Daily Archives: June 16, 2014

What $3,600/Month Can Rent You Around New York City | Chappaqua Real Estate

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↑ This 950-square-foot two-bedroom, asking $3,700/month in Carroll Gardens, is very intriguing thanks to a) the wealth of original details, and b) the fact that the listing begins with the words “UNDERGOING RENOVATION” and does not go into further detail. It has, or will have, a dishwasher, and hopefully those period details stick around too.

See how other neighborhoods stack up >>

↑ On the Lower East Side, a one-bedroom duplex is going for $3,595/month with no fee. The upper level is a small room that could be used for an office or something leading to a private roof deck. No pets allowed.

 

 

 

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http://ny.curbed.com/archives/2014/06/13/what_3600month_can_rent_you_around_new_york_city.php

 

 

 

 

 

Aspen’s Most Expensive House Hits the Market for $89.9M | Chappaqua Real Estate

 

 

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Billionaire businessman William Koch just listed his 32,614-square-foot Aspen mansion for $89.9M. Not only is it Aspen’s most expensive listing by a landslide—a hair under double the cost of the moneyed Colorado city’s second most expensive listing ever—it’s also No. 13 on the country’s list of priciest houses on the market right now, behind just five NYC highrise mansions, two L.A. properties, one Hamptons manor, one San Francisco estate, one Texas manse, and one boring private island in Florida. What does one get these days for $90M in Colorado? A 15-bedroom mainhouse, for one, plus nine other buildings on its 55 acres. Compared to NYC it seems like a deal, though it’s worth considering that Koch bought the property in 2007 for just $26.5M.

 

 

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http://curbed.com/archives/2014/06/12/aspens-most-expensive-house-hits-the-market-for-899m.php

Create a Secret Doorway Behind a Bookcase | Armonk Real Estate

 

Everyone’s got something to hide. Cash, documents, jewels, guns, clutter — these are things that earn our extra consideration for being stashed away securely. And no, under your mattress or at the bottom of your sock drawer isn’t going to cut it.

Enter the hidden doorway behind the bookcase. This cool concept keeps your belongings safely tucked away out of sight. Plus, it’s fun. Here’s how to add one.

Here Now, 7 Lovely Houses For Sale in World Cup Country | Mt Kisco Real Estate

 

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Today, on the opening day of the World Cup in Rio de Janeiro, we celebrate some of the realms Brazil rules: soccer—they’ve got the most World Cup wins, after all—and architecture. (There are other things—string bikinis, coffee, the largest rainforest in the world, for example—but let’s not touch those for now.) There’s a jumble of architectural styles on the luxury market right now in the Cidade Maravilhosa: French Neoclassical, contemporary, and Imperial dwellings, to name a few. The most intriguing of the Rio listings? Well, if one’s discounting the Airbnb offering listed by soccer stall Ronaldinho, it’s just too hard to choose, so, below, find eight mansions in the running.

 

 

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http://curbed.com/archives/2014/06/12/rio-de-janeiro-mansions-for-sale.php

How the Cold War Shaped the Design of American Malls | Cross River Real Estate

 

 

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[Photo courtesy of Life Magazine Photo Archive via Shorpy]

Regardless of location, the American shopping mall takes the same form: two floors of enclosed shopping and parking connected by escalators, with a lush central arboretum and two anchor department stores at either end. Today this design seems cliche, but in 1956, it was a revolutionary setup that brought comfort to a nation that feared itself on the brink of nuclear war. America’s first mall, Southdale in Edina, Minnesota, was a Cold War-era invention that forever changed the way America lives and shops.

Southdale was designed by Austrian-born architect Victor Gruen. Gruen grew up in the high arts scene in Vienna and designed housing projects and stores for local merchants, but he fled his home and the rise of Nazi Germany in 1938. He settled in America, where he first designed a leather goods boutique for Ludwig Leder on Fifth Avenue in New York. Gruen turned the typical street-fronting New York boutique on its head by designing a mini arcade entranceway for Lederer. Then he turned his attention to larger-scale design, entering a 1943 Architectural Forum competition called “Architecture 194x,” which solicited ideas from renowned modern architects to design components of a futuristic model town. (The contest title referred to an unspecified year sometime in the postwar future.)

 

 

 

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http://curbed.com/archives/2014/06/11/how-the-cold-war-shaped-the-design-of-american-malls.php

Drab to Fab: Unearthing Your Home’s Hidden Diamonds | North Salem Real Estate

 

 

Every home has “that room” – the one space that’s desperately dated, in disrepair, or otherwise in need of serious help. Of course, that room usually is the one space that everyone can see (we’re looking at you orange kitchen, carpeted bathroom, and boring backyard). So, how do you transform the embarrassing into the astonishing? We’ll show you how to find your diamond in the rough.

Fixin’ the KitchenFixin' the Kitchen

Not surprisingly, 33% of HomeAdvisor users reported that the kitchen was the room that could benefit the most from a refresh. And while many of us dream of gutting our kitchens, it’s possible to get a kitchen you can be proud by making a few key updates to your cabinets and countertops.

You probably don’t need to take a look at your cabinets to tell us whether you hate them or not. If you’re like many homeowners, you’re not too fond of them. Perhaps they’re broken and worn out. Or maybe they’re just plain ugly. Whatever the case, updating them will have a huge impact on your kitchen’s look. The question is: do you need to replace them, reface them, or simply paint them? In many cases, the answer depends on your budget. To help you decide, we recommend taking a look at our Cost Guide to see how much others in your area are paying for similar projects.

