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Westchester Homes for Sale

7 Steps To Help Your Home Age Comfortably in South Salem NY | South Salem Real Estate

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A survey by AARP earlier this year found that 33 percent of adults older than 45 have modified their homes to allow them to age comfortably in place. 

Aging-in-place modifications can include: 

1.   Decorative grab bars in showers

 

2.   Step-free entrances

 

3.   Levered door handles

 

4.   Raised electrical outlets

 

5.   Bathrooms that can accommodate wheelchairs

 

6.   Widened doorways to accommodate walkers

 

7.   Higher toilets

 

Mike Leary, founder of Rochester, N.Y., firm Access Lifts & Ramps, says business is brisk and he expects it to continue to grow. “If my kids stay in the business, they’ll be the ones to make out well,” Leary says. “They’ll be taking care of me. I’m in the middle of the Baby Boomers.”

 

NAR Article

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Existing Sales Rise 5.6% In November According to NAR | Mt Kisco Real Estate

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Existing-home sales got back on an upward path in November, resuming a growth trend since bottoming in July, according to the National Association of REALTORS®.  

Existing-home sales, which are completed transactions that include single-family, townhomes, condominiums, and co-ops, rose 5.6 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.68 million in November from 4.43 million in October, but are 27.9 percent below the cyclical peak of 6.49 million in November 2009, which was the initial deadline for the first-time buyer tax credit. 

Lawrence Yun, NAR chief economist, is hopeful for 2011. “Continuing gains in home sales are encouraging, and the positive impact of steady job creation will more than trump some negative impact from a modest rise in mortgage interest rates, which remain historically favorable,” he said. 

Yun added that home buyers are responding to improved affordability conditions. “The relationship recently between mortgage interest rates, home prices and family income has been the most favorable on record for buying a home since we started measuring in 1970,” he said. “Therefore, the market is recovering, and we should trend up to a healthy, sustainable level in 2011.” 

The national median existing-home price for all housing types was $170,600 in November, up 0.4 percent from November 2009. Distressed homes have been a fairly stable market share, accounting for 33 percent of sales in November; they were 34 percent in October and 33 percent in November 2009. 

Foreclosures, which accounted for two-thirds of the distressed sales share, sold at a median discount of 15 percent in November, while short sales were discounted 10 percent in comparison with traditional home sales. 

Inventory Drops
Total housing inventory at the end of November fell 4.0 percent to 3.71 million existing homes available for sale, which represents a 9.5-month supply at the current sales pace, down from a 10.5-month supply in October. 

NAR President Ron Phipps said good buying opportunities will continue. “Traditionally there are far fewer buyers competing for properties at this time of the year, so serious buyers have a lot of opportunities during the winter months,” he said. “Buyers will enjoy favorable affordability conditions into the new year, although mortgage rates are expected to gradually rise as 2011 progresses.” 

According to Freddie Mac, the national average commitment rate for a 30-year, conventional, fixed-rate mortgage rose to 4.30 percent in November from a record low 4.23 percent in October; the rate was 4.88 percent in November 2009. 

“In the short term, mortgage interest rates should hover just above recent record lows, while home prices have generally stabilized following declines from 2007 through 2009,” Yun said. “Although mortgage interest rates have ticked up in recent weeks, overall conditions remain extremely favorable for buyers who can obtain credit.” 

A parallel NAR practitioner survey shows first-time buyers purchased 32 percent of homes in November, the same as in October, but are below a 51 percent share in November 2009 from the surge to beat the initial deadline for the first-time buyer tax credit. 

Investors accounted for 19 percent of transactions in November, also unchanged from October, but are up from 12 percent in November 2009; the balance of sales were to repeat buyers. All-cash sales were at 31 percent in November, up from 29 percent in October and 19 percent a year ago. “The elevated level of all-cash transactions continues to reflect tight credit market conditions,” Yun said. 

