Tag Archives: Pound Ridge Luxury Homes

Enjoy a Rustic Vacation in This Cave-Like Renovated Stable | Pound Ridge Real Estate

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Retreat-in-Tinos-Island-by-Ioannis-Exarchou_dezeen_784_11.jpgPhoto via Dezeen

At first glance, this modest, abandoned stable certainly doesn’t look like much of a holiday getaway spot, despite its location on the beautiful—and vacation home-packed— island of Tinos, Greece. Inside, though, Athens-based architect Ioannis Exarchou meticulously renovated the so-called Retreat to provide everything a couple on holiday might need, without any frivolous extras. “My main objective was to retain and preserve the cavernous unique feeling of the space,” says the architect. True enough, the building team focused on maintenance over changing the actual look of the stone dwelling, plastering only the interior walls, putting in new flooring, and patching up the dark (unwittingly trendy) exterior stonework.

Take a look inside. >>

The white plaster walls and concrete floor inside are hardly luxurious, but look undeniably cool and minimalistic. The lower level of the home is reserved for a sitting area and a small bedroom—with wooden cupboards, a sunken bed, and not much else in the way of furniture—while the upstairs offers a kitchen dotted with arched windows. Dezeen has the full gallery, this way.

 

 

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http://curbed.com/archives/2014/06/09/enjoy-a-rustic-vacation-in-this-cavelike-renovated-stable.php

 

Good News for Sellers: Listings Sell Faster Despite Weak Sales | Pound Ridge Real Estate

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Despite weak demand and an infusion of new listings over the past two months, listings are selling nearly as fast as a year ago and prices are still rising.

Realtor.com reported this week that in April the total U.S. for-sale inventory of single family homes, condos, townhomes and co-ops rose by 8.56% over March, from 1,841,844 units in March to 1,999,548 units in April. As a result, the median age of the inventory dropped by 15.69% over the month, although it remains 6.17% higher than it was a year ago. Yet the median list price rose significantly over the month, from $199,900 to $207,500 despite soft demand. On a year-over-year basis, the median list price and the size of the for-sale inventory were up by 6.46% and 14.21%, respectively.

NAR reported that, with little inventory relative to demand, in April properties sold faster for the fifth straight month. Listings typically sold in 48 days compared to 55 days in March, falling to nearly the same level as 43 days a year ago. NAR’s monthly survey of Realtors found that short sales were on the market for the longest, at 96 days (112 in March), and foreclosed properties were on market at 56 days (55 days in March). Non-distressed properties were on the market at 45 days (53 days in March). Conditions varied across areas. Approximately 41 percent of respondents reported that properties were on the market for less than a month when sold, and about 6 percent were on the market for more than six months

 

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http://www.realestateeconomywatch.com/2014/05/good-news-for-sellers-listings-sell-faster-despite-weak-sales/

Down Payments Squeeze First-time Buyers | Pound Ridge Real Estate

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It’s no secret that raising the cash for a down payment is the toughest hurdle first-time buyers face on the road to home ownership. For many, government programs like FHA, USDA Rural Development guaranteed loans, VA loans and down payment assistance programs sponsored by state and local housing authorities have made all the difference.

Yet requirements by lenders in the wake of the QM Rule and overall tighter loan-to-value ratio standards are taking their toll. Average down payments are rising again, making it tougher for millennials who may face student loans and other financial hurdles.

Fewer first time home buyers are putting low down payments, according to the latest Realtor Confidence survey. About 60 percent of first time home buyers put down 6 percent or less compared to about 74 percent in 2009. Realtors reported that buyers who pay cash or put down large down payments generally win against those offering lower down payments.. For buyers with sufficient financial resources, a higher downpayment also means saving on mortgage insurance premium payments.

Down payments have already increased when last year, when the media for first-time buyers was 5 percent for first-time buyers and 14 percent for repeat buyers, according to NAR’s Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers.

Last year first-time buyers used a variety of resources for the loan downpayment: 78 percent tapped into savings; 27 percent received a gift from a friend or relative, usually from their parents; and 7 percent received a loan from a relative or friend. Nine percent sold stocks or bonds and 8 percent tapped into a 401(k) fund. Among entry-level buyers who said that saving for a downpayment was difficult, 54 percent said student loan expenses delayed savings.

