Daily Archives: August 13, 2013

Croton Falls Road Bridge closure planned for rehablitation of the span | North Salem Real Estate

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Croton Falls Road over the Croton River in North Salem and Somers will be partly closed Wednesday through Nov. 22, and completely closed Sunday. The closure will allow for rehabilitation work on the Croton Falls Road Bridge.

Here’s an announcement from the Westchester County Department of Public Works and Transportation:

CROTON FALLS ROAD LANE CLOSURE STARTS WEDNESDAY

IN NORTH SALEM AND SOMERS

Work is part of the Croton Falls Road Bridge Rehabilitation Project

Motorists are advised that the project to rehabilitate the Croton Falls Road Bridge over the Croton River in the towns of North Salem and Somers will start Wednesday, Aug. 14.

 

Beginning Wednesday Aug. 14, the eastbound lane of Croton Falls Road from Route 100/202 to Route 22 will be closed starting at 8 a.m. and will continue to be closed until Friday, Nov. 22.  A detour will be posted using Route 100/202 and Route 22.

In addition, a one-day full closure is scheduled for Sunday, Aug. 18 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. in both the eastbound and westbound directions of Croton Falls Road from Route 100/202 to Route 22.  A detour will be posted using Route 100/202 and Route 22.

Motorists are advised to seek alternate routes.  Variable message signs are being used to alert motorists of the upcoming closure.

For additional information, contact Westchester County Department of Public Works and Transportation at 995-2555

Report: Office of the Supervisor- North Castle NY | Armonk Real Estate

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SUPERVISOR’S UPDATE August 12, 2013

I hope our North Castle families are enjoying the summer and getting some well-deserved time off with their families! As the second week of August begins, I would like to tell you about several improvements you will be seeing around town as well as update you on the status of several issues.

Ongoing Renovation of Winkler Park

As part of our commitment to take care of our parks, I am proud to report that we have made a lot of progress at Winkler Park.  Our wonderful Parks Department has been at work clearing brush, resurfacing the tennis and basketball courts, repairing and power-washing the playground, and cleaning up the parking lot.  The most exciting addition, however, is the new accessible fishing dock at the edge of the pond. The dock was built and donated to the Town by one of our very own Armonk Boy Scouts as part of his effort to become an Eagle Scout. The ramp to the dock allows easy accessibility and there is even enough room for a wheelchair to turn around. I have already seen a few people fishing there and enjoying the dock. Please remember that there is no swimming in the pond or jumping off the dock. If any other residents have ideas for community service projects, we are happy to help facilitate. Also if you are moved to new home or office, how long does mail forwarding last? You may expect that setting up a USPS mail forwarding is the exact opposite thing to stress over.

Road Repair/Paving

I have received several questions about the repaving of East Middle Patent Road, Byram Lake Road and others.   These roads were due for repair and we have resurfaced them using the industry standard method called “chip and seal” which includes several phases. This method is the ‘best demonstrated practice’ in rural road repair because it doubles the life of the existing road at a lower cost.   Instead of simply repaving with smooth blacktop, it includes the following steps: 1) a sticky blacktop slurry is applied which seals existing cracks, 2) loose “chips” are spread down and compacted into the slurry by auto travel, and 3) after a few weeks, the loose-remaining gravel is swept away by a sweeper truck. This method creates a slightly rougher but much tougher road: one that is able to withstand traffic and extreme weather better than smooth blacktop. In fact, it’s actually safer for cars in bad weather because it gives tires greater traction. I do apologize to all our North Castle bike riders for the interruption. Meanwhile, our Parks Department is working hard to bring our plan for a bike path to fruition!

CVS

As has been reported, the litigation against CVS and the Town by the Concerned Citizens was dismissed for lack of standing. Unfortunately, the Concerned Citizens have filed an appeal, increasing the Town’s already significant legal costs. CVS has decided to proceed with their redevelopment of the property in spite of the legal challenge and is now waiting to obtain D.O.T. permits to improve traffic flow into and out of their parking lot.

Litigation Report

Another legal matter has also been resolved in the Town’s favor. A former part-time employee had filed an employment-discrimination complaint with the New York State Division of Human Rights (SDHR) after she was terminated last year.  The SDHR dismissed her complaint, finding no evidence of discrimination by the Town. The replacement employee’s salary was approximately half of the previous employee’s salary. In its decision, the SHDR recognized the legitimacy of the Town’s basis for her termination: financial savings to the taxpayers.

