Category Archives: Katonah

Cuomo: Westchester Would Get $6.8M From Casino Revenue | Katonah NY Real Estate

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The passage of Proposal One on Election Day to authorize casino gaming in New York could bring more than $6.8 million in school aid and property tax relief according to a study released by the Governor’s office. ss

Gov. Andrew Cuomo spent the day after voters decided to pass a measure to bring casinos and mobile casinos like www.slotsformoney.com to the state in Bethel touting the potential merits of the plan and the revenue it will bring to the state.

The Governor estimates that the casino will bring more than $51 million in aid to 10 counties in the state and boost tourism, casinos online and gambling games, MST Online is one of them.

“The passage of Proposal One is a big win for local governments, school districts and taxpayers in the Catskills and Hudson Valley region,” Cuomo said in a statement.

One casino that has given a permission to operate online is the 666Casino which is one of the best casinos so far that you can play anywhere with just your phone or tablets. “Yesterday’s vote by New Yorkers to authorize casino gaming will keep hundreds of millions of dollars spent each year in neighboring states right here in New York, providing more revenue for local schools, relief for property taxpayers and countless jobs for New Yorkers, while bringing proper regulation to the industry.”

http://armonk.dailyvoice.com/news/cuomo-westchester-would-get-68m-casino-revenue

How to Make the Most of Your Photos | Katonah NY Real Estate

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The 2 million-plus stunning photos featured on Houzz manage to inspire, instruct and encourage all at once. The power of these photos for both professionals and homeowners is undeniable — but do you know how to take full advantage of it?
We spoke with five designers who’ve learned to harness the potential of photos on Houzz. Take a peek at their strategies — including choosing the right photo size, picking keywords and answering questions — to learn about what makes a photo popular and see how you can make the most out of your own photos on Houzz.
Related: How to Find a Designer or Architect Using Photos on Houzz

Quality. A photo’s quality has a huge impact on its visibility. “Everyone on the Houzz site makes or designs a visual product, so having really nice photos that show off a variety of work is key,” says Caitlin Walker of Mercury Mosaics. “You can create a beautiful design and have bad photos that don’t do it justice. Reward your hard work with good photos!”
Houzz always recommends uploading high-resolution photos taken by a professional photographer. Bigger is better: High-resolution photos with a minimum width of 1,000 pixels look best and will likely get many more views. And a professional photographer can make each image light, bright and fresh. (Don’t forget to credit the photographer in your photos.)
“It’s really taught me how critical it is to take proper and professional photos of projects,” says designer Jason Urrutia. “It’s an investment but well worth the cost. It’s another step of branding — it says that you mean business, you care about your project and that your design is to be taken seriously.”
Variety. Upload a diverse portfolio of work, from your most amazing projects to the simpler but still stylish spaces.  Include a variety of shots, from full room shots to details. Even open drawers and take photos of the insides! You’d be surprised how popular those photos are. Don’t underestimate the selling power of your simpler designs — sometimes those are the most inspiring for homeowners.
Style. Every year Houzz puts together a series of ideabooks that highlight the most popular photos of that year, according to how often they’ve been added to users’ ideabooks. And every year we spot certain consistencies in the most popular images: They’re chock-full of take-home ideas. Tracy Kundell found this to be true for the bathroom photo shown here — one of the most popular on the site, added to more than 255,000 ideabooks. “Almost everyone has a home with a bathtub that can be converted, such as this space,” she says. “More and more people prefer larger showers to shower-tub combinations. This layout is a very common builder layout, too.”
Work with your photographer to highlight your best work in beautiful photos that will show clients what you’ve got. Make sure your identity as a designer is coming through and that each photo doesn’t just look great, but shows potential clients how you can make their style shine through, too.
How Do Great Photos Pay Off?
The more popular a photo becomes on Houzz, the easier it is to find. Houzzers may see it in another Houzzer’s favorite photos, in a featured ideabook or on the Houzz homepage. How is this beneficial to pros? It’s more eyeballs on your work — homeowner eyeballs, to be exact. A great photo on Houzz can directly result in client referrals.
Architect John Mattingly found this to be true for the incredibly popular bedroom shown here, added to more than 200,000 ideabooks. Many designers and homeowners have contacted him about some of the room’s components or the entire project. He’s also sold a few furniture items that he custom designed for this particular home.
When Urrutia’s popular bedroom photo (the second photo above) was added to 180,000 ideabooks (and counting), interest in his business increased. “I’ve heard tons of comments from clients about this photo and this room in particular,” he says.

