Tag Archives: Pound Ridge Luxury Homes

Mortgage debt relief extension closer to reality | Pound Ridge Real Estate

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The Senate Finance Committee has passed a two-year retroactive extension of a law that allowed homeowners to avoid being taxed on debt forgiven in a short sale or through a principal reduction, Realtor Magazine reported.

The extension still needs to be passed by the full Senate and by the House of Representatives. The federal Mortgage Forgiveness Debt Relief Act of 2007 expired on Dec. 31, 2013, despite strong bipartisan support.

In addition to mortgage debt relief, there are some promising signs that Congress may pass extensions of other popular housing-related tax benefits sometime this spring, including write-offs for energy-saving improvements and mortgage insurance premiums.

Source: realtormag.realtor.org

– See more at: http://www.inman.com/wire/mortgage-debt-relief-extension-closer-to-reality/?utm_source=20140404&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=dailyheadlinesam#sthash.rEHB52Ud.dpuf

This Is What A Totally Green, Sustainable NYC Could Look Like | Pound Ridge Homes

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New York City is many things, but sustainable it is not.

The people of New York City require some 4 million acres of food-producing land — roughly the size of the entire state of Connecticut — just to produce all the food they eat annually, according to Terreform Research Group, a sustainable architecture firm. That’s a problem, especially since the energy used to transport foods from around the globe to American dinner plate is a significant contributor to climate change.

Even food grown within North America travels more than 1,200 miles on average from where it was grown. Those so-called “food-miles” are why researchers at Terreform set out to determine what the biggest city in the U.S. would look like if it could produce all the food and energy needed to power itself.

And in a city with so little available space, it’s no surprise that figuring out how to pack all that food production within the city limits proved quite a challenge.

What they developed was the New York (Steady) State project, a self-described “thought-experiment” that envisions a wholly self-sufficient New York.  In this dream scenario, the city meets the needs of its citizens by repurposing structures into food-producing towers.

Their architectural renderings reflect a New York that produces all that food within the five boroughs using a “cradle-to-cradle” system with minimal pollution. (The team assumed that New York’s 8.5 million residents each require 2,500 calories per day.)

For now, the tremendously ambitious plan remains a pipe dream. But the design firm’s president, Michael Sorkin, said it provides the city with an “encyclopedic” roadmap to a more sustainable future.

 

 

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/03/24/sustainable-nyc_n_4886443.html?1395675104&ncid=tweetlnkushpmg00000067

Wings, Wind and Water Inspire a Bathroom | Pound Ridge Real Estate

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When Sara Baldwin’s family built a house outside of Eastville, Virginia, in a pine forest on the banks of the Chesapeake Bay, it only made sense that she would design the bathrooms. Baldwin is the owner of New Ravenna Mosaics, a leading designer and manufacturer of custom mosaic tile, and has access to all kinds of materials that can make a sublime bathroom.
To design her daughter’s bath, Baldwin found herself channeling memories of her childhood on the Eastern Shore of Virginia, where she grew up on her family’s farm. Her parents shared the land with her grandmother, Dorothy McCaleb, a woman who loved nature — especially birds. “We had swallows nesting in a birdhouse and under the eaves of our house,” Baldwin says. “In the evenings, as they zoomed around eating bugs, my grandmother and I would watch them.”

Fast-forward to the present day during the construction of Baldwin’s own house, and the designer found herself drawn to slabs of Azul Macaubas, a dramatic blue stone from Brazil. She purchased a number of slabs at a trade show and used some of them to line the back wall of her daughter’s bathroom, for reasons both practical and design-minded.
“I didn’t want the room to be too girly, and I wanted it to work for her as she grew up,” Baldwin says. “Plus, the lines of the stone reminded me of undulating wind currents in the sky.”
Functionality and aesthetics also drove her design of a one-legged mahogany vanity. “I love the way it looks,” she says. “But I also thought another leg close to the wall would be hard to clean around.”
With the sky-colored palette set and with memories of her grandmother in her head, it only made sense for Baldwin to use New Ravenna’s Flight stone mosaic in the surround encircling the tub and shower.
Bath hardware: .25 Collection, Waterworks
The tile pattern will look familiar to anyone who has watched swallows ride the wind like so many avian kites.
“Our tile is customizable, so you can pick the size, number and position of the birds,” says Baldwin. “I wanted them to look natural, like the snapshot of a flock I had in my head.”
Looking closer, you can see that the birds are also made of Azul Macaubas — which is fitting. “When you examine a bird’s feathers, there is sort of an iridescence and so many amazing blue undertones,” says Baldwin.
In a homage to the nearby waterfront, Baldwin chose tiles that have a striped effect that reminds her of boating. To coordinate with the strong blues in the room, she chose 3- by 6-inch tiles with cerulean tones and separated them with white strips of Thassos marble. Because of the dearth of soft surfaces in the room, she opted for a shower curtain over a glass door.

