2012 Mount Kisco Area Markets With Rising Median Price | RobReportBlog
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Hubzu to open up auction marketplace to brokers and agents | Mt Kisco NY Real Estate
Hubzu, the online marketplace and auction platform of real estate owned properties (REO), will open up its service for licensed brokers and agents and non-REO properties in early February, the company announced today.
Last fall, Hubzu completed its name change from “GoHoming.com” and announced that it would expand its user base and begin to deal with non-REO properties.
The 3-year-old site is operated by publicly traded Altisource Portfolio Solutions S.A., a provider of services to mortgage lenders, loan servicers, investors, mortgage bankers, credit unions, financial services companies and hedge funds.
Traditionally, all of the listings on Hubzu — about 4,000 active currently — are lender-owned. Most listings come from another Altisource-held company, Hubzu general manager Scott Wielar told Inman News last fall.
Hubzu’s new “Direct-to-Broker” channel will allow brokers and agents to list properties, both REO and traditional, on the site for a fee of 1.5 percent of the sales price, plus a tech fee of $299 per transaction.
The site will verify broker and agent licenses of potential users in a one- to two-day clearing process, said Eric Eckardt, vice president of Hubzu’s direct to broker program.
Article continues belowAt the moment, the site features a variety of lender-owned properties, including single-family, one- to four-unit multifamily, townhomes and condominium units, and land parcels, which are sold by auction or traditionally.
Screen shot of Hubzu’s homepage.
“When we moved to Hubzu, we moved away from REO,” Wielar said of the changes announced today. Listings will be clearly delineated between REO-owned and traditional on the site, he said.
Hubzu also considered handling listings from property owners, but has decided to open up its platform only to real estate pros for right now, Wielar said.
Currently, 125,000 of the site’s 285,000 total registered users are licensed brokers and agents, Wielar said. They have not been able to list properties on the site, but that changes in February.
Each property on the site, which has facilitated the sale of 30,000 properties in the last 12 months, receives an average of nine bids, Wielar said. Properties can also sell without bidding. If they are listed with an “own it now” price, a buyer can move a sale forward if they like the price, short circuiting the bidding.
The auctions are timed. To prevent “auction sniping” — where a bidder waits to enter a bid just as the auction time runs out — 15 minutes are automatically added to the auction when the time is nearly up to maximize bidding.
Buyers traditionally have been the revenue engine of the site. No fees are charged to buyers until a sale. Buyers pay a flat technology fee of $299 and a “buyer’s premium” that ranges from $625 to 5 percent of the property’s value.
via inman.com
Olivia Wilde Lists Home for Sale, Buys in New York | Mt Kisco Realtor
via zillow.com
Mt Kisco Real Estate | The Hottest Neighborhoods In America In 2013
Teatown News | Mount Kisco Realtor
Recent news of oil spills, climate change, and drinking water shortages reminds us of the great environmental challenges that our children will face as adults. Teatown’s teachers are shaping the next generation to meet these challenges with both knowledge and optimism.
We reach nearly 10,000 children each year with our placed-based programs and with our staff’s model enthusiasm to build a sustainable, healthy world.
Teatown’s environmental education programs bring our children into direct contact with nature. This kind of in-your-face experience is not provided in school classrooms, by watching television, or surfing the Internet. Immersed in the relative wildness of Teatown, all of the children’s senses are awakened as they explore and discover the natural world.
We make sure that our students not only learn the traditional skill of recognizing local plants and animals, but they see first hand the connections between and among species, the web of life. Most important, however, is that our students fully realize that they are an essential part of nature and that their behavior and choices matter. Their actions affect the health and well-being of the Earth’s ecological system, on which both people and all species depend. We aim for every student at Teatown to truly believe that their generation can build a sustainable, healthy world.
The key to our education success is both our nature preserve and our extraordinarily enthusiastic and positive-minded Teatown faculty. Their academic qualifications include two doctorates, three master’s degrees and two baccalaureates. Our educators are building the future by keeping hope alive through our students’ optimism and informed empowerment to change the world.
