Tag Archives: South Salem Real Estate

Westchester County Executive Candidate Debate Moved To Larger Venue | South Salem Real Estate

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The county executive debate between incumbent Rob Astorino (R) and New Rochelle Mayor Noam Bramson (D) is set to attract a large crowd and officials are changing the venue to accommodate.

The debate, hosted by the Westchester County Association, is being moved to the Atrium at 1133 Westchester Avenue in White Plains, officials said. The debate is set to begin at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 16 and will feature Astorino and Bramson as well as moderator Steve Scott, host of WCBS 880’s “Eye on Politics.”

“Due to overwhelming demand, we’ve moved the Candidate Debate hosted by the Westchester County Association to a larger venue,” representatives said in the release. “The results of this hotly contested race will have far-reaching implications for Westchester, New York and beyond; this is an opportunity for the business community and general public to get up to speed on the candidates’ positions and initiatives that will drive economic development in the region.”

The Astorino-Bramson debate is also sponsored by the Building Contractors Association of Westchester and Mid-Hudson Valley, the Construction Industry Council of Westchester and Hudson Valley and the RPW Group, according to the release.

 

The Oct. 16 debate between incumbent County Executive Rob Astorino and New Rochelle mayor Noam Bramson has been moved to a larger venue. Photo Credit: Suzanne Samin, File Photo

 

 

 

The Bay Window Goes Modern | South Salem NY Real Estate

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When modern and contemporary architecture “abandon” traditional architectural elements in favor of new forms, one of the elements left behind is the bay window. Yet if we think of these elements as reinterpretations of traditions in architecture rather than abandonments (columns, for example, are turned into skinny pilotis without details like capitals), then the idea of the bay window is alive and well, if less used than it should be.
Here you’ll find six examples that show the benefits of modern answers to bay windows — increased area, light and seating capacity — and the various means of expressing the idea in modern houses and in modern renovations of old houses.

However, we got our window blinds & shades at Affordable Blinds and we could not be more impressed.

This addition to a ranch house looks like the end of a square tube that runs from front to back, with large windows on each side. The front picture window is partially frosted to maintain privacy. In case that you need tile chip repair this company is the best reviewed one online.
Here we are looking toward the front window from the kitchen before it was furnished. Only one thin strip of glass is clear; the adjacent pieces are translucent. Adding cushions to the bay would make it a great window seat; one could peek outside through the vertical strip or just enjoy the light coming in through the painting-like panes of color.
Like the front window, the back window projects from the house, cantilevered a foot or two above the ground. But unlike on the the front, all the glass here is clear, and the area inside is an extension of the floor, giving more space for seating near the kitchen.
This house on New York’s Long Island has a fair amount of ins and outs on its exterior. I’m drawn to the tall portion facing right.
A view from the side reveals a tall bay window adjacent to a section of curtain wall set back from the stone facade. A stair can be seen below the large bay window.
It turns out the bay window is actually an extension of the stair landing. The Eames Lounge Chair in the previous photo indicates that this space is ideal for sitting, relaxing and enjoying the view.

10 Brands with Great Google Plus Pages | South Salem NY Real Estate

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Google+ has risen astronomically since it was launched in 2011. It overtook  social media giant Twitter in January 2013, and is now second only to Facebook  in popularity. With over 700 million registered users, companies have a lot to gain  by maintaining a page on the service. However, some Google+ pages are more  popular than others.

Take a look at this list of 10 brands with great Google plus pages, and get  some tips, ideas and insights for your own business.

#1. Toyota

Toyota has an excellent Google+ page. They share industry news, inspirational  photos and innovative concepts with their followers, and update their page  regularly. However, it’s the ‘Toyota Collaborator’ feature which really  stands out. Using Google+ Hangouts,

  • Users can invite friends to help them design and customise their new  Toyota
  • Up to five people can collaborate on the project, changing paint colours and  wheel rims, discussing the options, and rotating the car to view it from  different angles
  • The interior of the car can be viewed through eye-tracking
  • The finished car can be taken for a virtual test drive on Google Maps

Toyota Google+ page

Source

#2. Cadbury

The layout of a Google+ page – wide and open – lends itself particularly well  to visual content. Pages which recognise this tend to do better than those which  rely solely on text. Cadbury has capitalised on this, ensuring that their page  is full of large, bright, attractive images. Scrolling down the page reveals  striking pictures of their various products, delicious-looking cakes and  biscuits, and lashings of the distinctive Cadbury purple.

