Category Archives: Bedford Corners NY

Prairie Grain Bin Turned Bucolic Retirement Home | Bedford Corners Real Estate

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Who lives here: Kate Morris, a retired art teacher
Location: Great Falls, Montana
Size: 900 square feet (84 square meters); 1 bedroom, 2 bathrooms
That’s interesting: This house was constructed from a grain bin.

BEFORE: So there the grain bin (shown here) sat for nearly eight years. After Morris retired from her teaching gig, and after a couple of years she spent taking care of her older brother, serendipity came calling. She knew she needed professional help to make her dream a reality, and by chance she was reunited with Nick Pancheau, an architect whom she had taught in grade school, and whose younger brother she had also taught. She explained her grain-bin idea to him over the phone, and “he just got it,” Morris says.

Eclectic Exterior by Nick Pancheau, AIA
Nick Pancheau, AIA
AFTER: Pancheau’s design kept the spirit of the structure intact by creating a floating box on the inside for living that punched out through the sides to take advantage of the bucolic surroundings.

A deck that extends off the living space is a great spot for watching migratory birds around the reservoirs below.

Eclectic Exterior by Nick Pancheau, AIA
Nick Pancheau, AIA
The grain bin is 36 feet in diameter and eight rings high. That’s grain-bin speak for about 20 feet (walls only).

Pancheau swooned when Morris told him she wanted a bridged entryway connecting a hill to the second-floor living space. “It’s a dream statement from a client,” he says. “Very rarely do you have the opportunity to do something like a bridge. It’s practical and beautiful, and a great opportunity to work with the site.”

With high winds in the area, he had to protect the entry. He did this by carving into the bin and creating a recess entryway wrapped in yellow painted siding. “It’s like a warm beacon that you immediately recognize as the entry if you’re a guest coming across the hill,” he says.

For the exterior color, Pancheau looked to the corporate logo of the grain bin manufacturer MFS, whose bright yellow logo remains on the portion above the entryway. He matched the yellow from that trademark to accent the punch-outs.

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http://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/33856520?utm_source=Houzz&utm_campaign=u810&utm_medium=email&utm_content=gallery0

30-Year Fixed Mortgage Rate Firmly Below 4 | Bedford Corners Real Estate

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Mortgage rates for 30-year fixed mortgages were unchanged this week, with the current rate borrowers were quoted on Zillow Mortgages at 3.90 percent, the same as this time last week.

The 30-year fixed mortgage rate fell early in the week, then spiked to 4.02 percent on Tuesday before settling to the current rate.

“Last week, rates dipped after Friday’s weaker-than-expected jobs report,” said Erin Lantz, vice president of mortgages at Zillow. “This week, with limited economic data scheduled for release and the bond market closed for Veterans Day, we expect rate movement to remain fairly muted.”

Additionally, the 15-year fixed mortgage rate this morning was 3.04 percent, and for 5/1 ARMs, the rate was 2.88 percent.

Purchase Mortgage Application Activity

Zillow predicts tomorrow’s seasonally adjusted Mortgage Bankers Association Weekly Application Index will show purchase loan activity to decrease by 3 percent from the week prior. To learn more about this Zillow analysis, click here.

What are the interest rates right now? Check Zillow Mortgages for mortgage rate trends and up-to-the-minute mortgage rates for your state.

What $2,300/Month Can Rent You in New York City | Bedford Corners Real Estate

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Welcome to Curbed Comparisons, a column that explores what one can rent for a set dollar amount in various NYC neighborhoods. Is one man’s studio another man’s townhouse? Let’s find out! Today’s price: $2,300/month.

↑ In the Columbia Street Waterfront District section of Cobble Hill, a one-bedroom apartment with exposed brick and large closet in the bedroom, located on a cobblestone street, is going for $2,276/month.

See how other neighborhoods stack up >>

↑ A new-looking two-bedroom in Fort Greene is asking $2,368/month and features french doors, some exposed brick, and recessed lighting.

