Category Archives: Chappaqua

How to apply PR strategies to improve your company’s SEO | Chappaqua Realtor

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Public relations and SEO have always been destined to converge.

PR is about building relationships with media professionals and key influencers to help increase a company or individual’s visibility and profile; SEO is an iteration of that relationship. The only difference is that we operate in the digital sphere, and we measure these relationships through links, social signals, and other trust indicators. In the past, many SEO strategists focused on building a high volume of low quality relationships to get their company’s names out to the Web. Times have changed.

As Google’s ability to distinguish the quality, intent, and relevance of a link improves, SEO strategists need to start thinking more like PR professionals. Rather than “manufacturing” and “building” links, the SEO process should be more about the cultivation of key human relationships, and reacting effectively to real-time PR opportunities.

What can we learn?

PR has always been a multifaceted discipline. The techniques that PR professionals use to generate positive press are numerous and diverse. That said, there are three key areas of crossover that, if mastered, will help us all learn from the PR experts and improve your company’s SEO.

1. Content, content, content

This should come as no surprise since content has been one of the fundamental pillars of traditional PR for years. If you create content that is topical, timely, and can spark an interest in your target audience, it will get picked up.

So, what types of content can you use to create opportunities for positive PR, and what SEO value do they have? Do photos on a GMB listing really matter? Sure, we should be posting slideshares, videos, images, and blog articles provide outreach to our target audience. To be honest, most people are getting pretty good at it now. The key factor when you are planning and producing your content is to always think about the PR opportunities it might be able to create.

Teatown Lake Reservation | Chappaqua NY Homes

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Teatown Lake Reservation
October 24, 2013                                                                                  Like us on FacebookFollow us on TwitterFind us on PinterestView our videos on YouTube

All programs require pre-registration. 

To register call 914-762-2912 x 110 unless otherwise noted.

Click here for more of Teatown’s upcoming programs.

 

Visit Teatown

1600 Spring Valley Road
Ossining, NY 10562
914-762-2912
Nature Center hours:
9:00am-5:00pm everyday
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.

 

Like us on FacebookFollow us on TwitterFind us on PinterestView our videos on YouTube
In Teatown’s Gallery
Through December 31

Natural Light
Teatown Area Photographs by
Berl Brechner

Berl Brechner, an area resident for over 35 years, presents 30 scenes from nearby that he has captured,  most of them from trails, nooks and crannies of Teatown Lake Reservation. Much of the exhibit has been created with a relatively simple digital camera, with special attention to form and light.  All photographs are for sale, and all proceeds will be donated to Teatown Lake Reservation.

It’s a Bad Rap! Sunday, October 27, 1:00- 2:00pm
Some animals always get a bad rap – they’re maligned and misunderstood. Come see how animals like snakes, bats and spiders have a positive role to play in their environment. All welcome. Free for members, $5 for non-members.
Tech After Hours
October 26, November 2 & 9, 9:00am- 1:00pm
A special weekend series for teens, called “Ecology,” for those interested in working in environmental science is being offered by Putnam Northern Westchester BOCES and is being held at Teatown. In this course, learn and participate in hands-on exploration of several ecosystems including lake, stream and forest. The course will build students’ knowledge of science research and give them an opportunity to explore and learn about the field of ecology. 

Ages 12- 15.

 

Register here 

If you have questions, contact Gerry Battista, School Counselor, at The Tech Center. 914-248-2220

FOCUS ON NATURE Series
Through October 29
Jacob Burns Film Center

Fall and Winter Thursday, October 24, 7:30pm

 

Matt Anderson spent five years driving across the US searching for answers to the country’s ecological and other problems- and was stunned to find many creative people devising ingenious new strategies for the future. With breathtaking images, Fall and Winter is a hypnotic, disquieting voyage into our contemporary crisis that also charts a way out again.

