Daily Archives: January 24, 2013

Latest Victories for the Nature Conservancy | North Salem Real Estate

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2012 Conservation Victories: Our Shared Legacy

 

Thanks to your generous support in 2012, along with our local landowners, we are proud to announce that 92 acres of beautiful, pristine land in Westchester is now protected forever.

 

Finch Farm in North Salem

 Our most recent achievements are in North Salem and Pound Ridge. Today and forever, North Salem will be home 

to 45 acres of conserved land, located in a region identified by the Wildlife Conservation Society as having some of the highest levels of native plants, animals and insects in the northeastern U.S. This could not have been possible without the support of Finch Farm owners, Lori and Laurence Fink. 

 

 

Mr. Fink described the importance of conserving his family’s land: “We are so pleased that Finch Farm LLC has been able to donate an easement on 45 acres of land that abuts our home in North Salem. This donation will protect this wonderful property in perpetuity, protect its habitat and wooded and meadow areas, and prevent any subdivision or further residential development on the protected land. We are pleased to have been able to work with the Westchester Land Trust to continue the strong tradition of stewardship in the area.” The preserved easement area also presents beautiful viewsheds along public thoroughfares and scenic roadways, an extensive wetland and watercourse, and maturing woodlands.

 

In Pound Ridge, 4 acres on South Bedford Road will remain undeveloped and   

Fertig Easement
Newly Conserved Land in Pound Ridge

entirely wooded. The conserved area is significant for many reasons. It adjoins WLT’s Westchester Wilderness Walk/Zofnass Family Preserve, and the site overlooks Mallard Lake. The property drains into the Mill River Basin, which is part of drinking water supply of the Aquarion Water Company of Connecticut, and is important to the protection of water resources. Like the North Salem property, the parcel is part of a critical conservation area that supports a variety of life in our region.

 

We celebrated spring 2012 with permanent protection of 43 acres straddling Ossining and New Castle that is home to Maryknoll Sisters of St. Dominic, Inc., a private non-profit religious organization. The Maryknoll Sisters maintain a strong land ethic, and Sister Janet Miller described the importance of this preservation effort: “It is our home..the place that nourishes us, the place of healing and reconnecting when we return from overseas mission… I am grateful this land will be here for future generations.”  Miller co-directs the Maryknoll Sisters Environmental Office with Sister Doreen Longres and both were instrumental in making this preservation effort a reality. The Maryknoll land includes wetlands, fields, woodlands and a walking trail that is a place of refuge and contemplation for the Sisters, many of whom travel extensively on global missions. The site is also within the Oliver Pond/Lower Hudson River basin and drains directly into the Hudson River estuary.

via trulia.com

Winter Maintenance Tip: Don’t Forget About Your Furnace Filter | Cross River Real Estate

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This time of year, chances are that your forced-air furnace is in daily operation. To keep the unit running smoothly, and to avoid the hassle and expense of an emergency repair, give due attention to the furnace’s filter. The right one will protect the furnace, increase its energy efficiency and even improve your home’s indoor air quality.

The importance of a furnace filter

A forced-air furnace running without any sort of filter would send dust and dirt all throughout your house while leaving the appliance vulnerable to a host of mechanical problems.

On the other hand, a furnace with a filter that’s excessively dirty would have to work harder than necessary to do its job. Such inefficiency raises the already high cost of home heating. Not to mention, a clogged filter could lead your furnace to overheat and shut down, an event that would likely entail calling in a pro for a costly fix.

Make sure that your furnace is protected and performing at its peak by checking the filter every month during winter. If the filter is dirty, you will need to replace or clean it, depending on what type of filter it is.

Choosing a furnace filter

The most common type of furnace filter is inexpensive, disposable, 1- or 2-inch-thick fiberglass. So long as you remember to do monthly replacements, this filter type will do a good job of protecting the working parts of your furnace, but it won’t do much to aid indoor air quality.

A bit more expensive are “pleated” fabric filters, which trap a higher percentage of airborne particles. Plus (at least in theory) pleated filters will last several months. But if you own pets, live with a smoker or frequently open the windows in your home, checking the filter on a monthly basis is again recommended.

Some pleated filters carry an electrostatic charge that further boosts filtration. These run about $20 apiece, but you can easily find reusable versions that will last about five years if cleaned regularly. Suffer from allergies? Consider shelling out for a HEPA-rated antimicrobial filter.

Installing a new furnace filter

I always encourage folks to consult the owner’s manual for details on their specific model of furnace, but in general, installing a new filter is simple.

The first thing to do is switch off the unit. Then locate the service panel, remove the old filter from its housing and switch in your new filter. Take care to follow the arrows (indicated both on the filter and the furnace) and face the filter in the right direction toward the blower fan. Finally, place the panel door back into position and switch the unit back on. That’s it!

Remember that HVAC systems work hard in the summer, too — usually even harder than during the cold months. For the overall comfort and health of your home, regular year-round filter checks are very important. Bite the bullet and make them part of your monthly home maintenance routine. If you need to get a new HVAC system check out these heating and cooling at wholesale prices.

