Monthly Archives: April 2014

Ridiculous Brownstone in Brooklyn Heights Asks $16M | Armonk Real Estate

Leave a reply

 

↑ We might as well end the Brooklyn Townhouse Roundup, because this completely unreal brownstone in Brooklyn Heights makes the rest of this week’s entries look like a bunch of crackhouses. Located right above the Promenade, 192 Columbia Heights—a designated landmark built in 1859—is 25′-wide with 14′ ceilings, two terraces, a landscaped backyard, and some pretty spectacular views of New York Harbor. It has three working fireplaces with period mantels,  floor-to-ceiling bay windows, a walnut-and-cherry staircase, original oak parquet flooring, and walnut wainscoting. Oh, and according to The New York Times, Norman Mailer once had a “private writing aerie” on the fifth floor. It’s asking a whopping $16 million, which would set a record for single-family homes in Brooklyn Heights. Yikes yikes yikes.

The 15 Most Common WordPress Mistakes to Avoid | North Salem Realtor

Leave a reply

 

A very old and famous saying, “to err is human and to forgive is divine“, is absolutely true. We all  make mistakes, because none of us is perfect. Whether it’s real life or  WordPress, mistakes happen everywhere. To commit a mistake is not a crime,  however, not learning from it and not trying to repeat it again definitely is.  Everyone learn from their mistakes, but it’s much better to learn from the  others’ mistakes.

In the case of WordPress, the primary focus of a novice is to set everything  up and get things running as soon as possible. In this hurry, there are quite a  few things that are ignored which may lead to numerous security vulnerabilities  and affect your blog/site in the long run. In this article, we’ve outlined 15 of  the most common WordPress mistakes that almost every one of us makes in the  beginning.

Hopefully, everyone will use this guide to avoid the same blunders and make  their WordPress site better, faster and more secure and of course a success.

#1. Choosing the wrong platform

Free WordPress.com or self hosted WordPress.org? Most of the WordPress  beginners often get confused between these two, and it’s one of the most common  mistakes, which is seen among beginners. While you’re going to start out as a  beginner, it’s extremely crucial to know what’s the difference between them and  which one can be the right choice for your new WordPress blog.

As both of them have their own pros and cons, it’s a big challenge for you to  decide which option is perfect for you. WordPress.com (run by the folks at Automattic) is most suitable  for bloggers, photographers, and artists – almost everyone. On the other hand,  WordPress.org is made for those who like to have total control over their  websites. Whatever option you choose, be careful.

#2. Forgetting to change the default admin username

When you install WordPress, it automatically creates the username “admin” with administrator privileges. It’s the username that is  obviously predictable to hackers. Using the “admin” username, they can  easily perform a brute force attack to crack your login and take control over  your site.

As WordPress gives you the option to change the username during installation,  it doesn’t make sense to stick with the default one. Therefore, while installing  WordPress, make sure to change your default WordPress admin username to a  different username. Also, use a combination of numbers, letters and special  characters in your username and password.

#3. Using an inappropriate or defective theme

Choosing the perfect theme is a crucial thing that decides the future  your WordPress blog. You wouldn’t believe that the structure of your design  plays a vital role in search engine rankling. There are three things you should  keep in mind while picking a theme – the ease of use for you, a reasonable  price, and a reputed company.

If you’re looking for a free WordPress theme, then there is no better option  than WordPress Themes  Directory. But if you’re interested in purchasing a commercial theme, we  recommend you to give a try to any one of these trusted theme providers: Elegant Themes, StudioPress, Headway Themes, Themify,  or ithemes.

 

 

 

Read more at http://www.jeffbullas.com/2014/04/14/the-15-most-common-wordpress-mistakes-to-avoid/#H1OBorvdkX7JVA8o.99

IRS will let quite a bit slide past April 15 | Mount Kisco Real Estate

Leave a reply

 

As you probably know, your income taxes are due on April 15. However, this is not really the final date to file your 2013 return. You can get a six-month extension to file, meaning that your return won’t be due until Oct. 15, 2014. Filing for an extension couldn’t be easier.

All you have to do is file Form 4868, Application For Automatic Extension of Time To File U.S. Individual Tax Return. You can do this electronically or by postal mail. For filing details, see my article “Need more time for taxes? File an extension.

”You might be thinking: “This sounds too easy. What’s the catch?”There is one catch. Extending your time to file your return does not extend your time to pay your income and self-employment taxes. These taxes remain due in full on April 15.

So, if you do owe the IRS money, you’ll need to estimate out how much and pay the amount before April 15. If you pay late, you’ll be charged a late payment penalty on the outstanding balance of 0.5 percent per month and interest at a rate of 3 percent per year.