↑ This 900-square-foot apartment in Crown Heights apparently has three bedrooms, which are obviously way on the small side. The layout is not entirely clear and that one picture with the arch looks like an optical illusion. What’s going on here? We’re not sure, but it’s asking $2,300/month

 

 

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http://ny.curbed.com/archives/2014/11/07/what_2300month_can_rent_you_in_new_york_city.php

 

Progress Toward Normal | Bedford Corners Real Estate

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The economy and the housing market continue their gradual march back to normal as measured by the NAHB/First American Leading Markets Index (LMI). The index measures how close every metropolitan area is to their last normal level of single-family housing permits, employment and house prices. At the national level, the index rose to .90 in the third quarter from .89 in the second quarter.

The LMI has three components and two of them were responsible for the increase. The single-family permit index rose from .43 to .44 meaning total permits issued in the past three months were at 44 percent of the last normal period, which was 2000-20003. Home prices also rose to 1.3 from 1.27, which means house prices are 30 percent higher than the average in 2000-2003. Employment was the only component that did not change; remaining at .95 which means the last 12 months average employment was at 95% of the peak employment levels of 2007.

Of the 350 metro areas with their own LMI, 59 have a value at or over 1 meaning they have recovered and moved on from their last normal state. Seven metro areas were added to this list in the last year.

The recovered markets are dominated by energy producing areas with 15 in Texas, 8 in Louisiana and 3 in North Dakota. Smaller metro areas with universities or military bases have also done well. The change can be viewed in two ways. Progress toward normality depends on the speed of the recovery but also the length of the trip. Markets that sunk the most are moving forward but the collapse was so large, it will take some time for complete recovery to take place.

The map below shows five segments of the LMI from those markets beginning with the darkest green that are 98% or better toward normal down to the darkest red that are still less than 78% of the way back to normal.

 

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http://eyeonhousing.org/2014/11/progress-toward-normal/

Share of freshman home buyers at three decade low | Bedford Corners Real Estate

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home buyers and sellers; the series dates back to 1981. Results are representative of owner-occupants and do not include investors or vacation homes.

The long-term average in this survey, dating back to 1981, shows that four out of 10 purchases are from first-time home buyers. In this year’s survey, the share of first-time buyers dropped 5%age points from a year ago to 33%, representing the lowest share since 1987 (30%).

Lawrence Yun, NAR chief economist, says there are many obstacles young adults are enduring on their path to homeownership.

“Rising rents and repaying student loan debt makes saving for a down payment more difficult, especially for young adults who’ve experienced limited job prospects and flat wage growth since entering the workforce,” he said. “Adding more bumps in the road, is that those finally in a position to buy have had to overcome low inventory levels in their price range, competition from investors, tight credit conditions and high mortgage insurance premiums.”

Yun said that he sees some problems being alleviated going forward.

“Stronger job growth should eventually support higher wages, but nearly half (47%) of first-time buyers in this year’s survey (43% in 2013) said the mortgage application and approval process was much more or somewhat more difficult than expected. Less stringent credit standards and mortgage insurance premiums commensurate with current buyer risk profiles are needed to boost first-time buyer participation, especially with interest rates likely rising in upcoming years.”

The household composition of buyers responding to the survey was mostly unchanged from a year ago. Sixty-five% of buyers were married couples, 16% single women, 9% single men and 8% unmarried couples.

In 2009, 60% of buyers were married, 21% were single women, 10% single men and 8% unmarried couples. Thirteen% of survey respondents were multi-generational households, including adult children, parents and/or grandparents.

 

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http://www.housingwire.com/articles/31934-nar-dearth-of-first-time-buyers-plagues-housing

 

Down to Earth Farmers Markets | Bedford Corners Real Estate

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JAN2014-DTE-E-Mail-Masthead_(722x226pxl)FRESH-2-(1

Wave Hill Breads Debuts Honey & Walnut Croissant
in Larchmont & Croton-on-Hudson;
Order Your Thanksgiving Turkey with Karl Family Farms in Rye;
Try Winter Flounder from American Pride Seafood + MORE

October 30th-November 5th, 2014
DowntoEarthMarkets.com
Apple Banner Photo
What’s New, In Season, and On Sale This Week
Apple Crisps
Wright’s Farm

