Category Archives: Chappaqua

32% of people looking to buy a home in the next two years | Chappaqua Real Estate

 

Americans are becoming more optimistic about buying a home, with 67% of people saying they plan on purchasing a home, and of that amount, 32% are looking to buy within the next two years.

The PulteGroup (PHM) Home Index surveyed 1,004 adults on their sentiment about the U.S. economy and how current housing conditions are impacting future homebuyers.

According to the survey results, 74% of adults feel the economy has remained steady or improved in the last year.

As a result, 57% of adults think now is a good or excellent time to purchase items they want or need, especially when it comes to entering the housing market.

Millennials and move-up buyers are the most engaged consumer segments, with 85% and 71%, respectively, intending to purchase a home in the future.

“For the first time in years, Americans have a growing sense of optimism that the housing market is improving, and that these positive changes may be sustainable,” said Margaret Gramann, senior vice president of sales for PulteGroup.

“This favorable outlook is giving them the confidence to pursue more meaningful, big-picture life opportunities they may have otherwise put on hold,” Gramann added.

There are two main drivers to purchasing a home: the need for more space and the view that owning a home is a smart financial investment.

Currently 70% of home shoppers plan to spend as much or more money on their next home, along with 64% of people saying they prefer to spend on a home that’s move-in ready rather than spend less and renovate.

“Whether it’s a first-time or move-up buyer, or an active adult, purchasing a home is a major life decision and Americans are recognizing the importance of maximizing what they view as a long-term investment,” said Gramann. “They’re aiming to create value in a home that meets their specific wants and needs from day one, and if that means spending more money, they’re willing to do so because of confidence in the market.”

And as consumer demand for housing increases, so does the demand for more credit.

For borrowers who already have a home, the demand for home equity lines of credit is increasing.

 

 

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Americans ready to spend money…especially on housing

Behold, the $50M PH & Sky Pool of Foster’s Chelsea Condos | Chappaqua Homes

 

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A few renderings and pricing have been revealed for the uppermost penthouse at the Norman Foster-designed 551 West 21st Street. True to the hype, one of the building’s three extravagant penthouses will feature a 61-foot-long lap pool as part of its 4,000-square-feet of private outdoor space. The rather rare outdoor amenity is on a terrace overlooking the Hudson River, the Observer has learned. Prospective buyers may find the $50 million penthouse a relative bargain compared to the city’s other penthouse-with-private-pool (PDF!) which will ask $100 million at 50 UN Plaza—also designed by Norman Foster.

 

 

read more…

http://ny.curbed.com/archives/2014/04/29/behold_the_50m_ph_sky_pool_of_fosters_chelsea_condos.php

 

Do-it-yourself design projects that are less crafty | Chappaqua Homes

 

Pinha lamp

To create its customizable Pinha lamp, the London studio Raw-Edges took advantage of cork’s unique properties. As an insulator with low heat conductivity, it’s safe to wrap around virtually any bare lightbulb without the risk of burning the whole house down. And the fact that it makes a great pincushion gave the duo the idea for its shape: Four tiers provide the perfect platforms for tacking on a shade of your choosing, from graph paper to vintage maps.

 

 

 

read more…

http://living.msn.com/home-decor/diy-decorating/do-it-yourself-design-projects-that-are-less-crafty-more-cool#2

 

Teatown Lake Reservation Updates | Chappaqua Real Estate

 

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April 23, 2014
TEATOWN PROGRAMS THIS WEEK:
New Educational Workshop:  Nature Matters at Teatown
How Healthy Are Our Forests:
An Overview of Current Issues Disrupting Nature’s Delicate Balance
Speaker: Dr. Charlie Canham
Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies
Thursday, April 24
7 pm
Sitting on PURPOSE

Saturday, April 26
10:00 am

Every Day is Earth Day

Saturday, April 26 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm For more information about this program

Sneak Peak at Programs Next Week: Central Park Birding with Charlie Roberto

Wednesday, April 30
Teatown Camp:
Summer is Just Around the Corner!
Summer Camp

Teatown’s Natural

Science Day Camp!
Four sessions this summer
TESA
Teatown’s Environmental Science Academy
for Teens
Visit Teatown
Like us on FacebookFollow us on TwitterFind us on PinterestView our videos on YouTube
1600 Spring Valley Road
Ossining, NY 10562
Nature Center hours:
9:00am-5:00pm daily
Trails are open 365 days a year from dawn to dusk.

Teatown Lake Reservation’s
mission is to conserve open
space and to  educate and
involve the regional community
in order to sustain the  diversity
of wildlife, plants and habitats
for future generations.

