Monthly Archives: December 2013

Home prices cooling, but double-digit gains remain common | South Salem NY Real Estate

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Home prices in Southwest Florida continue to post double-digit gains, despite some predictions that those hefty increases that have been a hallmark of 2013 will begin to taper off.

Prices of single-family homes in the Sarasota-Manatee region climbed 11 percent in October over last year, according to the latest report from real estate data provider CoreLogic.

That fell short of the 12.5 percent increase reported nationwide, which marked the 20th straight monthly boost in homes prices in the U.S.

But prices outpaced the U.S. in Charlotte County, where they jumped 14.7 percent in October over the same period in 2012.

Both regions, however, topped the national average for month-to-month price gains.

Home prices from September to October rose 0.4 percent in Sarasota-Manatee and 0.5 percent in Charlotte, compared with a 0.2 percent average hike throughout the country.

That small nationwide gain, experts suggest, indicates prices may be starting to level off.

“In October, the year-over-year appreciation rate remained strong, but the month-over-month appreciation rate was barely positive, indicating that house price appreciation has slowed as expected for the winter,” said Mark Fleming, chief economist for CoreLogic.

 

 

http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20131216/ARTICLE/131219721/-1/sports03?Title=Home-prices-cooling-but-double-digit-gains-remain-common

IMF sees risk in Israel’s housing marke | Katonah NY Homes

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Israel’s low interest rate environment has the danger of further boosting housing prices, the International Monetary Fund said Monday, but the possibility of a quick adjustment in prices is also worrying.

In the concluding statement of its annual consultation, the IMF said that Israel was conducting proper monetary policy given the strength of the shekel and the global environment. “The low interest rate environment could, however, fuel further house price increases,” the report said.

“If house prices continue to rise, macroprudential measures, notably those which directly restrict the size and risk of mortgages, should be further tightened.” The IMF also recommended increasing property purchase tax for non-primary residences temporarily and, crucially, taking measures to boost the supply of housing, “including by implementing the recommendations of the Housing Committee.”

Despite the difficulties posed by the increased prices, however, the IMF also noted that a crash of prices posed an economic risk to Israel.

“A correction in the housing market and the associated feedback loops could undermine banks’ asset quality and profitability, and pose financial stability risks, the report said. “Despite progress in addressing concentration, risks concerning the financial viability of some large highly-leveraged corporates (holding companies and real estate and construction firms in particular) remain.”

All in all, the IMF mission found Israel’s economy to be growing moderately, projecting 2014 growth to fall somewhat to 3¼. The greatest risks posed to the economy are external – sluggish growth in the United States and Europe mean less demand for Israeli products abroad.

 

 

http://www.jpost.com/Business/Business-Features/IMF-sees-risk-in-Israels-housing-market-335150

So Why is Your Marketing Failing? | Katonah NY Realtor

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Internet marketers everywhere seem to agree that if you don’t have an  audience, you don’t have a future. They argue that if you have to pay for  traffic to make money, you’re not just being wasteful, you really don’t  understand how the social web works, or where marketing is headed in the years  going forward.

Well, I’m going to respectfully disagree. If you ask me, if you want your  business to have a future, one audience isn’t enough. The truth is, the  most resilient businesses are going to need at least two audiences if  they hope to make the most of limited resources to succeed. Maybe that is why  your marketing is failing.

Let me explain.

Meet your two audiences

You don’t know it yet, but you actually already have two audiences. The  problem is, you’re probably alienating at least one of them. Here’s what I’m  talking about:

1. Core audience

These are the people who are completely obsessed with the topic in question.  The live, eat, and breath the stuff you blog about. In fact, some of these  people will know even more about the topic than you do, at least when it  comes to certain aspects of it.

2. Mainstream audience

These people have little or no direct interest in your topic, but they might  have some tangential interest in it. For the most part, the only thing they want  to know is why any of this should matter to them, and if you can’t keep them  entertained, they won’t be hanging around for long.

While your business won’t necessarily die without both of these  audiences, let’s just say that without some appeal to both of them, your use of  resources will be…less than optimal.

Brands that failed to reach both audiences

There’s certainly no shortage of brands or  campaigns that failed because they failed to reach both  audiences.

Coca Cola

Take the whole New Coke fiasco. Contrary to popular belief, most people actually liked the new flavor better. They succeeded at reaching the  mainstream, but they alienated their core audience. This vocal minority  destroyed the new brand, and while they may have ironically strengthened the  classic brand with the whole experiment, New Coke itself was a disaster.

Digg

The same goes for Digg. Those of you who have been in internet marketing for  a while can remember “the Digg effect” and just how powerful it was to have your  site make the front page of the social bookmarking site. But Digg lost  a huge portion of its audience after a site redesign that was aimed at a  more mainstream audience, and eventually lost so much of its traffic that it was  sold and replaced.

