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Cindrich Set For Another Term As Mayor Tops News This Week | The Mt. Kisco NY Realtor
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Joan Rivers squares off again with UES condo squatter | Mt Kisco Real Estate
From left: Joan Rivers and 1 East 62nd Street
Joan Rivers is heading back to court today to try to kick out a troublesome ex-tenant from the Upper East Side condominium where the comedian presides over the building’s board.
In court papers, Rivers maintains that Elizabeth Hazan created a fire hazard at 1 East 62nd Street by using candles to light her unit after refusing to pay her electric bill and illegally entered the building last month. Hazan is a renter; the owner is a Belize-based corporation.
“Accompanied by a gaggle of reporters, (she) attempted to storm the building … forcing police to close down the street … (and) preventing at least one unit owner from leaving the building,” board lawyer Kevin Smith said of Hazan in an affidavit seen by the New York Daily News.
The board has had other legal run-ins with Hazan, a 41-year-old French Canadian. Her attorney, Darius Marzec, told the newspaper that the board’s latest court filing was “a continued bout of harassment.”
Rivers won a favorable ruling against Hazan in October when a New York state judge barred anyone from entering the $2 million home until the owner forked over $200,000 in unpaid fees. [NYDN]
http://therealdeal.com/blog/2013/11/07/joan-rivers-back-to-court-over-ues-condo-squatter/
Mt Kisco NY Weekly Real Estate Report | #RobReportBlog
| Mt Kisco NY Weekly Real Estate Report | 11/6/2013 | |
| Homes for sale | 47 | |
| Median Ask Price | $575,000.00 | |
| Low Price | $225,000.00 | |
| High Price | $3,950,000.00 | |
| Average Size | 2788 | |
| Average Price/foot | $322.00 | |
| Average DOM | 133 | |
| Average Ask Price | $972,195.00 | |
Homes near cemeteries: Do they sell? | Mount Kisco Homes
With Halloween quickly approaching, Redfin was dying to know: Do homes near cemeteries sell for more or less than homes farther away from cemeteries? Would a drop-dead-gorgeous home take longer to sell if the view includes tombstones? Would a home shopper have grave concerns about a home near a cemetery, or would the quiet neighbors be a selling point? We dug into the data to find out.
Redfin analyzed the price of homes less than 50 feet from a cemetery and compared those to the price of homes less than 100, 200, 500 and 1,000 yards away. The numbers indicate that on average, homes near cemeteries are slightly smaller, but they sell for more per square foot. On average, homes closest to cemeteries sold for $162 dollars per square foot, whereas the homes located more than 500 yards away sold for $145 per square foot.
“I have a current listing that backs up to a cemetery, and 10 to 15 people have toured the home. One potential buyer provided feedback that it was a deal breaker, but that is just one of many. In my opinion, cemeteries make very quiet neighbors,” said Blakely Minton, a Redfin real estate agent in Philadelphia.
“Like everything with homebuying, there are pros and cons to living near a cemetery. The pros are that most likely there would be no chance of future development on the site of a cemetery, there is usually well-maintained open space, it’s quiet and many cemeteries are picturesque. The cons would be that cemeteries give some people an uneasy feeling, as it represents mortality, and it might not be an area they want to ‘live’ next to everyday,” said Lynn Ikle, a Redfin real estate agent in Baltimore.
The analysis also reveals that homes adjacent to cemeteries take longer to sell on average. Those located less than 50 feet away took 48 days to sell, whereas those located more than 500 yards away took 39 days to sell. Based on the analysis, homes near cemeteries sell for more money, but it may take longer to find the right buyer.
“Having a home right next door to a cemetery may make it more difficult to sell. There will always be a group of people who might love all of the specifications of the house, but the ‘creepy’ factor may prevent them from even touring the home. Having fewer folks tour a home could lead to a home staying on the market longer,” said John Malandrino, a Redfin real estate agent in Chicago.
