Tag Archives: Pound Ridge Realtor

Pound Ridge Realtor

Irish House Prices Rise for Eighth Month | Pound Ridge NY Real Estate

Irish home prices rose for the eighth successive month in November, led by increases in Dublin, according to official data released Monday, providing evidence that the country’s six-year housing slump is easing in the capital at least.

The government sees the rising prices as one more sign the country is recovering from the devastating economic crisis that erupted with the bursting of its housing bubble. The government exited its 2010 bailout this month and now relies on bond markets for funding.

Nationwide, residential prices rose 0.6% in November and were 5.6% higher than a year earlier, the Central Statistics Office said. In Dublin, residential prices increased by 1.3% in November and were 13.8% higher than a year ago.

Outside the capital, prices were flat on the month and 0.6% lower than in November 2012.

On average, home prices are 46.5% lower than at their 2007 peak, and prices won’t match those of the boom years any time soon. At best, property price gains will help damaged banks cut some of their huge losses.

The European Union plans to carry out scenario-specific bank audits next year, known as stress tests, to determine whether lenders in countries including Ireland have enough funds.

 

 

 

http://online.wsj.com/article/BT-CO-20131223-702373.html

Old-world German architecture and a modern-day film spur a Hill Country farmhouse’s warm style | Pound Ridge Homes

It’s no surprise these homeowners have comfortably nestled into their guesthouse, as one major inspiration for the home was the cozy English cottage Kate Winslet’s character owned in The Holiday. Their plan was to build the guesthouse in the Texas Hill Country, retire, move down from Lubbock, then complete construction on the main house. Surrounded by over 20 acres full of oaks and wildlife, they enjoyed the guesthouse so much that they put off the construction for a few years, and they secretly fear they won’t love the main house as much. As we take a tour through this charming home, you’ll understand why.
Houzz at a Glance Who lives here: A retired couple Location: Fredericksburg, Texas Size: About 1,000 square feet; 1 bedroom, 1 bathroom

Austin Pitner, owner of Bonterra Building & Design, worked with the homeowners’ large inspiration file full of homes (most over a hundred years old) and with a floor plan and elevations from architect David Rowland. Bonterra completed all of the construction and designed all of the interior details and finishes, such as the timber frame beams, custom fireplace, doors and cabinetry.
The home has a regional feel, which is German influenced and rural (Fredericksburg was originally settled by German immigrants). The standing-seam metal roof is preweathered Galvalume. The stone is chopped white limestone, indigenous to the area.
The porch floor is part of the concrete foundation; the beams are western red cedar.
“No one is around for miles, so this outdoor shower is completely private and great for hot Texas days,” Pitner says. The stones around the house are crushed local granite.
The retaining wall is made of stones found onsite while digging holes for the septic tanks. “When you dig around here, you never know what you’re going to find,” Pitner says. They hit upon these perfect layers of rock.
“When they came out of the ground, they were dark gray and ugly; we stacked them and wondered what to do with them,” he says. During the time they mulled it over, several rainstorms hit, and the rock lightened to a beautiful color. They decided to use it for the wall. “You couldn’t shop for anything better than these stones,” he says.
The front door is mahogany planks with metal straps. The metal details, wood beams and lanterns lend an old-world European farm feel.
“We wanted the interiors to be rough but clean,” Pitner says. He used timber-frame construction throughout. The beams are hewn Douglas fir, hand notched for corner support. They avoided using molding to create the feeling of a monolithic, old blocked house. While the stones and beams lend the look of an old European farmhouse, the stained concrete floors, lack of moldings and simple floating kitchen shelves mix in contemporary touches.
Pitner advises hiring a professional to stain concrete floors; he was very impressed with the way the pros were able to match the floors to tones in the beams.
The kitchen has an indigenous feel, like it rose naturally right out of the land. The countertops are limestone, and the cabinets are alder.
One of the homeowners enjoys feeding the foxes and their babies who come to visit through the Dutch door.
Shaws Farmhouse Sink: Rohl

Maintain market relevance by writing ‘timeless,’ hyperlocal posts | Pound Ridge NY Realtor

We all know that having posts that are timeless is important. You know the ones that people will find year after year and are still relevant, regardless of the topic.

You do know that, right? Well, now you do, if you didn’t already.

There are a number of reasons for doing timeless posts. Here are a few:

  1. They are relevant and informative for years if written appropriately.
  2. They continue to get views over the years and potentially drive more traffic to your website.
  3. They show you are a knowledgeable real estate professional in the area and on that topic.
  4. You can use them in lots of ways.

Timeless posts can be about a variety of topics: the larger community (Carlsbad); neighborhoods (La Costa); subdivisions or master-planned communities (Bressi Ranch); condo communities (Sanderling); and community amenities including parks, tourist attractions and recreation, and to some extent shopping and dining. Those places do go out of business on occasion, so they may not truly be timeless.

