Tag Archives: Westchester Homes for Sale

Westchester Homes for Sale

Most Popular Manhattan Rental Listings Of The Last Week | Waccabuc Real Estate

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Yesterday we rounded up the top 10 most expensive rental listings in the city, but those places aren’t exactly where most of the city’s renters are looking. So today, we are looking at the top 10 most popular Manhattan rental listings of the past week, according to data from StreetEasy. The listings, which were sorted by the number of pageviews, highlight that everyone is always searching for the best deal—the most expensive unit on this list is a $3,000/month two-bedroom.

↑10) 32 East 7th Street, East Village The listing for this two-bedroom makes no mention of a living room, and judging by the photos, there may not be one. The kitchen is small, and one of the bedrooms is a super weird shape, but it’s just $2,350.

↑ 9) 402 East 78th Street, Upper East Side A no-fee 1BR/1BA near First Avenue is listed for $1,895, and the photos looks pretty great, but the place has been sitting on the market for more than two months. The price was also recently reduced by $155, and there’s a free month of rent, so it seems like there’s something wrong with the place that’s not evident in the listing.

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↑ 8) 226 West 16th Street, Chelsea There are no photos of this 600-square-foot 1BR apartment, which is never a good sign, but the price, $1,995, has obviously attracted attention. The listing says the unit is rent-stabilized and has a full kitchen, but it also says the rent is $2266.52.

↑ 7) 322 West 11th Street, West Village Possibly the nicest unit on this list is this 2BR/1BA asking $3,000 per month. The kitchen is small, but there are high ceilings and both bedrooms can fit a queen-sized bed.

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↑ 6) 551 West 165th Street, Washington Heights For just $925/month, there’s a furnished studio next to the Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center. The brokerbabble describes the building as “immaculate, secure and very safe,” but the place looks like a hotel room in the photos.

↑ 5) 10 Jones Street, West Village If this listing for a $2,200/month one-bedroom in the West Village seems too good to be true, that’s because it is. It’s actually just for a bedroom in a 2BR/1BA duplex apartment that has 16′ ceilings and exposed brick walls. The photos were taken at nighttime, which always makes apartments, no matter how nice they are, look like a scene from a horror movie.

↑ 4) 251 West 15th Street, Chelsea Between 7th and 8th Avenues, there’s a small duplex asking $1,680/month. The kitchen is teeny, with a half-sized refrigerator, and the sleeping loft looks like it’s only about 4-feet high.

 

 

 

 

http://ny.curbed.com/archives/2013/11/20/the_most_popular_manhattan_rental_listings_of_the_last_week.php

Consumer buying power fades as choices and prices shift | Katonah Real Estate

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The sale of all existing homes fell 3.2% to an annual rate of 5.12 million units in October as rising prices tripped up buyers – a data point further constrained by falling inventory levels, the National Association of Realtors noted Wednesday.

Existing-home sales is a measure of sales on all single-family residences, townhomes, condos and co-ops. Compared to last year, October sales remained 6% higher than the 4.83-million unit sales pace reported last month. But this is not an unusual occurrence given the fact that prices have been rising year-over-year for the past 28 months, NAR said.

With the national median existing-home price up 12.8% from last year, buyers are facing rising prices at a time when lower inventory levels are pushing them even higher. Yet, the fall in existing-home sales suggests potential homebuyers are not keeping up.

“The erosion in buying power is dampening home sales,” said Lawrence Yun, NAR’s chief economist. “Moreover, low inventory is holding back sales while at the same time pushing up home prices in most of the country. More new home construction is needed to help relieve the inventory pressure and moderate price gains.”

Right now, the median existing-home price in the U.S. is hovering at $199,500, an increase of 12.8% from October 2012.

Distressed home sales also are much lower today, falling 25% from October 2012 levels. With fewer foreclosure-related sales, the median price of existing properties continues to escalate beyond many borrowers’ reach.

