Category Archives: blog

Equifax data breach | Pound Ridge Real Estate

If you have concerns about the Equifax data breach, please contact Equifax at 866-447-7559. This is an Equifax incident and unrelated to Experian.

What You Can Do Now

Not everyone will be a victim of identity theft as a result of a breach, but keeping informed can help you mitigate risk when dealing with any data breach. When a breach does occur, you can take action by doing a few things.

  1. Stay alert: If you have been part of a data breach, the breached company may send you a notice. Retain all documents and consider any suggestions they may have. Also, pay attention to and retain any mail you receive that is unfamiliar to you, such as notices from the IRS regarding your taxes or any bills from unknown lenders.
  2. Initiate a fraud alert: You can set a fraud alert with Experian. When you request a fraud alert be added with any of the three major credit bureaus, the bureau you contacted will notify the other two and alerts will be added with those bureaus as well. A fraud alert or initial security alert will warn lenders that you may have been a fraud victim. This extra precaution will notify the potential lender that they should contact you before granting any new line of credit in your name. This fraud alert will stay on your credit report for 90 days. You can renew the fraud alert when it expires.
  3. Monitor your financial accounts: Visit your online bank and financial accounts, and set up any alert features they may have, if you have not already done so. This could help save some time and keep you notified of any unusual events when they occur.
  4. Sign in to your Experian account to monitor your credit: Checking your credit report can help you identify any unusual activity, such as new accounts, new personal information or inquiries. Sign In Now
  5. Freeze or lock your credit file: You may consider adding a security freeze. You can also freeze your credit reports with Equifax and Transunion. A security freeze will prevent potential lenders from accessing your credit report. Your credit report will only be accessible by unfreezing the account. If you are planning on applying for new credit in the near future, you could consider postponing the security freeze. Fees and requirements for adding and removing a freeze vary by state. Plus, as a free member of Experian, you can upgrade to IdentityWorks™, which enables you to lock and unlock your Experian credit file at any time.

Primary day | Bedford Hills Real Estate

From the Office of Town Clerk Boo Fumagalli…
Primary Day is Today, Tuesday, September 12!

Polls will be open from 6 A.M. to 9 P.M. at your usual polling place. To find out your polling place, please reference your voter card that was sent to you by the Westchester County Board of Elections or you can check online at: https://voterlookup.elections.state.ny.us/

Members of the Democratic, Independence and Reform Parties are eligible to vote in Tuesday’s primary. Additionally, all non-affiliated voters (meaning those who are not registered in ANY party), are eligible to vote in the Reform Party primary. The Democratic and Reform Party primaries are for the county executive position. The Independence Party primary is for the county legislator position.
If you would like to take a look at a sample ballot, please feel free to stop into our office at 321 Bedford Road in Bedford Hills. We have also posted the ballots on our Facebook page for review at: https://www.facebook.com/Town-of-Bedford-Town-Clerk-NY-1268319463272349/
Should you have any questions regarding Primary Day, please feel free to contact Town Clerk Boo Fumagalli at 914-666-4534.
Thank you and remember to vote!

 

Case Shiller home price index | Bedford Corners Real Estate

The S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller composite home price index of 20 metropolitan areas in the US rose 5.7 percent year-on-year in June of 2017, the same as in May and in line with market expectations. Prices increased the most in Seattle (13.4 percent), Portland (8.2 percent) and Dallas (7.7 percent). Meanwhile, the national index, covering all nine US census divisions went up 5.8 percent, following a 5.7 percent gain in the prior month. Case Shiller Home Price Index in the United States averaged 159.02 Index Points from 2000 until 2017, reaching an all time high of 206.52 Index Points in July of 2006 and a record low of 100 Index Points in January of 2000.

United States S&P Case-Shiller Home Price Index

 

 

CalendarGMTActualPreviousConsensusTEForecast
2017-07-2501:00 PMS&P/Case-Shiller Home Price YoY5.7%5.8%5.8%5.8%
2017-08-2901:00 PMS&P/Case-Shiller Home Price MoM0.7%0.9%0.8%0.8%
2017-08-2901:00 PMS&P/Case-Shiller Home Price YoY5.7%5.7%5.7%5.7%
2017-09-2601:00 PMS&P/Case-Shiller Home Price MoM0.7%
2017-09-2601:00 PMS&P/Case-Shiller Home Price YoY5.7%
2017-10-2301:00 PMS&P/Case-Shiller Home Price MoM

Mortgage rates average 3.82% | Armonk Real Estate

Mortgage rates hit an all-new 2017 low for the second-consecutive week, according to Freddie Mac’s weekly Primary Mortgage Market Survey.

