Tag Archives: Chappaqua Luxury Homes

Astorino: No Tax Hikes, Layoffs In 2015 Westchester County Budget | Chappaqua Real Estate

Westchester County has approved a 2015 budget plan, with a modest spending increase and no hike in the tax levy.

The $1.75 billion spending plan also contains no layoffs, and maintains and improves essential service delivery, according to the office of county Executive Rob Astorino.

“This is a smart and responsible budget that protects the interests of all county residents,” Astorino said in a news release. “It strikes the right balance between taxes and services.”

The budget increases spending by 0.5 percent, or $10 million – less than the rate of inflation, the release said. There will be no reductions in services, and the county’s safety net was maintained with spending for the Department of Social Services at $545 million, the release said.

The tax levy will remain at $548 million for the fifth year in a row, and sales tax was projected to rise by 4 percent to $414 million, the release said.

The budget passed by a vote of 10 to 7, winning the vote of all seven Republican and three Democrats on the Westchester County Board of Legislators, the release said.

The board did reach a compromise in borrowing to pay tax certioraris – the claims made against the county by property owners challenging their tax assessments. The county will only borrow $5 million rather than the $8 million it borrowed last year, as an alternative to service cuts or layoffs that otherwise would have been used to offset costs.

 

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http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2014/12/09/astorino-no-tax-hikes-layoffs-in-2015-westchester-county-budget/

Happy Thanksgiving Safety Tips | Chappaqua Real Estate

The Westchester County Health Department is providing advice to prepare a healthy, safe holiday meal.

“Remember to thoroughly wash your hands between the preparation of uncooked poultry and ready to serve foods,” said Peter DeLucia, assistant commissioner of Public Health Protection. “Preparing a safe and healthy Thanksgiving meal is not an easy task for even the most seasoned of chefs, so residents should follow these tips to ensure a safe and happy holiday meal.” It is also important to remember that devices and electrical appliances must be thoroughly examined regularly. One can approach Ice Cream Freezer Repair Portland OR and similar companies to avail the necessary services of the appliances.

Separate and Prepare – Bacteria on raw poultry can contaminate your hands, utensils, and work surfaces as you prepare the turkey. Use different cutting boards for raw meat, poultry, seafood and veggies. Keep the raw turkey away from vegetables and side dishes that won’t be cooked. Wash hands, surfaces and utensils often to avoid spreading bacteria when preparing food.

Stuff – To avoid under-cooked stuffing that can cause a food borne illness, bake stuffing separately in a shallow pan, where it can quickly reach 165 degrees. Many food borne outbreaks have been caused by stuffed, roasted turkey.

Cook – Turkeys should be cooked to a minimum internal temperature of 165 degrees. It’s essential to have a 0 to 220 degree probe thermometer at home to accurately measure food temperature. To be safe, take the turkey’s temperature by inserting the probe thermometer deep into the meat.

Properly Cool Leftovers – Improper cooling practices are one of the most frequent causes of food borne illness. Leftover turkey, stuffing, etc., needs to be refrigerated within two hours. If you prepare foods in advance such as soups and stocks, make sure to cool them in the refrigerator, uncovered in shallow pans.

Reheat – Leftovers, including turkey meat, stuffing and stock should be reheated to at least 165 degrees before serving.

For more food preparation safety tips, visit www.westchestergov.com/health. 

Pending Sales Trend Up | Chappaqua Real Estate

Pending home sales increased 0.3% in September, suggesting continued steady improvement in existing sales. The Pending Home Sales Index (PHSI), a forward-looking indicator based on signed contracts reported by the National Association of Realtors (NAR), increased to 105.0 in September from 104.7 in August. The September reading was up 1.0% from the same month a year ago, and pending sales were up year-over-year for the first time in 11 months.

Pending Home Sales September 2014

The September PHSI increased modestly in the South and Northeast, but decreased slightly in the West and Midwest. Year-over-year, the West, Northeast and South increased 3.6%, 2.9% and 1.7% respectively, while the Midwest declined 4.0%.

