Tag Archives: Pound Ridge Homes for Sale

Enjoy a Rustic Vacation in This Cave-Like Renovated Stable | Pound Ridge Real Estate

Leave a reply

 

Retreat-in-Tinos-Island-by-Ioannis-Exarchou_dezeen_784_11.jpgPhoto via Dezeen

At first glance, this modest, abandoned stable certainly doesn’t look like much of a holiday getaway spot, despite its location on the beautiful—and vacation home-packed— island of Tinos, Greece. Inside, though, Athens-based architect Ioannis Exarchou meticulously renovated the so-called Retreat to provide everything a couple on holiday might need, without any frivolous extras. “My main objective was to retain and preserve the cavernous unique feeling of the space,” says the architect. True enough, the building team focused on maintenance over changing the actual look of the stone dwelling, plastering only the interior walls, putting in new flooring, and patching up the dark (unwittingly trendy) exterior stonework.

Take a look inside. >>

The white plaster walls and concrete floor inside are hardly luxurious, but look undeniably cool and minimalistic. The lower level of the home is reserved for a sitting area and a small bedroom—with wooden cupboards, a sunken bed, and not much else in the way of furniture—while the upstairs offers a kitchen dotted with arched windows. Dezeen has the full gallery, this way.

 

 

read more….

 

http://curbed.com/archives/2014/06/09/enjoy-a-rustic-vacation-in-this-cavelike-renovated-stable.php

 

Foreclosures skyrocket in Northeast, West Coast | Pound Ridge Real Estate

Leave a reply

 

 

Foreclosures of all types were filed on 109,824 residential properties in May, a 5% decrease from the previous month and a 26% decrease from May 2013, which brought it to the lowest monthly level since the early days of the housing bubble and crash in December 2006.

The quick read – Northeastern and West Coast markets are having the most trouble with rising foreclosure activity, along with Chicago. The healthiest markets are in the flyover states, the sand states and the Sunbelt. Florida is still healing but still hurting.

The monthly RealtyTrac report also shows one in every 1,199 U.S. housing units with a foreclosure filing during the month.

Foreclosure activity recorded includes all default notices, scheduled auction and bank repossessions.

Despite the decrease in overall foreclosure activity nationwide, 21 states posted monthly increases in overall foreclosure activity, and 11 states posted annual increases in foreclosure activity.

The four major metros with the biggest increases are all northeastern and seaboard cities – Boston, New York City, Washington D.C, and Philadelphia. Boston increased 44%, New York 23%, and Washington D.C. and Philadelphia both 15% year-over-year.

 

 

read more….

 

 

http://www.housingwire.com/articles/30258-foreclosures-skyrockets-in-northeast-west-coast

 

Good News for Sellers: Listings Sell Faster Despite Weak Sales | Pound Ridge Real Estate

Leave a reply

 

Despite weak demand and an infusion of new listings over the past two months, listings are selling nearly as fast as a year ago and prices are still rising.

Realtor.com reported this week that in April the total U.S. for-sale inventory of single family homes, condos, townhomes and co-ops rose by 8.56% over March, from 1,841,844 units in March to 1,999,548 units in April. As a result, the median age of the inventory dropped by 15.69% over the month, although it remains 6.17% higher than it was a year ago. Yet the median list price rose significantly over the month, from $199,900 to $207,500 despite soft demand. On a year-over-year basis, the median list price and the size of the for-sale inventory were up by 6.46% and 14.21%, respectively.

NAR reported that, with little inventory relative to demand, in April properties sold faster for the fifth straight month. Listings typically sold in 48 days compared to 55 days in March, falling to nearly the same level as 43 days a year ago. NAR’s monthly survey of Realtors found that short sales were on the market for the longest, at 96 days (112 in March), and foreclosed properties were on market at 56 days (55 days in March). Non-distressed properties were on the market at 45 days (53 days in March). Conditions varied across areas. Approximately 41 percent of respondents reported that properties were on the market for less than a month when sold, and about 6 percent were on the market for more than six months

 

read more….