Although filing an extension doesn’t increase the time you have to pay your taxes, it does give you — and your tax pro, if you hire one — ample extra time to ensure that you file a complete and accurate tax return.

– See more at: http://www.inman.com/2014/04/14/irs-will-let-quite-a-bit-slide-past-april-15/?utm_source=20140414&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=dailyheadlinesam#sthash.qXXn7Lzx.dpuf

6 tips for fostering client loyalty: It’s about providing ‘wow’ experiences | Waccabuc Real Estate

Leave a reply

 

It’s not always easy to build loyalty with your clients in the real estate business — or any business for that matter. Building loyalty takes time and there are a number of essential things that you should be doing. Here are six practical tips you can use to foster client loyalty.

1. Plan loyalty-building events Events such as client appreciation days and seminars can be fantastic loyalty-builders.

Both of these events are not only great for strengthening relationships with your clients, they’ll also help you get introduced to more people (potential real estate leads) if you encourage your clients to bring friends and family members along.

A client appreciation event can be anything from bowling to a barbecue to a fireworks show. And remember that seminars are perfect for positioning yourself as a “home expert” because the purpose of the seminar will be to educate your clients on any number of topics relating to homeownership. You can conduct the seminar yourself or invite an expert in to speak. It could be an interior designer, hardwood flooring specialist or any other professional who can offer valuable advice your sphere would be interested in.

2. Send a real estate newsletter In addition to a real estate newsletter or e-newsletter being a great keep-in-touch tool, it’s a powerful instrument for establishing trust, credibility and expertise. It’s important for the e-newsletter to include helpful and interesting information such as how to assess the value of one’s home, advice for boosting curb appeal, and more. A good real estate customer relationship management (CRM) platform will come with a professionally designed and written monthly e-newsletter so you don’t have to spend the money, or take the time, to create one each month.

3. Offer a homeowner’s checkup It is a good idea to meet with clients occasionally to do a homeowner’s checkup. You can provide current information and available services such as a local market update, a simple inspection of their home, a review of their current mortgage, and more. These checkups are also good opportunities to have a discussion about the client’s home goals. As this type of meeting can be time-consuming, I recommend you offer this to only your best clients (your “A list”).

4. Make quarterly check-in calls Again, this is something you’d do for only your top clients, but after meeting with them face to face, phone calls are the next best thing from a relationship-building standpoint. Schedule quarterly “keep-in-touch calls” and after the call, record in your real estate CRM what you spoke about. This is important because next time you talk with that client, you can ask how Jimmy’s baseball tournament or Mary’s surgery went. During these calls, you can also offer recommendations on reputable home professionals, which is a win-win-win situation.

Showing genuine interest in your clients’ lives is instrumental to relationship-building, and of course developing a referrals-based business. 5. Send a real estate thank-you card to clients who referred you These days, a handwritten card is rare, which is why you should send them out to express your appreciation each time you get a referral.

In the card, thank the referrer, mention that you rely on referrals to build your business, and promise to take good care of the person he referred. You’ll also want to keep the referrer in the loop and let him know the outcome of the person he referred.

 

 

 

– See more at: http://www.inman.com/next/6-tips-for-fostering-client-loyalty-its-about-providing-wow-experiences/?utm_source=20140414&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=dailyheadlinesam#sthash.BEwHCiLI.dpuf

Vacation homes are back in vogue | Cross River Homes

Leave a reply

 

Vacation home sales rose strongly in 2013, while investment purchases fell below the elevated levels seen in the previous two years, according to the National Association of Realtors.

NAR’s 2014 Investment and Vacation Home Buyers Survey, covering existing- and new-home transactions in 2013, shows vacation-home sales jumped 29.7 percent to an estimated 717,000 last year from 553,000 in 2012.

Investment-home sales fell 8.5 percent to an estimated 1.10 million in 2013 from 1.21 million in 2012.

Owner-occupied purchases rose 13.1 percent to 3.70 million last year from 3.27 million in 2012. The sales estimates are based on responses from households and exclude institutional investment activity.

NAR Chief Economist Lawrence Yun expected an improvement in the vacation home market. “Growth in the equity markets has greatly benefited high net-worth households, thereby providing the wherewithal and confidence to purchase recreational property,” he said. “However, vacation-home sales are still about one-third below the peak activity seen in 2006.”

Vacation-home sales accounted for 13 percent of all transactions last year, their highest market share since 2006, while the portion of investment sales fell to 20 percent in 2013 from 24 percent in 2012.

Yun said the pullback in investment activity is understandable. “Investment buyers slowed their purchasing in 2013 because prices were rising quickly along with a declining availability of discounted foreclosures over the course of the year,” he said.

