Tag Archives: Cross river NY Luxury Homes for Sale

How to Optimize Your YouTube Video for Maximum Traffic | Cross River Realtor

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When companies plan their marketing strategies, they often make the mistake  of ignoring YouTube as a possible channel for lead development. Social media,  PPC and other fields are accepted as vital, but YouTube? How much marketing use  is the world’s foremost provider of cute kitten videos?

Actually, YouTube represents fertile ground for lead generation. People tend  to forget YouTube is in fact a social platform just like as Facebook and Twitter  with sharing capabilities, comments and likes as part of its features. While the  video site’s search page is now the second most popular search engine (and  thanks to Google’s acquisition of YouTube, intricately connected to the number  one search option).

Why Upload to YouTube?

Many companies choose to host their videos on their own websites instead of  uploading media to YouTube and then linking within the website. This is, quite  frankly, a mistake.

Why?

  • The video adds value to your website, but only enriches user experiences if  people visit the site.
  • A video hosted on your own website only gets viewed by people who come to  your site, limiting how many people find and view it.
  • If you let YouTube host your videos, people are more likely to find them,  and if their response is favorable, they’re more likely to visit your site for  additional information.

Social Media Strategies and YouTube

Many of the social media strategies used on Twitter and Facebook work equally  well on YouTube. YouTube users can:

  • “Like” and “Favorite” individual videos
  • Leave comments
  • Subscribe to channels

This much like following Tweets or Liking a Facebook page. These  features offer opportunity to engage your audience in dialogue, and not just in  the comments section. Your videos give your company a human face no amount of  tweeting and Facebooking can match, because the viewer sees and hears you. Some  videos spark video responses, offering opportunity for a very public and  interactive dialogue.

 

 

 

 

Read more at http://www.jeffbullas.com/2013/11/26/how-to-optimize-your-youtube-video-for-maximum-traffic/#LSB1b7Q3bqLuDDpS.99

Realtor.com survey reveals a surprising number of buyers planning all-cash deals | Cross River Real Estate

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Prospective homebuyers hoping to buy a home in the next four months say the lack of inventory is their biggest challenge, but many believe winter is a good time to buy because sellers are motivated to sell and more willing to negotiate.

That’s according to a survey of more than 1,300 visitors to realtor.com conducted from Nov. 7-16, which found 45 percent of buyers in the market said there’s not enough inventory in their price range.

The survey also found that a surprising number of prospective homebuyers — 19 percent — are planning to do all-cash deals.

Of those planning to buy without taking out a mortgage: 29 percent said they are downsizing to a smaller or less expensive home. 26 percent are relocation buyers. 11 percent are moving up to a bigger or more expensive home. 11 percent are buying a vacation home.

But most of those surveyed said they’ll need a mortgage to finance their home purchase.

Among that group, most did not have the 20 percent down payment that would allow them to qualify them for a conventional loan backed by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac without having to also purchase mortgage insurance.

More than 1 in 10 of those surveyed (13 percent) said they were planning to put just 3.5 percent down (the minimum down payment on FHA-guaranteed loans). Only 22 percent said they’d be able to make a down payment of more than 20 percent, which would allow them to avoid purchasing mortgage insurance.

 

 

 

 

– See more at: http://www.inman.com/2013/11/20/despite-inventory-shortages-homebuyers-looking-for-bargains-this-winter/#sthash.r748HRyT.dpuf

JPMorgan reaches $4.5B settlement over mortgage-bond claims | Cross River NY Homes

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Mega bank JPMorgan Chase (JPM) reached a $4.5 billion agreement with 21 major institutional investors Friday to resolve legacy mortgage-backed securities issues.

The institution made a binding offer to the trustees of 330 RMBS trusts issued by Chase and Bear Stearns — a firm taken over by JPM in the wake of the financial crisis.

The settlement represents another critical step in the bank’s efforts to resolve mortgage-related legacy matters, the bank said.

“As agreed in today’s settlement, the institutional investors have committed to support the settlement and have requested that the trustees accept the settlement offer,” the company said.