“The 10-year Treasury yield fell to a new 2017-low on Tuesday,” Freddie Mac Chief Economist Sean Becketti said. “In response, the 30-year mortgage rate dropped four basis points to 3.82%, reaching a new year-to-date low for the second consecutive week.”

Click to Enlarge

8-31-17

(Source: Freddie Mac)

The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage dropped to 3.82% for the week ending Aug. 31, 2017. This is down from last week’s 3.86% but up from 3.46% last year.

The 15-year FRM also decreased, dropping from last week’s 3.16% to 3.12% this week. This is still up from last year’s 2.77%.

The five-year Treasury-indexed hybrid adjustable-rate mortgage decreased to 3.14%, down from 3.17% last week but up from 2.83% last year.

“However, recent releases of positive economic data could halt the downward trend of mortgage rates,” Becketti said.

Equifax credit hacked, now what? | Chappaqua Real Estate

 
 
 Equifax announces major data breach, it’s estimated to impact 143 million consumers.

On September 7th, 2017, one of the largest credit agencies, Equifax, announced an epic cyber-security data breach. They believe that approximately 143 million consumers had their social security numbers, birthdates, and addresses stolen by hackers. The breach was discovered on July 29th and is believed to have occurred between mid-May and July.

What should consumers do now?

Moving forward, Equifax has issued an apology and developed a website with information and tools regarding this breach, they are also offering consumers with a free package of credit monitoring and ID protection services.

​​​​​​​It’s hard to know how accurate this database is that Equifax set up, take extra measures to protect your credit and assets from fraud.

Review your credit: Many fraud warning signs are first seen through your credit reports and scores.

  • Has your score dropped significantly?
  • Are there inquires/new credit or collection accounts that you’re not familiar with?
    ​​​​​​​

The breach happened through Equifax, but you can still see an impact on the other two reports if identity theft/fraud has occurred. Don’t forget to check those as well!

If you believe your data has been compromised set up:

  •  Fraud Alerts: You have the right to ask the credit reporting agencies to place “fraud alerts” on your credit profiles. This will tell potential and existing creditors that you may be a victim of identity theft and extra precautions should be taken before approving new accounts. Keep in mind, that these alerts can make it more complicated for you to open new credit – creditors will have to contact you to verify the request before anything can be processed. These alerts will last for 90-days. ​​​​​​​
  • Security Freeze: This is a tool that prevents fraudulent accounts from being opened in your name. It stops people and companies from having access to your credit report. Keep in mind, it will inhibit your ability to open new accounts. The decision to place a freeze should not be taken lightly since lifting the freeze requires a written letter to the bureaus and can take time to be lifted.
  • ​​​​​​​Enroll in the Free TrustID product that Equifax is offering. Keep in mind this is a limited time offer.

​​​​​​​

This most recent data breach is enormous in size, impacting nearly half of the American population. Breaches are not uncommon and identity theft is prevalent, protect how you use your data and who you share it with.

If you believe you’re the victim of identity theft or that you’re information has been compromised, you’ll thank yourself in the long run for setting up alerts and monitoring your credit. Just make sure you do it before the damage gets out of control.

 
 
 
 
 Learn More About North Shore Advisory: 
Personal Credit Repair
Business Credit Repair
Business Credit Building
 
 
 North Shore Advisory, Inc.

FICO Certified Professional Team of credit experts specializing in

Business & Personal Credit Building, Restoration, & Education
5 West Main Street. Suite 207
Elmsford, NY 10523
P: 914-524-8300
F: 914-524-5014
info@northshoreadvisory.com
www.northshoreadvisory.com

 
 
 
 “Great Credit Brings Great Opportunity!”

NAHB Hombuilder Index Falls | Lewisboro Real Estate

United States Nahb Housing Market Index  Forecast 2016-2020

Nahb Housing Market Index in the United States is expected to be 70.00 by the end of this quarter, according to Trading Economics global macro models and analysts expectations. Looking forward, we estimate Nahb Housing Market Index in the United States to stand at 60.00 in 12 months time. In the long-term, the United States Nahb Housing Market Index is projected to trend around 53.00 in 2020, according to our econometric models.

 

United States Nahb Housing Market Index

 

ForecastActualQ2/17Q3/17Q4/17Q1/182020Unit
Nahb Housing Market Index677062566053

 

read more…

www.tradingeconomics.com

Teatown donation | Chappaqua Real Estate

OSI Donates 40 Acres to Teatown

On April 27, the Open Space Institute donated 40 acres, known as the “Overlook Parcel” to Teatown. Under a conservation easement held by Westchester Land Trust, it is now permanently protected.

We made it official this past Thursday with a ribbon-cutting, attended by Teatown board members, Merrilee Ingui of Open Space Institute, and Lori Ensigner of Westchester Land Trust.