Antarctica 3D: On the Edge Tuesday, October 29, 7:00pm
 Filmmaker, adventurer, author, and oceans expert Jon Bowermaster (SoLa: Louisiana Water Stories) joins us for a discussion featuring film clips about his extraordinary experiences in Antarctica while kayaking the coastline and filming for National Geographic, followed by a first preview of his dazzling new 40 minute 3-D film about climate change in Antarctica. With absolutely extraordinary images, the likes of which you have never seen before.

Click here for more details about the series.

This series is presented by Jacob Burns Film Center in partnership with Teatown Lake Reservation and Scenic Hudson and made possible through generous support from the Hoch family and the van Hengel Family Fund.

 

Teatown Members may purchase tickets for any of the films in this series at the JBFC member price.
Reap the rewards of being a Teatown Member!
Join today at  teatown.org
Earth Art After School

October 25, November 1, 8, 15, 22, 3:30- 5:30pm
Kathryn W. Davis RiverWalk Center,
Kingsland Point Park, Sleepy Hollow
Children recharge after school while exploring the Hudson River and its

shores with wonder, shared discovery and creative expression time. In this Nature, Art and Science program, children are encouraged to develop observation skills, create art with natural materials, and learn about native plants and animals. Through art, they learn creative problem solving skills and enjoy teamwork with new friends. Ages 8- 12.
To register contact Strawtown Studio at (845) 558-0877, strawtownstudio@gmail.com or online at strawtownstudio.com
OSSINING IN 3D

Art Exhibition
On display through October 26, 2013

Teatown Participates in App for Ossining 3D Walking Tour:

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A walking tour app for the art exhibition, Ossining 3D, is now live and available free of charge at the iTunes app store-click here.  When you download the app you will find audio recordings for each of the artists who donated sculptures for the exhibit.  At the end of the walking tour you will see a link to an audio about Teatown with directions to our preserve.

Four in Five Mortgages Seen Failing QM Rule | Chappaqua Real Estate

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Only about 20 percent of today’s mortgage applications will pass muster with the new QM rule that takes effect January 10, according to a leading software platform used by lenders to comply with the Dodd-Frank Act and other federal rules and regulations covering mortgage lending.

The platform, ComplianceEase, analyzed the effects that the QM rules will have on current mortgage loans , finding that more than one in five loans originated today would not qualify for the QM Safe Harbor. Specifically:

  • More than half of such loans have fees that exceed the new 3% points and fees threshold;
  • Loans with fees that exceed the 3% threshold typically exceed it by nearly $1,500; and
  • The rest have APRs that are too high to qualify for the safe harbor classification.

Loans that fail to comply with the QM rule will not be eligible for purchase, insurance or guarantee by government-sponsored enterprises (GSEs) or government agencies. Moreover, due to lack of marketability, lenders generally try to avoid originating loans known as “high-cost” loans, which are subject to restrictions in the Home Ownership and Equity Protection Act (HOEPA).

With new, stricter points and fees thresholds in the amended HOEPA, close to 3% of loans in the study that previously weren’t HOEPA loans would move into the federal “high-cost” category. On average, those loans would exceed the new HOEPA points and fees threshold by more than $1,000.

“We simulated current lending patterns under the forthcoming rules. The results have given us a good idea of the impact that the new rules and, in particular, the new thresholds will have when January comes around,” said Jason Roth, CMT, senior vice president of Product Development at ComplianceEase.

As part of the Dodd-Frank Act, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) is implementing broad regulatory changes to require that mortgage lenders verify that borrowers have the ability to repay their loans.  The QM designation offers an alternative to those provisions in exchange for tighter limits on fees, APR, and other terms of the loan. Starting in January, loans that aren’t eligible for purchase, insurance, or guarantee by GSEs or government agencies must also comply with new underwriting standards.

