Tag Archives: Katonah Homes

Katonah Homes

Higher Rates Aren’t Enough to Stall Housing | Katonah NY Homes

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The U.S. housing recovery that began unfolding early last year faces its first serious test: In the span of just two months, mortgage rates have jumped by a full percentage point, something that has happened only twice since 1994.

Mortgage rates, which at the beginning of May stood at 3.59% for the average 30-year fixed-rate loan, jumped to 4.68% during the first two weeks of July, the latest available data, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association. That is the highest level in two years.

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Bloomberg News

A ‘sold’ sign outside a home in LaSalle, Ill., last month. Economists say that even at a 4.5% or 5% mortgage rate, housing is still affordable by historical standards.

Economists say that even at a 4.5% or 5% mortgage rate, housing is still affordable by historical standards—and that rates could rise to 6% or prices could rise an additional 20% before housing would become unaffordable relative to historical levels.

The spike nevertheless represents a big payment shock for would-be buyers. Many shop for a home based on their monthly mortgage payment. The monthly payment of principal and interest—and not including taxes and insurance—on a $200,000 home with a 10% down payment just went up by more than $100, to $925, while the monthly cost of a $450,000 home just went up by around $250, to $2,095.

“That’s extremely meaningful. It is putting people on the sidelines that were really at the margins of being able to qualify,” said Ronald Peltier, chief executive of HomeServices of America Inc., which owns real-estate brokerages in 21 states.

Some agents say it’s possible that rising rates will spur purchases by dawdling buyers who had already decided they were going to buy a home. But mortgage bankers say it’s rare that higher rates actually generate net new demand.

 

Higher Rates Aren’t Enough to Stall Housing – WSJ.com.

Westchester County Executive Launches “Ask Astorino On Tape” | Katonah Real Estate

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Over the past year Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino has visited 22 municipalities across the country for “Ask Astorino” town hall meetings. This week he released a new video highlighting some of the most frequently asked questions of the meetings.

“It’s not always easy to find the time to attend a town hall meeting,” said Astorino. “This video is an alternate way to find out how county government is working for you. I welcome your feedback.”

Hundreds of Westchester County residents have attended the town hall meetings, where Astorino has addressed topics such as taxes, housing, Playland andcrime. In the new video, Astorino addresses topics such as the role of the county government, his efforts to reduce taxes and promote business, and his motivations for running for county executive. He highlights accomplishments such as reducing the budget from $1.8 billion to $1.7 billion, and how the county dealt with Hurricane Sandy. It also includes scenes of his home life as he takes viewers through a typical day in his life.

“I’m still in awe of what this job is and what it means,” Astorino, who is running for re-election in November, says in the video.

 

Westchester County Executive Launches “Ask Astorino On Tape” | The White Plains Daily Voice.

Renting? Get the Biggest Bang for Your Buck in These Cities | Katonah Real Estate

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Kansas City isn’t just topping charts for its barbecue this summer — it’s also where renters can get the most for their money. According to Zillow’s latest analysis, Kansas City is one of 10 big cities offering the best combination of:

  • Current rental prices
  • Price per square foot
  • Low year-over-year changes in cost of rent
  • Low cost of rent compared with the cost of buying a home

If you’re looking to rent, this could mean the difference between a 2-bedroom with a private patio and a 500-square-foot studio. And for prospective buyers facing the current rise in home values and low for-sale inventory, renting in one of these cities may present an attractive alternative. Here’s a look at homes for rent in the top 10 places where you can get the biggest bang for your buck.

No. 10: Mikwaukee, WI

Milwaukee[1]
1922 N 52nd St, Milwaukee, WI
For rent: $1,500 per month

  • Specs: 1,145 square feet, 2 bedrooms, 1.25 baths
  • Extras: Professional landscaping, outdoor living space, laundry, 2-car detached garage

No. 9: New Orleans, LA

New_Orleans[1]
3109 General Taylor St, New Orleans, LA
For rent: $1,100 per month

  • Specs: 1,094 square feet, 3 bedrooms, 1 bath
  • Extras: Front porch, off-street parking, pets on case-by-case basis, tenant-maintained yard

No. 8: Columbus, OH

Columbus[1]
136 Columbian Ave, Columbus, OH
For rent: $800 per month

  • Specs: 1,232 square feet, 3 bedrooms, 1 bath
  • Extras: 2-car detached garage, proximity to parks and schools

No. 7: Fresno, CA

Fresno
4265 W Princeton Ave, Fresno, CA 
For rent: $945 per month

  • Specs: 972 square feet, 2 bedrooms, 1 bath
  • Extras: Covered patio, 2-car garage, cats allowed

 

Renting? Get the Biggest Bang for Your Buck in These Cities | Zillow Blog.

