Tag Archives: North Salem Homes for Sale

North Salem Homes for Sale

PoMo ’90s Time Capsule Wants $5.5M in South Florida | North Salem Real Estate

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32 images


Click here to view the full photogallery.

Location: Tequesta, Fla.
Price: $5,499,900
The Skinny: The early 90s are very much alive and well in this South Florida waterfront estate: from the all-white PoMo exterior to the smoothest of smooth jazz that provides the soundtrack to the listing site’s photo slideshow, this mansion is the architectural equivalent of high-waisted acid wash jeans with an electric blue skypager clipped to the belt. Enter through the custom woodwork double front doors and you’ll experience (per the brokerbabble) “warm, Florida modern allure draped in sophistication and delights, while conveying an unmistakable sense of strength, volume, and boldness”, which sounds more like the copy for a shampoo ad than a listing description, but does manage to communicate the fact that the place is huge. The expansive open plan ground floor is a case in point, with features that include three crystal chandeliers (natch), a sky-bridge, marble floors, and walls of floor-to-ceiling windows with pretty spectacular views of the Intracoastal Waterway. Sadly, the home’s special brand of conspicuous gigantism is not to everyone’s taste, as it’s been on and off the market since 2009, and has recently suffered a PriceChop of $400K. It’s now asking $5.499M, which you’ll be happy to know includes a “pool deck adroned [sic] with a massive custom bronze sailfish”.

 

 

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http://curbed.com/archives/2014/05/29/pomo-90s-time-capsule-wants-55m-in-south-florida.php

What you need to apply for a mortgage | North Salem Real Estate

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When it comes time to apply for a mortgage in 2014, you might be surprised at how much documentation you’ll need.

J.D. Crowe, president of Southeast Mortgage in Lawrenceville, Ga., says most of the documentation should be familiar to you if you have applied for a mortgage loan in the last five years. If you’re new to the mortgage market this year, he says, this is all new.

The new qualified-mortgage rules that took effect on Jan. 10 make this paperwork even more important. To meet the rules, lenders will be even more diligent in collecting the paperwork that proves that you can afford your monthly mortgage payments. David Reiss, professor of law at Brooklyn Law School in Brooklyn, N.Y., says that while the documentation requirements under the rules might come as a shock to those who haven’t applied for a mortgage since 2008, they are common-sense requirements, for the most part.

“These are really common-sense rules,” Reiss says. “The new rules say that mortgage lenders are no longer allowed to throw out the common-sense standards of lending money during boom times, when they might be tempted to overlook long-term financial goals for quick profits. If the rules help that happen, they’ll be a good thing.”

 

 

 

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http://realestate.msn.com/what-you-need-to-apply-for-a-mortgage

Is the smart money exiting the housing market? | North Salem NY Homes

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The number of all-cash residential property buyers in the U.S. was on the rise in the first quarter, while institutional investors increasingly bowed out of the market.

All-cash buys constituted 42.7 percent of all residential property sales in the first quarter of 2014 — up 37.8 percent from the previous quarter and a 19.1 percent jump year-over-year, according to RealtyTrac’s first-quarter institutional investor and cash sales report, cited by Zero Hedge.

Institutional investors, meanwhile, are trickling out of the market. Traditional all-cash buyers like Blackstone accounted for only 5.6 percent of U.S. residential sales in the first three months of the year, down from 6.8 percent the previous quarter and 7 percent in the same period a year ago. This marks the lowest level of investment for institutional investors since the first quarter of 2012, according got the report.

“Strict lending standards combined with low inventory continue to give the advantage to investors and other cash buyers in this housing market,” Daren Blomquist, vice president at RealtyTrac, told Zero Hedge. “The good news is that as institutional investors pull back their purchasing in many markets across the country, there is still strong demand from other cash buyers — including individual investors, second-home buyers and even owner-occupant buyers — to fill the vacuum of demand left by institutional investors.”

According to some industry watchers, the trend is evidence that “smart money” is exiting the market, leaving property flippers to pick up the scraps and deep-pocketed foreign buyers to snatch up properties as second, third or fourth homes.

 

 

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http://therealdeal.com/blog/2014/05/08/is-smart-money-exiting-the-housing-market/

The 10 greenest places to live | North Salem Real Estate

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Regardless of what side of the fence you are on for celebrating Earth Day (although the grass is greener on the other side), there are select cities across the country that take the extra initiative to ensure we are taking care of the planet.