Last week NAR reported a 2.4% increase in September existing home sales, and firming job and economic growth suggests that the existing home market will demonstrate steady growth throughout the fall. The housing recovery has moved towards higher ground reflected by a six-year high in September new homes sales.

 

 

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http://eyeonhousing.org/2014/10/pending-sales-trend-up/

Reports: 2 mortgage giants plan to ease lending | Chappaqua Real Estate

Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and private mortgage lenders are nearing an agreement that may lower restrictions on borrowers with poor credit, in an effort to boost lending amid a tepid housing recovery, according to published reports.

The two mortgage giants are considering programs that would make it easier for lenders to offer mortgages with down payments of as little as 3% for some borrowers, according to reports by Bloomberg and The Wall Street Journal over the weekend, citing unnamed people familiar with the matter.

It would mark a key loosening of lending standards for the mortgage giants and banks in the aftermath of the financial crisis of 2008, when credit requirements were made far more restrictive.

The changes, which could be announced this week, would help banks protect themselves from future claims of making bad loans, the published reports said.

 

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http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/business/2014/10/19/frannie-mae-and-freddie-mac-plan-to-ease-lending/17551043/

 

Layers of Patina and an Artist’s Touch in a New York Colonial | Chappaqua Real Estate

The New York home of artist Jennifer Lanne and her husband Dick Lanne is equal parts family retreat and backdrop to display their work. The house and Jen’s two studios are filled with her work, which she rotates in and out on a regular basis, while Dick’s hobby as a blacksmith has yielded practical and decorative additions to the space. These are layered in with finds from flea markets, antique shows and, occasionally, the side of the road, plus pillows and collections. The result is a home that would make a minimalist cringe but is a perfect setting for the things both of them love.

Cuomo plans to renew electricity surcharge | Chappaqua Real Estate

The agency responsible for levying a statewide surcharge on electricity rates to pay for green energy programs has proposed extending the tax for another decade.

NYSERDA, the state’s energy and research development authority, has raised more than $5 billion since 2008 via the surcharge, according to environmental groups. The money has gone to fund a long list of energy-saving programs, including subsidies for efficient building systems and payments to landlords for every watt of electricity they save when the grid is overloaded.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who controls the agency, is expected to approve the proposal. The money could help buildings in the city, where Mayor Bill de Blasio this week unveiled a plan to to push smaller buildings to become more energy-efficient, as larger properties have in recent years.

The electrical surcharge flows into the state’s Clean Energy Fund, a pot of money available to property owners who want to defray the cost of installing efficient boilers, lighting systems and other energy upgrades.

“NYSERDA is proud to provide long-term funding certainty for the transition to cleaner, more resilient and affordable energy systems,” an agency spokeswoman said in a statement.

The surcharge was set to sunset late next year. Environmental groups had said that threatened to undermine the growth of a green energy industry in the state.

“This new commitment is … a market signal that New York is open for business for renewable and energy efficiency,” said Lisa Dix, a senior New York representative for the Sierra Club. “We want those private-sector dollars here.”

According to Ms. Dix, the state fund has helped support energy-efficiency consultants, engineers, manufacturers and builders. It’s unclear how many property owners have used the assistance and how much money remains in the fund.

 

 

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http://www.crainsnewyork.com/article/

What millennials want in a home | Chappaqua Real Estate

 

Millennials aren’t in a rush to buy their own homes. Heck, many of them aren’t in a rush to move out of their parents’ houses.

That doesn’t mean, however, that they’ll remain renters—or freeloaders in mom and dad’s basement—forever. And the housing and mortgage industries can’t wait.

“The story line has been that millennials are not forming households, they’re living with mom and dad,” said Jonathan Smoke, chief economist for Realtor.com. But this group’s usage of mobile real estate applications and websites is on the rise, Smoke says, up 61% year-over-year as of July based on his analysis of comScore data of people between the ages of 25 and 34. More than one-third of millennials used a mobile device in July to look at real estate data, he said.

That says to Smoke that millennials are at least thinking about buying or renting a home, and researching the market to learn their options.

