Tag Archives: Chappaqua NY Real Estate

Chappaqua NY Real Estate

3 Facebook Survey Tools You Will Love | Chappaqua NY Realtor

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Facebook, Facebook, Facebook. It’s hard to get through any internet focused  blog without reading something about Facebook. It has become so common that  refraining from using the company in articles has become a challenge and at the  same time, a breath of fresh air.

We all have started to try to find other examples of sites and options for  marketing that don’t include the social media giant. However, for surveys and  understanding your customer base, nothing can beat Facebook.

We’re going to go through why Facebook is so necessary for a quality survey.  We will also look at some interesting apps that will help you to reach your goal  of a loyal audience and build your customer base.

The three major advantages of Facebook polling

1. Comprehensive metrics

Facebook is an undeniably huge database of information collected from  millions of people, including your audience and potential customers. At times,  people share much more about themselves than they probably should, and this is  all stored on Facebook’s servers. Why does this matter?

It matters because this data can help you analyze your responses much better  and with more detail than a classic poll. Many Facebook survey tools allow you  to use the already available information to narrow down your respondents by:

  • Age
  • Location
  • Gender

They then use a scale to mix and match these demographics.

2. Easy to obtain a large number of respondents

I bet just about everyone you know has a Facebook profile. It is so  integrated into our lives that the average smartphone user checks their Facebook  14 times a day. This means that there is already a large amount of active people  who are readily available to take your survey. Facebook allows you to gain much  more respondents in a much shorter amount of time than if you used classic  survey methods.

3. Low cost

Small businesses, new businesses, and even large businesses need to cut costs  where it makes sense. Traditional polling can be very expensive which often  mitigates the final outcome of a survey. However, most Facebook polling  solutions are very cheap and can offer more than enough information to make  smart changes and to help generate more effective content.

3 Facebook survey tools

Facebook used to offer its own polling service but it has since been shut  down as it was quite honestly useless. Sure, if you needed to make a painless  poll to get an answer quick without having to analyze it, it worked.

However, most users needed to gather real data to achieve real goals, and so  3rd party applications started taking the lead. These three applications are  some of the most popular and affordable ways for just about anyone to get  actionable results from their survey.

 

 

 

Read more at http://www.jeffbullas.com/2013/10/17/3-facebook-survey-tools-you-will-love/#frGGDeJmrXMlmolk.99

Considering a Fixer-Upper? 15 Questions to Ask First | Chappaqua Real Estate

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Many of us share the same dream: find an adorable fixer-upper in a great location and set out to make it swoonworthy. But when the budget isn’t limitless, it becomes even more important to know what to look for before purchasing a house that needs a lot of work. Older homes often have underlying safety and construction issues, and you can save a lot of time and money by planning for them.
Here we’ll also discuss how to recognize what is valuable in your period home, and how you can preserve its charm in your remodel.

Before you dive in, look carefully at the inspection report, talk with your contractor and study the history of the home and the neighborhood. Wade Palmer of WIN Home Inspection Services and general contractor Greg Blea gave me the lowdown on the 15 most important questions to ask.
1. What is your budget? For some remodels of historic homes, there’s a large budget and the admirable goal of preserving an architectural gem, no matter the cost. I’ll be focusing more on projects with modest budgets in this ideabook. Many of the questions are still the same, but the decisions about how to move forward are different when the budget is limited.
2. Is it in a historic district? If so, the design and permit processes can be lengthier and more expensive, and using the required historically correct materials can add significantly to the cost. But a historically protected neighborhood and architecturally unique homes often mean more consistent — and rising — property values.
3. What is the weather in the area and the intended use of the building? A home for a family of four in a wintry climate will require a different and costlier approach than a vacation cottage that is used only in the summer months. To keep costs down, plan for construction during the best weather.
4. Does the house have beautiful bones? Some things are irreplaceable or would cost a fortune to re-create. Older wood floors, for example, have greater color and character than newly milled floors. Solid wood paneling, trim and doors are expensive to replace. Elaborate millwork may be impossible to find or replace.
5. Is there lead-based paint? Most states now require protective actions for dealing with lead-based paint.  These actions require training and certification by the state, and the time-consuming process can increase the cost of even a small renovation.
6. What about asbestos? Asbestos was commonly used in older homes, often in insulation, siding, flooring and other components. It must be removed by a certified abatement crew, or in some cases it can be encapsulated. But it is not something to tackle yourself. Professionals advise taking care of asbestos in the proper way, as it will increase the value and sales potential of your home, as well as its safety.

Mortgage rates last month reached two-year highs | Chappaqua Real Estate

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Mortgage rates last month reached two-year highs, reducing affordability at the same time prices rose. With some would-be buyers pushed to the sidelines, the pace of recovery in real estate is cooling

Four in Five Mortgages Seen Failing QM Rule | Chappaqua Real Estate

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Only about 20 percent of today’s mortgage applications will pass muster with the new QM rule that takes effect January 10, according to a leading software platform used by lenders to comply with the Dodd-Frank Act and other federal rules and regulations covering mortgage lending.

