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Pound Ridge NY Real Estate for Sale

At $130M, Nation’s ‘Priciest’ Manse is No Longer the Priciest | Pound Ridge NY Homes

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Copper Beech Farm, the 50-acre Greenwich estate that roared onto the market last May with a record-setting $190M price tag, has been mercilessly slashed, first down to $140M and now again down to $130M. At 68 percent of its original ask, the property is no longer home to the priciest mega-mansion in the country, having ceded the throne to Dallas’ Crespi-Hicks estate, which is still holding strong at $135M. (Jackson Land and Cattle, a 1,750-acre estate in Jackson Hole, Wyo., has been asking $175M for a while, but there several homes on that ranch and most people would consider it a working farm with investment potential instead of, say, a single-family home.)

But, please, back to the blockbuster home at hand. Owned by timber mogul John Rudey, the property is stocked with a 12-bedroom mansion, a whopping 4,000—yes, four thousand—feet of water frontage, and not one, but two offshore islands. Rudey originally told the Journal that he was selling the spread, which he bought 31 years ago, because his kids had grown, but that may have been only half of the truth. According to a followup piece in the Times, Rudey’s timber holdings have been decimated by transportation issues, endangered species conservation, water limitations, and the spruce budworm, a tree-burrowing insect. These setbacks might not have impacted the Copper Beech Farm property at all had Rudey not used the sprawling waterfront estate as collateral on a series of huge loans. At one time, according to the Times, the debt attached to the property totaled a whopping $203M. (After the 2006 collapse of one of Rudey’s timber holding companies, the banks came calling. In 2011, Bank of America began foreclosure proceedings on a portion of Copper Beech Farm. The bank later backed off, but Rudey may have been forced to sell off much of his remaining timber holdings, and his $16.5M Fifth Avenue apartment, to keep creditors at bay.)

 

 

http://curbed.com/archives/2014/01/22/at-130m-nations-priciest-manse-is-no-longer-the-priciest.php

5 Twitter Marketing Tactics | Pound Ridge NY Realtor

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5 Twitter Marketing Tactics for Building a Fanatical Following

If there’s one group that’s well-versed in developing large and loyal  audiences on Twitter, it’s bloggers. They do, after all, have a content strategy  built into their title — ahem blogging — which means that even when  they’re promoting their personal brand, it’s more likely to be with content that  their followers find helpful or otherwise more interesting than, say, a random  company selling bar soap.

Bloggers who want to be successful have a kind of urgency to directly engage  with, build and look after their following, as there’s really no better way to  attract visitors to their sites. (Can you imagine a blogger running a TV  campaign ad, particularly before they’ve had any measure of success? Yeah,  no).

But of course, not all bloggers have thousands of followers, so, what  separates the superstars from those that hover indefinitely in the middle of the  pack?

Let’s take a look at a few bloggers and their Twitter marketing tactics who  really knock it out of the park to see if we can’t glean a lesson or two.

1. Get targeted

Twitter is a pretty reciprocal place, so you could hop onto the  platform every night and just randomly add people, and in the morning you’d have  a fair amount of people following in return. But having a mass of followers doesn’t mean much if they’re not  engaged, and if one new follower is all about muscle cars while the next is  all about creative applications for doilies, you’re going to have quite the time  appealing to all of them. And if they’re not engaged, they’re certainly not  going to share your work and help you grow your following.

One great example of someone who does this kind of singular focus right is  Heidi Swanson of 101  Cookbooks. Originally started as a way to share her many recipes with her  friends, Swanson’s site features a wealth of healthy recipes and is also home to  her cookbooks, which have a “supernatural” focus.

Clearly, Swanson is targeting not just cooks but also those with a crunchier  bent. You can see this hyper-focus on her Twitter feed:

5 Twitter Marketing Tactics for Building a Fanatical Following

While Swanson does do some retweeting of causes close to her heart and  recipes from likeminded sites, the majority of her tweets are links to her  content, prefaced with a listing of ingredients. This fits well with the  mentality of Swanson’s site, which allows users to search for recipes based on  ingredients, and it does what it needs to do simply before getting out of the  way. This is just what her avid audience, on the hunt for seasonal recipes, is  looking for.

What This Means for You As a rule of thumb, keep in mind that it’s  better to be hyper targeted than too broad; you can always expand from your base  once you get going. While you may not need to get as targeted as this, having some kind of theme is crucial — all the better if you can turn that into  a hook, a la @shitmydadsays. In fact, sometimes just getting a great Twitter  handle can frame all of your activities. Once you have that, get as creative as  possible within those confines.

Who can you follow that clearly shares your interests? What kind of content  can you retweet? How can you mix up the content? Give your followers not just  information but actionable insights, and you’re sure to grow.