Whether a loan is originated according to QM rules or the ability-to-repay provisions of Dodd-Frank, compliance requirements are both comprehensive and challenging. Lenders are especially concerned about non-compliance with the new rules because legal liability can potentially be assigned to their institutions and any secondary investors or servicers for the life of a loan.  In all cases, lenders will need to retain detailed records of their process and their data to substantiate their findings, making technology a must in order to stay in compliance.

 

 

http://www.realestateeconomywatch.com/2013/10/four-in-five-mortgages-seen-failing-qm-rule/

 

5 Big Reasons Why You Should Consider Google Plus Marketing | Chappaqua Realtor

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It snuck up so quietly that a lot of people didn’t even realize it was  happening.

One minute you could post a comment on YouTube just by logging into your  YouTube account, and the next you’re being asked to sign in through your Gmail  or Google+ account. The same goes for Zagat and other Google owned digital web  assets.

Google+ may not have caught on with users as a Facebook alternative yet, but  the service’s “Plus 1” symbol is ubiquitous within social marketing,  and top name brands are commonly listing the Google+ icon on television ads  right next to their Facebook and Twitter symbols. Whether you like it or not,  Google+ is quickly becoming a significant player in the social media marketing  world because it has one thing going for it that no other social site has:  Google.

Google plus is now the second largest social media network behind Facebook and can  no longer be ignored.

So Google plus marketing needs to taken seriously in your marketing  strategy.

Reason #1.  Search

Google’s approach for Google+ has been to seek success through visibility.  Because of this, Google is constantly launching new applications that integrate  Google+ with search results. A search for information about the election of Pope  Francis in March 2013, for example, shows several Google+ post results from  TIME, NBC and CTV, as well as author posts with images of the Google+ registered  author catching the eye of the casual searcher.

For Google+ users, as long as you share blog posts with relevant, new  (un-copied) information on a regular basis, you are that much more likely to be  pushed up through the ranks of search results.

Google Plus marketing

As with any search engine, keywords are a big factor in these results. How  can you push your Google+ page up in search results?

  • Post on a regular basis using relevant keywords in your text, but also  integrate those keywords in other aspects of your Google+ page, such as in the “about” and “video” sections.
  • Linking back to your own website where possible also improves your Google+  and personal website optimization.
  • Creating a Google authorship for you and your most frequent posters helps  your posts appear higher in search results, with the bonus of a personal author  photo.

Reason #2. Google Authorship

There’s something about being able to look people in the eye that makes the  advice or information you receive from them more reliable. But when you can’t  look them in the eye, seeing a picture makes them seem a little more reliable  and trustworthy. That’s the basic psychology behind Google+ authorship.

 

 

 

Read more at http://www.jeffbullas.com/2013/10/14/5-reasons-why-you-should-consider-google-plus-marketing/#HShJharmsiTdu4bF.99

A New Houzz Survey Reveals What You Really Want in Your Kitchen | Chappaqua NY Homes

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Let’s talk about two of everyone’s favorite subjects: you and your kitchen. In a recent Houzz survey, we asked homeowners to answer a series of questions about their kitchen remodeling plans. The results are in and, wow, you all really hate your current kitchen countertops. Can’t we all just get along with tile and Formica? Apparently not. Of the 7,812 people who responded, 94 percent plan to replace their countertops — and fewer than 10 percent intend to use either of those classic materials.
Half of you will choose granite as the replacement, followed by 36 percent who will choose quartz. In fact, based on what the survey found, we can pretty much guess what your dream kitchen might look like.

It looks a lot like this, which — surprise! — happens to be the kitchen photo that’s been added to the most ideabooks on Houzz, and is one of the top 10 photos saved to ideabooks from July through September of 2013.
What is it about this kitchen that so many of you like? Well, 75 percent of you want soft, neutral colors in the kitchen. And 65 percent of you will choose stainless steel appliances, half will select a tile backsplash and 35 percent will opt for hardwood floors.
The majority of you are starting from scratch, either designing a kitchen as part of new construction or gutting your existing kitchen and beginning anew. So why not make it exactly what you want?
If you could really have it your way, most of you would opt for a nice, big range like this one. More than 50 percent of you said a “chef’s stove” was your dream appliance, followed much farther behind by double ovens (18 percent) and an induction cooktop (9 percent).
My mother would toast the 7 percent of you who said a wine refrigerator topped your kitchen wish list.
Three-quarters of you will create a kitchen that’s open to other spaces, like the dining and living rooms. Naturally, this offers an ideal opportunity to incorporate an island into your design, so 61 percent of you plan to include one.

