Tag Archives: Westchester NY Real Estate

Solar Panel Is Next Granite Countertop for Homebuilders | Waccabuc Real Estate

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Solar panels are the next granite countertops: an amenity for new homes that’s becoming a standard option for buyers in U.S. markets.

At least six of 10 largest U.S. homebuilders led by KB Home include the photovoltaic devices in new construction, according to supplier SunPower Corp. (SPWR) Two California towns are mandating installations, and demand for the systems that generate electricity at home will jump 56 percent nationwide this year, according to the Solar Energy Industries Association.

Enlarge imageSolar Panel Is Next Granite Countertop for New U.S. Home: Energy

People view a model a Garbett Homes net zero energy house, which produces as much energy as it consumes, in Daybreak, Utah, on Aug. 14, 2013. Photographer: George Frey/Bloomberg

“In the next six months, homebuilders in California and the expensive-energy states will be going solar as a standard, and just incorporating it into the cost of the house like any other feature,” Jim Petersen, chief executive officer of the PetersenDean Inc., the largest closely held U.S. roofing and solar contractor, said in an interview.

Lashing panels to roofs during construction is about 20 percent cheaper than after a house is built. Homeowners who can afford the extra $10,000 to $20,000 cost in return for free power threaten the business of traditional utilities such as Edison International of California or Kansas’ Westar Energy Inc.

 

 

Solar Panel Is Next Granite Countertop for Homebuilders – Bloomberg.

One-Foot-Wide Path to Hamptons Beach Sells for $120,000 | Bedford Hills Real Estate

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Ordinarily, when Suffolk County, New York, takes over a small piece of land for back taxes, they like to sell it off cheap. As in, maybe ten bucks. But when the little piece of land is a path that leads to a beach in the Hamptons … well, things may take a different course, reports Newsday (“Bidder buys 1-foot-wide strip of Napeague land for $120,000,” by Mitchell Freedman).

Reports Newsday: “The battle royale began after Suffolk — which acquired the wooded ribbon of land in 2003 for nonpayment of taxes — tried to sell the property in Napeague to any of the six adjoining land owners for $10. Four of the owners didn’t respond to the offer to submit a bid but the other two were so interested the county set up a face-to-face auction and imposed a $1,500 minimum bid.”

Marc Helie (of Manhattan firm Chevalier Investments, LLC) and Kyle N. Cruz (a managing director at Centerbridge Partners LP in Manhattan) jumped quickly to bids of $5,000, $12,000, and $17,000. Cruz folded after Helie saw his $115,000 and raised it to $120,000.

The parties aren’t talking about what they saw in the slender property. But SuffolknCounty official Wayne R. Thompson commented: “I gathered one guy really did not want the other one walking over his property to the water.”

 

 

http://www.jlconline.com/home-prices/

8 Fabulous Faucets for All Kinds of Bathrooms | Bedford Corners Real Estate

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Bathroom sink faucet options are limitless, and choosing one can be overwhelming. There are lot of different factors to consider, and every house has different needs. Do you need a faucet that’s easy to use for all ages? Is space an issue? Or perhaps budget?
Check out these eight types of faucets to get an idea of what to look for when you’re shopping for your bathroom.

modern bathroom by maestrobath

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1. Waterfall faucet. With its clean lines and minimalist approach, this faucet lends itself to a more modern style. It’s most commonly constructed out of metal and glass.
Some waterfall faucets have beautiful colored designs throughout the glass, which give the bathroom a cheery feel. Others have LED lights, creating a colorful display when the water is flowing.
2. Four-inch-spread faucet. A great budget option, 4-inch-spread faucets (measured from the center of one handle to the center of the other) offer value and functionality. Not only do they come in almost every shape, size and color, but they are also a good space-saving option for smaller vanity areas and can be used in almost any application.
mediterranean bathroom Mediterranean Bathroom

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3. Eight-inch-spread faucet. One of the most popular styles today, the 8-inch-spread faucet (also measured from one handle center to the other) comes in many styles and materials. From metal to marble to crystal, the options are almost endless.
You can find an 8-inch-spread faucet in popular finishes (such as brushed nickel, oil-rubbed bronze and the ever-popular gold)  and some not-so-popular ones (such as polished nickel and matte black).
eclectic kids Eclectic Kids

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4. Single-lever faucet. Single-lever faucets are very easy to use and are a great option for all styles of bathrooms. They come in a variety of designs from traditional to contemporary.
Single-lever faucets are a popular option because of their simple design and the multitude of colors and styles available.
rustic bathroom by Peace Design

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5. Wall-mounted faucet. Wall-mounted faucets offer the same functionality as countertop-mounted faucets without taking up any counter space. They  also provide a great focal point whether you are mounting them on a sink or a backsplash.
Wall faucet styles range from minimalist to traditional, and many different colors and finishes are available

Negative equity to crimp inventory for years to come | Bedford Real Estate

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As home prices continued to increase rapidly, the number of underwater homeowners — borrowers who owe more on their mortgages than their homes are worth — fell at a fast clip in the second quarter, Zillow reported.