Please know that our education programs are only possible because their costs are subsidized largely by your membership fees and donations. We know we are changing the future for the better. Together we are making a difference, one student at a time!
Cheers,
The Teatown Team
via trulia.com
Intro to Flood Insurance | Mount Kisco Realtor
Nationwide, only 20% of American homes at risk for floods are covered by flood insurance. Most private insurers do not insure against the peril of flood due to the prevalence of adverse selection
, which is the purchase of insurance by persons most affected by the specific peril of flood.In traditional insurance, insurers use the economic law of large numbers to charge a relatively small fee to large numbers of people in order to pay the claims of the small numbers of claimants who have suffered a loss. Unfortunately, in flood insurance, the numbers of claimants is larger than the available number of persons interested in protecting their property from the peril, which means that most private insurers view the probability of generating a profit from providing flood insurance as being remote.
However, there are insurers such as Chubb, AIG/Chartis, Fireman’s Fund that do provide privately written primary flood insurance for high value homes and The Natural Catastrophe Insurance Program underwritten by Certain Underwriters at Lloyd’s which provides private primary flood insurance on both low value and high value buildings
via trulia.com
Google Beats Nike to Become Most Shared Social Video Brand of 2012 | Mt Kisco NY Real Estate
According to new data released today by Unruly Media, Google is the most successful social video brand of 2012. The technology giant’s video campaigns attracted more shares this year than any other advertiser.
Thanks to the global success of campaigns such as Project Glass: One Day, Google increased the number of shares it attracted in 2012 by 196.8% from the previous year, beating Nike to the top spot by 421,359 shares.
The Most Shared Social Video Brands Of 2012
The Unruly 2012 Social Video Share Index shows a number of newcomers in the top 10, with TNT Benelux, Coca-Cola, Abercrombie & Fitch, Samsung, and P&G replacing last year’s front-runners Budweiser, Evian, T-Mobile, Activision and Kia.
<img class=”aligncenter size-full wp-image-74776″ title=”social-video-brands-2012″ src=”http://cdn4.reelstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/social-video-brands-2012-e1355082351369.gif” alt=”” width=”509″ height=”724″/>
The top 10 brands accounted for a colossal 35 million video shares. This indicates that competition in social video advertising is heating up. And it’s worth noting that Coca-Cola made the biggest leap, growing by 485.4% from last year, powered by campaigns like Unlock the 007 in you. You have 70 seconds!
According to Unruly co-founder Sarah Wood,
“The Unruly 2012 Social Video Share Index is the definitive chart for measuring a commercial brand’s social video success as it’s based purely on sharing activity rather than views and subjective criteria. This is the content that people are choosing to share. Savvy brands are no longer creating content to merely watch their YouTube view counter tick up; they’re measuring who’s sharing the content, what they’re saying, and how it’s impacting brand metrics.”
Video Marketing Lessons from Social Video in 2012
Why should internet marketers and video content producers pay more than casual attention to the Unruly 2012 Social Video Share Index?
Let’s start with the methodology.
The 2012 Index, based on data from the Unruly Viral Video Chart, ranks videos by the number of shares they attract across Twitter, Facebook and the blogosphere as opposed to the number of views. As such, it is a measure of the brand’s viral success ranking branded content by the volume of active pass-on rather than the more passive metric of video consumption.
The list also shows the extent to which some brands have already recognized video’s potential for brand advocacy and are successfully leveraging the potential of the social web to increase sales. However, the top 20 does not include movie trailers.
Internet marketers and video content producers understand that the days when YouTube was exclusively a place for one hit, viral videos are gone. If you’re interested in building a successful channel on YouTube, you’ve got to consider your channel’s long term plan. And that requires developing a viable programming strategy.
Programming means creating a cohesive viewing experience across videos on your channel, where each video fits into the larger channel vision. It includes both what type of content to produce, as well as when to publish it.
And this extends to video advertising campaigns.
Social video grew up in 2012. It is the year when social video advertising proved it was the hottest trend instead of a passing fad by reaching heights usually reserved for Austrian space-jumpers. (Click on the Top 5 Trends for Social Video Advertising in 2012, to download Unruly’s report on the topic.)