 

 

http://www.realestateeconomywatch.com/2014/05/good-news-for-sellers-listings-sell-faster-despite-weak-sales/

A Bland Condo Gets Color and Personality | Pound Ridge Real Estate

Leave a reply

 

After spending almost a year exploring the real estate market in San Francisco, Eunice Chang finally found a place she could call home. Although the condo looked like a bachelor pad and was located in a nondescript 1990s building, it was on the top floor, and the building sat on a small side street straddling the city’s vibrant Castro and Mission districts. “I loved the idea of a walking neighborhood,” she says.

With a hands-on attitude, treasure-hunting know-how and an ongoing desire to improve her space, the homeowner filled the interior with meaningful pieces and a soothing palette of blues and neutrals. “I don’t know if my home will ever be done,” admits Chang, the lead user experience researcher at Opower. “Every time my friends come over, something at my place has changed.”

Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: Eunice Chang
Location: Castro neighborhood of San Francisco
Size: 1,073 square feet (100 square meters); 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms
Year built: 1992

transitional living room by Hoi Ning Wong
Hoi Ning Wong
Save to Ideabook

Email Photo

Excited by the potential of a south-facing living room, Chang tried to make the most of all the natural sunlight. Hardwood floors replaced old, tired carpeting, and fresh paint gave the walls new life. Pale aqua paint at the rear of the bookcase creates a vibrant backdrop for an ever-growing collection of mementos.

Wall paint: Muslin, Dunn-Edwards; accent wall paint: Opaline, Dunn-Edwards; leather chair: Cavett, Crate & Barrel; resin deer head: Z Gallerie; striped pouf: Target

transitional entry by Hoi Ning Wong
Hoi Ning Wong
Save to Ideabook

Email Photo

Although the structure of the entry hall could not be altered due to strict condo rules, visitors are greeted by a bright aqua door.

Door paint: Fountain City, Dunn-Edwards

transitional entry by Hoi Ning Wong
Hoi Ning Wong
Save to Ideabook

Email Photo

Chang’s design sensibilities and love of travel are apparent as soon as you enter the foyer. The sculptural piece of driftwood was a gift from a friend, and the woven bag is a souvenir from a vacation to Africa with her family.
transitional entry by Hoi Ning Wong
Hoi Ning Wong
Save to Ideabook

Email Photo

This wall-mounted rack was a quick DIY project. The piece of wood is an old floorboard found at Urban Ore, a salvage yard in Berkeley, and the decorative hooks are from Cost Plus World Market. The groove in the top holds postcards from family and friends. The rack extends the length of the entry hallway, making it both impactful and practical.
read more….
http://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/27386186?utm_source=Houzz&utm_campaign=u518&utm_medium=email&utm_content=gallery6

Down Payments Squeeze First-time Buyers | Pound Ridge Real Estate

Leave a reply

 

It’s no secret that raising the cash for a down payment is the toughest hurdle first-time buyers face on the road to home ownership. For many, government programs like FHA, USDA Rural Development guaranteed loans, VA loans and down payment assistance programs sponsored by state and local housing authorities have made all the difference.

Yet requirements by lenders in the wake of the QM Rule and overall tighter loan-to-value ratio standards are taking their toll. Average down payments are rising again, making it tougher for millennials who may face student loans and other financial hurdles.

Fewer first time home buyers are putting low down payments, according to the latest Realtor Confidence survey. About 60 percent of first time home buyers put down 6 percent or less compared to about 74 percent in 2009. Realtors reported that buyers who pay cash or put down large down payments generally win against those offering lower down payments.. For buyers with sufficient financial resources, a higher downpayment also means saving on mortgage insurance premium payments.

Down payments have already increased when last year, when the media for first-time buyers was 5 percent for first-time buyers and 14 percent for repeat buyers, according to NAR’s Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers.

Last year first-time buyers used a variety of resources for the loan downpayment: 78 percent tapped into savings; 27 percent received a gift from a friend or relative, usually from their parents; and 7 percent received a loan from a relative or friend. Nine percent sold stocks or bonds and 8 percent tapped into a 401(k) fund. Among entry-level buyers who said that saving for a downpayment was difficult, 54 percent said student loan expenses delayed savings.

