Tag Archives: Westchester Homes for Sale

Westchester Homes for Sale

Washington sixth most expensive housing market | Bedford Corners Real Estate

Leave a reply

It might not be noticeable to anyone buying a house or condominium in the Washington area, but the region has slipped out of the top five most expensive markets.

Washington now ranks No. 6, based on median sales prices in May, according to real estate tracking company Zillow Inc. Price gains in the area are still healthy, but tame compared with some markets.

San Jose, Calif., is the most expensive housing market in the country, with a median sales price of $695,300 in May, up nearly 22 percent from a year ago.

In Washington, the median sales price in May was $331,600, up 6.3 percent from a year ago, Zillow reports.

San Francisco, San Diego, New York and Los Angles all had higher median sales prices than Washington recorded in May.

Detroit remains the cheapest big city for homebuyers, with a median sales price last month of just $87,400. Pittsburgh was second lowest, with a median $111,800.

 

Washington sixth most expensive housing market – Washington Business Journal.

Housing Market: From Recovery to Bubble–Already? | Armonk Real Estate

Leave a reply

Only a year after the housing market bottomed, “bubble” talk has surfaced as soaring, double-digit price gains sweep markets across the country.

An open house in Cheviot Hills—a neighborhood in West Los Angeles—attracted 150 people and brought in 14 bids before the home sold for 7 percent above the listing price at $2.9 million.

A loft in Manhattan’s SoHo district recently sold for $3.25 million after a bidding war pushed the price 10 percent above the asking price.

In Chicago’s Wrigleyville area, a two-flat greystone was bid up to $850,000, 6 percent above asking price, and sold to a single-family home converter who plans to add another floor and put it back on the market for $1.8 million.

“Prices in some areas are just out of control,” said Scott Tamkin, an agent with Keller Williams Realty in Los Angeles. “As soon as a good property comes on the market at a reasonable price—bam! It’s gone in multiple offers, often times in cash.”

U.S. home prices surged 12.1 percent in April from the same period a year ago, the biggest jump since February 2006 and the second straight month of double-digit gains, CoreLogic reported at the start of June.

Tight inventories, cheap money, and investor appetite are driving prices through the roof in some cities; particularly in hard-hit markets such as Phoenix and Las Vegas.

To be sure, not all areas are overheated nor have some even recovered since the downturn. But in most big cities, demand is hot, deals are quick, and many properties are getting bid up before selling for cash.

And even though home values are still a far cry from their peak in 2006, economists caution that prices in some areas have risen too far, too fast.

“It’s clearly not sustainable,” said Stan Humphries, chief economist at Zillow.

Wells Fargo Senior Economist Mark Vitner seconded that: “If investors don’t back off soon, it could lead to a bit of a price bubble.”

Prices have risen despite a lack of major improvement in fundamentals—namely jobs growth and incomes.

“Home prices need to moderate,” said Lawrence Yun, chief economist at the National Association of Realtors. “It’s bad news in terms of affordability and certainly not sustainable for prices to rise and incomes to lag.”

 

Housing Market: From Recovery to Bubble–Already?.

A bright spot of the 2013 U.S. solar market: PV for homes | Cross River Real Estate

Leave a reply

The U.S. market is forecast to install 4.4 GW of solar panels this year, a 33 percent increase from 2012, thanks in part by an expected surge in residential installations, according to a report released Tuesday.

The country added 723 MW of solar panels in the first quarter of 2013, up 33 percent from the first quarter of 2012, said the report by the Solar Energy Industries Association and GTM Research.

The anticipated growth in 2013 would be slower that what took place in 2012, when the amount of new solar generation jumped 76 percent.

The growing popularity of solar leases, falling prices for solar panels and efforts to reduce the costs of marketing, sales and permitting, have steadily boosted the growth of the solar market in recent years. The pace of installation has quickened, in particular, in the residential market, which  grew 53 percent from the first quarter of 2012 to the first quarter of 2013.

While federal, state and other local incentives still play a big role in the overall expansion of the solar market, their important will likely diminish as the incentive programs come to an end and solar companies, from manufacturers to installers, find ways to adjust and continue to grow their business.

The report highlighted California as a local market in which state incentives for residential systems have disappeared in two of the three big utilities’ territories, yet installation pace has continued to grow. Solar companies in California reported that they are increasingly able to install solar energy systems that could produce electricity at rates comparable to the retail prices charged by major utilities even if they use only the federal tax credit that covers 30 percent of the price of a system.

From the first quarter of 2012 to the first quarter of this year, the national average price for residential solar systems fell 15.8 percent to reach $4.93 per watt.

Declining state incentives is crimping the growth of the commercial market segment, which serves businesses, government agencies and other non-residential, non-utility customers. This segment is set to grow 18 percent in 2013; in 2012 it grew 29 percent, the report said.

Commercial installations tend to be larger, and customers want as short a pay-back period as possible and expect good energy savings by going solar. Those savings could be harder to achieve with lower subsidies. Commercial installations fell from the fourth quarter of 2012 to the first quarter of this year in key market such as California, Arizona, Hawaii and Massachusetts. New Jersey bucked the trend by growing 50 percent quarter over quarter.

