Category Archives: Bedford Corners NY

One of New York City’s Greatest Townhouses Asks $46M | Bedford Corners Real Estate

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Location: New York, N.Y. Price: $46,000,000 The Skinny: This 40-foot-wide Neoclassic French townhouse on Manhattan’s Upper East Side possesses a level of grace, charm, and sophistication that only a residence custom-built for a woman who redesigned the White House Rose Garden for her friend Jacqueline Kennedy could achieve. Bunny Mellon (famed horticulturist, member of the International Best Dressed List, granddaughter of the inventor of Listerine) and her husband Paul (heir to the Mellon banking fortune, one of five national designated “Exemplars of Racing”) had the 11,000-square-foot, 14-room mansion built in 1965, to—and this is something of an understatement—exacting standards. The house, which features three exposures, and a garden with a reflecting pool, last sold in 2006 for $22.5M and now finds itself back on the market for $46M, because sure, why not. Thankfully, not much seems to have changed, save, perhaps, an updated kitchen, since the Mellons’ heyday.

‘Quintessential,’ Yet Curious, Palm Beach Manse Asks $30M | Bedford Corners Real Estate

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Location: Palm Beach, Fla. Price: $30,000,000 The Skinny: The details surrounding this “quintessential Palm Beach” mansion are sparse. It was built in 1926 by Marion Syms Wyeth, a favored architect of Palm Springs’ gilded age. After that, there’s a pretty big gap in its history until 2004, when it was purchased for $8.8M by an LLC-shielded buyer. The new owner restored the 17,000-square-foot palace and just yesterday put it back on the market for $30M. And that’s about it. There are only five listing photos, which surely don’t tell the whole story, but the story that they do tell is ridiculous: the house looks like the kind of place that a fictional drug lord would have lived in in the ’80s (especially with the enormous privacy hedges). C’mon, there are at least four winged lion statues.

Phoenix’s booming housing market leaves lower-priced homes behind | Bedford Corners Real Estate

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Phoenix, one of the hardest-hit metros in the housing crisis, is seeing housing roar back thanks to an uptick in jobs and a streamlined foreclosure process that has curbed its shadow inventory.

But developers are not building enough lower-end homes to satisfy demand. Post-crisis, luxury homes — those that go for millions of dollars — now make up 21 percent of the housing stock, up from 15 percent before the crash, according to Mike Orr, director of the Center for Real Estate Theory and Practice at Arizona State University.

On the other side, the share of homes on the market for $150,000 or less dropped from 25 percent before the crash to 14 percent today, Orr told the New York Times.

 

 

Source: New York Times

 

 

– See more at: http://www.inman.com/wire/phoenixs-booming-housing-market-leaves-lower-priced-homes-behind/#sthash.kYpfDo06.dpuf

17 Social Media Books That Will Make You a Smarter Marketer | Bedford Corners Homes

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Are you looking for a few good books to improve your marketing?

Wondering what books your peers are raving about?

Look no further.

We asked our authors to share the social media marketing books they’ve recently enjoyed reading–ones with useful relevant takeaways.

In this article, you’ll discover 17 books to help you improve your social media marketing recommended by social media pros.

#1: Your Customer Creation Equation

andy crestodinaAndy Crestodina

I love Brian Massey’s Your Customer Creation Equation. It’s a concise, clear-sighted overview of visitors and actions. It explains the how and why of conversions and measurement. And it’s all done in simple terms with relevant examples.

your customer creation equationBrian also covers social media, but in the context of conversion. He reminds us that conversion does not necessarily lead to action. So he encourages us to take a practical approach to social media by focusing either on conversation or content, depending on our business. Smart!

There are different types of websites with different types of visitors. Each type has its own “formula.” You need to first understand what type of site you have before you start work in the “laboratory.”

The key to optimizing your conversion rate is experimentation. Noticing a theme? Brian even calls himself a “Conversion Scientist.” He’s clearly a strong advocate of testing.

Andy Crestodina, principal, strategic director at Orbit Media.

#2: Epic Content Marketing

ian clearyIan Cleary

We talk a lot about producing content, but are we producing the right type of content, targeted at the right audience, delivered in the right format that accomplishes our business goals?

epic content marketing

Joe Pulizzi’s book, Epic Content Marketing, is essential reading if you’re a content marketer. It takes you through all of the necessary phases of producing a content marketing strategy. Without a clear content marketing strategy, you’ll end up producing content for the sake of content and it won’t achieve your business goals.

