Tag Archives: Westchester Real Estate for Sale

5 products taking real estate high-tech | Bedford Hills Realtor

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Does your multiple listing service have a system where you can open a lockbox with your cell phone? If so, you have already experienced what is known as “The Internet of Things.” Over the next decade look for this trend to completely reshape both your business and personal life. What is the “Internet of Things?” High-tech entrepreneur Kevin Ashton, who coined the term “Internet of Things,” defines it the following way:“People have limited time, attention and accuracy — all of which means they are not very good at capturing data about things in the real world.

And that’s a big deal. We’re physical, and so is our environment. … “You can’t eat bits, burn them to stay warm, or put them in your gas tank. Ideas and information are important, but things matter much more. Yet today’s information technology is so dependent on data originated by people that our computers know more about ideas than things.

If we had computers that knew everything there was to know about things — using data they gathered without any help from us — we would be able to track and count everything, and greatly reduce waste, loss and cost.“We would know when things needed replacing, repairing or recalling, and whether they were fresh or past their best. The Internet of Things has the potential to change the world, just as the Internet did. Maybe even more so.”How will the Internet of Things show up in your life?

Here are five examples that are already in the marketplace. Supra eKey Professional This technology won the 2013 Inman Innovator Award for Most Innovative Use of a New Technology. Supra went beyond just allowing agents to access lockboxes through their mobile devices; it integrated the ability to store MLS data on those devices, link listings to Google maps, as well as other productivity features. –

 

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http://www.inman.com/2013/08/19/5-products-taking-real-estate-high-tech/#sthash.TO22P4Nh.dpuf

North Salem sales up 11% – Median price up 14% | RobReportBlog

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North   Salem NY Real Estate ReportRobReportBlog
20136 months ending 8/72012
29Sales26
$548,000.00median sold price$477,500.00
$200,000.00low sold price$215,000.00
$8,900,000.00high sold price$2,600,000.00
2946average size2667
$258.00ave. price per foot$239.00
206ave days on market226
$889,137.00average sold price$656,150.00
95.31%ave sold to ask93.09%

Mastering the new real estate rules | South Salem Real Estate

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The housing market is getting hot—and that is changing the game for both home buyers and sellers.

In many cities, including those hard hit by the downturn, bidding wars are breaking out and winning offers often exceed the asking the price. A relatively low inventory of homes for sale is feeding the scramble.

Existing-home sales were up 13% in May compared with the previous year, reports the National Association of Realtors, and the median home price was up 15%, to $208,000, the biggest jump since October 2005. Average home prices for the most recent S&P/Case-Shiller 20-city index were up 12% in April over a year ago.

For first-time buyers and those eager to move up, it could be a good time to buy. Prices still are well below the mid-2000s highs. Interest rates have shot up, but they remain low by historical standards. The average rate on a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage was 4.37% for the week ended Thursday, up from 3.35% in early May, according to Freddie Mac’s weekly survey. Until 2009, rates were above 5% going back to the early 1970s.

[Click to compare mortgage interest rates from multiple lenders now.]

Initially, rising rates could drive potential buyers into the market before mortgage costs climb more. But if rates continue upward, they could help put an end to the boom.

While an active market can be good for both buyers and sellers, a sizzling market poses challenges. In some areas, real-estate agents have been accused of holding back choice homes for sale from the Multiple Listing Service database so they can market them first to their own clients. Bidding wars can leave potential buyers feeling bruised and frustrated. And climbing home prices mean appraisals might come in below the agreed-on price.

Here are some tips for navigating this evolving market:

Cash matters. It helps to have a bundle of cash to get the home you want. Down payments today range from 3.5% for a loan backed by the Federal Housing Administration to as much as 40% for homes over $1 million.

A typical down payment on a regular mortgage is 5% to 10%, says Bob Walters, chief economist at Quicken Loans. Buyers who need a “jumbo” loan—or one bigger than $417,000 or $625,500, depending where you live—might have to put down 20% or more.

If the lender’s appraisal of the home falls short of your purchase price, the buyer and seller must negotiate whether the seller will reduce the price or the buyer will pay the difference in cash—or some combination of the two.

