Tag Archives: Chappaqua Homes for Sale

Chappaqua Homes for Sale

Reports: 2 mortgage giants plan to ease lending | Chappaqua Real Estate

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Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and private mortgage lenders are nearing an agreement that may lower restrictions on borrowers with poor credit, in an effort to boost lending amid a tepid housing recovery, according to published reports.

The two mortgage giants are considering programs that would make it easier for lenders to offer mortgages with down payments of as little as 3% for some borrowers, according to reports by Bloomberg and The Wall Street Journal over the weekend, citing unnamed people familiar with the matter.

It would mark a key loosening of lending standards for the mortgage giants and banks in the aftermath of the financial crisis of 2008, when credit requirements were made far more restrictive.

The changes, which could be announced this week, would help banks protect themselves from future claims of making bad loans, the published reports said.

 

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http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/business/2014/10/19/frannie-mae-and-freddie-mac-plan-to-ease-lending/17551043/

 

Layers of Patina and an Artist’s Touch in a New York Colonial | Chappaqua Real Estate

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The New York home of artist Jennifer Lanne and her husband Dick Lanne is equal parts family retreat and backdrop to display their work. The house and Jen’s two studios are filled with her work, which she rotates in and out on a regular basis, while Dick’s hobby as a blacksmith has yielded practical and decorative additions to the space. These are layered in with finds from flea markets, antique shows and, occasionally, the side of the road, plus pillows and collections. The result is a home that would make a minimalist cringe but is a perfect setting for the things both of them love.

Farmhouse by Rikki Snyder
Rikki Snyder
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: Jennifer (Jen) and Dick Lanne
Location: Ballston Spa, New York
Size: 1,300 square feet (121 square meters); 2 bedrooms, 1 bathroom

Not that Jen immediately recognized that this was their dream home. When she saw it while house-hunting, her first thought was, “Please, don’t let it be that colonial house on the corner.” Built in 1782, it was certainly old enough to meet their requirements of nothing too modern, but otherwise it seemed to have nothing to recommend it. Despite the lackluster exterior, Jen took a peek through the windows and saw all of the original details in the flooring, molding and beams. As a bonus, there was a large barn on the property that would be perfect for her studio with space for Dick’s blacksmith shop. She was hooked.

Jen is working on a product line of tableware and soft goods for a major furniture company, which will also carry her original tarp paintings in spring 2015.

Old homes may have charm and character, but they also can require a lot of work. Before moving in, the Lannes replaced the foundation, roofing, septic and electrical systems, furnace and appliances. Fortunately for their budget, they were able to do everything but the septic and electrical work themselves.

Farmhouse Exterior by Rikki Snyder
Rikki Snyder
The barn needed a lot of tender loving care, physically and aesthetically. Jen and Dick had to gut and clean it out after they moved in. They added all of the stonework, walls and floors. “The trick was making it look old, which, being amateurs at stonework, made it easy!” says Jen.

A lot of the bottom boards in the barn and sills were rotting, so the Lannes had to cut out the bottom 4 to 5 feet of each wall; they added exposed beams made of reclaimed wood and used waist-high stonework in place of siding. This permanent fix will prevent more decomposition.

Farmhouse by Rikki Snyder
Rikki Snyder
A tarp painting by Jennifer sets the stage for a garden table. Jen combines her artwork with her finds throughout her home and garden.To see more arts you can check here.
Farmhouse Entry by Rikki Snyder
Rikki Snyder
Jen’s studio is in a section of the barn; one of her large canvas tarp paintings covers the entrance. “I love that it’s in the barn,” Jen says. “It’s separate from the house, and I pretty much paint daily. I have the best view from my windows. I can see the animals and backyard. It’s so peaceful and quiet.”
Farmhouse Home Office by Rikki Snyder
Rikki Snyder
To make this newly constructed room fit in with the rest of the barn, Jen and Dick brought in usable yet decorative pieces, including old cupboards and other vintage furniture. Jen also painted and distressed the floor in a black and white tiled pattern. Fun old farm signs and tools contrast nicely with her bright floral paintings.
Farmhouse Home Office by Rikki Snyder
Rikki Snyder
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“I paint almost every day. It’s my passion. I am inspired by vintage art, naive and accomplished painters … color, design and my surroundings,” she says.
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http://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/31560010?utm_source=Houzz&utm_campaign=u724&utm_medium=email&utm_content=gallery2

Real Life Wolf of Wall Street Character Lists Home for $44M | Chappaqua Real Estate

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The real life version of one of the human personifications of the word “douchebag” from the movie The Wolf of Wall Street has put his two-story Tribeca maisonette on the market and it is just the worst thing you can possibly imagine.

