Tag Archives: Bedford NY Luxury Homes for Sale

Zillow 2017 real estate predictions | Bedford Real Estate

This year is nearly over, and 2017 will being in just a few short weeks. As the year comes to a close, predictions for next year are pouring in.

It’s hard to say what the new year will bring with the newly-elected President-elect Donald Trump. Zillow points out in its predictions how some of his policies could affect housing next year.

Here are Zillow’s six predictions for 2017:

1. Cities will focus on denser development of smaller homes close to public transit and urban centers.

2. More millennials will become homeowners, driving up the homeownership rate. Millennials are also more racially diverse, so more homeowners will be people of color, reflecting the changing demographics of the United States.

3. Rental affordability will improve as incomes rise and growth in rents slows.

4. Buyers of new homes will have to spend more as builders cover the cost of rising construction wages, driven even higher in 2017 by continued labor shortages, which could be worsened by tougher immigration policies under President-elect Trump.

5. The percentage of people who drive to work will rise for the first time in a decade as homeowners move further into the suburbs seeking affordable housing — putting them further from adequate public transit options.

6. Home values will grow 3.6 percent in 2017, according to more than 100 economic and housing experts surveyed in the latest Zillow Home Price Expectations Survey. National home values have risen 4.8 percent so far in 2016.

Relief from soaring home prices isn’t coming anytime soon | Bedford Real Estate

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The US housing market is supply constrained, sending home prices in major US metros back to levels last seen in the winter of 2007.

Research out of JP Morgan published Thursday indicates that this situation appears unlikely to resolve itself anytime soon.

“Nationwide house price indexes have been pushing steadily higher—real house prices are now 25% above their 2012 trough and at the highest levels on record outside the pre-crisis boom years,” JP Morgan’s Jesse Edgerton writes.

“One might wonder if these high prices reflect growing demand that could soon elicit a wave of construction that would prove our forecasts wrong. We find, however, that high prices are concentrated in markets where supply is constrained by geography or regulation, suggesting there may be little room for additional construction.” (Emphasis added.)

In short, areas seeing home prices rise fastest — think San Francisco, San Jose, and Denver — are not in a position to meet the demand for housing implied by the rise in prices.

The problem here is two-fold.

As the chart below shows, high home prices haven’t influenced the aggressiveness with which homebuilders have added to the housing stock over time. This indicates the supply side of the market is content to accept elevated prices even if the volume of homes built and sold is below what the demand side alone might dictate.

View photos

Additionally, Edgerton’s work shows that markets equipped with both high home prices and an ability to meet the demand implied by these prices literally do not exist.

“Metro areas in the upper right quadrant of the chart would be the best candidates for a demand-driven construction boom,” Edgerton writes. “Unfortunately, sharp-eyed readers will note that there are no dots in the upper-right portion of the figure.”

View photos

Edgerton adds, “Thus, it is unclear how much we can expect high prices to drive construction in the coming years, as the data show that high prices are concentrated in areas where supply may be limited in its ability to respond to demand.”

Data out this week from S&P/Case-Shiller showed home prices rose 5.3% nationally in August, up from a 5% annual gain seen the prior month.

A report from the National Association of Realtors last week showed a 5.6% increase in median existing home prices, the 55th straight month of year-on-year gains. At the current pace of existing home sales, there exists just 4.5-months’ supply in the US market.

“Inventory has been extremely tight all year and is unlikely to improve now that the seasonal decline in listings is about to kick in,” chief economist for the National Association of Realtors Lawrence Yun said in a report.

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http://finance.yahoo.com/news/relief-from-soaring-home-prices-isnt-coming-anytime-soon-174136415.html?_fsig=arxQ.NYjpRCtxgAPQstl9A–

I wish all remodelers and the industry would change, but won’t | Bedford Real Estate

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The majority of remodeling contractors who participate in the remodeling industry are holding the industry back from becoming much more professional and successful. Remodelers continuously complain about what they perceive the government and even what their consumers do to them to make running a business and earning a profit difficult. However in many ways remodelers are their own worst enemies, creating problems for themselves and the industry by both their actions as well as their lack of action. Below are just five things I wish all remodelers and those in the industry would change, but won’t.

Before you check out my list keep this in mind. If you’re a remodeler and you eliminate and or address most of these things in your business you will stand out as different. You will also be more successful, be at much less risk and can also make much more money.