Get prequalified. Mortgage lenders still carefully scrutinize borrowers’ ability to repay their loans, and sellers might be leery of bids that are contingent on getting financing. Potential buyers will be more attractive if they already have qualified for a loan, even in calm markets, like Connecticut, says Terence Beaty, director of the new-homes and land division at Prudential Connecticut Realty, based in Wallingford, Conn.

That means picking a lender and providing pay stubs, bank and brokerage statements and, for those who are self-employed, tax returns. Generally, you will need a credit score of at least 640 to get a mortgage, says Greg Gwizdz, executive vice president at Wells Fargo Home Mortgage, the nation’s largest residential lender—and it will need to be higher if you want the best rates.

 

Mastering the new real estate rules – Yahoo! Homes.

Westchester County Executive Launches “Ask Astorino On Tape” | Katonah Real Estate

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Over the past year Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino has visited 22 municipalities across the country for “Ask Astorino” town hall meetings. This week he released a new video highlighting some of the most frequently asked questions of the meetings.

“It’s not always easy to find the time to attend a town hall meeting,” said Astorino. “This video is an alternate way to find out how county government is working for you. I welcome your feedback.”

Hundreds of Westchester County residents have attended the town hall meetings, where Astorino has addressed topics such as taxes, housing, Playland andcrime. In the new video, Astorino addresses topics such as the role of the county government, his efforts to reduce taxes and promote business, and his motivations for running for county executive. He highlights accomplishments such as reducing the budget from $1.8 billion to $1.7 billion, and how the county dealt with Hurricane Sandy. It also includes scenes of his home life as he takes viewers through a typical day in his life.

“I’m still in awe of what this job is and what it means,” Astorino, who is running for re-election in November, says in the video.

 

Westchester County Executive Launches “Ask Astorino On Tape” | The White Plains Daily Voice.

American Home Prices Are Still Way Off Of Their Highs | Katonah Real Estate

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For all the promising data  we’ve seen about the so-called “housing recovery,” it’s important to realize it  is just that — a recovery.

Though some are calling the spike a housing bubble 2.0, home prices are  still way off their 2006 highs (which is good, since that was a bubble of epic  proportion).

“Overall, the recovery has  been rather uneven, with states that enjoyed the largest home price increases  before the recession still far from their prior peaks and states that missed the  housing boom closer to recovering their losses,” writes  CoreLogic’s Kathryn Dobbyn in a  new report.

CNBC’s  Diana Olick highlights this chart from CoreLogic:

home price appreciationCoreLogic

 

Dobbyn notes that Arizona, which has recently seen huge home price  appreciation, is still 45.6  percent from the peak it hit 7 years ago. Even if the state maintains its  current appreciation rate, it would still take another 35 months for Arizona to  get back to its highs.

“Speculating on a new bubble is likely premature,”  concludes Dobbyn.

Read more:  http://www.businessinsider.com/state-home-price-change-from-peak-map-2013-7#ixzz2ZVStRP81

How to Target Only Your Customers With Facebook | South Salem Realtor

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What if you could reach your existing customers while they’re on Facebook?

Does the idea of displaying a Facebook ad only to your prospects list sound interesting?

This could give your marketing a boost and help build your brand’s image on Facebook.

In this post, I’ll show you two ways to use Facebook’s Custom Audiences to connect with your customers and prospects on Facebook.

And I’ll also show you how to create and use your first custom audience.

build brand image

How do you build your brand’s image on Facebook?

What’s a Custom Audience?

Your business undoubtedly has a database of customers. You may be using that database to keep email addresses, phone numbers, Facebook user IDs and app user IDs.

You can target the customers on these lists with your Facebook advertising, whether they are your current fans or not.

Instead of agonizing over demographics, precise interests and Partner Category targeting in an effort to reach your ideal audience, all you need to do is upload your customer list to Facebook. Facebook then matches up email addresses, for example, with the email addresses of users on Facebook.

Not all of the email addresses you collect are directly related to an email address of a Facebook user. Facebook tends to match up between 30-50% (sometimes more, sometimes less), depending on the quality of your list.

Once this list is generated in Facebook, you have a Custom Audience you can use in your advertising.

