Tag Archives: Westchester Luxury Real Estate

Teatown Lake Reservation updates | Katonah Real Estate

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January 2, 2014

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

We look forward to another year of engaging people with nature!

Photo taken by Elissa Schilmeister, Environmental Educator, at our Holi-Daze Mini Camp.

Visit Teatown

1600 Spring Valley Road

Ossining, NY 10562

914-762-2912

www.teatown.org

Nature Center hours:

9:00am-5:00pm everyday

Trails are open 365 days a year from dawn to dusk.

Teatown Lake Reservation’s

mission is to conserve open

space and to educate and

involve the regional community

in order to sustain the diversity

of wildlife, plants and habitats

for future generations.

Your donation can make

an immediate impact to help

conserve and protect the

diversity of wildlife, plants

and habitats…

today and into the future.

In Teatown’s Gallery

Recent Works by
Inez Andrucyk

Inez Andrucyk has exhibited at
The Hudson River Museum,
The Jacob Burns Film Center,
The Katonah Museum, The Arts Exchange, various galleries, colleges and universities, and was a guest speaker at The National Museum in Malta and Rutgers University. Murals are located in New York City (featured on Channel 11 News) and Port Chester, NY.

Photos of her work have been featured in The New York Times, and in “Crimes of the Beats and Unbearables.” Her Community Mural was listed in “On the Wall: Community Murals” by Janet Braun-Reinitz and Jane Weissman.

Inez enjoys teaching art to adults, children, youth and at risk populations. Her long term teaching position is at Silvermine Arts Center.

All photographs are for sale, and all proceeds will be donated to Teatown Lake Reservation.

www.teatown.org

Animal Adventures: Musky Mustelids
Saturday, January 4, 11:00am- 12:00pm

Meet a few of Teatown’s ambassador animals in this program featuring odiferous animals. Families with children 4 & over. Free for members, $5 for non-members.

First Hike of the New Year
Sunday, January 5, 1:00- 2:30pm

Kick off the New Year with a hearty hike in the frosty air. We’ll hike up into Hidden Valley looking for winter wildlife. On our return we’ll toast the New Year with a hot drink. Please dress for the weather and wear appropriate footgear for the trail conditions. All welcome. Free for members, $5 for non-members.

All programs require pre-registration

To register call 914-762-2912 x 110

unless otherwise noted.

Click for more info on Teatown’s upcoming programs.

Teatown’s Hudson River EagleFestsm
General Admission Tickets Now Available!

Click here to purchase general admission tickets.

To purchase bus tour tickets, call 914-762-2912 x 110.

For more information, click here.

Nature Girls

Tuesdays, January 28 – March 25, 3:30 – 5:30 pm

Come on girls get your nature on! Led by Elissa Schilmeister, girls will hike and explore natural habitats, engage in team-building activities, conduct mini-experiments and scientific investigations. *No program February 18. Girls ages 10- 14.

For more information, click here.

Little Tree Huggers: Wonderful Winter

Tuesdays, January 28 – March 11, 10:00- 11:15am

This class for 2- 3 year olds is packed with age-appropriate outdoor explorations, stories and activities. *No program February 18. Must be accompanied by parent or caregiver.

For more information,click here.

Reap the rewards

of being a Teatown member.

Click to join today!

Farewell to Jove

Our beloved little kestrel, Jove, passed away earlier last week. He had a beak handicap which meant that he would never survive in the wild. So he came to Teatown and spent the last 6 years educating the public about raptors, falcons, and especially, the right steps to take when encountering baby birds to prevent imprinting. He helped give those birds the chance he would never have – a wild life.

Jove had more character and personality packed into that tiny body of his than you could imagine. I am certain that at some point he landed on every handler’s head in his enclosure. He loved to fly to his dish and be hand fed his minced mouse tartar, making him one of the easiest birds to work with. And, “working” did not phase him – he was comfortable with his audiences, allowing countless people a chance to glimpse a beautiful falcon up very close and personal. He both wow’d and charmed his audiences time and again. He even had his five minutes of fame, starring in the opening scene of the locally filmed movie “A Birder’s Guide to Everything.”