Boxee

Brands that fail to reach a mainstream audience don’t fare any better.  Internet TV startup Boxee  was recently sold to Samsung, and is being shut down. Boxee had a strong  core following, but it failed to reach the mainstream due to its steep prices,  as well as too much focus on tech specs and not enough on the user experience,  and an inability to strike up deals with content owners.

When you look at highly successful brands like Apple, PlayStation, or even  Star Wars, you’ll find that they have appeal to rabid fanboys and mainstream  audiences alike.

Is viral marketing a myth?

There’s a very good reason for this, and it has to do with audience growth.  At CrazyEgg, we recently discussed why  viral marketing is a myth, and why customer retention is the true barrier to  growth. Brands with a growing audience must do two things: they must attract new  members and they must keep their old ones.

It’s simple, really.

If you aren’t appealing to a mainstream audience, you aren’t going to get new  visits. If you aren’t appealing to your core audience, you’re not going to keep  your previous visitors.

Core audience is more important than mainstream

Now, I personally believe that your core audience is more important than the  mainstream. Alienate your core audience and you don’t have a brand. Alienate the  mainstream and they’ll probably just forget about you, and possibly rediscover  you. Since staying in business is always more important than growth, I’ll side  with a core following any day.

That said, having both audiences truly is the winning formula, so let’s talk  about how to make that work.

Read more at http://www.jeffbullas.com/2013/12/16/so-why-is-your-marketing-failing/#BorvZExjfGV7kFyG.99

Storm Moves East, Cleanup Is Now Under Way In Bedford | Bedford Hills NY Real Estate

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The first significant snowstorm of the season has passed through Westchester County and the cleanup is well under way on Sunday.

Snowfall totals in Westchester ranged from 3 to 8 inches, with 6 inches reported in White Plains.

Climbing temperatures should make it easier for residents to clear away snow.

Cloudy skies Sunday will give way to mostly sunny skies with a high between 36-38 degrees.

With temperatures falling to a low of between 20-22 degrees tonight, icy conditions are likely through the morning.

Monday will be mostly sunny with a high near 29. Light snow is likely on Tuesday, with some accumulation expected, and a high near 37.

Wednesday should be sunny with a high around 35. Temperatures will continue to climb as the week continues, with highs near 50 expected for both Friday and Saturday.

 

 

http://bedford.dailyvoice.com/news/storm-moves-east-cleanup-now-under-way-westchester

Old-world German architecture and a modern-day film spur a Hill Country farmhouse’s warm style | Pound Ridge Homes

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It’s no surprise these homeowners have comfortably nestled into their guesthouse, as one major inspiration for the home was the cozy English cottage Kate Winslet’s character owned in The Holiday. Their plan was to build the guesthouse in the Texas Hill Country, retire, move down from Lubbock, then complete construction on the main house. Surrounded by over 20 acres full of oaks and wildlife, they enjoyed the guesthouse so much that they put off the construction for a few years, and they secretly fear they won’t love the main house as much. As we take a tour through this charming home, you’ll understand why.
Houzz at a Glance Who lives here: A retired couple Location: Fredericksburg, Texas Size: About 1,000 square feet; 1 bedroom, 1 bathroom

Austin Pitner, owner of Bonterra Building & Design, worked with the homeowners’ large inspiration file full of homes (most over a hundred years old) and with a floor plan and elevations from architect David Rowland. Bonterra completed all of the construction and designed all of the interior details and finishes, such as the timber frame beams, custom fireplace, doors and cabinetry.
The home has a regional feel, which is German influenced and rural (Fredericksburg was originally settled by German immigrants). The standing-seam metal roof is preweathered Galvalume. The stone is chopped white limestone, indigenous to the area.
The porch floor is part of the concrete foundation; the beams are western red cedar.
“No one is around for miles, so this outdoor shower is completely private and great for hot Texas days,” Pitner says. The stones around the house are crushed local granite.
The retaining wall is made of stones found onsite while digging holes for the septic tanks. “When you dig around here, you never know what you’re going to find,” Pitner says. They hit upon these perfect layers of rock.
“When they came out of the ground, they were dark gray and ugly; we stacked them and wondered what to do with them,” he says. During the time they mulled it over, several rainstorms hit, and the rock lightened to a beautiful color. They decided to use it for the wall. “You couldn’t shop for anything better than these stones,” he says.
The front door is mahogany planks with metal straps. The metal details, wood beams and lanterns lend an old-world European farm feel.
“We wanted the interiors to be rough but clean,” Pitner says. He used timber-frame construction throughout. The beams are hewn Douglas fir, hand notched for corner support. They avoided using molding to create the feeling of a monolithic, old blocked house. While the stones and beams lend the look of an old European farmhouse, the stained concrete floors, lack of moldings and simple floating kitchen shelves mix in contemporary touches.
Pitner advises hiring a professional to stain concrete floors; he was very impressed with the way the pros were able to match the floors to tones in the beams.
The kitchen has an indigenous feel, like it rose naturally right out of the land. The countertops are limestone, and the cabinets are alder.
One of the homeowners enjoys feeding the foxes and their babies who come to visit through the Dutch door.
Shaws Farmhouse Sink: Rohl

