Tag Archives: Bedford

The Town of Bedford

Elijah Wood Buys Home in Austin, TX | Bedford Real Estate

Leave a reply

Most actors choose Hollywood homes characteristic of the region: sprawling mid-centuries, Spanish-inspired Mediterraneans or the very occasional colonial. But a Victorian in Austin, Texas? Not the first guess for someone like Elijah Wood.

The 32-year-old actor has quietly purchased a new home in Austin. Built in 1890, the home is a classic Victorian, right down to the gingerbread trim and gables. According to property records, the “Lord of the Rings” actor dropped $1.075 million. The Daily Mail reports that Wood had been searching for homes for awhile in the Texas live music capital before he decided on this one.

The listing claims Wood’s new home combines Victorian architecture with modern details — no cabbage-rose wallpaper here. Instead, the interior of the home boasts marble countertops, large windows and light-filled living space. Measuring 3,285 square feet, the home has 4 beds, 4.5 baths and 3 living rooms as well as a front porch, perfect for enjoying Texas sunsets.

Prior to moving to the Lone Star State, Wood called Santa Monica home. He sold his former Spanish-style bungalow in February 2012 for $1.759 million. Wood hasn’t completely written SoCal off yet; property records confirm he still owns a 3-bed, 2-bath home in Venice that he purchased for $1.2 million in 2004.

 

Elijah Wood Buys Home in Austin, TX | Zillow Blog.

Solar energy gets boost with New York state funding | Bedford Real Estate

Leave a reply

New York’s solar energy capacity is getting an upgrade with $54 million announced by Gov. Andrew Cuomo for 79 solar projects across the state to help reduce stress on the electric grid.

The competitive funding is part of the governor’s NY-Sun initiative working to make the state a leader in solar energy by addressing climate change and boosting clean energy technologies.

“The investments we are making in solar power will help businesses around the state control and reduce their utility expenses, while increasing the amount of electricity the state gets from renewable energy and reducing demand on the electric grid,” saidFrancis Murray, CEO of the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA).

The Capital Region is expected to have 10 sites that will house solar energy projects including Raymour & Flanigan stores in Clifton Park and Niskayuna. The other eight sites are to be determined.

The awards were administered by NYSERDA to 20 recipients to finance the solar energy projects that will be located in 26 counties. The sites themselves would use the solar power to drop electricity usage.

The projects are expected to add up to 64 megawatts to the state’s solar capacity. One megawatt is equal to one million watts of power. Most of the projects should be finished by the first half of next year, Cuomo said.

“Not only will these projects benefit our environment by reducing dependence on fossil fuels and using renewable energy, but they are also creating well-paying jobs for New Yorkers,” Cuomo said in a statement.

 

Solar energy gets boost with New York state funding – The Business Review.

Healthier Swimming in Gorgeous Natural Pools | Bedford Real Estate

Leave a reply

The Natural Way to Cool Off

Swimming can be great exercise and a lot of fun, not to mention an exciting sport at the Olympics. But the chlorine used in most pools can have some negative side effects, not the least of which is reliance on toxic (and finicky) chemicals.

Chlorine’s damaging effects on hair are well known, but few people realize that a number of studies have linked inhalation of the chemical by swimmers to increased asthma rates (in fact a new Irish study published this April reported a significant link between the number of years a boy had been swimming and the likelihood of the child being wheezy in the past year.) A Norwegian study also documented an increased risk of wheezing among children who swim in pools before 6 months of age. Further, in an unpleasant reaction, pee and sweat in water can react with chlorine to form toxic breakdown products known as chloramines.

For health, environmental and aesthetic reasons, a lot of people have expressed interest in alternatives to chlorine pools, and luckily there are more and more options to get wet without smelling like cleaning products. A company called TechnoPure offers alternative pool systems that treat water by pumping it through a chamber containing coated titanium plates and copper and zinc ions. The units cost a relatively affordable $5,500. DEL Ozone makes ozone injectors that can reduce the need for chlorine up to 90% — there’s been one installed at the White House for years! Some systems rely on a combination of ozone and copper and silver ions, while others are saline, though saltwater pools result in the formation of chlorine in the water.