Only 9% of October sales were classified as foreclosures, while 5% were short sales. Foreclosures faced a 17% discount when compared to similar properties, with short sales discounted by 14%.

The shrinking U.S. housing inventory hit 2.13 million existing home sales in October, a 1.8% decline, and a 5-month supply of homes at the current sales pace. That compares to a 4.9-month supply in September when the market was still moving at a faster pace.

The tightest inventory conditions popped up in the markets of Oakland, Calif.; San Francisco; San Jose, Calif.; Denver and Stockton-Lodi, Calif., NAR said

 

 

 

http://www.housingwire.com/articles/28048-existing-home-sales-decline-on-falling-affordability-tighter-inventory

Agent who sold ‘factory condo’ conversion hit with $470K judgment | Bedford Hills Real Estate

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Converting old warehouses into loft apartments or condos is one way to breathe life into a declining neighborhood.

But if you’re going to turn an abandoned building where workers made “coffins, guns stocks, pipe organs” and other products for six decades, dumping “industrial solvents, sludge and wastes from painting and plating that contained toxic materials” into the drains, you might want to make sure that mess is cleaned up properly.

The developers who hired real estate agent Maryl Greene of Coldwell Banker Weber-Seiler to market Belgravia, a 10-unit factory condo conversion in South Haven, Mich., have since gone bankrupt.

So it’s not surprising that Greene and her broker found themselves on the hook when a couple who paid $360,000 for one of the units discovered that even though the state of Michigan spent $3.8 million cleaning up the site, there’s been no “final remedy.”

The state Department of Environmental Quality has determined that the property remains “highly contaminated with chlorinated solvents in the soil and groundwater, and metals in the near-surface soils.”

The condo association has been stuck with operating and monitor a vapor mitigation system intended to protect the safety of residents

 

 

– See more at: http://www.inman.com/wire/agent-broker-who-sold-contaminated-factory-condo-conversion-hit-with-470k-judgment/#sthash.W3MAaEQY.dpuf

Corcoran Group CEO Pamela Liebman now on Twitter | Bedford NY Homes

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In what Matthew Shadbolt described as a “HUGE day for Corcoran on Twitter today,” Corcoran Group CEO Pamela Liebman is now on the microblogging site.

Handle: @PamelaBLiebman.

 

 

Source: twitter.com – See more at: http://www.inman.com/wire/corcoran-group-ceo-pamela-liebman-now-on-twitter/#sthash.BqXATIO4.dpuf

7 Things to Do Before You Move Into a New House | Armonk NY Homes

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Our son and daughter-in-law just purchased their first home.  It’s in a location that allows an easy commute into Boston, where our son works, and is just a few towns away from where his wife works.  The house is in a older suburb adjacent to Boston, and is itself older and in need of some TLC.  So rather than move in right away, the new homeowners will stay in their apartment until the lease is up.  They’ll spend just about every free moment of the few months getting their house ready to live in.

Of course, we didn’t let them do all of this alone.  Uncle Ralph and I traveled to Boston to spend a week helping them clean, paint and otherwise get the house ready.  One of the things that we really helped with is how to prioritize tasks.  Since it’s getting close to winter, we stressed the importance of getting only the most basic outside things done.  Fixing up the yard, cleaning the siding, touching up the paint etc. can all wait for the spring.  What really needed to be done is the inside, not only so they can move in but so they can live there comfortably through the approaching winter.