NerdWallet took a closer look at the cities with the highest level of green living, measuring environmental quality and green transportation.

Environmental quality factors in the median air quality for each city, with the lower the AQI, the better. Additionally, it looked at the number of parks per 10,000 residents.

Green transportation calculates the percentage of the population that walks, bikes, carpools, takes public transportation or works from home from each city. It also assessed the excess fuel consumed per commuter, which is wasted due to congested conditions in the city.

Of the 95 largest cities in the U.S. considered in the analysis, here are the top 10 greenest cities.

10. Minneapolis, Minn.

Minneapolis is home to 92 miles of on-street bikeways and 85 miles of off-street paths, making it one of the best biking cities in the nation. The city is also home to several green groups, including Minnesota Renewable Energy Society, a nonprofit organization that has promoted the use of renewable energy since 1978.

Overall the city posted a final score of 52.62, with a median air quality of 45, 4.7 parks per 10,000 residents and 12 gallons of excess fuel consumed per commuter.

9. New Orleans, La.

New Orleans has taken new action to rebuild a green environment since Hurricane Katrina passed. The city now offers 200 parks sprawling over 2,000 acres. Overall the city posted a final score of 52.66, with a median air quality of 45, 6.7 parks per 10,000 residents and 13 gallons of excess fuel consumed per commuter.

8. St. Paul, Minn.

Now to the other half of the Twin Cities, St. Paul hosts more than 20 buildings that are certified by Leadership in Energy and Environment Design, which identifies the world’s greenest and most energy-efficient buildings. Plus, the city is overflowing with more than 170 parks and open spaces and 100 miles of trails. As a result, the city posted a final score of 52.92. a median air quality of 45, 6.5 parks per 10,000 residents and 12 gallons of excess fuel consumed per commuter.

 

 

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http://www.housingwire.com/articles/29752-the-10-greenest-places-to-live

Break the Mold With a Brutalist ‘Tree House’ on the Chesapeake | North Salem Real Estate

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Up for $1.29M on Maryland’s Gibson Island is this atypical Chesapeake cottage, a 2,826-square-foot fortress designed by blocky brutalism extraordinaire, Ulrich Franzen. Known as the Glass Tree House, the 1962 three-bedroom was built for an executive at Bethlehem Steel, which may explain the liberal use of steel beams and trim. Curbed DC points out the house perches at the highest point of the island (“and as such, the trees”), and the brokerbabble is quick to tout the home’s “manicured sloping gardens [that] provide dramatic views from within.” Have a look inside, below.

 

 

 

http://curbed.com/archives/2014/04/18/break-the-mold-with-a-brutalist-tree-house-on-the-chesapeake.php

The 15 Most Common WordPress Mistakes to Avoid | North Salem Realtor

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A very old and famous saying, “to err is human and to forgive is divine“, is absolutely true. We all  make mistakes, because none of us is perfect. Whether it’s real life or  WordPress, mistakes happen everywhere. To commit a mistake is not a crime,  however, not learning from it and not trying to repeat it again definitely is.  Everyone learn from their mistakes, but it’s much better to learn from the  others’ mistakes.

In the case of WordPress, the primary focus of a novice is to set everything  up and get things running as soon as possible. In this hurry, there are quite a  few things that are ignored which may lead to numerous security vulnerabilities  and affect your blog/site in the long run. In this article, we’ve outlined 15 of  the most common WordPress mistakes that almost every one of us makes in the  beginning.

Hopefully, everyone will use this guide to avoid the same blunders and make  their WordPress site better, faster and more secure and of course a success.

#1. Choosing the wrong platform

Free WordPress.com or self hosted WordPress.org? Most of the WordPress  beginners often get confused between these two, and it’s one of the most common  mistakes, which is seen among beginners. While you’re going to start out as a  beginner, it’s extremely crucial to know what’s the difference between them and  which one can be the right choice for your new WordPress blog.

As both of them have their own pros and cons, it’s a big challenge for you to  decide which option is perfect for you. WordPress.com (run by the folks at Automattic) is most suitable  for bloggers, photographers, and artists – almost everyone. On the other hand,  WordPress.org is made for those who like to have total control over their  websites. Whatever option you choose, be careful.

#2. Forgetting to change the default admin username

When you install WordPress, it automatically creates the username “admin” with administrator privileges. It’s the username that is  obviously predictable to hackers. Using the “admin” username, they can  easily perform a brute force attack to crack your login and take control over  your site.