Kitchen of the Week: Chestnut and an Open Fire in Connecticut | Bedford Corners NY Homes

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American chestnut was once one of the most popular woods used in home construction in the United States, but the majestic tree has almost completely disappeared from the landscape. A blight that arrived around the beginning of the 20th century has all but eliminated the species. However, some resourceful builders are using this beautiful wood via reclamation. Chestnut boards recovered from a dilapidated barn in the South are currently thriving in this New England kitchen, lending an antique look to a room full of modern conveniences.
“The homeowner owns a travel business and travels to Africa extensively,” says Jeff Schneider, a designer at Crown Point Cabinetry. “She fell in love with the old-world look of kitchens over there, and loved every imperfection in the boards, like knot holes and mortise and tenon joint marks — these little details that show the history are her favorite parts.” Working in conjunction with the general contractors at Andy Miller Works, he crafted a one-of-a-kind kitchen.
Kitchen at a Glance Who lives here: A family of 5 Location: Greenwich, Connecticut Size: Main part of kitchen, 350 square feet; banquette area, 80 square feet

This project was a complete kitchen renovation in a 1920s Dutch colonial home. The new kitchen is full service, complete with an island as well as this eat-in banquette and pizza oven. The chestnut banquette cozies up to the corner, while chalkboard paint, an industrial table and subway tile with gray grout lend a vintage look.
This is a true wood-burning pizza oven, with a stone chimney on the outside of the house. The owner is also an artist and loves to change out the art around the pizza oven for different seasons and events.
Crown Point found these boards through a dealer, who saved them from a Virginia barn beyond repair. The chestnut boards were reclaimed from the barn’s old siding, beams and roof boards.
To get the old boards in shape for the new construction, they were X-rayed, and all the old metal objects such as nails were removed. Next, the cabinetmakers replaned the surfaces and edges, revealing fresh grains. After transforming them into cabinets, they finished them in a honey stain with a Van Dyke glaze.
While the rich chestnut wood and traditional antique bronze hardware bring in old-world style, floor-to-ceiling industrial white subway tile with gray grout mediates between the antique wood and the modern appliances. The overall result is an eclectic mix of vintage and modern.
Three floating shelves crafted from chestnut wood house everyday dishes. This open area balances out the other wood cabinetry and provides a light space between the windows.
Stacked cabinets kiss the ceiling, with glass doors showing off favorite wares in the top section.
Inspired by the home’s original diamond-paned windows, the cabinetmakers crafted leaded-glass diamond-paned doors for the upper cabinets on this wet bar, which is just off the side of the kitchen. It includes a sink, a wine refrigerator and glassware, creating an easy drink station.
The top stacked cabinets continue over the doorways. “This gives the cabinets a true built-in look,” Schneider says.
The ceramic tile herringbone floors lend more old-world style.
More leaded glass and diamond-paned doors define this custom buffet area. Lighting inside highlights favorite items. The buffet serves as a focal point on this wall.
The off-white kitchen island provides a contrast to the darker wood around it. The wood on the island is maple, and the finish is Blackened by Farrow & Ball. Blackened is made in a historical way: “lamp black,” residue from burnt lamp oil, is added to the paint to give it an antiqued look. The marble countertop is two inches thick.

Homes That Might Be Trying to Tell You Something | Chappaqua NY Real Estate

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Remember the Virgin Mary in the grilled cheese? Or Mother Teresa in a cinnamon bun? And wasn’t there a Cheeto that looked like Abraham Lincoln? Or was that a McNugget? Anyway, humans see faces everywhere. It’s a phenomenon called pareidolia: interpreting a random stimulus as being more significant than it really is.

Food visions aside, architecture is rife with face-like imagery. The abundant shapes and symmetry can easily form what looks like two eyes, a mouth and sometimes a nose.
The funny thing is, once you notice these faces, it’s impossible to ever look at a house the same way again. Just look at the smirk on this window’s face. Shameful!
Nooooo! Come back! You’ve left me naked and stone cold out here!
Hey, you, somebody, anybody. I’d kill for a glass of that scotch over there.
Come in, dear. Don’t you look ravishing. Let my Bette Davis eyes watch over you while you do your toilette.
Did you say you’re here to reclaim my reclaimed barn wood?
What’s happening over there? No, not another turkey, please. It’s too big. Help!