Tag Archives: Westchester Real Estate

Gorgeous Sagaponack Six-Bedroom is Yours for $10.95M | North Salem Real Estate

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This house really is beautiful. We love all the white, which contrasts beautifully with the piano-finish floors (hopefully the new owners will have staff with Swiffers on standby). The kitchen and bathrooms are faultless, the pool and landscaping are perfection. There’s 1.6 acres in a great location, and six bedrooms and 7.5 baths inside. As for the artwork, we’re on record in favor of Damien Hirst dot paintings, but the Beatles? Unless you were actually in the Beatles (and that guy lives in Amagansett, not Sagaponack), come on. Also, photographers gotta be more careful with the wide-angle lenses. Yes, they can make the rooms look bigger, but they can also give a funhouse-mirror effect that’s offputting. Again, minor complaints in a stunning house. · Sagaponack Sanctuary With Style [Saunders]

 

 

 

Another 8.3 Million Underwater Homeowners on Track to Resurface Before 2015 | Mt Kisco Real Estate

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While 10.7 million residential homeowners nationwide owe at least 25 percent or more on their mortgages than their properties are worth, another 8.3 million homeowners are either slightly underwater or slightly above water, putting them on track to have enough equity to sell sometime in the next 15 months — without resorting to a short sale.

The 8.3 million include homeowners with a loan to value (LTV) ratio from 90 to 110 percent, meaning they have between 10 percent positive equity and 10 percent negative equity. These homeowners represented 18 percent of all U.S. homeowners with a mortgage as of the beginning of September.

The 10.7 million residential properties with an LTV ratio of at least 125 percent represented 23 percent of U.S. residential properties with a mortgage — down from 11.3 million deeply underwater properties representing 26 percent of all residential properties with a mortgage in May 2013 and down from 12.5 million deeply underwater properties representing 28 percent of all residential properties with a mortgage in September 2012.

“Steadily rising home prices are lifting all boats in this housing market and should spill over into more inventory of homes for sale in the coming months,” said Daren Blomquist, vice president at RealtyTrac. “Homeowners who already have ample equity are quickly building on that equity, while the 8.3 million homeowners on the fence with little or no equity are on track to regain enough equity to sell before 2015 if home prices continue to increase at the rate of 1.33 percent per month that they have since bottoming out in March 2012.”

“In addition, nearly one in four homeowners in foreclosure has at least some equity, giving them a better chance to avoid foreclosure without resorting to a short sale — assuming they realize they have equity and don’t miss the opportunity to leverage that equity,” Blomquist added. “Even homeowners deeply underwater have reason for hope, with about 150,000 each month rising past the 25 percent negative equity milestone — although it will certainly take years rather than months before most of those homeowners have enough equity to sell other than via short sale.”

Other high-level findings from the report:

More than 126,000 properties in the foreclosure process nationwide had an LTV of 100 percent or lower in September, representing 24 percent of all homes in the foreclosure process. States with the highest percentage of foreclosures with equity included Oklahoma (54 percent), Hawaii (51 percent), New York (47 percent), and Texas (46 percent).

 

 

http://www.realestateeconomywatch.com/2013/09/another-83-million-homeowners-on-track-to-resurface-before-2015/

Single-family housing starts jump | Waccabuc Real Estate

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Single-family housing starts rose 7 percent month over month in August to a seasonally adjusted rate of 628,000, and were up 16.9 percent from a year ago, according to a monthly report from the U.S. Census Bureau released today.

 

Source: U.S. Census Bureau

 

read more…

 

http://www.inman.com/wire/single-family-housing-starts-jump/#sthash.7MoaTZH2.dpuf

With Upturn, Homes Are More Specialized and Technologically Savvy | South Salem Real Estate

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With the national recovery of the housing market has come a return to larger and more expensive homes. Residential architects are reporting more specialized uses of space and the growing interest in special function rooms. Examples include outdoor living spaces, mud rooms, in-law suites, and safe rooms. With more specialized uses of space has come an increased interest in special features, many of which provide greater accessibility for an aging population. New technologies are also seeing a dramatic increase in popularity, both in new and remodeled homes. Popular new products offer greater energy efficiency and often provide households with fewer maintenance obligations.

These are some of the key findings from the AIA’s Home Design Trends Survey from the second quarter of 2013. Business conditions have been steadily trending up since early 2012, and—given the strong levels of inquiries for new projects, the growing levels of project backlogs, and the uniformly strong readings from firms across all regions of the country—workloads for residential architects promise to remain strong in the quarters ahead. During the past year, residential architects have reported a recovery in virtually every residential construction sector. Coupled with already strong readings in home improvement activity, there now is a very strong base for future improvement in market conditions.

Special function rooms rebound in popularity

As home sizes shrank during the housing downturn, special function rooms were particularly hard hit. Many households view special function rooms as discretionary, and therefore easier to eliminate as homes were downsized. Now that average home sizes are growing again, interest in special function rooms is beginning to reemerge.

