Tag Archives: Katonah NY Real Estate

Katonah NY Real Estate

Count the Bison in NYC’s Most Taxidermy-Filled Apartment | Katonah Real Estate

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For some, the wonders of nature are too majestic not to have stuffed, mounted, and hung above the chaise longue. For an especially committed subset of that worldwide fraternity of taxidermy lovers, there’s no need to put away one’s collection of fauna when shooting listing photos. After all, who’s to say that a roaring catamount can’t bring together a living room? Recently profiled in the New York Times is the Upper West Side apartment of author, journalist, and socialite Gregory Speck, which gives the most taxidermy-filled home in Brooklyn a run for its money. Apparently there are over 200 dearly departed furry friends decorating the place— acquired from “museum liquidations, taxidermist castoffs and hunters whose wives wouldn’t allow them to hang their trophies in the house”—so many that, rather than go through the hassle of taking them down to document the place for its $3.395M entrance onto the market, Speck had the Halstead Property marketing team digitally remove them. Behold the rest of this menagerie below, and head to Curbed NY for the retouched, fauna-scrubbed glamour shots:

 

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http://curbed.com/archives/2014/07/07/gregory-specks-taxidermy-filled-apartment.php

Teatown Lake Reservation News | Katonah Real Estate

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June 18, 2014
Teatown in the News:
60 Morgan Stanley Volunteers GIVE BACK at Teatown
Click here for the full story in the Daily Voice.
Get your employees outside to volunteer and reap the benefits! Click here for more info.

Teatown’s Old Boardwalk with a New Purpose

Teatown’s old boardwalk has been transformed into a footbridge at the Peabody Preserve in Sleepy Hollow. Teatown is collaborating with the Friends of Peabody and the Tarrytown School District in making the Peabody Preserve accessible to all students as an outdoor classroom.
PROGRAMS THIS WEEK:

Moth Magic
Friday, June 20
8 pm

The warm spring evenings brings moths and many other winged creatures out. Come and see what flies in at Cliffdale Farm as Charlie Roberto blacklights for night flyers. Meets at Cliffdale Farm. All Welcome, free! Programs require pre-registration. To register, call 914-762-2912 x 110.

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Catch this program before it gets away:
Fishing Saturdays on Teatown Lake – MEMBERS-ONLY

Cliffdale Field Exploration
Sunday, June 22
10 am
Grab a net and a field guide and come along as we investigate the fields of Cliffdale on the cusp of summer. All Welcome. Free for members, $5 for non-members. Programs require pre-registration. To register, call 914-762-2912 x 110.

Citizen Scientist Opportunity
Sunday, June 22
9 am – 4 pm
Teatown Lake Reservation is partnering with Friends of the Old Croton Aqueduct and NY-NJ Trail Conference to fully assess and map the prevalence of invasive plants along the 26 mile section of the Old Croton Aqueduct trail.
If you’d like to join the mission, there will be a required training held at Teatown Lake Reservation on Sunday, June 22. Advanced registration is required. Click hereto sign up or for more info.
Teatown Camp:
Gearing Up for Summer Fun!
Teatown’s Natural
Science Camp
Four sessions this summer
Visit Teatown
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.
Please note: Membership Pricing change effective July 1.
Click here for details.

Your donation can make

an immediate impact and help

support our environmental education programs and the stewardship of our 1,000 acre preserve.

Upcoming Events and Workshops:

Explore Teatown Lake
Saturday, June 28
1 – 2 pm

Pick up a net and join Erin Baker, down at the boathouse to find out. All Welcome! Free for members, $5 for non-members. Programs require pre-registration. To register, call 914-762-2912 x 110.

In the Nature Center Gallery:

Nature, Wildlife & Landscapes

By Charley Goldsmith

On exhibit June 1 – 30, 2014

Announcing the publication of:

Teatown’s Wildflower Island

by Lisa Fleck Dondiego

A privately printed, 80-page photo book with an Index identifying the flowers, and a Foreword by Leah Waybright Kennell, Curator of Wildflower Island.

This wonderful book is available for purchase in Teatown’s nature store for $45 plus tax.

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Inside a Vintage Store Owner’s Treasure-Strewn NYC Home | Katonah NY Real Estate

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DrielyS-1857.jpgPhoto by Dreily S./Racked NY

Considering the fact that Ariana Boussard-Reifel owns the lovely Mode Marteau—a vintage store known for its high-end luxury brands and eclectic artisan goods—it should come as no surprise that her Victorian-era brownstone in NYC is a veritable treasure trove of artistic collages, turn-of-the-century furnishings, and jewelry used as home decor. Boussard-Reifel renovated the entire pad herself, outfitting the space in antiques, flea market finds, and even barstools found on the street. An ornate spiral staircase leads to the two-bedroom’s second floor, which offers “secret chambers in the walls” and an airy outdoor area further decorated in colorful, exotic pieces. “I like to keep all my internationally collected objects around me to keep my mind wandering,” says the artist, entrepreneur, and avid collector to Racked NY. “Sometimes I feel like my apartment looks more like The Explorer’s Club than a home.”