Can Radiant Flooring Cause Legionnaires’ Disease? Yes! | Katonah Real Estate

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Q&A with Dr. John Straube about radiant floor heating, domestic hot water, and Legionnaire’s Disease.

Q: I am interested in combining the domestic hot water system in my houses with a hydronic floor system. I have heard stories about connecting the two systems causing Legionnaires’ disease. Is this for real?

A: Dr. John Straube, Ph.D., P. E., of Building Science Corp., fills us in: Yes, it is for real, but you can prevent it.

Legionnaires’ disease is actually a more common problem than you might think. The primary place to find legionella bacteria is in residential hot water systems – usually in your shower. 

Q: Holy cow! How common is it?

A: Newspapers report on outbreaks of 20 to 30 people, so it seems sporadic but small. Actually, the number of people who get it and go to the doctor with pneumonia-like symptoms is pretty high. The Centers for Disease Control reports around 5,000 people per year get Legionnaires’ disease. The vast majority got it from their home hot water system or from a hotel’s hot water system.

Q: Creepy. How do you kill legionella?

A: Here are three things to keep in mind when designing a building or community:

1. Keep the water hot. At 130 degrees, the bacteria will die within 5 to 6 hours; at 150 degrees, the bacteria will be killed in a few minutes.

2. Use a tankless gas water heater. Legionella is not a problem with tankless water heaters – especially gas-fired tankless models – because they blast the bacteria, if present, right away.

3. If you don’t install a tankless unit, use an oil or gas-fired water heater.

Researchers who sampled water tanks have learned that fossil-fuel water heaters have much lower rates of legionella bacteria than do electric water heaters.

They believe that’s because the temperature difference between the heat exchanger and the water is well more than 150 degrees in oil and natural gas-fired water heaters, death is instantaneous for legionella bacteria as it slides by these heat exchangers under fire.

Because of this direct correlation between tank temperature and legionella, the DOE recommends to keep water at 130 degrees. If the water never goes below 130 degrees, legionella will not survive.

Temperatures of 130 to 140 degrees are ideal for killing legionella, but can scald bathers in relatively short periods of time. Babies and the elderly are particularly susceptible.

Surprise: Shiller, NAR differ on the MID | Katonah NY Real Estate

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Homeownership has helped Americans who might otherwise be unable to scrape together a nest egg do just that, Yale economics professor Robert Shiller noted in a New York Times editorial over the weekend. But the Swiss do just fine amassing household savings and have a much lower homeownership rate, Shiller noted, arguing that it’s time to take away some of the “enormous subsidy to homeownership” provided by Uncle Sam — such as the mortgage interest deduction.

Not surprisingly, National Association of Realtors Chief Economist Lawrence Yun believes that Shiller has missed some “obvious facts.”The housing crisis, Yun notes, “arose from easy lending,” and “did not happen because of the mortgage interest deduction.” Eliminating the mortgage interest deduction “will result in home price declines of about 15 percent,” Yun claims.

Shiller might be willing to concede some or all of those claims. His main point is less about the role housing subsidies played in creating the conditions that led to the downturn, and more to do with whether there are societal drawbacks to relying so heavily on homeownership as a mechanism for household savings.

There are, Shiller notes, advantages to being a renter in today’s economy. Renters, he says, “are more mobile. That means they are more likely to accept jobs in another city, or even on the other side of a large metropolis.” –

See more at: http://www.inman.com/2013/07/16/surprise-shiller-nar-differ-on-the-mid/#sthash.1HV2fWzB.dpuf

McDonnell invested heavily as housing market tanked | Katonah Real Estate

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Before the wedding gifts, the Rolex, the luxury clothing and the loans, there was the real estate bubble.

Gov. Bob McDonnell invested heavily in real estate in 2005, as property values were still rising, and in 2006 and early 2007, as they began to plummet.