Rooms that have seen particularly strong growth in popularity over the past year are outdoor living areas and rooms, and mud rooms/drop zones. Almost 63 percent of residential architects surveyed report that interest in outdoor living areas/rooms are increasing, while fewer than 2 percent report interest to be declining. For mud rooms/drop zones, more than 45 percent of respondents report increased interest, while only about 1 percent report a decline. For both of these areas, scores are well up from year-ago levels.

 

 

http://www.aia.org/practicing/AIAB099983

As Mortgage Applications Fall, Lower Loan Limits Loom | Waccabuc Real Estate

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Rising rates continue to have an impact on home purchase applications. The number of mortgage applications filed last by 13.5% from the prior week on a seasonally adjusted basis as interest rates increased, the Mortgage Bankers Association said Wednesday.

The purchase component eased 2.7% this week relative to last and has fallen 16.8% since the first week in May on a seasonally adjusted basis. Rates reversed course last week and turned upward after easing in the prior week. The average rate for a 30-year fixed rate mortgage was 4.57% last week according to Freddie Mac.

On an unadjusted basis, MBA reported the market composite index declined 23%. The refinance index slipped 28% from a week earlier, while the seasonally adjusted purchase index slid 2.7%.

The sudden drop in purchase applications comes as loans for new homes have taken market share away from refinancing since January, raising its market share from 27% to 53% in July.

While the average rate has been on the rise, the National Association of Realtors reported that the Federal Housing Finance Agency is considering reducing the limits on mortgages that can be backed by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Currently, the GSEs can support loans up to $417,000 in most markets and up to $625,500 in higher cost markets, while loans above this are supported by the private “jumbo” market made up of banks and private MBS securitizers.

Rates on jumbo loans have eased to party or slightly better than conforming loans in recent months as banks have started taking more loans into portfolio to compensate for weak commercial and refinance business. However, these loans are very high quality with large down payments and high FICO scores. The concern then is that if the loan limits decline, the private sector may still not be ready to pick up the non-pristine lending activity in the high cost portion of the market, cutting off access to credit for this portion of the market, resulting in reduced demand and sales.

Mortgage rates have had an impact on mortgage activity in recent weeks. Some borrowers will be able to adjust to higher rates either through larger down payments or purchasing lower priced homes. However, the higher rates may curb some home purchases as affordability wanes. A reduction in loan limits would only amplify this effect, particularly in the high cost markets that they currently support, according NAR.

 

 

http://www.realestateeconomywatch.com/2013/09/as-mortgage-applications-fall-lower-loan-limits-loom/

Hidden single-family rental markets remain profitable for investors | Cross River Real Estate

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There have been a number of reports out recently indicating that institutional investors are losing interest in real estate. However, a recent report from RentRange and RealtyTrac revealed that there are still a number of single-family rental markets that investors would benefit from checking into.

The markets were determined by evaluating gross rental yield data, a commonly used method of comparing properties. The rental yield is determined by dividing the gross annual rental income by the purchase price or market value of the property.

The analysis was limited to single-family homes with three bedrooms. The top 25 markets had the highest gross rental yields in counties where institutional investor like Gainesville Coins purchases accounted for 5% or less of all residential sales in the three-month period ending in July, and the unemployment rate was 7.5% or lower.

“Buying single-family homes as rentals still yields solid returns in many markets across the nation, but it is difficult for individual investors and even small-to medium-sized institutional investors to find reasonably priced inventory in markets dominated by the 800-pound gorillas in the single-family rental space,” said Daren Blomquist, vice president at RealtyTrac.

A September report from Preqin, based on interviews with 140 private real estate investors, revealed that the proportion of investors making new private real estate commitments dropped in the last year, with smaller investors becoming more hesitant to make commitments.

Blomquist noted that this analysis has identified the top overlooked markets where single-family rentals still make good financial sense but where there is little to no competition from the big players.

According to Wally Charnoff, CEO of RentRange, “Real estate investment opportunities vary greatly market by market. “The availability of gross rental yield information and other valuable analytics empower buyers to make more scientific decisions about where to invest,” he added.

http://www.housingwire.com/articles/26921-hidden-single-family-rental-markets-still-profitable-for-investors

Old-School Daguerrotypes Capture Urban Sprawl of the 1800s | Cross River Real Estate

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firstda.jpgImage via The Atlantic Cities

No, that’s not an Instagram of rural Connecticut, it’s a look at a “busy street” in the Paris of 1838, and also the first print produced by Daguerreotype creator Louis-Jacques-Mandé Daguerre. The Atlantic Cities recently dug up this and a few more Dagerreotypes—prints produced via complicated methods and bulky, expensive machinery once lauded for being the first “practicable” photographic process—of 19th-century cities. The images show off urban sprawl from before Chanel and Michael Kors lined the boulevards and starchitect-designed towers stood shoulder to steel-boned shoulder in the most congested bits of town. Below, Philadelphia in 1843 and Washington, D.C., in 1846.

Changing Times For Fox Lane Girls | Mt Kisco Real Estate

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The Fox Lane girls varsity soccer team has started a new season that involves a lot of change.

