Tag Archives: Mt Kisco

The 15 best blogging and publishing platforms on the Internet today. Which one is for you? | Mt Kisco Realtor

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Reading the signs a couple of years ago it was easy to assume that the art of blogging was set to die a painful death at the hands of social networks like Facebook and Twitter and others. While social has changed how we communicate online, blogging remains a core part of things.

In fact, the truth is that there’s never been a better time to blog. Social networks help build audiences and deliver content to readers, and more established blogs and websites often link to or aggregate smaller sites, sending swarms of viewers to read articles — The Daily Mail aside.

So, whether you’re a blogger returning from a break, seeking a new home or are looking to write online for the first time, here’s our guide to what blogging platforms are out there.

WordPress: WordPress.com and WordPress.org

tnw1 730x417 The 15 best blogging and publishing platforms on the Internet today. Which one is for you?

WordPress has two options: a freemium hosted service that provides .wordpress.com domains — e.g. jonrussell.wordpress.com (but you can still pay to use your own domain) — and includes limited customization. Or the completey free .org version which allows for you to host WordPress on your own servers with much more control, edit themes to your hearts content, hack code and add as many WordPress plugins as you wish.

It is, in simple terms, the daddy of blogging. The platform powers almost 19 percent of the Web and has been downloaded more than 45 million times.

One of the platform’s core strengths is its community of creatives, who have produced thousands of customizations and tweaks allowing WordPress users to add sophisticated and powerful plug-ins (features) to their blogs, or dress it up in a new layout or design.

Pros: Customization, customization, customization!

Cons: Vast array of options can be complicated for less-experienced users — tread carefully.

Verdict: Still the best option out there. WordPress is especially useful for companies or those looking to develop (or have someone else develop) a sophisticated website

 

 

read more…

 

 

http://thenextweb.com/apps/2013/08/16/best-blogging-services/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=daily

Mt Kisco Real Estate sales down 12% | Median price up 51% | RobReportBlog

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Mt Kisco   NY Real Estate ReportRobReportBlog
20136 months ending 8/82012
41Sales47
$760,000.00median sold price$503,500.00
$395,000.00low sold price$275,000.00
$3,950,000.00high sold price$2,875,000.00
3074average size2694
$277.00ave. price per foot$254.00
193ave days on market204
$848,469.00average sold price$694,371.00
95.88%ave sold to ask94.80%

Luxury Housing’s Latest Trend: ‘Limited-Edition’ Residences | Mt Kisco Real Estate

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When Louis Birdman and Gregg Covin decided to build a luxury condo tower on Miami’s Biscayne Boulevard, the developers won approval for a 750-unit tower rising 60 stories. They enlisted internationally acclaimed architect Zaha Hadid – it will be her first skyscraper in the Western Hemisphere — to design a $300 million concrete tower that will rise over Biscayne Bay.

 

But rather than carve out hundreds of studios and one-bedroom apartments, the Miami-based developers decided to try something less conventional: offer massive luxury spreads with enough square footage to rival standalone mansions. The resulting One Thousand Museum Tower plan consists of a mere 83 units spanning the full 60 stories.

 

“We are a very limited-edition building,” says Birdman of the project, which will break ground once a round of financing is complete. “We are not a small building, but we are small in terms of the number of units.”

 

One Thousand Museum Tower’s smallest units, half-floor apartments encompassing 4,600 square feet, start at around $4.9 million. Full-floor units will run up to $15 million and a duplex penthouse spreading across 11,000 square feet will likely have an asking price of $30 million. Units will have private balconies, 10- to 20-foot-high ceilings, floor-to-ceiling windows and access to swanky building amenities like a rooftop helicopter pad, a spa, indoor and outdoor pools, valet parking and “security” concierges.

 

Multifamily construction has roared back to life across the U.S. But rather than build low- to mid-range housing for the lion’s share of the population, more developers are going boutique, rolling out ultra high-end condo buildings with extra spacious, amenity-laden units promising a high degree of exclusivity.

 

Call them “limited edition” residences. Developers like Birdman and Covin are targeting this niche market because it translates into significantly more money for their efforts. “It’s a trend we saw in the marketplace of downtown Miami,” explains Birdman. “Units over 3,000 square feet are bringing a premium of almost double [the price per square foot] over average-sized units of 1,100 square feet.”

