Category Archives: Waccabuc NY

China home prices up for 11th straight month in April-survey | Waccabuc Homes

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BEIJING: Average home prices in China’s 100 biggest cities rose in April from the previous month, the eleventh straight month-on-month rise, a private survey showed on Thursday, raising the risk of further tightening steps despite recent government measures to crack down on speculation.

Average home prices in April climbed 1 percent from March to 10,098 yuan ($1,600) per square metre, said China Real Estate Index System (CREIS), a consultancy tied to China’s largest online property firm, Soufun Holdings.

 

 

http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com

The Perfect Facebook Post? | Pound Ridge NY Realtor

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Perfection. What is that?

In the world of cars ….is it a Ferrari? If it is art… could it be the Mona Lisa? With the profession of architecture, is it personified in the Sydney Opera House?The Perfect Facebook Post

A rose?

Big claims… but you have to admit their all damm good. Memorable even…and maybe even the term excellent could be rolled out and we could even stretch it to “awesome”.

When you see something that is splendid you know it. The visual impact can be visceral , emotional and inspiring.

Whatever the phrase it is always good to strive for perfection. But keep in mind that if you are always “waiting” for your creation to be sublime and faultless then that post will never be published or that book will never be written.

At some stage the finger needs to hit that “publish” button or that “enter” key.

7 Tips for the Perfect Facebook Post

Images on Facebook are the most shared of any media. As humans we do like a good picture. Facebook just makes it easy to acknowledge that with a “like” or if we get really get excited we can even share it with our 500 “best” friends.

Creating a perfect Facebook post for images is maybe not possible, but here are 7 tips to help you move along the spectrum of excellence towards a “God like” Facebook post.

1. Post copy

Keep it short and sharp and less than 90 characters or make sure that you if you have a URL include it near the top of that text. Oh yes…asking a question about the image is sublime because it increases engagement.

2. Call to action

You need to include a URL in your post copy that drives your audience either deeper into Facebook, your blog or website. Also make that ugly long link more attractive by shortening it with bit.ly

A bit like putting lipstick on a pig.

3. Target your Post

If you are targeting a country, language or audience then make the post relevant and specific for them.

4. Timely promotion

Want to reach a bigger audience?… then run it as a “sponsored story” on Facebook within 24 hours of posting. To ensure it works as an ad unit make sure the image is square.

5. Image Upload

Make it at least 300×300 pixels and use an image that has high impact. This includes close-ups of people (don’t use a company logo) and colors like red and orange are good.

6. Mobile first

Facebook is very often viewed on a mobile (some figures show that as being 70%) so use simple images, short copy and yes/no questions are ideal.
Read more at http://www.jeffbullas.com/2013/05/03/the-perfect-facebook-post/#2z70R0yXlk7K6Cdw.99

Distressed Sales Declined to 21 Percent in March | Waccabuc NY Real Estate

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The share of distressed properties on the market continued to decline. About 21 percent of REALTORS® reporting on their last sale in March sold distressed properties, compared to approximately 40 percent in March 2011. This is based on data from the March REALTORS® Confidence Index Survey.

Distressed sales are mostly sold for cash. Distressed sales accounted for 35 percent of cash sales compared to 21 percent of mortgage sales.

 

 

 

http://economistsoutlook.blogs.realtor.org/2013/05/03

5 Reasons Social Workers Need to Work with Social Media | South Salem Realtor

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ID 100109457 5 Reasons Social Workers Need to Work with Social MediaWhile some social workers are afraid to get involved in social media, they don’t want to break down important boundaries between social workers and their clients. But there are professional ways to use social media to improve your knowledge, connect to your clients, and gather support from your colleagues. Here are 5 ways social media will help social workers:

1. Get Informed

Social workers can learn from reading books about social work, but the fact is, the field of social work changes as fast as people do. The best way to keep up with the changing practices is to stay plugged in to social media. You can follow Twitter feeds such as those from LSE Impact Blog to learn about the practices of other social workers in other areas of the country. If you’re working with people who have been affected by recent disasters, you can see what those affected are saying about their situations and emotions rather than depending on the ways in which various “local authorities” report those things.

2. Reach Out and Touch Someone

ID 10046751 5 Reasons Social Workers Need to Work with Social MediaSocial Media allows you to connect to your colleagues and to your clients.  You can also connect with those who have disabilities or other limitations that prevent them from reaching out to social workers because they have a hard time getting around.  If you’re listed in social media outlets, they can find you and get help when they otherwise wouldn’t get the help they need. Social media also allows you to connect with more people since it takes less time and energy than making several phone calls to check in on people.

3. Develop a Professional Identity

Social workers sometimes face the challenge of developing a professional persona. Social media provides a platform for the building of a professional. You can share useful links to credible organizations.  You can show that a sometimes overlooked profession should get more attention and credibility. You can draw in the clients who best match the skills you have to offer.  Many social work organizations, such as Advanced Social Work Practice Network, that connects professionals across the world.