Single-Family Homes Sales Jump
Single-family home sales rose 6.7 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.15 million in November from 3.89 million in October, but are 27.3 percent below a surge to a 5.71 million cyclical peak in November 2009. The median existing single-family home price was $171,300 in November, which is 1.2 percent above a year ago. 

Existing condominium and co-op sales declined 1.9 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 530,000 in November from 540,000 in October, and are 32.2 percent below the 782,000-unit tax credit rush one year ago. The median existing condo price was $165,300 in November, down 5.5 percent from November 2009. “At the current stage of the housing cycle, condos are offering better deals for bargain hunters,” Yun said.

NAR

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Lewisboro NY Home Prices Will Be Flat Through 2015 | Lewisboro Real Estate

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The recovery of housing prices will take at least four more years, according to a monthly survey of 110 leading economists and real estate experts, significantly longer than previously estimated.

Housing prices will rise only 7.2 percent by 2014 and the aggregate value of U.S. single-family homes four years from now will be roughly $1 trillion less than the economists projected in May, said Terry Loeb of MacroMarkets, the firm conducting the survey, which is based upon the projected path of the S&P/Case-Shiller U.S. National Home Price Index over the coming five years. 

”For the first time, in this month’s survey, our panelists provided their expectations through 2015. Less than 3% of the panel expects negative change in 2015, and at +3.7 percent, the average of the forecasts for that year is slightly higher than the average annual rate of national home price appreciation that prevailed in the decade prior to the historic bubble.  Yet, at +7.2%, the average projection of cumulative home price performance through 2014 reached its lowest point since survey inception for the second consecutive month,” said Robert Shiller, MacroMarkets co-founder and chief economist.

“The survey data we collected this year have consistently pointed to price stability in the intermediate- to long-term, which is reassuring in light of the volatility in actual home prices we have witnessed during the past few years.  However, most experts foresee a longer road to recovery, and materially lower price performance in the coming years than they did just a few months ago,” said Terry Loebs, MacroMarkets managing director.

Since the third quarter of 2006, near the height of the housing boom, prices have fallen 28 percent by the third quarter of this year, according to the S&P/ Case-Shiller US National Price Index.  The index rose 14.2 percent from the first quarter of 2009 until the second quarter of 2010, when the housing tax credits were in effect.  The latest MacroMarkets Home Price Expectations Survey was conducted during the period December 1st through December 15th.

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10 Ways to Pick Your Paint Color In North Salem NY | North Salem NY Real Estate

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Picking house paint colors isn’t just difficult. It’s terrifying! Pick colors that are blah, and your house will seem flat and featureless. But if the colors you pick are too bold, they might overwhelm the architecture… and upset the neighbors.

The best colors will highlight the most beautiful features of your home. Skillful use of color can even disguise design flaws, boosting the curb appeal and market value of your home. How do you find that magic color combination? Follow these tips.

1. Honor History
If you’re planning to paint an older home, you’ll probably want to use a historically accurate color scheme. You can hire a pro to analyze old paint chips and recreate the original color. Or, you can refer to historic color charts and select shades that might have been used at the time your home was built.

2. Jazz Up the Past
In some neighborhoods, homeowners fly in the face of history. Instead of choosing historically accurate colors, they paint their houses modern colors to dramatize architectural details. Using bright colors on old architectural details can produce startling and exciting results. But before you buy 10 gallons of bubblegum pink, it’s a good idea to look at what your neighbors are doing. A fluorescent colored Victorian that looks splendid in San Francisco will seem wildly out of place in more conservative neighborhoods.

3. Consider Your Neighbors
The house next door can give you paint color ideas, but don’t copy your neighbor exactly. Choose colors that set your house apart, without clashing with nearby buildings.

4. Borrow From Nature
The landscape around your house is blooming with color ideas. Trees may suggest an earthy palette of greens and browns. A beach setting might suggest vivid blues, turquoises, and coral colors. Even the garden in your front yard can inspire exciting color combinations.

