Tag Archives: Bedford Hills Homes for Sale

Bedford Hills Homes for Sale

The ‘Obamacare’ debacle: 7 tips for Realtors | Bedford Hills Realtor

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Many real estate professionals are facing cancellations or drastically increased fees for their health care in 2014.

If you or someone you know is facing loss of your current policy or additional fees, you do have options.

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (“Obamacare”) has dominated the headlines since the government’s health insurance marketplace, HealthCare.gov, went live in what has become perhaps the worst website debacle ever.

The idea that the government can fix it in a few short weeks goes against this simple fact: If Microsoft and Apple can’t get their systems right at launch, how can anyone realistically expect this to be repaired in such a short period of time?

While the website parodies keep coming and the politicians scramble for a solution, what can you do to make sure that you continue to have adequate health care for both you and your family? 1. If your current policy was canceled, wait and see President Obama has requested that insurance companies delay cancellations for a year.

Unfortunately, that may be easier said than done. One expert likened the situation to installing a new operating system on your computer, uninstalling the new system, and reinstalling the old system.

In the meantime, explore other options just in case your current policy is not extended.

 

 

– See more at: http://www.inman.com/2013/11/18/the-obamacare-debacle-7-tips-for-realtors/#sthash.QnIKVdIP.dpuf

Home affordability sees biggest drop since 2004 | Bedford Hills Real Estate

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There is a downside to rapidly rising home prices: declining home affordability.

The share of new and existing homes affordable to median-income families plunged in the third quarter, to 64.5 percent, according to an index report from the National Association of Home Builders released today. That’s down from 69.3 percent in the second quarter — the biggest drop since second-quarter 2004.

“Housing affordability is being negatively affected by a ‘perfect storm’ scenario,” said NAHB Chairman Rick Judson in a statement.

“With markets across the country recovering, home values are strengthening at the same time that the cost of building homes is rising due to tightened supplies of building materials, developable lots and labor.”

NAHB Chief Economist David Crowe said higher mortgage rates also contributed to the decrease in affordability.

The most affordable major housing markets in the U.S. last quarter were Indianapolis-Carmel, Ind., and Syracuse, N.Y., with 93.3 percent of homes sold in the third quarter affordable to families earning the areas’ median income.

 

 

 

– See more at: http://www.inman.com/wire/home-affordability-sees-biggest-drop-since-2004/#sthash.TS4dwZEw.dpuf

Movie Palaces Of The 1940s: The Miami Theatre On Flagler St. | Bedford Hills Real Estate

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At first glance, 777 International Mall in Downtown Miami at 145 East Flagler Street seems as ordinary as any mini shopping mall in the area. There are various mom and pop type of stores, a two-story Payless ShoeSource, jewelry and perfume vendors, and a Peruvian restaurant in the main courtyard. However the building dates back to 1948 when it was built as the Miami Theatre, a major movie theater of the famed Wometco theater chain.

Wometco Enterprises, Inc. undeniably launched the popularity of the moviegoing experience in South Florida. Brothers-in-law Mitchell Wolfson—the same Wolfson family that brought the Wolfsonian museum, the Florida Moving Image Archives, and the Downtown Miami Study Centre to South Florida—and Sidney Meyer founded the Wolfson-Meyer Theatre Company  (“Wometco”) in 1925 in Miami. During the first two decades of its existence, Wometco’s objective was to provide affordable entertainment venues in Florida for the general public. The film industry skyrocketed in the 1920s and there was a high demand for venues to screen these innovative moving pictures. The company launched the largest theatre chain in South Florida that included the Capitol Theatre-later the future home of WTVJ; Miami’s first television station-the Lincoln Theatre designed by Thomas W. Lamb; and the theatre-turned-nightclub Cameo designed by Robert E. Collins; both built in 1936, among many others.

