| Katonah NY Weekly Real Estate Report | 5/22/2013 | |
| Homes for sale | 60 | |
| Median Ask Price | $997,000.00 | |
| Low Price | $359,000.00 | |
| High Price | $18,995,000.00 | |
| Average Size | 3587 | |
| Average Price/foot | $424.00 | |
| Average DOM | 98 | |
| Average Ask Price | $1,954,480.00 |
You update your clothing and your technology, but have you updated your marketing? If you’re still using the same old outdated tactics from five, 10 or even 20 years ago, it’s time to freshen up those old approaches with a new look for 2013.
With all the buzz about video, mobile and social media, it’s easy to get caught up in the never-ending chase for the latest shiny new object. On the other hand, it’s also just as easy to become complacent and to keep on doing what you have always done.
The challenge is that if you constantly chase what’s new, you don’t develop consistent systems. On the other hand, if you don’t adapt regularly, you’ll be left behind by the agents who do.
So how can a busy agent like you determine what needs a remake? Here are some useful tips.
1. Real estate is, and always will be, a face-to-face business
Does calling on owners of expired listings, for-sale-by-owners (FSBOs) and door knocking still work? Absolutely! These tried and true techniques that put you in direct contact with owners are as effective today as they were 50 years ago.
– See more at: http://www.inman.com/2013/05/20/update-your-marketing-or-get-left-behind/#sthash.Nw89CfqV.dpuf
In 2009, my predecessor, Andrew Spano and the Board of Legislators signed a legal settlement obligating the county to spend $51.6 million to develop 750 units of fair and affordable housing in 31 so-called eligible or mostly white communities by the end of 2016.
Here’s an update on the status. Let’s start with the bad news.
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is trying to use the settlement to dismantle local zoning laws. HUD has the misguided view that zoning and discrimination is the same thing.
It is not. Zoning restricts how land is used, not who lives there. The impediment to where people live in Westchester is money, not race or ethnicity.
Washington bureaucrats, who you will never see or meet, want the power to determine who will live where and how each neighborhood will look. What’s at stake is the fundamental right of our cities, towns, and villages to plan and zone for themselves. This home rule is guaranteed by the New York State Constitution.
HUD wants no restrictions – in any neighborhood – on height, size, acreage, density, or number of bedrooms. HUD even sees sewers as a problem, which is critically significant since Westchester zoning protects the drinking water of 8 million New Yorkers.
If there are no restrictions for HUD, there will be no restrictions for any developer. A high rise can be built on any street, even right next door to you. And if HUD can trample on zoning here, it can do it anywhere.
I urge you to read the HUD letters for yourself and see how the federal government is trying to abolish even basic zoning protections.
Now here’s the good news.
The county is ahead of schedule in fulfilling its obligation in the settlement. Our current benchmark is to have 300 units with financing in place by the end of 2013. The county exceeded the mark in December and currently has 309 units in place with financing, of which 117 are already occupied. Over 91 percent of the required 750 units are already in the pipeline.
Ask yourself this: If the county is ahead of schedule in building affordable housing in these communities, how can their zoning be exclusionary?
One of Westchester’s greatest strengths is its diversity. It is the fourth most-diverse county in the state — tied with Manhattan — in terms of African-Americans and Hispanics.
I pledge to defend with every tool at my disposal the right of people to live anywhere in Westchester in any home they can afford. There is absolutely no place for discrimination in our county. But we won’t be bullied or threatened by HUD to do things that are not in the settlement.
Astorino: Update On Affordable Housing In Westchester | The Bedford Daily Voice.
Beginning May 20, officers will be out in full force as part of the 2013 national “Click It or Ticket” seat belt enforcement mobilization.
The program makes a priority of cracking down on drivers and passengers who are not wearing a seat belt.
“As we kick-off the busy summer driving season, it’s important that everyone buckles up every time they go out, both day and night—no excuses,” said Bedford Police Lieutenant Melvin Padilla.
“Our officers are prepared to ticket anyone who is not wearing their seat belt.”
Starting Monday morning, all local police departments will be joining other law enforcement agencies throughout the northeast in mobilizing Click It or Ticket in a “Border to Border” operation. This means law enforcement agencies that share state border will team up to provide increased coverage, resulting in a “zero tolerance” message to the public: “Driving or riding unbuckled will result in a ticket—no matter what state.”
According to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 52 percent of 21,253 vehicle passengers killed in 2011 were not wearing their seat belts at the time of the crash. According to the same report, deaths involving seat belt nonuse are more likely to occur at night than during the day and 62 percent of 10,135 passengers killed in overnight accidents during 2011 were also not wearing their seat belts.
“Seat belts save thousands of lives every year, but far too many motorists are still not buckling up, especially at night when the risk of getting in a crash is even greater,” said Padilla.
‘Click It Or Ticket’ Law Enforcement Begins Monday In Bedford | The Bedford Daily Voice.
