Tag Archives: Armonk Luxury Real Estate

Armonk Luxury Real Estate

Couple has been living under a rock, literally | Armonk NY Homes

For many people, the idea of living under a rock might seem like the punchline of a joke. But for one Mexican couple, a hut wedged below a 130-foot boulder in Coahuila, Mexico, has been home for the past 30 years.

A reporter recently visited the couple, Benito Hernandez and Santa Martha de la Cruz Villarreal, in their primitive desert home 50 miles south of Texas. Hernandez is a farmer who plants and collects the Candelilla plant used in making Candelilla wax.

He first saw this boulder 55 years ago, when he was 8, and decided to make it a home one day. Twenty years later he was able to secure rights to the land.

“I started coming here when I was 8 years old to visit the Candelilla (harvesting) fields, and I liked it here. I liked it and then I continued visiting every three to four months. I wasn’t married and I didn’t have a family yet, but I liked it and I had to keep coming to put my foot in (on the property) because lands here are won through claiming them,” Hernandez told Reuters.

The home, made of sun-dried bricks and cement, has a dirt floor, a wood stove, and no plumbing. Electrical service is said to be unreliable. A nearby stream supplies fresh drinking water. In winter, though, the water source freezes over.

“It gets very cold here and we struggle to get food. We have to work hard here on the Candelilla (fields). That’s the only job we have. That’s what we live from,” said Hernandez.

The couple have seven children, six of whom are married and live nearby.

 

 

 

http://homes.yahoo.com/blogs/spaces/couple-living-under-rock-quite-literally-230218154.html

Bedford Corners, Armonk, Lead in Highest Ave. Price per Foot | #RobReportBlog

 

Bedford   Corners, Armonk, Lead in Highest Ave. Price per Foot | #RobReportBlogPrice per foot
Katonah$438.00
Pound   Ridge$350.00
South   Salem$338.00
Mt Kisco$322.00
Chappaqua$369.00
North   Salem$405.00
Armonk$456.00
Bedford$409.00
Bedford   Hills$419.00
Bedford   Corners$467.00

 

Home building surges | Armonk NY Homes

Builders rushed to start homes in November, with that key measure of the housing recovery enjoying a huge one-month jump.

Housing starts grew at an annual pace of 1.09 million, up nearly 30% from a year ago. The issuance of building permits was also strong, up 7%.

Still the pace of housing starts was less than half of the peak levels during the housing boom in the middle of last decade, and was even 25% below the monthly average over the course of the last 50 years.

“Because of this, the impressive acceleration in residential investment which has occurred in 2013 should extend through 2014,” said Joseph LaVorgna, chief U.S. economist at Deutsche Bank, in a note Wednesday.

A survey by the National Association of Home Builders released Tuesday showed builders reporting the best sales conditions for single family homes in eight years.

 

 

http://money.cnn.com/2013/12/18/news/economy/home-building/

Renovation Do No. 1: Upgrade your kitchen | Armonk Real Estate

All of our experts agree that a kitchen renovation should be at the top of your list, since it’s the heart of a home and the room where families spend most of their time. But where to start? A couple of givens include upgrading to stainless steel appliances and installing countertops made from engineered stone or granite, because these fairly easy changes will improve the aesthetic appeal of the space. Details can also make a difference, like putting shiny knobs on cabinets and purchasing a sparkling new faucet for the sink.

Modern innovations and technology have been so good to everyday life. Having the ability to cook on an electric stove and use electricity for many other things in life is something that many people take for granted. However, when your electricity isn’t working right or you need electric oven repair, you might be a little more than overwhelmed with all of the things that you have to consider in order to make the most of your repair services. Take the time to Check This Out all of your options. If the winter was bitterly cold and the heat cost were unspeakably high, then you certainly need to think about insulation for your home. If it is formulated as simply as possible, then insulation serves ultimately to prevent or slow down heat exchange between two areas. Ideally, the heat stays in the house and the cold outside or vice versa for the summer months when you want to keep to cold air inside and heat outside. Many building materials can be a source of insulation, but only a few do this effectively. Even a simple stone wall holds heat to a certain extent in the walls. However, if considerable savings are to be made in terms of heating costs, there is no way around special insulation materials. But it does not always have to be “packed” within the whole house to save money. It is often enough to simply insulate the top floor, which will considerably reduce fuel consumption. Click here for more information https://www.insulation4us.com/blogs/what-insulation-should-i-use-when-insulating-my-home-in-brooklyn-ny/

Another wise kitchen upgrade? Knocking down a full or half wall, so you can connect the kitchen to the den or living room. “It makes the kitchen feel more spacious,” says Phyllis Rockower, the owner of the Real Estate Investors Club of Los Angeles. “If you’re cooking, you can still hear what people are saying during a party, or keep an eye on your kids while they’re playing.” http://money.msn.com/home-loans/good-and-bad-renovations-for-your-homes-value

Armonk, Bedford Corners Lead in Highest Average Size | #RobReportBlog

Armonk,   Bedford Corners Lead in Highest Average Size | #RobReportBlogSquare Feet
Katonah3,876
Pound   Ridge3,854
South   Salem3,029
Mt Kisco2,788
Chappaqua4,101
North   Salem3,288
Armonk5,800
Bedford4,701
Bedford   Hills4,021
Bedford   Corners5,059

20 must-have bathroom ideas | Armonk NY Homes

A bathroom should be more than the daily necessities. It should be a retreat, a getaway after a long day. Take steps to renovate the room into that escape. If not making it over, at least improve it.