Not all cities are the same when it comes to the number of cemeteries located within city limits and the number of homes built around them. Redfin evaluated 90 metropolitan areas across the nation to find the five cities with the most homes for sale near cemeteries. The analysis looked at homes for sale as of Oct. 15 that were less than 100 yards from a cemetery. Some of the nation’s oldest cities topped the list:
1. Baltimore
Homes for sale near cemeteries: 172 Median list price of those homes: $101,950
“It doesn’t surprise me that Baltimore tops the list, because it was founded back in the early 1700s,” Ikle said. “Our neighborhoods here are very well-established, and cemeteries were part of the landscape during their development.”
2. Philadelphia
Homes for sale near cemeteries: 157 Median list price of those homes: $134,900
“Since Philadelphia was one of the first major settlements in the U.S., there are cemeteries scattered throughout the city,” Minton said. “I had one friend who moved into a home with a cemetery right behind it. One day, she came home with her hands full of groceries and nearly hit the floor with food flying when she heard a gun shot outside. It turns out that the cemetery was for veterans, and it was a military salute.
“The type and size of cemetery is something to consider when deciding on a home by a cemetery, but in my opinion, the reminder of how precious life can be is a positive, not a negative.”
3. Chicago
Homes for sale near cemeteries: 115 Median list price of those homes: $229,900
“With buildable land at a premium, especially in and around the downtown Chicago area, builders have built and will continue to build in close proximity to cemeteries,” Malandrino said.
4. Boston
Homes for sale near cemeteries: 50 Median list price of those homes: $711,809
“The main reason Boston has so many cemeteries is because it has so many churches. Nearly all of the older churches in the greater Boston area have large cemeteries attached to them. These churches are frequently located in residential neighborhoods, so people could walk to church events,” said Peter Phinney, a Redfin real estate agent in Boston. “Churches were not only the center of worship, as they continue to be, but also the center of cultural events and social gatherings. It was only natural for people to want to be buried in their neighborhood next to the church, so homebuyers in the Boston area have made their peace with having a cemetery nearby. In fact, many welcome having the green space.”
http://realestate.msn.com/blogs/listed-buy.aspx?post=5c37386d-9625-4935-974f-33ed9e917554
Want a Castle? There’s One Being Foreclosed in Virginia! | Mt Kisco Real Estate
24 images
Yes, there’s a castle facing foreclosure in Northern Virginia. Try finding that sentence anywhere else this year. But hey, for those who have always wanted to live in royal digs and missed out on this Dupont option, Melrose Castle in Warrenton, VA is asking a mere $1.5 million. To be fair, here are some of the amenities included in the lofty price: eight fireplaces, an inground pool, 50 acres of land, a tennis court and a barn with two paddocks. Most five bedroom “single family homes” do not come with all of that. Plus, it’s a castle! Check out the gallery to see photos of such fairy tale-esque things like the spiral staircases leading to the roof. · 8871 Rogues Road , Warrenton, VA 20187 [Colgan Real Estate]
The 10 Most Annoying Types of People on Facebook | Mt Kisco Realtor
Social media amplifies humanity.
Have you ever been to a barbecue and had to listen to someone prattle on about themselves for hours? Attended a cocktail party and had the most intriguing conversation with a tall dark stranger? Been invited to a friends place and viewed so many baby photos that you felt compelled to have a vasectomy!
Facebook, Twitter and social media take those conversations and multiply it via the crowd. Facebook is insights, conversations and news on steroids.
It is a reflection of what makes us human, except that it is visible to billions of people. We are different, fun and sometimes boring. It is a kaleidoscope of emotions, events and the bizarre. That’s why we tune into Facebook. Its a voyeur’s paradise. Never dull and often entertaining.
So what entices us to reveal our lives online? Is it narcissism, vanity or just wanting to get something off our chest. Annoyance is noticed and often shared.
Here are the results of a fun survey to find the 10 most annoying types of people on Facebook.
Infographic source: Lovemyvouchers.co.uk
Who and what annoys you on Facebook?