But you can’t begin to harness this trend unless you know which brands were the top performers in 2012. You can’t develop new strategies unless you can see which advertisers seized the opportunity to engage with their consumers at scale.
That’s why Unruly has compiled a list of the top 10 social video brands of 2012. And that’s why you should pay more than casual attention to it.
The Unruly 2012 Social Video Share Index is your new yardstick for measuring the top 10 brands – instead of the top 10 individual videos. These are the brands that “get it.” Many of these brands have gone beyond creating one-hit wonders. Most of these brands are worth emulating next year and the year after that.
In other words, this is a chart worth getting on.
Get it? Got it? Good.
via reelseo.com
6 wrong-headed ideas about remodeling | Mount Kisco NY Homes
After 30 years in architecture, I still hear the same tired old wives’ tales circulated about remodeling. It’s amazing how long it can take to stamp out a wrong-headed concept. Here are some of my unfavorites:
1. Bathrooms should be planned back to back to save cost. Rubbish. This chestnut goes way back, and probably stems from the practice of placing apartment house bathrooms back to back. You’re not building apartments, however, so the meager savings in plumbing cost — something on the order of a few hundred dollars — doesn’t justify straitjacketing your floor plan with a bathroom arrangement you don’t like.
2. The best way to improve your home’s energy efficiency is by installing new double-glazed windows. Poppycock. In most houses, windows represent a very small fraction of the total heat loss. By far the most heat is lost through ceilings, so attic insulation is the best place to put your energy-efficiency dollars. Once that’s done, consider installing a higher-efficiency furnace and ductwork. Replacing your windows is far down the list of cost-effective energy improvements.
3. Granite is the best choice for kitchen counters. Balderdash. Granite is definitely durable, but it may not make economic sense to install a 100-year countertop on cabinets that will last only 30. In any case, there are lots of other interesting countertop materials out there, from other types of stone slabs, to butcher block, tile, and yes, even plastic laminate. It’s worth taking a look at them before you choose granite by reflex.
4. Skylights are the best way to get daylight into your house. Malarkey. Skylights are a good last resort to improve daylighting, but adding windows should always be your first choice. Why? Because they’re passive solar devices naturally attuned to the seasons, letting in more low-angle sunlight in winter when you want it, and excluding it in summer when you don’t. Skylights do just the reverse. They also look out of place on many styles of homes, particularly those built before World War II.
5. Point-of-use (“tankless”) water heaters are the most efficient way to heat water. Maybe, maybe not. Tankless units can be just the thing for certain applications, such as bathrooms that are remote from the water heater. But their efficiency is typically oversold, with efficiency ratings based on rarified laboratory conditions that are seldom reflected in actual installations. They’re also complex and subject to erratic response under low-flow conditions.
What’s more, if saving space isn’t your primary concern, there are a number of conventional storage water heaters available with efficiencies in the mid-90s, some at surprisingly reasonable cost.
6. Recessed “can” lights are the best way to modernize a home’s lighting. Piffle. Recessed lighting is useful for very specific purposes — highlighting permanent objects or architectural features, for example — but they do a lousy job of general illumination. This is because cans are inherently directional, creating a pool of light beneath them, rather than diffusing light throughout the room. They’re also terribly overused, leading to the notorious “swiss cheese ceiling” effect seen in so many remodeled houses. Be sparing in your use of recessed cans — and if you have a house predating World War II, think twice about using them at all. They’re literally a glaring anachronism in most older homes.
via inman.com
How Much House Can You Get for $725,000? | Mt Kisco Real Estate
Each week we take a look at how much house you can expect to get at a specific price point. This week, we’re looking at homes priced around $725,000.
San Jose, CA
434 S 15th St, San Jose CA
For sale: $724,950
Craftsman charm abounds in this 1910-built home in San Jose. The 2-bed, 1-bath home includes a home office and formal dining room with built-in storage.