Community and similar localism posts tend to get a lot of traffic. I have a bunch with more than 15,000 clicks since they were first written

– See more at: http://www.inman.com/next/maintain-market-relevance-by-writing-timeless-hyperlocal-posts/?utm_source=20131213&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=dailyheadlinesam#sthash.BdrHAetU.dpuf

This North Andover home has style and elegance | Pound Ridge Real Estate

We’ve seen a lot of huge regal houses in town. But who says you need land to have luxury?

Check out this luxury condominium located at 2705 Tupelo Circle, the most expensive condo on the market in North Andover today, listed at

It’s not your typical condo — with three bedrooms and more than 3,000 square feet of living space, it’s larger than many single-family homes on the market today.

The unit has shiny hardwood floors and new carpeting; a large gourmet kitchen with high-end upgrades; a fireplace in the living room and another in the master bedroom; a two-stall garage; and a master bathroom with French doors and a big jacuzzi bath.

The condominium complex, Oakridge Village, has a community swimming pool, a community fitness center, laundry room and a park.

 

 

 

 

http://northandover.patch.com/groups/real-estate/p/high-end-most-expensive-condo-on-the-market

 

 

 

 

Considering or Dreaming About Buying a Home? How to Pick the Best Mortgage Rate for You | Pound Ridge Homes

Even though the 15-year fixed-rate mortgage was just 2.5 percent last year, the lowest in recorded history, and three-quarters of a percentage point below the 30-year fixed-rate loan, more than 85 percent of the home loan market was dominated by 30-year fixed-rate mortgages.

The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage has been popular particularly in recent times after the housing bubble and crash, said Lawrence Yun, chief economist with the National Association of Realtors.

Yun said consumers want certainty, and by getting a 30-year fixed rate mortgage while they are in their homes is protection against the uncertainty of other economic factors.

As for the second reason, stability, a fixed interest rate over 30 years also means a monthly principal and interest payment that is predictable to homeowners.

“Moreover, by avoiding payment shock and negative amortization, fixed-rate borrowers are less likely to fall behind on their payments, – a plus for investors too,” Nothaft writes.

Why not a longer period than 30 years?

Yun says institutions and homeowners rely on the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage for both tradition and history.

Also, “People view more than 30 years as lifetime of payments,” Yun said. “Thirty years offers a term limit to say,  ‘At a certain point in my life, I will not have to pay a mortgage.’ I think that assurance is comforting.”

Yun adds that given the mortgage’s standardization and popularity, it makes it easy for Wall Street, or Fannie and Freddie to guarantee those mortgages.

Nothaft said 30-year fixed-rate loan is flexible because it is generally prepayable at any time without penalty.

If homebuyers choose to pay off the loan before maturity, in the case of refinancing or selling the home, for example, they can do so without paying an early prepayment fee, Nothaft said.

http://abcnews.go.com/Business/

Homes Appreciate Over 6 Percent for First Time in 7 Years | Pound Ridge Real Estate

July national home value appreciation rose again in July, up 0.4 percent from June to $161,600, reaching  6 percent year-over-year,  the first time year-over-year appreciation rates have reached 6 percent since 2006.

Monthly home values have risen in 20 of the past 21 months, beginning in November 2011 after the U.S. market bottomed in October of that year. The 6 percent national rate of annual appreciation is the highest since August 2006, according to Zillow.

Of the 393 metros covered in July, 289 (73.5 percent) registered month-over-month appreciation, and 303 (77.1 percent) showed annual appreciation. All 30 of the largest metro areas covered by Zillow registered both monthly and annual appreciation in July, and all have hit their bottom and are expected to show appreciation in the next 12 months. Metros with the largest annual gains in July included Sacramento (33.1 percent), Las Vegas (30.8 percent) and San Francisco (27.8 percent).

For the 12-month period from July 2013 to July 2014, U.S. home values are expected to rise another 4.8 percent to approximately $169,308, according to the Zillow Home Value Forecast. Large metro areas expected to show the most appreciation over the next year include Sacramento (19.6 percent), Riverside (19.2 percent) and San Francisco (13.2 percent).

“After three straight months of annual home value appreciation above 5 percent, the U.S. housing market recovery has proven it is on very sound footing. We have entered a new phase in the recovery when we can begin to turn away from ugly recent history and turn toward what the housing market of the future will look like and how it will act. The time to have these discussions is now, and recent efforts by President Obama and both parties in the House and Senate to begin addressing still-lingering structural issues related to housing finance are very encouraging,” said Zillow Chief Economist Dr. Stan Humphries.

“It may be tempting to look at how the market is currently performing and think that tackling GSE reform and other large issues is no longer necessary. But while we can afford to turn away from the recent past, we cannot afford to forget it, and simply ignoring these problems only dooms us to repeat them. How we handle these all-important policy debates will be critical in keeping the housing market on sound footing for years to come,” he said.