Read more at http://www.jeffbullas.com/2013/10/15/the-10-most-annoying-types-of-people-on-facebook/#88WiemX4jwB425JI.99
Video Shows Alleged Newspaper Swap Incident In Mount Kisco | Mt Kisco Homes
A video released today appears to show a distributor of the Hudson Valley Reporter swapping copies of that newspaper with The Examiner in an alleged incident that occurred on Friday at the newspaper racks outside the Mount Kisco Coach Diner.
The video link was provided to The Daily Voice by Adam Stone, the publisher of The Examiner, and was compiled by Matt DiBiase, a private investigator hired by Stone from Mahopac-based Colonial Investigative Associates. (The alleged incident occurs at the beginning of the 31-minute, 45-second video, which later includes the arrival of a police officer to investigate at about the 20-minute mark.)
Jim Palmer, the Mount Kisco village manager, confirmed to The Daily Voice on Friday that Michael Espinoza was arrested at approximately 6 a.m. that day and charged with criminal tampering.
The arrest has attracted national attention. Gawker linked to The Daily Voice’s original story.
Hudson Valley Reporter publisher Faith Ann Butcher referred inquiries regarding the alleged incident to her Carmel-based attorney, Raymond Cote, when she was contacted by The Daily Voice on Friday. Cote said it was too early in the process to comment.
http://mtkisco.dailyvoice.com/news/video-shows-alleged-newspaper-swap-incident
How The Shutdown Is Hurting The Housing Market | Mount Kisco Real Estate
As with so many other types of economic activity, the government shutdown is causing more fear than actual harm in the housing market thus far.
But that doesn’t mean things won’t start going wrong in the very near future.
Various federal agencies play greater or lesser roles in real estate transactions. With most of them sidelined, simple matters such as closing on mortgages are becoming more complicated.
“It’s going to add up pretty quickly, because loans can’t be closed in many cases,” says Mark Zandi, chief economist for Moody’s Analytics, a financial research organization. “The damage is going to start to mount and in a few days it’s going to be a significant problem for the housing market.”
The market, which had grown more robust over the past couple of years, was starting to cool off this fall anyway, due to rising prices and interest rates.
If interest rates go up due to the fear or reality of a debt default — and the costs for short-term treasuries are already starting to spike — that would have major consequences for real estate sales.
“This government shutdown, which is an artificial obstacle to the recovery, is clearly not a good thing,” says Lawrence Yun, chief economist for the National Association of Realtors.
What’s Not Working
Anyone who has purchased or refinanced a house knows a lot of paperwork is involved. The tall stack of forms that buyers and sellers sign at closings is largely generated or required by federal agencies that may now be temporarily out of the game.
Still, real estate agents and mortgage lenders have thus far been able to work their way around many of the hurdles put up by the partial government shutdown.
http://www.npr.org/2013/10/08/230467533/how-the-shutdown-is-hurting-the-housing-market
How to Install a Foundation Drain | Mt Kisco Real Estate
On its face, the location of a foundation perimeter drain seems like the simplest of details. The perforated drain line is run around the foundation next to the bottom of the footing.
At least that’s what many construction drawings show. But in some parts of the country, the drain is placed on top of the footing rather than next to it, and this discrepancy is at the root of Steven Knapp’s dilemma.
In a question posted at Green Building Advisor’s Q&A forum, Knapp writes this approach is not typical in his area, and that his waterproofing contractor is refusing to go along with it.
“Several years ago he switched to placing the drain (a rectangular pipe) on top of the footer and thinks this is the better method,” Knapp writes. “I’m annoyed and confused since I was advised by another credible expert that placing the pipe on top of the footer would greatly increase my chances of springing a leak.”
Knapp’s builder is leaning in favor of the “on footer” method, but he’s willing to do whatever Knapp thinks best. They also consulted with a Residential Foundation Repair Services company for a third opinion.
“So what is industry best practice?” he asks. “Putting the pipe next to the footer makes intuitive sense to me, but I know that what’s intuitive isn’t always correct. I just don’t want a basement that leaks.”
That’s the topic for this Q&A Spotlight.