Baltimore, MD
1108 Vineyard Hill Rd, Baltimore MD
For sale: $725,000
A $25,000 price chop puts this Baltimore home in our price bucket. The brick colonial has open floor plan highlights, including vaulted ceilings and a two-story foyer. Measuring 3,448 square feet, the home has 4 bedrooms and 3.5 baths.
Fairfield, CT
1502 Round Hill Rd, Fairfield CT
For sale: $725,000
Another colonial, this time in Connecticut, sits on a sprawling landscaped lot. Built in 1950, the Fairfield home makes exceptional use of 1,847 square feet with 3 bedrooms and 2.5 baths. The newer kitchen has granite countertops, stainless steel appliances and a new pantry.
Phoenix, AZ
3714 E Coolidge St, Phoenix AZ
For sale: $725,000
This 4-bed, 4-bath Phoenix home includes a bonus room that could fit a variety of needs, including nursery, home office or home gym. Sitting on a quarter-acre lot in a desirable neighborhood, the house also includes a lush backyard with patio.
Barrington, RI
93 Rumstick Rd, Barrington RI
For sale: $729,000
This renovated barn-like home in Barrington has spacious and sunny rooms laid out in a 3,081-square-foot floor plan. The 4-bed, 3-bath home is in a convenient location within walking distance to local shops and restaurants.
via zillow.com
Why 1700 CEOs Are Wrong about Social Media | Mount Kisco Real Estate
IBM asked CEOs all over the world what they believe is going to happen with social media for the next three to five years. What they had to say was revealing.
“For the first time in my career, I feel old. People in their 20s work and think about this social stuff in a different way,” a U.K. insurance industry CEO shared. “We’re using it as a way of connecting with friends and socializing; the kids coming up are using it as a way of life.”
But do most CEOs acknowledge what is happening with social?
Over half of the CEOs “expect social channels to be a primary way of engaging customers.”
That’s an important way to look at social. Marketers are constantly looking at outbound social efforts. But listening to what customers are saying about your brand on social channels is critical. Here the CEOs have it right. Your company better be listening to what customers are saying on social channels, because customers aren’t saying things anywhere else.
A U.S. CEO from the financial vertical said
“We’re approaching the stage when almost everyone will have to figure out how to use social to conduct business successfully.”
Interestingly, views on social media among the CEOs vary widely across industries. Here’s the percentage of CEOs in these verticals that expect social media to be a key channel for customer engagement.
Education 77%Telecommunications 73%Retail 72%Insurance 51%Electronics 52 %Industrial products 34%CEOs recognize social media’s real value as a source of insight and a means of collaboration.
“We use social media less as a marketing or distribution channel and more as a knowledge platform to obtain information about customers,” said an Insurance CEO from Switzerland.Along the lines of the B2B market, a U.K. CEO from the media and entertainment vertical pointed out,
“Our B2B customers are also consumers of social media; you cannot split the two.”
What that means is that whether you are using social media to promote and monitor your brand or not, your customers are. It’s not your choice. You can’t opt-out of social.
In the words of one Australian healthcare industry CEO, “Social media has grown faster than industry knowledge on how to use it.” And a life sciences industry CEO from Switzerland admitted, “We are all scared to death about social media within our industry. We want to start with it. But we’re all just looking at each other, and nothing material is happening.”
By far the most definitive, interesting statement contained in this study is that as a method of engaging with customers, CEOs predict
Social media will be bigger than websites, call centers, and channel partners, and become the number-two way to engage customers (the number one way is still sales reps).
Although these leaders have the right idea about social, the study has one major flaw. It didn’t ask what CEOs feel is the most effective method of driving revenue. Kind of an important thing don’t you think? Although you might believe social media is the greatest thing ever, and that social will be a major revenue driver in the next 3-5 years, the reality is that social media’s impact on actual revenue sucks compared to email marketing. When it comes to actually marketing to customers, email dwarfs social in terms of customer preference of communication channels*. My point? Social media is great, I use it myself. Just don’t get too cocky about it.
View the infographic
* ExactTarget Subscribers, Fans, and Followers. 2012.