The announcement continued, “The offer, which the trustees may seek court approval for, would resolve all representation and warranty claims as well as servicing claims on all trusts issued by JPMorgan Chase and Bear Stearns between 2005 and 2008.”

The offer will remain open until Jan. 15, 2014, but may be extended pursuant to its terms for an additional 60 days.

The offer includes six key terms, including payment by the bank of $4.5 billion in cash to settle all representation and warranty claims as well as servicing claims that were asserted by the RMBS trusts.

Additionally, it provides for the implementation of certain servicing changes to mortgages serviced by Chase in the RMBS trusts, as well as continuation of a previously agreed tolling and forbearance agreement among the bank and the trustees while the proposed settlement is evaluated.

 

 

http://www.housingwire.com/articles/27997-jpmorgan-reaches-45b-settlement-over-mortgage-bond-claims

 

Being ‘tech savvy’ is not what gets real estate agents business | Cross River Realtor

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I reject the idea that younger people can earn a living as real estate agents just because they are “tech savvy,” and that this somehow gives them an advantage that enables them to compete with more experienced agents.

I believe that there is plenty of business for agents young and old, and that we should encourage young people to join our profession. But we might be going about it all wrong. The Internet has been around for more than 30 years. Smartphones have been with us, in one form or another, for 15 years.

Before that we had the Palm Pilot. Many of us “old” agents have evolved, adapted and kept up with the times.

Some of us have even been innovators and early adopters of technology like the iPad, which some experts told us would be useless for business. In some real estate associations and offices, I see an emphasis on having young, “tech savvy” agents teaching older agents about technology.

I think the future of the real estate industry would be better served if older, more experienced agents spent more time teaching younger agents how to be real estate agents.“Young Professionals Networks” (YPNs) for real estate agents have sprung up all over the country.

Many of them offer opportunities for agents to go to bars and parties and social events and network with each other. They also offer occasional educational opportunities that focus on how to use technology.

 

 

 

– See more at: http://www.inman.com/2013/11/15/being-tech-savvy-is-not-what-get-real-estate-agents-business/#sthash.NkQxJR9S.dpuf

Promises, promises: the new mayor’s agenda | Cross River Homes

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The day after his landslide election win, Mayor-elect Bill de Blasio was already tempering expectations.

“Of course, the things I’m talking about, a lot of them are bold, a lot of them are big changes,” he said Wednesday at an event announcing his transition team. “And they are an attempt to address a problem that has been decades in the making.”

He added, “None of us is going to promise people perfection any day soon.”

Victories built on gleaming, progressive promises have been known to disappoint as they collide with the realities of governing (see: Obama, Barack). And Mr. de Blasio will be operating under higher expectations than most, having been elected to tackle income inequality.

Mr. de Blasio believes higher taxes on the wealthy to pay for universal prekindergarten will close the gap. But his proposal for $500,000 households to pay more exemplifies how much of the problem is beyond his reach.

First, he must persuade a recalcitrant state Legislature, including Senate Republicans, who run the chamber in a fragile alliance with a breakaway faction of Democrats. And 2014 is an election year for them, rendering a tax increase an even longer shot than usual in Albany. Gov. Andrew Cuomo, for his part, pledged last month to lower taxes, not raise them.

Even if Mr. de Blasio finds the money, observers doubt the city currently has the infrastructure to deliver on the promise.

“Do we have the capacity in New York City to provide universal pre-K for every 3- and 4-year-old?” asked Carol Kellermann, executive director of the Citizens Budget Commission. “It’s all done right now through the nonprofit sector. Do they have the capacity to just start adding tens of thousands of kids?”

In his policy book, the mayor-elect argues that New York needs universal pre-K in order to compete with countries such as India and China. But research on the matter has shown that the benefits of pre-K are decidedly mixed, though children from disadvantaged backgrounds gain the most from early education.

Mandating affordability

Real estate executives, meanwhile, wonder how Mr. de Blasio will make good on another campaign promise—200,000 new or preserved affordable-housing units in 10 years—without the traditional menu of tax breaks and other incentives for developers. Mr. de Blasio would require developers to build affordable units in exchange for allowing larger buildings to be constructed.