 

 

via zillow.com

 

Tips for building trust with luxury international buyers | Bedford Hills Real Estate

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Becoming a successful global luxury real estate agent is all about “relationships and reputation,” says The Corcoran Group’s Patricia Cliff, who estimates that 40 percent of her business is international.

Cliff, whose book, “The Art of Selling Luxury Real Estate,” was published this month, attributes her success not to heavy socializing, but to strategic relationships.

A senior vice president at Corcoran, Cliff shared more insight into the topic in a conversation with Corcoran CEO Pamela Liebman during a panel discussion at Real Estate Connect New York City.

Agents are the spark that bring transactions to life, Liebman said. That’s why Corcoran’s new website, launched in November, integrated social media so thoroughly into its design. “Our website has become a hub for online relationships,” she said.

When Cliff travels, looking to establish relationships or maintain the ones she has, she hosts no lavish parties, but instead focuses on cultivating trusted personal relationships. She picks out two to five of the most valuable contacts in a certain place and sets up meetings with them in advance.


Patricia Cliff

Or, if she doesn’t know some influential potential clients in a place, she looks to enter their spheres. For example, when she went looking for high-end clients in Hong Kong, Cliff went to a jeweler to see about buying pearl and diamond earrings in the hope of sparking a relationship with the jeweler. She employed the same strategy with a Rolls-Royce dealer and private bankers.

Cliff said she helped establish her reputation as a valuable expert for potential clients by writing a 28-page booklet describing the ins and outs of doing real estate transaction in New York City, distributing it to clients early on in a relationship. The booklet also made her life easier, she said — she didn’t have to repeat herself with the same detailed explanations of how to navigate the New York City real estate world over and over again.

When hosting a potential client in the U.S., Cliff said, it’s important to cast a “net” around them and provide an attentive, high level of service, in order to prevent other agents or brokers from swooping in to represent them. And try not to leave clients until a contract is signed. If they’re visiting New York City, for example, the excitement of being in the city and the agent’s enthusiasm creates the ideal atmosphere to close the deal, she said.


Pamela Liebman

Liebman said that sometimes agents will say “you won’t see me for a couple of days,” because they have a client coming into town, and their every waking hour will be committed to taking care of their needs and providing the exceptional, top-level service that many luxury real estate buyers and sellers expect and are accustomed to.

But before getting too caught up in their zeal to capture high-end clients — and a big pay day — it’s important that agents know who they’re dealing with. Potential clients may not have accessible assets in U.S. banks, and since 9/11 moving money into the U.S. has become much more difficult, Cliff said.

Banks are beholden to a “Know Your Customer” provision of 2001’s U.S. Patriot Act that requires banks and financial institutions to add measures to restrict funds associated with terrorist financing and money laundering, which can hamstring otherwise promising deals, Cliff said.

In fact, Cliff said, at one point the FBI had placed her under investigation because of a relationship with a former client, though she knew him only through intermediaries.

At the end of the day, Liebman said, agents who want to deal in luxury real estate can do themselves some good by being in New York City, and knowing a little about its architecture, history and the real estate conversations that happen around the world.

via inman.com

 

Facebook Vs. Google+ | Chappaqa Realtor

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Facebook has grown and nurtured its audience since its inception back in February 2004 but the relative novelty of Google + has been questioned by some.Image

The recent release of the new feature ‘Graph Search’ by Facebook as brought new fuel to the clash of these two titans once again. As they both attempt to battle for the hearts and minds of their users with increased functionality and features many will choose one side or other in this increasingly crowded space of social networking.

Below is a brief run through of some of the main differences/similarities of the two’s product offering;

  • Google+ has no advertisements (yet) – This is good news for businesses as the clean interface avoids the clutter of brand messages that may distract users from your posts. Although Google + is still considered to be in its infancy stage of development, it may look for ways to monetize as it grows especially with its already thriving product of ‘Google Ad words.’
  • Facebook users should be quite comfortable with Google+- The layout is similar. Comment streams run down the centre of the page, flanked by groups on the left and friend suggestions on the right. Chat windows appear in the bottom-right corner, just as on Facebook.
  • Google+ seems to post a lot more posts than Facebook where it only displays a portion of your posts to your followers. With Google + you can post to particular circles as well as post publicly to the entire G+ community.
  • By no means did Google+ invent video chatting- But Google Hangouts provides a smart way to connect with your audience in real time across the world, equipped with effects and an intelligent interface.
  • Google certainly does have a product advantage as it has announced early last year it will share user data across all of its products- this is said to create a seamless and slick experience for users and increase Google +’s users overnight.

There’s no need to choose one or the other, many users will avoid the hassle of joining and setting up yet another social profile, others may lured by new and innovative features and better integration with the rest of their Google collection.  With Social Media Management Tool‘s like Sendible you can post to these two social networks (and many others) simultaneously.

via socialmediatoday.com