Tag Archives: North Salem Luxury Homes

Realtors expect median home prices to rise 4% | North Salem Real Estate

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Realtors expect home prices to continue to appreciate over the next year, with a median price increase expected of 4% over the next 12 months, according to the latest survey of the National Association of Realtors in their confidence index.

The index reflects the responses of more than 3,000 NAR members about their sales transactions.

The full report can be read here.

“Slower sales due to tight credit conditions, declining affordability due to the recent price growth amid modest income gains, and fewer distressed sales likely account for the modest expectations,” economists note in the report.

Some states are slightly more optimistic about home price increases, such as in Florida, where low housing inventories and high demand are expected to boost prices.

 

 

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http://www.housingwire.com/articles/30288-realtors-expect-median-home-prices-to-rise-4

PoMo ’90s Time Capsule Wants $5.5M in South Florida | North Salem Real Estate

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32 images


Click here to view the full photogallery.

Location: Tequesta, Fla.
Price: $5,499,900
The Skinny: The early 90s are very much alive and well in this South Florida waterfront estate: from the all-white PoMo exterior to the smoothest of smooth jazz that provides the soundtrack to the listing site’s photo slideshow, this mansion is the architectural equivalent of high-waisted acid wash jeans with an electric blue skypager clipped to the belt. Enter through the custom woodwork double front doors and you’ll experience (per the brokerbabble) “warm, Florida modern allure draped in sophistication and delights, while conveying an unmistakable sense of strength, volume, and boldness”, which sounds more like the copy for a shampoo ad than a listing description, but does manage to communicate the fact that the place is huge. The expansive open plan ground floor is a case in point, with features that include three crystal chandeliers (natch), a sky-bridge, marble floors, and walls of floor-to-ceiling windows with pretty spectacular views of the Intracoastal Waterway. Sadly, the home’s special brand of conspicuous gigantism is not to everyone’s taste, as it’s been on and off the market since 2009, and has recently suffered a PriceChop of $400K. It’s now asking $5.499M, which you’ll be happy to know includes a “pool deck adroned [sic] with a massive custom bronze sailfish”.

 

 

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http://curbed.com/archives/2014/05/29/pomo-90s-time-capsule-wants-55m-in-south-florida.php

Is the smart money exiting the housing market? | North Salem NY Homes

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The number of all-cash residential property buyers in the U.S. was on the rise in the first quarter, while institutional investors increasingly bowed out of the market.

All-cash buys constituted 42.7 percent of all residential property sales in the first quarter of 2014 — up 37.8 percent from the previous quarter and a 19.1 percent jump year-over-year, according to RealtyTrac’s first-quarter institutional investor and cash sales report, cited by Zero Hedge.

Institutional investors, meanwhile, are trickling out of the market. Traditional all-cash buyers like Blackstone accounted for only 5.6 percent of U.S. residential sales in the first three months of the year, down from 6.8 percent the previous quarter and 7 percent in the same period a year ago. This marks the lowest level of investment for institutional investors since the first quarter of 2012, according got the report.

“Strict lending standards combined with low inventory continue to give the advantage to investors and other cash buyers in this housing market,” Daren Blomquist, vice president at RealtyTrac, told Zero Hedge. “The good news is that as institutional investors pull back their purchasing in many markets across the country, there is still strong demand from other cash buyers — including individual investors, second-home buyers and even owner-occupant buyers — to fill the vacuum of demand left by institutional investors.”

According to some industry watchers, the trend is evidence that “smart money” is exiting the market, leaving property flippers to pick up the scraps and deep-pocketed foreign buyers to snatch up properties as second, third or fourth homes.

 

 

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http://therealdeal.com/blog/2014/05/08/is-smart-money-exiting-the-housing-market/

Weaker sales slowed US home price gains in March | North Salem NY Homes

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U.S. home prices rose at a slightly slower pace in the 12 months that ended in March, a sign that weak sales have begun to restrain the housing market’s sharp price gains.

Data provider CoreLogic says prices rose 11.1 percent in March compared with March 2013. Though a sizable increase, that was down a bit from February’s 12.2 percent year-over-year increase.

On a month-to-month basis, prices in March rose 1.4 percent from February. But CoreLogic’s month-to-month figures aren’t adjusted for seasonal patterns, such as warmer spring weather.

Home sales and construction have faltered since last fall, slowing the economy. A harsh winter, higher buying costs and a limited supply of available homes have discouraged many potential buyers. Existing-home sales in March reached their lowest level in 20 months.

Some signs suggest that buying might be picking up a bit as the spring season gets underway. Signed contracts to buy homes rose in March for the first time in nine months, the National Association of Realtors said last week.

Even so, economists forecast that sales of existing homes will barely rise this year from 2013’s pace of 5.1 million. Sluggish sales, in turn, will slow annual price gains this year to roughly 5 percent or 6 percent, economists predict. CoreLogic forecasts that prices will increase just 6.7 percent in the 12 months that will end next March.

