Monthly Archives: August 2013

Rosie O’Donnell Lists 2 New York Penthouses | Chappaqua Real Estate

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In the world of high-end New York real estate, actress and comedian Rosie O’Donnell is a regular. Now she’s at it again, listing two Big Apple properties.

Manhattan

Most recently, she has listed her 2-bedroom, 2.5-bath luxury apartment for $2.25 million in The Platinum, a full-service, award-winning condominium. Located at 247 W 46th St APT 2203, New York, NY 10036, the 22nd-floor unit (shown above) features floor-to-ceiling windows with views of the Midtown Manhattan cityscape.

According to The New York Times, O’Donnell signed a contract to buy the place for $1.97 million in 2007, with property records showing she closed the deal a year later. She has since been privy to The Platinum’s five-star, resort-quality amenities, including a golf simulator, fitness center, yoga studio, sauna, lounge and outdoor terrace. Times Square, Broadway theaters and the 45th Street headquarters for her public school program, Rosie’s Theater Kids, are also just a few blocks away.

The listing is held by The Corcoran Group‘s Ric Swezey.

Greenwich Village

Meanwhile, reports have been circulating that fashion designer Michael Kors has his eye onO’Donnell’s Greenwich Village duplex that she purchased for $8 million last year. The 130 West 12th St penthouse is now on the market for $10.95 million.

“Penthouse 11A is one of the most unique private residences situated in the heart of Greenwich Village,” listing agent Dennis Mangone of Douglas Elliman wrote in the listing description. Spanning more than 3,200 square feet, the 11th-floor suite has 4 bedrooms, 3 baths, spacious living and dining rooms, a chef’s kitchen and private terrace. The building has a 24-hour doorman and concierge as well as other resident-only amenities.

 

 

 

Rosie O’Donnell Lists 2 New York Penthouses | Zillow Blog.

Corporate America has a Flare for Solar Industry Investment | Armonk Real Estate

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A few weeks ago, American Honda announced an innovative financing partnership with Solar City, a major solar installer. (Full disclosure: My wife works for Solar City).  Under the terms of the deal, the carmaker will use $65 million its own money to pay for its customers and dealers to install solar panels on their properties and reduce their future electric bills.

The money involved is not a big deal in terms of corporate finance, so why do I think this announcement is a big deal? Because it could, if other companies follow Honda’s lead, be the key to providing the investment dollars the solar industry needs to make rapid inroads throughout the country.

What’s holding up the solar industry?

The cost to install solar energy is declining rapidly — panel prices fell by 41% in the fourth quarter of 2012 compared to the previous year.  This helped solar installations in the United States to grow rapidly in 2012, from 1,855 megawatts (MW) in 2011 to 3,300 MW.  (The average coal plant in the U.S. has a capacity of about 650 MW).  Even better, annual installations are projected to climb to an estimated 9,000 MW in 2016.

Right now, a lack of investment capital may be the biggest barrier to the industry’s continued  growth. Bloomberg New Energy Finance forecasts that the industry will need $3.1 billion of equity investment in 2013, compared to $1.8 billion in 2012.  This need for investment comes at a time when American corporations – excluding financial firms — are sitting on $1.7 trillion, some of which could easily be invested in the solar industry, earning substantial returns, in dollars and good will, for corporate lenders.

 

Corporate America has a Flare for Solar Industry Investment | Environmental Defense Fund.

Shoe Designer Vince Camuto Lists Historic Hamptons Estate | Waccabuc Real Estate

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What could you do with $48 million? You could purchase about 480,000 pairs of heels, or you could buy a shoe designer’s entire estate.

Shoe and fashion designer Vince Camuto — who founded popular shoe brand Nine West in the 1970s— has listed his historic Southampton home with a $48 million price tag.

The home was built more than eight decades ago as just a pool house for the mammoth Wooldon Manor, reports Curbed. The main residence was built by Dr. Peter Wyckoff, who sold it to Jessie Woolworth Donahue, the daughter of Woolworth’s founder, F.W. Woolworth. She renovated the pool house before selling the property to Edmund Lynch of Merrill Lynch.

The original manor — once named the most opulent in The Hamptons — was destroyed in 1941 after Lynch’s death. The land has since been subdivided, with the remaining estate sitting on 5.5 acres. An additional 8.8 acres is also available for purchase.