#1: Stop calling them estimates; they are not estimates

Home owners ask for estimates. This doesn’t mean they want your best guess, they instead want a fixed price. Next time a consumer asks for an estimate give them one right away; “That will cost somewhere between an arm and a leg depending on your final product selections.” Then help them discover what it will really take to help them assemble a fixed price for a fixed scope of work that meets their needs. Then let them know how your professional services can help them do so, and what you charge for those services. One way to explain it is your estimates are free; you charge to help develop solutions… (Check out this Design/Build Agreement)

#2: Calling employees Lead Carpenters when they are not

Although most remodelers really don’t know what a true lead carpenter is, many claim they have several on staff. If you don’t believe me, read this job description first, then ask a few to define the difference between a carpenter and a lead carpenter. Giving the title to an employee who is not a true lead carpenter does a disservice to the employee and misleads consumers. It’s like passing off roof cement as a flashing. It’s just not right to do so if you are really a roofer. Becoming a lead carpenter is an accomplishment; let’s reserve the title for those who have earned it.

#3: Claiming to be Design/Builders when they are not

Like Yoda said; “Do or do not, there is no try.” You either are a Design/Builder or you are not. If you allow others to bid on and or build from your plans you are not a Design/Builder; that is something else. Decide what you are or will be. There is a big difference between Design/Build and design-bid. (Design/Build definition) Remember, in a bid situation it’s often the biggest loser who wins! If you hate bidding, become a real Design/Builder. That’s what motivated me to become a Design/Builder when I had my business.

 

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http://www.jlconline.com/business/estimating-job-costing/five-things-i-wish-the-remodeling-industry-would-change_o?utm_source=newsletter&utm_content=Opinion&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=JLC_042416%20(1)&he=e8bfa1f3a4de51077b99729cac2a5d6f27f2dfea

Mortgage Rates Up to 4.04% | #Bedford Real Estate

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Freddi Mac today released the results of its Primary Mortgage Market Survey® (PMMS®), showing average fixed mortgage rates reaching new highs for 2015 with the average 30-year fixed-rate mortgage above four percent for the first time since November 6, 2014 when it averaged 4.02 percent.

News Facts

  • 30-year fixed-rate mortgage (FRM) averaged 4.04 percent with an average 0.6 point for the week ending June 11, 2015, up from last week when it averaged 3.87 percent. A year ago at this time, the 30-year FRM averaged 4.20 percent.
  • 15-year FRM this week averaged 3.25 percent with an average 0.6 point, up from last week when it averaged 3.08 percent. A year ago at this time, the 15-year FRM averaged 3.31 percent.
  • 5-year Treasury-indexed hybrid adjustable-rate mortgage (ARM) averaged 3.01 percent this week with an average 0.4 point, up from last week when it averaged 2.96 percent. A year ago, the 5-year ARM averaged 3.05 percent.
  • 1-year Treasury-indexed ARM averaged 2.53 percent this week with an average 0.2 point, down from last week when it averaged 2.59 percent. At this time last year, the 1-year ARM averaged 2.40 percent.

Average commitment rates should be reported along with average fees and points to reflect the total upfront cost of obtaining the mortgage. Visit the following links for theRegional and National Mortgage Rate Details and Definitions. Borrowers may still pay closing costs which are not included in the survey.

Quotes
Attributed to Len Kiefer, deputy chief economist, Freddie Mac.

“Mortgage rates rose above 4 percent for the first time since November 2014 as Treasury yields surged. Markets are responding to strong employment data. In May, the U.S. economy added 280,000 jobs. Moreover, job openings surged to 5.4 million in April, up over 20 percent from a year ago.”

Pending Existing Homes Sales Reaches Nine-Year High | Bedford Real Estate

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The NAR Pending Home Sales Index increased for the fourth straight month in April to a level 14% above April of 2014.

The Pending Home Sales Index (PHSI), a forward-looking indicator based on signed contracts produced by the National Association of Realtors (NAR), increased 3.4% in April to 112.4, up from an upwardly revised 108.7 in March. The PHSI increased year-over-year for the eighth consecutive month and reached its highest level since May 2006.

pending sales_apr15

Regionally, the April PHSI increased 2.3% in the South and 0.1% in the West. The index rebounded in the Northeast by 10.1% after declines in prior months. The PHSI was up 5% in April for the Midwest.