But even if steady price appreciation continues, millions of borrowers remain years away from regaining positive equity, and with it, a better ability to sell their homes, Zillow said.

According to Zillow, about 12.2 million homeowners, or 23.8 percent of all homeowners with a mortgage, were underwater at the end of the second quarter, down from 13 million in the first quarter and 15.3 million in the second quarter of 2012.

While that marked a 20 percent year-over-year decrease in underwater homeowners, millions of borrowers are still years away from shedding negative equity, even as the market recovers, Zillow said.

“The frustratingly slow pace of negative equity declines in the face of such robust home value appreciation is a direct result of the fact that many people in the hardest-hit markets are underwater by an enormous amount,” said Zillow Chief Economist Stan Humphries in a statement.

“Because of this, negative equity will be a factor in these markets for years to come, constraining the supply of homes for sale and keeping people out of the market who might otherwise get involved.”

read more….

 

 

http://www.inman.com/wire/negative-equity-to-crimp-inventory-for-years-to-come/#sthash.Vjzqgagk.dpuf

Fixed mortgage rates retreat from a 2-year high | South Salem Real Estate

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Fixed mortgage rates eased up from a two-year high this past week as lenders offered a 30-year mortgage at an average rate of 4.51%, up from 4.58% a week earlier, the Los Angeles Times reported.

The newspaper gave a rundown of all the changes this past week:

“The 15-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 3.54%, down from 3.6%, according to Freddie Mac. Starting interest rates for popular types of variable-rate loans were up slightly, the McLean, Va., housing finance giant said.”

Freddie’s chief economist, Frank Nothaft, said the market is being driven by speculation about when the Federal Reserve will cut back on its stimulus program, which involves buying $85 billion a month in Treasury and mortgage bonds.

                    Source: The Los Angeles Times

Housing communities suffer from influx of renters | Cross River Real Estate

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There are a growing number of people renting houses instead of buying since they cannot obtain a mortgage under today’s tougher standards. But due to the influx of renters, housing communities are facing the adverse effects of renter’s disconnect, according to CNBC:

“When there are fewer homeowners, there is less ‘self-help,’ like park and neighborhood cleanup, neighborhood watch,” said William M. Rohe, a professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill who has just completed a review of current research on homeownership’s effects.

Even conscientious landlords and tenants invest less in their property than owner-occupants, he said. “Who’s going to paint the outside of a rental house? You’d almost have to be crazy.”

                    Source: CNBC

Installing Kitchen Cabinets Solo | Bedford Hills Real Estate

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Next time you’re hanging around a bunch of carpenters  and the conversation starts to lag, ask whether it’s more efficient to hang kitchen wall cabinets with one or two people. I’ve done it both ways, and have found that I can do the job more efficiently alone. This may sound surprising. Without a helper, positioning overhead cabinets can be a real balancing  act, with the installer struggling to brace a cabinet with one    hand while reaching for a clamp with the other. Dropping the cabinet may mean ordering a costly replacement, and putting the  job on hold while you wait.  But it doesn’t have to be that way. Solo installation can be easy; all you need are a few simple brackets and clamps,    the right kind of fasteners, and a good organization system. If after reading this article you’re still not ready to go it alone, these tools and techniques will still make the job go    smoother for two people.

Uppers First

Many cabinet    installers put the base cabinets in first, then use them to    support the uppers. This sounds good, but I find it’s    inefficient. Not only must you reach over the base cabinets to    hang the uppers — a position my back loudly complains    about — but there’s a real danger that you’ll    damage the base cabinets as you work over them. Installing the    uppers first also leaves plenty of room to get under them to    make adjustments, and lets you stand next to the cabinet when    working — a position that my back seldom complains about.    The only problem is that you might forget about the uppers when    installing the lowers. You would be surprised how easy it is to    unthinkingly stand up and whack your head.     To temporarily support the upper cabinets, I use a set of    easy-to-build wall-support brackets. No high-tech gimmickry    here, just some plain old 1×4 pine that can be screwed or    nailed together in a few minutes (see Figure 1).

I make my brackets 52 inches long (a few inches shorter than    the common 54-inch upper height) and fasten them to the wall    with two screws each. I then place the cabinet on the brackets,    shim it to the proper height, and clamp it to the adjacent    cabinet. That leaves both hands free to screw the face frames    together and to fasten the cabinet boxes to the wall.

5 unexpectedly hot housing markets | Waccabuc Real Estate

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Five housing markets in which home prices, building permits and employment growth have increased at impressive rates since their troughs between 2007 and 2011 are not all found in warm, sunny locales, according to the NAHB/First American Improving Markets Index (IMI).

The five markets, in which home prices have gained an average 28.4 percent since their recent bottom, permits are up an average 17.8 percent, and employment has increased an average 12.8 percent, are:

Phoenix, Ariz.

Odessa, Texas

Bismarck, N.D.