Honey & Walnut Croissants
Wave Hill Breads

Kabocha Squash
Alex’s Tomato Farm

Macoun Apples
Alex’s Tomato Farm

Mutsu Apples
Alex’s Tomato Farm

Pears
Mead Orchards
 Shizuka Apples
Alex’s Tomato Farm

Thanksgiving Turkeys
Place your order this weekend! 
Karl Family Farms

Winter Flounder
American Pride Seafood


Click on a Market to see all vendor and event details…                  

Westchester
County

Rockland
County

Ossining

Saturdays
8:30 am-1:00 pm

ALL YEAR AROUND

Larchmont

Saturdays
8:30 am-1:00 pm

Through Dec. 13th

Piermont

Sundays
9:30 am-3:00 pm

Through Nov. 23rd

Croton-on-Hudson

Sundays
9:00 am-2:00 pm

Through Nov. 23rd


Rye

Sundays
8:30 am-2:00 pm

EXTENDED!
NOW through Dec. 21st

Spring Valley

Wednesdays
8:30 am-3:00 pm

Through Nov. 19th


Tarrytown/Sleepy Hollow

Saturdays
8:30 am-1:00 pm

Through Nov. 22nd

New Rochelle

Fridays
8:30 am-2:30 pm

Through Nov. 21st


Headed to the city soon?

Visit a Down to Earth
Farmers Market in NYC!

Announcements
Ossining

In celebration of the effort to Bring Your Own Bag to the market – BYOBag – Mead Orchards is offering a FREE reusable bag with all purchases of $5 or more. Also, John D. Madura Farms is selling reusable bags for $3 each. These bags are great alternatives to one-time use plastic bags – thank you all for helping us eliminate plastic shopping bags at the market. Over 300 people have signed the pledge at the market to bring their reusable bags back every week. Keep ’em coming.

Fall Back

Just a reminder – this Sunday marks the end of Daylight Savings Time. Clocks turn back by one hour at 2 am on November 2nd. All our Sunday markets will open on the usual schedule – see you there! 

For additional events, visit our Down to Earth Markets Event Calendar.

Stay tuned to all market happenings via our Down to Earth Markets Facebook page
and follow us on Instagram and on Twitter @DowntoEarthMkts.

Corporate Food Companies Spend Over $30 Million to Defeat GMO Labeling Initiatives in Colorado and Oregon – Will They Win? 
OR label law propaganda
This just in … in the Oregon mail

On Tuesday, November 4th, eaters in Colorado and Oregon will vote on whether or not to label Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) in foods sold in their states. For the record, these types of organisms are distinct from the age-old art of plant breeding and other agricultural refinements. GMOs occur when scientists manipulate plant DNA and are now found in many common foods.

As told by Vanity Fair in 2008, this kind of manipulation wasn’t legal in the United States until 1980. Before then, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office “had refused to grant patents on seeds, viewing them as life-forms with too many variables to be patented.” This changed, however, in 1980 when the U.S. Supreme Court voted 5 to 4 that patent law could cover “a live human-made microorganism.” 

The following year, a team of Monsanto scientists became the first ever to “genetically modify a plant cell.” Thus, in 1981, genetically modified organisms were invented. Along with the invention came the patent — for the first time in human history, seeds carried a patent. Seeds were no longer solely part of the shared human heritage. 

Fast forward to thirty years later, in Colorado last August, where the group, Colorado Right to Know, submitted 167,950 signatures – far exceeding the 86,105 needed – to bring the GMO label vote to the ballot box. Yet in the months since then, groups opposing the measure, including Monsanto, PepsiCo, Kraft Foods, and others, have raised over $12 million for the campaign against Proposition 105. In contrast, the pro-labeling groups have raised over $600,000. Not surprisingly, the poll numbers reflect the David vs. Goliath scenario in fundraising: As of two weeks ago, 49% of 500 Colorado voters polled said that they oppose the GMO labeling bill. 29% support it and 21% said they are undecided.

The poll numbers in Oregon, however, are much closer. According to Bloomberg Politics, as of early October, “an Oregon Public Broadcasting/Fox 12 poll found that 49 percent of voters supported Measure 92, while 44 percent opposed it. Seven percent were undecided.”