Cadbury Google+ page

Source

#3. Hugo Boss

As a high-end fashion retailer, Hugo Boss are experts in visual design.  They’ve carried the clean lines and defined colours of their clothing to their  Google+ page, which reads like the pages of a glossy magazine. The page isn’t an  advert for the brand so much as an aspirational luxury lifestyle guide – and as  a result has gained a large number of followers.

Hugo Boss Google+ page

Source

#4. H&M

H&M, another fashion brand, take a slightly different approach to their  Google+ page. They operate in a different market to Hugo Boss, targeting a  younger generation in search of affordable, throwaway fashion. Along with  product pictures and photography, there are also ‘behind the scenes’ posts about  recent photo shoots, video interviews with famous designers, and guides to  upcoming fashion trends.

H and M Google+ page

Source

#5. Virgin

The ‘80/20’ rule dictates that only 20% of a company’s posts on social media  should actually be about the products it sells. Virgin has embraced this advice  fully, as it fits in with the brand’s lifestyle image. Building on Richard  Branson’s charismatic brand of entrepreneurialism, Virgin’s Google+ page offers  followers a mix of inspirational posts, interviews and debates. Part of the  page’s popularity inevitably lies with having Richard Branson as a CEO, but the  80/20 rule also plays a large role.

 

 

 

Read more at http://www.jeffbullas.com/2013/10/18/10-brands-with-great-google-plus-pages/#cGwk67ZjJMyqbpCk.99

When Mother Nature Meets Your Modern Nature | South Salem Real Estate

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Much like cooking, mixing interior styles can create new and interesting flavors. Consider mixing modern detailing with cabin style. The result is a warm, clean design that allows occupants to focus on the interior architecture and the exterior views.
Mixing two aesthetics that seem counterintuitive can result in a fresh look. The key is highlighting the best attributes from both styles in a way that blends naturally. Here are a few key details that create this unexpected aesthetic.

Live edge slab table. Furniture selection plays a big part in the modern cabin mix. A slab of a fallen tree with its edge left natural sets the tone perfectly. Warm and rustic, this table is also modern because of its simple form.
Modern lighting. Consider modern lighting selections against the warmth of wood. Glass, pewter and iron are great contrasting materials.
Highlight floor-to-ceiling views. The glory of a cabin is the surrounding landscape. Highlight towering pines with a modern-style floor-to-ceiling window. Consider a modern window free of mullions and casings, and let the pines add the rustic half of the equation.
Stair rail with attitude. Add modern elements of metal, iron or steel cable on a stair rail. Cabins often have double-height great rooms with a focal stair rail. Use this opportunity to mix in some modern detailing.
Repeat horizontal lines. A horizontal orientation of materials will translate modern or transitional. Horizontal lines featured within rustic elements like concrete or wood siding is an eye-catching contrast.
Textured neutrals. Consider all of the texture from rustic wood details in cabinets, beams and flooring. Now layer that look with neutral finishes like concrete countertops and several shades of gray for a perfect modern cabin mix.
Full-height fireplace. There is nothing quite like a warm fire in a cabin on a snowy night — even better a fire in a mountain thunderstorm. Add modern drama with a full-height fireplace. Modern and rustic material selections for a fireplace could be copper, natural stone or stainless steel.
Lighten up. Yes, wood beams and siding can be lightened up. Create a clean and modern aesthetic with a lighter, monochromatic palette. Consider whitewashing or a light stain on beams and siding with pale walls.

Nearly Half of Renters Lack Insurance | South Salem NY Real Estate

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Some 46 percent of renters are uninsured even though renters are more satisfied with their insurance than homeowners, according to a new JD Powers study released today.

Price is the leading driver of the satisfaction gap: price satisfaction is a significant 45 points higher among renters than among homeowners.  Satisfaction with insurers is higher among renters than among homeowners (809 vs. 787, respectively, on a 1,000-point scale), the study found.

State Farm captures the largest share of the renter insurance market (26%), followed by Allstate (12%) and USAA (10%).

Customer retention rates with their current insurer are higher among renters who bundle an auto policy (91%) compared to renters who do not bundle an auto policy (67%).

“Many insurance agents focus their time selling high-dollar products, such as auto and homeowners, with higher commissions instead of the average $200 per year renters policy,” said Jeremy Bowler, senior director of the global insurance practice at J.D. Power. “This is shortsighted because agents who satisfy the large renter population today are more likely to retain and service their growing household insurance needs over time” (learn more in the review of SuperMoney).