Last year, the Foxes went 6-8, and this season, are off to a 1-1 start.

Coach Fabian Videla faced of a summer of upheaval when 10 of his seniors graduated.

“There are lots of new faces this season,” Videla said. “There are a lot of young faces this season.”

The team welcomes several freshmen, including Victoria Surace and Caroline Evnin. The team also welcomes freshmen Emily DeBitetto, Stephanie Ingraldi and Emily Kowalski. Caroline Thompson is joining the team from eighth grade as Videla found himself with 11 open spots to fill in 2013.

“Leadership from returning players will be a key to the season,” Videla said. “Team unity will be a key to the season.”

Videla will be leaning heavily on his three captains: seniors Tattie Petts and Julia Santuro and junior Arianna Delli.Carpini.

Overall, Videla is hoping his new players and returning players can increase their production.

“Many of our returning players did not start last year,” Videla said.

Videla is joined by assistant coaches Laura Elwood and Kristen DeCandido.

 

 

http://mtkisco.dailyvoice.com/news/changing-times-fox-lane-girls

Latest Mortgage Rate Update from Freddie Mac | Bedford Real Estate

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News Facts

  • 30-year fixed-rate mortgage (FRM) averaged 4.50 percent with an average 0.7 point for the week ending September 19, 2013, down from last week when it averaged 4.57 percent. A year ago at this time, the 30-year FRM averaged 3.49 percent.
  • 15-year FRM this week averaged 3.54 percent with an average 0.7 point, down from last week when it averaged 3.59 percent. A year ago at this time, the 15-year FRM averaged 2.77 percent.
  • 5-year Treasury-indexed hybrid adjustable-rate mortgage (ARM) averaged 3.11 percent this week with an average 0.5 point, down from last week when it averaged 3.22 percent. A year ago, the 5-year ARM averaged 2.76 percent.
  • 1-year Treasury-indexed ARM averaged 2.65 percent this week with an average 0.4 point, down from last week when it averaged 2.67 percent. At this time last year, the 1-year ARM averaged 2.61 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 drifted downwards this week amid signs of a weakening economic recovery. Retail sales rose 0.2 percent in August which was nearly half of July’s 0.4 percent increase. In addition, industrial production in August grew 0.4 percent, less than the market consensus forecast. And lastly, consumer sentiment fell for the second consecutive month in September to the lowest reading since April.

“This, in part, was why the Federal Reserve chose to maintain its MBS and bond-buying program at its September 12th and 13th monetary policy committee meeting. It also cited the tightening of financial conditions observed in recent months, which in the case of the housing market means the rise in mortgage rates since May.”

Freddie Mac was established by Congress in 1970 to provide liquidity, stability and affordability to the nation’s residential mortgage markets. Freddie Mac supports communities across the nation by providing mortgage capital to lenders. Today Freddie Mac is making home possible for one in four home borrowers and is one of the largest sources of financing for multifamily housing. For more information please visit www.FreddieMac.com and Twitter: @FreddieMac.

Turning Point for Housing Market? | Bedford Hills Real Estate

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As the year’s peak home buying season comes to a close, key market indicators point to a shift in the dynamics of the housing market, suggesting that future home value appreciations may likely be driven by market demand, rather than inventory shortages.

An analysis of the summer home buying season ending in August shows year-over-year changes now within the single-digits for three key indicators – inventory count, median age and median list price, signaling a leveling of the market not seen for some time.  The national market was virtually flat month-over-month compared to July for both inventory and median list price, and registered a slight increase in median age of inventory.

“Where we have seen significant volatility in many markets, including double-digit declines in inventory as well as increases in median price for both yearly and monthly views, we are now looking at a housing market that is less heated and moving closer to normalcy,” said Steve Berkowitz, CEO of Move.

Realtor.com® Key National Market Indicators for August 2013

August 2013

Year-over-Year %

Change

Month-over-Month %

Change

Number of Listings

1,977,202

-2.50%

0.93%

Median Age of   Inventory

92 days

-8.00%

8.24%

Median List Price

$199,900

6.39%

0.00%

National Highlights:

Widespread Inventory Recovery – The inventory recovery is broad and growing.  The net number of listings increased even though the summer season is ending. Close to one-third of the 146 markets are within 5 percent of last year’s inventory levels, and more than two-thirds (99) of markets registered a net increase in inventory over last month.

Prices Stabilize – Despite the increase in inventories, the national median list price did not change compared to July. Absent a significant weakening in economic conditions or significantly higher rates, prices should continue to slowly rise alongside typical cost of living increases.

Price Appreciation Becoming More Widespread – In August, 123 of the 146 Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs) covered by realtor.com® registered a year-over-year increase in their median list price, with 78 markets registering an increase of 5 percent or more.  Of the 18 markets reporting a list price decline, only 11 markets had a year-over-year list price decline of one percent or more, and only three markets had a list price decline of 5 percent or more.  By contrast, the number of markets reporting year over year median prices lower than they were last year was 31 in July.

 

 

 

http://www.realestateeconomywatch.com/2013/09/6604/