With that in mind, here’s a list of tasks that needed doing.  It’d be great to hear from you what your list of tasks would be.

traditional exterior by Sapia Builders Corp.
Sapia Builders Corp.
1.  Change the locks on the exterior doors. As soon as the closing is over and you’ve gotten the keys to your house, either buy and install new lock sets or call locksmith service to come to the house to switch them out.  Let’s face it, the previous owners, Realtors, maintenance folks and who knows who else are all likely to have keys to your place.  For some peace of mind and as a necessary step in making this house yours, get new locks installed immediately. The locksmith walnut creek ca provide locksmith services such as: lock & key cutting, lost car keys replacement, re key and unlock door assistance. Locksmiths of today go beyond just audits and installation, they offer services to maintain and upgrade these systems installed by them. Brisbane locksmith come to offer services as a package of tasks that include auditing a space that requires security, upgrading existing systems, installing new security systems, installation of sophisticated security and vigilance equipment such as sensors, radars, security cameras and CCTV recording systems.
2.  Get the house cleaned up. While many folks will leave the house clean for you, some won’t.  Even if they do, you’ll want to clean everything for yourself.  You can hire a service to do a deep house cleaning, something I heartily recommend if time is tight, or you can do it yourself.  If you do it yourself, set up an area with all of the supplies and tools you’ll need to get the job done: buckets, brooms, mops, a vacuum, cleaners for each type of surface etc.  By hiring professional removal companies, like reliable removalist in Sydney, you’ll be able to clear out your rooms better in order to clean it up more thoroughly. Washing down cabinets, counters and plumbing fixtures and cleaning the carpeting etc. will make you feel good about the house. And don’t forget a healthy supply of rubber gloves. There are many good Carpet Cleaning Company who are always ready to clean house.
3. Paint all the walls and ceilings. This can be really time consuming, so you’ll probably want to hire professionals if you can. There’s no point in just slapping up a coat of paint if the walls and ceilings are damaged — if they have cracks, holes and other defects. Prepping these surfaces can be a real chore. So unless you have a relative or two who can help, save yourself a lot of time and just hire someone.
Also, if you’re short on time and the house is in dire straits and every surface needs painting, consider one neutral color for every room. This will just make it easier and limit the number of decisions you’ll have to make now. You can always go back and repaint rooms the colors you want as time permits.
4.  Get some organizers.  Many older houses suffer from closets that have a simple pole and shelf (if that).  Look at where you’ll store what and get the closets outfitted to accommodate everything, to make moving in less stressful and your life in the new house more enjoyable.
And don’t just look at the closets.  Think about where you’ll put everything, from winter boots to laundry detergent.  A well-placed extra shelf, coat hook etc. will go a long way toward making the house that much easier to live in.

JPMorgan’s $13-billion settlement includes $4 billion allocated for consumer mortgage relief | Chappaqua Homes

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JPMorgan Chase has agreed to a $13-billion settlement with the government over selling shoddy mortgage investments, ending a legal battle that signals a tougher stance against Wall Street wrongdoing.

The nation’s largest bank admitted to knowingly peddling the toxic securities that helped lead to the housing bubble and the worst financial meltdown since the Great Depression. The settlement is the largest made by any single American company in history.

California, slammed by 1 million foreclosures during the mortgage meltdown, will be a major beneficiary of the deal.

The agreement includes $4 billion to help homeowners in the Golden State and across the nation who were foreclosed on or who are struggling with their loans. California pension funds, which were big investors in mortgage securities, will receive nearly $300 million in damages to cover losses to the retirement accounts of state employees and teachers.

For the Justice Department, it was a much-needed win. Critics have lambasted the government for not doing enough to hold banks accountable for financial chicanery that helped trigger a global recession.

“Before the crisis, Big Brother was asleep on the couch,” said Mike Mayo, a banking analyst at CLSA in New York. “Now Big Brother is coming back with a vengeance.”

JPMorgan has long contended that the government’s case against it was unfair because many of the problem mortgage securities came from investment bank Bear Stearns Cos. and thrift Washington Mutual. JPMorgan purchased those crippled institutions at the depths of the financial crisis at the urging of the federal government.

Jamie Dimon, JPMorgan’s chairman and chief executive, said the bank was “pleased to have concluded this extensive agreement” that covers a “very significant portion” of its legacy mortgage problems.

 

 

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-jpmorgan-doj-deal-20131120,0,1814328.story#axzz2lCdeUPPK

 

Home sales in October weaken more than forecast | North Salem Real Estate

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Home sales declined for the second consecutive month in October, while prices continue to rise given a limited supply of homes for sale, the National Association of Realtors says.