Homeowners are Refinancing with Ultra Cheap Rates | Pound Ridge Homes

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Homeowners are becoming increasingly savvy, and many are surprised to learn how much they’e able to save on their mortgage while refinancing with lending finder services. For example, the average reduction was a savings of about 33% last year. On a $200,000 loan, that translates to an average savings of $3,600 in their first year. And with the low rates, 39% of homeowners were actually able to shorten their loan terms as well.

Visiting any number of these services, such as LendingTree, has consistently surprised homeowners how low the rates have become. Historic lows are still prevalent, but economists believe rates are gradually moving up throughout the year. In mere moments, homeowners are finding out just how much they can save by refinancing. Most importantly, homeowners can compare rates from multiple lenders who they’re matched up with based on their specific needs and limitations.

 

http://www.dailymortgagemonitor.com/tbla/mortgage.html?esourceid=6134136&cchannel=display&csource=Taboola&cmethod=&cname=189161334725111812&ccontent=&cterm=LendingTree___display_campaign&mpch=ads

Get a Perfectly Built Home the First Time Around | Pound Ridge Homes

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There’s a myth going around to the effect that you’ll never get your house built just right.  There will always be something you forgot, something you’d do differently, something that’s just not quite right.  I’ve heard folks tell me time and again that that’s just the way it is.  There’s just no getting around the simple fact that the house you build just won’t be 100 percent right.
Well, I have to say that this is simply not true.  There are steps anyone can take that will ensure that a house will be perfect, with no regrets.  Here are some of them.

Know thyself.  Who are you?  What do you like?  What do you hate?  What is your ideal living arrangement?  What is your favorite season?
What do you enjoy doing?
These are some of the many questions you’ll have to answer to create the perfect home.  You see, we simply don’t live in a space bounded by four walls, a ceiling and a floor.  While we all share a lot of common traits, each of us is unique.  So yes, start with a room count and a square footage and a style, but then take that to the next level by tailoring the plan to you and yours.

It’s Time to Spring Clean Your Yard | Pound Ridge Real Estate

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Sure, you typically focus your spring cleaning on the inside of the house, but getting your yard ready for the new season should also be on your list. Here are several tips to streamline your outdoor spring cleaning.

1. Survey the damage, post-melt.
Once the last of the snow is gone, survey your lawn for any bare areas or dead spots of grass. Heavy traffic and pet messes can keep the grass from growing back. You can help by sprinkling some soil over the area and adding grass and fertilizer. Be sure to keep the dirt moist until the seeds sprout into grass.

2. Tidy up any debris.
As you scan your yard, remove any fallen branches and twigs. If your lawn is covered with leaves, there’s no way around pulling out the rake. Before collecting the leaves, be sure the ground is completely dry — raking over wet grass can tear it from the roots, leaving you with even more bare patches. Don’t send the leaves, branches, and twigs to the garbage, though. Use them to create a compost pile.

3. Clean up your lawn mower.
You may not be mowing the grass for a while, but when the time comes, you’ll want your lawn mower from HouseBait to be in good condition. If you didn’t remove the dirty oil or replace the spark plugs during the fall, now’s the time to swap out the used oil for new oil and replace old spark plugs. Also, lightly lubricate the wheel bearing, height adjuster, and any other moving parts, following the manual’s instructions. Make sure to have the lawn mower blades sharpened by a professional, so they’ll cut the grass evenly.

4. Prepare a plan for pruning.
Once your lawn is in order, pruning shrubbery,tree trimming, and plants should be next on your list. Here’s a simple guide to knowing when to prune your plants to create a healthy-looking garden.