The past 30 years have been good to the 10,000-square-foot home. Sitting right on the water, the place has been updated and modernized by Camuto — and of course, a new pool house was added to the property. Today, the main residence has 7 bedrooms, 7.5 baths and plenty of entertaining space beneath vaulted ceilings and large windows. Patios and lawns stretch to the private beach, and the entire parcel is protected by security systems.

According to Curbed, Camuto has already moved on to another Hamptons home: the Jazz Age Villa Maria that recently garnered a feature in Architectural Digest.

 

 

Shoe Designer Vince Camuto Lists Historic Hamptons Estate | Zillow Blog.

US home prices rise 12.2 percent in May | Katonah Real Estate

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U.S. home prices jumped 12.2 percent in May compared with a year ago, the biggest annual gain since March 2006. The increase shows the housing recovery is strengthening.

The Standard & Poor’s/Case-Shiller 20-city home price index released Tuesday also surged 2.4 percent in May from April. The month-over-month gain nearly matched the 2.6 percent increase in April from March — the highest on record.

More business news

Business births starting to bounce back

Business births starting to bounce back

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New business formation rates turned back around after four consecutive years of decline, new data shows.

Fed’s Raskin is chosen for deputy Treasury secretary

Fed’s Raskin is chosen for deputy Treasury secretary

Ylan Q. Mui JUL 31

The White House to nominate Fed Governor Sarah Raskin to fill the No. 2 post at Treasury.

Court goes against Fed rule on debit card fees

Court goes against Fed rule on debit card fees

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A judge overturned a Federal Reserve rule capping debit card fees that banks collect from merchants.

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The price increases were widespread. All 20 cities showed gains in May from April and compared with a year ago.

Prices in Dallas and Denver reached the highest level on records dating back to 2000. That marks the first time since the housing bust that any city has reached an all-time high.

Home values are rising as more people are bidding on a scarce supply of houses for sale. Steady price increases, along with stable job gains and historically low mortgage rates, have in turn encouraged more Americans to buy homes.

One concern is that higher mortgage rates could slow home sales. But many economists say rates remain low by historical standards and would need to rise much faster to halt the momentum.

Svenja Gudell, senior economist at Zillow, a home price data provider, said a big reason for the recent price gains is that foreclosed homes make up a smaller proportion of overall sales. Foreclosed homes are usually sold by banks at fire-sale prices.

“Typical home values have appreciated at roughly half this pace for the past several months, which is still very robust,” Gudell said.

 

US home prices rise 12.2 percent in May, most in 6 years and sign of stronger housing recovery – The Washington Post.

Potential Parking Solutions Tops This Week’s Chappaqua News | Chappaqua Homes

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Here are some of the top stories this week in Chappaqua.

  • The New Castle Town Board recently held a work session to discuss how to accommodate both merchants and customers in downtown Chappaqua. This year, the town waived the $150 annual fee for merchant parking permits, and allowed businesses seven spaces for free.
  • Author and Chappaqua resident Suna Senman announced she will kick off a tour to promote her new book, “Peace: Discovering Life’s Harmony Through Relationships,” at 7 p.m. Aug. 8 at the Khader Center in Mount Kisco.
  • The Chappaqua Swim Team won its fourth straightNorthern Westchester Swimming Conference Division 1 dual meet with a 279-238 victory Birchwood.

 

 

Potential Parking Solutions Tops This Week’s Chappaqua News | The Chappaqua Daily Voice.

60+ Content Curation Tools | Bedford Corners Realtor

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Find and manage quality content to share with your audience, build relationships, and improve your social media branding.

manage fire hose of online content with content curation tools 60+ Content Curation ToolsGetting and retaining the attention of customers in a meaningful way is essential. Part of a good one-to-many content marketing strategy, content curation is the art of continually finding, grouping, organizing, and sharing the best and most relevant content with your brand’s audience. Good content curation consists of sifting through the fire hose of online information and being very selective, with a laser focus on your brand message — this helps you become a thought leader in your industry/category and a trusted resource.

Good content curation doesn’t consist of simply regurgitating content that others have published. Your brand story-telling must include a human element in the form of personalizing the information and making it compelling to your social media followers. Successful programs provide context and communicate it in a transparent fashion, enabling you to amplify your brand message and create passionate subscribers. This graphic from Socialbites illustrates the process of content curation:

content curation process 60+ Content Curation Tools

Features of good content curation tools

Good content creation tools help you save time and increase productivity. They streamline the process of:

  • Coming up with content ideas on a consistent basis
  • Organizing and executing content promotion
  • Identifying link prospects
  • Tracking your results

These content curation tools will help you establish your brand as an authoritative voice and go-to resource for your audience



Read more: http://www.pamorama.net/2013/07/28/60-content-curation-tools/#ixzz2aiYem8xh

 

 

60+ Content Curation Tools | Pamorama | Social Media Marketing Blog.