 

Other developers in the Miami area have caught on. Boutique hotelier Ian Schrager is peddling The Residences at the Miami Beach Edition, a luxury hotel-condo hybrid in Miami Beach comprised of 26 “limited-edition” condos scattered across the top floors of the existing hotel and in a new neighboring tower. The residences, set to be unveiled next year, are designed by architect John Pawson and will boast “outdoor rooms” stocked with private pools, dining areas and pergolas.

 

Seven weeks after the sales office opened in January, more than half of the 26 condos – which had been priced 200% higher than the local market — had reportedly already found buyers, for an average of more than $3,000 per square foot. In March two side-by-side Edition penthouses totaling more than 16,000 square feet (including 9,843 square feet of interior space) went for $34 million in South Florida’s most expensive condo deal to date.

 

Luxury Housing’s Latest Trend: ‘Limited-Edition’ Residences – Forbes.

Housing Prices Continue Climbing | Mount Kisco Real Estate

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The solid housing recovery is supporting further gains in home prices, according to the Standard & Poor’s/Case-Shiller report released Tuesday. Kathleen Madigan joins MoneyBeat with details.

 

Home prices in 10 major U.S. cities increased 11.8% in the year ended in May, according to the S&P/Case-Shiller home price index. Home values in 20 cities were up 12.2% on the year, compared to a 12.4% gain projected by economists.

 

On a non-seasonally adjusted basis, the 10-city index increased 2.5% in May from April, and the 20-city index increased 2.4%.

 

Prices in Dallas and Denver surpassed their pre-financial crisis peaks set in June 2007 and August 2006, respectively. “This is the first time any city has made a new all-time high,” the report said.

 

In addition, five cities—Atlanta, Chicago, San Diego, San Francisco and Seattle—posted monthly gains of more than 3% for the first time, said David M. Blitzer, chairman of the Index Committee at S&P Dow Jones Indices.

 

Home prices have been rising for more than a year. Low mortgage rates and stronger job growth lifted demand at a time when supplies of homes were relatively tight.

 

The recent increase in mortgage rates could slow the uptrend in home prices. Some potential buyers may no longer qualify for a mortgage at the higher rates, and they may have to lower their price bids on a home in order to keep the monthly mortgage payments down to an affordable level.

 

Averaged across all cities, the home price indexes have returned to levels last seen in the spring of 2004, but remain 24%-25% below the June-July 2006 peaks, said the report.

 

 

Housing Prices Continue Climbing – WSJ.com.

How to Lock in Savings as the Real Estate Market Heats Up | Mt Kisco Real Estate

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Home prices in the U.S. rose 12.2% year over year in May 2013 according to CoreLogic (www.corelogic.com), which provides data on the real estate markets, and they were up 2.6% from April to May. Home prices rose in all but two states in May.

At the same time that home prices are soaring, interest rates are on the rise, with the average 30-year fixed rate mortgage currently now well over 4%, according to Bankrate.com (www.bankrate.com/mortgage)

Given these trends, some homeowners may think that it is too late to take action to save money on some of the largest home-related expenses. That is not necessarily so. In fact, even with home prices and interest rates up, there are still plenty of money-saving opportunities that could save homeowners hundreds or even thousands of dollars.

Refinance

It is not too late to refinance a mortgage. Sure, mortgage rates have risen somewhat, but they remain low historically. Depending on a homeowner’s situation, there are several possibilities to lower monthly payments by refinancing. For example, refinancing might make sense for:

A homeowner who expects to be in his home indefinitely and who still has a mortgage with an interest rate well above what is available in today’s market. Although a rule of thumb once was that for a refinance to make financial sense, it needed to result in at least a one percentage point reduction in the mortgage rate, in fact, depending on the upfront cost of the refinance, the reduction in monthly payment, and how long the homeowner expects to own the home, even a lesser reduction could be a big money-saver over time.

A homeowner who doesn’t expect to own his home more than five to seven years and can lower his rate by refinancing to a five-year or seven-year adjustable rate mortgage (ARM).

A homeowner who believes that interest rates are likely to continue to go up and, therefore, who wants to refinance an ARM to a fixed rate loan.