  • The old 777 International Mall. Photo Courtesy: Javier Zayas-Bazan
  • The 777 International Mall today. Photo by Marvin Aguilar
  • The original foyer entrance, 1946-47, of the Miami Theatre. Photo Courtesy: S. Charles Lee Collection, UCLA Library Special Collections Department.
  • Stair to Balcony, 1946-47. Photo Courtesy: S. Charles Lee Collection, UCLA Library Special Collections Department.
  • Rendering, Foyer Stair, 1946-47. Photo Courtesy: S. Charles Lee Collection, UCLA Library Special Collections Department.
  • Mural, 1946-47. Photo Courtesy: S. Charles Lee Collection, UCLA Library Special Collections Department.
  • The interior of the 777 International Mall. Photo by Marvin Aguilar
  • Mezzanine Bar, 1946-47, Miami Theatre. Photo Courtesy: S. Charles Lee Collection, UCLA Library Special Collections Department.
  • Mezzanine Bar today. Photo by Marvin Aguilar
  • Huyler’s Sweet Shop, 1946-47. Photo Courtesy: S. Charles Lee Collection, UCLA Library Special Collections Department.
  • Huyler’s Resturant, 1946-47. Photo Courtesy: S. Charles Lee Collection, UCLA Library Special Collections Department.

 

 

 

http://miami.curbed.com/archives/2013/11/13/the-history-of-s-charles-lees-miami-theatre.php

Puppy’s YouTube adventures net Corcoran Group 1M views | Bedford Hills Real Estate

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What happens when you make a French bulldog puppy the star of a series of YouTube videos depicting the adorable canine’s search for an apartment — using your brokerage’s website, of course?

You get more than 1 million views at a cost-per-view of $0.13 and a click-through rate of 0.85 percent The Corcoran Group’s Matthew Shadbolt tells The Real Deal.

“While a million is a small number for a large brand, it’s a massive milestone for us as a local brand, and cements our investment in promoted video,” Shadbolt said.

 

Source: therealdeal.com. –

 

See more at: http://www.inman.com/wire/now-whos-laughing-puppys-youtube-adventures-net-the-corcoran-group-1-million-views/#sthash.MSEJ90wu.dpuf

How to Increase your SEO with Google Plus | Bedford Hills NY Homes

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Google Plus is more than just a social media site. It can be a tool that can  help boost a website’s ranking on Google’s search engine.

With the changes and updates on the Google algorithm which was introduced as  the Hummingbird, Google Plus becomes an integral part of any online marketing  and SEO strategies of bloggers, webmasters and internet marketers.

So what is Google Plus, really?

Google describes the service as connecting social, communication and people  which is designed to build your website’s ability to rank higher on  search. Here we show you how to increase your SEO with Google+.

4 tips to build content relevance on Google Plus

Blogger and content marketers use their Google Plus profile to associate  their content to their own authorship. By writing high quality content about  subjects belonging to your business category will help the search engine to  identify you as an authority within your niche. Your content should always be  relevant to your business industry to help the search engine identify your  business niche where you are trying to build your authorship.

The main objective of Google Plus is to improve the user’s experience by  integrating quality content publication to your social networks. It requires  that your content should be one that is relevant, accurate and updated for the  benefits of your readers.

In order to help the search engine identify your authorship and field of  business industry, Google Webmasters offer the following tips to help you build  your content relevance on search:

  • Optimize your Google Plus profile. It is important to optimize your  Google Plus profile in order to make it more revealing to your followers. As  much as possible, complete all the required fields from your Google profile such  as adding your profile image (no one will like to follow an  anonymous  Google Plus author), website URL, business details and description. If you can,  have your Google Plus Page get verified by Google to improve your  credibility.
  • Link your Google Plus Page to your site and social extensions. By  adding your Google Plus Page directly on your website will make it easier for  the search engine to associate your website to your Google Plus profile. Use the  snippet of the code for your Page and connect the code to your Adwords campaign  as well as to your social extensions. Using the Google Plus badge or the +1  button will also make it easier for your social connections to follow and  identify your authorship to your website.