The average price for commercial systems fell 15.6 percent to reach $3.92 per watt year over year.

 

A bright spot of the 2013 U.S. solar market: PV for homes — GigaOM Pro.

Connecticut Warns Of Possible Unsafe Water Conditions After Heavy Rains | Armonk Real Estate

Leave a reply

Water conditions in rivers and streams may be unsafe due to recent heavy rains throughout Fairfield County and the rest of the state, the state warns.

Many of Connecticut’s rivers and streams are experiencing higher than normal water levels and faster than normal currents, so anyone near the water or planning to go into the water needs to be aware of the conditions and use caution, according to the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection.

“This weekend’s weather forecast is for beautiful weather, and we encourage everyone to get out and safely enjoy Connecticut’s outdoors,” said DEEP Deputy Commissioner Susan Whalen. “Unfortunately, we have had incidents in recent days where people have been tubing or rafting on a fast-moving river and have gone missing. The state has experienced heavy rains in recent days, which mean that our rivers and streams are high and running fast, so everyone near the water needs to be extra careful.”

Canoeists and kayakers should scout all waterways before attempting to run the swollen rivers or streams, DEEP said on its website. Waterways may have dramatically changed since the last time it was traveled due to high water, strong currents and moved debris. Debris in swift moving water may catch a boat and force it and its passengers under the water, causing serious injuries or drowning, DEEP said.

Boaters on larger bodies of water and especially on rivers should also keep a sharp eye out – debris may lay just under the surface of the water and can be very difficult to spot in the muddied waters, DEEP said.

Tubing and rafting safety tips:

  • DEEP strongly recommends that everyone wear a life jacket – Connecticut law requires children under the age of 13 wear a properly fitting U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jacket at all times unless below deck or in an enclosed cabin.
  • Avoid consuming alcohol while engaging in water-related outdoor activities.
  • Know how to swim if entering the water.
  • Know the condition of the water and know your abilities – if there is any doubt about the water conditions – do not go.
  • Wear water shoes – especially if the waterbody is known to be rocky.
  • Never raft alone and always let someone know where you are going to and where and when you plan to return.
  • Check the weather forecast for your area and for areas upstream before departing for your trip.

Basic water safety tips:

  • Learn to swim – the best thing anyone can do to stay safe in and around the water is to learn to swim.
  • Never swim alone – always enter the water with a companion.
  • Supervise children at all times – even at areas with lifeguards.
  • Select an area that has good water quality and safe natural conditions.

 

Connecticut Warns Of Possible Unsafe Water Conditions After Heavy Rains | The Greenwich Daily Voice.

Mobilizing Your Website, What You Need to Know | Bedford NY Realtor

Leave a reply

Is your website or blog mobile-ready?

Are you wondering how to optimize it for mobile users?

To learn about the opportunities available in the mobile marketing world, I interview Greg Hickman for this episode of the Social Media Marketing podcast.

More About This Show

Social Media Marketing Podcast w/ Michael Stelzner

 

The Social Media Marketing podcast is a show from Social Media Examiner.

It’s designed to help busy marketers and business owners discover what works with social media marketing.

The show format is on-demand talk radio (also known as podcasting).

In this episode, I interview Greg Hickman, the founder of Mobile Mixed, a website that specializes in training marketers in mobile marketing. He also hosts The Mobile Mixed Podcast. Greg advises big brands on mobile marketing, including AT&T, Electronic Arts, Cabelas and Sony Pictures.

Greg shares what businesses should do to make their mobile experience more user-friendly.

You’ll learn about the best tools available to build your own mobile site and how to discover the kind of devices people are using to visit your site.

Share your feedback, read the show notes and get the links mentioned in this episode below!

Listen Now

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

You can also subscribe via iTunes, RSS, Stitcher or Blackberry.

Here are some of the things you’ll discover in this show:

Mobilizing Your Website

Why it’s important for businesses to think about the unique needs of mobile users

Greg shares why you have to think where your customer or audience is coming from. The way we consume content today—whether it be email, social, using search or listening to podcasts—is mainly through a mobile device.

The first entry point to you, your business or brand is more likely to be a mobile phone. You want the customers’ experience to be very friendly and optimized to whatever device they are on. Around 53% of the US population has a smartphone.

mobile mixed iphone screenshot

Mobile Mixed via smartphone.

You’ll discover why Greg believes email is overlooked when it comes to mobile.

Listen to the show to find out why Greg believes mobile email is an opportunity for marketers.

How to find out if mobile users are coming to your website

Greg recommends that the first thing you should do is look at analysis software such as Google Analytics. It will show you how many people in your current audience are coming to your site from a mobile device. It will also break out the numbers by specific device.

google analytics mobile

Google Analytics offers a great mobile analytics service.

You’ll probably discover that 20-50% of the overall visits to your site are coming from a mobile device.

