Monthly Archives: December 2013

Ultra-high-end foreclosures up 61% in 2013 | Bedford NY Real Estate

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Looking for eight bedrooms, 13 bathrooms and 23,000-square feet in Houston?

For a cool $6.3 million you may be able to take it off the bank’s hands since it repossessed a house fitting this description in April.

According to RealtyTrac, foreclosures on ultra-high-end homes — those with a value over $5 million — are up 61% over last year, defying the trend in the overall market that has seen foreclosure activity down 23% through October.

Panoramic ocean views, stunning architecture and landscaping — even putting greens — are some of the hallmarks of these luxury properties.

And although they account for a tiny part of the market — less than 200 total in 2013 so far — they can cost a foreclosing lender a sizable amount.

However, as Emmett Laffey, CEO of Laffey Fine Home International in New York City, said, “Any foreclosure properties in this kind of ultra-luxury market get purchased very quickly since there is one thing all super-rich buyers want — an outstanding deal on a real estate transaction, and in most cases foreclosures of this magnitude come with several million dollars of built-in value.”

According to RealtyTrac the top market for foreclosures in the $5 million-plus range is in the Miami/Fort Lauderdale area, followed by Los Angeles.

Rounding out the top five list are Atlanta, Ga.; Orlando, Fla.; and the New York City/Northern New Jersey area. Although Los Angeles made the top-five list, foreclosure activity in California as a whole is down compared to last year.

 

 

 

http://www.housingwire.com/articles/28215-ultra-high-end-foreclosures-up-61-in-2013

How to Assess Your Own Site for Solar Potential | Cross River Homes

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With  the current federal tax credits and some local utilities offering incentives,  tapping into solar power is more affordable and pays off sooner than it did four  years ago. Before you bring a solar energy expert out to your house, take some  time to check your site yourself. Evaluating your home for solar is simple: Just  follow these four easy steps.

Check  your paperwork. To be eligible for the solar  incentives from the government and/or utility companies, the person who owns the  system (you) must own the property where the solar array will be installed. The  utility account for the property must be in your name as well.

Check  the orientation. Southern-facing roofs are optimal; west-facing is  the next best. Do none of your roofs face the best directions? Fear not. There  are solutions. Many people use pole mounts and racked panels to maximize their  solar production.

Check  your view. Even a little shading can create a big problem. There are  systems designed to deal effectively with some shading but there is a limit.  There are ways to deal with shading challenges. Obvious solutions are mounting  panels to poles or racks. For one Olympia, Wash., family the best place for  their system was in their backyard. So, they built a pergola and used the  photovoltaic panels as shading.

More  dramatic (and often less desirable) solutions to shading would be removing trees  that cause shading. A good solar installer will be able to give you a reasonable  estimate of how effective tree removal would be before you  break out the chainsaw.

Check  your structure. Outside: If solar panels will be installed  on your roof, you need to take a good look at the roof itself. If the roofing is  due to be replaced in the next 10 years, get it replaced before you have solar  installed. To save money, roofers can replace just the area where solar panels  are being installed. The rest of the roof can be replaced down the line.

 

Your  roof and its supporting structure needs to be in good condition. Solar panels’ additional weight is minimal, but damaged and/or aging roofs require a different  approach. If your roof is sagging, bowing or crumbling, getting your home safe  and solid should be the highest priority.

Inside:  Your home’s wiring needs to be up-to-date. The panels’ electric requirements are  pretty low, but it’s best to make sure your home’s system is able to handle the  additional needs.

Read more: http://www.motherearthnews.com/renewable-energy/how-to-assess-your-own-site-for-solar-potentialzb0z1311zacai.aspx#ixzz2mhvS0TmT

Evolution of MLS Public Websites | Katonah Real Estate

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There’s a movement afoot among Multiple Listing Service (MLS) executives and brokers to take measures to protect, control and monetize the data surrounding listings. A key component of this strategy is the consumer-facing MLS website (MLS public portal).

In a 2009 study of MLS public listings websites, Matt Cohen, technology chief for Clareity Consulting, said: “I have been an advocate for MLS websites that provide real estate listings information to the public since 1996. Such websites have always made sense as a hedge against industry outsiders that want to intercept the consumer on their way to the real estate professional, selling expensive advertising, charging referral fees and/or reducing the broker’s capability to provide a one-stop shop for services ancillary to the real estate transaction.”