The platform, ComplianceEase, analyzed the effects that the QM rules will have on current mortgage loans , finding that more than one in five loans originated today would not qualify for the QM Safe Harbor. Specifically:

  • More than half of such loans have fees that exceed the new 3% points and fees threshold;
  • Loans with fees that exceed the 3% threshold typically exceed it by nearly $1,500; and
  • The rest have APRs that are too high to qualify for the safe harbor classification.

Loans that fail to comply with the QM rule will not be eligible for purchase, insurance or guarantee by government-sponsored enterprises (GSEs) or government agencies. Moreover, due to lack of marketability, lenders generally try to avoid originating loans known as “high-cost” loans, which are subject to restrictions in the Home Ownership and Equity Protection Act (HOEPA).

With new, stricter points and fees thresholds in the amended HOEPA, close to 3% of loans in the study that previously weren’t HOEPA loans would move into the federal “high-cost” category. On average, those loans would exceed the new HOEPA points and fees threshold by more than $1,000.

“We simulated current lending patterns under the forthcoming rules. The results have given us a good idea of the impact that the new rules and, in particular, the new thresholds will have when January comes around,” said Jason Roth, CMT, senior vice president of Product Development at ComplianceEase.

As part of the Dodd-Frank Act, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) is implementing broad regulatory changes to require that mortgage lenders verify that borrowers have the ability to repay their loans.  The QM designation offers an alternative to those provisions in exchange for tighter limits on fees, APR, and other terms of the loan. Starting in January, loans that aren’t eligible for purchase, insurance, or guarantee by GSEs or government agencies must also comply with new underwriting standards.

Whether a loan is originated according to QM rules or the ability-to-repay provisions of Dodd-Frank, compliance requirements are both comprehensive and challenging. Lenders are especially concerned about non-compliance with the new rules because legal liability can potentially be assigned to their institutions and any secondary investors or servicers for the life of a loan.  In all cases, lenders will need to retain detailed records of their process and their data to substantiate their findings, making technology a must in order to stay in compliance.

 

 

http://www.realestateeconomywatch.com/2013/10/four-in-five-mortgages-seen-failing-qm-rule/

 

5 Big Reasons Why You Should Consider Google Plus Marketing | Chappaqua Realtor

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It snuck up so quietly that a lot of people didn’t even realize it was  happening.

One minute you could post a comment on YouTube just by logging into your  YouTube account, and the next you’re being asked to sign in through your Gmail  or Google+ account. The same goes for Zagat and other Google owned digital web  assets.

Google+ may not have caught on with users as a Facebook alternative yet, but  the service’s “Plus 1” symbol is ubiquitous within social marketing,  and top name brands are commonly listing the Google+ icon on television ads  right next to their Facebook and Twitter symbols. Whether you like it or not,  Google+ is quickly becoming a significant player in the social media marketing  world because it has one thing going for it that no other social site has:  Google.

Google plus is now the second largest social media network behind Facebook and can  no longer be ignored.

So Google plus marketing needs to taken seriously in your marketing  strategy.

Reason #1.  Search

Google’s approach for Google+ has been to seek success through visibility.  Because of this, Google is constantly launching new applications that integrate  Google+ with search results. A search for information about the election of Pope  Francis in March 2013, for example, shows several Google+ post results from  TIME, NBC and CTV, as well as author posts with images of the Google+ registered  author catching the eye of the casual searcher.

For Google+ users, as long as you share blog posts with relevant, new  (un-copied) information on a regular basis, you are that much more likely to be  pushed up through the ranks of search results.

Google Plus marketing

As with any search engine, keywords are a big factor in these results. How  can you push your Google+ page up in search results?

  • Post on a regular basis using relevant keywords in your text, but also  integrate those keywords in other aspects of your Google+ page, such as in the “about” and “video” sections.
  • Linking back to your own website where possible also improves your Google+  and personal website optimization.
  • Creating a Google authorship for you and your most frequent posters helps  your posts appear higher in search results, with the bonus of a personal author  photo.

Reason #2. Google Authorship

There’s something about being able to look people in the eye that makes the  advice or information you receive from them more reliable. But when you can’t  look them in the eye, seeing a picture makes them seem a little more reliable  and trustworthy. That’s the basic psychology behind Google+ authorship.

 

 

 

Read more at http://www.jeffbullas.com/2013/10/14/5-reasons-why-you-should-consider-google-plus-marketing/#HShJharmsiTdu4bF.99

A New Houzz Survey Reveals What You Really Want in Your Kitchen | Chappaqua NY Homes

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Let’s talk about two of everyone’s favorite subjects: you and your kitchen. In a recent Houzz survey, we asked homeowners to answer a series of questions about their kitchen remodeling plans. The results are in and, wow, you all really hate your current kitchen countertops. Can’t we all just get along with tile and Formica? Apparently not. Of the 7,812 people who responded, 94 percent plan to replace their countertops — and fewer than 10 percent intend to use either of those classic materials.
Half of you will choose granite as the replacement, followed by 36 percent who will choose quartz. In fact, based on what the survey found, we can pretty much guess what your dream kitchen might look like.