Secondly, depending on your email service provider, some will offer insights into how many of the email opens are coming from mobile. You’ll find out why this is a good indicator if you’re a big emailer.

Greg shares how you can look to see from a social perspective if people engage with you from a mobile device on Twitter or Facebook.

 

Mobilizing Your Website, What You Need to Know | Social Media Examiner.

A new material coating could put chips inside our bodies | Bedford Corners Realtor

Leave a reply

Silicon is cheap — a feature that has made it a darling of the electronics industry. But it has a major problem: It doesn’t play well with people.

“People are the worst enemy of silicon,” said Paul Berger, an electrical and computer engineering professor at Ohio State University. “When we sweat, we sweat sodium and potassium out of our pores. That is the bane of a silicon device.” The electrolytes are common inside the body too, where they perform tasks like regulating fluid content and controlling muscles. Silicon sensors inserted under the skin quickly attract and absorb sodium and potassium, rendering them unreliable.

Berger and his colleagues decided to search for a way to protect silicon from electrolytes. They settled on aluminum oxide, which is used in everything from toothpaste to sandpaper. When a silicon sensor is coated with aluminum oxide, it can last up to 24 hours inside the human body.

The coating’s first application could be a quick 5-to-10 minute diagnostic test that can determine if a transplant recipient is in danger of rejecting an organ. Medical professionals would insert a needle covered in silicon sensors into a patient’s body to sense if proteins that indicate organ stress are present. Then they would do something Berger said is key: throw the needle away. Needles need to be disposable, and silicon can make that affordable.

 

Humans and silicon don’t mix, but a new material coating could put chips inside our bodies — Tech News and Analysis.

Rye Playland Hosts Latino Music Festival Sunday | Armonk Realtor

Leave a reply

Rye Playland will celebrate Latin American culture this Sunday when it hosts its annual Latino Music Festival.

The event will be hosted by comedian Rupert Vanderpool and feature performances by Latin Grammy-winning Dominican singer Milly Quezada and Otra Ruta. Special guests will include Banda Libre and El Jeffrey.

The festival will be held Sunday from noon to 6 p.m. Entry is free with admission to the park.

 

Rye Playland Hosts Latino Music Festival Sunday | The White Plains Daily Voice.

Mortgage rates rise at fastest pace in 10 years | North Salem Real Estate

Leave a reply

Mortgage rates are at historical lows, but they are increasing at the fastest pace in a decade, Businessweek claims in a new article.

Earlier this week, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said the Fed plans to taper off purchases of mortgage-backed securities once the unemployment rate hits 7%.

The news sent stock markets plunging around the world, the article noted.

“If people believe house prices are going up, credit availability will evolve,” said Paul Willen, a senior economist at the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston. “There is too much money to be made lending to homebuyers. Lenders will find a way.”

 

Mortgage rates rise at fastest pace in 10 years | HousingWire.

Key takeaways on rising home sales | Mt Kisco Real Estate

Leave a reply

If you exclude November 2009, when home sales spiked amid a frenzy to claim a tax credit for first-time home buyers, home sales are running at their highest rate in six years, writes the Wall Street Journal.

The National Association of Realtors reported on Thursday that sales in May rose to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 5.18 million homes. They reached a level of 5.44 million in November 2009, and 5.27 million in May 2007, when the housing market collapse accelerated. They hit a low of 3.45 million in July 2010, after the last round of home-buyer tax credits expired.

See the key takeaways from the Wall Street Journal on these rising home prices here.

Key takeaways on rising home sales | HousingWire.

Second-home sales shift to Generation X | South Salem Real Estate

Leave a reply

The average age of a consumer looking to buy a second home is 50, said Chris Kelsey, president of Long Cove, a private community on Cedar Creek Lake built to give Dallas-area families a close-to-home getaway. 

“A lot of people are wondering how the desires of consumers are changing now that we’re coming out of the recession,” said Kelsey. 

The whole second-home industry has been predicated on Baby Boomers, said Kelsey, although the industry is now crossing the threshold from Boomer to Generation X. 

“Boomers are becoming grandparents,” said Kelsey, who noted that their motivation for buying is often for extended family. On the other hand, Generation X is simply approaching the natural point in life where a second home becomes a feasible option. 

What’s interesting, notes Kelsey, is the language used by the Baby Boomers compared to Generation X. Boomers often refer to their second home as a “vacation home,” while Gen X typically calls it a “second home.”

“This distinction is important to them because they don’t see their resort property as a place for vacation,” said the Kelsey & Norden Resort Real Estate Survey. “Instead, they think of it as an extension of their regular lives, a second home where they are connected to a community of like-minded friends and can provide their kids an alternative experience to their urban or suburban neighborhoods. And with the shift comes a similar shift in vocabulary.”

Kelsey added that Gen X is notorious for its distaste for gated communities and their dislike of inclusivity. “They may want a gated community, they may just not want to celebrate the fact that they’re in a gated community,” said Kelsey. 

 

Second-home sales shift to Generation X | HousingWire.