Monthly Archives: May 2013

Lenders prep for increase in millennial housing demand | Katonah Real Estate

The pent-up demand for the millennial generation to buy houses is starting to surface, according to a report from Rob Chrisman.

Millennials, which range from 18 to 34, have put off buying houses due to the recession, high unemployment and student loan debt.

In the report, Chrisman explained that a lot of lenders are prepping for the upcoming demand.

Hamilton Group Funding, a Florida based mortgage banker, is continuing its aggressive expansion plans in multiple states, seeking to acquire mortgage firms or branches with $50 to $250 million in annual residential production, Chrisman said.

In addition, Chrisman noted that First Guaranty Mortgage Corporation is growing its retail division, adding loan officers and operational staff in New Jersey.  

Millennials are 90 million strong according to Chrisman, and as the demand increases, the industry will have to prepare itself to meet the surge. 

 

 

Lenders prep for increase in millennial housing demand | HousingWire.

Why your prospects need a property manager | Bedford Hills Real Estate

 

Michelle Horneff-Cohen, president of Property Management Systems, provides information on how you can help protect your clients’ investments and ensure them many happy years as a property owner. She writes:

“Becoming a property owner and leasing a unit opens the door for many legal concerns. A property manager eats, breathes, and lives local ordinance. If they don’t, they aren’t a real PM.”

To read the rest of Cohen’s article, click here.

 

Why your prospects need a property manager | HousingWire.

Home Depot reported strong first quarter earnings, citing the recovering housing market | Bedford Real Estate

Home improvement retailing giant Home Depot reported strong first quarter earnings this morning, citing the recovering housing market as a key driver.

Earnings per share were $0.83 versus analysts’ consensus prediction of $0.77. Revenues came in at $19.1 billion, topping estimates for $18.69 billion.

U.S. same-store sales rose 4.8% during the quarter.

“In the first quarter, we saw less favorable weather compared to last year, but we continue to see benefit from a recovering housing market that drove a stronger-than-expected start to the year for our business,” said Home Depot Chairman and CEO Frank Blake in the press release.

Shares are up 3.6% in pre-market trading.

Below is the full text from the release:

ATLANTA, May 21, 2013 /PRNewswire/ — The Home Depot®, the world’s largest home improvement retailer, today reported sales of $19.1 billion for the first quarter of fiscal 2013, a 7.4 percent increase from the first quarter of fiscal 2012. Due to the 14th week in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2012, first quarter sales benefited from a seasonal timing change that added approximately $574 million to sales. On a like for like basis, comparable store sales for the first quarter of fiscal 2013 were positive 4.3 percent, and comp sales for U.S. stores were positive 4.8 percent.

(Logo:http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20030502/HOMEDEPOTLOGO )

Net earnings for the first quarter were $1.2 billion, or $0.83 per diluted share, compared with net earnings of $1.0 billion, or $0.68 per diluted share, in the same period of fiscal 2012. For the first quarter of fiscal 2013, diluted earnings per share increased 22.1 percent from the same period in the prior year.

“In the first quarter, we saw less favorable weather compared to last year, but we continue to see benefit from a recovering housing market that drove a stronger-than-expected start to the year for our business,” said Frank Blake, chairman & CEO. “I would like to thank our associates for their hard work and commitment to our customers.”

Updated Fiscal 2013 Guidance

Based on its year-to-date performance and outlook for the balance of the year, the Company raised its fiscal 2013 sales guidance and now expects sales to be up approximately 2.8 percent with comparable store sales up approximately 4.0 percent for the year. The Company raised its fiscal 2013 diluted earnings-per-share guidance and now expects diluted earnings per share to be up approximately 17 percent to $3.52 for the year. The Company’s fiscal 2013 sales and earnings-per-share guidance is based on a 52-week year compared to fiscal 2012, a 53-week year.

The Company’s earnings-per-share guidance includes the benefit of its year-to-date share repurchases and intent to repurchase $4.4 billion in additional shares over the remainder of the year, which will bring the total dollar amount of shares repurchased to $6.5 billion for the year.

The Home Depot will conduct a conference call today at 9 a.m. ET to discuss information included in this news release and related matters. The conference call will be available in its entirety through a webcast and replay at earnings.homedepot.com.

Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/home-depot-q1-2013-earnings-2013-5#ixzz2TvsZlvWk

 

 

Home Depot Q1 2013 Earnings – Business Insider.

7 Facebook Marketing Case Studies | Pound Ridge Realtor

Learn some inventive ways to integrate Facebook into your social media marketing strategy.