Westchester residents can expect chaos on highways and rail lines for at least the next week as crews continue to repair damage caused by Friday evening’s train collision in Fairfield County, Connecticut Gov. Dannel Malloy said Sunday evening.
“There are going to be substantial delays until we get this line back in full service,” Malloy said in a press conference. “Residents should plan for a week’s worth of disruptions. The delays will not be limited to mass transit, as more people get behind the wheel to drive and make their own connections.”
Metro-North warned customers that travel times will be significantly longer and trains will be crowded Monday. Customers should stagger their work schedule or seek alternative means of travel to get to work, Metro-North said.
About 30,000 train commuters are affected by the break in train travel in the Bridgeport-Fairfield area, Malloy said. Those commuters are expected to hit train stations in lower Fairfield County or Westchester County or to travel via Interstate 95 and the parkways to get to work or elsewhere Monday morning.
Connecticut will have 150 buses on the highways as train shuttles, in addition to the normal rush-hour traffic. Malloy also noted that the weather is expected to be wet Monday morning, causing more potential problems.
“If all of those were to get on the highway in single-occupancy cars, we will literally have a parking lot,” Malloy said.
Westchester May See Traffic, Transit Delays After Metro-North Crash | The Bedford Daily Voice.
Prices nationwide rose nearly 6% last year — more than most ever expected, writes CNNMoney. While that has continued so far this year, leading builders to build again, prices in some places have risen faster than incomes. Eventually, they could fall back as homes become less affordable.
“If prices keeps going up at this rate for another six months, we will have a bubble, and people will get hurt,” Dean Baker, co-director of theCenter for Economic and Policy Research recently told Bloomberg.
Do you use mobile marketing for business?
Are you wondering how to get started?
To learn how mobile marketing and social connect, I interview Jamie Turner for this episode of the Social Media Marketing podcast.
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 Jamie Turner, co-author of the book Go Mobile. His blog, the 60 Second Marketer is ranked as one of the top 10 marketing blogs by Social Media Examiner. He also runs a social media and mobile marketing agency called 60 Second Communications.
Jamie shares how to start with mobile marketing and why you should pay more attention to mobile customers.
You’ll learn what tools to use and the difference between mobile websites and mobile apps.
Share your feedback, read the show notes and get the links mentioned in this episode below!
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:
Why marketers should pay more attention to mobile customers
Jamie states that 15-50% of the people who visit your website come in from a mobile device and this number will continue to grow.
When consumers visit your website from a mobile device, you need to be there to meet them, understand mobile marketing and know how to connect with customers on mobile.
You’ll have to learn how to use mobile, as it’s a way to build a bridge between you and your customer.
Make sure you’re mobile-ready.
You’ll discover how more people check prices on their mobile devices while shopping and what you need to provide them to make sure they buy from you.
And you’ll hear that when people buy a product on mobile devices, particularly tablet computers, their total ticket price is typically higher than it is via a desktop computer.
It’s important to be mobile-ready—not only for B2C but for B2B too.
Listen to the show to find out how many people bought a virtual ticket on a smartphone while attending Social Media Marketing World.
Is there a social media connection when it comes to mobile marketing?
Jamie sees email as a social media tool. Sixty-seven percent of all “C-level” executives check their emails from their mobile devices. The better-known tools being LinkedIn,Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.
We all need mobile websites. Remember when consumers visit your site, one of the prominent things you want to do is give them the ability to connect with you on social media platforms from their mobile device.
You’ll hear Jamie give a great example of how you can use LinkedIn on a mobile device in a business environment.
Mobile Marketing, How to Get Started | Social Media Examiner.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 5/15/13
CONTACT: Lt Jeff Dickan, Bedford Police Department, (914)241-3111
Click It or Ticket to Boost Seat Belt Use – Day and Night
[Bedford, NY] – Motorists who refuse to wear their seat belts – beware. The 2013 national Click It or Ticket seat belt enforcement mobilization kicks off May 20 to help save lives by cracking down on those who don’t buckle up.
The Bedford Police Department is joining with other state and local law enforcement officers and highway safety advocates across the country to help save more lives by strongly enforcing seat belt laws around the clock.
[Bedford, NY) As motorists take to the roads this Memorial Day holiday, the Bedford Police are urging everyone to buckle up. Beginning May 20, 2013 law enforcement officials will be out in full force, taking part in the 2013 national Click It or Ticket seat belt enforcement mobilization and cracking down on motorists who are not belted.
“As we kick-off the busy summer driving season it’s important that everyone buckles up every time they go out, both day and night – no excuses,” said Bedford Police Lieutenant Melvin Padilla. “Our officers are prepared to ticket anyone who is not wearing their seat belt – Click It or Ticket.”
On the morning of May 20th, the Bedford Police Department will be joining law enforcement agencies throughout the northeast in mobilizing the Click It or Ticket (CIOT) “Border to Border” Operation.