Your donation can make

an immediate impact to help

conserve and protect the

diversity of wildlife, plants

and habitats…

today and into the future.

Why We Do What We Do Support Teatown this Spring:
 

Imagine for a moment, Teatown without…

 

Dogwoods blooming in the Spring on the Back 40 Trail

 

– Or maples on display in all their glorious fall colors at Vernay Lake

 

– Or walking the Lakeside Trail without the sound of bird song

 

– Or without a forest at all

 

These are very real threats to the  biodiversity of Teatown’s preserve.  So, what are we doing? How is  Teatown leading as part of the solution?

 

Read on and become part of the solution…

 

Events at Teatown:
Fishing at Teatown, Members-Only
Saturdays in May and June
(must pre-register, rules apply) More information about Members-Only Fishing

Teatown’s Annual Plant Sale

($10 First Pick on May 9, Free May 10)
Movie on the Lawn, Members-Only
Friday, June 6 at 7:15 More information about Members-Only – Movie on the Lawn

Not a member, but want to participate in the Members-Only programs? Become a member today here!
Teatown is Seeking an EMT Health Director for Summer Camp
Teatown is seeking an EMT to act as Health Director for its science day camp, June 30th-August 22nd.   Responsibilities include responding to camper illness or injury, coordinating first aid supplies and medications, and speaking with parents about camper health issues. Candidates must be at least 21 years old, physically active and comfortable navigating through a natural setting on foot or by an off-road vehicle.  Please contact Lisa Baugh at lbaugh@teatown.org or call 762-2912 ext. 137.

 

Trail Work Volunteer Opportunities
Strap on your work shoes and grab a shovel! Teatown is offering trail volunteer workshops in April.
Volunteers will clear trails, replace markers and signs, remove invasives and more! We have projects for all ages, group sizes, interests and abilities.
Trail workshop dates: April 25 & 26: Stone Step Installation  – This Weekend!!

Contact Leigh Draper, ldraper@teatown.org for more information.
Trail Workshops made possible by Con Edison’s Teatown Trails Green Stewardship Program

 

I Love My Park Day

Saturday, May 3, 9:30 am – 2:30 pm On the Old Croton Aqueduct Trail

Co-sponsored by Teatown, join friends of the Old Croton Aqueduct on “I Love My Park Day” on the Old Croton Aqueduct Trail in Cortlandt/Ossining and lop vines, remove invasive plants and bushes and learn invasive plant ID and pruning/removal techniques.

Reigster in advance here
Walk-ins also are welcome.

 

In the Nature Center:  Through the End of April
Local Artist, Jeanne Demotses

Jeanne Demotses’ work is in the Nature Center and available for purchase through April 27th.  30% of proceeds will go towards supporting Teatown’s programs.

 

 

Out with housing recovery, in with unaffordability? | Chappaqua Homes

 

Not only have home prices been on the rise for the ninth straight quarter, but they are starting to creep closer to being more expensive than ever.

According to the latest Zillow Home Value Forecast, home values grew 5.7% year-over-year in the first quarter, with declines experienced in the recession almost gone or close to being erased in almost 20% of metro housing markets nationwide.

Home values nationwide grew .5% from the fourth quarter of 2013, and are expected to increase another 3.3% through the first quarter of 2015.

“The lows of the housing recession are becoming an increasingly distant memory as home values reach new highs and homes become more expensive than ever in many areas. This is a remarkable milestone coming only two and a half years after the end of the worst housing recession since the Great Depression, and is a testament to just how robust this housing recovery has been,” said Zillow Chief Economist Stan Humphries.

Across the U.S., home values are 13.5% below their 2007 peak after falling 22.6% during the recession before bottoming in 2011.

However, the market is almost past this.

So far, 1,080 of the more than 8,700 cities and towns covered by Zillow, with home values already at or expected to reach pre-recession levels in the next year, including in many hard-hit areas.

 

 

read more….

http://www.housingwire.com/articles/29738-out-with-housing-recovery-in-with-unaffordability

The 10 Best Two-Bedroom Apartments $675K Can Buy in NYC | Chappaqua Real Estate

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The median price for a two-bedroom apartment in Manhattan is $1.8 million, according to StreetEasy’s active listings. In popular Brooklyn neighborhoods, the median price of luxury apartments for rent is about a million less, at $899,000, but there’s plenty available for much less. For our latest Price Points round-up we found the 10 best two-bedroom apartments for around $675,000. Most are in Brooklyn, but Manhattan has its fair share (the other three boroughs, as expected, have even cheaper offerings). First up, there’s a “penthouse” apartment in a 12-unit building on Parkville Avenue in Kensington, Brooklyn. It has an open kitchen next to the living room with French doors opening onto a private balcony. The master bedroom has an en suite bath, and the second bedroom comes with a Queen-sized Murphy bed. There’s also a full second bathroom, and a private rooftop terrace. Asking price is $675,000, and common charges are $198.

