Bedford NY Real Estate | Robert Paul Talks Life in Bedford NY

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Of all the topics that bloggers ask me about, conversion optimization is among those at the top of the list. All of us have conversion goals of some sort. It doesn’t matter whether you’re aiming to make money blogging, or you’re in it purely for pleasure, you’ll probably want to grow a subscriber list at the very least! Some of the blogger’s most common conversion goals include: grow signups to an email subscription list attract Facebook fans and Twitter followers boost downloads of free products, whitepapers, and samples increase sales of products and services. These days, competition within the blogosphere is only getting stronger, and readers are only getting more savvy. Most of us have  good data on our blog usage, but of course boosting conversions isn’t just a matter of statistics. From your audience to your offer—and everything in between—there’s a lot to consider. So, for the rest of the week, we’re dedicating ProBlogger to the challenge of boosting conversions, wit

There's no shortage of commentary around Facebook as the smoke literally builds around it's engine while the social media rocket prepares for IPO liftoff. This piece won't be full of rational analysis but rather gut intuition. Here are a few things to chew on as you think about the global future with or without Facebook. Zuckerberg Isn't Steve Jobs, But He's Jobs-Like Mark Zuckerberg gets social like Steve Jobs got design. Furthermore, both share a core foundational value which is irrationally committed to making products and experiences which please their own sensibilities first and the market second. Does this guarantee Facebook's success? No, but it does guarantee that there will always be a vison and if you look up Facebook's corporate governance structure, you'll realize that it's a company being set up to be purpose and vision led. Bottom line, you're not betting on or against Facebook, but really Mark Zuckerberg. Facebook Is Today&

All three headline Case-Shiller composites fell to new post-crisis lows in the first quarter of 2012, wiping out all price gains realized since prices peaked in 2006, a decline of approximately 35 percent through March 2012. The Case-Shiller national composite fell by 2.0 percent in the first quarter of 2012 and was down 1.9 percent versus the first quarter of 2011. The 10- and 20-City Composites posted respective annual returns of -2.8 percent and -2.6 percent in March 2012. Month-over-month, their changes were minimal; average home prices in the 10-City Composite fell by 0.1 percent compared to February and the 20-City remained basically unchanged in March over February. In addition to the three composites, five cities - Atlanta, Chicago, Las Vegas, New York and Portland - also saw average home prices hit new lows. This is an improvement over the nine cities reported last month. In March 2012, 12 MSAs posted monthly gains, seven declined and one remained unchanged. Phoenix post

The nation’s two most widely reported consumer confidence measures came up with May results that were polar opposites, throwing markets into disarray and raising questions about the housing recovery. But timing may explain the confusion. Released Friday, the Thomson Reuters/University of Michigan Index of Consumer Sentiment rose to its highest level since October 2007 due to more favorable job and wage prospects, which are key drivers for the housing market. The index climbed to 79.3 in its final May reading last week, up from a midmonth tally of 77.8 and April’s score of 76. After four years of decline and uncertainty, suggesting that consumer confidence is ready to lead the housing economy out of its doldrums and into recovery mode. This morning, however, the Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index®, which had declined slightly in April, fell nearly four points in May. The Index now stands at 64.9 (1985=100), down from 68.7 in April. However, the Conference Board’s cut-o

More than half of all Americans are concerned that a huge wave of backlogged foreclosures to be released by major lenders in the wake of the Robo-signing scandal ? approximately twice the size of annual foreclosure sales?will lower home values in their markets. A new survey by Realtor.com found that the 55.7 percent of consumers fear that the backlogged foreclosure inventory that built up during the two year period following the Robo-signing scandal when lenders slowed down processing, especially in the 26 judicial states where a court order is required to foreclose.  Homeowners and non-homeowners are equally concerned. April data released today by CoreLogic found that foreclosure inventories today are at about the same level they were at the first of the year, when the backlog was at its peak and before 49 state Attorneys General Agreement with major lenders was signed in March.  Approximately 1.4 million homes, or 3.4 percent of all homes with a mortgage, were in the national fo

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This exercise pen is simple and practical. It’s inexpensive and easy to build, even without power tools. Although I call it an exercise pen, it could have all sorts of uses with minor modifications. I built this pen to keep ducklings on the lawn during the day, but put the ducks in a building at night.   TROY GRIEPENTROG I used all 2-by-4 untreated pine. The premise is simple: make the pen 8-feet-by-4-feet so a minimal number of cuts will be necessary. It’s 2-feet high so cutting the chicken wire is also easy (assuming you buy or have a 2-foot roll of wire). Materials List 10 8-foot 2-by-4s 40’ of 24-inch chicken wire 2 hinges (not absolutely necessary) Staples for attaching the chicken wire 2.5” or 2.75” #8 or #10 screws Some variation in materials is acceptable. Remember, this is a practical and quick project, so use what you have or use what you like. 2-by-3 lumber would work. Bigger screws are a little stronger, but this pen isn’t necessarily predato