Finding the Right Mortgage for You | Pound Ridge Real Estate

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Finding the right mortgage for your home can be a tricky proposition, but banks and other lenders are offering various options to meet your needs as the housing market rebounds.

Smaller down payments are still an option if you meet the requirements, depending on the lending institution.

While some Millennials are dealing with student loan debt and lack the cash to opt for a traditional 30-year mortgage requiring a 20% down payment, Federal Housing Administration (FHA) loans remain an option.

FHA loans were the dominant choice among many first time home buyers until recently. With a loan from the FHA, buyers have the option to finance 96.5% of a home’s price and put just 3.5% down.

Unlike conventional financing, 100% of the down payment could be a gift, so borrowers are able to secure a loan without putting any of their own money down, said Malcolm Hollensteiner, director of retail lending products and services at TD Bank, a financial institution based in a Cherry Hill, N.J. One advantage is that the underwriting criteria are more flexible than conventional mortgage loans.

While those factors are appealing to many borrowers, the FHA has increased its mortgage insurance costs which makes this type of loan more expensive for the buyer and has led to the number of first time buyers who obtained FHA loans to drop dramatically.

While many home buyers are still seeking the FHA loan, it is not as popular since the monthly mortgage insurance rates have risen, said Sin-Yi Lamberston, real estate and mortgage broker at ERA Yes! in Glendora, Calif. However, FHA loans allow consumers to borrow more with a lower credit score.

 

http://www.mainstreet.com/article/real-estate/finding-right-mortgage-you?puc=yahoo&cm_ven=YAHOO

Time for a Mortgage? How to Know You’re Ready for Home Ownership | Pound Ridge Real Estate

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As a Discover Home Loans mortgage professional, I’m regularly asked how to begin the process of buying a home.

As with most big decisions, you’ll need to weigh the benefits against the immediate and long-term time, energy and costs associated with owning a home. See how many of these statements apply to you and decide if buying a home is the right move for you.

1. Your rent is higher than a mortgage payment. The cost of renting, over time, can eclipse the cost of owning and maintaining a home. To help you decide if your finances would be better -suited to home ownership, check out the Rent vs. Buy Calculator from Discover Home Loans.

2. You’re staying put. Are you planning to stay in the same place for the next three to five years? If so, you might be better off buying a home. Keeping your house for several years helps to recoup the costs associated with a new home loan by building equity. The more equity you have in the house, the more you’ll benefit when you sell the home.

3. Your finances are set. Buying a home may seem intimidating, but with the right preparations it can be a seamless process and a smart financial choice. Determine how much you have saved for a down payment, as well as the amount you can afford to devote to a monthly mortgage payment. Lenders want to make sure buyers have the income to keep up with mortgage payments. Don’t forget a safety net to account for unexpected illness, change in employment or natural disaster—generally enough to cover three to six months of living expenses. There are many tools available online to help you determine how much house you can afford.

4. Your credit is under control. A good credit score helps you get the best deal on a home loan. Generally, the higher your credit score the lower your interest rate. Reviewing a copy of your credit report will give you insight into how your finances look to lenders.

 

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/time-mortgage-know-ready-home-144528638.html

U.S. housing recovery uneven across markets, study finds | Pound Ridge Real Estate

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The U.S. housing sector is likely to experience an uneven recovery over the next five years, with some local markets bouncing back faster than others, according to a study released on Wednesday.

By 2018, the median price of single-family homes will be close to the peak reached in 2006 before the national market cratered, according to the study from the Demand Institute, a nonprofit think tank operated by The Conference Board and Nielsen. But there will be winners and losers.

Among the 50 largest metropolitan areas where housing prices are expected to appreciate between 2012 and 2018, the top five will see rises on average of 32 percent, while the bottom five will average gains of only 11 percent.

The cities expected to report the largest increase in the median price of a previously owned single-family homes are Memphis, Tampa, Jacksonville, Milwaukee and St. Louis.

Those with the lowest projected price appreciation are Washington, D.C., Oklahoma City, Denver, Minneapolis and Phoenix.

“The strength of the local housing market is among the most telling metrics that helps us assess community health and well-being,” said Louise Keely, chief research officer at the Demand Institute and co-author of the report.

 

http://news.yahoo.com/u-housing-recovery-uneven-across-markets-study-finds-050129804–sector.html