7 Facebook Marketing Case Studies 7 Facebook Marketing Case StudiesEvery day, businesses are inspired to bring creative marketing ideas to life on Facebook in ways that have a real impact on their bottom line. Many have discovered how to leverage their Facebook communities to strengthen brand loyalty and communicate directly with customers. As your company invests in the social network for marketing, advertising, and branding, it’s useful to have a few examples of what others have done with the platform. These case studies look at the goals, approaches, and results for several Facebook campaigns.

 HubSpot Facebook Marketing Case Study 7 Facebook Marketing Case Studies

HubSpot

The all-in-one marketing software platform wanted to promote its brand in a 3-month campaign as a thought leader in the B2B field on Facebook to:

  • Lead fans to its Page and ultimately engage them with other content
  • Drive customer engagement and generate more leads

Results:

  • 71% sales increase from Facebook
  • 15% increase in ROI from Facebook
  • 39% increase in traffic coming from Facebook

Read the case study

 Corcoran Group Facebook marketing case study 7 Facebook Marketing Case Studies

Corcoran Group Real Estate

The New York real estate brokerage wanted to use the global reach of Facebook to increase engagement with potential homebuyers, local New Yorkers, and the real estate industry at large, as well as strengthen its online brand presence to:

  • Create a community where people could start a conversation and discuss the question, “What does it feel like to live in New York?”
  • Connect with a larger pool of people interested in buying homes before they decide to reach out to a real estate agent
  • Drive awareness of Corcoran’s social hub and provide information about the brokerage’s activities

Results:

  • 2x visitors now come from Facebook compared with its other advertising platforms
  • No. 2 in organic search results for Corcoran’s Facebook Page, second only to the brokerage’s own website
  • 6x higher reach for posts on days when ads are running
  • 10x more Page views of its Facebook Page when ads are running

Read the case study

 Canvas People Facebook marketing case study 7 Facebook Marketing Case Studies

Canvas People

The canvas print maker wanted to drive brand recognition and establish a presence on Facebook to:

  • Increase fan engagement to build a dedicated Facebook community
  • Drive Facebook fans to purchase directly fromCanvasPeople.com

Results:

  • 3,959 individual transactions as a result of the Facebook campaign
  • 180,000 people liked the Canvas People Facebook Page
  • 1.5x return on investment on Facebook advertising
  • 10x page engagement increase based on the “People Talking About This” metric

Read the case study

 Luxury Link Facebook marketing case study 7 Facebook Marketing Case Studies

Luxury Link

The high-end hotel website wanted to drive engagement and increase brand visibility for the well-traveled luxury customer to:

  • Offer a way for people to share luxury travel experiences and new featured destinations
  • Continue to grow revenue by offering relevant deals to its community

Results:

  • 100% increase in sales for travel packages coming from Facebook
  • 30% increase in site visits month over month from Facebook
  • 90% of the Facebook community who purchased travel packages were new Luxury Link customers

Read the case study

 

7 Facebook Marketing Case Studies | Pamorama | Social Media Marketing Blog.

Astorino: Update On Affordable Housing In Westchester | Chappaqua Real Estate

In 2009, my predecessor, Andrew Spano and the Board of Legislators signed a legal settlement obligating the county to spend $51.6 million to develop 750 units of fair and affordable housing in 31 so-called eligible or mostly white communities by the end of 2016.

Here’s an update on the status.  Let’s start with the bad news.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is trying to use the settlement to dismantle local zoning laws.  HUD has the misguided view that zoning and discrimination is the same thing.

It is not. Zoning restricts how land is used, not who lives there. The impediment to where people live in Westchester is money, not race or ethnicity.

Washington bureaucrats, who you will never see or meet, want the power to determine who will live where and how each neighborhood will look.  What’s at stake is the fundamental right of our cities, towns, and villages to plan and zone for themselves.  This home rule is guaranteed by the New York State Constitution.

HUD wants no restrictions – in any neighborhood – on height, size, acreage, density, or number of bedrooms. HUD even sees sewers as a problem, which is critically significant since Westchester zoning protects the drinking water of 8 million New Yorkers.

If there are no restrictions for HUD, there will be no restrictions for any developer. A high rise can be built on any street, even right next door to you. And if HUD can trample on zoning here, it can do it anywhere.

I urge you to read the HUD letters for yourself and see how the federal government is trying to abolish even basic zoning protections.

Now here’s the good news.

The county is ahead of schedule in fulfilling its obligation in the settlement. Our current benchmark is to have 300 units with financing in place by the end of 2013. The county exceeded the mark in December and currently has 309 units in place with financing, of which 117 are already occupied. Over 91 percent of the required 750 units are already in the pipeline.

Ask yourself this: If the county is ahead of schedule in building affordable housing in these communities, how can their zoning be exclusionary?

One of Westchester’s greatest strengths is its diversity. It is the fourth most-diverse county in the state — tied with Manhattan — in terms of African-Americans and Hispanics.