 

read more…

 

http://www.realestateeconomywatch.com/2014/05/down-payments-squeeze-first-time-buyers/

Here’s why there aren’t any houses to buy | Pound Ridge Homes

Leave a reply

 

 

The supply of existing homes on the market remains low, at 5.2 months in March, according to a report from Freddie Mac.

The total number of homes offered for sale relative to the number of households in the U.S. has been running at the lowest level in more than 30 years.

“The housing recovery is struggling to shift into a higher gear, and obviously there are various imbalances holding this back from happening, but at the heart of the matter it comes down to jobs,” said Frank Nothaft, Freddie Mac vice president and chief economist.

But these low inventory challenges are the direct offspring of several features of today’s market.

1. Underwater homeowners

Since the Mortgage Forgiveness Debt Relief Act expired on Dec. 31, 2013, many underwater homeowners are reluctant to short-sell.

CoreLogic reported that 6.5 million homeowners remained underwater as of year-end 2013.

Meanwhile, there was also a sharp decline in short sales at the beginning of 2014, from 5.2% of sales in December to 2.2% of sales in February.

2. Low rates

Many borrowers were able to refinance into record low rates in the past several years.

According to the Bureau of Economic Analysis, the average interest rate on single-family mortgages outstanding was 3.9% during the first quarter of 2014, drastically down from the average 30-year fixed-rate average rate of 4.4% for new loans during the quarter.

As a result, homeowners are reluctant to sell their current home and forego the low rate mortgage loan they currently have.

3. REO sales slow

Despite real-estate owned sales remaining strong in some markets, in aggregate REO sales have slowed considerably over the past couple of years.

 

 

read more…

 

Here’s why there aren’t any houses to buy

Dracula’s castle is now for sale in Romania | Pound Ridge Real Estate

Leave a reply

 

A view of Bran Castle, Romania. (Daniel Williams/The Washington Post)

The Transylvanian castle erroneously reputed to be the abode of that terrifying abomination Dracula is now technically “for sale.” Bran Castle, an atmospheric pile perched atop a crag, is set to be sold off by its Habsburg owners. The Romanian government has reportedly lodged an $80 million bid.

The fortress dates to the 13th century and has been occupied by various bands of warriors and knights over the years. Images of Bran Castle supposedly reached Bram Stoker, the 19th-century Irish author of “Dracula,” who drew inspiration for his famous work from travelogues and sketches by British diplomats and adventurers in what was then Wallachia (modern-day Romania). He envisioned the scene surrounding the vampire’s lair like so:

The castle is on the very edge of a terrific precipice. A stone falling from the window would fall a thousand feet without touching anything! As far as the eye can reach is a sea of green tree tops, with occasionally a deep rift where there is a chasm. Here and there are silver threads where the rivers wind in deep gorges through the forests.

Bran Castle fits the bill and has since become a popular tourist destination for those seeking their Dracula thrills. The structure was in the possession of the Romanian Habsburg royal line, but it was appropriated by the state with the advent of Communism. After the fall of the Iron Curtain, the Habsburgs’ descendants were ceded back the fortress and set about restoring it — making it the desired attraction it now is.

 

 

read more…

 

 

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2014/05/14/draculas-castle-is-now-for-sale-in-romania/?tid=up_next

China’s housing bubble is collapsing, and here’s what it looks like | Pound Ridge Homes

Leave a reply

 

So what?

Well, for China, there’s a lot to worry about. China’s middle-class consumers have huge chunks of their personal wealth wrapped up in the housing market. So, a disastrous bust would severely impact consumer confidence and undermine China’s effort to rebalance its economy toward domestic demand.