Alan Wilzig, who is described by The Real Deal as an “entrepreneur and semi-professional race car driver,” was the character in the Martin Scorsese film who showed up to a party and introduced Leonardo DiCaprio’s character to his future wife. Wilzig later took to Facebook (again, in the words of the The Real Deal) to “[criticize] Scorsese for leaving out the fact that Wilzig had arrived at the party in his red Ferrari Testarossa.” Taking that into account, the listing makes perfect sense — it seems about 20 percent invested in displaying the apartment to prospective buyers and 80 percent invested in showing off his huge collection of motorcycles and multi-colored lightbulbs. The whole place looks like it was designed by a spoiled six-year-old.

Wilzig is asking $43.5 million. Good. Luck.

 

 

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http://ny.curbed.com/archives/2014/10/08/real_life_wolf_of_wall_street_character_lists_home_for_44m.php

Chappaqua Power Outage | Chappaqua Real Estate

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NEW CASTLE, N.Y. — New Castle Police are reporting Wednesday that electric power is out in the vicinity of Haight’s Crossroad and Breckenridge.

Haight’s Crossroad is closed at Breckenridge while utility workers repair the power lines, police said, adding that detours are in place.

Power outage and road closure are expected to last several hours, police said.

Teatown Lake Reservation news | Chappaqua Real Estate

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October 1, 2014                                                               Like us on Facebook Follow us on Twitter Find us on Pinterest  View our videos on YouTubenull
Apellegrino

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. 
Nature Matters: Managing Deer to Protect Our Forests-
Is There An Answer?
Thursday, October 2
7 pm 

In the Theater at the Ossining Public Library

Speaker: Dr. Mark Weckel,

Postdoctoral Conservation Research and Teaching Fellow,
American Museum of Natural History
This event is co-sponsored by the Ossining Public Library.
Free.
Raptors on the Wing
Saturday, October 4
11 am – 12 pm

It is migration season for raptors as they take wing to fly south. Meet Teatown’s raptor ambassadors and find out the migration stories that make them take flight.

Not suitable for children under 5. 

Field Day on the Farm
Sunday, October 5
1 pm – 2:30 pm

Before the days get colder take one last hike into the fields at Cliffdale Farm where we will look for insects.

Visit Teatown
APellegrino

1600 Spring Valley Road
Ossining, NY 10562
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.

 

 

Shop on Amazon?

Click the link below and a portion of your Amazon purchase will be donated to Teatown!

Click here.

Upcoming Events and Workshops:
Hiking the Road to Ruins
Thursday, October 9
7 pm – 8:30 pm

Join author David Steinberg for this informative talk about his book Hiking the Road to Ruins. The Hudson Valley has a wealth of abandoned iron mines and rock quarries, deserted buildings, and historic military sites that make great hiking destinations, especially when you learn the

ins and outs of these locales. This is an adult program.

Nature of Leaves
Saturday, October 18
1 pm – 3 pm

Celebrate autumn by taking a hike with a Teatown educator. Collect autumn leaves and learn how and why leaves turn color in the fall. Work with leaves and other botanicals to create a fall medallion to put in your window for autumn light to shine through. Guided by Strawtown Studio..

Lighthouse Illumination Art Workshop
Sunday, October 19
2 pm – 4 pm
at the Kathryn W. Davis RiverWalk Center, Kingsland Point Park, Sleepy Hollow
 

Join Teatown educators and artists from Strawtown Studio at the Kathryn W. Davis RiverWalk Center, in Kingsland Point Park, Sleepy Hollow for this illuminating workshop! The Tarrytown Lighthouse will serve as inspiration to create lanterns from foils, mirrors, beads and other reflective materials to light up the long winter nights ahead. Learn the importance of light as a guide for animal and human navigation. Please bring a flashlight!

In the Nature Center Gallery:   


Recent Works by

Melissa Bisbee Orme

 

Opening Reception: October 9 at 6pm

On exhibit October 2014

Click here for more info

Teatown Highlight:   

Great volunteers are always making improvements to our trails. 

Last weekend, 12 individuals and 7 families (40 people total) from the Yorktown Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints came to Teatown Lake Reservation as part of their Helping Hands Service to help get our trails ready for autumn hiking. Plan your employee or group volunteer opportunity here.

This chart proves mortgage credit availability isn’t improving | Chappaqua Real Estate

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For all the talk of expanding the credit box and opening up credit to previously underserved borrowers, there have been no significant fluctuations or improvements to mortgage credit availability since 2009, according to a new report from Bank of America Merrill Lynch (BAC).

In this week’s Securitization Weekly Overview, BofAML’s Chris Flanagan, Gregory Fitter and Mao Ding said that there has been little improvement there has been to mortgage credit availability in the last five years.

And the analysts write that the lack of available mortgage credit is holding down the economic recovery.

“We think tight mortgage credit and weak demand for mortgage credit are key driving forces behind the slow growth recovery story and the positive technical story for securitized products,” the analysts said.

“In turn, we think this mortgage production weakness will keep long-term interest rates biased lower and help drive the yield curve flattening process that started at the beginning of 2014 and should persist until the end of 2016.”