Jove has earned a special place in my heart, and I can honestly say that he will probably be one of the best raptor ambassadors that I’ll ever work with. I know those of you who will miss him most – miss him rousing on your glove, bobbing his head and tail. I think we can all be proud of our little friend’s legacy. He touched many lives and helped instill compassion and respect for wildlife and their local habitats.

-Written by Erin Baker, Teatown’s Animal Care Supervisor & Environmental Educator.

“From Garbage to Black GOLD: Realizing the Value of Food Waste”

January 24, 2014, 8:30 am-10:30am
Greenburgh Public Library

Conservation Cafe´presents

the next Conversations on Conservation.

“From Garbage to Black GOLD:

Realizing the Value of Food Waste”

Moderator: Braeden Cohen, Composting/Sustainability Specialist and educator at the Greenburgh Nature Center will be discussing the scope and expense of the food waste problem in Westchester; composting as a profitable solution to food waste; basic mechanics of composting food along with yard organics.

Jean Bonhotal of the Cornell Waste Management Institute and the Department of Crop and Soil Sciences, will be speaking on the economics of food waste composting and case studies of food waste composting operations in New York State.

Terry Laibach, Recycling Specialist at NYS Department of Environmental Conservation Region III will talk about the New York State DEC requirements for food waste composting in New York and examples of food waste composting facilities currently in operation or in planning stages in New York State.

Sarah Groat, Manager of Soil, Recycling, and Compost Operations at Stone Barns Center For Food and Agriculture will present on how Stone Barns turns Garbage To Gold as part of both their mission and business operations.

Who Should Attend: Municipal officials, DPW officials, school facility managers, grocery store associations, restaurateurs, homeowners, the agricultural community, gardening enthusiasts, organizations that have high food waste disposal costs and those concerned about waste.

Registration begins at 8:30 a.m.; the program begins at 8:45 a.m.

This is a FREE program, and all are welcome to join.

Fixed Mortgage Rates Start the Year Higher | Bedford NY 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 continuing to edge higher as we enter the new year.

News Facts
•30-year fixed-rate mortgage (FRM) averaged 4.53 percent with an average 0.8 point for the week ending January 2, 2014, up from last week when it averaged 4.48 percent. A year ago at this time, the 30-year FRM averaged 3.34 percent.

•15-year FRM this week averaged 3.55 percent with an average 0.7 point, up from last week when it averaged 3.52 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 3.05 percent this week with an average 0.4 point, up from last week when it averaged 3.00 percent. A year ago, the 5-year ARM averaged 2.71 percent.

•1-year Treasury-indexed ARM averaged 2.56 percent this week with an average 0.5 point, unchanged from last week. At this time last year, the 1-year ARM averaged 2.57 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 to begin the year on signs of a stronger economic recovery. The pending home sales index inched up 0.2 percent in November, after five consecutive months of decline. The Conference Board reported that confidence among consumers rose in December and the S&P/Case-Shiller® 20-city composite house price index rose 13.6 percent over the 12-months ending in October 2013.”

Recovery Remains Uneven as Cities Spared in Bust Soar, but Many Others Struggle | Katonah Real Estate

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Home prices have zipped back into record territory in a handful of American cities, a milestone that comes seven years after the housing bust ravaged the market and the broader economy.

Values are up more than 13% from their 2007 high in Oklahoma City and by more than 6% in the Denver metro area. Prices are back to all-time highs in 10 of the nation’s 50 largest metropolitan areas, according to a Wall Street Journal analysis of price data from Zillow, an online real-estate information service. Prices are within 5% of their previous peak in San Jose, Calif.; Nashville, Tenn.; and Dallas.

Prices nationally remain below the highs of the past decade, and many of the cities that have seen the biggest gains largely escaped a boom and bust.

Home prices in some parts of the country that did experience a bust have benefited from low supplies of homes for sale and historically low interest rates that have boosted prices—and sparked concerns that prices could again be overvalued.