On the Upper West Side, there’s a two-bedroom in a prewar building on West 93rd Street asking $679,000. The 22-foot-long living room has four windows, and the kitchen looks roomy, with a lot of counter space and cabinets, but the second bedroom is quite small. It has a window, but only measures 7’3″ by 8’7″, so it’s best suited as a nursery or home office, though from the listing photos, it looks like the kids have the big room while the parents have the tiny one. Guess that’s why they’re selling?

Also listed $679,000, there’s a “loft-style” unit in the Kent, a full-service condo building with a terrible name, near the Clinton Hill/Bed-Stuy border. The place measures 1,062 square feet and features a washer/dryer and two full bathrooms. The building shares an outdoor space with grills, a grass lawn, and patio, plus there is a fitness center.

Not far from Hudson Yards in Midtown Westa new-to-market two-bedroom co-op is asking $674,500. It only has one full bathroom, but both bedrooms, as well as the living room, are generously sized. The kitchen has been recently renovated with new stainless steel appliances, and the elevator building has a live-in super, laundry room, storage, and parking.

garden-level co-op in a Park Slope brownstone on 9th Street is listed for $687,000. The secondary bedroom is located at the front of the house and is currently being used as a sitting room, as it connects to the living room through French doors. The kitchen and bathroom (there’s only one) have been recently renovated, and original features like fireplaces, wood-working, and wide-plank floors have been restored. In addition to the private yard, there’s a small greenhouse for the botanically-inclined.

The highlight of this 2BR condo on Conselyea Street in Williamsburg is the private 500-square-foot roof deck. But the apartment itself, renovated as it is, isn’t too shabby either (although it is pretty small). It’s asking $659,000.

In Yorkville, a renovated 2BR/2BA in a prewar co-op building is asking $650,000. It features such charming details as exposed brick walls, crown molding, and oak strip floors, and it includes two exposures. The building, on East 92nd Street, allows pets and has a laundry room.

At $700,000this for-sale-by-owner 650-square-foot unit in the East Village is the most expensive listing of the bunch. It’s just been gut renovated and features new hardwood floors, millwork, and crown moldings, as well as all new wiring for electric, cable, and internet. The open kitchen has stainless steel appliances, a tile backsplash, and an oven that vents to the outside. It’s a walk-up, but it looks pretty darn nice.

Right at the very top of the Upper West Side, this prewar 2BR/1BA co-op has exposed brick, large windows, and a spacious living room. One of the bedrooms is rather small, but at least it has a window. The place is asking $669,000.

Back in Brooklyn, there’s a large-ish “architect-renovated” Windsor Terrace co-op listed for $650,000. Some of the new architect-introduced details include “refinished ebony parquet floors, custom imported full height sliding wood doors,” and a bathroom lined with “lovely Italian bisazza tiles.” The bedrooms have built-in closets, and the building has an elevator, live-in super, and laundry room.
· Price Points archives [Curbed]

http://ny.curbed.com/archives/2014/04/16/the_10_best_twobedroom_apartments_675k_can_buy_in_nyc.php

4 ways enhanced listing videos can boost properties’ selling power | Chappaqua Real Estate

 

Let’s be honest: Video listings are a great real estate marketing tool, but sometimes you need more than a basic walk-through. Value-added features can be the key to making a standout video and boosting the selling power of a property. Voice-over.

Especially if you read the voice-over yourself, this is usually the least expensive way to add value. A voice-over allows you to point out the property’s best features or communicate any special information. For instance, if you’re selling a newly renovated home, you might describe the updates completed by the seller.

One tip: Work from a script. It makes the process more efficient and, by extension, more affordable. Pre-roll or “agent on camera.” Pre-roll is footage inserted before the main listing video. “Agent on camera” is a guided tour of the property.

Both options help personalize the video and allow you to point out what’s special about the property. For example, you might highlight a state-of-the-art media room or newly remodeled kitchen.

 

 

 

– See more at: http://www.inman.com/next/4-ways-enhanced-listing-videos-can-boost-properties-selling-power/?utm_source=20140416&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=dailyheadlinesam#sthash.kTJn4pa5.dpuf