Need ideas? The DesignMine gallery showcases bathrooms real people use for rest and relaxation. They’re the fortresses of solitude for the everyday hero, designed and decorated by professionals who know what people need.

Check out these top 20 styles from the collection, ranging from the classical into the fantastical. Whether it’s a particular style or a mixture, convert your bathroom into the space you’ll find comfort in.

 

 

 

http://realestate.msn.com/20-must-have-bathroom-ideas

Social media catapults an entrepreneur on the world stage | Armonk NY Realtor

I never imagined that writing about my personal life would catch the attention of a global health-care foundation and turn me into a globe-trotting, public speaker at an international medical conference in the Middle East. But in this social media age, getting thrust onto the international business stage is possible—even when you least expect it.

I was born with thalassemia, one of the most common genetic blood disorders in the world. There are three versions of the disease: minor, intermediate and major. Those living with thalassemia minor are typically unaware that they have the illness. While those who have the major form, like me, live with a dysfunctional bone marrow that produces misshapen red blood cells that cannot transport oxygen to cells, thus requiring triweekly transfusions for survival.

Estimates indicate that at least 12 children suffering from thalassemia are born every hour around the world and almost 490 million are carriers of genetic hemoglobin disorders globally. While bone-marrow transplants and new gene therapies have led to the potential cure for some patients, most who inherit the disease will die from complications.

I started blogging and sharing my experience on Facebook and Twitter. In April 2013, one of my Facebook posts inspired a message from Riyad Elbard, president of the Thalassemia Foundation of Canada, asking me to share lessons on emotional wellness, a topic that I write about, at the Thalassemia International Federation World Congress, which took place in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, in October.

Elbard mentioned that he enjoyed reading my blog posts on Facebook and thought I could offer a much-needed message about how to thrive with medical challenges. Simply put, emotional wellness means embracing, rather than denying emotions, so we learn to cope with stress and anxiety in a way that results in a positive approach to life. Freedom from negative thoughts and behavior patterns leads to emotional wellness.

 

 

 

http://www.cnbc.com/id/101222301

Turn-Of-The-Century Pacific Heights Mansion Asks $27M | Armonk Real Estate

Have a nomination for a jaw-dropping listing that would make a mighty fine House of the Day? Get thee to the tipline and send us your suggestions. We’d love to see what you’ve got.

Location: San Francisco, Calif. Price: $27,000,000 The Skinny: Where to start with this stunning Pacific Heights home? The secret Prohibition-era bar? The expansive Art Deco ballroom? The amazing San Francisco Bay views? Or, maybe, the home’s prodigious price tag: $27M, which is a whopping $21M more than the current owner, University of Phoenix co-founder John Murphy, paid for the 9,320-square-foot manse in 1997. That’s a sizable markup, but the home, which was built in 1905 for a member of the Spreckel’s Sugar Company dynasty, does come with an impeccable San Francisco pedigree. It was designed by noted Bay Area architects Bliss and Faville, whose other designs include the American Conservatory Theater and the Bank of California building, and was previously owned by the son of former S.F. Mayor Joseph Alioto. A spiral staircase serves the five-level traditionalist’s delight, which has five bedrooms and dive bathrooms, a walnut-paneled library, solarium, and elevator for the stair-wary. Also: the views!  So why would anyone walk away from a home like this (aside from, of course, the opportunity for a huge profit-taking sale)? Mr. Murphy tells the Wall Street Journal he wants to downsize and spend more time at his Napa Valley estate.

Lack of confidence weighs on housing | Armonk NY Homes

Consumers are still wading through the lingering effects of the financial crisis and lacking the confidence needed in the economy to move forward. And as long as consumer spending is lagging on the personal shopping front, homebuying is going to remain out of the question for many families.

This year’s Black Friday shopping failed to kick-start the shopping season with a boom. In fact, retail spending fell for the first time in at least seven years over the Thanksgiving weekend.

Consumers racked up $59.1 billion in purchases in 2012, compared to only $57.4 billion this year, as hyped-up deals and bargains failed to lure in shoppers, the National Retail Federation said.

The good news is that while consumers are not so confident right now, they are de-leveraging debts carried from the pre-crisis days — a potential breakthrough for the housing market.

“Our findings suggest that the consumer de-leveraging experienced since the financial crisis will trough in the next year or two, driven by improved mortgage credit availability and better consumer demand,” Paul Miller, a managing director at FBR Capital Markets, said.

 

 

 

http://www.housingwire.com/articles/28176-lack-of-confidence-weighs-on-housing