One elegant, eco-friendly solution that has had enthusiastic supporters in Europe for decades is the so-called natural swimming pool, which is slowly beginning to gain buzz in the U.S. Natural swimming pools, often called swimming ponds across the Atlantic, can be beautiful oases of greenery and sustainability, as well as safe, fun places to take a dip.

 

Healthier Swimming in Gorgeous Natural Pools – MSN Living.

Enjoy Fresh Family Fun This Weekend At Hilltop Hanover Farm | Bedford Homes

Leave a reply

Hilltop Hanover Farm and Environmental Center in Yorktown Heights has several ways to help you keep busy – and healthy – this weekend.

Here’s what’s going on at the center, which is located at 1271 Hanover St.

Farm Stand – Fridays from 1 to 6 p.m. and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The farm stand is open throughout the summer and fall. All produce is grown on the farm without the use of pesticides, synthesized fertilizers or herbicides. Check the website weekly for available produce.

U-Pick – Saturdays from 10 a.m. to  4 p.m. (weather permitting) Enjoy harvesting your own vegetables, herbs and flowers throughout the summer and fall. Pay for your
produce at farm stand.

Couples Cooking – Friday, July 19 at 7 p.m. in Barn F. Join author Carol Lake for an evening of cooking and fun with your partner or friend and learn how to make delicious cheese and healthy new recipes.  Bring a bottle of wine and enjoy the dinner together. The fee is $75 per couple and registration is online only.

 

Enjoy Fresh Family Fun This Weekend At Hilltop Hanover Farm | The Bedford Daily Voice.

Bedford sales up 17% – Prices down 2.5% | RobReportBlog | Bedford Real Estate

Leave a reply
Bedford Village NY Real Estate ReportRobReportBlog
20136 months ending 7/52012
40Sales34
$887,500.00median sold price$910,250.00
$370,000.00low sold price$450,000.00
$8,200,000.00high sold price$4,750,000.00
3419average size4133
$388.00ave. price per foot$313.00
189ave days on market217
$1,326,444.00average sold price$1,355,990.00
93.37%ave sold to ask93.26%

 

 

Bedford sales up 17% – Prices down 2.5% | RobReportBlog | Bedford Real Estate.

How the Weather Can Save You Money | Bedford Real Estate

Leave a reply

Some summertime savings could be headed your way as new energy projections show a decrease in electric bills this summer, The Wall Street Journal reports.

According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, the average household will pay $395 for electricity in June, July and August, a solid 2.5-percent decrease from last summer. Assuming these projections hold true, this will be the third summer in a row with lower electrical spending.

But unlike the last two summers, this drop in bills has nothing to do with lower electricity rates. Lower temperatures are the reason Americans use less air conditioning and pocket some extra cash. After three blistering summers, government forecasters are saying that this summer’s temperatures will align more with the average levels.

Since air conditioning is the main culprit for larger electricity bills in the summer, households can turn off their AC units and find other ways to cool off homes, causing the average usage to fall by a projected 4.6 percent.

Take advantage of the lower temperatures and bills! Enjoy the outdoors by gardening or grilling, or just relaxing with a good book.

 

How the Weather Can Save You Money | Zillow Blog.

Real Estate Number One Selling Tip | Bedford Real Estate

Leave a reply

You are not hiring a Realtor to put a sign on the lawn, an ad in the paper, and hold an open house. You can do this yourself. You are hiring a Realtor to provide you with maximum exposure to the greatest number of qualified buyers for your home.

 

Supply and Demand

You’ve heard of supply and demand? The more potential buyers at your supply, the higher a priceyou can demand.

 

The absolute number one tip I can give you to help you get the most money possible for your home is this: make sure you get full Multiple Listing Service (MLS) coverage.

 

Don’t look at any offers until you are sure your home is on the MLS computer.

 

I will say this again…

 

Don’t look at any offers until you are sure your home is on the MLS computer. An army of Realtors at your disposal can’t be beat.