 

 

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http://curbed.com/archives/2014/06/09/inside-a-vintage-store-owners-treasurestrewn-nyc-brownstone.php

Government’s moves to ease mortgage credit are mostly for show | Katonah Real Estate

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  • The regulator of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, Mel Watt, said he would not reduce home loan limits, as planned by his predecessor as director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, Ed De Marco. Plus, in the most widely quoted promise in his speech at the Brookings Institution, Watt said he doesn’t believe his role is to “contract the footprint” of Fannie and Freddie. In other words, gradually shrink their roles or significance in the housing marketplace in preparation for their eventual total phase out by Congress.
  • Watt also announced that his agency will permit Fannie and Freddie to use “compensating factors” to accommodate loans from borrowers whose back-end debt-to income ratios exceed 43 percent. Compensating factors allow lenders to approve loans when applicants may have elevated DTIs but also have counter-balancing strengths, such as substantial financial reserves, high credit scores, among others.
  • FHA Commissioner Carol Galante announced a “blueprint for access” designed to lower the costs of obtaining an FHA mortgage for underserved borrowers. HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan called Galante’s plan, which would extend reductions in mortgage insurance fees to buyers who complete a counseling course, “a win for the market, FHA, lenders and borrowers.”

 

All that sounded upbeat and was heartily welcomed by groups such as NAR, the Mortgage Bankers Association and the home builders. It sounded like good news in a week that saw prospects for long-term reforms of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac dim in a split vote by the Senate Banking Committee.

But how significant were these promises by Washington politicians and what will the changes really mean on the ground for real estate professionals and their clients? Much less than it all appeared to audiences eager to hear that credit standards finally are going to start loosening up for mortgage applicants.

 

 

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http://www.inman.com/2014/05/20/governments-moves-to-ease-mortgage-credit-are-mostly-for-show/?utm_source=20140520&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=dailyheadlinesam

Homeownership hits lowest level since June 1995 | Katonah Real Estate

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The homeownership rate in the first quarter of 2014 is at the lowest since June 1995.

The rate of homeownership at the end of 1Q2014 was 64.8%, which is 0.2 percentage points lower than the first quarter 2013 rate of 65%, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

The rental vacancy rates inside principle cities, in the suburbs and outside MSA’s were not statistically different from the first quarter 2013 rates.

Anthony Sanders, distinguished professor of real estate finance at George Mason University, says on his blog Confounded Interest, that he knows exactly why.

“Here is the reason why: declining real median household income, declining wage earnings growth, declining mortgage purchase applications,” he says.

 

 

 

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http://www.housingwire.com/articles/29833-homeownership-hits-lowest-level-since-june-1995

 

Boerum Hill Townhouse Asks $3.8M, and More | Katonah Real Estate

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11 images


Click here to view the full photogallery.

↑ In Boerum Hill, this brick townhouse is asking $3.795 million. In addition to numerous dead animal parts, the 1860s house features period moldings, original wood floors, pocket doors and shutters, and five original marble fireplaces. There’s also a pretty large garden.

 

 

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http://ny.curbed.com/archives/2014/04/27/boerum_hill_townhouse_asks_38m_and_more.php

What you can buy in the top 10 cities | Katonah Real Estate

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If you’re looking to buy a home, Michigan might be a good place to start — and California might be a place to avoid.

The Midwestern state boasts three metropolitan areas in the top 10 for highest homeownership rates in the nation, according to a recent report by the National Association of Home Builders. The metro areas of Holland-Grand Haven, Bay City and Monroe all reported more than 77 percent homeownership, compared to the national average of 64.7 percent.

California, meanwhile, has six metro areas in the NAHB list of 10 places with the lowest homeownership rates.

“As one might expect, the homeownership rate is linked to affordability,” the NAHB report says. “In general, homeownership rates are higher when homes are more affordable. Eight of the top 10 metropolitan areas have median home values below the national median home value of $171,900.”

The NAHB calculated the homeownership rate by taking the total number of owner-occupied units divided by the total number of occupied units for a chosen geography. Occupied units can either be rented or owned, so a high homeownership rate implies a low renter rate.

Here’s a look at the 10 markets with the highest homeownership rates and what’s for sale there.

 

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http://realestate.msn.com/what-you-can-buy-in-the-top-10-cities-for-homeownership

7 beautiful rooftop gardens | Katonah Real Estate

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    Charlie Dresen, SteamboatsMyHome.com

Want to add value to your home? Plant a garden in the sky.

Rooftop gardens are quickly becoming one of the most popular ways to wow buyers and shore up the value of your home, real estate agents say.

Homes in big cities benefit the most from a rooftop garden, where homeowners sacrifice yard space for the urban experience. But even suburban homeowners are taking advantage of deck and roof space to grow gardens with an elevated view.