Brynwood

A group named Responsible Development North Castle has sent out several emails regarding their views on Brynwood.  Other groups who support Brynwood may follow with their own emails. It is the Town Board’s responsibility to address these issues within the context of our legal mandate and not to engage in a public relations “back and forth.” My only request would be that our citizens be wary of efforts to sway their perspectives in one direction or another before they have the facts.  As of this time, no decisions have been made; we are adhering to the town’s legal process for examining such projects.

As always, if you have any comments, ideas or suggestions, we are more than willing to hear them. Meanwhile, my fellow Town Board members and I wish you and your family a healthy and relaxing summer.

Howard B. Arden

Supervisor

Office of the Supervisor

Phone: 914-273-3001 | Fax: 914-273-6936 | Email: supervisor@northcastleny.com

Bedford Corners Weekly Real Estate Report | RobReportBlog

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Bedford   Corners NY Weekly Real Estate Report8/13/2013
Homes for sale47
Median Ask Price$1,525,000.00
Low Price$525,000.00
High Price$12,000,000.00
Average Size5036
Average Price/foot$471.00
Average DOM141
Average Ask Price$2,605,957.00

17 Pinterest Metrics Every Brand Should Track | Chappaqua Realtor

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Are you measuring your Pinterest marketing initiatives?

pinterest metrics every brand should track 17 Pinterest Metrics Every Brand Should TrackPinterest has established itself as the dominant  online source of visual inspiration. The social bookmarking site enables users  collect and share photos of their favorite events, interests, and hobbies. Pinterest  users spend more money, shop more frequently, and purchase items more often and  in larger quantities than users on any other social network. It has become a  huge traffic referral for businesses, but marketers often struggle with  Pinterest content strategies. Enter Pinterest metrics.

 

Why use Pinterest analytics?

It’s crucial for brands to understand whether their time spent on any social  network is generating results. The number of followers you have is important,  but it shouldn’t be the final arbiter of your Pinterest content strategy.  Consistently measuring your activity on the platform will help you identify the  types of content that resonate the most with your target audience. It will also  help you increase visits to your website, and generate leads and sales.

How to gain access to your Pinterest account’s analytics

Complete instructions — including a video walk-through — for setting up  Pinterest for Business and tapping your analytics can be found in my post, Use  Pinterest Web Analytics to Jumpstart Your Social Media Marketing.

Pinterest metrics that brand marketers should monitor

You need to determine which of the Pinterest metrics below are most important  to you given your marketing objectives. There are many tools available that  enable you to track some or all of these metrics, including Google Analytics, Pinalytics, Cyfe, ShareRoot, Curalate, PinReach, and WordPress app WP Pinner. Keep the infographic  below on hand to help you get going.

Read more: http://www.pamorama.net/2013/08/10/17-pinterest-metrics-every-brand-should-track-infographic/#ixzz2brBHaj94

California Markets Top Turnaround Towns | Mt Kisco Real Estate

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Oakland, Calif.; Orange County, Calif.; and Santa Barbara-Santa Maria-Lompoc are leading the nation in recovery according to realtor.com’s quarterly ranking of top turnaround towns.

For Q2 2013, the median age of inventory dropped 14.4 percent over the past year, with typical homes selling in 83 days between April and June of this year. Median list price rose 5.4 percent year-over-year, to $196,000, in the second quarter of 2013.  The number of homes available on the market dropped across the country by 10.3 percent year-over-year, with an average of 1.8 million homes on the market on any given day in the second quarter of 2013.

Detroit ranked seventh.  Though plagued by the city’s recent bankruptcy filing, the market nonetheless posted strong improvement in the second quarter. Its median list prices on realtor.com® are 37.8 percent higher for the quarter than they were a year ago, while inventories are down 26.5 percent. The market’s median age of inventory is just 45 days, down 25 percent from the second quarter in 2012.

“Detroit has made remarkable progress in the last year, shrinking its inventory of unsold homes by more than 26 percent and becoming one of the most balanced markets in the nation,” said Steve Berkowitz, CEO of Move. ”We’ll be watching the inventory levels in the months ahead, but if this past quarter is any indication, Detroit won’t be giving up without a fight.”

Q2 2013 Rank

Market

Qtrly

Year/Year Median List Price

Qtrly

Year/Year Median Age of Inventory

Qtrly Year/Year Inventory

1

Oakland, Calif.