 

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http://eyeonhousing.org/2015/05/

#FoxLane High School Ranks Among New York’s Best | #Bedford Real Estate

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John Jay and Fox Lane high schools have been ranked among the best in New York State in rankings by U.S. News & World Report released Tuesday.

JJHS was ranked 35th in the state, good for 10th-best in Westchester County.

John Jay’s student population of 1,189 exceeded the state average in all of the surveys major metrics, which included: College readiness, mathematics proficiency and English proficiency. The school also boasts an Advanced Placement participation rate of 78 percent.

FLHS was ranked 46th in the state, good for 14th-best in Westchester County.

Fox Lane’s student population of 1,394 met or exceeded the state average in all of the surveys major metrics, which included: College readiness, mathematics proficiency and English proficiency. The school also boasts an Advanced Placement participation rate of 64 percent.

Several other high schools in Westchester County were ranked in the top 50 in the state, including:

  • Blind Brook (No. 9)
  • Rye (No. 11)
  • Yonkers Middle/High School (No. 18)
  • Hastings (No. 24)
  • Horace Greeley (No. 25)
  • Byram Hills (No. 27)
  • Edgemont (No. 29)
  • Briarcliff (No. 31)
  • Irvington (No. 32)
  • John Jay (No. 35)
  • Pleasantville (No. 36)
  • Ardsley (No. 43)
  • Rye Neck (No. 39)
  • North Salem (No. 49)

The top ranked high school in New York was The High School of American Studies in the Bronx.

 

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http://mtkisco.dailyvoice.com/schools/fox-lane-high-school-ranks-among-new-yorks-best

Bedford-bred Upstart could break New York’s Kentucky Derby drought | #Bedford Real Estate

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COURTESY OF CHURCHILL DOWNS

Although Empire City Casino’s Kentucky Derby Day and fancy hat contest are local traditions, this year’s Derby-related activities have the added appeal of a hometown favorite: Upstart, a Bedford-bred horse, will try to bring home a Derby win for New York for the first time in more than a decade.

The three-year-old Upstart, owned by Ralph Evans and bred by Sunnyfield Farms Owner Joanne Nielsen, has a solid record, with a career total of seven starts: three first-place finishes, three seconds, and one third.

The first New York horse to win the Kentucky Derby was Funny Cide in 2003. Since then, no New York horse has made it to the top of this crème de la crème of horse races. Upstart, who won the Holy Bull and was a runner-up in the Florida Derby, has been given 15-1 odds—not impossible, certainly, but he’ll need a bit of luck to pull out a win. Coincidentally, his foalhood nickname was “Lucky;” he was born on April, 13, 2012—a lucky Friday the 13th. And given that only 20 thoroughbreds make it to the Kentucky Derby out of the approximately 30,000 that are born yearly, one could argue luck has always been on Upstart’s side.

It’s not every year New Yorkers get to see a hometown contestant in the Kentucky Derby, so be sure to tune in and root for Upstart. Coverage starts at 4 pm on Friday on NBC.

 

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http://www.westchestermagazine.com/Westchester-Upstart-Horse-New-York-Kentucky-Derby/

Bedford Town Cleanup Days | Bedford Real Estate

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Town Wide CleanUp Days

Please come visit us for Bedford 2015 Town-Wide Clean-up Days at the Crusher Road Highway Facility off Route 22, just North of Route 172, in Bedford Village.

Town residents can bring household debris and metal waste to the Crusher Road Yard during the following periods:

Thursday, April 30th & Friday, May 1st – 7:30am to 3pm

Saturday, May 2nd – 7:30am to 4:30pm

Proof of Bedford residency is required, and fees are as follows:

  • $25 per carload
  • $60 per pickup truck load
  • $115 for small dump trucks (<6 yd)
  • $230 and up for large dump trucks (>6 yd)

Residents may also take brush and tree debris to the Beaver Dam Highway facility on Beaver Dam road off Harris Road during the same days and hours listed above. THERE IS NO CHARGE FOR THIS!

The Highway Department will not accept any of the following items:  tires, batteries, refrigerators, freezers, pressure treated lumber, air conditioners, propane tanks, paint, varnish, chemicals, medical waste, or other toxic materials. See http://bedford2020.org/recyclopedia/ for information on disposing of various types of items.

We also will not accept E-Waste (Televisions, computers, printers, scanners, fax machines, cell phones, VCRs) at our Crusher Road facility, although ewaste is accepted at our 301 Adams Street Recycling Center in Bedford Hills on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays from 7am to 3pm.