Total existing home sales fell 3.2% to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 5.12 million in October from 5.29 million in September. They are 6% higher than the 4.83 million-unit level in October 2012.

Economists’ median forecast was for an annual rate of 5.25 million for last month, according to an Action Economics’ survey.

A flattening trend is expected, says Lawrence Yun, NAR chief economist.

“The erosion in buying power is dampening home sales,” he said. “Moreover, low inventory is holding back sales while at the same time pushing up home prices in most of the country.”

Recent housing data shows that the market “has come off the boil,” says Paul Diggle, economist with Capital Economics.

Home builder confidence moderated in October and there have been signs that price gains are slowing.

 

 

 

A Bubble in Rising Texas Markets? | Waccabuc Real Estate

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Trulia, the national real-estate data-crunching outfit, has been maintaining a “bubble watch” since May, 2013, tracking local markets where home prices are rising fast enough that the dollar signs threaten to outrun the “market fundamentals.” This week, Trulia’s bubble watch list puts four Texas metropolitan areas in its top ten, including the coastal markets of Houston and San Antonio.

Trulia chief economist, Jed Kolko, reports on the organization’s data in Forbes: “At the metro level, home prices are above their fundamental value in 17 of the 100 largest metros. Most of these overvalued metros are only slightly so: Of the 17 overvalued metros, just two–Orange County and Los Angeles–look at least 10% overvalued. (Austin rounds up to 10% but is actually slightly below.) Several California metros also stand out for having both overvalued prices AND sharp price increases, including Orange County, Los Angeles, Oakland, and Riverside-San Bernardino.” (For the full story, see “Trulia: Home Prices Are Simmering, Not Bubbling.”)

The Houston market, according to the Trulia report, is presently overvalued by 6% after rising 13.9% in the past year. San Antonio, the report says, is overvalued by 4% after rising by 11.1%.

Those numbers don’t qualify those cities for bubble status, even by Trulia’s reckoning—somewhat arbitrarily, Trulia reserves the “bubble” label for areas where it considers the prices to be more than 10% above what Trulia believes justified by underlying demand and production. But even so, Texans are taking exception to the inclusion of three Texas cities on the top ten list. Market watcher Steve Cook notes the controversy on his Real Estate Economy Watch blog (for Cook’s full post, see “Smile when you say ‘bubble,’ mister“).

“Dr. James Gaines, an economist with the Real Estate Center at Texas A&M University, responded that concerns about a price bubble in Texas’ housing markets are overblown,” writes Cook. “He said some of the recent increases are just making up for several years in the recession when Texas home prices were declining or flat.”

 

 

http://www.jlconline.com/home-prices/a-bubble-in-rising-texas-markets-.aspx

Florida Sinkhole Destroys Another Pair of Homes | Cross River Homes

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Florida’s porous limestone geology claimed two more victims last week as a 50-foot sinkhole opened up in a Dunedin, Florida, neighborhood. Awakened at night by a loud sound, the family first feared an intruder, homeowner Michael Dupre told a reporter: “I grabbed a rifle and start walking through the house so I could see what was going on,” he said. “And I hear the banging. … As I approach the back of the house and I see our back screen room just sticking out 3 feet off the ground, I knew instantly it opened up.” (The full report by Shyann Malone, WTSP-TV, Tampa-St. Petersburg, Fla., is carried at the USA Today website: see, “2 houses likely lost because of Florida sinkhole.”)

Ironically, repair work at the location had just begun a few days before, according to a report in the Tampa Tribune (for the full story, see: “Sinkhole swallows parts of two Dunedin homes,” by Stephen Thompson). The paper reports: “The Dupre family has been engaged in a months-long court battle with its insurance company, Citizens Property Insurance Corp., after a sinkhole was discovered on the property two years ago, said the family’s attorney, Jason Salgado.” Citizens had proposed a repair plan calling for a deep-compaction grout injection, at an estimated cost of around $100,000, the paper reports, while the family was holding out for a more costly intervention that would have involved shallow grouting as well, along with a possible installation of support pilings.