Reassess

If a homeowner did not get the value of his home lowered for tax purposes after the real estate bubble burst and, therefore, still is paying taxes on an assessment that is well above the current market, the rebound in real estate values should be a wake-up call that now is the time to take action. Even though real estate prices are up, in many (if not most) markets, they are still well below their peaks, so for many homeowners, the opportunities to lower property taxes as a result of a reassessment could be substantial.

 

First Person: How to Lock in Savings as the Real Estate Market Heats Up – Yahoo! Finance.

Rising mortgage rates hit home affordability | Mt Kisco Real Estate

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The much talked-about recovery of the housing market, which has buoyed home sales up from recession lows, has come about through intervention from the Federal Reserve, record low interest rates, and higher home prices that have helped borrowers across the nation improve their financial standing.

Both low interest rates and higher home prices have played a role in the housing recovery changes, but as mortgage rates begin to tick upward, housing affordability will decrease, which in turn could cause a pause in the recovery’s progression.

Evidence of an upcoming bump in the road is not yet evident in the numbers. The most recent figures all pointed to a surging recovery: The Department of Commerce reported that sales of new homes rose in May to the highest annual rate since July 2008, while Standard & Poor’s Case-Shiller index of property values showed home prices posted the highest annual gain in more than seven years in April.

But mortgage rates are now rising higher and faster than previously, though there is little precedent for such movement. Between the beginning of May and the end of June, the average interest rate for a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage surged from 3.59 percent to 4.68 percent, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association. Interest rates are now at their highest level since 2011.

Mortgage rates began a swift climb in early May from record low levels, making May the last month that mortgage rates will boost housing affordability above month-over-month and year-over-year levels, reported the National Association of Realtors. But for month of May, the pressure on affordability came from record-high home prices. In all regions across the United States, affordability was down from the previous month. The South experienced the largest month-over-month drop, and the biggest year-over-year drop came in the West.

According to the association’s report, while affordability will certainly weaken in upcoming months, because the metric is coming down from such a high level, affordability should remain historically favorable despite rising mortgage rates and home prices.

A new survey conducted by Fannie Mae showed consumers believe that mortgage rates will continue to increase over the next year. The number of respondents who thought so jumped 11 percentage points from May to hit 57 percent in June, the highest level in the survey’s three-year history. People expecting home prices to increase over the same period also hit a survey high of 57 percent. Only 7 percent believe prices will decline.

“Consumers may recognize that today’s still favorable mortgage rates and home ownership affordability levels will recede over time,” Doug Duncan, senior vice president and chief economist at Fannie Mae, said in a press release. “Given rising home and rental price expectations and improving personal financial attitudes, more prospective homebuyers may be deciding that now is the time to get off the fence.”

 

 

Rising mortgage rates hit home affordability.

Content Marketing for Real Estate Agents: Can Blogging Help You Sell Homes? | Mt Kisco NY Realtor

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It’s amazing to consider the ways in which online marketing has transformed the real estate industry—and if you don’t believe it, consider some of these figures from a 2012 study from the National Association of Realtors.

The study finds that more than 40 percent of all home buyers find their dream property via the Internet; nearly as many home buyers find their home by consulting with a real estate agent, and in many cases, these agents are found through the Web. But what about those old-fashioned newspaper ads, once so prized by real estate agents?

In today’s world, they account for only 2 percent of the homes found and purchased. What all of this suggests is that, for the real estate sales professional, the Internet represents the best, most cost-effective place to spend one’s marketing budget—by a long shot. Of course, this is something that most real estate agents have come to terms with.

The trouble that many have is deciding on the best way to reach leads on the Web. Increasing Visibility Means Drawing in Homebuyers The secret is in understanding that, for realtors, successful online marketing is all about improving visibility. That same NAR study reveals that the overwhelming majority of homebuyers never call more than one real estate agent—meaning that the first agent they come across is the one who gets their business.

Additionally, the NAR’s 2013 “Field Guide to Quick Real Estate Statistics” notes that 90 percent of homebuyers use the Internet as a primary tool in their real estate quest. The bottom line?

When people want to buy homes, they don’t flip to the Real Estate section of the local paper, and they don’t pick up the print catalogs that are on display outside supermarkets. They turn to the Web, they conduct a Google search, and they seek out a real estate agent who has high visibility—an agent positioned on the Web as someone who is knowledgeable, helpful, authoritative, and, above all available.