In the weeks since the poll, the chemical giant, Dupont Pioneer, has given over $4 million dollars to oppose Proposition 92. Now as of this week, a new poll came in listing the numbers as 48% opposing GMO labeling and 42% supporting it, with 7% undecided.

All told, corporations that oppose GMO labeling have spent over $30 million to defeat the measures in Oregon and Colorado, and the vote is still days away. It is notable that the Oregon-based chain of food stores, New Seasons, has launched a campaign in support of labeling. Whole Foods has voiced their support for these labeling initiatives, too.

One of the arguments by food corporations against GMO labeling is that it would be too costly, both for them and for consumers. Yet – 1) They change their labels all the time, such as “new and improved” and 2) they already export foods with GMO labels to countries around the world that have GMO label laws. There are 64 countries currently require labels, including the European Union, Russia, China, and Japan. 3) It’s unlikely that GMO labeling will deeply impact consumer prices.

At Down to Earth Markets, as stated on our website, it is our vision “to build a strong regional food system, built by independent farms and food businesses, that provides everyone with an alternative to industrial food.” We don’t know the environmental or health risks of GMO crops at this point. Perhaps they are fine; perhaps they are not. The impact of these crops will be revealed with time.

What we do know now is that we do not want corporations to have exclusive rights to our food. Yes, the GMO labeling debate is about the right to know what is in our food. We also strongly believe that it is about the right to say NO to corporate ownership of our food.

To support GMO labeling efforts in Colorado and Oregon, you can donate to the work of Food Democracy Now! and the Center for Food Safety. To support non-GMO foods in our area, shop at Down to Earth Farmers Markets. All of our farms are independent, small businesses that grow non-GMO crops. Thank you for coming out to buy from them this weekend.

Pending Home Sales in U.S. Increase Less Than Forecast | Bedford Corners NY Real Estate

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Contracts to purchase previously owned homes rose less than forecast in September, showing housing will take time to gain momentum.

The pending home sales index increased 0.3 percent after dropping 1 percent in August, the National Association of Realtors said today in Washington. The median projection in a Bloomberg survey of economists called for a 1 percent gain.

Still-tight credit and low inventories remain hurdles for a sluggish housing recovery that’s still healing more than five years after the downturn. More Americans are being helped by faster progress in the employment picture, allowing those who are able to get a mortgage the opportunity to take advantage of historically low rates.

“We see few signs now of further momentum,” Ian Shepherdson, chief economist at Pantheon Macroeconomics Inc. in White Plains, New York, said in a research note. “We are hopeful, however, that the dip in mortgage rates in recent weeks, coupled with the continuing improvement in the labor market, will trigger at least a modest renewed upturn by the end of the year.”

Stocks fell, paring gains from last week’s rally that was the biggest since January 2013, as energy producers slumped with lower oil prices. The Standard & Poor’s 500 Index declined 0.2 percent to 1,960.5 at 11:01 a.m. in New York.

Survey Results

Estimates in the Bloomberg survey of 41 economists forecasting pending home sales ranged from a decline of 1.5 percent to an advance of 2.5 percent.

Purchase contracts climbed 3 percent in the 12 months ending in September after a 4.1 percent annual decline in August, the NAR report showed. Last month marked the first year-over-yearincrease since September 2013.

The pending sales index was 105 on a seasonally adjusted basis. A reading of 100 corresponds to the average level of contract activity in 2001, or “historically healthy” home-buying traffic, according to the NAR.

Pending sales rose in two of four regions from the prior month, with the South up 1.4 percent and the Northeast advancing 1.2 percent. Purchase contracts declined 1.2 percent in the Midwest and 0.8 percent in the West.

Economists consider pending sales a leading indicator because they track new purchase contracts.Existing-home sales are tabulated when a deal closes, usually a month or two later.

September Sales

Those re-sales rose last month to a 5.17 million annual rate, the highest level in a year, NAR data showed last week. Construction also picked up in September as housing starts climbed 6.3 percent to a 1.02 million annualized rate, supported by a bigger increase in multifamily projects than for single-family properties.

Declining borrowing costs will help make big-ticket purchases such as homes more affordable. The average rate on a 30-year, fixed mortgage fell to 3.92 percent in the week ended Oct. 23, the lowest since June 2013, according to Freddie Mac data.