How Google Plus Can Increase Your SEO

  • Be consistent in posting high quality content. People are more likely  to follow you if you are able to constantly connect with them by posting high  quality content that they find useful. By writing highly relevant content,   the search engine queries can assist you in achieving high rankings in  Google web search and even on the Google Plus search results.
  • Make your content dynamically engaging. To make your post engaging,  offer your readers solutions to their problems. Commenting on the conversations  on your Google Plus page will help your readers to easily connect to your  content, making it more relevant to their needs and to the search engine as  well.

 

 

 

Read more at http://www.jeffbullas.com/2013/11/11/how-to-increase-your-seo-with-google-plus/#R00S4iEXt6jhqKMC.99

6 Ways to Maximize Your Google+ Engagement | Bedford Hills Realtor

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Is Google+ working for your business?

Are you wondering how to increase engagement with your Google+ community?

Google+ is designed to focus on one thing and one thing only: engagement.

So, how can you pump up your Google+ engagement?

In this post, you’ll discover six ways to use Google+ posts to stimulate activity.

#1: Make Your Text Stand Out

You’ll first want to help your content stand out by differentiating the formatting. Instead of publishing a boring block of text, add a little formatting variety to your next Google+ post.

Unlike Facebook, it’s generally acceptable to have longer posts on Google+. If you publish a long post, remember that dense text can be a turnoff for readers. Use appropriate line spacing and paragraph breaks to make it easy for readers to scan your content.

Use bold, italic and strike-through text to highlight important headings or passages and your post will stand out in the stream.

Here are some handy tips for text formatting in Google+.

Google+ lets you format text in your posts.

#2: Choose Pictures That Pop

Don’t underestimate the importance of images. Stimulating graphics directly impact the click through rates on your posts.

When you post an image, choose one that has vibrant pictures with bright, eye-catching color contrasts as seen in this Etsy image.

Example of a visually engaging image on an Etsy Google+ post.

Instead of using the thumbnail images that auto-generate when you drop a link into your status update, upload a standard-size image to grab your readers’ attention.

National Geographic used this tactic to command more attention in the news feed.

Example of a full-size image on a National Geographic Google+ post.

And if you have great photography, use HUGE high-resolution images, which are much larger than standard-size images. Upload the original image resolution of your photo (e.g., 4288 x 2848), but remember that uploads count against your Google Drive storage quota.

Take advantage of this feature and your post will dominate the news feed like Mercedes-Benz does.

 

 

 

 

http://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/maximum-engagement-on-google-plus/

Restoration Rallies a 1790 Stone Springhouse | Bedford Hills Real Estate

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Preservationists, rejoice. This 18th-century springhouse once appeared dilapidated beyond repair, but it has been restored to its former glory, thanks to the homeowners, the architects at Peter Zimmerman Architects and the builders at Orion Construction. Chipping away at the stucco plastered over the original Pennsylvania fieldstone, they uncovered a gem that adds beauty to the pastoral property. Now the building serves many functions, including pool house, home office and guesthouse.
Houzz at a Glance Who lives here: This is an outbuilding for a couple with lots of grandchildren living nearby. Location: Villanova, Pennsylvania Size: About 900 square feet
Photography by Tom Crane Photography