The figures aren’t adjusted for inflation, but experts say they underscore the uneven nature of the U.S. housing recovery.

“The main story in a lot of these places is that they didn’t have much of a housing recession. It’s much easier to be back at peak levels when you didn’t have a big boom and bust,” said                                     Stan Humphries,                                 chief economist at Zillow.

 

 

http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702304202204579256620643694940

 

 

 

 

Glass Home With Dramatic View of the Rockies Asks $4.25M | Cross River Real Estate

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21 images

Location: Boulder, Colo. Price: $4,250,000 The Skinny: Overlooking the city of Boulder from its perch at the feet of the Rocky Mountains, this glass-and-steel home is perfectly situated to take in 360 degrees of mountain and city views. Designed by AIA award winner Thomas Phifer (who is perhaps best known for his work on the North Carolina Museum of Art), the Boulder House is another winning iteration of his exciting approach to residential architecture. The front of the house is a 35-foot-high wall of glass addressing the city, the back is partially built into the hill and offers wilderness and mountain views, and the uppermost level combines both vistas in an all-encompassing scenic panorama. The stunning light-filled interior features a ground floor art gallery with open space that soars to the upper reaches of the home, where an operable 15-by-12-foot skylight sits atop the roof, while the rest of the house, including the two bedrooms and three bathrooms, has 11-foot ceilings. The home, which is asking $4.25M, becomes the second Phifer design to hit the market in recent years, with his Taghkanic House currently listed for $6.75M

 

http://curbed.com/archives/2013/12/23/glass-home-with-dramatic-view-of-the-rockies-asks-425m.php

 

Incredible treehouse hotels | Waccabuc Real Estate

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Hainan Island, China

SANYA NANSHAN TREEHOUSE RESORT AND BEACH CLUB The operators of this four-unit treehouse resort, which has a sister site in Maui, are quick to warn potential guests that their accommodations are “not for the fussy.” Maybe so, but they’re perfect for environmentalists who want a fresh-air experience that doesn’t involve tented shelter. Located in the South China Sea, the property sits adjacent to a 5,000-acre Buddhist park rife with pagodas, temples, and manicured gardens. The Big Beach in the Sky treehouse sleeps six and is accessible only via suspension bridge; the Hawaiian Hale Hotel Treehouse, meanwhile, is ideal for larger parties: It sleeps up to 20 and is just two minutes from the beach.

 

 

http://living.msn.com/life-inspired/life-unleashed/incredible-treehouse-hotels#4

US mortgage applications fall as refinance hits 5-year low: MBA | North Salem NY Real Estate

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Applications for U.S. home mortgages fell for a second week and hit a 13-year low as mortgage rates rose due to a bond market sell-off following the Federal Reserve’s decision to pare its bond purchase stimulus in January, an industry group said on Tuesday.

The Mortgage Bankers Association said its seasonally adjusted index of mortgage application activity, which includes both refinancing and home purchase demand, fell 6.3 percent to the lowest level since December 2000.

Mortgage applications have fallen sharply since this summer on a jump in home finance costs as benchmark Treasuries yields eventually rose to a two-year high.

Last Wednesday, Fed policy-makers opted to make their tapering move, which will begin in January with a $10 billion monthly reduction evenly split between Treasuries and mortgage-backed securities to $75 billion.

 

 

http://www.cnbc.com/id/101295194

Fixed Mortgage Rates Little Changed at Year-End | Chappaqua Homes

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Freddie Mac  today released the results of its Primary Mortgage Market Survey® (PMMS®), showing average fixed mortgage rates little changed as we head into the final days of the year.