The rate has dropped by 0.27 percentage point over the past three weeks as concern over slowing global growth pushed investors out of stocks and into the safety of Treasury securities, causing yields to drop on the benchmarks used to calculate home-lending costs.

“The current spectacularly low mortgage rates should help more buyers reach the market,” NAR chief economist Lawrence Yun said in a statement.

 

read more….

 

 

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-10-27/pending-sales-of-u-s-existing-homes-rise-less-than-projected.html

Frank Lloyd Wright Came to Miami in 1955 And He Hated It | Bedford Corners Real Estate

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Wright.png

On Nov. 14th, 1955 Time Magazine printed a short piece summing up the world famous Frank Lloyd Wright’s opinions of Miami, having just visited recently. The architect was pretty damning of Miami, and this is what he said:

Paying his first visit to Miami in some 20 years, Architectitan Frank Lloyd Wright, 86, duly paid the city’s palm-fringed structures his typical disrespects. In a word, after a look at a flossy row of hotels and cottages: “Horrible.” Critic Wright, from the height of his years, lowered the boom on the locals: “Miamians are living in houses pigs would be ashamed to live in.” One hotel was summarily dismissed: “Worse than an anthill.” Miamians were slow to lash back at Wright; he had not directly blamed them for their housing plight. The real villains, as always, said Architect Wright, are “the architects.”

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http://miami.curbed.com/archives/2014/10/22/frank-lloyd-wright-hated-miami.php

Remodeled 1950s Idyll in Suburban Houston Asks $2.9M | Bedford Corners Real Estate

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0f5d0f8912df47caa8947cd22c20c9b6.jpg

Location: Houston, Texas
Price: $2,895,000
The Skinny: Designed in 1956, in the early days of the Tanglewood neighborhood of Houston, Texas, this five-bedroom home was recently remodeled with “amazing architectural elements from Chateau Dominigue,” a local importer of antique European building materials. That’s where the limestone tiles, stone mantels, and antique wood beams came from, which look pretty nice, and would look even better if the rest of the interior weren’t so whitewashed. The .87-acre site is apparently one of the largest in this upscale subdivision, the implication being that there’s “plenty of room to expand” on the 6,850 square feet already there. Bought last December for $2,795,000, this very picturesque suburban dwelling is back on the market after less than a year asking $2,895,000.

 

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http://curbed.com/archives/2014/10/20/tanglewood-houston-home-for-sale.php

Plan For Bedford Playhouse, Seeks Celebrities’ Backing | Bedford Corners Real Estate

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The man behind a proposal to turn the Bedford Playhouse into a non-profit theater discussed his plan at the Bedford Town Board meeting on Tuesday and outlined a tentative time table, a meeting video shows.

It was mentioned that the idea was because Bow Tie Cinemas, the current theater tenant, is not renewing its lease that expires at the end of the year.

Discussion begins in the video shortly after the 12-minute mark.

John Farr, who commissioned an online survey to gauge public support, shared the results. The data, which were included in the board’s meeting packet, show that there were 785 responses as of Oct. 2, with 88 percent in favor, 9 percent undecided and just 2 percent against.

Farr was pleased with the feedback.

“That’s pretty astonishing,” he told the board.

However, Farr brought up a challenge, which is the survey showing that most respondents would be willing to contribute on the lower end towards memberships. The results show that 62 percent would only give $100 to $250 while just 1 percent would give more than $5,000. The remainder would give various amounts in between.

“That’s not going to do it,” Farr told the board, but explained that situation is not unusual.

Farr also told the Town Board that he is seeking support from deep-pocketed supports and celebrities – he mentioned Ralph Lauren, Martha Stewart and George Soros as hypothetical examples – and would like to arrange a meeting with them or their representatives.

Aside from memberships, Farr mentioned the importance of events for a non-profit model. However, he cited the current 2-screen arrangement of the Playhouse as a problem, noting their 18-foot widths. As a solution, Farr suggested a renovation to restore the Playhouse to a single-screen theater.

 

 

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http://bedford.dailyvoice.com/news/farr-talks-plan-bedford-playhouse-seeks-celebrities-backing