“Content marketing is the marketing and business process for creating and distributing content to attract, acquire, and engage a clearly defined and understood target audience with the objective of driving profitable customer action.” – Joe Pulizzi

One of my key takeaways from this book is the importance of a content segmentation grid. This is a combination of the stages of your sales process and the content required at each stage.

As Joe says, it’s not a case of just producing content as a ‘spray and pray’ approach similar to advertising. You need to produce content that is relevant for each stage of the buying cycle.

Ian Cleary, founder of RazorSocial.

john lee dumasJohn Lee Dumas

Epic Content Marketing by Joe Pulizzi does an incredible job of helping entrepreneurs define their content niche.

I believe not having a defined content niche is what derails most entrepreneurial efforts. With this book, I was able to define EntrepreneurOnFire’s niche in a powerful way.

John Lee Dumas, founder and host of EntrepreneurOnFire.

#3: Spreadable Media

lisa peytonLisa Peyton

Spreadable Media, by Henry Jenkins, Sam Ford and Joshua Green, is a must-read for any marketer who has been tasked with creating ‘viral’ content. Henry Jenkins, known as the father of Transmedia Storytelling, and the other authors do an amazing job of breaking down the fallacies surrounding the concept of ‘virality,’ and instead offer up the concept of ‘spreadability.’

spreadable media

The book is a refreshing bird’s-eye view of how to make content that connects with your audience. Instead of viewing audience members as passive consumers of content, Spreadable Media suggests that the audience plays an active role in the distribution and meaning of your content.

This might make some marketing managers uncomfortable, but the authors lay out strong evidence that passive consumers are a thing of the past. The companies that connect with the audience and empower them to improve and reuse content are the companies that are cutting through the noise.

They also delve into tactics, including information and how new technology can contribute to ‘spreadability.’ They outline several factors including content availability, portability, reusability and relevance that help create the foundation for spreadable content.

Lisa Peyton, leader in the field of digital marketing and editor at ThoroughlyModernMarketing.com.

 

 

 

http://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/17-social-media-marketing-books/

What’s LEED All About, Anyway? | Bedford Corners Real Estate

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How can you tell the difference between houses that look environmentally friendly and ones that actually are? Home certifications can help. Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) is just one certification that helps all sectors of the home-building industry use some of the best methods of sustainable design and construction.
Your first two questions about certification are likely going to be, “What’s in it for me? and “How much is this going to cost?” Let’s look at some of the basics.

modern by Butler Armsden Architects

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Benefits of LEED Certification
The benefits touch everyone involved. For the homeowner a voluntary certification like LEED for homes increases accountability for quality checks on the construction site, therefore decreasing the frequency of costly mistakes. Plus, according to the U.S. Green Building Council, LEED-certified homes use on average 20 to 30 percent less energy and water, with some homes reporting up to 60 percent less energy use than a home built to meet code minimums.
In addition to the decrease in monthly utility bills, many states and cities have tax breaks and incentives for environmentally friendly construction. While the LEED rating itself doesn’t address individual incentives, the requirements often overlap. In fact, the U.S. Department of Energy has a searchable Database of State Incentives for Renewables & Efficiency. You and your project team can look up federal and state incentives to give your budget a little boost.
Finally, if you ever need to sell your home, you can ask for a higher price for a LEED home than similar houses on the market. One study in California, for example, showed an 8 to 9 percent increase in the market value of green-certified homes.
Meanwhile, any builders wanting to set themselves apart should consider learning how to build according to LEED requirements. Most agree that there is a steep learning curve, but with more than 100,000 home units certified in the U.S. (and many more in the pipeline), it could set an experienced business even further apart from the crowd or help a new business leap ahead. The same goes for designers who want to show clients that they can be creative even within environmental parameters.
Costs of LEED Certification It’s difficult to pinpoint an exact percentage increase in construction costs that you are likely to see with a LEED home. It depends on what you are comparing it to. In an apples-to-apples comparison with a high-quality, uncertified construction that follows best-practice guidelines, the cost difference is hardly noticeable: maybe 2 to 5 percent higher).
In a comparison with the average home on the market that just meets the minimum building codes (apples to oranges in this little fruit metaphor), the percentage would be much higher: maybe 20 percent.
contemporary exterior by Shades Of Green Landscape Architecture