You may already be familiar with this parcel, which is home to one of our popular trails: the Overlook Trail. Teatown has been managing this land for twenty years, making it an instrumental piece of our preserve.

Camp

 

Teatown Natural Science Day Camp
Our camp’s mission is to provide a safe, non-competitive summer haven where kids can be kids, learn by exploring, discover new things about themselves, each other and the earth, and develop friendships and respect for all living things. Click here to learn more.
Experience Wildflower Island

 

June 3
11am-1pm, FREE (ages 10+, no dogs)

Stroll the winding paths and enjoy the beauty of Teatown from a different perspective! Guides will be stationed in the Gatehouse to answer questions.

Teatown Dog Park

 

Teatown is evaluating the possibility of creating a members-only dog park. We’re interested in your feedback!
In the Gallery
May & June

 

Photography literally means “writing with light”. In May and June, H. David Stein presents his photographs in “Flowers in a Different Light” at Teatown’s Nature Center. Through innovative use of different types of light directed from different directions, his flowers appear to glow from within.
Teatown Request for Proposals for Master Planning Project
Opened on May 19. Bids due on June 12.
 
Upcoming Programs
Online registration is here!
Please register by visiting teatown.eventbrite.com or by calling (914) 762-2912, ext.110.
Advanced registration is required for all programs. $7 per person or free for members, unless otherwise noted.
PESTICIDES ALL AROUND US: SOLUTIONS TO THIS POLLUTION
June 2, Friday, 8:30am-10:30am FREE
Join Conservation Café—a consortium of seven Westchester County-based partners—for a discussion on pesticides. Learn about the current status of pesticide use regionally and statewide, the impact of pesticides, and community-based efforts to reduce the use of pesticides. For adults. Taking place at Pace University, Kessel Student Center, Gottesman Room.
HIKE TO TEATOWN HILL
June 4, Sunday, 10am-12pm
Teatown’s new Hilltop Trail climbs the highest point at Teatown for a great view of the Hudson Highlands. We’ll be on the lookout for hawks, and warblers, snakes and butterflies. For everyone.
POLLINATION STATION
June 10, Saturday, 11am-12pm

Flowers are pollination stations! Just how does pollen get to where it has to go? What role do animals play in pollination? By dissecting a flower we’ll see what the buzz is about, and learn why protecting our native pollinators is vital. For families.

BREEDING BIRDS AT FAHNESTOCK STATE PARK
June 12, Monday, 7am FREE

Fahnestock’s higher elevation and forested paths offer many opportunities to spot a variety of warblers, vireos, hawks and other birds. For Adults. Meet at the Pelton Pond Parking area on Rte. 301.

INVASIVE FOREST PEST WORKSHOP
June 14, Wednesday, 10am-3pm
Learn how to identify new forest pests invading our region, long-term mitigation and management strategies for Hemlock Woolly Adelgid or Emerald Ash Borer (EAB), and how to become involved in efforts to monitor pests, block pathways of introduction or locate EAB-resistant ash. For adults.
Unless otherwise noted, all programs meet in the Nature Center. Some programs fill up, so please register early.
Your support matters
Your donation can make an immediate impact and help support our environmental education programs and the stewardship of our 1,000 acre
preserve.

Real state of housing market | Waccabuc Real Estate

On the third day of Mortgage Bankers Association National Secondary Market Conference and Expo in New York City, three economists took the stage to explain their view of the housing market, and their forecast for 2017.

Freddie Mac Chief Economist Sean Becketti, Fannie Mae Chief Economist Doug Duncan and MBA Chief Economist Mike Fratantoni gave their projections over the chance of a recession within the next 12 months.

Becketti emphasized that while the chance of a recession increased, it would need to be driven by a specific event.

“Recessions are event driven, the economy doesn’t just run out of gas and slow down,” Becketti said.

Fratantoni predicted a 15% to 20% chance of a recession over the next 12 months, while Duncan pushed it to a 30% chance. He listed several factors including a peak in consumer credit card usage, auto sales and corporate debt, which could point to a looming recession.

The three economists pointed out that while employment is rising, there are still gaps in the growth.

What we’ve seen has been a polarization of jobs, Becketti said. Jobs have left the mid-skill level and gone to the high-skill level, and low skill jobs have also seen growth. The reason for this shift is that mid-skilled jobs are easier to automate.

But even as jobs polarize, the growth between urban and suburban areas leveled out, becoming more equally distributed between the two areas, Duncan said. However, this leveling out in the location of jobs is creating more problems in the housing market.

“But now urban areas are the most difficult area to build entry-level housing due to cost of land,” he said.