5. Check the Roof
Your house is your canvas, but it is not blank. Some colors are already established. What color is your roof? Your paint color doesn’t need to match the roof, but it should harmonize.

6. Look For Things That Won’t Be Painted
Every home has some features that will not be painted. Does your house have brick walls? Vinyl windows? A natural wooden door? Will steps and interior railings remain their existing colors? Choose a color scheme that harmonizes with colors already present on your house.

7. Find Inspiration in Your Living Room
It may seem comical to paint entire house based on the pattern of a pillow case, but this approach does make sense. The color of your furnishings will guide you in the selection of your interior paint colors, and your interior paint colors will influence the colors you use outside. Once again, your goal is to harmonize.

8. Focus on Details
Depending on the size and complexity of your home, you may want to choose two, three, or as many as six colors. In addition to color for your siding, select accent colors for shutters, moldings, doors, window sashes, brackets, columns, and porch decks. But beware: too many colors will overwhelm your house. Too few can make your house seem flat and uninteresting.

9. Use Light to Add Size
It’s no wonder large, grand estates are often painted white. Light colors make a building look larger, and white is the favored color for traditional classical architecture. You can add to your home’s sense of size and dignity by using white or a pale cream color.

10. Go Dark For Drama
Dark siding or dark bands of trim will make your house seem smaller, but will draw more attention to details. Darker shades are best for accenting recesses, while lighter tones will highlight details that project from the wall surface. On traditional Victorian homes, the darkest paint is often used for the window sashes.

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Why You Need A Realtor in Pound Ridge NY | Pound Ridge Real Estate

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Whether buying or selling a home, you need a real estate agent to help with the transaction. A real estate agent has access to information not available publicly that can help in pricing the home or determining if the asking price is fair. Additionally, an agent will help in dealing with potential buyers, marketing the home and handling the details of the sale or purchase. 

Proprietary Knowledge 

In most communities, homes for sale appear in a locally-produced publication called the Multiple Listing Service. While much of the information on homes in the MLS can be found on the Internet, not all of it can. You need a real estate agent to help with the purchase or sale of your home because an agent will have access to all of the MLS information.

This proprietary information includes the actual sales price of each home sold, not just the listing price. Additionally, the MLS information will include the number of days a home was on the market prior to closing. Both pieces of information are valuable in knowing how to market your home or evaluate the appropriateness of the price asked for a home in the area that you are considering.

Expertise and Experience

Buying or selling a home is a complicated process. Many homebuyers or sellers feel they need a real estate agent to help them navigate all aspects of their transaction. A real estate agent is experienced in pricing homes, preparing homes to be marketed and attracting potential buyers. Agents are experienced as well in dealing with potential buyers and moving the home through the closing process.

Dealing With Buyers

If you are selling your home, you need a real estate agent to handle calls and questions from potential buyers. Additionally, a real estate agent will show the property, meaning that you don’t have to be available to do so. And if offers are made, a real estate agent acts as a go-between during negotiations. The negotiation process can become emotional, and many people feel they need a real estate agent to keep this process professional.

Help in Marketing

As mentioned above, including a home in the Multiple Listing Service advertises the property to a wider pool of potential buyers. However, there is more to marketing a home than publicizing that it is available. In addition to exposing the home to a wider market, an experienced real estate agent also can help prepare the home to be marketed to its best advantage. A real estate agent will know the strengths and weakness of a home as seen through the eyes of potential buyers and can help stage it to be most appealing.

Help in Closing

Closing the sale of a home requires correctly completing extensive paperwork. Even accepting an offer in the form of a contract needs to be correctly executed. Money can be lost or sales of opportunities missed if this is not done correctly and in a timely manner. An experienced real estate agent should have experience in completing the complex documentation required to buy or sell a home.