Please contact the Bedford DPW Highway Division at 666-7669 with any questions.

Bedford Village Chowder & Marching Club will hold their Tag Sale on Friday May 1st and Saturday, May 2nd at the Crusher Road Highway Facility. Chowder & Marching Club also provides truck pick-ups of old household items in exchange for a tax-deductible donation to C&M. Pickups can be scheduled at http://www.chowderandmarching.org/events/clean-up-weekend/

Current Trend For U.S. Median New Home Sale Prices | Bedford Real Estate

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Beginning in January 2014, the trajectory of median new home sale prices in the U.S. with respect to median household income began to follow a new trend, with typical new home sale prices increasing at an average pace of nearly $11 for every $1 increase in typical household incomes.

(click to enlarge)

The good news is that rate of increase is less than half that observed during the primary inflation phases of the first and second housing bubbles in the U.S. The bad news is that rate of increase with respect to household incomes is still 2.7-3.3 greater than those recorded during periods of stable growth in the periods preceding the inflation phases of real estate bubbles.

As we noted in our previous installment, the current pace of growth is consistent with that observed in the latter portion of the inflation of the first housing bubble.

Now, it’s important to note that this situation doesn’t mean that a new crash in housing prices is imminent, or even likely. Now that real estate investors have established a shortage of affordably priced homes in the U.S. market, U.S. homebuilders are now better able to exploit the situation by building more affordably priced homes, which several have begun to do in recent months.

Note to America’s builders: less-expensive homes are starting to move.

Purchases of new homes climbed 7.8 percent from the previous month to a seasonally adjusted 539,000 annualized pace in February, a seven-year high, according to the latest U.S. government report. Perhaps the best news for the housing industry as a whole came in the breakdown of sales, by price.

Americans signed contracts to purchase 17,000 new houses in the $200,000-to-$299,999 price range last month, the most since March 2008. That amounts to 39 percent of the 44,000 properties sold in February (unadjusted and not annualized). Another 8,000 homes-the most in nine months-sold in the range of $150,000 to $199,999.

The shifting sales mix of new homes toward lower-priced homes is prompting an increase in sales volumes, which is a desirable outcome for the current market. Since November 2014, when the median new home sale price in the U.S. peaked at $302,700, the median sale prices of new homes has fallen in each month since, and in February 2015, stands at a preliminary value of $275,500. This figure will be revised several times over the next several months.

 

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http://seekingalpha.com/article/3054396-the-current-trend-for-u-s-median-new-home-sale-prices?ifp=0

Bank of Mom and Dad Puts Kids in Houses | Bedford Real Estate

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New research by loanDepot LLC indicates the number of parents who expect to help their Millennial-age children purchase a home in the future will increase by 31 percent compared to the past five years, from 13 to 17 percent. Half (50%) of the parents who will help their children buy a home say they’ll contribute toward down payments, while 20 percent will cover closing costs and 20 percent will cosign the loan.

In the future, about two-thirds of parents (67%) say they they’ll use savings to help their children buy a home, compared to 72 percent in the past. The number of parents who plan to use cash from a refinance or take out a personal loan to help their children buy a home is expect to double. In the past, just 4 percent of parents refinanced their homes and 3 percent used personal loans. In the future, those numbers are expected to increase to 8 percent for parents who will refinance and 8 percent for parents who will take out a personal loan.

“Support from parents is playing a significant role in the housing recovery, and this new research indicates the trend will increase,” said Dave Norris, president and chief operations officer at loanDepot LLC. “First time home buyers comprise 28 percent of the today’s home buying market[1], an almost all-time low. Through the survey, 75 percent of Millennial-age home-buyers who received financial support from their parents said that assistance made it possible for them to buy a home. Without that financial support, it’s likely the pool of Millennial first-time home buyers would be even smaller than today.”

AGREE TO DISAGREE

The loanDepot research surfaced opposing views between parents and Millennial-aged buyers about whether or not the parent’s financial support was or will be a gift, loan, inheritance or something else altogether. While most parents (68%) view the financial support as a gift, only 29 percent of Millennial-aged children agreed. More Millennials (36%) view their parent’s financial support as a loan to be repaid than as a gift (29%).

 

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http://www.realestateeconomywatch.com/2015/03/bank-of-mom-and-dad-puts-kids-in-houses/