Higher prices typically encourage some homeowners to sell, yet the number of homes on the market remains low. CoreLogic’s chief economist, Mark Fleming, said many homeowners might be reluctant to sell because they’ve locked in low mortgage rates and are hesitant to buy a home with a higher-rate mortgage.

The Federal Reserve’s bond-buying program helped reduce the average rate on a 30-year fixed mortgage to as low as 3.3 percent in early 2013. The average is now about 4.3 percent, according to mortgage buyer Freddie Mac.

 

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http://news.yahoo.com/weaker-sales-slowed-us-home-price-gains-march-121309889–finance.html

 

6 states and 13 metros with the biggest slow-down in sales | North Salem Real Estate

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Despite the annual increase in residential sales volume nationwide reported Wednesday, data from RealtyTrac shows that the sales volume in March decreased from a year ago in six states and 21 of the nation’s 50 largest metro areas.

Nationally, home sales slipped 0.2% to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.59 million in March from 4.6 million in February, and are 7.5% below the 4.96 million-unit pace in March 2013.

Last month’s sales volume remained the slowest since July 2012, when it was 4.59 million.

Major metros with decreasing sales volume from a year ago included:

  1. San Jose (down 18%)
  2. San Francisco (down 15%)
  3. Los Angeles (down 14%)
  4. Rochester, N.Y., (down 14%)
  5. Sacramento (down 13%)
  6. San Diego (down 12%)
  7. Orlando (down 12%)
  8. Las Vegas (down 12%)
  9. Providence, R.I. (down 12%)
  10. Phoenix (down 11%)
  11. Riverside-San Bernardino, Calif. (down 11%)
  12. Hartford, Conn., (down 10%)
  13. Boston (down 8%)

For the states with the biggest declines in sales volume, and the cities that have experienced the biggest price recovery, click below.

 

 

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http://www.housingwire.com/articles/29788-states-and-13-metros-with-the-biggest-slow-down-in-sales

50 Photos to Celebrate the Start of the 1964 World’s Fair | North Salem Real Estate

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50 images

Fifty years ago today, all eyes turned to Queens for the gala kick-off to the  1964 World’s Fair. It was an event whose size and scope were unparalleled, leaving New Yorkers and others today with countless indelible memories. Fast-forward half a century, and one of the last structures specially built for the fair that is still standing, the New York State Pavilion, was just named a “national treasure” by the National Trust for Historic Preservation. The pavilion opened to the public today for the first time in decades. While Curbed will soon have photos of the architectural relic in its current decrepit state, let’s fete the fair’s 50th anniversary with a collection of 50 historic photos shot when all the attractions were in their prime. Culled from the archives of the New York Public Library, the Queens Museum, and personal collections shared online, the images show the construction of iconic Unisphere, the international pavilions, the elaborate “Futurama” show from General Motors, and much more.

 

 

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http://ny.curbed.com/archives/2014/04/22/50_photos_to_celebrate_the_start_of_the_1964_worlds_fair.php

The 10 greenest places to live | North Salem Real Estate

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Regardless of what side of the fence you are on for celebrating Earth Day (although the grass is greener on the other side), there are select cities across the country that take the extra initiative to ensure we are taking care of the planet.

NerdWallet took a closer look at the cities with the highest level of green living, measuring environmental quality and green transportation.

Environmental quality factors in the median air quality for each city, with the lower the AQI, the better. Additionally, it looked at the number of parks per 10,000 residents.

Green transportation calculates the percentage of the population that walks, bikes, carpools, takes public transportation or works from home from each city. It also assessed the excess fuel consumed per commuter, which is wasted due to congested conditions in the city.

Of the 95 largest cities in the U.S. considered in the analysis, here are the top 10 greenest cities.

10. Minneapolis, Minn.

Minneapolis is home to 92 miles of on-street bikeways and 85 miles of off-street paths, making it one of the best biking cities in the nation. The city is also home to several green groups, including Minnesota Renewable Energy Society, a nonprofit organization that has promoted the use of renewable energy since 1978.

Overall the city posted a final score of 52.62, with a median air quality of 45, 4.7 parks per 10,000 residents and 12 gallons of excess fuel consumed per commuter.

9. New Orleans, La.

New Orleans has taken new action to rebuild a green environment since Hurricane Katrina passed. The city now offers 200 parks sprawling over 2,000 acres. Overall the city posted a final score of 52.66, with a median air quality of 45, 6.7 parks per 10,000 residents and 13 gallons of excess fuel consumed per commuter.