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Beatle Wants to Sell His Aspen Ranch For $4.5 Million | Bedford Luxury Homes

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Ringo Starr and his wife, Barbara, are asking $4.5 million for their three-bedroom vacation home near Aspen, Colorado.

The 70-year-old Beatles drummer, who continues to tour with his All Starr Band, bought the home in 1990. The wood cabin sits on about 16 flat acres in Woody Creek and has frontage on Roaring Fork River. The roughly 3,200-square-foot cabin was built in 1987 and is surrounded by unused horse paddocks. 

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Armonk NY Buyers Ask Me Should I Buy Or Rent | Armonk NY Real Estate

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Robert Paul Realtor in Armonk NY

Robert Paul Realtor in Armonk NY

Field Guide to Buying vs. Renting

Is it better to Buy or Rent? Whether renting is better than buying depends on many factors.  The information listed here will assist you in helping answer this question. Included are statistics and studies on homeowners and renters as well as financing options and tips. (M. Glick, Senior Information Specialist)

 

Rent-to-Own Deals: Smart Questions to Ask…

For Sellers:

· Who will tend to the property and pay for routine maintenance?

· Who pays for major repairs?

· What are the costs of setting up and managing an escrow account for the portion of rent allotted to the down payment?

· Will you manage the property yourself, or hire an agent?

· What if the renters change their minds? Who keeps the money in the escrow account?

· If the buyers change their minds, what will be required to put the property back on the market?

 

For Buyers:

· How much of the rent is going to the down payment?

· How locked in are you if you change your mind?

· What will it cost you to get out of the deal?

· How long will it take to accumulate enough of a down payment that you are likely to qualify for a mortgage?

 

NAR

 

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Buy a Foreclosure Property With A 203K Loan In Katonah NY | Katonah NY Real Estate

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When you find a great foreclosure property and want to buy it, you find out you need all cash.  The government has come out with a new mortgage loan called a section 203K loan. 

Get a 203K Loan with Robert Paul Realtor

Get a 203K Loan with Robert Paul Realtor

 

 

Most foreclosure sales require all cash because the property is in bad shape and conventional loans do not allow below average property conditions.  FHA has a new loan to allow buyers to buy handyman specials and fix them up.  The buyer/borrower gets one mortgage to acquire and rehabilitate the home.

 

The 203K loan is determined by the projected value of the property after purchase and repairs.  This loan is available for owner occupied 1-4 families and condo units.  During the loan application the bank’s appraiser will determine the “as-is” values and “value after rehabilitation.”  The buyer has to get (A) “plot plan of the site,”  (B) “proposed interior plan.”  And (C) “work write-up and cost estimates.”  The work must start in 30 days and be completed within 6 months.

 

Work can include the following:

A)   structural alteration and reconstruction

B)   changes for improved functions and modernization.

C)   Elimination of health and safety hazards

D)   Changes for aesthetic appeal and demolition of obsolescence.

E)    Redecorating or replacement of plumbing.

F)    Installation of well and/or septic system.

G)   Roofing, gutters, and downspouts.

H)   Flooring, tiling and carpeting

I) Energy conservation improvements

J) Major landscape work and site improvements.

K)   Improvement for accessibility to a disabled person.

 

No investors allowed.  Must be owner occupied but includes multi-family and mixed use properties with restrictions.  www.asapmortgageinc.com is currently doing a lot of these loans and is helping my customers.  There are some great foreclosure buys out there right now.  Get out and buy one now while the supply is up, real estate is out of favor and long rates are low.  You will be glad you did in ten years.

 

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Preventing Home Holiday Fires in Pound Ridge NY | Pound Ridge NY Real Estate

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 “We don’t want a fire to devastate your holiday celebrations,” said CAL FIRE Acting State Fire Marshal Tonya Hoover. “If everyone practices a little extra fire safety this holiday, we can help reduce the number of holiday decoration related fires and deaths.”