Let’s talk about your counters. If you aren’t happy with your kitchen there’s a good chance your countertops are partially to blame. While the reasons for your disdain are probably many, there are a couple of things you can do to rid yourself of your ugly counters. Your first option is to replace them. While this is the spendiest option, it’s the option that will have the biggest impact on the look and value of the room. Your other option (if you have laminate counters) is to resurface them. Far less expensive than replacing your countertops, resurfacing your counters is a labor-intensive, yet affordable option that can change the look of your kitchen without breaking the bank. To learn what option is best for you, we recommend talking to a counter pro.

Bathroom BreakthroughBathroom Breakthrough

Don’t like your bathroom? You’re not alone. You could open the checkbook and remodel your bathroom. Or you could make a few strategic updates that are guaranteed to have an impact.

When it comes to a bathroom update, one of the biggest areas of opportunity is to replace your shower or bathtub. Like most fixtures, bathtubs and showers start to show their age after a number of years. Sometimes the fix is as easy as having the tub refinished. This is a great option if you have a period tub that will be costly to replace. If refinishing is out, spending the money on a high-quality replacement will get you a tub or shower that will improve the look of the room and the value of your home.

If replacing your tub isn’t in the cards, replacing your cabinet hardware and light fixtures are affordable updates that can have freshen up your dated bathroom. While both jobs are doable DIY-projects, replacing your light fixtures can be tricky, especially if you’re not comfortable working with electricity. If you’d rather contract the job out to a pro, we can help you find a pro you can trust. (NOTE: When working with electricity, always make sure to turn the power off at your service panel.)

Luxe LandscapingLuxe Landscaping

When it comes to remodeling, the yard is often one of the last spaces to be addressed. Though this makes perfect sense from a budget standpoint, it makes less sense when you consider how visible your yard is and how much curb appeal can affect your home’s value. So, what can you do to transform landscaping your loathe in a yard you can be proud of? Here are a few options.

Perhaps the project that will have the most immediate impact is clearing out or trimming overgrown shrubs, bushes, and trees. While it can be very labor intensive, cleaning up your landscaping is a project that can be tackled in as little as a few hours or as long as a weekend. Or you can clear your calendar and hire a landscaping pro to do the job for you. Think you look good after a haircut? Just imagine how your yard will look.

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http://welcome.homeadvisor.com/diamondintherough?m=homesense&entry_point_id=28038335

Despite positive housing reports, officials remain cautious | Waccabuc Real Estate

 

Despite overall positive trends in the housing market, officials caution that the harsh winter slowed growth while the economy continues to recover from the Great Recession, the Obama Administration said in the May housing scorecard.

This is not too far off the April scorecard, which posted similar findings.

“May’s Housing Scorecard shows that the housing market recovery is picking up after the harsh winter months,” said U.S Housing & Urban Development Assistant Secretary for Policy Development and Research Katherine O’Regan.

“More homeowners have positive equity, foreclosures continue their downward trend, and sales of new and existing homes are rebounding. While these are all good signs, it’s clear that we must remain committed to helping homeowners as they recover from the worst housing recession since the Great Depression,” O’Regan added.

Home Prices increased to 166.8 in March, up from 165.4 in February, according to the S&P Case-Shiller home price index. Year-over-year the index is up from 148.4 in March 2013.

Existing homes sales slightly grew to 387,500 in April from 382,500 in March, but is down from 415,800 for the same period a year prior, the latest data from the National Association of Realtors said.

In addition, new home sales climbed to 36,100 in April, up from 33,900 in March and 37,700 in April 2013, the U.S. Census Bureau and HUD posted.

 

 

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http://www.housingwire.com/articles/30320-scorecard-despite-positive-housing-reports-officials-remain-cautious

Fed Could Keep Rates Near Zero Until Mid-2015 | South Salem Real Estate

 

The International Monetary Fund cut its growth forecast for the United States on Monday and said the economy would not reach full employment until the end of 2017, allowing the Federal Reserve to bide its time before raising interest rates.

In its annual health check of the U.S. economy, the IMF also urged the United States to boost the minimum wage, which is below most international standards, to fight poverty, which lingers above 15 percent.

The IMF forecast economic growth of 2 percent this year, below the 2.8 percent rate it predicted in April, due to a weak first quarter. It kept its 2015 forecast unchanged at 3 percent.

“Recent data … suggest a meaningful rebound in activity is now underway and growth for the remainder of this year and 2015 should well exceed potential,” the IMF said.

Yet the country’s potential growth should only be around 2 percent going forward, below historical averages, as the population ages and productivity growth slows, it added

“Given the substantial economic slack in the economy, there is a strong case to provide continued policy support,” the IMF said.

It said its forecasts show the U.S. economy would only return to full employment by the end of 2017, with inflation remaining low, suggesting the Fed could keep rates at zero for longer than the middle of 2015.

The IMF urged the United States to increase spending on infrastructure and education and change parts of its tax system, including boosting the federal gasoline tax and reinstating the tax credit for research and development, to help spur growth.

In the future, the United States should also reform corporate taxes, introduce a carbon tax and move toward a federal value-added tax, the IMF said.

 

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http://www.foxbusiness.com/industries/2014/06/16/imf-fed-could-keep-rates-near-zero-until-mid-2015/

Homebuilder confidence up in June, remains low | Katonah Real Estate

 

U.S. homebuilders are feeling more confident about the housing market but don’t think it is healthy yet.

The National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo builder sentiment index rose to 49 in June, highest since January and up from 45 in May. Readings below 50 indicate that builders view sales conditions are poor rather than good. The index has been stuck below 50 since January. The low numbers earlier this year reflected a bitter winter that chilled economic activity across much of the U.S.

New home sales are running about half the rate of a healthy housing market.

Still, builders are the most confident they’ve been since January about new single-family home sales over the next six months. They report seeing more potential buyers shopping for homes, though traffic remains modest.

 

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http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/business/2014/06/16/homebuilder-confidence/10574885/