Chicago Property Once Part of Original Playboy Mansion for Sale | Cross River Real Estate

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Before the Playboy Mansion was in a location beneath palm trees and the Hollywood sunshine, it was on the Gold Coast in Chicago. Today, the original mansion holds condos, and one of the connected properties is currently on the market for $7.85 million, according to the Huffington Post.

Hugh Hefner bought the limestone-and-brick building at 1340 N State Parkway in 1959, shortly after his divorce. Newly single and pouring money into his new Playboy Magazine, Hefner wanted to create a space for people to live out the lifestyle showcased in the publication. The historic mansion was just the place.

Built in 1899 for a prominent Chicago doctor, the mansion had previously entertained prestigious guests, including Theodore Roosevelt. The kind of guests Hefner envisioned for the home were slightly different. He created an enormous ballroom, measuring 60 feet by 30 feet, added an indoor pool, underwater bar accessed by a fireman’s pole and furnished suites for live-in guests. The house also included a game room, movie theater, steam room and tanning beds.

For several years the home and the nearby Playboy Club were at the height of popularity, with well-known celebrities, writers and artists continually dropping in to party. However, by the 1970s, the death of a friend and following drug investigation led Hefner to spend more and more time in Hollywood, where he had purchased another mansion. In 1984, Playboy lent the Chicago mansion to the School of the Art Institute, and in 1993 the house was finally sold to developers, who turned the residence into condos.

No evidence of the pool, underwater bar or any of the other Playboy amenities remain. The particular property for sale today — located at 1336 N State Parkway, Chicago, IL 60610 — was once connected to the Playboy Mansion; the original owner built the home for his daughter.

Measuring 9,000 square feet, the home has 5 bedrooms, 7 baths and according to the listing, was updated with “no expense spared.”

 

Chicago Property Once Part of Original Playboy Mansion for Sale | Zillow Blog.

Social Media Marketing Tool Box: 62 Tips | Chappaqua Realtor

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Social media marketing is moving from its exciting adolescent phase to a more mature grownup status.Social Media Marketing Tool Box: 62 Tips and Tactics

Online social media obsession driven by social web hormones and testosterone that drove social networks to hyperactivity are being replaced by tried and now proven activities and mature business processes. Digital marketing responsibility is now in the driving seat.

The dreaded phrase “what is the return on investment” is now seen as a conversation that needs to happen.

The dinner party conversations are no longer about Facebook or Twitter. An announcement about Instagram providing 15 second videos barely makes a ripple in the blogosphere. Social media is now part of the woodwork and is embedded in the web.

The after work and cocktail bar chats are now about when you are commencing a start up, designing your online store or launching an app.

Sexy to staid

Despite its move from sexy to staid and impending “ho hum” status, social media is embedded and integrated into almost all digital and even traditional marketing activities.

Learning to use social media effectively is now essential and required if you aren’t going to be “disrupted” by your competitors and fast growing start-ups.

So let’s look at it in context in the digital marketing ecosystem, consider core essentials and tips and tactics. These will help you get started and also optimize your current social media marketing activities.

Earned and paid

The initial attraction of social media beyond connection and engagement was that is was “free”. Social networks allowed anyone to publish and market for free with ease.

Search engines also provide this advantage and being found on Google can be done two ways.

Earned search

Earn the right to appear on page one of a search engine with optimized content and search engine optimization and it can make a large difference to your sales and inquiries. The clicks from earned search sits at around 75% of all search engine result page clicks.

This is called organic SEO (Search Engine Optimization)

Paid Search

Now let’s quickly cover how to pay for appearing on the first page of Google

Google AdWords allows you to accelerate your brand discovery and click-throughs by paying to appear on page one for selected keywords and phrases. Stop the campaign and the traffic no longer turns up to your website or landing page.

It all comes down to measuring whether paying produces a positive return on investment. Spend a dollar and get a profit of two dollars means that it is an activity worth pursuing despite the cost.

Social media marketing is following the same route.


Read more at http://www.jeffbullas.com/2013/07/29/social-media-marketing-tool-box-62-tips-and-tactics/#LfJf7urcf0Ejgkvt.99 

 

 

Social Media Marketing Tool Box: 62 Tips – Jeffbullas’s Blog.

