Tag Archives: Westchester Homes for Sale

Westchester Homes for Sale

6 quick and inexpensive ways to turn real estate technology excuses into solutions | Bedford Hills Real Estate

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Homebuyers and sellers today make inferences about real estate agents’ professionalism based on their ability to use current technology. The image we project to the public is heavily influenced by whether or not we keep up with the level of technological service they have come to expect from other industries.

This isn’t about being the most advanced and tech-savvy agent in your city. It’s about adopting the common-sense technology practices that make your business, and your relationship with your clients, more professional. Using technology responsibly and proactively allows us to enhance our outward business persona, as opposed to continually making excuses for why we’re not on board.

We often focus on the cutting edge of technology, but for those who may need a bit of sharpening up, there are a few quick and inexpensive ways to get past objections and move on to a stronger technology reputation:

1. Adjust Your Smartphone Attitude. Statistically, it appears a fair number agents still don’t have a smartphone. There’s not much to say here. $99 — do it. Today.

2. Mobile Communication Is Still Business Communication.“Please excuse any spelling errors – sent from my mobile. …” Erase this from your mobile email signatures. Remove it from every device you own. It shows a lack of care. Here is what it says to your clients/associates:“I am too lazy to properly use this handheld device that has more computing power than the first Space Shuttle.

I’m going to send you a garbled message because you’re not worth the 10 seconds it would have taken to fix it. LOL CUL8R K?” –

 

See more at: http://www.inman.com/next/6-quick-and-inexpensive-ways-to-turn-real-estate-technology-excuses-into-solutions/#sthash.6Vgop77O.dpuf

Memphis real estate market continues improvement | Cross River Real Estate

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The rebound in the Shelby County housing market continued in the second quarter.

Total home sales in the quarter were up 11 percent from previous year levels, with a total of 4,226 total homes sold in the county. According to Chandler Reports,total sales volume was up 21 percent as well.

The average sales price in Shelby County was $141,303, a 9 percent improvement over the $129,316 average sales price in the second quarter of last year.

The 38017 ZIP code in Collierville saw the highest number of sales in the quarter. A total of 290 homes were sold in that area alone.

 

Memphis real estate market continues improvement – Memphis Business Journal.

Cubans on the move as new real estate market grows | Bedford Real Estate

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“Its capitalist!” So goes the Cuban real estate description of a great house to buy. After President Raul Castro eased restrictions in 2011, the housing market is beginning to boom, though underground maneuvers are of course part of the wheeling and dealing.

HAVANA — At an informal housing market on Havana’s historic Paseo del Prado, Renaldo Belen puts the hard sell on a prospective buyer under a tree hung with hand-lettered signs advertising homes for sale.

A house near Boyeros, the avenue to the city’s airport, is being offered for the equivalent of $120,000, with all the amenities.

“The house is beautiful. It has four bedrooms, a pool with a bar and a fountain with a lion’s head on top. Look,” says Belen, pointing to photos on the sign, “water comes out of the lion’s mouth.”

Pausing for dramatic effect, Belen, one of the many touts, or “runners” working at the market, delivers what he hopes will be the coup de grace.

“This place needs no work. It is of capitalist construction,” he says, using a now frequently invoked commendation meaning it was built before Cuba’s 1959 revolution and is therefore of superior quality.

Given that “capitalist” has been a dirty word in communist-run Cuba for the last half century, the description perhaps grates on the nerves of Cuban leaders.

Cuban real estate market grows: A child stands at the door of a farm with a 'For Sale' notice on the outskirts of Havana Tuesday. IMAGEReuters: Desmond Boylan

But its widespread usage is a sign of the times on the Caribbean island, where President Raul Castro has loosened things up as he tries to modernize the country’s economy in the name of preserving the socialist system put in place by his older brother Fidel Castro.

Cubans on the move as new real estate market grows.

Jackie Chan’s Former Beverly Hills Home for Sale | Katonah Real Estate

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Everybody is kung-fu fighting for Jackie Chan’s former home — or so the seller hopes.

The action-film star’s former estate, located at 1705 Green Acres Dr, Beverly Hills, CA 90210, lives up to the luxuriously retro vibe that the street seems to emanate. The adjacent “Greenacres” estate, formerly owned by silent film star Harold Lloyd, hosted a number of movie stars over the decades, including Alan Ladd, Mary Pickford and Marilyn Monroe, who filmed a scene from “How to Marry a Millionaire” at the property.

Glamour has never been cheap, so at $9.5 million, the price on Chan’s former home is fitting.