Rankings
Overall Customer   Satisfaction Index ScoresJ.D. Power.com Power   Circle Ratings
(Based on a   1,000-point scale)For Consumers
Homeowners Segment
Amica Mutual

842

5

State Farm

813

4

Auto-Owners Insurance

812

4

Erie Insurance

811

4

Automobile Club of   Southern California

808

4

Encompass

798

4

American Family

797

4

Progressive

796

4

COUNTRY

795

3

Allstate

789

3

GEICO

789

3

The Hartford

787

3

Homeowners Average

787

3

NCNU Insurance   Exchange

786

3

Nationwide

780

3

MetLife

778

3

Safeco

778

3

Automobile Club Group

776

3

CHUBB

768

2

The Hanover

766

2

Farmers

763

2

Liberty Mutual

762

2

Travelers

756

2

__________________________
USAA*

894

5

*USAA is an insurance   provider open only to U.S. military personnel and their families and   therefore is not included in the rankings.
Homeowners Segment:   Included in the study but not award-eligible due to localized availability   and/or not meeting minimum sample requirements are Alfa Insurance, Allied,   Cincinnati Insurance, Fireman’s Fund, Homesite, Mercury, North Carolina Farm   Bureau, Shelter and Tennessee Farm Bureau.

Scoop leads off the street with storefront touch screens | South Salem Real Estate

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Editor’s note: This post explores a marketing tactic submitted by Halstead Property, the most recent winner of #madREskillz, a weekly Inman News Twitter competition. Every Thursday, Inman News invites real estate professionals and companies to tweet offbeat marketing tricks using the tag #madREskillz. After reviewing the submissions (and retweeting many in the process), we select two finalists and put them to a vote on Facebook. Then we feature the winner in a story.

Interactive ads have proliferated on the Internet for a simple reason: You grab more eyeballs online if your ads move around and actively engage people.

Acting on the fact that the same is true in the real world, Halstead Property, winner of the latest #madREskillz competition, is using interactive storefront displays provided by tech company imageSurge to poach leads right off the street.

“Storefronts get hundreds of thousands walking by them on a regular basis,” said Matthew Leone, director of Web marketing and social media at Halstead. “It’s just taking advantage of that.”

With motion graphics and calls to action, the street-side displays invite pedestrians to search online listings at any hour and connect with agents.

They also offer videos and virtual tours with “through-window” audio. And they track analytics, including the number of people who use the display and which properties they view the most. That way, brokers can gauge return on investment and tweak the content featured in the displays.

 

 

read more…

 

 

http://www.inman.com/2013/09/19/halstead-property-scoops-leads-off-the-street-with-storefront-touch-screens/#sthash.7elKhwjk.dpuf

Wells Fargo originations may be off by 30% | South Salem Homes

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Wells Fargo (WF) Chief Financial Officer Tim Sloan says mortgage originations are projected to be off by 30%, while refinance volumes will be off by an estimated 60%.

Seeking Alpha elaborated on Sloan’s statements:

Still, he reminds business remains strong and those percentages are based on very strong comparables.

One bullish stat shows mortgage payments to disposable income is just 18% vs. a fifty-year average of 27%. At the height of the bubble it was 30%. Amid the high interest rates of the early 80s, it was about 50%.

                    Source: Seeking Alpha

CoreLogic: 2.5 million homes float back into positive territory | South Salem Real Estate

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Approximately 2.5 million more residential properties returned to a state of positive equity during the second quarter of 2013, according to the CoreLogic second- quarter home equity report.

The total number of mortgaged residential properties with positive equity stands at 41.5 million, the research firm found.

“Equity rebuilding continued in the second quarter of this year as the share of underwater mortgaged homes fell to 14.5%,” said CoreLogic Chief Economist Mark Fleming.

He added, “In just the first half of 2013 almost three and a half million homeowners have returned to positive equity, but the pace of improvement will likely slow as price appreciation moderates in the second half.”

Despite the substantial decline in negative equity, there’s more ground left to cover with the remaining 7.1 million underwater borrowers.

Meanwhile, 7.1 million, or 14.5%, of all residential properties with a mortgage were still in negative equity at the end of the second quarter of 2013 with a total value of $428 billion, down from $576 billion at the end of the first quarter.

This figure is drastically down as a result of a steady home price improvements.

Of the residential properties with positive equity, 10.3 million have less than 20% equity, meaning these borrowers may have a more difficult time obtaining new financing for their homes due to underwriting constraints, according to the report.

At the end of the second quarter, 1.7 million residential properties had less than 5% equity.