“In 2011 and 2012, investment property was a no-brainer because home prices had sharply over corrected during the downturn in many areas, creating great bargains that could be quickly turned into profitable rentals. With a return to more normal market conditions, investors now have to evaluate their purchases more carefully and do their homework,” Yun added.

The typical vacation-home buyer was 43 years old, had a median household income of $85,600 and purchased a property that was a 180 miles from his primary residence.

Buyers plan to own their recreational property for a median of six years, down from 10 years in 2012.

 

 

http://www.rew-online.com/2014/04/10/report-vacation-homes-are-back-in-vogue/

 

How will school-boundary changes affect the DC real estate market? | South Salem Real Estate

Leave a reply

 

Homebuying just got a little more complicated in the District of  Columbia.

Many buyers, whether or not they have children, want to know they’re moving into  an area with good schools. For those with children, it’s an immediate concern. For  those without children, it’s a question of resale value.

This week, Mayor Vincent Gray unveiled a proposal to overhaul school boundaries,  including changes to the way school assignments are determined. It’s the first  proposal to change the boundaries in decades, and it comes as the D.C. real estate  market has heated up, including in neighborhoods east of the Anacostia River.  Darrin Davis, owner of Anacostia River Realty, says, “The D.C. market is hot. I  just sold five houses this week.”

So will changes to school boundaries cool that market?

Eldad Moraru, with Long and Foster, says D.C. has become a desirable place — not  just for young career-minded singles, but for families too. And the proposed  school-boundary changes raise questions.

“Some of them — I won’t say all of them, but some buyers are holding off on  making decisions until this plays out to its completion.”

Moraru, who is licensed in D.C., Virginia and Maryland, says the uncertainty  created by Gray’s proposals could send buyers elsewhere. “I’m sure there are some  people who’ve opted to go ahead and purchase in other school districts like  Maryland and Virginia because of this, but others are taking a wait-and-see  approach.”

Davis says buyers who are looking to Anacostia, where the housing stock is  plentiful and the prices are within reach for many priced out of other  neighborhoods, tend to be young singles. Schools may not be a major consideration  for those buyers right now, but he says, “I do see that being an issue five to ten  years down the line.”

 

 

http://www.wtop.com/109/3600068/How-will-school-boundary-changes-affect-DC-real-estate

House prices in Britain are rising again | Katonah Real Estate

Leave a reply

 

AFTER their worst slump for a generation, house prices in Britain are rising again. In the 12 months to January 2014, the value of homes increased by 6.8% across the country and by 13% in London, according to the Office for National Statistics. In the capital, where cash-rich buyers have viewed property as shelter from economic turmoil in the euro zone and elsewhere, prices are now at an all-time high after adjusting for inflation. In his old job at Canada’s central bank, Mark Carney, the boss of the Bank of England, was accused of presiding over a housing bubble. But since the crisis the bank has a bag of new tricks it can use to steady the market (see print article).

With base rates at an all-time low, mortgage repayments as a percentage of income are near their historic lows for first-time buyers, according to the Council for Mortgage Lenders, a trade association. That has allowed homeowners to borrow ever larger amounts of money from the banks. If real wages continue to stagnate across the country, they may struggle when interest rates eventually start to rise.

Explanation:

This interactive chart allows readers to compare the ups and downs of Britain’s 13 regional housing markets as measured by the Office for National Statistics. The data begin in 1968 for nine regions and countries, extending to 12 from 1992 onwards. As well as prices in nominal and real terms (deflated by the retail prices index), we have presented affordability measures for first-time buyers compiled by the Council for Mortgage Lenders. There are five different measures:

• House-price index: in nominal terms, rebased to 100 at the select base date. • Prices in real terms: the house-price index is deflated by retail prices and rebased at 100 to take account of the effects of inflation on purchasing power. • Mortage payments as % of income: first-time buyers’ median mortgage interest payments as % of income (at the time of housing completion).

 

 

 

 

http://www.economist.com/blogs/graphicdetail/2014/04/british-house-prices

Asking Home Prices in Urban Neighborhoods Rising Faster Than in Suburbs | Bedford Hills Real Estate

Leave a reply

 

From some angles, it looks like the housing recovery has brought an urban resurgence: for instance, the most urban counties are growing faster now than during the housing bubble, and many dense cities are having a boom in apartment construction. However, the most recent data show that asking prices in urban neighborhoods are rising only slightly faster than in the suburbs, and the suburbs actually have higher population growth.
The Trulia Price Monitor and the Trulia Rent Monitor are the earliest leading indicators of how asking prices and rents are trending nationally and locally. They adjust for the changing mix of listed homes and therefore show what’s really happening to asking prices and rents. Because asking prices lead sales prices by approximately two or more months, the Monitors reveal trends before other price indexes do. With that, here’s the scoop on where prices and rents are headed (see note #1 below).