41.3%

-53.1%

-34.4%

2

Orange County, Calif.

29.4%

-43.3%

-36.6%

3

Santa Barbara-Santa   Maria-Lompoc, Calif.

34.3%

-30.9%

-27.8%

4

San Jose, Calif.

25.0%

-64.0%

-35.4%

5

Seattle-Bellevue-Everett,   Wash.

17.2%

-55.8%

-29.9%

6

Los Angeles-Long   Beach, Calif.

30.3%

-27.2%

-28.9%

7

Detroit, Mich.

37.8%

-25.0%

-26.5%

8

Portland-Vancouver,   Ore.

12.0%

-45.8%

-23.5%

9

San Diego, Calif.

21.1%

-26.4%

-28.5%

10

Reno, Nev.

26.0%

-32.3%

-29.1%

Top Five Turnaround Towns

#1 – Oakland, Calif.: Oakland has been well on the path to recovery for more than a year. In the second quarter of 2013, listings in the Oakland market fell more than 34 percent from year-ago levels. Oakland led the nation in year-over-year list price increases in the second quarter of 2013 and houses in Oakland are staying listed on realtor.com® for only 15 days, which is the youngest inventory in the nation. The median list house price in Oakland has risen from $339,000 a year ago to $479,000 in the second quarter of 2013.

#2 – Orange County, Calif.: With record numbers of foreclosures just four years ago, home prices inOrange County rose 29.4 percent above year-ago levels. In the second quarter of this year, Orange Countyhad the fastest declining inventory in the nation, with listings on realtor.com® down 36.6 percent. The median age of Orange County homes on realtor.com® in the second quarter of 2013 was 51 days, far below the national median of 83 days and 43.3 percent lower than a year ago.

#3 – Santa Barbara-Santa Maria-Lompoc, Calif.: Santa Barbara’s strong prices catapulted it into third place on the list. In the second quarter of 2013, this market’s median price was up 34.3 percent over a year ago to $685,000. Though Santa Barbara inventories were still extraordinarily low – down 27.8 percent from the second quarter of 2012 – they have started to recover. The average time that Santa Barbaralistings spend on realtor.com® (56 days) dropped 30.9 percent from the second quarter of 2012.

#4 – San Jose, Calif.: Inventories in San Jose dropped 35.4 percent compared to the second quarter of 2012, the second-largest drop in the nation. Year-over-year San Jose prices were up exactly 25 percent in the second quarter of 2013, another sign that the market is returning to normal after a combination of historically low inventories and strong demand powered prices in San Jose and several other Northern California cities to huge increases.

 

 

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http://www.realestateeconomywatch.com/2013/08/california-markets-top-turnaround-towns/

9 tools to help you measure mobile analytics | North Salem Realtor

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Measuring your startup’s Web analytics seems complicated enough. But with the rise of mobile-only users and visitors, there’s an added layer of complexity for startups to consider.

To figure out which tools are robust enough to handle both, I asked a panel of 9 successful entrepreneurs the following question:

Are you actively measuring mobile analytics? What tools or resources are helping your company analyze mobile vs. overall analytics?

Their answers are below:

Danny Boice 9 tools to help you measure mobile analytics1. Segment.io

We use Segment.io so that we can track analytics in a number of tools: Google Analytics, Mixpanel and KISSmetrics. We only have to implement the tracking of events on time from a development perspective this way. We tend to use Mixpanel to segment out the difference in usage between native mobile and Web browser usage across our user base.

– Danny Boice, Speek

 

adam lieb 9 tools to help you measure mobile analytics2. TestFlight

We use TestFlight’s analytics package to monitor a variety of core mobile behaviors. This varies drastically from what we do on the website.

– Adam Lieb, Duxter

 

Jay Wu 9 tools to help you measure mobile analytics3. Google Analytics

With recent improvements to Google Analytics’ filters and segments, we no longer have any reason to use any other analytics program to track where visitors are coming from and what devices they’re using. For instance, you can filter mobile devices or go one step further and see who is using a tablet because Google Analytics now takes screen size into consideration.

Additionally, manufacturer model and marketing names have become available, so you’ll know exactly who is using an iPhone and who prefers Android. Using both filters and segments allows you to compare mobile to overall visitors.

– Jay Wu, A Forever Recovery

 

Brennan White 9 tools to help you measure mobile analytics4. Localytics

There is no substitute for Localytics when trying to turn your mobile data into information that will drive your business.