 

A housing bust would also have deleterious effects on the Chinese financial system, raising the risk of either a Lehman-like crisis or a Japan-style zombification of the economy (perhaps both). Either would be a big blow to Chinese growth, which already seems to be slowing fast. The OECD just cut its growth forecast for China, citing concerns about the financial system, and president Xi Jinping told his compatriots a couple of days ago to get ready for a “new normal” of slower growth. And as these charts suggest, those concerns are quite well placed.

read more…

http://qz.com/208532/chinas-housing-bubble-is-collapsing-and-heres-what-it-looks-like/#208532/chinas-housing-bubble-is-collapsing-and-heres-what-it-looks-like/

What the reliance on cash sales means for housing | Pound Ridge Real Estate

Leave a reply

 

All-cash purchases accounted for almost 43% of all sales of residential property in the first quarter of 2014, up from almost 38% in the previous quarter and 19% in the first quarter of 2013, according to data released Thursday from real-estate data firm RealtyTrac. “It’s a surprising thing for us that cash sales have stayed high for so long even though the big hedge fund investors have pulled out of the market a bit,” says Daren Blomquist, vice president at RealtyTrac. “The high percentage of cash sales reveals the soft underbelly of the housing recovery.”

Experts say the high percentage of those paying cash won’t last much longer, though. “Cash buyers will become few and far between,” Blomquist says. So who does have the money to buy a home outright? Wealthy Americans and downsizing empty nesters make some of these all-cash deals, he says. Investors who are eager to make a profit by buying low and renting those properties — or flipping them — also drive up the number of all-cash deals, he adds.

Institutional investors — people or companies that have purchased at least 10 properties in a calendar year — appear to be gradually pulling out of the housing market. Investors accounted for 5.6% of all U.S. residential sales in the first quarter, down from 6.8% in the fourth quarter of 2013 and 7% in the first quarter of 2013. But while the share of institutional investor buyers declined in 18 of the top 20 markets for institutional investors, home prices continued to appreciate in most of those markets, although at a slower pace. “But price appreciation will definitely flatten out,” he adds.

The top five markets for cash sales were in Florida, which experienced one of the biggest property crashes after the 2008 recession: Cape Coral-Fort Myers (74%), Miami (67%), Sarasota (65%), Palm Bay (64%), and Lakeland (62%). Other major metro areas where over half of all property sales were done in cash included New York (57%), Columbia, S.C., (56%), Memphis, Tenn. (55%), Detroit, Mich. (53%), Atlanta (53%) and Las Vegas (52%). Many high-end homes are also purchased with cash and buyers in competitive areas where inventory is low are more likely to offer cash.

Not everyone agrees that the housing market is so reliant on cash. The National Association of Realtors says its data suggests the rate of cash sales is lower and on the decline. All-cash sales comprised 33% of transactions in March versus 35% in February and 30% in March 2013, according to data released last month. Individual investors purchased 17% of homes in March, down from 21% in February and 19% in March 2013, the NAR found. But existing home sales were flat in March, the report found. The pool of potential buyers is limited due to tight lending standards and rising interest rates, experts say.

 

 

read more…

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/43-of-2014-home-buyers-paid-all-cash-2014-05-08?siteid=yhoof2

 

10 NYC One-Bedrooms You Can Buy for $600,000 | Pound Ridge Real Estate

Leave a reply

 

 

7 images


Click here to view the full photogallery.

The last Price Points column found the best two-bedrooms available for $675,000, so we’re going a little smaller and a little cheaper for this roundup: one-bedrooms for $600K. StreetEasy shows the median price for one-bedrooms in Brooklyn and Manhattan to be under $700,000, but there is quite a bit of inventory for one hundred grand cheaper. First up, there’s a one-bedroom in Williamsburg offering up “the finest in indoor and outdoor living” with a living space and bedroom that open onto a large private terrace. The condo has marble countertops, newly updated appliances, and an in-unit washer and dryer. The apartment also comes with a deeded parking space in the garage below the elevator-ed building, and buyers have access to a communal gym. Asking price is an even $600,000

 

 

read more…

 

http://ny.curbed.com/archives/2014/05/06/behold_10_nyc_onebedrooms_you_can_buy_for_600000.php