What’s more, a recent Redfin survey found that 92% of people in this age group who don’t have a home want to buy one in the future, said Nela Richardson, the real-estate company’s chief economist. And there are some clear preferences in what they want in a home.

 

 

 

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http://www.marketwatch.com/story/what-millennials-want-in-a-home-2014-09-15

Down to Earth Farmers Market | #Chappaqua Real Estate

 

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FREE Yoga at Ossining Farmers Market;
Seasonal Melon Tastings at Many Markets + MORE

September 4th-10th, 2014

DowntoEarthMarkets.com

What’s New, In Season, and On Sale This Week
Apfelstreusel (Apple Crumble)
Locally sourced
Christiane’s Backstube

Apple Harvest Bread
Made w/fresh, local apples
Meredith’s Bread

Broccoli
Dagele Brothers Produce

Cantaloupe
Gajeski Produce
Mead Orchards

Early Season Apples: Fuji & Gala
Mead Orchards

Farm made Chili Sauce
Wright Farm

Farm made Spaghetti Sauce
Wright Farm

Moon & Stars Watermelon
Fishkill Farms

Sausage and Mushroom Pot Pie
in Horseradish Pastry

Stone & Thistle Farm

Sprite Melon
Alex’s Tomato Farm

Watermelon
Alex’s Tomato Farm


Click on a Market to see all vendor and event details…                  

Westchester
County


Rockland
County

Ossining

Saturdays
8:30 am-1:00 pm


Larchmont

Saturdays
8:30 am-1:00 pm

Piermont

Sundays
9:30 am-3:00 pm

Croton-on-Hudson

Sundays
9:00 am-2:00 pm


Rye

Sundays
8:30 am-2:00 pm

Spring Valley

Wednesdays
8:30 am-3:00 pm


Tarrytown/Sleepy Hollow

Saturdays
8:30 am-1:00 pm

New Rochelle

Fridays
8:30 am-2:30 pm


Headed to the city soon?

Visit a Down to Earth
Farmers Market in NYC!

Announcements
Melon Tastings

Stop by the manager’s tent at your favorite Down to Earth Farmers Market to try some of the season’s best melon varieties. The samples you try will be available from the market’s producers – it’s a great way to explore the season’s unique flavors. Please see our Event Calendar for exact times. ENJOY.

Ossining

FREE Yoga: From noon to 1 pm, join Dragonfly Yoga for a free yoga session in Market Square to celebrate National Yoga Month. Make sure to bring your own mat. After we’re done nourishing our souls, everyone can stop by the market to nourish our bodies with the summer harvest.

Raffle for Reuse: With the goal to eliminate plastic bags from the farmers market, the market manager in Ossining is accepting donations of clean, reusable shopping bags that people would like to drop-off. The donated bags will be offered to customers as an alternative to plastic bags for their market purchases. For each bag donated, customers can enter to win a $25 gift certificate for the market, and a winner will be drawn every 2 weeks.
We support this idea so much that we created this video to show how it works – enjoy!

For additional events, visit our Down to Earth Markets Event Calendar.

Stay tuned to all market happenings via our Down to Earth Markets Facebook page
and follow us on Instagram and on Twitter @DowntoEarthMkts.

Cleaning Up the Planet One Bag at a Time: Essay by Sharon Rowe
ECOBAGS

Down to Earth Markets is pleased to collaborate with ECOBAGS®, maker of sustainably-sourced, reusable shopping bags to encourage people to reduce the use of single-use plastic bags at our farmers markets. Both of our companies are based in Ossining, New York, and together we recently launched the BYOBag program at Ossining’s Down to Earth Market. ECOBAGS® Founder, Sharon Rowe, shares how she pioneered this effort over twenty five years ago:

“I believe that everyone has a right to clean air and clean water in a clean environment and that together we can ‘clean up the planet one bag at a time’.” – Sharon Rowe, Founder and CEO, ECOBAGS®

I started ECOBAGS® because I was tired of seeing plastic bags stuck in trees and floating in the Hudson River. It didn’t make sense that every time I went into a store, I left with a single-use plastic bag. Why use something once and then throw it away? This was back in 1989. So, I decided I would change my shopping behavior. I decided to bring my own cloth bags to the store, ones that I could use again and again, like the bags I used traveling in Europe years before. I wanted to find bags that would conveniently fold up and expand to hold my purchases – traditional string bags. I couldn’t find any in the USA, so I asked some friends to bring bags back from Europe. What happened next is what inspired me to start my company and my brand.