 

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http://www.realestateeconomywatch.com/2014/05/down-payments-squeeze-first-time-buyers/

Dracula’s castle is now for sale in Romania | Pound Ridge Real Estate

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A view of Bran Castle, Romania. (Daniel Williams/The Washington Post)

The Transylvanian castle erroneously reputed to be the abode of that terrifying abomination Dracula is now technically “for sale.” Bran Castle, an atmospheric pile perched atop a crag, is set to be sold off by its Habsburg owners. The Romanian government has reportedly lodged an $80 million bid.

The fortress dates to the 13th century and has been occupied by various bands of warriors and knights over the years. Images of Bran Castle supposedly reached Bram Stoker, the 19th-century Irish author of “Dracula,” who drew inspiration for his famous work from travelogues and sketches by British diplomats and adventurers in what was then Wallachia (modern-day Romania). He envisioned the scene surrounding the vampire’s lair like so:

The castle is on the very edge of a terrific precipice. A stone falling from the window would fall a thousand feet without touching anything! As far as the eye can reach is a sea of green tree tops, with occasionally a deep rift where there is a chasm. Here and there are silver threads where the rivers wind in deep gorges through the forests.

Bran Castle fits the bill and has since become a popular tourist destination for those seeking their Dracula thrills. The structure was in the possession of the Romanian Habsburg royal line, but it was appropriated by the state with the advent of Communism. After the fall of the Iron Curtain, the Habsburgs’ descendants were ceded back the fortress and set about restoring it — making it the desired attraction it now is.

 

 

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http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2014/05/14/draculas-castle-is-now-for-sale-in-romania/?tid=up_next

China’s housing bubble is collapsing, and here’s what it looks like | Pound Ridge Homes

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So what?

Well, for China, there’s a lot to worry about. China’s middle-class consumers have huge chunks of their personal wealth wrapped up in the housing market. So, a disastrous bust would severely impact consumer confidence and undermine China’s effort to rebalance its economy toward domestic demand.

 

A housing bust would also have deleterious effects on the Chinese financial system, raising the risk of either a Lehman-like crisis or a Japan-style zombification of the economy (perhaps both). Either would be a big blow to Chinese growth, which already seems to be slowing fast. The OECD just cut its growth forecast for China, citing concerns about the financial system, and president Xi Jinping told his compatriots a couple of days ago to get ready for a “new normal” of slower growth. And as these charts suggest, those concerns are quite well placed.

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http://qz.com/208532/chinas-housing-bubble-is-collapsing-and-heres-what-it-looks-like/#208532/chinas-housing-bubble-is-collapsing-and-heres-what-it-looks-like/

Building and retaining a successful real estate team: Identify strengths, procedures and your ‘big why’ | Pound Ridge Real Estate

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You’ve decided to start a real estate team, determined your compensation models and hired a really terrific person. The next issue you will face will be how to integrate that person into your new or existing team and how to retain him. When agents start a team, most become frustrated when the team does not perform well right from the beginning.

A critical point to keep in mind is that building a high-performance team requires time, patience and the team leader’s attention. Psychologist Bruce Tuckman created an excellent model that describes the four steps required in creating and maintaining a successful team.

The four steps are, “forming, storming, norming and performing.”Whether you are starting your team from scratch or adding new members to an existing team, a critical point to keep in mind is that you must go through the process below every single time the team changes.

1. Forming When you add a new team member, everyone is excited and hopeful about the future. They may also be apprehensive, especially if the person is joining an existing team. The forming stage is about realigning tasks and job descriptions to fit the strengths and the weaknesses of your current team members.

This is the reason that it is so important to use a behavioral assessment such as the DISC, as well as Tom Rath’s StrengthsFinder. Each of these tools allows everyone on the team to see what each team member does well and what needs to be handled by other team members. It also helps the team leader to identify the skills needed for the next hire.