Robert Paul Realtor - Christmas Tree Fires In Pound Ridge NY

Robert Paul Realtor - Christmas Tree Fires In Pound Ridge NY

The holiday season is here and with it increased excitement about adorning homes with traditional decorations. As beautiful as they are, holiday decorations are an added home fire hazard. According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), a candle-caused fire in the home is reported every 30 minutes.

In 2009, 166 Christmas tree fires were reported to the CAL FIRE – Office of the State Fire Marshal. There were 100 reported fires caused by the ignition of Christmas decorations. As of December 1 there have been nearly 40,000 reported fire incidents with over 80 tragic fire deaths in California.

Follow these safety tips to ensure a safe and happy holiday season:

 When selecting your Christmas tree, choose a fresh one with green needles.

Check the water level in the tree stand every day.

Keep the tree at least 3 feet away from any heat source including fireplaces and heating vents.

Never use lit candles to decorate a tree.

 Keep outdoor decorative lights outdoors and indoor lights indoors.

Inspect lights every year for frayed wires or cracked sockets.

Don’t link more than 3 light strands together unless the directions indicate it is safe to do so.

Turn decorative lights out when you leave the house or go to bed.

Only use lights that have been tested and labeled by a recognized testing laboratory.

Christmas Trees

Holiday Lights

 

Gas vs. Wood Burning Fireplaces | Bedford Hills NY Homes

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You plan to build your dream home. You’ve pored through home plan books, picked out the perfect design, found a beautiful lot in a great neighborhood and worked out a deal with a well-regarded builder.A wood-burning fireplace will appease the die-hard traditionalist in any group. After all, who doesn’t love the rustic scent and the popping sound of a home-brewed blaze? The smell and sound of a true fire evoke images – real or imagined – of cozying up in front of a crackling blaze after a particularly challenging snowball fight or a day of building snowmen.

After years of rental apartments and settling for less, you’ve earned this home. You’ve promised yourself some of the amenities you’ve always wanted and, not surprisingly, a few well-placed fireplaces top that list. Your new home will include a fireplace in the family room so that, after a day of sledding, the kids can warm chilled fingers and toes and hang soggy mittens and mufflers up to dry.

A second fireplace in the living room adds an elegant touch to formal gatherings, and in the master suite, yet another fireplace serves as a romantic backdrop. Perhaps even more important than adding some old-time charm and comfort to your new home, a fireplace also answers that nagging question, “Where will we hang the Christmas stockings?”

Before you settle down in front of a warm blaze with a comforting beverage and your favorite novel, you need to make an important decision about whether you want a gas or a wood-burning unit. Today’s marketplace offers new-home builders plenty of choices when it comes to fireplaces, and consumers need to study up before making a choice.

To choose which type of fireplace works best for you, learn the differences between the two and define your priorities.

Even today’s “old-fashioned” wood-burning fireplaces present more choices than those of the past. High-energy models from a number of manufacturers often include insulated fireboxes that keep cold outside air outside and trap warm air that would otherwise escape up the chimney or out the sides.

Many of these models also feature blower systems that redirect heated air from the chimney out into the room.

Because traditional wood-burning fireplaces can emit gases and particles that harm the environment into the air, some communities regulate or even prohibit them.

Heatilator offers an outside air kit system that reduces lost energy by using outside air for combustion.

Another option available with some wood-burning fireplaces is a filter that helps eliminate dust and smoke from inside air.

A gas fireplace, which combines ease of use with the heating ability of a furnace, will appeal to those people who cringe at the idea of prying themselves off the sofa every couple of hours to fetch another round of wood.

At the flick of a switch, you’ll enjoy the warmth of a realistic blaze. A couple more flicks of the switch adjust the flame height and heat output.

In recent years, gas fireplace manufacturers have worked hard to create a blaze that resembles a real fire. Ceramic logs, tall, dancing flames and burning “embers” underneath imitate traditional fires.

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Because gas units do not include a chimney, they also allow the homeowner some versatility when choosing a spot for the new fireplace.