Town Board Seeks Chappaqua Crossing Findings Statement Feedback | Chappaqua Real Estate

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With the much anticipated draft findings statement for the Chappaqua Crossing retail plan now available to the public online, the New Castle Town Board will wait at least another week before putting it to a vote.

The board said in its Wednesday, Oct. 16 public meeting that dialogue regarding the document would continue in its Oct. 22 meeting.

The board told residents in an Oct. 8 town board work session that it would release the findings statements at least 48 hours before possibly making a decision on it on Oct. 16. The statement was not released until Oct. 15, however, leaving both board members and residents needing more time to digest the document, which outlines the mitigation measures needed to support Summit/Greenfield’s 120,000-sqaure feet retail-grocery store proposal.

“We said you would have 48 hours – we’re giving you more than that,” Town Supervisor Susan Carpenter said. “The board is going through the statement and we’ll continue to make changes to it. We’re open to taking useful statements and are happy to take suggestions.”

Though Oct. 22 is the next time the board will discuss the Chappaqua Crossing findings statement, a vote on that date is not likely. Councilman John Buckley will be on vacation and Councilwoman Elise Kessler Mottel has removed herself from all Chappaqua Crossing ordeals. That would leave only Carpenter and councilmen Jason Chapin and Robin Stout available to vote on the document next Tuesday.

“Next Tuesday would be the time to finalize the findings statement,” Stout said. “But we’re not suggesting there will be a vote. My guess is there will still be loose ends and not be a vote that night.”

However, when resident Michael Nolan asked the board to guarantee there would not be a vote on Oct. 22, Carpenter left the door open for all possibilities.

“It would be a vote a vote without John,” she said.

Several residents used public comment time in Wednesday night’s meeting to rehash common concerns surrounding the project, including traffic and its impact on surrounding neighborhoods. There is also a growing sentiment among residents that voting before the Nov. 5 election would be doing the town an injustice.

Stout shot down misconceptions that the board is ignoring residents who are pleading with the board to hold off on making decisions anytime in the near future.

“There is a difference between not listening and not agreeing,” he said. “I am not agreeing. I see this possibility (the Chappaqua Crossing retail plan) as something that can be a substantial benefit to the town.”

 

 

 

http://chappaqua.dailyvoice.com/politics/town-board-seeks-chappaqua-crossing-findings-statement-feedback

Seasonal trends push transactions downward in California | Chappaqua Real Estate

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California single-family home and condominium sales fell 16.8% in September from August, but remained fairly unchanged from a year ago, PropertyRadar said in its latest report.

However, the company noted that September’s double-digit drop in sales is not unusual for this time of year because sales volume typically declines in the fall and winter.

“For the second month in a row, September sales and prices pulled back,” said Madeline Schnapp, Director of Economic Research for PropertyRadar.  “The 100+ basis point increase in borrowing costs since mid-June has definitely impacted market activity, reducing demand and pushing down prices.”

 

 

Teatown Lake Reservation News | Chappaqua Real Estate

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Teatown Lake Reservation
October 17, 2013                                                                                     Like us on FacebookFollow us on TwitterFind us on PinterestView our videos on YouTube
Visit Teatown

1600 Spring Valley Road
Ossining, NY 10562
914-762-2912
Nature Center hours:
9:00am-5:00pm everyday
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.