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By earning points in eight categories, the finished house can achieve one of these ratings:

  • Platinum (90 to 136 points)
  • Gold (75 to 89 points)
  • Silver (60 to 74 points)
  • Certified (45 to 59 points)

Whether you are in the market for a LEED home or looking to build one yourself, understanding what goes into these scoring categories can help you formulate your questions for your real estate agent or home builder.
1. Innovation and Design Process (ID)
Points available: 11
Points earned for: Making sure that the home is sustainable, durable and cost efficient, with a well-rounded approach to the design.
Things to keep in mind: This category of credits is meant to see if you really mean it — if you really want to build a sustainable home or if you’re just looking for a quick certification. The lesson: Plan early and plan often. You need to get your project team on the same page as soon as possible and make sure that every professional involved is willing to use the best methods, rather than the easiest methods.
The design of your home should be integrated with the selection of your team. It should take into consideration the path of the sun and the use of solar heat to reduce consumption. The home should also be durable and high quality, not only to last you through the years, but also to provide a good base for whatever the future of building technology may hold.
2. Location and Linkages (LL)
Points available: 10
Points earned for: Selecting a sustainable location for your home. To be truly green, you must try to use an existing infrastructure.

StreetEasy redesign rankles users | Bedford Corners Real Estate

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It was a rough couple of months for New York City brokers who rely on technology — and, really, isn’t that nearly all of them? Not only did the Real Estate Board of New York roll out its new, long-awaited listings transmission system (which some had doubts about) and Apple unveil its much-maligned new operating system, but StreetEasy debuted a website redesign that has rankled brokers and inflamed some consumers.

“I am a big StreetEasy fan – it’s the biggest driver in the market,” said Donna Olshan, president of residential brokerage Olshan Realty. “But there are a lot of issues with the new interface that they need to work out. My brokers are complaining.”

The popular listings provider, greeted with skepticism when it first launched in New York City in 2006, has since become an indispensable tool for residential brokers to advertise homes, connect with clients, and mine data on listings, sales and rentals. Now operating in a handful of markets across the U.S., the site proved successful enough to catch the eye of Zillow, which acquired the company in August for $50 million.

Some brokers who spoke with The Real Deal assumed the new interface, launched Sept. 30, was tied to the Zillow buy, and some warned that StreetEasy would soon mimic Zillow’s sites around the country, which they criticized for promoting agents who do not have exclusives on listings.

“The word that’s going around my office about it is that it got ‘Zillowfied,’ meaning it looks like Zillow,” said Eric Benaim, founder of residential brokerage Modern Spaces. “That can be a good thing or bad thing, depending on who you’re speaking to.”

But the switchover had nothing to do with Zillow, said Sofia Song, StreetEasy’s vice president of research and communications.

“The redesign has been in the works for months,” she said, adding that the roll out had been planned for the third quarter of 2013.

 

 

 

– See more at: http://therealdeal.com/blog/2013/10/04/streeteasy-redesign-rankles-users/#sthash.nCICwjUk.dpuf

Hog And Hominy Collard Greens | Bedford Corners Homes

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These collard greens from the Memphis restaurant Hog and Hominy are seasoned hot pepper vinegar and an Italian sausage called Nduja (pronounced en-doo-ya). Nduja sausage has a spicy flavor and spreadable texture. If you can’t find Nduja, any soft Italian sausage will work.

The flavor of these greens is so delicious, but I think it’s the addition of hominy kernels that really makes them a stand out.

Instructions

Submerge the collard greens in a large bowl of water and swish them around vigorously to remove the grit. Drain the greens and repeat two more times.

Warm a large saucepan over medium-high heat and add 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add the onions and sauté them until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the Nduja and bacon and sauté until the bacon starts to get crisp, about 3 minutes. Add the pepper vinegar and stir to scrape up the brown bits on the pan bottom. Add the greens, cover with the stock, and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until the greens are tender, about 45 minutes.

Just before serving, add the hominy and pepper vinegar to taste. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Serve hot with lots of potlikker (sauce from boiling the greens).

 

 

http://www.pallensmith.com/food/recipes/hog-and-hominy-collard-greens

New-home sales rebound in August | Bedford Corners NY Homes

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Sales of new U.S. homes rose 7.9% — the fastest growth since the beginning of the year — to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 421,000 in August, with rising results in three of four regions, according to the U.S. Department of Commerce.

