Tag Archives: Westchester Homes for Sale

Westchester Homes for Sale

Content Marketing with The New Instagram Direct | Bedford NY Realtor

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instagram Content Marketing with The New Instagram Direct

Just a month ago the ephemeral messaging service Snapchat turned down a  massive $3 billion cash offer from Facebook—a move that left many people  surprised, perplexed, and in some cases, downright angry. To many, the  unavoidable question was, how could something that’s free to use, that produced  no product, lacked any sort of inventory, and had no prospects for monetization  be evaluated a $3 billion. Furthermore, how could that same company subsequently  refuse such a massive cash offering from one of the biggest companies in the  world? Well a month down the road and there’s still no good answer, but one  thing that we can say with some certainty is that with today’s introduction of Instagram  Direct, Snapchat is probably kicking themselves for not accepting Facebook’s  offer.

 

Now the company’s closest competitor, Instagram, who is backed by Facebook,  has set its sights on the ephemeral messaging market, providing its already  massive user base with a viable alternative to Snapchat. Much like Snapchat,  Instagram Direct allows users to send photos and videos directly to their  followers of choice, without the image being shared on their feed. Not only is  Instagram’s latest update a “competitive move,” but it also affords users a  brand new, hyper-focused means of marketing that has the ability to really  strengthen the relationship between advertisers and consumers. While the ability  to monetize Instagram direct is yet to be seen, and sources say that that is an  unlikely avenue for the new feature, it will allow advertisers to connect one on  one with followers and help facilitate new types of interaction between brands  and their followers.

Less than 24 hours after its release, some brands are already finding new  ways to tap into their following and further cultivate relationships with their  fans. GAP for example, used the new service to run a contest in which users were  asked to send photo messages directly to the clothing company in order to be  entered into a contest. While Facebook has long had the ability to facilitate  these types of marketing activities, Instagram Direct brings with it a much more  personalized feel, where users and brands can interact one on one.

As days go by and more brands and advertisers adopt the new Instagram Direct  technology, we’re sure to see a number of different marketing practices employed  through the direct messaging service. If you are on Instagram Direct and using  it as an advertising tool, let us know what’s working for you in the comments  below—we’d love to hear some of your ideas!

Read more at http://www.searchenginejournal.com/content-marketing-new-instagram-direct/81967/#JsvQPrvVVJmIbxFq.99

Century 21 breaks into Manhattan real estate market | Bedford Corners Real Estate

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Century 21 is set to open its first franchise office in Manhattan in a bid to strengthen its international network and tap foreign buyers.

In joining the Century 21 network, Manhattan-based Metropolitan Residential Partners will rebrand as Century 21 Metropolitan next month. At a holiday party where the news was announced to Metropolitan agents, Century 21 CEO Rick Davidson told Inman News that the brand selected Metropolitan after spending a “tremendous amount looking to the marketplace for the right partner.”

Ultimately, Century 21 settled on Metropolitan due to its “experience and expertise,” particularly with foreign buyers, he said.

Douglas Magid, co-owner of Metropolitan, said that half of his brokerage’s agents speak two to three languages fluently and that the company has focused on “building a boutique real estate practice.”

Century 21 has about 7,100 independently owned and operated franchised broker offices in 75 countries and territories worldwide with more than 102,000 agents, according to the franchisor’s website. The franchisor has offices in New York City’s four other boroughs, but had not expanded into Manhattan until now.

The expansion is part of a broader effort by Century 21 to both grow and leverage its international presence, according to Davidson. In October, Century 21 launched a multilingual, global listing site that lets consumers view listings around the world in 16 languages and 37 currencies, according to Davidson.

– See more at: http://www.inman.com/2013/12/13/century-21-breaks-into-manhattan-real-estate-market/?utm_source=20131213&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=dailyheadlinesam#sthash.16qTIYyb.dpuf

Winter Storm Watch Is In Effect For Armonk On Saturday | Armonk NY Real Estate

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The National Weather Service has issued a Winter Storm Watch for Westchester County on Saturday and into Saturday night.

Snow is expected to arrive late in the morning on Saturday and could become heavy at times at night before mixing with sleet and freezing rain. Snow accumulations of 6 to 10 inches are possible with a trace of ice, but there is still a good amount of uncertainty as far as possible accumulations, depending on the path of the storm. Road conditions are expected to be hazardous.

Winds will be gusting out of the Northeast from 10 to 20 miles per hour with gusts up to 30 miles per hour. Temperatures will be in the lower 20s.

The snow is expected to move out of the area by Sunday with mostly sunny skies forecast for Sunday with a high in the mid 30s.

Check back for more updates.

 

http://armonk.dailyvoice.com/news/winter-storm-watch-effect-westchester-saturday

 

Twitter Buckles Under Pressure, Lets You Block Users Again | Armonk Realtor

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Twitter reversed its stance on blocking a second time Thursday night, reverting to the original policy in the face of what it admitted was tremendous opposition on the service. “We never want to introduce features at the cost of users feeling less safe,” Vice President of Product Michael Sippey wrote in a blog post. The original story is below.

