Daily Archives: August 13, 2011

Mortgage Rates for Bedford New York | August 13, 2011

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Bedford NY Real Estate Mortgages |  Wells Fargo  –  DE Capital

 

 

The current interest rates shown below are based on a refinance of a single-family, primary residence. For currentpurchase rates, use our Calculate Rates & Payments Tool.
Interest rates displayed below require that you pay 1% of your loan amount toward the loan origination charge.1
For information on the many other loan options we have available, contact us.
as of 08/13/2011 03:00 PM Eastern

ProductInterest RateAPR
Conforming 1and FHA Loans
30-Year Fixed4.250%4.433%
30-Year Fixed FHA4.250%5.251%
15-Year Fixed3.375%3.691%
5-Year ARM2.750%3.083%
5-Year ARM FHA3.250%3.236%
Larger Loan Amounts in Eligible Areas – Conforming and FHA.1
30-Year Fixed4.375%4.508%
30-Year Fixed FHA4.250%5.195%
5-Year ARM2.875%3.079%
Jumbo1 Loans – Amounts that exceed conforming loan limits1
30-Year Fixed4.625%4.760%
5-Year ARM3.125%3.167%

Bedford NY Real Estate | 10 Tips in Communicating With Your Landlord

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By Ben Holubecki, STML Realty, Glen Ellyn, IL

Most residents give little thought to how they communicate with their property manager or landlord. Considering that nearly 35 percent of Americans currently reside in approximately 40 million rental units throughout the country, it is surprising that so few of us really understand how to communicate effectively with our landlords. Almost every one of these landlord/tenant relationships last a minimum of one year and some last many years, even decades.

The relationship that you enjoy with your landlord can directly impact your lifestyle, comfort, image, and financial standing. Establishing a positive and healthy relationship with your landlord can go a long way in helping you live in the best conditions possible, getting you the fastest responses to maintenance requests, and keeping your rental rates reasonable.

The following are some quick tips which can go a long way in helping to maintain and improve landlord/tenant relations:

During your rental search

1.)  Know what your expectations are before searching for a property. If your requirements aren’t offered at a particular property, then move on. Don’t expect a landlord to add an unreasonable amount of amenities or upgrades to an existing rental. There are often other units available that will meet all of your needs.

2.) Submit completely accurate rental applications regardless of your shortcomings. Do not overstate your income or lie about credit problems. Landlords are increasingly open to working with challenged credit. Providing a clear explanation as to why your credit has suffered and expressing your desire to improve the situation will go a long way to sway a decision. We always recommend a pre-written letter with this information be sent with the rental application as it shows some planning and thought went into your process. Lying on an application is almost always grounds for denial or later termination of a lease.

3.) Ask the right questions. Those questions are the ones most important to you. In most cases landlords/agents are not required to disclose some information that may be important to you. Do not be shy when searching for a home to rent. Ask as many questions as necessary to make sure that you are comfortable with the decision you are making.

4.) Get it in writing. If a landlord has promised a repair, new carpet, new appliances, or anything else will be done as a condition of your lease then be absolutely sure to get it in writing, preferably on the lease document. Anything less opens up the chance for miscommunication and leaves an opening for problems. I can’t remember how many times I’ve spoken to tenants who were “promised new carpeting” at some point during their tenancy and did not get it. Promises don’t get things done. Written agreements do.

5.) Read your lease completely. This is an important process. You are making legally binding guarantees regarding payments, upkeep, repairs, etc. Read it thoroughly before you sign it. If possible ask for a copy the day before signing the lease so that you have enough time to read and think about any potential questions.

Move-in time

6.) Complete or request a walk-through to assess any existing wear or damage. This will alleviate many disputes at the time of move out. Make sure this is done thoroughly and ask for a copy for your records.

7.) Make sure that you know all of the pertinent property information (utility info, garbage day, mailbox #, instructions for alarms, entry systems, sprinkler systems, HOA rules, etc.). By collecting all of this information up front you can eliminate several calls to your landlord over the first weeks of tenancy. When landlords receive a flood of calls from a new tenant they instantly start to think of that tenant as high maintenance. This puts an instant strain on the relationship and can set up future problems. An effective landlord should provide this information for the same reason but many do not. By collecting all of this at the time of move-in you can avoid that unnecessary contact.