Economists polled by MarketWatch had expected sales to climb in August to a rate of 420,000, compared with an original July estimate that pegged the rate at 394,000. On Wednesday, the government revised July’s rate to 390,000.

The new-home-sales series is volatile, and monthly results can be difficult to interpret. In August, the confidence interval for new-home sales was plus or minus 14.6%, meaning that government analysts think that sales growth likely fell somewhere within a range of negative 6.7% to positive 22.5%.

Looking at trends, over the three months through August, the average rate of new-home sales was 422,000, up 15% from an average rate of 368,000 during the year-earlier period.

Though there are signs that rising mortgage rates are slowing the housing market — the average rate for the popular 30-year fixed-rate mortgage has climbed more than one percentage point since early May — Wednesday’s data point to a housing market that continues to gather steam. New-home sales in August were up 12.6% from the year-earlier period. Pent-up demand and mortgage rates that still are relatively low have been supporting sales.

While rising rates hurt some borrowers’ ability to buy homes, there’s evidence that others buyers are rushing to close deals soon before affordability declines further.

“The extent to which a rise in mortgage rates has affected momentum is still unclear,” said Jim O’Sullivan, chief U.S. economist at High Frequency Economics.

Indeed, home builders are reporting rising quarterly earnings and are the most confident in almost eight years. And economists expect the housing market to continue to add to economic growth this year. There’s certainly room to grow: New-home sales remain far below a peak rate of almost 1.4 million in 2005.

 

 

 

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/new-home-sales-rebound-in-august-2013-09-25?link=MW_pulse

Homeowners motivated by rising prices | Bedford Corners Real Estate

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Analysts toss around the word bubble like it’s free money. But what does the term actually mean? While there is no clear answer, the classic 2004 housing bubble paper composed by Karl Case and Robert Schiller describes their version of a bubble:

Per CNBC:

We believe that in its widespread use the term refers to a situation in which excessive public expectations of future price increases cause prices to be temporarily elevated. First-time homebuyers may also worry during a housing bubble that if they do not buy now, they will not be able to afford a home later.

Following this definition, the article suggests we are not far from a bubble.

People buying homes are citing future price increases as one of the “key factors” motivating them to buy. The most recent survey by the real-estate company Redfin found that almost one third of buyers are motivated by rising prices.

 

 

http://www.housingwire.com/articles/print/26800-homeowners-motivated-by-rising-prices

Westchester Opens Commuter Parking Lots For New Haven Line Riders | Bedford Corners Real Estate

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Four temporary parking areas will be set up to provide people who normally ride Metro-North’s New Haven Line access to trains on the Harlem Line and to the subway, Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino announced Sunday.

Service on the New Haven Line in Fairfield County has been substantially reduced due to a power outage that arose Wednesday. Repairs are currently underway by Con Edison.

Connecticut riders looking for an alternate route to New York City can try out the four park-and-ride lots. The lots are free and offer a total of 8,600 additional parking spaces along with access to trains and the subway. Here are the locations:

  • The garage at 8 E. 153rd St. near Yankee Stadium will have 1,500 parking space and allow walking access to Yankees-East 153rd Street Station on the Hudson Line Service.
  • Orchard Beach at Pelham Bridge Road/Shore Road and Orchard Beach Road will offer 5,000 parking spaces and a free shuttle to Pelham Bay Park’s #6 Subway.
  • Rye Playland will offer 1,500 parking spots and a bus to the White Plains Station on the Harlem Line. The free bus trip is about 10 miles.
  • Kensico Dam at Park Drive West in Valhalla  will offer 600 parking places and a bus to the North White Plains Station for Harlem Line Service. The bus trip is about a mile.

The parking areas will be open at 4:30 a.m. daily and shuttle buses will start running at 5 a.m. Shuttle bus service will continue throughout the day, the county said. The focus will be on the morning and evening commute, and the schedule will be assessed daily, Astorino said.

“The disruption of service on the New Haven line has caused tremendous inconvenience to thousands of commuters,” Astorino said. “Westchester County government immediately reached out to Metro-North to offer our assistance in making additional parking, buses and other resources available to help get New Haven line commuters to work as quickly and easily as possible.”

The parking lot at Playland, where the amusement park has closed for the season, has spaces for 1,500 cars.  At Kensico Dam Park, parking can be established for up to 600 cars by using the grass field.

The county will be reimbursed by Metro-North for its costs, Astorino said.