“It’s just such a luxury to have somewhere you can go that’s outside of your four walls,” said Leslie Piper, consumer housing specialist for the Realtor.com and a real estate agent. “Buyers really see it as something indulgent.”

That’s actually part of the reason why for a time interest in outdoor spaces like roof gardens had been withering. But as the housing market recovers, buyers’ appetites for these unique outdoor havens have returned.

When Realtor.com surveyed 1,000 buyers about what makes them fall in love with a home, outdoor living spaces came out on top, beating out their desire for open floor plans and curb appeal. About 51 percent of those surveyed said that outdoor space was the most attractive quality in a home.

“It’s certainly cropping back up as something that’s becoming more important to homeowners,” Piper said.

Buyers are specifically looking for outdoor fireplaces, wet bars and a lounge area for entertaining, as well as a place to grow their own fresh herbs and vegetables, she added.

Most of the amenities for an outdoor space can be added by the homeowner, so they tend to be a relatively inexpensive way to add value to a home.

“You can go online now and look at all these great resources that are out there, and in the past you didn’t know where to start,” Piper said. “That kind of access to ideas is really spurring these spaces.”

If you are looking for an attractive roof garden built in to a new home, check out these seven homes.

 

http://www.cbsnews.com/media/7-beautiful-rooftop-gardens/

 

Londoners priced out of real estate market blame foreigners | Katonah Real Estate

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Protesters shouting “No more homes for millionaires!” outside London City Hall this week want real estate developers to stop pandering to wealthy foreign buyers and start building more housing that locals can afford.

Sparking the protest was a plan by Hong Kong-based Hutchison Whampoa Ltd. to build up to 3,500 new homes not far from London’s Canary Wharf financial district. Mayor Boris Johnson has approved the project.“These are the kind of homes that local people will never be able to afford,” said Cheryl Coyne, a 63-year-old semiretired schoolteacher.

“There are thousands of people in the borough who need homes, and instead they’re building flats for multimillionaires.”Average London house prices increased 18 percent in the first quarter from a year earlier, the most since 2003, to a record 362,699 pounds ($604,000), the Nationwide Building Society said.

Much of that increase stems from wealthy non-British investors seeking assets that would hold their value. Builders use advance sales, often to buyers from Asia, to help finance new projects. Foreign-born buyers made 69 percent of central London new-home purchases in the two years through June 2013, with 28 percent living outside the U.K., broker Knight Frank LLP said in October.

When the Malaysian owners of the Battersea Power Station project, on the south bank of the River Thames, sold the first 866 homes in just three days in January, more than half went to foreign buyers.

 

 

 

Source: Bloomberg – See more at: http://www.inman.com/wire/londoners-priced-out-of-real-estate-market-blame-foreigners/?utm_source=20140404&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=dailyheadlinesam#sthash.F8Or8wU6.dpuf

Fixed Mortgage Rates Move Up | Katonah Real Estate

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Freddie Mac today released the results of its Primary Mortgage Market Survey® (PMMS®), showing average fixed mortgage rates up a bit from last week, applying additional pressure for those local markets that are already feeling an affordability pinch.

News Facts

  • 30-year fixed-rate mortgage (FRM) averaged 4.40 percent with an average 0.6 point for the week ending March 27, 2014, up from last week when it averaged 4.32 percent. A year ago at this time, the 30-year FRM averaged 3.57 percent.
  • 15-year FRM this week averaged 3.42 percent with an average 0.6 point, up from last week when it averaged 3.32 percent. A year ago at this time, the 15-year FRM averaged 2.76 percent.
  • 5-year Treasury-indexed hybrid adjustable-rate mortgage (ARM) averaged 3.10 percent this week with an average 0.5 point, up from last week when it averaged 3.02 percent. A year ago, the 5-year ARM averaged 2.68 percent.
  • 1-year Treasury-indexed ARM averaged 2.44 percent this week with an average 0.4 point, down from last week when it averaged 2.49 percent. At this time last year, the 1-year ARM averaged 2.62 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 the Regional and National Mortgage Rate Details and Definitions. Borrowers may still pay closing costs which are not included in the survey.

Quotes Attributed to Frank Nothaft, vice president and chief economist, Freddie Mac.

“Mortgage rates rose following the uptick on the 10-year Treasury note after comments by the Federal Reserve Board Chair Janet Yellen indicated a possible increase in interest rates as soon as early 2015. Also, the S&P/Case-Shiller® 20-city composite house price index rose 13.2 percent over the 12-months ending in January 2014.”

Freddie Mac was established by Congress in 1970 to provide liquidity, stability and affordability to the nation’s residential mortgage markets. Freddie Mac supports communities across the nation by providing mortgage capital to lenders. Today Freddie Mac is making home possible for one in four home borrowers and is one of the largest sources of financing for multifamily housing.