Built in 1986, the 7,638-square-foot, 5-bedroom, 6-bathroom home was owned by Chan for several years until he sold it for $6.3 million in 2005, according to property records. The estate has all the amenities expected in a Beverly Hills mansion including 2 automatic gates, a fountain centering a circular driveway, a grand double-door entry, a high foyer featuring an enamel inlaid chandelier and a professional wet bar with a wine cellar.

The detailed designs displayed throughout the home are spectacular, from the intricate golden staircase to the stained-glass windows in the master bathroom. The nearly $10 million price tag also includes most of the furniture, except personal collections and accessories.

The piano is not included, but no need to fret: The sound system in the spacious family room is there to guide the new owners on whatever musical journey their hearts desire. Entertainment is made easy with a gourmet kitchen and an exterior pool/spa/barbecue area.

Chan is also set to continue entertaining audiences with his lovable humor and famous action moves, with upcoming projects including “The Expendables 3,” “Skiptrace” and “Kung Fu Panda 3″ in the works.

 

Jackie Chan’s Former Beverly Hills Home for Sale | Zillow Blog.

Seattle Residential real-estate market makes recovery | Chappaqua Real Estate

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After a bumpy 2011 and a slow-starting 2012, there is no disputing the residential real-estate market this year has pulled out of the depths of the mortgage crisis.

For the last 18 months, the median home price in King County has gone up each month when compared to the same month a year ago. Since January, the median price also has gone up each month from the previous month. Median means half the homes sold for more, half for less.

The high-water mark was set in July 2007, when the median price of a single-family home in King County was $481,000.

A closer look at the submarkets in June shows the same basic trend with a few twists.

• Eastside: The most expensive area keeps its title. In the last two years, the median has moved up 16 percent to $591,825 from $510,000 in June 2011. The July 2007 median high was: $628,000.

• Seattle: The median is $458,000, up 19.7 percent from $382,500 in June 2011. The July 2007 median: $499,000.

• North King County: The median is $375,000, up 22.4 percent from $306,250 in June 2011. The July 2007 median: $448,250.

Foreclosures and short sales hit the southern end of the county the hardest. Even so, the prices have increased.

• Southwest King County (Burien, Tukwila, Des Moines, Federal Way, west Kent): The median is $240,000, up 28 percent from $187,500 in June 2011. The July 2007 median: $330,000.

• Southeast King County (Renton, east Kent, Auburn, Maple Valley): The median is $292,100, up 21.7 percent from $239,900 in June 2011. The July 2007 median: $375,000.

If you have been sitting on the sidelines the last two years, you have missed the bottom in terms of prices and interest rates.

Mortgage buyer Freddie Mac reported Thursday the average on the 30-year loan rose to 4.51 percent, a two-year high.

The average on the 15-year fixed mortgage increased to 3.53 percent from 3.39 percent last week. That’s the highest since August 2011.

Just two months ago, the average rate on the 30-year loan was 3.35 percent — barely above the record low of 3.31 percent.

 

Residential real-estate market makes recovery | Business & Technology | The Seattle Times.

Saddle Up With These Southwestern Homes | Bedford Hills Real Estate

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There’s nothing like a good Western film to make you want to grab your cowboy boots and move to the desert. Fortunately, unlike fictional ghost towns with tumbleweed rolling by, Southwestern homes are full of life with Spanish and Pueblo influences giving rise to a variety of architectural styles — from traditional adobe constructions to homes with colonial flair. Here’s a look at a few of our favorites currently on the market.

Tucson, AZ

2376 E Placita De La Victoria, Tucson, AZ
For sale: $1.55 million

Tucson, AZ
Adjacent to Pima Canyon, this Tucson home is a contemporary take on classic adobe design. Inside, 4 masonry fireplaces, custom-milled doors and wood-beamed ceilings create a canvas for Southwestern-style rugs and other native design elements.

Santa Fe, NM

558 Camino Del Monte Sol, Santa Fe, NM
For sale: $1.2 million

Santa Fe, NM
Frank Applegate, a famed Santa Fe architect and sculptor who founded the Spanish Colonial Arts Society, built this 4-bedroom house in 1921 when Camino del Monte Sol was just a dirt road. Today, Applegate is considered one of the masters of Pueblo revival or Santa Fe style. A great room was added by architect William Lumpkins around 1978, but several original architectural details remain.

Saint George, UT

2410 Entrada Trl Unit 1, Saint George, UT 
For sale: $759,000

Saint George, UT
Located in the southwestern corner of Utah, bordering Arizona and Nevada, this 4,511-square-foot home blends with the surrounding red-rock mesas and alpine wilderness. Saint George has attracted retirees and second-home owners over the past 20 years with several parks, bike trails and golf courses nearby.