Often with his sisters as partners, McDonnell bought stakes in four residential properties — two in Virginia Beach, one in Henrico County and one at the Wintergreen resort in Nelson County — all purchased for a total of $3.8 million. Today, the properties are assessed at about $3.2 million.

Mortgages on two properties have been refinanced this year, and a slew of activity on the mortgage loans has taken place over the years.

McDonnell’s real estate holdings were thrust to the center of the gubernatorial gift scandal after The Washington Post revealed last week that Jonnie Williams Sr., the donor at the center of the scandal, gave $70,000 to MoBo Real Estate Partners, a limited-liability corporation owned by the governor and his sister. McDonnell’s wife, Maureen G. McDonnell, also received a $50,000 check from Williams. The Post reported that Bob McDonnell viewed the payments as loans rather than gifts.

In his financial disclosures, McDonnell has listed MoBo as owning two Virginia Beach rental properties that make up the bulk of his residential real estate holdings. They bring in $50,001 to $250,000 in gross income a year, according to his disclosure.

A Virginia Beach office building purchased for $3.15 million in 2004 by Racehorse Properties — an entity in which McDonnell has an interest — generates $50,001 to $250,000 in gross income a year. It is unclear how much interest McDonnell has in the building, which houses the law firm where he worked as managing partner before being elected attorney general.

That property has increased in value. It is assessed at $4.65 million.

Real estate prices here and nationwide peaked in mid-2006, leading to the collapse in the housing market.

 

In general, home prices throughout most of Virginia have rebounded to 2005 levels, but not in all cases, real estate experts say. People who bought houses from 2006 to 2008, when prices were unsustainably high, probably owe more than their houses are worth, the experts say.

McDonnell invested heavily as housing market tanked – Richmond Times Dispatch: Henrico.

Jackie Chan’s Former Beverly Hills Home for Sale | Katonah Real Estate

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Everybody is kung-fu fighting for Jackie Chan’s former home — or so the seller hopes.

The action-film star’s former estate, located at 1705 Green Acres Dr, Beverly Hills, CA 90210, lives up to the luxuriously retro vibe that the street seems to emanate. The adjacent “Greenacres” estate, formerly owned by silent film star Harold Lloyd, hosted a number of movie stars over the decades, including Alan Ladd, Mary Pickford and Marilyn Monroe, who filmed a scene from “How to Marry a Millionaire” at the property.

Glamour has never been cheap, so at $9.5 million, the price on Chan’s former home is fitting.

Built in 1986, the 7,638-square-foot, 5-bedroom, 6-bathroom home was owned by Chan for several years until he sold it for $6.3 million in 2005, according to property records. The estate has all the amenities expected in a Beverly Hills mansion including 2 automatic gates, a fountain centering a circular driveway, a grand double-door entry, a high foyer featuring an enamel inlaid chandelier and a professional wet bar with a wine cellar.

The detailed designs displayed throughout the home are spectacular, from the intricate golden staircase to the stained-glass windows in the master bathroom. The nearly $10 million price tag also includes most of the furniture, except personal collections and accessories.

The piano is not included, but no need to fret: The sound system in the spacious family room is there to guide the new owners on whatever musical journey their hearts desire. Entertainment is made easy with a gourmet kitchen and an exterior pool/spa/barbecue area.

Chan is also set to continue entertaining audiences with his lovable humor and famous action moves, with upcoming projects including “The Expendables 3,” “Skiptrace” and “Kung Fu Panda 3″ in the works.

 

Jackie Chan’s Former Beverly Hills Home for Sale | Zillow Blog.

50 Facebook dos & don’ts | Katonah Realtor

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Do stay positive

As a brand strategist, I encourage my clients and authors to stay positive and never criticize, condemn or complain on Facebook. (Dale Carnegie principles) It’s so easy to be misconstrued in a written text, and you can’t always tell when someone is kidding or simply being snarky. (And your audience may not appreciate the snark in the first place.) What could be just a rough day on your part could sound like whining and ingratitude to the casual reader, and over time may form a perception that your personal brand isn’t one you’d be proud of.
– Malena Lott, brand strategist and author, Athena Institute

 

50 Facebook dos & don’ts – Social – Tech – MSN Living.

Peekskill’s Black Bear Gains Fame In…. Texas? | Katonah Real Estate

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Peekskill’s small-townbear got some national attention this week.