I pledge to defend with every tool at my disposal the right of people to live anywhere in Westchester in any home they can afford.  There is absolutely no place for discrimination in our county. But we won’t be bullied or threatened by HUD to do things that are not in the settlement.

 

Astorino: Update On Affordable Housing In Westchester | The Bedford Daily Voice.

‘Click It Or Ticket’ Law Enforcement Begins Monday In Bedford | Bedford Corners Real Estate

Beginning May 20, officers will be out in full force as part of the 2013 national “Click It or Ticket” seat belt enforcement mobilization.

The program makes a priority of cracking down on drivers and passengers who are not wearing a seat belt.

“As we kick-off the busy summer driving season, it’s important that everyone buckles up every time they go out, both day and night—no excuses,” said Bedford Police Lieutenant Melvin Padilla.

“Our officers are prepared to ticket anyone who is not wearing their seat belt.”

Starting Monday morning, all local police departments will be joining other law enforcement agencies throughout the northeast in mobilizing Click It or Ticket in a “Border to Border” operation. This means law enforcement agencies that share state border will team up to provide increased coverage, resulting in a “zero tolerance” message to the public: “Driving or riding unbuckled will result in a ticket—no matter what state.”

According to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 52 percent of 21,253 vehicle passengers killed in 2011 were not wearing their seat belts at the time of the crash. According to the same report, deaths involving seat belt nonuse are more likely to occur at night than during the day and 62 percent of 10,135 passengers killed in overnight accidents during 2011 were also not wearing their seat belts.

“Seat belts save thousands of lives every year, but far too many motorists are still not buckling up, especially at night when the risk of getting in a crash is even greater,” said Padilla.

 

 

‘Click It Or Ticket’ Law Enforcement Begins Monday In Bedford | The Bedford Daily Voice.

Westchester May See Traffic, Transit Delays After Metro-North Crash | Armonk Real Estate

Westchester residents can expect chaos on highways and rail lines for at least the next week as crews continue to repair damage caused by Friday evening’s train collision in Fairfield County, Connecticut Gov. Dannel Malloy said Sunday evening.

“There are going to be substantial delays until we get this line back in full service,” Malloy said in a press conference. “Residents should plan for a week’s worth of disruptions. The delays will not be limited to mass transit, as more people get behind the wheel to drive and make their own connections.”

Metro-North warned customers that travel times will be significantly longer and trains will be crowded Monday. Customers should stagger their work schedule or seek alternative means of travel to get to work, Metro-North said.

About 30,000 train commuters are affected by the break in train travel in the Bridgeport-Fairfield area, Malloy said. Those commuters are expected to hit train stations in lower Fairfield County or Westchester County or to travel via Interstate 95 and the parkways to get to work or elsewhere Monday morning.

Connecticut will have 150 buses on the highways as train shuttles, in addition to the normal rush-hour traffic. Malloy also noted that the weather is expected to be wet Monday morning, causing more potential problems.

“If all of those were to get on the highway in single-occupancy cars, we will literally have a parking lot,” Malloy said.

 

Westchester May See Traffic, Transit Delays After Metro-North Crash | The Bedford Daily Voice.

Katonah Museum of Art Begins Search For New Executive Director | Katonah Real Estate

 

The Board of Trustees of the Katonah Museum of Art has announced that a formal search for the Museum’s next Executive Director has begun.

The Board has retained worldwide executive search firm Heidrick & Struggles, renowned for the placement of chief executives, board of directors and senior level management assignments in both the corporate and nonprofit sectors.

In addition, the Museum will engage input from its local residents.

“Our Board is focused on vision and ensuring that our long-standing mission of excellence in art and education is carried out through new programs, initiatives and collaborations — and most significantly, the next phase of executive leadership,” said Board President Rochelle Rosenberg.

“This is a very important moment for the Museum.  As we continue to serve the community, we look forward to new leadership, greater opportunities and growth,” she added.

Katonah Museum of Art Begins Search For New Executive Director | The Bedford Daily Voice.

How smart photos will change real estate | Mount Kisco Real Estate

Everything around us is getting smarter.  Phones, cars, televisions, refrigerators, books, thermostats…and maybe even humans.  I find most of these advancements to be very interesting, and quite useful in the daily lives of most people around me.

Photographs, however, are something that I’m particularly interested in watching (and helping) become smarter.

Photos are everywhere; and are certainly at the crux of online real estate, which, in 2012, included 93% of people who sold a home, and 96% of people (under age 44) who bought a home.  Oh, and don’t forget the hundreds of millions of people who visit real estate websites each month.

Today

Recently, a company called ‘Stipple’ has been making some noise in the image monetization and social shopping arena.  They allow businesses to create content and messaging within an image (without widgets or code), and then analyze & track the interaction with the data inside that image.