As the year goes on, Fratantoni predicted the market will see two more rate hikes – one in June and one in September, saying the year would finish with a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage rate of 4.5%.

Becketti predicted slightly more, saying the Federal Open Markets Committee could raise rates from two to three times this year, but said the year will end with a 30-year FRM of about 4.4%.

Duncan, who predicted the highest chance of a recession in the next 12 months, agreed the Fed will raise rates twice more this year, however kept it’s rate for the end of 2017 more conservative at 4.2%.

“We’re not convinced that inflationary pressures are enough to make the Fed more aggressive,” he said.

Click to Enlarge

Economic Outlook

(Source: Freddie Mac)

But for now, the housing market continues to boom as home prices hit their previous peak nationally, and even significantly surpassed it in some states.

This map shows the states in relation to their former peak:

Click to Enlarge

Economic Outlook

(Source: MBA)

All three economists were puzzled by the substantial increase in Texas, saying they could only venture to guess that while there is plenty of land to spread out in the state, the jobs are more centered, driving home prices up in key areas, such as Dallas.

And what about the rumored housing bubble? Fratantoni asked: Is San Francisco in a housing bubble? Becketti’s answer, to put it simply, was no. He answered that the city is subject to a tech collapse, but said it will not collapse on account of affordability.

 

read more….

 

HereÕ the real state of the housing market

Builder Confidence Holds Firm | Bedford Real Estate

Builder confidence in the market for newly-built single-family homes remained on firm ground in January, down two points to a level of 67 from a downwardly revised December reading of 69 on the National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index (HMI).

The solid reading is consistent with building expectations heading into the new year. NAHB expects 10 percent growth in single-family construction in 2017, adding to the gains of 2016. However, ongoing industry concerns include rising mortgage interest rates as well as a lack of lots and access to labor.

The HMI rose sharply in December as the election results raised hopes among builders that a new Congress and administration will help create a better business climate for small businesses, particularly with respect to improving regulatory costs, which increased more than 29% over the last five years.

Derived from a monthly survey that NAHB has been conducting for 30 years, the NAHB/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index gauges builder perceptions of current single-family home sales and sales expectations for the next six months as “good,” “fair” or “poor.” The survey also asks builders to rate traffic of prospective buyers as “high to very high,” “average” or “low to very low.” Scores for each component are then used to calculate a seasonally adjusted index where any number over 50 indicates that more builders view conditions as good than poor.

All three HMI components retreated in January. The component gauging current sales conditions fell three points to 72, the index charting sales expectations in the next six months registered a two-point decline to 76 and the component measuring buyer traffic edged one-point lower to 51.

Looking at the three-month moving averages for regional HMI scores, the Northeast rose two points to 52 and the Midwest posted a three-point gain to 64. The South and West each held steady at 67 and 79, respectively.

 

read more…

http://eyeonhousing.org/2017/01/builder-confidence-holds-firm-in-january-2/

Share of Past Due Mortgages Drop Significantly | Bedford Hills Real Estate

Leave a reply

Information released by the Mortgage Bankers’ Association (MBA) indicates that the share of all 1-4 family mortgage loans past due has returned to a level of normality. According to the MBA’s National Delinquency Survey, the share of all 1-4 family mortgages considered past due fell by 14 basis points to 4.52 percent as indicated in the new report. One year ago 4.99 percent of loans were considered past due.

The current share of loans past due has fallen significantly from its recession-related peak of 10.1 percent in 2010. Moreover, the current share of past due mortgages is below the average percentage between 1980, the beginning of the series, and 2006, 4.8 percent. Additionally, the average between 1987 and 2006 was 4.6 percent.

presentation1

Deeper analysis finds that the underlying composition of mortgages past due has improved, but has not fully recovered. Mortgages considered past due include those that are 30-59 days past due, 60-89 days late, and 90 or more days delinquent. It excludes mortgages that have entered foreclosure.

The figure below presents the distribution of mortgages past due by the 3 categories of lateness. Currently, about half of past due mortgages, 52 percent, are 30-59 days past due, 17 percent are 60-89 days past due, while 31 percent are 90 or more days delinquent. The present composition is better than the distribution at the peak in 2010, when mortgages 90 or more days past due accounted for half, 50 percent, of all past due mortgages.

However, the composition of past due mortgages on average between 1980 and 2006 was even more concentrated in the 30-59 day late category. On average, over the 1980-2006 period, mortgages 30-59 days past due accounted 67 percent of all past due mortgages while mortgages 90 or more days past due represented 16 percent. Also at 16 percent, the share of mortgages 60-89 days past due between 1980 and 2006 is similar to its current percentage of 17 percent.

presentation2

read more…

http://eyeonhousing.org/2016/11/share-of-past-due-mortgages-reaches-post-recession-low/