August Prices Rise to 12.8 Percent Over 2012 | Katonah NY Real Estate

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S&P Dow Jones Indices released for its S&P/Case-Shiller1 Home Price Indices showing that the 10-City and 20-City Composites increased 12.8% year-over-year. Compared to July 2013, the annual growth rates accelerated for both Composites and 14 cities.

On a monthly basis, the 10-City and 20-City Composites gained 1.3% in August. Las Vegas led the cities with an increase of 2.9%, its highest since August 2004. Detroit and Los Angeles followed with gains of 2.0%.

In August 2013, the 10- and 20-City Composites posted annual increases of 12.8%.

“The 10-City and 20-City Composites posted a 12.8% annual growth rate,” says David M. Blitzer, Chairman of the Index Committee at S&P Dow Jones Indices. “Both Composites showed their highest annual increases since February 2006. All 20 cities reported positive year-over-year returns. Thirteen cities posted double-digit annual gains. Las Vegas and California continue to impress with year-over-year increases of over 20%. Denver and Phoenix posted 20 consecutive annual increases; Miami and Minneapolis 19. Despite showing 26 consecutive annual gains, Detroit remains the only city below its January 2000 index level.

“The monthly percentage changes for the 20-City composite show the peak rate of gain in home prices was last April. Since then home prices continued to rise, but at a slower pace each month. This month 16 cities reported smaller gains in August compared to July. Recent increases in mortgage rates and fewer mortgage applications are two factors in these shifts.

“Denver and Dallas again set new highs. All the other cities remain below their peaks. Boston and Charlotte are the two MSAs closest to their peaks with only 8-9% left to go. Las Vegas is still down 47.1% from its peak level.”

As of August 2013, average home prices across the United States are back to their mid-2004 levels. Measured from their June/July 2006 peaks, the peak-to-current decline for both Composites is approximately 20-21%. The recovery from the March 2012 lows is 22.1% and 22.7% for the 10-City and 20-City Composites.

All twenty cities posted monthly gains in August, although most cities showed deceleration compared to July. Las Vegas was at the top of the range at +2.9% and Seattle was at the bottom with a return of +0.5%. Month-over-month, San Francisco has been losing momentum as prices increased 4.9% in April 2013 and 0.9% in August 2013.

 

http://www.realestateeconomywatch.com/2013/10/august-prices-rise-to-128-percent-over-2012/

 

Katonah Credit Score Tips for November | by Tracey Becker | Katonah Real Estate

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CREDIT SCORE TIPS FOR THOSE WHO ARE PURCHASING A PROPERTY OR APPLYING FOR FINANCING:

  • Check your credit scores at least a year or two prior to looking for properties.
  • If you are purchasing your scores online buy them from the MYFICO.com site.  Other sites may have totally different score ranges then the score the banker is using for loan approval.  There are Fico, Vantage, Plus, Equifax, Credit Karma, and many more scores available online.
  • Lenders usually take the “middle score” not the “median or average” of the three credit bureau Fico scores.  Order all three Experian, Trans Union, and Equifax Fico scores from the site to find out what your  middle score is.
  • A FICO score of a 740 plus is considered excellent.  If you have a score under a 740 talk to a credit expert and get advice on how to improve it.  Do not get credit advice from a Dentist, Uncle, Parent, or anyone who is not credit qualified.  Sadly so many do and wind up hurting their credit.
  • Pulling your own credit scores at the MYFICO site will not drop your scores at all.
  • Keeping balances low “under 10% of aggregate and individual limits” on revolving credit for at least 2 months prior to mortgage application will give creditors enough time to make sure balance updates are posted to the three credit bureaus.  This will reflect a higher score when the banker pulls credit.
  • Do not co-sign for any credit if you are not in full control of making timely payments or prepared to pay the full debt yourself.
  • Do not open credit or close credit since scores can drop dramatically.  Opening credit can reduce the average age of credit.  Closing credit can take away from a well balanced credit portfolio or reduce aggregate limits on revolving credit which can drop scores dramatically.   In some cases credit needs to be opened for loan approval but only your banker can advise you of this.
  • Make sure all payments are paid on time and if you set up auto pay write down/file confirmation numbers.
  • If you change bank accounts or close a credit card make sure ALL auto pay’s associated with the account are transferred to the new account immediately.  Many consumers forget to put E-Z pass or their gym payments on the new bank account or credit card and wind up with new late payments or collections on credit.
  • Remember the higher your Fico score the more options you will have as a borrower.  Even .25%  more of an interest rate can mean higher payments costing hundreds of thousands of dollars over the life of a 30 year loan.  A higher credit score can also give a buyer the ability to qualify for a larger mortgage if needed.