8.) Make sure that you know the exact process for contacting your landlord in case of any questions or repair issues. Every landlord is different and each has their own process for dealing with tenant inquiries. You are best served to ask exactly how the landlord would like to be contacted. Don’t assume that texting them or calling them on their cell phone is the preferred or most effective option. By following the landlord’s preferred process you instantly become “easier to work with” than the tenant who contacts them by some other means. Landlords are also likely to respond more quickly to those who operate the way that they prefer to.

During your tenancy

9.) Pay your rent on time. Easy enough when everything is going well but what about when things are not? Your best option is to contact the landlord as soon as you see a problem arise and work out an agreement to get on track. Very few landlords will want to evict a tenant who they believe honestly wants to pay but is having a short-term problem. The worst option is silence. A non-paying, non-communicating tenant will and should be dealt with harshly.

10.) Be reasonable with your requests. Most landlord/tenant issues that don’t involve money center around tenant maintenance requests that they feel are not handled adequately by their landlords. There are many cases where the tenants are absolutely in the right and landlords have neglected their duty to provide clean, safe housing. However, in many other instances the requests made by tenants are completely unreasonable and by utilizing a bit of patience and thought these issues can be resolved reasonably.

Handle very minor issues on your own. Almost any tenant can replace a light bulb, furnace filter, or smoke detector battery. They can tighten a door knob or put a closet door back on its track. However, these types of tiny issues constitute a huge number of service calls and maintenance costs for landlords. If you have small issues and can’t handle them on your own then wait until a larger problem arises that truly requires service and ask if those smaller items can be addressed as well saving multiple service trips. If you have a non-emergency issue, don’t require that it be handled on an emergency time frame. There are many factors out of the landlord’s control that go into how quickly an issue can be resolved including vendor schedules, time of day/week, weather, travel time, etc. Tenants need to take these factors into account and try to understand that your landlord wants to resolve your issues and wants you to be a happy tenant as it is in their best interest.

Above all else, it’s important to remember that you are ultimately dealing with another human being. If you are speaking with a property manager or maintenance tech you are dealing with someone who can choose to help you or ultimately push your concerns aside. Your goal should be to get your questions answered and problems resolved, not to make as much noise as possible. By portraying yourself as an honest tenant, preparing yourself for your tenancy up front, educating yourself on your lease terms and rules, and making reasonable requests using the proper channels it is very likely that you will have a happier and more successful relationship with your landlord and a more pleasant stay in your rental property.

Ben Holubecki is a licensed Real Estate Broker and a Co-Owner of STML Realty Group, where he oversees the business development and leasing activities of the company. Founded in 2003, STML is a full service property management and leasing firm representing more than 100 individual property owners and overseeing management of approximately 400 rental units throughout the Chicagoland area. Ben is a regular contributor to Buildium’s All Things Property Management blog.

 

via zillow.com

Pound Ridge NY Real Estate | Perfect Home for a Little Tramp

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Source: IMDb

English-born comedy actor Charlie Chaplin was synonymous with the silent-movie era and his widely loved character, The Little Tramp, was the most memorable symbol of silent films. It was perhaps from Chaplin’s financial success portraying this bumbling, but lovable vagrant that he commissioned this gorgeous Spanish-style home built for him in 1929, which is now for sale for $1,725,000.

Not only did Chaplin grace this space, but other notable celebrities also owned it, including actor Robert Downey Jr. in the 1990s and later, reality TV star Kelly Osbourne (daughter of Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne), according to the L.A. Times.

Located just above the Sunset Strip, Charlie Chaplin’s home is in the Hollywood Hills real estate market and has been recently restored. Perhaps the most dramatic room in the home is the original beamed-ceiling living room, which has a fireplace as a centerpiece and contains white-washed walls that contrast warmly with the dark hardwood floors.

An open floor plan flows throughout. A simple, but handsome dining room with French doors leads to the patio. Adjacent to the dining room is a large chef’s kitchen. The two-story master suite offers high ceilings, two bathrooms (both remodeled), multiple closets, spacious sitting area, city views, and French doors that open to a secluded backyard with patios and fountain. Two additional private en-suite bedrooms and grand office with views complete this classic Hollywood home.