Home prices keep soaring | Waccabuc Real Estate

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Home prices continued to gain steam in May according to a closely-watched reading, even as mortgage rates climbed.

The S&P/Case-Shiller home price index was up 12.2% compared to a year ago, slightly better than the 12.1% rise in April. It was the biggest year-over-year jump in prices since March 2006, near the peak of the housing bubble.

 

Prices in two cities – Dallas and Denver – hit record highs, topping even the peaks they reached during the housing bubble.

However, the national index, which measures prices in the 20 largest markets, is still 24.4% below the peak of June 2006.

Just a year ago, the index posted a 12-month decline in prices. Sellers had been struggling while their homes languished on the market for months, or even years. But prices have increased every month since June 2012, and each month the increase has been greater than the month before.

The gain in home prices has now made this a good time to sell a home. Many sellers are finding themselves in the midst of bidding wars, with buyers eager to make a purchase in a market with a tight supply of houses available for sale. House hunters are also eager to lock in a mortgage while rates are still low, at least by historic standards.

The record low mortgage rates of earlier this year have risen significantly, crimping the purchasing power of potential home buyers. But climbing rates have yet to slow the rapid increase in home prices.

Additionally, prices are being boosted by a sharp drop in foreclosures, which had been holding prices down.

 

 

Home prices keep soaring – Jul. 30, 2013.

London Luxury-Home Prices to Climb 6% This Year on Pound | Armonk Real Estate

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Central London luxury-home values will jump 6 percent this year, Knight Frank LLP said, revising an estimate that prices would be little changed as a weakening pound made the market more attractive to overseas buyers.

The average price of a house or apartment in the city’s most expensive neighborhoods has climbed 4.2 percent this year and interest among prospective buyers remains strong, the London-based broker said in a report today. The pound fell about 5 percent against the euro in the first half and lost 7.9 percent against the Chinese yuan.

Enlarge imageLondon Luxury-Home Values to Rise 6% in 2013, Knight Frank Says

Luxury residential properties are seen on Lennox Gardens, Knightsbridge, in London. Photographer: Simon Dawson/Bloomberg

Marinov Sees Pound Weaker at $1.50 Versus Dollar

0:59

July 29 (Bloomberg) — Valentin Marinov, head of European Group-of-10 currency strategy at Citigroup Inc., talks about the dollar and pound. He spoke July 25 in London. (Source: Bloomberg)

The currency’s weakness “helped to boost overseas interest and domestic demand has been aided by London’s economic recovery,” Knight Frank said.

Foreign investors are buying London properties to preserve wealth as political and economic turmoil menace their home markets, leading prices in the city to rise more than brokers had expected. Knight Frank, along with Jones Lang LaSalle Inc. (JLL) and Savills Plc (SVS), last year forecast that prices would be little changed in 2013 after an 8.7 percent increase in 2012.

Knight Frank as recently as last month said it didn’t expect a significant increase in luxury London home values for the whole of this year. Values rose in June by the smallest annual amount since at least December 2009, the broker said last month.

Savills on July 18 revised its forecast of little or no growth in 2013, saying that prime central London prices would climb 6 percent this year and 3 percent in 2014, according to an e-mailed statement from the broker.

Strongest Increase

London luxury-home prices increased by 0.5 percent in July from the previous month, bringing the gain for the past 12 months to 7 percent, Knight Frank said. The strongest increase was for homes costing less than 1 million pounds, and the biggest gains were in the neighborhoods of Islington, Marylebone and the South Bank. Property prices in prime central London locations are now almost 60 percent above their low during the financial crisis in March 2009, Knight Frank said.

Other factors affecting luxury values include government measures aimed at helping Britons’ enter the housing market by encouraging sales of newly built property and providing guarantees for borrowers with smaller deposits. While the government’s Help-to-Buy program is aimed at mainstream customers, housing market sentiment is “infectious across markets,” the broker said.

Demand Cooled

U.K. house-price growth slowed in July as more Britons offered their property for sale and demand cooled at the start of the summer, Hometrack Ltd. said today. Average values in England and Wales increased 0.3 percent after a 0.4 percent gain in June, the London-based property researcher said in a statement. From a year earlier, prices were up 1.3 percent, the most since 2010.

 

 

London Luxury-Home Prices to Climb 6% This Year on Pound – Bloomberg.