National rents also rose in July compared with June, up 0.5 percent to a Zillow Rent Index[iv] of $1,287. Year-over-year, national rents were up 1.7 percent in July.

The number of completed foreclosures in July fell to 4.9 homes foreclosed out of every 10,000 homes nationwide, down from 5.2 homes in June. Foreclosure resales represented 8.7 percent of homes sold in the U.S. in July, down 0.7 percentage points from June and 3.4 percentage points from July 2012.

Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI)

Zillow Rent Index (ZRI)

Metropolitan AreasJuly 2013 ZHVIMonth-Month % ChangeYear-Year % ChangeJuly 2013 ZRIMonth-Month % ChangeYear-Year % Change
United States$161,6000.4%6.0%$1,2870.5%1.7%
New York, NY$349,7000.5%2.2%

Los Angeles, CA$475,6002.0%21.5%$2,3080.3%1.2%
Chicago, IL$167,4001.5%2.9%$1,5350.5%0.7%
Dallas-Fort Worth, TX$136,7001.1%7.1%$1,3450.2%3.0%
Philadelphia, PA$190,3000.5%1.8%$1,5000.4%0.4%
Washington, DC$339,4001.1%8.2%$2,0820.2%1.3%
Miami-Fort Lauderdale,   FL$167,8001.8%13.5%$1,6480.8%3.5%
Atlanta, GA$123,9002.2%10.1%$1,1330.1%0.6%
Boston, MA$338,0001.4%8.4%$1,9970.3%4.0%
San Francisco, CA$628,2002.6%27.8%$2,5490.0%2.7%
Detroit, MI$91,6001.6%16.5%$1,0361.8%1.1%
Riverside, CA$234,3003.5%27.3%$1,5840.3%2.6%
Phoenix, AZ$179,4002.5%22.2%$1,147-0.3%0.0%
Seattle, WA$302,6002.3%15.3%$1,6600.3%3.2%
Minneapolis-St Paul,   MN$191,8001.2%12.5%$1,4580.1%1.4%
San Diego, CA$428,9002.1%23.1%$2,1430.3%3.0%
St. Louis, MO$128,9000.2%1.4%$1,0800.7%-1.7%
Tampa, FL$125,0002.4%12.8%$1,2050.3%2.8%
Baltimore, MD$230,3001.2%5.7%$1,6770.3%0.3%
Denver, CO$245,1001.6%13.4%$1,5640.4%5.0%
Pittsburgh, PA$113,4000.8%2.8%$992-2.1%-5.2%
Portland, OR$253,7001.8%14.9%$1,4270.3%3.6%
Sacramento, CA$274,6002.9%33.1%$1,4620.4%-0.3%
Orlando, FL$139,7001.6%15.1%$1,2420.2%3.5%
Cincinnati, OH$126,8000.9%2.3%$1,1320.2%10.4%
Cleveland, OH$116,1001.0%4.6%$1,1070.2%2.9%
Las Vegas, NV$151,6002.5%30.8%$1,1550.2%0.3%
San Jose, CA$735,7002.2%25.1%$2,6690.6%3.5%
Columbus, OH$132,2000.9%5.6%$1,1820.4%2.1%
Charlotte, NC$138,0000.8%2.8%$1,146-0.1%1.0

Wall Street rallies as home prices jump | Pound Ridge Real Estate

Stock markets soared after data showed consumer confidence climbed to the highest level since 2008 and home values jumped the most in seven years, Bloomberg writes.

Nine out out 10 S&P 500 groups advanced, paced by a 1.4% rally among financial shares.

The S&P rallied 1% to 1,665.68, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 156.59 points, or 1%.

 

Wall Street rallies as home prices jump | HousingWire.

Pound Ridge NY Weekly Real Estate Report | RobReportBlog

Pound Ridge NY Weekly Real Estate Report

5/23/2013
Homes for sale
88
Median Ask Price$1,045,000.00
Low Price$285,000.00
High Price$4,250,000.00
Average Size3903
Average Price/foot$354.00
Average DOM119
Average Ask Price$1,357,334.00

 

 

Pound Ridge NY Weekly Real Estate Report | RobReportBlog.

Real Housewife of Miami faces foreclosure | Pound Ridge Real Estate

We keep saying it, and it’s true: Foreclosure is not just for the middle-class or the average, working citizens who fall on hard times.

Many borrowers who are somewhat cash-liquid also end up facing foreclosure.

Karent Sierra, 38, appeared to the public on The Real Housewives of Miami to play the independent businesswoman who doesn’t need a husband to support her two mortgages, which carry a total balance of $870,000. Or maybe she does?

A gossip rag out of Miami claims the reality TV star is at risk of losing two Miami homes.

She is apparently worth $5 million, according to published reports.

No word on whether this is a strategic default …