8. St. Paul, Minn.

Now to the other half of the Twin Cities, St. Paul hosts more than 20 buildings that are certified by Leadership in Energy and Environment Design, which identifies the world’s greenest and most energy-efficient buildings. Plus, the city is overflowing with more than 170 parks and open spaces and 100 miles of trails. As a result, the city posted a final score of 52.92. a median air quality of 45, 6.5 parks per 10,000 residents and 12 gallons of excess fuel consumed per commuter.

 

 

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http://www.housingwire.com/articles/29752-the-10-greenest-places-to-live

Break the Mold With a Brutalist ‘Tree House’ on the Chesapeake | North Salem Real Estate

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41 images

Up for $1.29M on Maryland’s Gibson Island is this atypical Chesapeake cottage, a 2,826-square-foot fortress designed by blocky brutalism extraordinaire, Ulrich Franzen. Known as the Glass Tree House, the 1962 three-bedroom was built for an executive at Bethlehem Steel, which may explain the liberal use of steel beams and trim. Curbed DC points out the house perches at the highest point of the island (“and as such, the trees”), and the brokerbabble is quick to tout the home’s “manicured sloping gardens [that] provide dramatic views from within.” Have a look inside, below.

 

 

 

http://curbed.com/archives/2014/04/18/break-the-mold-with-a-brutalist-tree-house-on-the-chesapeake.php

Sail Away on This ‘Temple of Light’ Houseboat For $1.095M | North Salem Real Estate

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Docked in  Sausalito, Calif. and newly on the market for $1.095M, this utterly sweet Temple of Light listing combines all the seafaring fun of living aboard a houseboat with the tranquility of bunking down in one’s very own temple. While the brokerbabble fails to confirm whether the three-bedroom, 1,743-square-foot home has ever actually functioned as a meeting place religious practice, the “light” part of the hippie-esque name makes total sense, considering just how much natural sunlight the A-frame design provides. Huge skylights cover each slanting ceiling, while one entire end of the house is capped in floor-to-ceiling glass, providing both access to the jacuzzi-equipped porch and killer lake views. Take a look at the cozy home, below…

 

 

 

http://curbed.com/archives/2014/04/15/buy-this-adorable-temple-of-light-houseboat-for-1095m.php

The 15 Most Common WordPress Mistakes to Avoid | North Salem Realtor

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A very old and famous saying, “to err is human and to forgive is divine“, is absolutely true. We all  make mistakes, because none of us is perfect. Whether it’s real life or  WordPress, mistakes happen everywhere. To commit a mistake is not a crime,  however, not learning from it and not trying to repeat it again definitely is.  Everyone learn from their mistakes, but it’s much better to learn from the  others’ mistakes.

In the case of WordPress, the primary focus of a novice is to set everything  up and get things running as soon as possible. In this hurry, there are quite a  few things that are ignored which may lead to numerous security vulnerabilities  and affect your blog/site in the long run. In this article, we’ve outlined 15 of  the most common WordPress mistakes that almost every one of us makes in the  beginning.

Hopefully, everyone will use this guide to avoid the same blunders and make  their WordPress site better, faster and more secure and of course a success.

#1. Choosing the wrong platform

Free WordPress.com or self hosted WordPress.org? Most of the WordPress  beginners often get confused between these two, and it’s one of the most common  mistakes, which is seen among beginners. While you’re going to start out as a  beginner, it’s extremely crucial to know what’s the difference between them and  which one can be the right choice for your new WordPress blog.

As both of them have their own pros and cons, it’s a big challenge for you to  decide which option is perfect for you. WordPress.com (run by the folks at Automattic) is most suitable  for bloggers, photographers, and artists – almost everyone. On the other hand,  WordPress.org is made for those who like to have total control over their  websites. Whatever option you choose, be careful.

#2. Forgetting to change the default admin username

When you install WordPress, it automatically creates the username “admin” with administrator privileges. It’s the username that is  obviously predictable to hackers. Using the “admin” username, they can  easily perform a brute force attack to crack your login and take control over  your site.

As WordPress gives you the option to change the username during installation,  it doesn’t make sense to stick with the default one. Therefore, while installing  WordPress, make sure to change your default WordPress admin username to a  different username. Also, use a combination of numbers, letters and special  characters in your username and password.

#3. Using an inappropriate or defective theme

Choosing the perfect theme is a crucial thing that decides the future  your WordPress blog. You wouldn’t believe that the structure of your design  plays a vital role in search engine rankling. There are three things you should  keep in mind while picking a theme – the ease of use for you, a reasonable  price, and a reputed company.

If you’re looking for a free WordPress theme, then there is no better option  than WordPress Themes  Directory. But if you’re interested in purchasing a commercial theme, we  recommend you to give a try to any one of these trusted theme providers: Elegant Themes, StudioPress, Headway Themes, Themify,  or ithemes.

 

 

 

Read more at http://www.jeffbullas.com/2014/04/14/the-15-most-common-wordpress-mistakes-to-avoid/#H1OBorvdkX7JVA8o.99