The listing is held by Matthew Altman of Hilton & Hyland.

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Based on a 30-year fixed mortgage rate at a current rate of 4.01 percent and assuming a 20 percent down payment, the monthly mortgage payment for this home is $6,596 per month, as quoted on Zillow Mortgage Marketplace.

via zillow.com

Chappaqua Real Estate | Don’t Be Anti-Social When You Work from Home

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Aug 11 2011

Don’t Be Anti-Social When You Work from Home

For those individuals who have always dreamt of working from home, they know such an assignment comes with its highs and lows.

If you run your own small business out of your residence, you also know that communication is essential in order to sell your products and/or services, given the fact that all in likelihood you do not have corporate weight behind you spreading the word.

In the event you are scratching your head over how to spread the word about your business – have you given social media a try?

Social Media Provides Forum for Promotion

When working your business from home, social media proves a great tool to market and network both you and your company, through such sites as Facebook and Twitter to name two. What makes these two sites and others great is that they do not cost anything other than your time.

Unfortunately, too many home-based business owners are asleep at the switch and do not take advantage of these social media tools. The end result is less exposure and missed opportunities.

If you’re not social networking from home, look at what you could be missing out on:

  • Networking without leaving your home – If commuting and meeting with clients proved a hassle over time; think about the advantages networking from home brings you. You can network from home 24/7, think about and review what you want to say as opposed to a face-to-face meeting, and providing instantaneous responses;
  • Networking to a larger audience – Before the Internet and social media’s growth, reaching out to customers and potential customers meant phone calls and many face-to-face encounters. By using social media, you can reach out not only to those in your state and across the country, but around the world should you so choose;
  • Networking and saving money – One of the many beneficial things to sites such as Facebook and Twitter is that you can use them for free. Not only are you spreading your company’s message, but you open yourself up to co-shares and retweets by those you follow or follow you, along with strangers who may come upon your messages;
  • Data analysis – You don’t have to be a computer geek to be able to analyze and crunch certain numbers. Whether you use Google Analytics or another tool, use social media to review the data and see where your marketing and communication efforts need to be stepped up.

While home-based businesses can be very satisfying and even lucrative in a number of instances, the bottom line is that the business will only succeed if the owner can reach and even surpass their target market.

If you’re looking to employ social media in your home business plans, be sure to locate a dependable networking site that is driven with high traffic, promote your business left and right (tweets, shares, blogs, videos, podcasts etc.) and engage with others who comment on your posts.

A home-based business is the dream of many Americans; making it work takes time, effort and the ability to be social.

Written By:

PG

Dave Thomas | Resource Nation

Dave Thomas is an expert writer on telemarketing and is based in San Diego, California.  He writes extensively for an online resource that provides expert advice on purchasing and outsourcing decisions for small business owners and entrepreneurs at Resource Nation.

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  • Anonymous

    Thanks for the post.  You bring up some good points about working from home.  It’s not always the dream life like a lot of people make it out to be.  Social networking however is a sure way to increase your chances of success. 

  • Work from home? What’s that?! Even though I would absolutely keep in more contact than I would if I were working from the office..

  • Working from home is a great way to make money online. Its a form of making serious cash from home.

  • Great post, social media can be an incredible asset. One word of warning may be that social networking is not for the faint of heart. A red flag could be raised in the consumers mind if certain social media profiles aren’t updated with fresh, eye-catching content consistently. Not to mention the drop in your followers dopamine levels 😀 Any suggestions on how to motivate those home-workers to be proactive?

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via searchenginejournal.com

Armonk NY Real Estate | Fighting Scrapers when Google Won’t: A Simple Guide

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Aug 12 2011

Fighting Scrapers when Google Won’t: A Simple Guide

Battling those who mirror your site.

Scraping: When a site copies all of the information from a popular publisher and tries to pass it off as their own, sometimes even outranking the original author. Google has made great strides in preventing scraping, but it can still be an issue for those caught in its web. Here are some easy ways to discourage and prevent scraping:

1: Make Regular Updates

Google will assume that the first version of identical content that’s indexed belongs to the original author. For that reason, being indexed frequently is a great way to prevent scraping. While there are no magic bullets to being indexed more frequently, posting content on a regular basis is the most reliable way to get the attention of Google’s robo.