Springhouses were small structures commonly built over a natural spring for food storage in the days before refrigerators. The spring kept the building’s temperature cool, which prevented dairy foods and meat from spoiling. Zimmerman believes this one was built around 1790.
The actual springhouse portion of the structure was on the right; the larger portion on the left was likely inhabited by a tenant farmer. The springhouse portion’s roof was not watertight and had collapsed. Luckily, the roof on the left side had held, making it possible to preserve the beams and wood ceilings.
AFTER: Here is how the springhouse looks today. The spring under the section on the right still exists and feeds the stream and wetlands down the hill. New vapor barriers prevent any dampness or mold issues. The entire structure has a new cedar shingle roof.
At the same time that they worked on the springhouse, workers graded the land for a new pool and a gentle pathway that connects to the main house higher up. The large stepping stones are salvaged curbs from West Chester, Pennsylvania.
Taking out and regrading what remained of an old concrete watering hole for dairy cows was also part of the project. The new topography slows down the runoff water, which protects the stream and wetlands below from pollutants.
The stucco had to be removed with great care to preserve the fieldstone exterior’s original patina. Workers used pneumatic chippers to take it off, then carefully cleaned out the mortar, gave it a soft wash and applied new mortar.
AFTER: Architect Peter Zimmerman believes the springhouse predates the Italianate main house by 50 years or more. Now that the stucco is gone and the springhouse’s stone facade has been restored, the two buildings have a stronger relationship.
As you can see from this startling before photo, the property around the springhouse had extensive Pennsylvania fieldstone walls. Some portions were in need of repair, and some needed to be temporarily removed during construction and grading, then rebuilt. In addition, the team also built some new stone walls that fit in seamlessly with the originals.
AFTER: This portion of the system of stone walls is new. Zimmerman says there are four important aspects in matching a new stone wall to an antique one:

  • Matching the stone geologically. In this case all of the stone is local Pennsylvania fieldstone.
  • Copying the patterning of the stones. The walls here, original and new, are called random rubble stone walls.
  • Mimicking the style of mortar. A raked-back joint method with a brushed finish was used here.
  • Matching the color of the mortar. The team created a formula that mimicked the original mortar color.

 

http://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/19479149

 

New plays on bay windows are boldly branching out in modern architecture | Bedford Hills NY Homes

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When modern and contemporary architecture “abandon” traditional architectural elements in favor of new forms, one of the elements left behind is the bay window. Yet if we think of these elements as reinterpretations of traditions in architecture rather than abandonments (columns, for example, are turned into skinny pilotis without details like capitals), then the idea of the bay window is alive and well, if less used than it should be.
Here you’ll find six examples that show the benefits of modern answers to bay windows — increased area, light and seating capacity — and the various means of expressing the idea in modern houses and in modern renovations of old houses.

This addition to a ranch house looks like the end of a square tube that runs from front to back, with large windows on each side. The front picture window is partially frosted to maintain privacy.
Here we are looking toward the front window from the kitchen before it was furnished. Only one thin strip of glass is clear; the adjacent pieces are translucent. Adding cushions to the bay would make it a great window seat; one could peek outside through the vertical strip or just enjoy the light coming in through the painting-like panes of color.
Like the front window, the back window projects from the house, cantilevered a foot or two above the ground. But unlike on the the front, all the glass here is clear, and the area inside is an extension of the floor, giving more space for seating near the kitchen.
This house on New York’s Long Island has a fair amount of ins and outs on its exterior. I’m drawn to the tall portion facing right.
A view from the side reveals a tall bay window adjacent to a section of curtain wall set back from the stone facade. A stair can be seen below the large bay window.
It turns out the bay window is actually an extension of the stair landing. The Eames Lounge Chair in the previous photo indicates that this space is ideal for sitting, relaxing and enjoying the view.
On a more modest scale is this two-unit condo in San Francisco, with modern bay windows above the garage.
What looks fairly subtle on the outside is impressive on the inside, owing to the relative size of the window (almost the full width of the bedroom) and the way the architect articulated the window seat. The only thing I would change for myself would be the height of the sconces, which appear to be head height, making it hard for someone to lean against the walls while occupying the window seat.

Architectural wood panels, Viridian Reclaimed Wood | Bedford Hills Real Estate

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Commercial design comes with its own set of challenges, and at 4’ by 8’, the dimensions of these engineered panels offer a handy solution for contract interiors, particularly in retail applications.

The premade three-ply architectural panels from Viridian Reclaimed Wood feature reclaimed wood faces, including the company’s Jakarta Market Blend and Rustic Old Growth Doug Fir.

The panels are available fire-rated, custom-stained, and pre-finished. Custom graphics and CNC milling can be applied to each panel. viridianwood.com

 

 

 

http://www.ecobuildingpulse.com/green-products/