2. Help each other

Call it guest posting, call it co-branding, call it coasting on each other’s  tail winds — whatever. There are few strategies quite as effective for growing  your following than teaming up with or regularly giving press to another blogger  or business. Teaming up with someone else not only gives you great material for  your Twitter feed (and who couldn’t use a little bit more meat to feed the  social-content beast?) but it also exposes your work to a much wider audience.  And while not everyone in that audience will be primed to follow you, if you’ve  done a good job of picking a partner whose interests parallel your own, you  should gain a sizable chunk.

Blogger DIY Victoria E. Barnes, who focuses on renovations of her Victorian  home, does this in a number of ways. Sometimes, it’s as simple as retweeting a  fellow blogger’s contest:

5 Twitter Marketing Tactics for Building a Fanatical Following

Sometimes it means riffing on popular culture, a la this Mad Men Spoof:

5 Twitter Marketing Tactics for Building a Fanatical Following 3

Whether it’s directly teaming up with someone or just a playful tease, being  in on it with someone else is a great way to gain exposure

Read more at http://www.jeffbullas.com/2014/01/16/5-twitter-marketing-tactics-for-building-a-fanatical-following/#C6SjYvwkFbaEvxKh.99

Elliman, Corcoran, Halstead leaders named Inman influencers | Pound Ridge Real Estate

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Several of the top names in New York City-area real estate cracked Inman’s annual list of the 100 most influential real estate leaders, released today.

The list — which spotlights industry leaders “whose ingenuity, strength, conviction, power and persistence are driving change” – included brokerage chiefs such as Douglas Elliman CEO Dottie Herman, Halstead Property CEO Diane Ramirez, Corcoran Group CEO Pamela Liebman, Douglas Elliman Development Marketing CEO Susan de França and Madison, N.J.-based Coldwell Banker CEO Budge Huskey. Century 21 CEO Richard Davidson was recognized for guiding the brokerage as it broke into the Manhattan market, as well as internationally – in Kosovo, Austria, Croatia and Slovenia.

Other locals recognized included Warburg Realty agent Nicole Beauchamp, Douglas Elliman associate broker Maria Babaev, and Matthew Shadbolt, Corcoran’s director of interactive products and marketing. There was also Zillow CEO Spencer Rascoff, Urban Compass’ Robert Reffkin and Redfin’s Glenn Kelman.

 

 

http://therealdeal.com/blog/2013/12/30/elliman-corcoran-halstead-leaders-among-inmans-list-of-influential-100/

HARP for Second Homes or Investment Properties | Pound Ridge Homes

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Since HARP, the Home Affordable Refinance Program, was made available in 2009, more than 2.9 million* homeowners have used the program to refinance their properties. But over the years, HARP has seen significant enhancements, and there are now many eligible borrowers whose properties are not their primary residences. Today, 1 in 6 HARP refinances are for a second home or investment property.

People have second homes or investment properties for a variety of reasons. Maybe you wanted a vacation home to get away or decided to join the investment property business. Sometimes a home becomes an “accidental rental” due to an unexpected or unplanned move, and you were unable to sell because of the drop in home value. Regardless of the reason, you are encouraged to look at HARP as a refinance option. You may be financially stable and are making your monthly mortgage payments, but you are making payments on a loan that no longer matches the value of the home.

HARP is a unique program created by the federal government for people in your situation. If your property — primary residence, second home or investment property — is valued at less than what you owe, take advantage of the program and get a better rate and/or terms on your loan; you may be able to build equity faster. You’re doing everything right, so visit HARP.gov to learn more and talk to your lender.

The same rules apply

To qualify a second home, it must be a single unit or condo; for an investment property, it must be a 1- to 4-unit home. Otherwise, all requirements for the primary home also apply to the second home or investment property:

  • Your mortgage has to be backed by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac and acquired before June 1, 2009.
  • You must be current on your payments (no 30-day+ late payments in the past six months and no more than one in the past 12 months).
  • Your loan-to-value ratio (the amount you owe versus the amount your house is currently worth) must be greater than 80 percent.

*Numbers based on reported refinance data from FHFA Refinance Report October 2013.

 

 

http://www.zillow.com/blog/2013-12-26/harp-second-investment-properties/

 

Irish House Prices Rise for Eighth Month | Pound Ridge NY Real Estate

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Irish home prices rose for the eighth successive month in November, led by increases in Dublin, according to official data released Monday, providing evidence that the country’s six-year housing slump is easing in the capital at least.

The government sees the rising prices as one more sign the country is recovering from the devastating economic crisis that erupted with the bursting of its housing bubble. The government exited its 2010 bailout this month and now relies on bond markets for funding.

Nationwide, residential prices rose 0.6% in November and were 5.6% higher than a year earlier, the Central Statistics Office said. In Dublin, residential prices increased by 1.3% in November and were 13.8% higher than a year ago.

Outside the capital, prices were flat on the month and 0.6% lower than in November 2012.

On average, home prices are 46.5% lower than at their 2007 peak, and prices won’t match those of the boom years any time soon. At best, property price gains will help damaged banks cut some of their huge losses.

The European Union plans to carry out scenario-specific bank audits next year, known as stress tests, to determine whether lenders in countries including Ireland have enough funds.