News Facts

  • 30-year fixed-rate mortgage (FRM) averaged 4.48 percent with an average 0.7 point for the week ending December 26, 2013, up from last week when it averaged 4.47 percent. A year ago at this time, the 30-year FRM averaged 3.35 percent.
  • 15-year FRM this week averaged 3.52 percent with an average 0.7 point, up from last week when it averaged 3.51 percent. A year ago at this time, the 15-year FRM averaged 2.65 percent.
  • 5-year Treasury-indexed hybrid adjustable-rate mortgage (ARM) averaged 3.00 percent this week with an average 0.4 point, up from last week when it averaged 2.96 percent. A year ago, the 5-year ARM averaged 2.70 percent.
  • 1-year Treasury-indexed ARM averaged 2.56 percent this week with an average 0.5 point, down from last week when it averaged 2.57 percent. At this time last year, the 1-year ARM averaged 2.56 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 were little changed this week following mixed economic reports. Real GDP was revised upwards to 4.1 percent growth in the third quarter of this year. However, existing-home sales dropped 4.3 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4,900,000 in November. Also, new home sales fell 2.1 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 464,000.”

 

 

Mapping the 20 Most Expensive Sales of 2013 | Pound Ridge NY Real Estate

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2013biggestsales.jpg

While 2013 was undoubtedly a huge year for New York City real estate, with prices climbing rapidly, luxury towers springing out of the ground, and a plethora of blockbuster deals, that’s not necessarily indicated in this map of the Biggest Sales of the Year. That’s mainly because, despite the excess of record-breaking megadeals, at One57, 432 Park Avenue, Walker Tower, 10 Madison Square West, etc. almost none of them have actually closed yet. All that means, though, is that next year’s map is going to be crazy, so let’s all agree to meet back here in one year’s time and if we’re all still single, get married look at a map of hugely expensive apartments.

And don’t worry, because there were still a whole bunch of fancy, pricey apartments that were sold this year, from Rosario Candela-designed apartments on Central Park, to West Village townhouses, to other Rosario Candela-designed apartments on Central Park.

 

 

http://ny.curbed.com/archives/2013/12/23/mapping_the_20_most_expensive_sales_of_2013.php

New Jersey brokers accused of using client home for sex fests | Katonah NY Real Estate

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Real estate agents are supposed to give homeowners the best bang for their buck. But a Coldwell Banker duo in New Jersey is being sued by two homeowners for allegedly using their house to engage in sexual trysts.

Homeowners Richard and Sandra Weiner alleged that agents Robert Lindsay and Jeannemarie Phelan used their Wayne, N.J., home for a minimum of 10 racy meetings, according to a lawsuit filed in Passaic County court.

“The security cameras further show that at 1:02 p.m., Lindsay and Phelan entered the master bedroom, undressed and proceeded to have sex on the Weiners’ bed,” the lawsuit, seen by the Record, states. “All visits were for sexual encounters.”

The Weiners also said in the suit that Lindsay “intentionally listed the house above market value to avoid Realtor traffic in the home while he and Phelan carried on their trysts.”

They are seeking damages for invasion of privacy, emotional distress, breach of contract, trespass of land and other civil counts, according to the newspaper.

Coldwell Banker fired the two agents after learning about the allegations, an executive for the brokerage told NorthJersey.

Earlier this month, an agent at boutique Williamsburg firm Nooklyn was fired for uploading nude photos of herself to company servers. [Record] – Hiten Samtani

US loan delinquency rate edges up 2.63% | North Salem NY Homes

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The U.S. loan delinquency rate edged up a bit in November, but has been on the decline for most of the year, with delinquencies down more than 10% year-to-date, Lender Processing Services (LPS) said.
Foreclosure inventory also fell, edging down another couple of points to 2.5% in November and 29% year-over-year, LPS noted Monday morning.

The overall U.S. foreclosure inventory now stands at 1.256 million loans in foreclosure, according to LPS’s First Look Mortgage Monitor Report.

The total U.S. loan delinquency rate is hovering at 6.45% — including all loans 30 or more days past due or not in foreclosure.

The delinquency rate year-over-year fell 9.41%, while the month-over-month change in the foreclosure presale inventory rate fell 1.72% while the year-over-year rate declined 28.81%.
States with the highest percentage of non-current loans included Mississippi, New Jersey, Florida, New York and Louisiana.

 

 

 

http://www.housingwire.com/articles/28385-lps-us-loan-delinquency-rate-edges-up-263