 

Like us on FacebookFollow us on TwitterFind us on PinterestView our videos on YouTube
In Teatown’s Gallery
Coming Soon!

Natural Light
Teatown Area Photographs by
Berl Brechner October 19- December 31

Berl Brechner, an area resident for over 35 years, presents 30 scenes from nearby that he has captured,  most of them from trails, nooks and crannies of Teatown Lake Reservation. Much of the exhibit has been created with a relatively simple digital camera, with special attention to form and light.  All photographs are for sale, and all proceeds will be donated to Teatown Lake Reservation.
Camp Alumni Reunion
Recap

We had a blast catching up with camp alumni at the reunion this past Sunday.

It was a beautiful day, there was delicious food and drink and Two Dollar Goat performed! Thanks to all of those who shared in the festivities

Teatown’s Boardwalk Gets New Use

A retired section of boardwalk from Teatown Lake Reservation gets a new use at the Peabody Preserve Outdoor Classroom in Sleepy Hollow. Many people are familiar with the soccer field located on
Rte 9A but they may not know it is connected to a 37 acre property that extends to the Hudson River. Teachers, administrators, parents and volunteers have worked to build a trail system to create an outdoor classroom for Tarrytown School District children.

Teatown educators have met with 3rd grade teachers to discuss ways that the Peabody Preserve can best be used to enhance the science curriculum.  Teatown will be visiting Washington Irving school in December with our Hudson Valley wildlife program to reinforce their learning and allow them to see some of the animals up close and personal that inhabit the Peabody Preserve.

Here is a link to more information about the project:

http://tarrytown.patch.com/groups/schools/p/no-child-left-inside-3dc80dbc

All programs require pre-registration. 

To register call 914-762-2912 x 110

unless otherwise noted.

Click here for more of Teatown’s upcoming programs.

 

Tech After Hours
October 19 & 26, November 2 & 9, 9:00am- 1:00pm
A special weekend series for teens, called “Ecology,” for those interested in working in environmental science is being offered by Putnam Northern Westchester BOCES and is being held at Teatown. In this course, learn and participate in hands-on exploration of several ecosystems including lake, stream and forest. The course will build students’ knowledge of science research and give them an opportunity to explore and learn about the field of ecology. 

Ages 12- 15.

 

Register here 

If you have questions, contact Gerry Battista, School Counselor, at The Tech Center. 914-248-2220.

The Nature of Poetry with Bhisham Bherwani 
Sunday, October 20, 1:00pm – 5:00pm

Presented in collaboration with the Hudson Valley Writers’ Center. Participants will be prompted to identify their own experiences with, and insights into, nature and to apply these in their own poems. The session will start with an exploration of Teatown’s trails led by an expert Teatown guide. Bring a notebook, pen, and sturdy shoes! Please note, this program takes place at Cliffdale Farm, Teatown Road, Croton-on-Hudson. Adults only.

 

To register, contact the Hudson Valley Writers’ Center at 914-332-5953 or click here.

 

FOCUS ON NATURE Series
Through October 29
Jacob Burns Film Center

Wings of Life

Sunday, October 20, 12:00pm

Family Film! A close-up look at a very special group of superheroes: the pollinators! Narrated by Meryl Streep, Wings of Life reveals the complex worlds of bees, butterflies, birds, bats- and the plants that rely on them.

 

Art Workshop for Kids: After the film, teaching artist Mary Jane Nusbaum guides kids (ages 5+) in an eco-art project in the Jane Peck Gallery.

Fall and Winter Thursday, October 24, 7:30pm

 

Matt Anderson spent five years driving across the US searching for answers to the country’s ecological and other problems- and was stunned to find many creative people devising ingenious new strategies for the future. With breathtaking images, Fall and Winter is a hypnotic, disquieting voyage into our contemporary crisis that also charts a way out again.

 

Click here for more details about the series.

This series is presented by Jacob Burns Film Center in partnership with Teatown Lake Reservation and Scenic Hudson and made possible through generous support from the Hoch family and the van Hengel Family Fund.