Nature beat the engineers and lawyers to the punch, however; last week, demolition and backfill was the only work being done. Most of the Dupre family’s household possessions were lost, USA Today reports (for the full story along with TV coverage by Eric Glasser of WTSP-TV, see “Crews demolish 1 home that Fla. sinkhole claimed“).

Sinkholes are widespread in Florida, USA Today notes—and especially common in Dunedin, where the city actually maintains a list of sinkhole locations. The majority of Florida sinkhole reports come from a region sometimes called “sinkhole alley,” which includes the counties of Hernando, Hillsborough, and Pasco.

But as the Los Angeles Times notes, Florida’s geology makes sinkholes a risk throughout the state, experts say (see “Is there any place in Florida safe from sinkholes? Technically, no,” by Soumya Karlamangla). Still, events like this one stand out: “The people who have been around the city for quite a while, in excess of 30 years, have no recollection of anything ever this big, probably by a factor of three or four times,” Dunedin city engineer Thomas Burke said. “For us, this is a major, major situation.”

Going forward, Floridians may have more and better information about the sinkhole risk in specific locations: This month, the Florida Geological Survey started a study that experts hope will result in a detailed statewide map of the risk—eventually. The Suwanee Democrat reports on that story here: (“Florida Geological Survey begins sinkhole vulnerability study“). “Field work commenced with documenting multiple sinkholes on private landowner’s property in the pilot study area of Suwannee, Columbia, and Hamilton counties,” the Democrat reports. “The data will be part of Geologic Information System data that will be compiled and processed in the study … The project is a three year study that will produce two maps: one in the pilot area and the other statewide. The pilot study is slated to end in May 2014, at which point the statewide assessment will begin.”

 

 

http://www.jlconline.com/erosion-control/florida-sinkhole-destroys-another-pair-of-homes.aspx

 

Ideas to Protect Coasts from Storm Surge | Katonah NY Homes

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In locations prone to storm surge flooding, zoning and code rules adopted at the state and local level require special measures to make homes safer from damage or destruction in a major storm. But hundreds of thousands of houses, commercial buildings, public structures, and industrial facilities already exist in flood-threatened areas, and fixing one building or facility at a time could take centuries—at a cost that boggles the minds of policy-makers.

So the Federal Government is looking to industry and academia for solutions that might work at a neighborhood scale, or even a regional scale. So far, policymakers are still at the brainstorming stage: This week, Shaun Donovan, U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, selected 10 project concepts from a candidate pool of 41 proposals submitted by teams of experts. It’s all part of the “Rebuild by Design” competition, launched last June by HUD as an effort of the Hurricane Sandy Task Force.

Reports the Washington Post: “The winning ideas include an array of strategies for making the coastline more resilient in an age of rising seas, including natural breakwaters that could take the punch out of storm surf headed for Staten Island, a ring of water-trapping canals and parks for Hoboken, N.J., and channels in Long Beach, N.Y., that would help drain Long Island’s coastal bays during storms or periods of heavy rain.” (For the full Post item, see: “Federal officials pick 10 ideas for making NY, NJ coastlines more resilient after Sandy,” by Associated Press).

Of course, there’s no guarantee that all of the ideas will ever become reality—or even that any of them will. Some could require billions of dollars in public funding—although other proposals, like the “Big U” concept suggested by Danish architecture firm Bjarke Ingals, might not. The Danes argue that major, big-ticket public works are hard to accomplish and may do more harm than good. Instead, they’re proposing a medley of smaller projects that address flood risks at the neighborhood or street level, which could be constructed independently on different schedules.

 

http://www.jlconline.com/stormwater-management/ideas-to-protect-coasts-from-storm-surge.aspx