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If you’re having problems with a stalker, you don’t need a restraining order — just wear a blindfold. That at least appears to be the logic behind a policy change Twitter announced Thursday, one its users are calling baffling.

Previously, the service allowed you to block any troublesome follower, denying them access to your tweets. Now, in an about-face, the process of blocking simply mutes the user in question, meaning you can’t see their tweets. But they can retweet you, allowing their followers to contact you in turn.

“If your account is public, blocking a user does not prevent that user from following you, interacting with your Tweets, or receiving your updates in their timeline,” the company says in its amended “blocking users on Twitter” help page.

A company spokesperson explained to Forbes that the change had been made because “people would see they had been blocked and get mad,” resulting in “antagonistic behavior.”

But that didn’t wash with many users who’d experienced real harassment on the service. “This is a huge and very serious problem for people, like me, who have received repeated rape and death threats on Twitter on a fairly consistent basis,” wrote Zerlina Maxwell, a prominent…

Warren Buffet’s new real estate brand wants to learn from — and recruit — millennials | South Salem NY Homes

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A group of younger agents will help Warren Buffett’s new real estate franchise brand, Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices, buck the aging agent trend and connect with the perspective of a younger generation.

The Irvine, Calif.-based franchisor has selected 10 agents, all 35 years old or younger, to serve a two-year term on the “REthink Council,” from a pool of more than 40 applicants, based on their ideas and proficiency — transaction sides, sales volume and awards.

The council will provide input to BHHS leadership on how to connect with millennials, the 20- and 30-somethings born during the early 1980s through the turn of the century.

The new franchise network — which 51 brokerages have committed to affiliate with — wants to become an attractive brand for younger agents, and share innovative ideas with member brokers and the industry at large.

The dearth of younger agents was part of the motivation for establishing the REthinkCouncil. Millennials are not only scarce among the ranks of real estate buyers and sellers, but underrepresented in the ranks of real estate agents.

Agents under the age of 40 made up just 11 percent of the Realtor population in 2013, according to the National Association of Realtors’ 2013 member profile, down from 20 percent in 2003.

 

 

– See more at: http://www.inman.com/2013/12/12/warren-buffets-new-real-estate-brand-wants-to-learn-from-and-recruit-millennials/?utm_source=20131212&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=dailyheadlinesam#sthash.f4OPAxYE.dpuf

EH Town and Residents Lock Horns Over Deer Cull | Bedford NY Homes

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9036684845_d493e2bf0a.jpg [cordeliatphoto/flickr]

Both the town and village of East Hampton are going ahead with their plans to reduce the local deer population via a sharpshooters’ cull. The plan is enthusiastically supported by those who believe the town is being overrun with deer and decried by local nature lovers. Concert promoter and East Hampton resident Ron Delsener is retaining a New York law firm to try to stop the plan from going ahead. An online petition at change.org, “Stop Long Island Farm Bureau/USDA Stealth Plan to Brutally Slaughter 5,000 East End Deer,” currently has more than 2500 signatures. The Humane Society of the United States is also considering getting involved. Laura Simon, a wildlife ecologist there, mentioned the “bounceback effect”:  does typically become more fertile after a herd has been reduced. “‘Deer will have twins and triplets after their numbers have been reduced,’ Ms. Simon said. ‘This is going to be a long-term, ongoing commitment from towns to try to keep killing deer every year, and then their numbers will pop right back up.'” ·

Mounting Anger on Deer Reduction Plan [EH Star] · All deer coverage [Curbed Hamptons]

PriceChopped Minty Green Cottage in NOLA Wants $389K | Pound Ridge Homes

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11 images

For those out there who’ve always wanted an adorable (if slightly slanted?) pastel Victorian cottage to call home, here’s a New Orleans offering that has recently undergone a $10K PriceChop, lowering the ask way down to $389K. First spotted by Curbed NOLA, the two-bedroom measures 1,707-square-feet and—though extensively renovated—still has “most original architectural details intact,” including heart pine floors, original moldings, and vintage fireplaces. Exterior details include a leafy little backyard, ornate detailing around the home’s front door and street-facing windows, and, of course, that charming, Easter egg paint job that proves that committing to a single vibrant color doesn’t always end horribly. By all means, do have a look:

This 1960s Time Capsule is the Grooviest Home Out There | Bedford Corners NY Homes

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Designed in the early 1960s by architect Seymour Harris, this 19,408-square-foot, eight-bedroom mansion in Hampshire, England—dubbed Tukal—easily snags the title of the most swingin’ listing on the market and must be worth every last penny of the (probably very expensive) unlisted asking price. According to Forbes, which astutely pointed out that the home might make a pleasing lair for a supervillian, Harris designed the place so that it would be possible to “drive his Aston Martin up a ramp into the first-floor parking bay,” which, duh, is the only civilized way to get around. In case that little perk isn’t enough, though, the low-slung, flat-roofed estate also boasts river views (complete with a mooring pontoon,) a massive indoor pool, more than 10 acres of “stunning professionally designed ornamental gardens,” and the most badass bathtub in the world. Also worth noting is some sort of very sexy red carpeted room with a retro fireplace that really needs to be seen to be believed. So without further delay, do take a look:

Home prices continue steady rise, as sales slow | Bedford Corners Homes

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Home prices in the Baltimore metro region continued a slow and steady climb in November, while sales grew sluggish, a seasonal trend exacerbated by economic uncertainty.