California home prices soar | Waccabuc Real Estate

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California housing prices increased by more than 30 percent in June, with inventory rising slightly in what is considered an encouraging sign for the market, a trade association said Tuesday.

Last month, the median price of a previously owned house soared 33.5 percent across the state from a year ago to $428,510, according to the California Association of Realtors.

The tight inventory, which had been holding back sales, rose to a 2.9-month supply of properties last month, up from 2.6 in May but still below the 3.5-month inventory of a year ago, the association said.

Sales of previously owned houses statewide declined 3.7 percent to an annualized rate of 414,950 units. This is the number of home sales that would occur if the market matched June’s pace for the entire year.

Leslie Appleton-Young, the association’s vice president and chief economist, believe the slight uptick in available homes is a good sign. “The inventory is the big thing. That’s the most important leading indicator for the housing market,” she said.

Rising home prices may encourage more owners to put their properties up for sale in the coming months, but June’s inventory level is still well below the six- or seven-month supply considered normal. “I think it’s going to go up some more. You’ve got buyers taking more time [making decisions], and some are priced out by the rising prices and the interest rates. And I think you have sellers who came in too high, so their properties are staying on the market and not moving,” Appleton-Young said.

Still, the tight inventory and increased buyer competition has driven down the time properties stay on the market compared with a year ago. In June, homes sold in a median of 27.7 days, up slightly from 27.1 days in May but down from 43.5 days in June 2012.

In the Los Angeles metro area — the combined Los Angeles, Orange, San Bernardino, Riverside and Ventura counties — the median price of a single-family home for sale jumped 31.7 percent from June 2012, to $392,470, and sales declined 9.5 percent.

In the Inland Empire, the median home price increased an annual 33.2 percent, to $248,760, while sales fell 15.2 percent.

Double-digit-percentage price gains were the norm around California. This has been the trend for several months, as supply of low-priced foreclosed and short-sale properties have dwindled. “They’re gone, they’re gone,” Appleton-Young said. “Investors have really picked that market clean.”

Interest rates are now putting some pressure on the market. The rate on a 30-year mortgage was in the 3.5 percent range until the middle of last month, then spiked above 4 percent shortly after Federal Reserve Chairman Ben S. Bernanke said the agency may reduce its economic stimulus and possibly stop it entirely next year. He then backed off, saying last week the economy needs the Fed’s help for the “foreseeable future,” and rates dropped a bit.

 

 

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http://www.presstelegram.com/breakingnews/ci_23673936/california-home-prices-soar

 

 

Content Marketing for Real Estate Agents: Can Blogging Help You Sell Homes? | Mt Kisco NY Realtor

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It’s amazing to consider the ways in which online marketing has transformed the real estate industry—and if you don’t believe it, consider some of these figures from a 2012 study from the National Association of Realtors.

The study finds that more than 40 percent of all home buyers find their dream property via the Internet; nearly as many home buyers find their home by consulting with a real estate agent, and in many cases, these agents are found through the Web. But what about those old-fashioned newspaper ads, once so prized by real estate agents?

In today’s world, they account for only 2 percent of the homes found and purchased. What all of this suggests is that, for the real estate sales professional, the Internet represents the best, most cost-effective place to spend one’s marketing budget—by a long shot. Of course, this is something that most real estate agents have come to terms with.

The trouble that many have is deciding on the best way to reach leads on the Web. Increasing Visibility Means Drawing in Homebuyers The secret is in understanding that, for realtors, successful online marketing is all about improving visibility. That same NAR study reveals that the overwhelming majority of homebuyers never call more than one real estate agent—meaning that the first agent they come across is the one who gets their business.

Additionally, the NAR’s 2013 “Field Guide to Quick Real Estate Statistics” notes that 90 percent of homebuyers use the Internet as a primary tool in their real estate quest. The bottom line?

When people want to buy homes, they don’t flip to the Real Estate section of the local paper, and they don’t pick up the print catalogs that are on display outside supermarkets. They turn to the Web, they conduct a Google search, and they seek out a real estate agent who has high visibility—an agent positioned on the Web as someone who is knowledgeable, helpful, authoritative, and, above all available.