 

Dump any Realtor that tries to tell you to put your house on exclusive (only his/her company) or wants you to negotiate offers before it gets on MLS.

Dump any Realtor that wants to list your house on a Friday and have a public open house the following Sunday. There is not enough time to get your home on the system.

I do not care how good a Realtors marketing plan is, it is worthless compared to the value of having your home on the MLS system. Think of it this way. Realtor = home on MLS = most Realtors = most buyers = most money.

 

Is the first offer the best offer?

There is a saying in real estate. The first offer is usually the best one. This is only true, if everyone knows it’s for sale.

 

Real estate surveys in my area showed the owner lost an average of $2000. when their house was sold by the same office or Realtor that listed their home. The reason…the offer was written before any one else knew it was for sale.

 

MLS Comes First

Ask any realtor you are contemplating dealing with, what the order of their marketing plan is. If submitting to the Multiple Listing Service is not the first thing they are going to do, look for another realtor.

 

If you took away every selling tool I had, and said I could only have one of them back, I would choose the MLS service. This is not a commercial for MLS. It is just the best weapon Realtors and the public have for getting maximum exposure on property.

 

MLS is a strong selling tool,…use it… It will make a difference on your bottom line.

Real Estate Number One Selling Tip.

Study finds same-sex couples face housing bias | Bedford Real Estate

Leave a reply

Conducting the first study of its kind, the Department of Housing and Urban Development studied 50 metropolitan markets from June to October 2011 and concluded that same-sex couples were “significantly less likely than heterosexual couples to get favorable responses to e-mail inquiries about electronically advertised rental housing.”

More specifically, “heterosexual couples were favored over gay male couples in 15.9% of tests and over lesbian couples in 15.6% of tests,” writes MSNBC.

 

Study finds same-sex couples face housing bias | HousingWire.

Actress Jodie Foster listed home for $6.4 million | Bedford Real Estate

Leave a reply

The home has 4 bedrooms, 4 full and 2 half bathrooms, an office and an attached guest suite. Adjacent to a formal dining room, a butler’s pantry leads to a stunning kitchen. A luxurious master suite features a sitting area, walk-in closets, fireplace and sauna, according to Trulia.

Outside, the central courtyard pool and brick patio are shielded by a high-reaching hedge for the utmost seclusion – a must for the notoriously private Foster.

 

Actress Jodie Foster listed home for $6.4 million | HousingWire.

Bank Crack Down Bolsters Foreclosure Inventory | Bedford NY Real Estate

Leave a reply

nvestors desperate for foreclosures to buy got a break in May as banks cracked down on overdue defaulters, increasing starts and repossessing homes occupied by defaulters.

The monthly increase in overall foreclosure activity was caused largely by an 11 percent month-over-month increase in bank repossessions (REOs), although REO activity was still down 29 percent from a year ago.

REO activity increased from the previous month in 33 states — including North Carolina (up 60 percent), Oregon (up 57 percent), Wisconsin (up 44 percent), Illinois (up 44 percent), Colorado (up 23 percent), and Michigan (up 19 percent). REO activity increased 9 percent from the previous month in non-judicial states and was up 13 percent from the previous month in judicial states.

Among the five lenders involved in last year’s national mortgage settlement, all but one (Citi) posted monthly increases in REO activity, indicating that temporary stoppages of foreclosure sales announced during the month by some of the lenders involved in the settlement had little lasting impact on the number of completed foreclosures for the month.

U.S. foreclosure starts increased 4 percent from the previous month but were still down 33 percent from a year ago. Foreclosure starts increased from the previous month in 26 states and were up from a year ago in 14 states, including Maryland (up 229 percent), Connecticut (up 122 percent), Hawaii (up 108 percent), Arkansas (up 84 percent), New Jersey (up 82 percent), Nevada (up 81 percent), Washington (up 53 percent), Pennsylvania (up 26 percent) and New York (up 13 percent).

 

Bank Crack Down Bolsters Foreclosure Inventory | RealEstateEconomyWatch.com.