Home prices rose just over 4 percent in November compared with the same time last year, according to a Tuesday report by RealEstate Business Intelligence, a subsidiary of MRIS. Prices have been rising at about that rate for almost two years, although the numbers still fall short of the pre-recession peaks.

The median sales price in the Baltimore metro area was $239,450 in November, up from $230,000 in November 2012, but below November 2006’s $270,000, according to the RBI data, which are based on listing service information. In Anne Arundel and Carroll counties, the percentage increase rose in the double digits.

“It’s been a reasonable-sized change, but not too huge,” said Andres Carbacho-Burgos, a housing economist for Moody’s Analytics. “It shows that house prices are starting to recover.”

R. Andrew Bauer, a Baltimore-based senior regional economist for the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond, agreed, adding, “The fundamentals are in place for the housing market to continue to move forward solidly. The question is the pace.”

RBI data showed buyer activity slowing during the month, with about 2,000 units sold, down 10 percent from October and flat compared to last year, a seasonal trend that RBI’s analysis said was “intensified” by the shutdown of the federal government. The market update, which is compiled with George Mason University’s Center for Regional Analysis, predicted a continuation of this trend in the coming months.

Maryland’s housing market is particularly vulnerable to uncertainty about government funding, with positions in the public sector or funded through federal contracts accounting for more than 27 percent of the state’s total jobs, according to a November study by the Mercatus Institute.

“It’s a little bit weird out there,” said Dominic Cantalupo of Champion Realty Inc. in Pasadena. “I just think people are still a little squeamish about diving in with both feet.”

Uncertainty in the economy makes people concerned about home values and hesitant to buy, particularly when confronted with a small number of desirable properties, said Stephanie Yungmann, an agent with Keller Williams Realty in Baltimore. Inventory remains about 43 percent lower than the July 2008 peak, according to RBI data.

“Anytime there’s any sort of a little hiccup in the market, buyers immediately start talking again … about not wanting to make a decision,” she said.

 

 

http://articles.baltimoresun.com/2013-12-10/business/bs-bz-housing-20131209_1_home-prices-rbi-data-median-sales-price

 

Senate confirms Mel Watt as next FHFA director | North Salem Realtor

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It’s official: Congressman Mel Watt, D-N.C., will lead the Federal Housing Finance Agency after the U.S. Senate confirmed his nomination Tuesday afternoon.

Senators confirmed Watt as Ed DeMarco’s replacement, with a majority of the chamber’s legislators voting in Watt’s favor. The congressman easily obtained 57 votes, with 41 Senators voting against the appointment.

Ed DeMarco, who has served as acting director of the FHFA ever since the GSEs entered conservatorship, has long staved off attempts to use the agency as an instrument for enacting principal write-downs to help underwater borrowers.

The market has had plenty of time to get used to a Watt appointment, but he’s still viewed as a major sea change for the conservator of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

Housing advocates praised the move on the grounds that Watt is more likely to grant some form of additional housing aid, either through an expanded Home Affordable Refinance Program or principal write-downs. But the mortgage industry — especially investors in residential mortgage-backed securities — remain guarded about the prospect of Watt at the helm.
“The FHFA director has the power to help rebuild local economies and communities through direct action and administrative reforms, and we’re confident Mel Watt will do just that,” said Alan Jenkins, executive director of The Opportunity Agenda, a group that advocates for expanding homeownership.

Elyse Cherry, CEO of Boston Community Capital, a firm that successfully enacted a principal reduction-shared appreciation program to help underwater borrowers, is a strong supporter of Watt’s.

“I am glad the Senate is moving forward with Mr. Watt’s confirmation to the FHFA,” Cherry said. “For too long, our policy at this agency has been headed in the wrong direction for the wrong reasons, and Mr. Watt’s nomination is a chance to turn things around.”

But the Watt nomination certainly drew its fair share of skeptics from day one. With Mel Watt often viewed as more of a political figurehead, the mortgage industry was less receptive to the president’s pick at first.

Several months ago, when Watt was first in consideration, Edward Mills, a senior vice president at FBR Capital Markets, said the president’s DeMarco replacement pick would raise eyebrows on Wall Street.

“One of the hallmarks of the DeMarco tenure is that he was a nonpolitical figure before accepting this job,” said Mills. “Since then, he has taken his stand as conservator very seriously and has been resistant to pressure from the Hill,” he added.

 

 

http://www.housingwire.com/articles/28258-hold-mel-watt