Content Marketing Tips for Real Estate Professionals In many ways, content marketing is the perfect way for real estate agents to position themselves in this way. Content marketing is all about selling without selling—not about constant self-promotion, but rather about sharing helpful and informative content that establishes the agent as someone consumers can trust. As an added bonus, helpful content like this is what Google and Bing favor—so content marketing empowers real estate agents to achieve high visibility and superior rankings on online searches.

What kinds of helpful and informative content can agents share? A few ideas come to mind: Share local market data and statistics. What are the “hot” neighborhoods in your city or town? Where can local home seekers find the best deals on the most valuable properties? For buyers who do not know exactly where to begin their real estate search, information like this can be priceless.

Share tips for first-time homebuyers. This is, after all, a daunting process for many, but when you share handy info on applying for loans, negotiating closing costs, conducting home inspections, and so on, you cultivate trust with potential buyers.

Share home maintenance tips, proving that you’re interested in the long-term satisfaction of your clients, and that your expertise doesn’t end when all of the papers are signed. Share information about local schools and community events, which can be helpful for those moving from another city or state.

Finally, there is certainly nothing wrong with sharing some of your own more attractive listings, from time to time!

Read more at http://www.business2community.com/content-marketing/content-marketing-for-real-estate-agents-can-blogging-help-you-sell-homes-0538077#akA1qQyPkCq7ZUDe.99

Content Marketing for Real Estate Agents: Can Blogging Help You Sell Homes? – Business 2 Community.

Mt. Kisco Seafood Named To Best Of Westchester List | Mt. Kisco NY Homes

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MT. KISCO, N.Y. – Mt. Kisco Seafood was honored by Westchester Magazine’s readers in its annual “Best of Westchester” issue.

Mt. Kisco Seafood was selected at the “Best Fish Market.” It’s located at 477 Lexington Ave.

Each year, the magazine has readers select the best restaurants, shopping, spas and more.

 

Mt. Kisco Seafood Named To Best Of Westchester List | The Mt. Kisco Daily Voice.

Flash Flood Watch Issued For Mt. Kisco Friday Morning | Mt. Kisco Real Estate

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WESTCHESTER COUNTY, N.Y. — The National Weather Service issued a Flash Flood Watch Thursday afternoon for Westchester County.

Flash flooding is possible with widespread heavy rainfall coming Friday and into Saturday ahead of Tropical Storm Andrea. The flash flood watch went into effect just after 2 p.m. Thursday and is expected to last until 2 p.m. Saturday, according to the NWS.

The NWS previously issued a hazardous weather outlook for Westchester County for Friday with heavy rainfall and urban and small stream flooding possible. Rain totals are predicted to be 2 to 2.5 inches or more from the low pressure system and its extensive tropical moisture, according to a previous report.

For more on Tropical Storm Andrea, residents are asked to visit the National Hurricane Center website. Residents can also visit FEMA’s website to learn more on how to prepare for hurricanes and tropical storms.

 

Flash Flood Watch Issued For Mt. Kisco Friday Morning | The Mt. Kisco Daily Voice.

It’s Time To Sell Your House | Mount Kisco Homes

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Mortgage rates are on their way back up.

U.S. household net worth just hit an all-time high.

These are among the reasons why Zillow CEO Spencer Rascoff says it’s now time to sell your house (via Jim the Realtor).

In an appearance on CNBC this morning, Rascoff says an ongoing lack of supply — the result of people still trapped by negative equity — and steady demand will only drive rates up further in coming years,

That means it’ll be more expensive to buy a home at a given price down the road than now.

He explains:

If you have any equity in your home and you’re thinking about selling in the next couple of years,” he continued, “[it’s] probably best to sell now, even though home values are continuing to rise.

Imagine yourself buying a $300,000 home today, and in four years you may want to trade up to a $500,000 home,” he said. “That home is not just that much more expensive—but because mortgage rates are going to be higher—it’s significantly more expensive. So the trade-up market is going to be very troubled in a couple of years.

Here’s the full clip:

SEE ALSO: 25 Reasons Why Chicago Is The Most Underrated City In America >

 

It’s Time To Sell Your House – Business Insider.