Boise, Idaho

Detroit, Mich.

 

Source: InvestingAnswers – See more at: http://www.inman.com/wire/5-unexpectedly-hot-housing-markets/#sthash.dGyrV7Uk.dpuf

Westchester’s Bee-Line Buses Begin Fall Schedule Monday | Armonk Real Estate

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WESTCHESTER COUNTY, N.Y. — There are still a few more weeks in summer, but Bee- Line Buses will change to their fall schedules on Sept. 2.

Here is a list of changes to area schedules:

Route 1

A weekday northbound 7:19 a.m. trip from the 242nd St. subway station in the Bronx to the Yonkers-Hastings border will be added.

Route 1X

A weekday northbound 7:45 a.m. trip from the 242nd St. subway station in the Bronx to the Westchester Medical Center in Valhalla will be added.

Route 8

The weekday northbound 7:38 a.m. trip from Getty Square will be discontinued.

The weekday northbound 2:40 p.m. trip from Central Park Avenue and Tuckahoe Road to Valentine Lane and Riverdale Avenue in Yonkers will be discontinued.

There will be a minor weekday afternoon schedule adjustment.

Route 13

The Sunday eastbound 6:55 p.m. trip will depart 5 minutes earlier at 6:50 p.m. from Ossining.

Route 45

The weekday 3:20 p.m. trips will leave 10 minutes earlier at 3:10 p.m. from New Rochelle High School.

The weekday southbound 3:18 p.m. trip will leave 3 minutes earlier at 3:15 p.m. from Mill Road and White Plains Road in Eastchester.

A weekday southbound 3:10 p.m. trip from New Rochelle High School to Pelham Road and Pelhamdale Avenue will be added.

Route 55

A weekday southbound 7:03 a.m. trip from N. 3rd Avenue will be added at the Dyer Avenue subway station in the Bronx will be added.

NOTE: On Sept. 2 ( Labor Day), buses and ParaTransit will operate on a Sunday schedule.

On Tuesday, Sept. 3, seasonal service to Playland will be discontinued on Routes 13, 75 and 91.

For further details, visit the Bee-Line System website at www.westchestergov.com/beelinebus. Or call the Bee-Line Hotline at 914-813-7777, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m

14 Social Media Tools Used by Marketing Pros | Chappaqua Realtor

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Are you looking for social media tools to get more out of your marketing?

Are you wondering what tools marketing pros are using successfully?

We asked fourteen well-known marketers to share the latest social media tools they’ve been using.

Discover how you can use these tools to help you to get more out of your social media marketing.

#1: Mention

Todd WheatlandTodd Wheatland

Mention was developed as a user-friendly replacement for Google Alerts. They’re a textbook example of how to build a platform by doing one thing better than anyone else.

As well as being an absolute joy to use, it captures so many more, ahem, ‘mentions’ online than any other platform I’ve used that it’s become my #1 go-to social mention reference tool.

There are many clever things behind the way Mention is set up. They’ve taken the Apple approach to clean and simple UI to give you great functionality as a default and the power to modify settings to really hone in on what’s important to your circumstances.

Mention provides clean and simple functionality.

Apart from doing a fantastic job of identifying online mentions, some of my favorite features are:

  • Simple controls to turn specific sources off—but still be able to monitor them in the spam folder in case you mis-classify something.
  • Default alert emails that take you straight to source, rather than forcing an extra step by taking you to the Mention platform.

    You can see how many online mentions you have in the left-hand column.

Of course, with success, they’re quickly adding features—including an enterprise-level offering—that will make them seem increasingly like a lot of the more established players in the social tools space. So far though, they’ve done a great job of maintaining simplicity and delivering on their core offering.

Todd Wheatland, head of thought leadership at Kelly Services.

#2: Addvocate

jay baerJay Baer

My favorite new social media tool is Addvocate. I like it so much, I invested in the company and joined their board.

Addvocate solves a very common problem in social media, which is the need to decentralize your messengers. Almost always, the employees in your company have more social connections (combined) than the company does for its official social media outposts.

Thus, smart companies need to find ways to ask employees to occasionally share relevant information on their personal accounts. Amber Naslund and I wrote about this in The NOW Revolution, and recommended a “message of the day” email that is sent to all social media–active employees.

Addvocate takes that concept and makes it much, much better. Employees install a simple browser plugin that enables them to receive content recommendations from a centralized marketing team, while also enabling them to recommend content to the marketing team and to one another. The marketing team then gets detailed statistics showing which employees are sharing content on social, how many clicks and engagement actions each employee is generating, etc.

Addvocate enables you to share content with colleagues.

It’s an incredibly easy-to-use, remarkably inexpensive (just a few dollars per month) social media tool that removes the pain of teamwork and content sharing/distribution. I use it constantly to share potential topics for inclusion in our daily email newsletter.

Jay Baer, founder of Convince & Convert

 

 

read a lot more…

 

http://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/social-media-tools-used-by-pros-today/