 

 

Tracy Becker

 

What’s the best way to use leaves in the garden? | Cross River Real Estate

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What’s the best way to use leaves in the garden?

Leaves are one of the main ingredients of the dark, rich humus that covers  the forest floor — nature’s compost. A gardener can replicate that humus by  mixing carbon-rich leaves with nitrogen-rich manure or grass clippings to make  compost.

Maintaining an active compost pile in winter can be a challenge, however. An  easier alternative is to use leaves in the garden in fall, says Abigail Maynard,  associate agricultural scientist at the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment  Station, who has studied the use of leaves as a garden soil amendment for more  than 10 years.

If possible, shred your leaves first with a chipper-shredder or mower; the  smaller pieces will break down faster. Spread the chopped leaf mulch over your  garden soil, then incorporate it with a tiller or spade. “By spring, almost all  of the chopped leaves will be completely decomposed,” Maynard says.

Maynard’s research has shown that amending soil with maple or oak leaves  alone probably won’t boost yields the way adding finished compost does, but she  says using leaves in the garden does add organic matter to the soil. Organic  matter improves soil structure, holds nutrients and moisture that are released  slowly to plants, and provides food for beneficial soil organisms.

Maynard suggests adding a nitrogen-rich fertilizer, such as aged manure, in  spring. (Nitrogen added in fall could leach away by spring.)

 

 

 

Read more: http://www.motherearthnews.com/print.aspx?id={152934F3-D318-4D8E-BF1C-9830C170F43A}#ixzz2jPEnYvbY

Doctor Gives End Of Daylight Saving Time Tips | Katonah Real Estate

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We’ll all be “Fall”-ing back this weekend. You can get ready for it now.

Changing the clocks back at the end of Daylight Saving Time can throw your body for a loop, but there are ways to help you ease into that one-hour change.

Dr. Praveen Rudraraju at Northern Westchester Hospital in Mount Kisco has five tips to help adjust to the end of Daylight Saving Time.

  • Try to change one of the clocks on Friday and start following that clock to eat meals, sleep and wake according to that clock. When Monday comes, you will be better adjusted.
  • Exercise early in the day not too close to the bedtime.
  • Give ample time to digest your dinner before you go to bed.
  • Try to spend time outside during the daytime if weather permits, Dim the lights in the evening, so that your body understands that it’s time to wind down.

 

 

http://mtkisco.dailyvoice.com/lifestyle/nwh-doctor-gives-end-daylight-saving-time-tips

Abandoned Buildings, Red Tape Mark a Year on Staten Island | Katonah NY Real Estate

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This three-part photo essay traces the recovery efforts in the year since Hurricane Sandy, as documented by photographer Nathan Kensinger. Throughout the year, his Hurricane Sandy photo essays have appeared in Curbed’s Camera Obscura column. His photographs are also included in exhibits opening this week at the Museum of the City of New York and the Brooklyn Historical Society, which are dedicated to the one-year anniversary of the storm.

01_kensinger_staten_island_DSC_3102.jpg [In the year since Hurricane Sandy, Staten Island neighborhoods like Ocean Breeze have seen little progress in their recovery efforts. All photos by Nathan Kensinger.]