 

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This chart proves mortgage credit availability isn’t improving

 

Would you live in a house clinging to a cliff? | #Chappaqua Real Estate

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Cliff House

A design for a home anchored to a sheer cliff face offers a striking vista. But what would it take to live in such a place, asks Jon Kelly.

For sale: distinctive seaside property with spectacular coastal views. Would suit high-value buyer untroubled by vertigo.

So far it only exists as a concept, but the design for the Cliff House by Modscape, an Australian firm that designs and builds prefabricated homes, is enough to give a lurch to the stomach of anyone uneasy with heights.

Here’s the pitch – it features three bedrooms (two doubles, the other en-suite), a stylish living space, a carport, separate bathroom and (tantalisingly or nausea-inducingly, depending on your tolerance of sheer drops) an open-air spa and barbecue area on the bottom floor. Artfully minimalist interior décor focuses visitors’ attention on “transcendent views of the ocean”.

According to the company’s website, the plans were drawn up after a couple approached the firm asking its designers to explore how to build a holiday home along “extreme parcels” of coast in Victoria.

 

 

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http://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-magazine-monitor-29127057

It May Be Cheaper To Buy Than Rent | #Chappaqua Real Estate

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Renting is becoming unaffordable in many metropolitan cities, a new report reveals.

According to Zillow, renting is more expensive than buying in 94 of the country’s 100 biggest metropolitan areas.

The report suggests the rental market didn’t see a precipitous drop in prices stemming from the financial crisis, as illustrated in the housing market, which explains the slow and steady upward trend in rents. Plus, the study says consumers spent an average of 29.5% of their income on rent, compared to 15.3% for home buyers with mortgages.

Home buying affordability stems from the low interest environment, which isn’t expected to last, especially as the Federal Reserve scales back its bond stimulus, known as quantitative easing.

On Thursday, Freddie Mac said the average rate on a 30-year fixed mortgage held steady at 4.10%, compared to 4.51% during the same time last year.

Rising rents could prove to be a vicious cycle for the real estate market.

“As rents keep rising, along with interest rates and home values, saving for a down payment and attaining homeownership becomes that much more difficult for millions of current renters, particularly millennial renters already saddled with uncertain job prospects and enormous student debt,” said Zillow Chief Economist Dr. Stan Humphries. “In order to combat this phenomenon, wages need to grow more quickly than they are, particularly for renters, and growth in home values will need to slow.”

Wages aren’t showing robust growth, and rising inflation is making matters worse. The Bureau of Labor Statistics said that while average hourly wages grew 2% year-over-year in July, the consumer price index also grew 2% during the same period.

 

 

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http://www.mainstreet.com/article/real-estate/it-may-be-cheaper-buy-rent?puc=yahoo&cm_ven=YAHOO

 

Foreclosures rise in July, but still down from 2013 | Chappaqua Real Estate

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Foreclosures of all types were filed on 109,434 properties in July, an increase of 2% from June, but the figure is still down 16% from one year ago, according to July’s Foreclosure Market Report from RealtyTrac.

July’s report shows that one out of every 1,203 homes in the U.S. had a foreclosure filing during the month of July.

Foreclosure activity recorded includes all default notices, scheduled auctions and bank repossessions.

“July was the 46th consecutive month where U.S. foreclosure activity was down on a year-over-year basis,” said Daren Blomquist, vice president at RealtyTrac. “After nearly four years of falling foreclosures, we are starting to see evidence that foreclosure numbers are normalizing at the national level. The 16% decrease in July was exactly half the annual decrease we saw a year ago in July 2013, when U.S. foreclosure activity was down 32% on a year-over-year basis.”

Per RealtyTrac’s report, a total of 49,624 U.S. properties started the foreclosure process for the first time in July, which represents a 5% increase from June. But the figure is still down 18% from a year ago, which marks the 24th consecutive month with a year-over-year decrease in U.S. foreclosure starts.

 

 

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Foreclosures rise in July, but still down from 2013

Actress Mischa Barton facing foreclosure on $6.4M Beverly Hills mansion | Chappaqua Homes

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Looks like actress Mischa Barton should have bought in The OC instead of Beverly Hills, as she is now $100K behind on her mortgage payment on her $6.4 million home, according to TMZ.

Barton just got slapped with a default notice — obtained by TMZ — informing her she’s skipped more than 100 grand in payments … triggering the foreclosure process.

The crib is awesome — 8 bedrooms, 11 baths, 3 guesthouses all on 1.2 acres. She bought it for $6.4M in 2005 — when “The O.C.” was a big deal, and took out a loan for $4.2 million.

The show went off the air in 2007 — and Mischa’s been trying to unload the house since 2010 … when she listed it for 8.695M, but no one bought it. She re-listed in 2011, and again … no takers.

Her last ditch effort was attempting to lease it for $35K/month last year … but that move appears to be way too little too late.

Source: TMZ