The drawings are just plain wrong
Yes, writes James Morgan, we’ve all seen foundation drains drawn that way many times but the drawings are wrong.
“I know that’s the standard drawn detail and I’ve seen it a thousand times, but I think it’s a bad one, and there are several important [performance] reasons that no one ever builds it that way, at least not in my area,” he says.
The seam between the footing and the foundation wall is vulnerable, he adds, but it takes hydrostatic pressure to push water through the seam and into the basement. “Perforated pipe laid along the top of the footer and running to daylight ensures that the maximum head of water is just the thickness of the corrugation, or about 3/8 of an inch,” Morgan writes. “This is simply not sufficient to cause any penetration of the seam if a normal standard of care has been taken with the waterproofing application. This is the simplest, most foolproof and most reliable location. That’s why all the experienced builders that I know and regularly work with all prefer to do it that way.”
It’s more time and trouble to install the drain line next to the footing, Morgan says, plus it also requires more digging and a larger volume of backfill, “thus an enhanced path for water to reach the footing.”
“Backfill can never be consolidated to the degree of imperviousness of undisturbed soil,” Morgan writes. “According to well known foundation contractors, most codes now sensibly require that finish grade be sloped to a swale at least 6 feet away from the foundation wall. With a standard dig this places the swale well outside the backfill area and into the zone of undisturbed dirt: overdig brings the porous backfill closer to the swale and the large volume of stormwater it regularly contains.”
Keep the drain below the level of the slab
To GBA Senior Editor Martin Holladay, the correct location for the foundation drain is a pretty simple proposition: If you want to avoid problems, keep the level of the drain below the slab. “One thing is for sure,” he writes, “if the center of the 4-inch drain pipe is above the top of your slab, you are setting yourself up for potential problems.”
He tells Morgan water can reach the drain in more than one way. “It can trickle downwards from the surface, due to ponding under the eaves (as you propose),” Holladay says. “But during the spring, groundwater levels can rise from below, until the level of the groundwater is higher than the level of your slab. In that case, a footing drain pipe that is installed above the slab will work — but the slab will still get wet.”
David Meiland also would opt for a lower drain location. “I want the footing drain well below the slab, and I want it equal to or below bottom of footing so that the bearing soil under the foundation is less likely to be saturated,” Meiland writes. “I am lucky in that we rarely deal with expansive clay, but that would make it all the more important to drain the footing.”
Holladay’s point is well taken, Morgan replies, in areas where groundwater levels are periodically high. But he adds that even when the drain line is placed on top of the footing, it would still be 2 inches or so below the top of the slab.
“And I think there’s some value in having the the pipe right beside the vulnerable seam rather than a foot away where drainage paths could potentially become obstructed,” he adds. “Either way, Steven’s belt-and-suspenders approach should be fine.”
http://www.greenbuildingadvisor.com/blogs/dept/qa-spotlight/how-install-foundation-drain
Changing Times For Fox Lane Girls | Mt Kisco Real Estate
The Fox Lane girls varsity soccer team has started a new season that involves a lot of change.
Last year, the Foxes went 6-8, and this season, are off to a 1-1 start.
Coach Fabian Videla faced of a summer of upheaval when 10 of his seniors graduated.
“There are lots of new faces this season,” Videla said. “There are a lot of young faces this season.”
The team welcomes several freshmen, including Victoria Surace and Caroline Evnin. The team also welcomes freshmen Emily DeBitetto, Stephanie Ingraldi and Emily Kowalski. Caroline Thompson is joining the team from eighth grade as Videla found himself with 11 open spots to fill in 2013.
“Leadership from returning players will be a key to the season,” Videla said. “Team unity will be a key to the season.”
Videla will be leaning heavily on his three captains: seniors Tattie Petts and Julia Santuro and junior Arianna Delli.Carpini.
Overall, Videla is hoping his new players and returning players can increase their production.
“Many of our returning players did not start last year,” Videla said.
Videla is joined by assistant coaches Laura Elwood and Kristen DeCandido.
http://mtkisco.dailyvoice.com/news/changing-times-fox-lane-girls