It has been one year since Hurricane Sandy landed on Staten Island, destroying many of its waterfront neighborhoods. Despite an outpouring of volunteer support and a huge cleanup effort, these communities are still visibly suffering from the impact of the storm. In neighborhoods like Ocean Breeze, Midland Beach, and New Dorp, ruined buildings, abandoned homes, empty lots and overgrown foundations remain a common sight. A host of government programs have assisted residents during their recovery, but many homeowners are frustrated by the lack of progress and are not planning to return.

“It’s been hell,” said Jean Laurie, the president of the Ocean Breeze Civic Association, whose neighborhood and house were badly damaged by the storm surge. “We still don’t have a home,” she said. “Before you know it, it’s going to be two years. And then what?” After demolishing their storm-damaged residence in April, Jean and her husband Burt hoped they would be able to rebuild quickly. But, like several of their neighbors, their lot remains empty. “I don’t know anyone on Staten who has built a new house,” said Burt. “There is too much red tape.”

“We still don’t have a home. Before you know it, it’s going to be two years. And then what?” —Jean Laurie, president, Ocean Breeze Civic Association

Most residents in Ocean Breeze have given up on the idea of rebuilding, and now hope to sell their entire neighborhood to the state to be demolished, much like the buyout planned for nearby Oakwood Beach, where 400 homes will be torn down and the land returned to nature. “They should never have houses here, never,” said Joe Herrnkind, a 15-year resident of Ocean Breeze whose home was destroyed by flooding. “The buyout is the only way,” said Herrnkind. “I’m looking for a buyout from the government only. No one else. Knowing what I know, I don’t want anyone else to suffer this way.” In sharp contrast to the headway made in the Rockaways, Staten Island’s storm recovery seems far from complete.

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October 2013: In the empty lot where their home once stood, Jean and Burt Laurie display a handmade protest sign. Like 5,500 Staten Island residents, they registered for the city’s Build It Back program. They are still waiting to receive a phone call from the government.

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October 2013: Their collection of photos documents the damage in Ocean Breeze, where 20 houses were destroyed. About 30 of the remaining 109 homes are occupied, according to the Staten Island Advance.

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November 2012: In the days after the storm, Jean Laurie and her husband helped coordinate with volunteers to distribute supplies from in front of their flood-damaged home.

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April 2013: When her home was demolished in April, Jean planned to rebuild quickly. “We want to revitalize the area,” she told Curbed at the time. “We don’t want to leave it in shambles.”

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April 2013: Jean still hopes to rebuild, but “almost every single home owner that is here has signed up for the buyout,” according to her neighbor Joe Herrnkind. “You’d have to be crazy to stay.”

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October 2013: One year after the storm, empty homes in Ocean Breeze are still being gutted by city workers. Roughly 400 people are waiting to rebuild their homes in Staten Island, according to the Staten Island Advance.

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October 2013: Progress has come to a standstill in several Staten Island neighborhoods. In Midland Beach, this pile of debris from a ruined building has sat next to a local home for the entire year. Abandoned and empty homes can be found throughout the area.

 

 

http://ny.curbed.com/archives/2013/10/29/abandoned_buildings_red_tape_mark_a_year_on_staten_island.php

 

50 Years Later, Relive the Destruction of Old Penn Station in Photos | Katonah NY Real Estate

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54 images

It was 50 years ago today that demolition began on the New York icon that evokes intense nostalgia and mourning even today: the old Pennsylvania Station. To honor the day, Atlantic Cities rounded up some beautiful photos of the transit hub in its prime, but Curbed has opted to immerse us all in sad images of the de-construction process, as plans for Madison Square Garden loomed ahead. After all, it was the painful ripping apart of the soaring archways, domed ceilings, handsome columns, and more that lit a fire under the arse of the coalition that eventually made New York’s landmarks law a reality. The extensive demolition porn of yore comes to you courtesy of the Museum of the City of New York’s wonderfully extensive photo archives. Below, you’ll also find a handful of photos of Penn when it was still gloriously intact, which kinda intensifies the grief a little. While the site’s future remains uncertain—could we feasibly see a bonkers starchitect-designed railway station in our lifetimes?—the past is, sadly, a done deal.