Homes and Gardens Mason-McDuffie Real Estate in Walnut Creek, California, who likens the relationship to dating. “It’s a longtime, intimate, trusting relationship. If it doesn’t start out feeling good at the beginning, it’s probably not going to get any better.”

Get recommendations from friends and relatives, and see which agents are buying and selling the most homes in your neighborhood. Read online reviews, but realize they don’t tell the whole story, since most clients, satisfied or dissatisfied, don’t write reviews. Interview three or four real estate agents to find the one who is the best fit for you.

[ Ready to shop for a home loan? Click to compare interest rates from lenders now.]

Most real estate agents are independent contractors who are paid a commission based on the number of homes they sell. The commission, paid from the sales proceeds, is usually split equally between the listing agent and the selling agent. Once the deal is closed, each of those agents usually has to pay a share to the broker who owns the office where he or she is affiliated.

Don’t be afraid to ask questions about how many listings the real estate agent has, how many homes she has sold in your area, how often she will communicate with you — and in what format — and who she will represent in the transaction.

If you’re a seller, ask how the agent will market your home, who the target buyer is and how he will get your home in front of those preferred buyers.

If you’re a buyer, ask how often the agent will send you listings and whether he has worked with other buyers in your situation. A transaction involving a Federal Housing Association or VA loan, for example, includes some steps that aren’t required for a conventional loan. Some buyers may want to sign a buyer-broker agreement, agreeing to pay a share of the commission if the agent shows them homes where the seller won’t pay a commission, such as for-sale-by-owner houses or new construction properties.

read more…

https://homes.yahoo.com/news/9-red-flags-to-watch-for-when-picking-a-real-estate-agent-003857033.html

Symmetry Can Rescue Your Room | Armonk Real Estate

Human faces, snowflakes, violins, the Eiffel Tower — so much of our world is symmetrical, it’s no wonder the eye is drawn to things with a mirror-image quality, including interiors. No matter your decor style, embracing symmetry can help your space look its best. Whether you’re bringing grandeur to a small space or doing more with your art collection, here are 10 reasons to work symmetry into your rooms.