The following is an excerpt from  Compact Cabins by Gerald Rowan (Storey Publishing, 2010). Whether it’s a first or second home, at the lake, in the woods, on a mountaintop or at the ocean’s edge, a small-footprint cabin may be the perfect housing option for you, and Compact Cabins  has 62 interpretations of the cabin getaway dream that are affordable and energy-efficient without skimping on comfort or style. This excerpt is from Chapter 2, “Design: Architecture, Logistics, Environment.”  Though cabins may have a small footprint, with good design, they can offer a comfortable living space. The challenge is to create that feeling of space in a small cabin. I find that, in particular, high ceilings and strategically placed windows make even very small cabins feel comfortable. High Ceilings High ceilings give a sense of roominess and space in even a small footprint. They also let in more light and make ventilation easier, and increasing ceiling height yields space with less expe

I recently bought a 6½ acre parcel of land that has a pond on it. However, my new water hole has a leak at the base of the dam, which causes the water to seep out at the bottom on the back side of the barrier. I want to stock the pond, but can't do so because of the fluctuating water level. Is there anything I can do to seal this leak, short of draining the pond and reworking the whole dam with a bulldozer? Water Level Monitor Building this remote water level monitor will allow you to keep tabsthe water in your cistern witho... Leaky ponds are like most ailments, in that preventing the problem is a lot less expensive, and easier, than curing it. There are three types of remedies, however. The surest, but most expensive and time consuming, method is to drain the pond and repair the dam. This could involve complete reconstruction, remarking the case (a good dam should have a central core of impervious soil extending from the waterline to below the bottom of

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Over 800 million people in the world are on Facebook, including over 180 million Americans, or 1 in 2 adults. Twitter just topped 300 million accounts. Small business owners in droves are trying to capitalize on the trends, but few are reaping the benefits. For most local business owners, the temptation is to use social networks to promote their businesses and to broadcast their messages. But if you take off your marketing cap and put on your customer cap, you’ll realize that consumers are already pummeled by marketing and advertising messages all day long. The secret to social media for small business owners is being human – being the sort of person at a cocktail party who listens attentively, tells great stories, shows interest in others and is authentic and honest. In other words, the secret is to simply be likeable – and that means creating value for others. Here are 5 specific tips for small business owners to enjoy more success at social media: Listen before you talk. B

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A slight miss. Case-Shiller home prices rose just 0.09% in March. That's slightly worse than the 0.2% that was expected. And it's a bit below the 0.15% from last month. On a year over year basis, home prices fell 2.57%. The good news. It's clear that on the pace of YOY declines is improving every month. This chart shows the 10 and 20 city composite. The full report can be found here . More to come in a moment. ---------- The big housing datapoint of the day is March Case-Shiller , the gold standard of housing data indices. The number comes out at 9:00 AM ET. Analysts are expecting a 0.20% sequential increase, and a 2.6% year over year decrease in the 20 city composite. The drumbeats are definitely growing louder that we're reaching some kind of a housing bottom. Other indices are showing signs of turning up, and though people have been predicting a bottom for years, this is definitely the first time people seem to believe it. via businessinsider.c

Kate Carpenter and her husband waited for two years before sensing the time was right to look to buy a home in the suburbs of New York. "This is the first time homes are at an affordable point," said the freelance writer, 35. She hopes to move her two young daughters out of their rented New York City apartment soon, taking advantage of record low mortgage rates and signs the slump is over. Six years after the housing market began its slide, dragging the U.S. economy into recession, this year's spring season -- traditionally the busiest period for home sales -- is shaping up to be the strongest since the crash. Sales rose more than 10 percent in April from a year earlier and may end the year up by as much as 13 percent, according to the National Association of Realtors. Prices, which plunged by a third from 2006 according to some measures, are rising in some cities. Realtors report bidding wars, albeit more modest ones than during the bubble years, and buyers are

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Because of increased refinance applications and originations, the Mortgage Bankers Association raised its mortgage origination forecast for 2012 by $188 billion to $1.28 trillion. In 2011, originations totaled $1.26 trillion. The MBA expects refinance originations to reach $870 billion in 2012, a figure similar to 2011. The association is slightly lowering its purchase originations forecast for 2012 to $409 billion from $415 billion, reflecting lower than previously expected home prices and home sales. The MBA’s updated forecast of refinance activity is largely independent of the HARP 2.0 initiative. “We factored HARP lending of roughly $100 billion in both 2012 and 2013 into our April forecast, and the HARP share of refinance activity has remained relatively constant over recent months,” said Mike Fratantoni, MBA’s vice president of research. “However, mortgage rates below 4% and regular media coverage showcasing ‘ record low mortgage rates ’ provide sufficient incentive and

Consumer sentiment rose in May to its highest level since October 2007, despite a tough month on Wall Street and worsening conditions in Europe. The Thomson Reuters / University of Michigan index climbed to 79.3 in its final May reading, up from a midmonth tally of 77.8 and April’s score of 76.4. May’s consumer sentiment index beat out February 2011’s score of 77.5, the previous post-recession high in a month-end reading. It also topped analysts’ expectation of 77.8 according to Econoday . The index surveys households each month on economic conditions, with a score of 100 considered an exceptionally high level. Countries in the eurozone are struggling under the weight of austerity packages. Industrial output in stronger countries slowed the last quarter, dimming the ability to bolster weaker economies in the eurozone. Talk of Greece exiting the Euro increased in May, adding to volatility. On Wall Street, major stock indices are all down. Dow Jones and Standard & Poor'