– Brennan White, Watchtower

 

Juha Liikala 9 tools to help you measure mobile analytics5. Geckoboard

For a while now, we’ve been using Geckoboard for monitoring a wide variety of analytics. One of our favorites is to monitor sign-up conversion rates from mobile. Although desktop users still sign up three to four times more than those browsing with mobile devices (especially true with smartphones), this trend is changing fast.

By tweaking our mobile experience and monitoring in real time how that affects our conversion rates, we are now able to understand much better which works and which does not.

– Juha Liikala, Stripped Bare Media

 

 

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http://thenextweb.com/dd/2013/08/11/9-tools-to-help-you-measure-mobile-analytics/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=daily

 

Cooler Asking Prices Chill Hot Markets | Katonah Real Estate

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Asking home prices are losing steam as mortgage rates rise, inventories expand, and investor demand declines. Nationally, asking prices dropped 0.3 percent in July – the first month-over-month (M-o-M) decline since November 2012. Seasonally adjusted, prices rose 3.3 percent quarter-over-quarter (Q-o-Q), down from a peak of 4.2 percent in April. Year-over-year (Y-o-Y), prices are up 11 percent nationally, according to Trulia’s July market report.

In 64 out of 100 U.S. metros, the quarterly asking home price gain was lower than in the previous quarter. This slowdown was most apparent in the West Coast where prices have rebounded strongly already. Among housing markets where asking prices rose sharply Y-o-Y, price gains dipped the most Q-o-Q in Las Vegas, Oakland, and San Francisco. Other California metros, including Sacramento, Ventura County, San Jose, and Fresno, saw Q-o-Q gains drop by at least two percentage points between April and July. Meanwhile, many metros in the South and Midwest are seeing price gains accelerate, such as Atlanta (3.2 percentage points higher in July versus April) and Detroit (3.7 percentage points).

Hot Housing Markets Where Prices are Slowing Most
#U.S. MetroY-o-Y % change, July 2013Q-o-Q % change, July 2013Q-o-Q % change, April 2013Price slowdown = Difference in Q-o-Q % change, July minus April
1Las Vegas, NV32.9%7.5%12.7%-5.2%
2Oakland, CA31.0%7.2%10.8%-3.6%
3San Francisco, CA17.2%3.0%6.5%-3.5%
4Sacramento, CA33.7%6.8%10.2%-3.3%
5Portland, OR-WA18.1%3.6%6.9%-3.3%
6Ventura County, CA18.6%5.3%8.2%-2.9%
7Grand Rapids, MI18.2%5.1%7.6%-2.6%
8San Jose, CA20.9%4.5%6.9%-2.4%
9Fresno, CA19.9%5.2%7.4%-2.2%
10Salt Lake City, UT17.4%3.3%4.6%-1.3%
11Bakersfield, CA24.2%5.4%6.6%-1.2%
12Orange County, CA23.3%5.9%7.0%-1.1%
13Los Angeles, CA20.9%5.6%6.7%-1.1%
Table shows metros with the biggest decline in Q-o-Q   asking prices between April and July, among metros with large Y-o-Y   increases. The final column equals the difference between the third and   second data columns, but the numbers might not appear to add up due to   rounding.

Asking Home Prices Outpace Rents in All Major Rental Markets

Rents rose 3.9 percent year-over-year nationally, which was a big increase compared with inflation or income growth, but small compared with asking home price gains. Even as asking home prices slow down, July was the first time that prices outpaced rents in the 25 largest rental markets since Trulia started tracking rent trends in March 2011

 

 

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http://www.realestateeconomywatch.com/2013/08/cooler-asking-prices-chill-hot-markets/

 

 

Why Your Brand Must Tell A Compelling Story | Armonk Realtor

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We think in story. It’s hardwired in our brain. It’s how we make strategic sense of the otherwise overwhelming world around us. – Lisa Cron, Wired for Story

It’s no longer enough to build a great looking web site that gets traffic.  Those are just the bare essentials and won’t take you very far.  In a world where we are inundated with inputs, your business and your brand must tell a compelling story. As human beings we’re wired for story.

Changing The Story on my About Page

A few days ago I came across an amazing article by Erika Napoletano about the 3 copywriting mistakes that are holding your business back.  When I looked  at it, I realized I was making all of those mistakes. So I decided to make some changes.