It looks a lot like this, which — surprise! — happens to be the kitchen photo that’s been added to the most ideabooks on Houzz, and is one of the top 10 photos saved to ideabooks from July through September of 2013.
What is it about this kitchen that so many of you like? Well, 75 percent of you want soft, neutral colors in the kitchen. And 65 percent of you will choose stainless steel appliances, half will select a tile backsplash and 35 percent will opt for hardwood floors.
The majority of you are starting from scratch, either designing a kitchen as part of new construction or gutting your existing kitchen and beginning anew. So why not make it exactly what you want?
If you could really have it your way, most of you would opt for a nice, big range like this one. More than 50 percent of you said a “chef’s stove” was your dream appliance, followed much farther behind by double ovens (18 percent) and an induction cooktop (9 percent).
My mother would toast the 7 percent of you who said a wine refrigerator topped your kitchen wish list.
Three-quarters of you will create a kitchen that’s open to other spaces, like the dining and living rooms. Naturally, this offers an ideal opportunity to incorporate an island into your design, so 61 percent of you plan to include one.

With 8,000-plus units planned, Queens rivals Manhattan for growth | Chappaqua Real Estate

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As developers make up for lost time during the recession, the New York City borough of Queens will see 60 big residential housing projects with more than 8,000 units built in the next three years, The Real Deal reports, citing its own research and estimates from brokerage Aptsandlofts.com.

Queens is just about as popular with developers as Manhattan, where an estimated 5,350 units are expected to be built during the next two years.

 

 

Source: therealdeal.com –

 

 

See more at: http://www.inman.com/wire/with-8000-units-planned-queens-rivals-manhattan-for-growth/#sthash.QtUqpGvO.dpuf

Chappaqua’s Bill And Hillary Clinton Hope For Grandchild Soon | Chappaqua NY Real Estate

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Two of Chappaqua’s most famous residents, former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, aren’t hiding their wishes for a grandchild soon from their daughter Chelsea, according to The Washington Post.

The Post said that Chelsea having a child is “topic A” between them and that Chelsea is discussing the issue with her husband, Marc Mezvinsky.

 

 

Read the full Washington Post article here.

 

 

 

Chelsea Clinton told Glamour magazine in an interview that she and her husband are hoping to make 2014 “The Year of the Baby.”

Dreaming in Color: 10 Beautiful Blue Bedrooms | Chappaqua NY Homes

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ast week we looked at some gorgeous green bedrooms on Houzz; this week we turn to blue. Soft blues with a touch of green or gray remind us of the sea and sky and tend to bring in a tranquil vibe. Bolder blues such as aqua, turquoise and cobalt have a fun, youthful vibrancy and work well in modern bedrooms. Deep, dark shades of navy are cool and elegant — and play well with almost any other color and with all styles of decor.
Check out 10 transcendent blue bedrooms on Houzz along with some tips for how to use blue in your own bedroom.

by Jennifer Ott Interior Design

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Blue paint picks for bedrooms (clockwise from top left):
1. Dreamy Clouds 5002-5B, Valspar 2. Surf’s Up 042-3, Mythic Paint 3. Goddess 252-2, Pittsburgh Paints 4. Sleepy Blue SW6225, Sherwin-Williams 5. Tahoe KM3127-3, Kelly-Moore 6. Laguna Blue 2059-30, Benjamin Moore 7. St. Giles Blue No. 280, Farrow & Ball 8. Surfer 510D-5, Behr
modern bedroom by Morgan Howarth Photography

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Go minimalist without the starkness by painting a wall or the ceiling in your bedroom a soft icy blue. I like using white and blue hues in rooms that have wood floors and furniture. The wood tones add warmth and a nice contrast to the palette. It’s clean, crisp and cool, yet inviting and comfortable.
contemporary bedding by Hotel Collection

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I love this particular blue hue — a not-quite-navy blue that has a bit of gray to tone it down, despite how deep it is. It reminds me of half-faded blue jeans and works well as a neutral background. This is a color that can take dashes of other bolder colors, similar to how you can pair any colored T-shirt with your favorite jeans.

Princess keeps French chateau afloat with opera, fashion shows | Chappaqua Real Estate

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Minnie de Beauvau-Craon, known in her tiny French village as “Princess Minnie,” has ruled over the Château de Haroué in the Lorraine region of northeast France since her father died in 1982.

In order to keep the 82-room chateau going, the 59-year-old princess hosts open-air operas attended by thousands on the grounds as well as fashion shows featuring works by Givenchy, Venet and Balenciaga, among others and also featuring the best fashion products like these pure nails pro reviews. Next year she plans to hold art exhibitions, and maybe, one day, an informal pub.

Source: New York Times

 

 

 

– See more at: http://www.inman.com/wire/princess-keeps-french-chateau-afloat-with-opera-fashion-shows/#sthash.4ckyQ5qB.dpuf