 

– See more at: http://www.inman.com/2014/04/28/building-and-retaining-a-successful-real-estate-team-identify-strengths-procedures-and-your-big-why/?utm_source=20140428&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=dailyheadlinesam#sthash.ssbrtzd7.dpuf

Spring clean your way to being fit | Pound Ridge Real Estate

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Skip the gym and bust out the broom: These household activities torch up to 200 calories in just 30 minutes—nearly double the amount you’d burn pumping iron in the gym. Keep the routine up on a weekly basis and you’re bound to banish both extra clutter and inches. Read on to find out which projects will put a dent in your to-do list and prep your body for spring’s skin-baring clothing.

 

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http://healthyliving.msn.com/fitness/spring-clean-your-way-to-fit

Fixed Mortgage Rates at Six Week Low | Pound Ridge Real Estate

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Freddie Mac (OTCQB: FMCC) today released the results of its Primary Mortgage Market Survey® (PMMS®), showing average fixed mortgage rates easing further for the second consecutive week helping to increase home buyer affordability at the onset of the spring home buying season.

News Facts

  • 30-year fixed-rate mortgage (FRM) averaged 4.27 percent with an average 0.7 point for the week ending April 17, 2014, down from last week when it averaged 4.34 percent. A year ago at this time, the 30-year FRM averaged 3.41 percent.
  • 15-year FRM this week averaged 3.33 percent with an average 0.6 point, down from last week when it averaged 3.38 percent. A year ago at this time, the 15-year FRM averaged 2.64 percent.
  • 5-year Treasury-indexed hybrid adjustable-rate mortgage (ARM) averaged 3.03 percent this week with an average 0.5 point, down from last week when it averaged 3.09 percent. A year ago, the 5-year ARM averaged 2.60 percent.
  • 1-year Treasury-indexed ARM averaged 2.44 percent this week with an average 0.5 point, up from last week when it averaged 2.41 percent. At this time last year, the 1-year ARM averaged 2.63 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 continued to ease this week as housing starts rose 2.8 percent in March but not as much as expected. Also, permits fell 2.4 percent in March to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 990,000, which followed a slight downward revision of 4,000 permits in February.”

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. Additional information is available at FreddieMac.com, Twitter @FreddieMac and Freddie Mac’s blog FreddieMac.com/blog.

Captain Courageous Style in Massachusetts | Pound Ridge Real Estate

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Karen Swanson’s historic Manchester, Massachusetts, home was built in 1850 by a prosperous local sea captain named John Carter, and although most of the house has the architectural detail of that period, the kitchen was a relic of the 1950s (or thereabouts). Swanson, owner of New England Design Works and an award-winning kitchen designer whose personal tastes are more modern, made a kitchen that straddles the line between traditional and contemporary, with a small nod to the home’s original owner.
Kitchen at a Glance Location: Manchester, Massachusetts Size: 280 square feet (26 square meters) Photography by Evan White

The old kitchen had fixtures and finishes that had given up the ghost. The room stood in front of a large utility room.
AFTER: Swanson took over the utility room, gaining workspace and allowing more natural light to enter the kitchen through two exterior windows. A no-longer-working brick chimney lies behind the oil painting. The bricks could not be removed, so Swanson stuccoed over them and tucked a small laundry room behind the old structure.

Mortgage apps drop for 4th consecutive week | Pound Ridge NY Homes

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Mortgage applications dropped 1.6% from one week earlier, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association’s survey of mortgages for the week ending April 4, 2014.

The MBA’s measure of mortgage loan application volume fell 1.6% on a seasonally adjusted basis from one week earlier, the fourth decline in four weeks after a spike of almost 10% at the start of March.

The refinance index decreased 5% from the previous week and is at its lowest level since the end of 2013.

The seasonally adjusted purchase index increased 3% from one week earlier.\

“Despite a drop in overall applications from the week before, purchase activity is still climbing as rates remain low and spring selling season is starting to ramp up. With home values back at healthy levels, look for inventory to increase in the coming weeks, which will continue to drive this trend of rising purchase activity,” said Quicken Loans vice president Bill Banfield.

The refinance share of mortgage activity decreased to 51% of total applications from 53% the previous week and is at its lowest level since July 2009.

The adjustable-rate mortgage share of activity remained unchanged at 8% of total applications.

 

 

http://www.housingwire.com/articles/29608-mortgage-apps-drop-for-4th-consecutive-week