Tag Archives: Waccabuc NY

Spotlight on Wood Countertop Refinishing | Waccabuc Real Estate

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Wood countertops are not for everyone.

They have a warm feel about them that exceeds most other types of tops. But they do require periodic maintenance that can involve refinishing, which can be necessitated by general wear and tear or by the wood’s own behavior. Wood countertop refinishing is a discipline that Topcoat Finishes has considerable experience in.

One of the more common wood behavior issues is the ordinary expansion and contraction of the wood itself. Wood moves with the season. It expands with moisture and humidity in your home, and it contracts when the air becomes dry. As an organic material, wood is very much alive. Sometimes movement can cause wood to split.

How Wood Splits:

Wood splitting, or “checking”, is when the wood opens up along the course of it’s grain. It is an obvious split or separation in the wood.

While checking is visually desirable in some wood features, such as post and beam or other rustic types of wood joinery, on countertops it can become difficult to live with.

Imagine trying to clean your countertops, and crumbs and debris keep getting swallowed up in cracks on the surface. Not desirable at all.

Checking can also compromise the finish that is on the countertops rather quickly.

What to do when Wood Splits:

We recently tackled a wood countertop refinishing project in the pantry of a client’s home. The wood species is antique reclaimed oak. This tends to be very dry wood, so when it checks, it can get big in a hurry.

Here are the steps we took to remedy the problem:

  • fill the cracks with multiple rounds of a clear wood epoxy, until proud on top of surface
  • when epoxy is dry (follow mfr directions), sand the repaired areas
  • inspect to make sure there are no dimples or hairline cracks within the repairs
  • sand entire countertop surfaces
  • apply multiple coats of desired finish

 

http://www.jlconline.com/wood/spotlight-on-wood-countertop-refinishing_o.aspx

Rug Designer’s Funky Murray Hill Townhouse Wants $6.2M | Waccabuc Real Estate

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Loria Manne, who has designed her signature Lamontage rugs for such venerable institutions as Brown University, the University of Chicago, the Rubin Museum of Art, and the Gramercy Hotel, acquired this Murray Hill townhouse along with her husband in 2000 for $2.85 million. Now they have put it back on the market asking $6.195 million, though it appears that they made some improvements in the meantime—the house is still described on Streeteasy as a three-unit, four-story building, while the listing says that it is a six-story single-family home. The teal facade also looks fairly recent, as do all the colorful walls inside. Other highlights include the roof terrace, many fireplaces, and, of course, lots of rugs.

 

 

http://ny.curbed.com/archives/2014/03/18/rug_designers_funky_murray_hill_townhouse_wants_62m.php

Getting a mortgage is easier, but only just | Waccabuc Real Estate

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Mortgage credit continued to trend higher in February, following a steady increase in availability since November 2013, the latest report from the Mortgage Bankers Association revealed.

The mortgage credit availability index edged higher 0.44% to 113.5 in February from 113 in January.

If the MCAI had been tracked in 2007, it would have sat around 800. The index was benchmarked to 100 in March 2012.

“For the third month in a row, mortgage lenders and investors slightly expanded credit offerings in February on net, as a result of offsetting factors,” said Mike Fratantoni, MBA’s chief economist.

“Specifically, the recently implemented QM/ATR sections of the new Consumer Financial Protection Bureau regulations stipulate that ARM loans must qualify at the highest allowable rate for the first five years of the loan,” he continued.

 

http://www.housingwire.com/articles/29261-mba-getting-a-mortgage-is-easier-but-only-just

With NAR’s blessing, realtor.com is on the hunt for its first chief economist | Waccabuc NY Homes

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Realtor.com, the official consumer website of the National Association of Realtors, is on the hunt for what will be the first chief economist in its 18-year history.

NAR had previously barred Move Inc., which operates realtor.com under an exclusive license with NAR that dates back to 1996, from hiring a chief economist to interpret housing market trends.

The trade group employs a stable of analysts, including NAR Chief Economist Lawrence Yun, who help Realtors interpret housing trends for their clients.

“As the real estate industry and our relationship with realtor.com continue to evolve, both organizations agreed that two voices are stronger than one,” NAR spokeswoman Sara Wiskerchen told Inman News.

The hire will give the portal a seat at the real estate media table now occupied by Zillow and Trulia, who have had chief economists since 2009 and 2011, respectively.

Zillow Chief Economist Stan Humphries and Trulia’s Jed Kolko have become high-profile sources in media stories and housing forums, which gives their firms added exposure and credibility with consumers.

– See more at: http://www.inman.com/2014/02/28/with-nars-blessing-realtor-com-is-on-the-hunt-for-its-first-chief-economist/#sthash.e8YafuNp.dpuf

Fixed Mortgage Rates Continue Gradual Climb Higher | Waccabuc NY Real Estate

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Freddie Mac today released the results of its Primary Mortgage Market Survey® (PMMS®), showing average mortgage rates mixed with the fixed-rate products moving higher for the fourth consecutive week, while adjustable rate mortgages eased.

News Facts

  • 30-year fixed-rate mortgage (FRM) averaged 4.37 percent with an average 0.7 point for the week ending February 27, 2014, up from last week when it averaged 4.33 percent. A year ago at this time, the 30-year FRM averaged 3.51 percent.
  • 15-year FRM this week averaged 3.39 percent with an average 0.7 point, up from last week when it averaged 3.35 percent. A year ago at this time, the 15-year FRM averaged 2.76 percent.
  • 5-year Treasury-indexed hybrid adjustable-rate mortgage (ARM) averaged 3.05 percent this week with an average 0.5 point, down from last week when it averaged 3.08 percent. A year ago, the 5-year ARM averaged 2.61 percent.
  • 1-year Treasury-indexed ARM averaged 2.52 percent this week with an average 0.4 point, down from last week when it averaged 2.57 percent. At this time last year, the 1-year ARM averaged 2.64 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 edged up with new home sales exceeding expectations and rising to a seasonally adjusted pace of 468,000 units in January, the strongest annual rate since July 2008. The 9.6 percent increase in new home sales for January followed an upward revision of 13,000 units in December. The S&P/Case-Shiller® 20-city composite house price index rose 13.4 percent over the 12-months ending in December 2013.”

This modular wall unit holds an entire kitchen | Waccabuc Real Estate

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It’s common to see a hideaway bed change a living room into a bedroom easily, but now Resource Furniture wants to make kitchens covert with its new line of Stealth Kitchen modules. Each unit contains full-size appliances hidden within seemingly normal cabinetry; some of the modules are as small as six feet wide and they all can hold a refrigerator, freezer, sink, dishwasher, microwave, oven, countertop, and extra drawers and cabinets for storage.

Modular furniture isn’t a new trend, but it has become even more popular for its space-saving qualities in the wake of the micro-apartment boom in major cities. Resource Furniture seems to get that, specializing in furniture that does much more than it seems to at first glance, such as a multi-use table that extends from 17 inches to 115 inches, and chairs that become stepladders. The company also made an entire micro-apartment exhibit called Launchpad for the Museum of the City of New York last year, but the Stealth Kitchen seems to be its first crack at an entire room in one piece that you can actually buy.

 

 

http://www.theverge.com/2014/2/25/5445358/resource-furniture-modular-stealth-kitchen