2: Link Back to Your Site

Scrapers need to post your content immediately if they’re going to be seen as the original author. That means copying your website, code and all. One way to ensure that you have evidence that you’re being scraped is to include links back to your own site. Have images, author tags, and other content link back to other portions of your main website.

3: Add “Read More” URL Inclusions

One way that scrapers get their content is just copying and pasting it. If this is the case, you can ensure that your site is attributed as the original source of the content by using a “read more” inclusion. This inclusion makes it so an additional line is added at the end of a copy/paste. Normally, this reads as “Read more: [your URL].” While there are multiple providers of this technology, Tynt is the most respected in the industry.

4: Truncate Your RSS

Another way scrapers get content is automatically importing your RSS feed. If you’re providing full posts in your RSS, it’s a good idea to truncate the total amount provided and add a “read more at” link at the bottom. This keeps your feed friendly for users while preventing the scrape.

Have other tactics that have helped you get past scrapers? Share them in the comments section below.

Written By:

PG

Rob D Young | @RobDYoungWrites

Rob has been insatiably obsessed with Google, search engine technology, and the trends of the web-based world since he began life as a webmaster in 2002. His move into SEO work in 2006, and subsequently to writing for technology and internet-focused publications, has done nothing but fuel this passion.

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via searchenginejournal.com

Katonah Elementary School News | Godin Settles in As New Principal of Katonah Elementary – Bedford-Katonah, NY Patch

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When Katonah Elementary School students come to school on the first day, they’ll be greeted by a new principal with a familiar face.

That’s because Jessica Godin, 31, visited 18 classrooms for 20 minutes each last spring when she toured the school. She also met with almost every teacher individually and asked them how she could support their learning and growth this year. And this summer, she’s hosted many parents in her office for informal meetings. Her official start date was July 1.

Godin will replace Eileen Casey, who is serving as interim principal of KES. Casey took over after Jonathan Kaplan announced that he was taking a leave of absence from the position starting in December. In Feburary, Kaplan announced his resignation effective June 2011.

Her impressions of the KES community so far?

“The community is very passionate here,” she said. “The passion gives me a lot of energy; I want people to know I have an open door, and I want to hear both the positive things and the things people would like to see changed.”

For the first few months, though, she said she’d like to observe and get to know the school’s culture, and culture of the school district, which may be undergoing some changes with the arrival of Paul Kreutzer, new schools superintedent.

Godin said parents were very involved in her former district of Cheyenne Wells in Durango, CO, where she was the preK – 8th grade principal. She described that culture as “an interesting mix of people in the middle of the oil fields, from the very wealthy to workers in the fields.” While in that position, she said had the opportunity for professional development and mentoring from a veteran educator who was named Colorado “elementary principal of the year.”

Godin also had experience implementing a “positive behavior intervention” program called Character Counts, that she’d like to explore doing in Katonah. 

The program helps establish positive relationships between students, parents and school staff by reinforcing positive behavior. Kids get “written up” for good deeds, then get sent down to the principal’s office for praise, which helps de-mystify the notion of principal as foe, said Godin.

“Over two years, I saw kids change their behavoir, and go out of their way to help each other,” she said. “I think we have pieces of this in place here—through sharing assemblies, for example—but I’d be interested in developing it further with buy-in from the staff.”

Godin said she’d also like to address concerns she’s heard from parents over the implementation of the district’s health and wellness policy, which some have said is inconsistent across classrooms, and work on the implementation of RTI, the state-mandated “response-to-intervention” program which provides academic supports to ensure student progress.

When she’s not working in her new job, Godin, a Long Island native who loved the outdoor recreation in Colorado, is exploring her new surroundings. “I’m big on the outdoors—we’ve been to Teatown, Lasdon, all over,” she said, rattling off the parks she’s been to with her seven-month-old son, Brier, and her husband, Dave, who is a school social worker.

Though only 31, Godin said that she brings plenty of experience—12 years of teaching and educational administration—plus an energy and excitement about connecting with kids.

“I think I can also be a role model for younger kids and show them how to succeed early on,” she said.