Long Beach, CA

440 Ximeno Ave, Long Beach, CA
For sale: $399,900

Long Beach, CA
Built in 1923, this Long Beach home is full of Spanish influences, with built-ins, archways, classic moldings, period windows and touches of turquoise and orange throughout. Minutes from the Colorado Lagoon and the Pacific Ocean, the bungalow is in a prime location for Southern California beach lovers.

El Paso, TX

1709 Old Paint Dr, El Paso, TX
For sale: $355,000

El Paso, TX
Part of a new Spanish revival development in El Paso, this home mixes traditional architectural features with contemporary amenities including custom-designed cabinetry, quartz countertops and stainless steel appliances.

 

Saddle Up With These Southwestern Homes | Zillow Blog.

Another ‘bubble’ in housing is unlikely | Katonah Real Estate

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Home sales and prices are increasing so dramatically, many people are wondering if another “bubble” situation might be just around the corner.

 

Most housing industry leaders and economists doubt a housing bubble will resurface in the foreseeable future. Despite double-digit price gains in many markets, the housing outlook is bubble free for now as the sector recovers for the next several years, experts say.

 

Leading off a panel of economists addressing a gathering of journalists, Lawrence Yun, chief economist for the National Association of Realtors, said he expected a multiyear recovery as home price growth lifts more owners out of underwater situations and helps the economy.

 

“Housing wealth is easily offsetting the negative effect of sequestration,” Yun told the National Association of Real Estate Editors. But the normally housing bullish economist tempered his optimism because double-digit increases in home prices are outpacing income growth, it was noted in a Real Trends report.

 

“Any time that happens over a sustained period it is an unhealthy state for the country,” Yun added.

 

The Wall Street Journal posted the following statement in explaining why the market might look as though another bubble might be emerging:

 

“The fact that homes are selling quickly is in large part due to supply and demand. The past five years have seen subdued construction activity and many homes either tied up in foreclosure or ‘underwater’ due to negative home equity, all adding up to constrained supply.”

 

Q: Are mortgage interest rates still rising?

 

A: Yes, they are rising dramatically. The largest weekly increase in more than 26 years was announced by Freddie Mac on June 27. Rates on 30-year, fixed-rate home loans spiked 0.53 percentage points to an average of 4.46 percent during the week.

 

The 30-year loan, which stood at 3.35 percent as recently as early May, is at its highest level since July 2011, it was reported by CNN Money. Rates for 15-year loans, popular with homeowners refinancing their mortgages, jumped 0.46 percentage points to 3.5 percent.

 

An extra percentage point will cost homebuyers with 30-year, fixed-rate mortgages $56 more a month for every $100,000 they borrow, it was noted.

 

Q: Will rising mortgage rates make homes less affordable?

 

A: The steady increase in mortgage rates in recent weeks, coupled with rising home prices, may dampen demand, but the upward movement in rates is not enough to make housing unaffordable to median income earners, according to Freddie Mac’s economic and housing outlook for June.

 

In fact, Freddie’s analysis showed mortgage rates would have to climb to nearly 7 percent before a median priced home is no longer affordable to median income earners in most parts of the country.

 

Another ‘bubble’ in housing is unlikely.

Hot Real Estate Market Causes Unexpected Glitch For Buyers, Sellers | Cross River Real Estate

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The real estate market in the Boston area has been crazy lately and that’s adding up to trouble for both buyers and sellers.

 

Demand is way up and inventory is way down. That means buyers are all chomping at the bit to bid on the few houses that are on the market. “I’ve had clients this spring who have offered on properties without even seeing them,” explained realtor Kerrianne Ciccone.

 

In the most popular neighborhoods, sellers are routinely getting multiple offers above the asking price. While that may sound like great news for Ciccone’s clients like Neil Maniar, it can create some problems. “You never quite know what you are going to get into when you sell your house,” Maniar said.

 

One of the biggest unknowns in the current market is the appraisal. If a bidding war pushes the price above asking, the appraisal may come in too low.

 

 

Appraisers use recent sales to set the value of a home, but prices have been rising so fast that sales from a few months ago are out of step with current rates. That, according to Boston realtor P.T. Vineburgh, can put both buyer and seller back to square one. “It could completely create an inability for someone to secure financing,” he said. “Our company has definitely lost deals,” he added.