As it pertains to real estate, I think Stipple provides a viable strategy to those professionals who are active in distributing (quality) visual content across the web.  You can share a link, or better yet, embed the photo into your social pages, blog or website.

Here is an example, using a real estate photo as the context.  Take a look at the picture…and then the tweet that I’ve embedded with the same photo after it was “Stippled”.  Stipple has actually implemented Twitter Cards (which I wrote about in a previous post) which allows you to view and interact with the photo, directly within the twitter feed.

In addition, check out some of the analytical tools that come with Stipple:

stippled-photo-49486160

Check out this beautiful home in Statesville, North Carolina (stipple.com/photos/49486160) — Jeff Nieto (@jeffnieto) Click Here to view the Stippled Tweet

stippled-photo-49514930

In The Future

While products like Stipple are innovative, and quite fascinating; they are admittedly built for e-commerce, photographers, and bloggers.

There’s no question that real estate professionals can leverage these type of tools today.  However, I think there is more to offer the industry when it comes to intelligent photographs.

In addition to what exists, here are some high points on how I think smart photos can provide additional value to real estate professionals AND consumers:

  • Determine and embed which room/view a photograph is displaying.
  • Identify and attach the “features” of a photograph (i.e. granite countertops, 10 foot ceilings, etc).
  • Embed contact information, bios, and videos from the appropriate listing agent.
  • Allow consumers to search & discover using the embedded data.
  • Compile the data within the photographs that are interacted with; and provide summary analytics and “intelligence” to the consumer and their agent.

If the data is embedded and used appropriately, consumers should be able to enjoy a more enhanced (and effective) search.  Furthermore, real estate agents would be able to market properties strategically, while learning specifics about their listings and customers.

 

How smart photos will change real estate | Inman News.

10 Tips to Create Killer Social Content that Gets You Found | North Salem Realtor

It’s no secret that in today’s business world, companies must constantly produce new content. But are you producing quality social content with a WOW factor that gets you found? The truth is it’s really not that hard to do. There are so many options to consider when it comes to creating quality content that stands out in a crowd. Blog posts, videos, eBooks, whitepapers, webinars, social media updates, Slideshare presentations…just to name a few. It just takes time, the right dedication and effort.

When done consistently and correctly, quality content will improve search engine rankings, drive new traffic to websites and nurture leads into customers for years to come. Below are 10 tips so that you can start creating killer social content with a WOW factor that gets you found!

Keep up with information relevant to your industry. Setting up RSS feeds, subscribing to industry newsletters and setting up Google Alerts on branded and non-branded keywords are all ways to keep up with news relevant to your industry. You can take these industry articles and create social content with your own spin that identifies trends your clients would be interested in reading and learning how it will affect them. For example, I might create a series of blog posts covering recent Google algorithm updates to teach potential clients about the changing needs and challenges of content marketing and SEO for their business.

Social media conversations are a reflection of your brand. Therefore, it’s important that you monitor and engage with your audience to humanize your brand and let them know you care about them and their needs. Tools such as Hootsuite and TweetDeck can help you manage, monitor and measure your social content marketing effectiveness. Below is an example of engaging social content in Twitter from Celsius, a healthy energy drink company. This is a great example of a company engaging with a customer, making this person feel important which in turn humanizes the brand.Twitter social conversation from @CelsiusOfficial

Gone are the days when content is just written by CEOs and managers. Everyone in your company can write social content around their individual areas of expertise. Create an editorial content calendar that maps out who writes what and when. An editorial calendar really keeps things organized and lays out your content strategy and plans. My area of expertise is SEO and content marketing, so I contribute blog content around topics such as how social media affects SEO results and Pinterest marketing tips. You could have your sales staff create a short video series on how best to choose the products and services you sell. You might even post Q&A with some of your customers like IT business and consulting services firm Tribridge did and how they benefit from your products and/or services.

When it comes to writing, sometimes you just feel tapped out for ideas. Or maybe you have an idea or concept but don’t know how to put it into words at the moment. Keeping a content backlog helps to save your ideas so that you can come back to them at a later time and write then. Keep bullet lists, product reviews, videos, photos, how-to guides and interviews in your backlog so you can write more social content pieces at a later date.

It’s perfectly alright to take content you’ve written in the past and republish it as a fresh, new piece. It saves time, resources and provides an updated spin on a topic. Add a short video and provide updated content to an old whitepaper. Use questions taken from a webinar or presentation to put together an eBook. Turn videos into blog posts or a blog post series. Turn one piece of social content into as many formats as possible – turn a whitepaper into a YouTube video, a shortened Slideshare presentation, a blog post series, a webinar. The possibilities are endless!

 

10 Tips to Create Killer Social Content that Gets You Found | Find and Convert.