Initial economic growth estimates for the first quarter hit 2.2%, slower than the fourth quarter of 2011, but still improved from three of the past four quarters, Freddie Mac said in its U.S. Economic and Housing Market Outlook. Optimism also spread through the market due to a rise in new housing construction and remodeling initiatives. Personal consumption also grew at a 15.3% annual rate as more Americans spent on kitchen appliances and consumer durables, Freddie Mac said. "Taken together, the first-quarter data releases provide an encouraging sign for both the macroeconomy and the housing recovery," said Frank Nothaft, vice president and chief economist for Freddie Mac. "While not uniformly positive, for the most part, the data trend in the right direction." Nothaft also pointed out that home prices are now at or near the trough in many housing markets and delinquency rates are beginning to decline. Another incentive for homebuyers comes in the form of re

The negative equity problem for U.S. homeowners might be worse than previously thought, at least according to a new measure from Zillow ($40.27 0% ) . The online real estate data provider, in its first negative equity report, said 15.7 million, or 31.4%, of homeowners were underwater on their mortgages in the first quarter. That’s up from 31.1% three months earlier but down from 32.4% in the first quarter 2011. Homeowners owed $1.2 trillion more than the value of their homes in the first quarter, according to Zillow. With roughly 10% of homeowners 90-days-plus delinquent on payments, negative equity “remains only a paper loss” for most, said Zillow Chief Economist Stan Humphries. “As home values slowly increase and these homeowners continue to pay down their principal, they will surface again,” Humphries said in a news release. But Zillow’s measure is considerably higher — and subsequently more dire — than another report on negative equity among homeowners. A CoreLogic ($17

Fixed-rate mortgages held steady from the prior week’s record lows, helping to drive homebuyer affordability across the nation. The Freddie Mac survey showed the 30-year FRM averaged 3.78% for the week ending Thursday — a new low — ticking down from the prior week's record average of 3.79%. Last year at this time, the 30-year FRM averaged 4.60%. The 15-year FRM, a popular refinancing choice, averaged 3.04%, unchanged from last week‘s record average. A year ago, the average rate for a 15-year FRM was 3.80%. Five-year, Treasury-indexed hybrid adjustable-rate mortgages averaged 2.83%, again unchanged from last week and down from 3.41% a year earlier. And one-year, Treasury-indexed ARMs averaged 2.75%, down from last week’s average of 2.78% and down from 3.11% last year. “Mortgage rates were virtually unchanged this week with fixed-rate loans remaining at record lows and helping to drive homebuyer affordability,” noted Freddie Mac chief economist Frank Nothaft. The National

Phoenix homebuilders are seeing the light, so to speak, with sales trending upward for the past six months, according to a new report from  Keefe, Bruyette & Woods . Analysts with KBW met with land developers, homebuilders and banks in Phoenix and found a generally optimistic tone with 2012 permits expected to grow by more than 50% while resale inventory levels have declined to less than a two-month supply. Builders in the market include Meritage Homes , Taylor Morrison , Starwood Land Ventures and Terra West Communities . "The Phoenix market is strong, and numerous people said that home sales activity significantly accelerated starting in November 'as if a switch suddenly turned on,' " said KBW. "The pace of activity through May remains robust." The market saw its mix of homes for sale improve, KBW said, as the percentage of homes sold as REOs and short sales fell to 45% from as much as 70% last year. Foreclosure inventory also is down 50% yea

Home prices nationwide continued to decline in the first quarter of 2012, but at a moderate pace, according to the latest Standard & Poor's/Case-Shiller Home Price Indices. S&P called the drop in prices as hitting "new post-crisis lows." The national composite index fell 2% over the fourth quarter in Q1 and 1.9% from the year earlier period, S&P said. The 10- and 20-city composite indexes had annual returns of -2.8% and -2.6%, respectively, for the month of March. Meanwhile, average home prices for the 10-city composite fell by 0.1% in March when compared to February, while the 20-city composite index remained unchanged. Still, the composite indices in the latest S&P report are at their lowest levels since the housing crisis began in mid-2006. Cities that saw home prices hit new lows in the most recent report for March included Atlanta, Chicago, Las Vegas, New York and Portland. "While there has been improvement in some regions, housing prices

Beautiful Landing Pages: Tips and Examples By Laura Moisei . Filed in Web Design Hundreds of witty articles have been written around the topic of landing pages. We all know the basic facts – that these are the pages a visitor reaches after clicking on a banner ad or a promotional link, and that they play a crucial marketing role by converting leads into customers for the business . When it comes to designing a landing page yourself however, matters seem to be far more delicate than you would have expected after going through how-to documentation. This is why today, we have chosen to share a collection of actual landing page examples for inspiration. According to a pretty scholarly classification you may find in Wikipedia, landing pages fall in two major categories: reference and transactional. If they are to be called reference, pages have to display information that is both appealing and relevant to the visitor (text, multimedia). "Transactional