In 2009, Clareity Consulting studied every MLS listing website in the U.S. and found most severely lacking in features and deficient in other criteria. Clareity updated their study in 2011 and 2013, addressing the main features of a well-designed MLS public website:

1. Finding Properties – There’s no good reason not to provide a visual display where listings are shown on a map as criteria are changed.

2. Search Filters/Content – To remain competitive, more MLSs will allow for local display of pending or sold listings and/or display that information via public records.

3. Open House – Approximately 70 percent of sites have some kind of open house search.

4. Individual Property Details – The simplest implementations of property maps are links to Google Maps. And when it comes to photos, the advantages of having many pictures rather than one should be obvious. Nonetheless, 9 percent of top MLS listing websites show one picture.

 

 

http://rismedia.com/2013-12-05/evolution-of-mls-public-websites/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=eNews

The Facebook Conversion Formula: A Blueprint for Turning Fans into Customers | Katonah Realtor

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The Facebook Conversion Formula- A Blueprint for Turning Fans into Customers

Just having a Facebook Page is really just the beginning of building a  successful social media strategy. But with the right formula will not only help  you engage with Fans, but generate hot leads and real ROI from your Facebook  following.

So the Facebook sales cycle in its simplest form is:

  1. Grow your Facebook fans
  2. Promote to gain email and phone inquiries
  3. Nurture those fans to convert them to hot leads
  4. Convert those hot leads into revenue

That is the Facebook conversion formula. In essence a blueprint for turning  fans into customers

sales cycle Facebook

So how do you implement that process?

How to get more (relevant) fans

8.11% of all traffic on the internet comes from Facebook. The people looking for your products are already  on Facebook, the question is how do you find them where they are already  looking? The first step to growing your fan base is developing a user persona around  your ideal Facebook Fan. You can’t find what you’re not looking for.

Traits of your ideal fan, and ultimately your leads and customers, are based  on demographics, interests and likes, jobs experience and geography. Combining  characteristics from each of these categories will allow you develop a usage  scenario. In this case, the usage scenario is how your brand and ideal user  interact on social media and Facebook in particular.

All of your usage scenarios come together to become your content strategy.  Your content strategy should be broken into pillars; categories of content that  are relevant to your ideal fan personas and on-strategy for your business.

Below are 5 examples of types of pillars you may develop for your persona.  All of your content and posts should fit into one of these categories. Note,  that these 5 may or may not be relevant to your own business.

Turning Facebook Fans into sales

Convert your Facebook fans into leads

A fan becomes a lead when they willingly provide contact information, sign-up for your email  newsletter or otherwise opt-in to learn more about your business. This is best  achieved when there is already brand affinity in-place and you have already  positioned yourself as the industry expert.

To build that brand awareness and affinity, you’ll use your content pillars  to create good and engaging content. In providing immense value, you will create  trust and solidify yourself as an industry expert. This exchange of information  will create long-term, loyal customers.

Start by encouraging engagement with your content in the Facebook news feed.  According to a Hubspot Study in 2013, photos on Facebook generate 53% more  likes than the average post. The more likes, shares and comments you receive,  the more visible future content will be to your fans.

 

 

 

Read more at http://www.jeffbullas.com/2013/12/06/the-facebook-conversion-formula-a-blueprint-for-turning-fans-into-customers/#ucYOOSCXLMH6x0jm.99

How to Use Facebook Voice Messages for Your Business | Bedford Hills Realtor

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Do you use your Facebook personal profile to build business relationships?

Have you considered using Facebook voice messages to connect with your customers?

If you connect with customers on your personal profile, you can use Facebook voice messages with great success.

In this article, I’ll show you four ways Facebook voice messages can benefit your business.

What are Facebook Voice Messages?

Facebook voice messages are 60-second audio messages you record from an iOS or Android smartphone/tablet and send to friends and followers whom you’ve followed back.

To send Facebook voice messages, simply open a new message using the Facebook mobile app or the Facebook Messenger app.

mari smith message

Recording a Facebook voice message to Mari Smith.