Here is the first version of my bio:

BLOGCAST FM founder/host Srinivas Rao has been a 2-time speaker at Blogworld Expo and was listed on Problogger’s annual list of 40 Bloggers to Watch in 2011. He’s a regular contributor to the adage 150 blog {GROW} and his work has been featured on Social Mouths, Write to Done, Dumb Little Man, Twitip, Kikolani, and many other social media and personal development blogs.

As you can see it was written in third person, and it’s just a list of my accolades. It’s not very relatable. There’s no sense of anticipation.

Below is the second version of my bio:

My name is Srinivas Rao and I’m a connector, instigator and corporate misfit who is allergic to cubicles and office buildings. I’m the guy you’ll hear shouting “let’s shift gears” in every episode of BlogcastFM. In other words I’m the host of the show.  I’ve never been particularly good at having a  ”real” job, been fired more than a handful of times, and if I wasn’t, I usually quit before I was going to be fired. It seems I was meant to set the world on fire instead. In April 2009 I graduated from business school, was completely

 

 

 

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http://www.searchenginejournal.com/why-your-brand-must-tell-a-compelling-story/67086/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+SearchEngineJournal+%28Search+Engine+Journal%29&utm_content=Yahoo%21+Mail

 

What Does Your Kitchen Say About You? | Bedford Hills Real Estate

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ModernModern Design

Fun fact: despite its name, modern design traces its origins to the late 1800s. While easy to confuse with contemporary design, modern design refers to a style that was popular from the 1920s through the 1950s and is defined by clean lines, the moderate use of color, and the use of natural materials (we love the wood flooring and understated white cabinets). If you consider yourself kind of retro, but not quite trendy, a modern kitchen is the style for you.

ContemporaryContemporary Design

If you like making bold statements and consider yourself stylish and sophisticated, you’ll be a fan of contemporary design. Defined by tone-on-tone color choices, clean lines with smooth surfaces, metallic finished, and natural fabrics, contemporary design is the perfect choice for those who think form is just as important as function. With beautiful black cabinets, lustrous stainless steel appliances, and crisp white granite countertops and marble flooring, this kitchen proves how stunning contemporary design can be when done right.

 

 

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http://welcome.homeadvisor.com/kitchenstyles?m=homesense&entry_point_id=26784861

Are July Prices Signaling the New Normal? | Bedford Corners Homes

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While extremes continue in some markets, the national trend in Clear Capital’s July data is moderation as markets at both ends of the spectrum stabilize and return to historic patterns.  Has the New Normal arrived?

Clear Capital reports that national home prices gained 9.3 percent over the last year and 1.6 percent over the last quarter. Yet national home prices remain 33.4 percent below peak values.

Regional yearly gains were led by the West’s 17.8 percent, while the Northeast trailed with 4.8 percent growth. The Midwest and the South continued to closely track, with yearly gains of 7.5 percent and 7.6 percent, respectively.

The top 15 performing metro markets, exhibited impressive yearly gains, with average growth of more than 20.0 percent. 14 metros posted yearly gains above 15.0 percent.

Las Vegas yearly gains grew to 31.2 percent, the first metro to surpass 30.0 percent since the start of the recovery. Quarterly gains of 4.3 percent, the strongest of all the metros, signal this metro could retain its number one spot over the near-term. While Las Vegas leads the recovery, its median price of $145,000 ranks it below 35 of the top 50 markets. This suggests low price points are in part driving Las Vegas’ gains. Conversely, San Jose has seen gains of 26.0 percent over the year, despite its high median price of $710,000, an indication that demand is fueled by a strong local economy. As such, these two markets will likely see a variance in their trends moving forward.

“While July home prices continue to ramp up throughout the country led by Las Vegas posting more than 30.0 percent yearly growth, let’s not forget a healthy recovery means moderation as the new normal takes hold” said Dr. Alex Villacorta, vice president of research and analytics at Clear Capital. “Over the last half of 2013, we continue to call for a moderation in home price trends. A rising price floor will dampen some potential homebuyers’ appetites, particularly as recent gains bring many markets back into pre-bubble equilibrium. In other words, homebuyers are starting to adjust to the new normal, where steep discounts from the peak are not as attractive as they once were. Having said that, if housing inventory continues rising, it should help alleviate some of the recent pressure on prices, as well as homebuyer’ confidence in the market’s health overall.

 

 

read more…

http://www.realestateeconomywatch.com/2013/08/are-july-prices-signaling-the-new-normal/