I began shopping with my reusable bags in NYC and people noticed. They wanted to talk with me. I found out, pretty quickly, that I wasn’t the only person tired of using or seeing plastic bags everywhere (and this was 25 years ago!). There was an interest in reusable options, so I decided to start making them and generate market demand. If you have a belief, like I do, that everyone has a right to clean air, clean water, and a clean environment, then being wasteful and seeing litter (and a lot of it coming from single-use) is personally hurtful in a very deep way.

I also began shopping differently when I started using reusable bags. While I hardly ever purchased processed foods, I now chose produce that wasn’t pre-packed and left other packaged items on the shelf. The end result was zero garbage after putting away all my purchases at home.

I started with the idea of creating zero waste. Twenty five years ago, it was an unsexy term called “source reduction.”

When you decide to question what is really “convenient,” you quickly run into, as Al Gore said, “Inconvenient Truths”. When you “choose to reuse” you can gain insights that will connect you more deeply to the environment. Don’t be surprised, if bringing your own bags to the market leads you to create other changes in your life. Simple actions can and do change the world. As Margaret Mead said, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.”

Rotating* Vendors This Week
*Vendors who rotate through various markets during the season.
They enjoy getting to know many communities, and here’s where to find them this week:

Croton-on-Hudson

#Freedom Craft Brewery

Larchmont 

Flourish Baking Company
Hudson River Apiaries
Kontoulis Family Olive Oil
Trotta Foods

Ossining 

Sisters Wicked Good Soap

Piermont 

Bombay Emerald Chutney Company
e-Desserts
Kontoulis Family Olive Oil
Tuthilltown Spirits Farm Distillery

Rye

Christiane’s Backstube (Locally sourced, German-inspired baked specialties)

Down to Earth Markets 173 Main Street Ossining, NY 10562 Phone: 914-923-4837
DowntoEarthMarkets.com

2014’s new home market is ‘running in place’ | Chappaqua Real Estate

 

Sales of new single-family homes clung to their same bumpy path again last month, unexpectedly slipping to their weakest annual pace since March, the Census Bureau said Monday.

Neither markedly stronger nor dramatically weaker, sales over the past 10 months haven’t moved much.

“The new home sales figures by now have that lived-in feeling, with few signs of a significant change, in either direction, over the near term,” said Richard Moody, chief economist of Regions Financial.

The new home market is “basically running in place,” he said in emailed comments Monday.

July’s seasonally adjusted annual rate was 412,000, down 2.4% from June’s higher revised rate of 422,000, the Census Bureau said. Previously-reported sales rates for April and May also were revised up.

 

 

 

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http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/business/2014/08/25/july-new-home-sales/14558325/

Funding Approved For Repairs To County Roads In New Castle | Chappaqua Real Estate

 

Several county roads in New Castle are among those that will have work paid for through funding approved by the Westchester County Board of Legislators, according to County Executive Rob Astorino’s office.

The total amount of funding is $5 million and will be used to finance work on 40 county roads that have been damaged. The New Castle roads include portions of Washington Avenue and South Greeley Avenue in downtown Chappaqua and a portion of Seven Bridges Road between the Yorktown border and Route 133.

The board approved the funding on Tuesday in a 16-0 vote, according to Astorino’s office.

“This is a big win for taxpayers and motorists,” the county executive said in a statement. “Last year’s storms and tough winter did a number on our roads, and while our road crews did a good job making repairs where necessary, this new program gives the county the capability to respond more quickly when urgent repairs are needed.”

 

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http://chappaqua.dailyvoice.com/news/funding-approved-repairs-county-roads-new-castle