Asking Prices Continue to Rise as Spring House Hunting Season Begins Despite declining investor purchases and more inventory coming onto the market, asking home prices continued to rise at the start of the spring housing season. Month-over-month, asking prices rose 1.2% nationally in March 2014, seasonally adjusted. Quarter-over-quarter, asking prices rose 2.9% in March 2014, seasonally adjusted, reflecting three straight months of solid month-over-month gains.

Year-over-year, asking prices are up 10% nationally and up in 97 of the 100 largest metros. Albany, NY, Hartford, CT, and New Haven, CT, are the only three large metros where prices fell year-over-year, albeit slightly.

 

 

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jed-kolko/asking-home-prices-in-urban-neighborhoods_b_5129329.html?utm_hp_ref=business&ir=Business

Property prices are rising swiftly. The Bank of England may intervene | Bedford Real Estate

Leave a reply

 

BRITAIN’S housing market is like food in a microwave, says Spencer Dale, the chief economist at the Bank of England. It can “turn from lukewarm to scalding hot in a matter of a few economic seconds”. Since the crisis the bank has gained new tools to control the market’s temperature. Now that the heat is rising, it may soon start testing them out.

Until last year house prices were rising predominantly in prosperous central London boroughs. That was largely because of an influx of cash-rich buyers, says Neal Hudson of Savills, an estate agency. People saw posh property in the capital as a shelter from economic turmoil abroad. Elsewhere in Britain, the housing market was torpid. Potential buyers struggled to find mortgages. Falling real wages, economic uncertainty and the memory of plummeting house prices during the crisis curbed Britons’ obsession with property.

 

 

http://www.economist.com/news/britain/21600728-property-prices-are-rising-swiftly-bank-england-may-intervene-cool-it

Down to Earth Farmers Markets | Pound Ridge Real Estate

Leave a reply

 

DTE---E-Mail-Masthead_(722x226pxl)REAL_2-(1-13-14)

Hudson River Apiaries + Potted Flowering Plants in Ossining;                           Indian Chutneys, Olive Oil, Pasta in Mamaroneck + MORE April 10-16th, 2014 Down to Earth Markets
Earlyspring-lettuce
What’s New and On Special This Week
Frozen Kofta, Rajma,                                     Roti Roll, Saag, & Samosa Bombay Emerald Chutney Co.
Gluten Free Cinnamon Raisin Swirl Bread                                     New recipe! Meredith’s Bread
Gluten Free Reverse                                     Chocolate Chip Cookies Meredith’s Bread
Green Leaf Lettuce Gajeski Produce 		Loose Leaf Spinach John D. Madura Farms
Hot Cross Buns Bread Alone
Micro Arugula Gajeski Produce
Parisian Baguette – On Sale! Reg. $3.25; now $2.75                                     Orwasher’s Bakery		 Passover Orders Order by 11 am on Friday; pick up Saturday at Mamaroneck Market! See details below Flourish Baking Company
Potted Flowering Plants John D. Madura Farms
Potted Herbs & Lettuces Gajeski Produce
Romaine Lettuce Gajeski Produce Spring Cookies and Cupcakes Meredith’s Breads
Click on a Market to see all vendor and event details…

    Westchester County
Mamaroneck Winter                                     Saturdays, 9:00 am-1:00 pm St. Thomas Episcopal Church                                     168 West Boston Post Road (at Mount Pleasant Ave) Ossining Winter
Saturdays, 9:00 am-1:00 pm At the corner of Spring & Main                                     in downtown Ossining		Headed to the city soon? Visit a Down to Earth                                     Farmers Market in NYC!
Announcements
Mamaroneck – Now OUTDOORS – Music & More
This Saturday help us welcome Brian Vegh with his Celtic fiddle tunes.                         He’ll add music to the market’s lively outdoor atmosphere from 10 am to noon!                         Also, April is Fair Housing Month, and in its honor, we’re happy to host Westchester Housing Opportunities. They will distribute information about local fair housing laws, answer community questions, and more.
Hosting for Passover?                         Flourish Baking Company has you covered. Place your Passover order with them by tomorrow (4/11) at 11am, and then pick it up from 9 am to 1 pm at the Mamaroneck Farmers Market on Saturday. Find their full menu here. [Warning: You WILL get hungry upon reading it.] Give them a call at 914-725-1026 or email info@flourishbakingcompany.com to order. ENJOY!
                         Stay tuned to all market happenings via our Down to Earth Markets Facebook page                           and follow us on Twitter @DowntoEarthMarkets