As WordPress gives you the option to change the username during installation,  it doesn’t make sense to stick with the default one. Therefore, while installing  WordPress, make sure to change your default WordPress admin username to a  different username. Also, use a combination of numbers, letters and special  characters in your username and password.

#3. Using an inappropriate or defective theme

Choosing the perfect theme is a crucial thing that decides the future  your WordPress blog. You wouldn’t believe that the structure of your design  plays a vital role in search engine rankling. There are three things you should  keep in mind while picking a theme – the ease of use for you, a reasonable  price, and a reputed company.

If you’re looking for a free WordPress theme, then there is no better option  than WordPress Themes  Directory. But if you’re interested in purchasing a commercial theme, we  recommend you to give a try to any one of these trusted theme providers: Elegant Themes, StudioPress, Headway Themes, Themify,  or ithemes.

 

 

 

Read more at http://www.jeffbullas.com/2014/04/14/the-15-most-common-wordpress-mistakes-to-avoid/#H1OBorvdkX7JVA8o.99

New Mortgages Fall to 14 Year Low | North Salem NY Real Estate

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In yet another sign the recovery is hitting a wall due to strict lending standards: in February monthly mortgage originations dropped to the lowest level in at least 14 years as credit standards have not shown signs of loosening, according to latest Mortgage Monitor Report from Black Knight Financial Services.

“February’s data showed the continued trend of declining origination activity we’ve been observing since mid-2013, with monthly originations falling to their lowest recorded point since at least 2000,” said Herb Blecher, senior vice president of Black Knight’s Data and Analytics division.

“In spite of this decline, residential real estate sales have remained strong due at least in part to investor activity and the fact that cash sales account for almost half of all transactions. In addition, while total transaction levels were flat on a year-over-year basis, traditional (or “non-distressed”) sales were up almost 15 percent from last year as the share of distressed transactions continues to decrease.  Credit standards have shown little sign of easing — only about 30 percent of 2013 loans went to borrowers with credit scores below 720 — which indicates that significant opportunity to expand mortgage origination activity is available, if risk appetites allow.

 

http://www.realestateeconomywatch.com/2014/04/new-mortgages-fall-to-14-year-low/

Smoky Odor From New Jersey Forest Fire Settles Over New York City | North Salem Real Estate

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The smell of smoke wafted over New York City early Monday after a brush fire broke out in a state forest in central New Jersey, authorities say.

The city’s Office of Emergency Management tweeted that people in Staten Island and Brooklyn might smell smoke from a forest fire burning along 30 acres of land in Wharton State Forest, a large preserve northwest of Atlantic City. The forest is about 90 miles south of midtown Manhattan.

People who live on the Lower East Side and elsewhere in Manhattan also reported smelling the smoke. Chopper 4 captured video of the haze shrouding the city as the sun came up, and the state Department of Environmental Conservation issued an air quality advisory for the five boroughs until 11 p.m.

Storm Team 4 meteorologists say that winds most likely carried the smoke to the area Sunday evening. Winds died down overnight, settling the odor over the city. It became trapped under what meteorologists call an “inversion” in the atmosphere. The air above is warmer than the air at ground level, which means the air doesn’t rise and the smoke doesn’t escape into the atmosphere. That’s why it’s hovering near the ground.

 

 

http://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/Smoke-Smell-Staten-Island-Brooklyn-New-York-Queens-Forest-Fire-Wharton-254141121.html

BofA: Fed seems OK with declining home sales | North Salem Real Estate

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Bank of America Merrill Lynch (BAC) analysts released a note to clients highlighting the response of home sales to continued tapering from the Federal Reserve.

As Federal Reserve chair Janet Yellen indicated last week, the government is keen to continue its support of the economy via purchases of Treasurys and mortgage-backed securities. However, the amount of which it invests in is being gradually decreased.

The BofA analysts said, that by “affirming the QE taper and seemingly doubling down on tightening by adding the “six months” comment, the Fed seems to be saying that it is OK with the 15% decline in pending home sales and may well even be comfortable with further declines.”

“This comes as a surprise to us and forces us to reconsider our investment views for securitized products,” write analysts Justin Borst and Chris Flanagan in their Securitization Weekly report.

New home sales of single-family houses in February dropped 3.3% to 440,000, reaching a 5-month low, according to the latest report from the U.S. Census Bureau and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

 

 

http://www.housingwire.com/articles/29493-bofa-fed-seems-ok-with-declining-home-sales