 

 

 

http://online.wsj.com/article/BT-CO-20131223-702373.html

The Best of West Chelsea at the New AVA High Line | Pound Ridge NY Real Estate

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488_AVAHighLine_SponsoredKitchen_10-30%20%281%29%20copy.pngAVA High Line, located alongside the High Line Park, offers some of West Chelsea’s best new rental apartments, plus a host of unique amenities, all within easy walking distance of the neighborhood’s cutting-edge galleries and restaurants. Opening in December—and now accepting lease applications—the pet-friendly AVA High Line includes studios, one- and two-bedroom apartments.

Residents can hang in the Chill Lounge or the nearby backyard fire pit. And inside the apartments, it gets even better, with features like sliding barn doors, stainless appliances and wood plank flooring. Don’t just take our word for it, check it out for yourself. Now renting for immediate move-ins. Visit AVA High Line at 525 West 28th Street (28th Street and 11th Avenue).>>

Old-world German architecture and a modern-day film spur a Hill Country farmhouse’s warm style | Pound Ridge Homes

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It’s no surprise these homeowners have comfortably nestled into their guesthouse, as one major inspiration for the home was the cozy English cottage Kate Winslet’s character owned in The Holiday. Their plan was to build the guesthouse in the Texas Hill Country, retire, move down from Lubbock, then complete construction on the main house. Surrounded by over 20 acres full of oaks and wildlife, they enjoyed the guesthouse so much that they put off the construction for a few years, and they secretly fear they won’t love the main house as much. As we take a tour through this charming home, you’ll understand why.
Houzz at a Glance Who lives here: A retired couple Location: Fredericksburg, Texas Size: About 1,000 square feet; 1 bedroom, 1 bathroom

Austin Pitner, owner of Bonterra Building & Design, worked with the homeowners’ large inspiration file full of homes (most over a hundred years old) and with a floor plan and elevations from architect David Rowland. Bonterra completed all of the construction and designed all of the interior details and finishes, such as the timber frame beams, custom fireplace, doors and cabinetry.
The home has a regional feel, which is German influenced and rural (Fredericksburg was originally settled by German immigrants). The standing-seam metal roof is preweathered Galvalume. The stone is chopped white limestone, indigenous to the area.
The porch floor is part of the concrete foundation; the beams are western red cedar.
“No one is around for miles, so this outdoor shower is completely private and great for hot Texas days,” Pitner says. The stones around the house are crushed local granite.
The retaining wall is made of stones found onsite while digging holes for the septic tanks. “When you dig around here, you never know what you’re going to find,” Pitner says. They hit upon these perfect layers of rock.
“When they came out of the ground, they were dark gray and ugly; we stacked them and wondered what to do with them,” he says. During the time they mulled it over, several rainstorms hit, and the rock lightened to a beautiful color. They decided to use it for the wall. “You couldn’t shop for anything better than these stones,” he says.
The front door is mahogany planks with metal straps. The metal details, wood beams and lanterns lend an old-world European farm feel.
“We wanted the interiors to be rough but clean,” Pitner says. He used timber-frame construction throughout. The beams are hewn Douglas fir, hand notched for corner support. They avoided using molding to create the feeling of a monolithic, old blocked house. While the stones and beams lend the look of an old European farmhouse, the stained concrete floors, lack of moldings and simple floating kitchen shelves mix in contemporary touches.
Pitner advises hiring a professional to stain concrete floors; he was very impressed with the way the pros were able to match the floors to tones in the beams.
The kitchen has an indigenous feel, like it rose naturally right out of the land. The countertops are limestone, and the cabinets are alder.
One of the homeowners enjoys feeding the foxes and their babies who come to visit through the Dutch door.
Shaws Farmhouse Sink: Rohl

Maintain market relevance by writing ‘timeless,’ hyperlocal posts | Pound Ridge NY Realtor

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We all know that having posts that are timeless is important. You know the ones that people will find year after year and are still relevant, regardless of the topic.

You do know that, right? Well, now you do, if you didn’t already.

There are a number of reasons for doing timeless posts. Here are a few:

  1. They are relevant and informative for years if written appropriately.
  2. They continue to get views over the years and potentially drive more traffic to your website.
  3. They show you are a knowledgeable real estate professional in the area and on that topic.
  4. You can use them in lots of ways.

Timeless posts can be about a variety of topics: the larger community (Carlsbad); neighborhoods (La Costa); subdivisions or master-planned communities (Bressi Ranch); condo communities (Sanderling); and community amenities including parks, tourist attractions and recreation, and to some extent shopping and dining. Those places do go out of business on occasion, so they may not truly be timeless.

Community and similar localism posts tend to get a lot of traffic. I have a bunch with more than 15,000 clicks since they were first written

– See more at: http://www.inman.com/next/maintain-market-relevance-by-writing-timeless-hyperlocal-posts/?utm_source=20131213&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=dailyheadlinesam#sthash.BdrHAetU.dpuf