 

 

http://www.dreamgrow.com

Despite hurdles, Cuba real estate market buzzing | Waccabuc NY Real Estate

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HAVANA (AP) — In some ways, Yosuan Crespo‘s real estate office resembles any you might find in New York, London or Tokyo. There are slick posters of hot properties hanging from the ceiling, a steady stream of hopeful buyers and sellers and a constant clack of computer keys.

But Crespo‘s headquarters in central Havana’s trendy Vedado neighborhood is actually somebody else’s breezy front porch. The computer’s only connection to the Internet is a creaky dial-up link, and Crespo is careful to say he’s not operating as a broker, since the job is still technically illegal.

A baffling, sometimes bizarre real estate market has emerged in the year and a half since President Raul Castro legalized private home sales on this Communist-run island for the first time in five decades.

While trade in homes is now legal, the people who bring buyers together with sellers are not. The government has yet to make good on promises to legitimize brokers, most of whom still operate in the shadows.

It’s a story that has been typical of Castro’s economic reforms, which often have left little space for the sort of middlemen and other services that help markets work.

via news.yahoo.com

Uninsured losses on property theft and fraud are tax deductible | South Salem Real Estate

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Fraud by building contractors is a distressingly common occurrence.

How’s this for a nightmare scenario: You agree to pay a contractor $400,000 to tear down part of your house and put in an addition. While the work is going on, you, your spouse, and five children stay with the wife’s parents. The contractor tells you that the work is progressing according to schedule and you make multiple payments.

Suddenly, the contractor dies. He was only 30 years old. It turns out he was a drug addict. You discover that the contractor failed to do much of the work he said had been done. Moreover, considerable damage was done to the house during construction because the contractor failed to protect it from the weather.

Naturally, you sue everybody you can. The only entity that has any money you can collect from is the deceased contractor’s insurer. Unfortunately, it turns out that the insurance policy lapsed because the premiums weren’t paid. In the end, you settle with the insurer for $10,000.

All this happened to James and Gaetana Urtis. They figured that at least they could deduct some of their losses from their income taxes. They claimed a $188,070 theft loss deduction — the amount they paid the contractor that they determined he had pocketed instead of doing the promised work.

But — you guessed it — the IRS denied the deduction.

via inman.com

What a pool brings to home investment | Waccabuc Real Estate

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It can be difficult to estimate what pool repairs may be needed, and if you have, say, 20 minutes to do a full inspection of the house, the “ifs” of a range of $50 to $5,000 can swing your margins in the red quickly. If the home is a short sale, the pool may be sitting for months longer and cost more than you initially estimated, as well, writes AOL Real Estate.

If you have longer to get an inspection, and a pool person is able to give you an estimate on getting the pool back in working condition, then the initial costs may be worth the investment. However, there are further things to consider. Click here to see the full list of what to consider.

via housingwire.com

How to jump on the video bandwagon | South Salem Real Estate

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Are you still stuck in “E” rather than moving forward into “V”?

If so, it’s time to shift from email, e-cards, email newsletters, blogs, and auto-responders to the next generation of communication: vmail, vcards, vresponders, viewsletters, and vlogs.

I recently spoke with Roger Noujeim of ListedBy.com about his take on the latest trends. He noted that ListedBy clients who use video to promote their listings generate significantly more traffic than those who don’t.

He also noted that there are 700 videos posted on Twitter every minute. Noujeim described this trend as going from “E” to “V.” In fact, Cisco projects that 90 percent of all Web traffic in 2014 will be devoted to video. If you haven’t jumped on the video bandwagon, here’s how to get started.

From email to vmail

People retain 10 percent of what they hear and 15 percent of what they see. The average person spends about eight seconds viewing a text message. In contrast, video email is viewed on average to 85 percent completion. Consequently, to get better results from your email communication, shift from regular email and text messaging to vmails.

via inman.com

South Salem Sales Up 26% | Median Price Down 9% | RobReoportBlog

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South Salem NY Real Estate Report RobReportBlog

2013                       6 months ending 4/25               2012

24                               Sales                                19

$482,500.00        median sold price            $530,000.00

$180,000.00          low sold price                   $247,500.00

$1,551,000.00          high sold price                   $891,000.00

2932                            average size                       2576

$216.00                 ave. price per foot             $219.00

277                       ave days on market                 306

$619,375.00        average sold price            $548,000.00

94.62%                  ave sold to ask                        94.95%
via trulia.com

Why New York rent is so expensive | Waccabuc Real Estate

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There are a few reasons for the rent appreciation. One is that New York has become a much more attractive place to live and work over the last few decades as crime has fallen and other amenities have improved, according to The New York Times’ economic reporter Catherine Rampell.

A second key reason that housing has become so expensive is that as demand for housing from both these occasional visitors and full-time residents has grown, supply has not kept up, writes the Times.

A third key reason housing is so expensive, related to the first one I mentioned, is that a lot of amenities that wealthy people like are bundled into the price of an apartment in New York, including a high concentration of bars, restaurants and theaters, and a greater variety of high-end goods.

Given the better pay in New York, housing costs are actually less onerous than they might seem, writes the Times.

Read the full report by Rampell in the Times here.

via housingwire.com