The story of a black bear being sighted in the city was picked up by the Houston Chronicle, which relayed the tale of the bear to its Texas readers.

A black bear was spotted in the city Tuesday.

“Peekskill police are in the process of coaxing a nuisance black bear off city streets and into the woods by Depew Park and Blue Mountain,” said Peekskill spokesman Bob Knight in an email Tuesday.

“Residents are asked to keep their garbage covered and pet food inside. If you see a bear, do not approach it and do not surround it.”

Knight later added that the bear was spotted heading away from the city, but cautioned residents not to leave food out to entice the bear to come back.

 

 

Peekskill’s Black Bear Gains Fame In…. Texas? | The Bedford Daily Voice.

3 Business Reasons to Upgrade to LinkedIn Premium | Katonah Realtor

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While there are a number of different types of paid LinkedIn accounts you can choose from (LinkedIn Premium, For Recruiters, For Job Seekers, For Sales Professionals), LinkedIn Premium is the most balanced paid account type that will generally suit most business owners and professionals.

The LinkedIn Premium account has four different levels of membership that you can choose from depending on your budget and needs:

  • Free
  • Business Plus
  • Executive
  • Pro

Here are three of the benefits that may have you wanting to switch from a free account to a LinkedIn Premium account.

#1: Narrow Your Target With Advanced Search

The left section of the Advanced Search is available to all LinkedIn members and includes several fields such as keywords, location and company. In the right-hand section of the Advanced Search are several Premium fields that are valuable because of their ability to help you greatly narrow down and target your searches.

advanced people search

Both paid and free members can use the Relationship, Groups, Location, Current Company, Industry, Past Company, School and Language fields in the Advanced Search.

While several fields (Industries, Groups, Relationship and Current Company) are available to all members, there are eight fields that are available to the different levels of paying members only (all eight fields are available only to the Executive and Pro Premium level members). Premium Members with the Business or Business Plus level membership have access to the following four fields:

  • Company Size—This can be beneficial; for example, for businesses that target small businesses and freelancers (select the 1-10 option), members looking for very large businesses (select the 10,000+ option) or any size in between.

    limit your search

    You can limit your search by company size.

  • Seniority Level—Narrow your search by seniority levels such as VP, manager, senior, owner and partner.

    search seniority level

    Only search for the seniority level or positions that are useful to you.

  • Interested In—Choose from options such as Industry Experts, Entrepreneurs, Potential Employees or Consultants/Contractors to look for specific groups of people.

    quickly search for people

    Quickly search for people like industry experts and entrepreneurs with the Interested In field.

  • Fortune 1000—Search strictly for employees at Fortune 1000 companies. There are a number of options that allow you to select the Fortune 50, Fortune 501-1000 and several choices in between.

    narrow your search

    Narrow your search to Fortune 1000 companies.

For example, you may want to search for facilitators within your local area whom you may not already be connected with but you share a group with. To do this, you would simply type “facilitator” into the Keyword field, select the country, enter your ZIP code or postal code and select within 50 mi (80 km) and finally select Group Members under Relationship.

multiple search fields

Finding the people in whom you are most interested using multiple search fields.

use advanced search

Search results are more relevant using Advanced Search.

Another example would be if you were looking to connect with the Communications VPs of Fortune 50 companies whom you share a connection or group with. For this search, you would type “communications” into the keyword field, select Location Anywhere and then check 2nd Connections and Group Members from Relationship, VP from Seniority Level and Fortune 50 under the Fortune 1000 section.

meet search requirements

Save time prospecting by searching for LinkedIn members who meet your search requirements.

best search results

Get the best search results using Advanced Search.

Finally, Advanced Search allows you to save your searches. Not only will this feature remember your search, it will also send you weekly or monthly notices of any new member profiles that become a part of your network. You can also scan these new profiles from the Saved Search Tab by clicking on the number under New.

As a free member, you can save three searches, while Premium members have the ability to save up to 7 with the additional bonus of 500 profiles showing up in the search results rather than the standard 100 that comes with free membership.

 

3 Business Reasons to Upgrade to LinkedIn Premium | Social Media Examiner.