Law enforcement agencies that share State borders will team up to provide increased seat belt enforcement at border sites, sending a ‘zero tolerance’ message to the public: Driving or riding unbuckled will result in a ticket, no matter what State.
According to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 52 percent of the 21,253 passenger vehicle occupants killed in 2011 were not wearing their seat belts at the time of the crash. As noted, deaths involving seat belt nonuse are more prevalent at night than during the daytime. According to NHTSA, 62 percent of the 10,135 passenger vehicle occupants killed in 2011 during the overnight hours of 6 p.m. to 5:59 a.m. were not wearing their seat belts at the time of the crash.
“Seat belts save thousands of lives every year, but far too many motorists are still not buckling up, especially at night when the risk of getting in a crash is even greater,” said Lieutenant Padilla. “We want everyone to have a safe summer, but it requires an important step on the part of motorists – clicking that seat belt.”
In 2011, seat belts saved an estimated 11,949 lives nationwide according to NHTSA. While this year’s Click It or Ticket enforcement mobilization runs from May 20 through June 2, officers are out enforcing seat belt laws year-round.
For full details, view this message on the web.
BEDFORD, N.Y. – The Carnival at St. Patrick’s Parochial School in Bedford Village continues its 40-year tradition this week, culminating in a grand prize raffle for a 2013 Mercedes-Benz C300 4Matic or $25,000 in cash.
The event begins Tuesday night and runs through Sunday. Admission is free.
Carnival grounds are located on the big green lawn of St. Patrick’s school at Route 22 and Greenwich Road. Parking is free at the church and surrounding areas of Bedford Town Park and Bedford Elementary School.
Raffle tickets are $100; 1,000 tickets will be sold.
Always starting the Tuesday after Mother’s Day, the carnival draws thousands of families from Northern Westchester, Putnam County and nearby Fairfield County.
The event is run by church volunteers. All money raised from the raffle will be used for educational and charitable ministries of the parish.
Festivities will include arcade-style games, new rides, home-cooked carnival favorites and outdoor grills. On Saturday and Sunday, one bracelet lets you ride all afternoon for a single price
Annual St. Patrick’s Carnival, Raffle Begins In Bedford | The Bedford Daily Voice.
For kids, bikes are the best and sometimes only form of independent transportation. For quick trips to the park or a best friend’s house, a two-wheeler or even a trike can’t be beat.
Once most Americans hit age 16, the car is often preferred. But as gas prices and environmental concerns increase, the bike has come back in popularity for the 16-and-older set.
Many cities have embraced the rise in bicycle commuting by installing bike lanes, starting shared-bicycle programs and offering storage. Even if your city isn’t on the most “bike-friendly” list, the number of homes and apartments catering to cyclists is increasing nationwide.
In honor of Bike to Work Week, we’ve rounded up cycle-convenient cribs in the five most bikeable cities, according to Walk Score’s 2013 rankings.
Portland is often No. 1 or 2 most bikeable city, which is determined based on the number of bikers on the road, bike lanes, hills, connecting roads and destinations. This year, Portland scored highest, which isn’t surprising given its growing bike culture, due in part to the popular TV show “Portlandia.” The bike-friendly city boasts that 6 percent of its commuters go by bike, in comparison to the .05 percent that bike to work nationally.
3738 SE Lincoln St, Portland OR 97214
For sale: $299,900
This Portland home’s proximity to downtown makes biking the obvious commuter choice. A detached garage is also the perfect place to stash your bike in case of rainy Pacific-Northwest weather.
This city’s steep hills don’t deter cyclists. San Fran has several bike trails and a goal of becoming the North American city with the highest per-capita bicycle use. So far, they’re well on their way, earning the No. 2 ranking in this year’s bikeable cities list.
1930 Mission St UNIT 203, San Francisco CA 94103
For sale: $550,000
A bike-friendly home complete with cyclist art. This 1993-built condo sits in the heart of the Mission District near bike lanes. Bike storage is also available in the building.
Despite its high elevation nearly a mile above sea level, Denver is a very bike-friendly city with miles of bike trails and a substantial bike-sharing program.
4511 Federal Blvd, Denver CO 80211
For sale: $350,000
According to the listing description, this Denver house is the best of urban living. A single-family home with plenty of living space, the house is conveniently located a short walk or even shorter bike ride from downtown, local shops and cafes.
Philly is a relatively new addition to the top-five most bikeable cities, but this isn’t surprising. The city has dedicated resources to its cyclist commuters, with over 200 miles of bike lanes and/or trails.
2601 Pennsylvania Ave APT 812, Philadelphia, PA 19130
For sale: $390,000
This 3-bed, 2-bath condo is a desirable corner unit in a striking art deco-style building. Not only is bike storage available; the condo is a short distance from some of the best cafes and restaurants in Philadelphia.