Content Marketing Tips for Real Estate Professionals In many ways, content marketing is the perfect way for real estate agents to position themselves in this way. Content marketing is all about selling without selling—not about constant self-promotion, but rather about sharing helpful and informative content that establishes the agent as someone consumers can trust. As an added bonus, helpful content like this is what Google and Bing favor—so content marketing empowers real estate agents to achieve high visibility and superior rankings on online searches.

What kinds of helpful and informative content can agents share? A few ideas come to mind: Share local market data and statistics. What are the “hot” neighborhoods in your city or town? Where can local home seekers find the best deals on the most valuable properties? For buyers who do not know exactly where to begin their real estate search, information like this can be priceless.

Share tips for first-time homebuyers. This is, after all, a daunting process for many, but when you share handy info on applying for loans, negotiating closing costs, conducting home inspections, and so on, you cultivate trust with potential buyers.

Share home maintenance tips, proving that you’re interested in the long-term satisfaction of your clients, and that your expertise doesn’t end when all of the papers are signed. Share information about local schools and community events, which can be helpful for those moving from another city or state.

Finally, there is certainly nothing wrong with sharing some of your own more attractive listings, from time to time!

Read more at http://www.business2community.com/content-marketing/content-marketing-for-real-estate-agents-can-blogging-help-you-sell-homes-0538077#akA1qQyPkCq7ZUDe.99

Content Marketing for Real Estate Agents: Can Blogging Help You Sell Homes? – Business 2 Community.

How to make your real estate listing go viral | North Salem Real Estate

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Pictures are worth a thousand words…and quite a few shares. If you really want your listings to go viral and reach more potential buyers, you need to have 8 or more high-quality photos that catch buyers’ eyes,Trulia writes.

When you’re out shooting online property photos, remember how we started this chat – that compelling content is king. That means you need to look for the quirky, special, and high-value add ons that separate your listings from the rest, according to Trulia ($30.74 0.14%).

Read more tips on how to make your listings go viral here.

 

How to make your real estate listing go viral | HousingWire.

How to Get Your Executive Team Active in Social Media | Chappaqua Realtor

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As a savvy inbound marketer, you already know thatsocial media is a must-have in your marketing strategy. You’ve spent time looking at what channels work best for your company, creating the best content you can for those outlets, and aligning the social media goals to the business’ bottom line. You live and breathe social media every day on the job.

But that’s not true for everyone else in your organization. Not everyone is sold on the importance of social media — never mind manage their own presence. What about that VP down the hall with tons of killer industry knowledge or that executive you know who spends hours talking to customers? These executives may not be active in social media just yet, but they should be.

This is where you come in. If you think there are executives in your company who could add credibility to what you’re already doing, it’s time to get them on board.

Why Should Your C-Suite Be in Social Media?

Often, executives may feel like there’s not much for them to do in social media. They hired a social media manager to watch over the company’s presence, so why would they need to be in social media as well? Though some executives at your company may have already made up their minds about their social media participation (or lack thereof), it’s incredibly important to have them in social media.

Having a presence in social media gives executives the opportunity to stay relevant with industry trends, engage with your prospects and customers, and show that they stand by and believe in your brand. By not listening and participating in social media, executives are missing out on numerous opportunities to improve your business. And ultimately, growing your business is every executive’s objective.

How to Get Your Executive Team in Social Media

Getting executives in social media isn’t as simple as signing up for a Twitter handle and asking them to tweet. Instead, you’ve got to be strategic if you want to get on board. By following these five steps, you can develop a socially savvy executive team.

1) Pick the right executives for the job. 

Not every executive is ready to dive headfirst into social media — and that’s okay. Instead of proclaiming that all executives must start tweeting immediately, start off with a select few that you know would be successful in social media if you were to show them the ropes. Think about who would be a good advocate for your brand and have the potential to be a thought leader. Also, see how active they are in social media already. You may want to check out LinkedIn first to see who’s active already, since executives prefer LinkedIn to any other social site. This will give you a good indication of who to approach about helping build your brand in social media.

After you understand who’s been up to what, it’s time to think about your approach. Asking an executive who isn’t that familiar with Twitter or Facebook to jump right in isn’t going to work. First, they need to get an understanding of what’s happening on social media for your brand.

 

How to Get Your Executive Team Active in Social Media.