“If the goal is to make landlords build affordable housing, then reducing subsidies and requiring affordable units will result in fewer units,” said one real estate source. “People will just build condos instead of rentals or just not build at all. That’s basic economics.”

But the mayor-elect’s mandate from voters will help him handle developers. “I think Bill de Blasio is going to do just fine,” said de Blasio donor Steven Witkoff, president and CEO of the Witkoff Group, a real estate investment firm, at a recent Crain’s event. “I don’t think the city works unless we do have an affordable-housing component.”

Plea for patience

Questions surround a host of Mr. de Blasio’s other proposals. It’s unclear how he will go about persuading Albany to let the city raise its minimum wage or “end the era of stop-and-frisk” without totally doing away with the police tactic. Mr. de Blasio was elected in part because he embraced an aspirational vision of a more egalitarian city. His challenge now will be living up to those promises without bankrupting the city or isolating his liberal base.

 

 

http://www.crainsnewyork.com/article/20131110/POLITICS/311109976#

Private island costs less than the average NYC apartment | Cross River Real Estate

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Private island costs less than the average NYC apartment

Only in New York is a private ­island cheaper than an average apartment.

Savvy city dwellers looking for a new home might want to consider buying their own private island less than two hours north in ­Putnam County.

While the average New York apartment costs more than $1.4  million, Willow Island on Putnam Lake in Patterson costs $995,000 — and comes with a three-story, four-bedroom home.

In contrast, the average price of a two-bedroom Manhattan apartment is $1.35 million — and $2.63 million for a three-bedroom.

The one-acre property also comes with its own special New York City provenance. The house was built by one of the engineers who created the Holland Tunnel.

The island is an hour-and-a-half commute from New York City, says listing broker Uri Hanoch, of Douglas Elliman.

But the deal does come with a hitch. The new buyer will have to row home each night from Patterson, where the property comes with a two-car garage.

The sellers are retired ad exec Larry Plapler, 79, and his wife Amelia, 70, who first put the island on the market in 2010 for $1.5 million.

Plapler — who has made the weekly drive with his wife, Amelia, and family for the past 38 years — once told The Post that the getaway makes him feel a world away from his Upper East Side home.

The 1¹/₂-bath home is 5,600-square feet and comes with 48 open-view windows. The home includes a floor-to-ceiling stone fireplace and an artesian well. There’s a guest cottage and a private garage for your boat, according to the listing.

“Access,” according to the listing, “is a quick five minutes by a rowing boat or 5 mph electric motorboats. Canoes, kayaks, rowboats and sailboats are also welcome.”

Gas-powered boats are forbidden on Putnam Lake, on the Connecticut border.

 

 

http://nypost.com/2013/11/06/private-island-costs-less-than-the-average-nyc-apartment/

Homing In lets buyers and agents share pictures and comments about listings | Cross River Real Estate

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Homing In lets buyers and agents to take pictures and make comments about houses for sale or rent and share them with the world. Its patent-pending technology allows potential buyers to find the nearest available real estate agent for showing requests.

No more waiting for a listing agent that doesn’t respond, or can’t show a house because its not convenient for them.

The company is one of 13 in the inaugural class of the Inman Incubator program, a yearlong mentorship, advisory and promotional program to help new companies in the real estate industry succeed.

 

 

 

– See more at: http://www.inman.com/2013/11/08/homing-in-lets-buyers-and-agents-share-pictures-and-comments-about-listings/#sthash.hH6eXCBV.dpuf

Mind-Boggling Former Real World House Asks $22M | Cross River Real Estate

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Now this is a Tuesday Townhouse. It’s got a wacky history, quirky decor, and a sizable ask of $22 million—plus, it was the filming location for the tenth season of The Real World, after which the owner opened it up for other film and photo shoots and events. The space is divided into several units, according to the brokerbabble, including a triplex with a 40-foot atrium, a solarium, and a roof garden; a floor-through apartment and a separate studio below; and commercial space on the ground floor, with a “prohibition-style” speakeasy “well known in event circles and constantly rented.” And that’s just the present-day use of the space.