 

 

 

 

 

 

via bedford.patch.com

South Salem NY Real Estate | Open Houses Aug. 14-15 – Bedford-Katonah, NY Patch

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Here is this week’s edition of House Hunt, our weekly feature showcasing the homes that are open to the public this coming weekend.  Every Friday afternoon you will find that weekend’s updated list right here.

Why isn’t my Open House included?  

We include Open Houses in and around Bedford of those real estate offices that have given us authorization.  If you’d like to include your Open House ask the office manager to contact Lisa Buchman (lisab@patch.com) at Patch.  We determine what towns to include based on each week’s open house volume but always include open houses in Bedford’s three hamlets.

 

Data is from the Empire Access MLS and compiled by Nelson Salazar, a real estate agent in Northern Westchester with Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage.  You can find him on Facebook or visit his website or at Nelson@NelsonSalazar.com.

via bedford.patch.com

Bedford Hills Real Estate | Weekend Tag Sales: August 12-14 – Bedford-Katonah, NY Patch

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We’re looking for basic tag sale information in our towns. Feel free in the comments section below this article, to tell us:

  • Where (street address and town)

  • When (time and days)

  • Whatever else (Is it an estate sale? Is it at your house? Got anything special? A fundraiser for a local nonprofit organization?)

We’ll add more rows to the table as we get more information from you to help our readers plan their outings. (Nobody needs to be spending more money on gas these days!)

Want to add a tag sale for inclusion on a future weekend? It’s easy! Just log into your local Patch (free account) and click on “Post Your Own Event” at the bottom of the calendar right there on the homepage.

Here’s what we’ve found so far — happy hunting! (And be sure to upload a photo of your great find to this article.)

Lake Carmel108 Towners Rd.Fri., 9a.m.-4p.m.
Monroe78 Old Colony Rd.Fri., Sat., 8:30a.m.-3p.m.
New Rochelle59 Hillside Ave. Fri., 10a.m.-5p.m.; Sat., 9a.m.-6p.m.
Bedford Hills720 N. Bedford Rd.  Fri., Sat., 10a.m.-5p.m.
Mahopac77 Pigott Rd.Sat.
White Plains43 Partridge Rd. Sat., 8a.m.-4p.m.
Hawthorne265 Marietta Ave.Sat., 9a.m.-3p.m.
Saugerties80 Stephens Dr.Sat., 8a.m.-2p.m.
Mt. Kisco40 Byram Lake Rd. Sat., 10:30a.m.
Yonkers238 Croydon Rd. Sat., 9a.m.-4p.m.
Putnam Valley662 Oscawana Lake Rd.Sat., Sun., 9a.m.-4p.m.
Fishkill88 Mountain View Rd. Sat., Sun., 9a.m.-5p.m.
Cortlandt Manor5 Durrin Ave. Sat., Sun., 10a.m.-4p.m.
Carmel404 Nimham Ave. Sat., Sun., 9a.m.-3p.m.
Hyde Park81 S. Quaker LaneSat., Sun., 9a.m.-6p.m.
Scarsdale 848 Scarsdale Ave.Sun., 7:30a.m.
via bedford.patch.com

Katonah NY Homes | Meet Your Farm Market Vendors: Red Barn Bakery and Kitchawan Gold Honey – Bedford-Katonah, NY Patch

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Each week, Bedford-Katonah Patch will introduce you to two vendors from local markets serving the area: Gossett’s Farmer’s Market and the John Jay Homestead Farmer’s Market.

This week we introduce you to Red Barn Bakery and Kitchawan Gold Honey.

Gossett’s Farmer’s Market is held at Gossett Brother’s Nursery in South Salem every Saturday year-round, 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. and the John Jay Homestead Farmer’s Market, held at the Homestead in Katonah runs Saturdays 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. through October.

Red Barn Bakery

Vendors: Randell Dodge

Items sold: Savory tarts, organic pies, cookies and muffins

Location: Irvington, NY 

Website: http://redbarn-bakery.com

Phone: 914-231-7779

 

Kitchawan Gold Honey

Vendors: Guy Hodges

Items Sold: Honey, beekeeping supplies, and home made beeswax candles

Location: South Salem, NY

Phone:  914-763-3211

Website: Bee Guy on Facebook

 

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via bedford.patch.com