Looking at individual states, Nevada had the highest percentage of mortgaged properties in negative equity at 36.4%, with Florida and Arizona following behind with 31.5% and 24.7%, respectively.

Of the largest 25 metropolitan areas, Miami-Miami Beach-Kendall, Fla., held the highest percentage of mortgaged properties in negative equity at 36.5%, with Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, Fla., and Phoenix-Mesa-Glendale, Ariz., following behind with 33.8% and 25.6%, respectively.

 

http://www.housingwire.com/articles/26744-corelogic-25-million-homes-float-back-into-positive-territory

 

Brokerages Step up to One-Stop Shopping | South Salem NY Real Estate

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Despite six years of a depressed housing economy that reduced Realtor ranks by one-third, real estate brokerage companies are closer than ever to achieving the long-sought dream of becoming one-stop shops  providing their customers all the services they need to buy or sell a house.

A new survey Imprev, Inc. found that 75 percent of top real estate executives responding said their brokerage firms offer at least one major ancillary service and mortgages are the No. 1 additional offering.  Some 89 percent of the real estate firms that offer at least one ancillary service offer home loans.

Nearly three-quarters (71 percent) offer title services and nearly half (49 percent) offer home-warranty services.

“For decades, the National Association of REALTORS® has tracked growing consumer interest in a one-stop shop through its surveys,” said Renwick Congdon, chief executive officer of Imprev, a real estate marketing software firm that works with 150,000 agents and brokers nationwide.

“Clearly, the industry’s thought leaders are making it happen in their firms,” he added.

According to a 2011 NAR and Harris Interactive study, the number of consumers interested in using a service provider affiliated with a brokerage firm increased 34 percent from the first survey completed in 2008.

In the NAR/Harris study, 78 percent of homebuyers said that one-stop shopping would save them money; 75 percent said it would make the process more manageable and efficient; and 73 percent said that a one-stop real estate shop would prevent the details relevant to their transactions from “falling through the cracks” — as well as make the entire process “more convenient.”

When real estate executives were asked to select the top benefits from offering ancillary services, 79 percent said “higher profits”; 70 percent said “one-stop marketing opportunities”; 62 percent said “increased customer satisfaction”; and 60 percent said “better quality control.”

The survey was conducted in late May. Poll respondents included top executives at leading franchises and independent brokerage firms responsible for more than one-third of all U.S. residential real estate transactions last year.

http://www.realestateeconomywatch.com/2013/08/

Rising Rates and Falling Standards Raise Default Risk | South Salem Real Estate

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Mortgages currently being originated stand a 14 percent higher risk of default due solely to current economic conditions, especially rising mortgage interest rates and falling underwriting standards.

Under current economic conditions, investors and lenders should expect defaults on loans currently being originated to be 14% higher than the average of similar loans originated in the 1990s, due solely to the local and national economic environment.

Investors and lenders should expect defaults to rise on new loans according to the latest UFA Mortgage Report by University Financial Associates of Ann Arbor, Michigan. The UFA Default Risk Index for the third quarter of 2013 rose to 114 from last quarter’s revised 96 in our baseline scenario.

“Most of the increased risk this quarter can be attributed to the hefty increase in mortgage rates – 100bps in just three months! Borrowers initiating mortgages at these higher rates will have higher payment ratios and will be more likely to default if the household is stressed,” said Dennis Capozza, Professor of Business Administration in the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan and a founding principal of UFA.

“At the same time, borrowers at the lower rates of earlier vintages become less likely to default. This is because their existing mortgage at the earlier favorable rate becomes a more valuable contract, since the market value of the mortgage liability falls when valued at current higher rates,” Capozza said.

Capozza also cited changes in underwriting standards as factors contributing to higher rates of risk in new mortgages. Last week Jonathan Corr, president and CEO of Ellie Mae, said credit standards continued to ease in July. “The average FICO score fell to 737, from 742 in June 2013, and it is now at the lowest level since we began our tracking in August 2011. Similarly we saw slight increases in both loan-to-value and debt-to-income ratios last month-signs that lenders are willing to accept slightly more risk to maintain volume,” he said.

The UFA Default Risk Index measures the risk of default on newly originated prime and nonprime mortgages. UFA’s analysis is based on a “constant-quality” loan, that is, a loan with the same borrower, loan and collateral characteristics. The Index reflects only the changes in current and expected future economic conditions, which are much less favorable currently than in prior years.

 

 

Rising Rates and Falling Standards Raise Default Risk | RealEstateEconomyWatch.com.