 

From an Android phone, press the paperclip to open a blank voice message. From an iOS device, press the microphone.

When your blank message is opened, press and hold the red button to record. When you’re done recording, let go of the button and click Done to send your recording.

When a voice message is received, a playback box appears in the recipient’s Chat or Message window. They just click the arrow to listen!

facebook voice message

Example of a sent Facebook voice message.

Now that you have a better understanding of what Facebook voice messages are and how you access them, let’s see how you can use them to benefit your business.

#1: Build Relationships When You Welcome New Followers Personally

When you’ve hit the magic 5,000-friend limit, the only way to connect with more people from your profile is to allow them to follow you.

One way to leverage personal connections with Facebook voice messages is to follow your followers.

To find your followers, go to the About tab on your profile. Scroll down to your Friends box and click on Followers.

Follow a few of your newest followers, then thank each of them for connecting with you with a short voice message. You might also use the opportunity to let them know about your website, Facebook page or any of your other social media channels.

mari smith followers

Find your followers on the About tab of your profile.

Sending a personalized voice message to new followers will let them know you notice them and help you develop a deeper relationship with them.

#2: Become a Recognized Information Resource

If you receive a lot of questions, it can be difficult to keep up with the volume that comes through.

When you receive the same question from several people, use Facebook voice messages to record the answer once and deliver it to each person at the same time. Not only is this faster than typing individual text-based replies, it makes things more personal and you solve their problem with one effort!

If someone posts a question about something you answered in your ebook, send a Facebook voice message with a link to a free version of the ebook and mention where the answer is located.

It’s easy to become a go-to resource when you use personal voice messages to answer questions from your community.

#3: Create Brand Ambassadors

If you’re a public figure, most of your fans rarely get the opportunity to connect with or meet you in person. Facebook might be the closest they get to interacting with you.

Use voice messages to surprise a few of your business connections with a free product and a personalized recording from the CEO.

istock microphone

Personal voice messages have greater impact than generic emails or posts. Image source: iStockphoto

A series of surprise voice messages to share free products with people helps you create enthusiastic brand ambassadors.

#4: Reward Loyalty With Targeted Deals

Nobody feels special when they receive a discount that’s offered to everyone, but they do feel special when they receive a personal offer that’s created just for them.

Send targeted Facebook voice messages to promote exclusive deals to your community members.

When you notice a particular customer has longstanding loyalty to a product or service you offer, send a voice message and offer a truly exclusive discount on that product. Or a sneak preview of a new product!

Not only does this keep your customer excited about your products, but it also empowers him or her to tell friends about your business as well.

istock exclusive seal

Personalize exclusive offers for specific voice message recipients. Image source: iStockphoto

Targeted deals are a great way to reward your loyal customers and drive awareness for your business at the same time.

Use Facebook Voice Messages Wisely

Remember, just because you can send Facebook voice messages to all your connections doesn’t mean you should go overboard. Send out too many and you risk being viewed as a spammer and that bad reputation will reflect negatively on your business and the services you provide.

Instead, use Facebook voice messages strategically to make a good impression with individual members of your community, become a valuable resource and build loyalty with your fans.

 

 

 

 

http://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/facebook-voice-messages/

Gray Day: Greenwich Remains Under Dense Fog Advisory | Pound Ridge Homes

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Fog was continuing to create hazardous travel conditions Thursday morning as a Dense Fog Advisory was in place until noon, the National Weather Service said.

The warning is in effect in all of southern Connecticut, the lower Hudson Valley, northeast New Jersey and on Long Island, creating dreary, gray conditions.

Dense fog can create a visibility of a quarter mile or less. The warning is through noon but the fog may continue into the afternoon and evening, especially along the coast, the National Weather Service said.

High temperatures Thursday will reach the mid-50s, but showers are expected to move in by afternoon or the evening, the weather service said. Rain is likely overnight with more fog.

The reduced visibility can create hazards for on the road. Drivers should slow down, use low beam headlights and leave plenty of distance ahead in case a sudden stop is needed.

 

 

http://greenwich.dailyvoice.com/news/fairfield-county-remains-under-dense-fog-advisory