 

Teatown Members may purchase tickets for any of the films in this series at the JBFC member price.
Reap the rewards of being a Teatown Member!
Join today at  teatown.org
Earth Art After School

October 25, November 1, 8, 15, 22, 3:30- 5:30pm
Kathryn W. Davis RiverWalk Center,
Kingsland Point Park, Sleepy Hollow
Children recharge after school while exploring the Hudson River and its shores with wonder, shared discovery and creative expression time. In this Nature, Art and Science program, children are encouraged to develop observation skills, create art with natural materials, and learn about native
plants and animals. Through art, they learn creative problem solving skills and enjoy teamwork with new friends. Ages 8- 12.
To register contact Strawtown Studio at (845) 558-0877, strawtownstudio@gmail.com or online at strawtownstudio.com
OSSINING IN 3D

Art Exhibition
On display through October 26, 2013

Teatown Participates in App for Ossining 3D Walking Tour:

null

 

A walking tour app for the art exhibition, Ossining 3D, is now live and available free of charge at the iTunes app store-click here.  When you download the app you will find audio recordings for each of the artists who donated sculptures for the exhibit.  At the end of the walking tour you will see a link to an audio about Teatown with directions to our preserve.

Bob Hope’s 1939 Toluca Lake ‘dream house’ is for sale | Chappaqua NY Real Estate

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Richard Nixon’s helicopter once landed on the back lawn so the president could play a round at the nearby Lakeside Golf Club. Lucille Ball and Jack Benny drank and gossiped at the holiday parties in the living room. And the homeowner, Bob Hope, tried out punch lines on his kids in the dining room.

For the first time since the long-lived entertainer built his home in a San Fernando Valley walnut grove in 1939, Hope’s 5.16-acre Toluca Lake estate will go on the market Monday, at an asking price of $27.5 million.

The compound that Hope shared with his wife, Dolores, and their four children has a nearly 15,000-square-foot house, a golf hole, an indoor pool and a manicured rose garden. The flat, sprawling lot is unusual for the upscale neighborhood and others like it; in Toluca Lake and similar ZIP Codes in Sherman Oaks, Encino, Studio City, Bel-Air, Holmby Hills and Beverly Hills, there are only 22 properties of more than five acres that belong to a single owner, according to a property search conducted by the estate.

The comedian and movie star collected real estate and at one point was one of California’s largest individual property owners, holding some 10,000 acres in the San Fernando Valley alone. But it was the house at 10346 Moorpark St. that he considered home, according to his daughter, Linda Hope, who still lives a few blocks away.

“The Moorpark house is a very special property in the Valley and something that meant a whole lot to my mother and dad,” she said. “They built what for them was kind of a dream house.”

The sale will mark a major change in the neighborhood that the Hopes helped to shape.

The home, which is listed with Jade Mills of Coldwell Banker and Drew Fenton of Hilton & Hyland, has grown and evolved over the years. Architect Robert Finkelhor designed the original English traditional-style main house, and in the 1950s, John Elgin Woolf renovated it in a more contemporary style, using glass to accommodate Dolores’ desire to bring the expansive feeling of the grounds inside.

 

 

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/la-et-hope-house-20130923,0,2485953,full.story

With 8,000-plus units planned, Queens rivals Manhattan for growth | Chappaqua Real Estate

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As developers make up for lost time during the recession, the New York City borough of Queens will see 60 big residential housing projects with more than 8,000 units built in the next three years, The Real Deal reports, citing its own research and estimates from brokerage Aptsandlofts.com.

Queens is just about as popular with developers as Manhattan, where an estimated 5,350 units are expected to be built during the next two years.

 

 

Source: therealdeal.com –

 

 

See more at: http://www.inman.com/wire/with-8000-units-planned-queens-rivals-manhattan-for-growth/#sthash.QtUqpGvO.dpuf