 

New rules to avoid another mortgage meltdown are also causing problems. Banks can no longer hire their own appraisers and that means appraisers are sometimes sent to unfamiliar territory. Vineburgh says he almost lost a deal because an appraiser from the Cape was sent to evaluate a condo in the Back Bay.

 

“He valued the parking space at like $20, 000,” he said. You may recall a parking space in that neighborhood recently sold for $560,000.

 

If you are a buyer and your appraisal comes in low, here are a few things to try.

 

Put more money down. The bank is more likely to sign off if you improve the loan-to-value ratio.

Renegotiate the price with the seller. They may be willing to come down rather than start from scratch.

Find another bank and hope the appraisal comes back higher.

Everything worked out for the Maniars, but it was a stressful time. “There certainly were a couple of knots in our stomachs,” he said.

 

Rising interest rates could put a damper on this frenzied market, but as long as inventories stay low, there will still be stiff competition for the few homes that are available.

 

Hot Real Estate Market Causes Unexpected Glitch For Buyers, Sellers « CBS Boston.

Rising mortgage rates hit home affordability | Mt Kisco Real Estate

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The much talked-about recovery of the housing market, which has buoyed home sales up from recession lows, has come about through intervention from the Federal Reserve, record low interest rates, and higher home prices that have helped borrowers across the nation improve their financial standing.

Both low interest rates and higher home prices have played a role in the housing recovery changes, but as mortgage rates begin to tick upward, housing affordability will decrease, which in turn could cause a pause in the recovery’s progression.

Evidence of an upcoming bump in the road is not yet evident in the numbers. The most recent figures all pointed to a surging recovery: The Department of Commerce reported that sales of new homes rose in May to the highest annual rate since July 2008, while Standard & Poor’s Case-Shiller index of property values showed home prices posted the highest annual gain in more than seven years in April.

But mortgage rates are now rising higher and faster than previously, though there is little precedent for such movement. Between the beginning of May and the end of June, the average interest rate for a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage surged from 3.59 percent to 4.68 percent, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association. Interest rates are now at their highest level since 2011.

Mortgage rates began a swift climb in early May from record low levels, making May the last month that mortgage rates will boost housing affordability above month-over-month and year-over-year levels, reported the National Association of Realtors. But for month of May, the pressure on affordability came from record-high home prices. In all regions across the United States, affordability was down from the previous month. The South experienced the largest month-over-month drop, and the biggest year-over-year drop came in the West.

According to the association’s report, while affordability will certainly weaken in upcoming months, because the metric is coming down from such a high level, affordability should remain historically favorable despite rising mortgage rates and home prices.

A new survey conducted by Fannie Mae showed consumers believe that mortgage rates will continue to increase over the next year. The number of respondents who thought so jumped 11 percentage points from May to hit 57 percent in June, the highest level in the survey’s three-year history. People expecting home prices to increase over the same period also hit a survey high of 57 percent. Only 7 percent believe prices will decline.

“Consumers may recognize that today’s still favorable mortgage rates and home ownership affordability levels will recede over time,” Doug Duncan, senior vice president and chief economist at Fannie Mae, said in a press release. “Given rising home and rental price expectations and improving personal financial attitudes, more prospective homebuyers may be deciding that now is the time to get off the fence.”

 

 

Rising mortgage rates hit home affordability.

Rooftop solar takes off across California as costs come down | Bedford Hills Real Estate

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California’s groundbreaking efforts to encourage homeowners and businesses to install rooftop solar panels were so successful in 2012 that the program is now effectively winding down, according to a new report.

A record 391 megawatts of solar power were installed statewide in 2012, a growth of 26 percent from 2011, according to a report by the California Solar Initiative released Wednesday.

“The program has made solar affordable for ordinary Californians,” said Susannah Churchill of the San Francisco-based solar advocacy group Vote Solar. “Solar is a classic California success story.”

In January 2007, California launched an unprecedented $3.3 billion effort to install 3,000 megawatts of new solar over

the next decade and transform the market for solar energy by reducing the cost of solar-generating equipment.

One megawatt is enough to power 750 to 1,000 homes. But because the sun doesn’t shine all the time, solar industry experts say that one megawatt of solar can power about 200 households.

The California Public Utilities Commission’s California Solar Initiative, known as CSI,provides rebates for residential and commercial customers of the state’s three large, investor-owned utilities: Pacific Gas & Electric, Southern California Edison and San Diego Gas & Electric.

The initiative’s road map calls for 1,750 new megawatts of solar power to be installed on residential and commercial roofs in the state by

 

 

Rooftop solar takes off across California as costs come down – San Jose Mercury News.