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Showing posts from September, 2012

Weekly Online Video News Round Up - Punk Rock Edition | Cross River Realtor

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How to blog by voice | South Salem Homes

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via fuelyourblogging.com

Pound Ridge, Bedford and Bedford Hills Real Estate Inventory | RobReportBlog

Pound Ridge, Bedford and Bedford Hills Real Estate Inventory  | RobReportBlog September 2012 Pound Ridge NY      12.61 months Bedford NY              12.91  months Bedford Hills NY       12  months Unsold homes in the local Pound Ridge, Bedford and Bedford Hills area. via trulia.com

First Week Of October: ISM, Presidential Debates, And The Jobs Report | Katonah Real Estate

debate team via businessinsider.com

How To Buy A Smartphone: Which Is Better, Android or iPhone? | Bedford Hills Real Estate

android via readwriteweb.com

Write For Your Customers, Not Your Peers | Bedford NY Real Estate

Problogger.net runs on the Genesis Framework The Genesis Framework empowers you to quickly and easily build incredible websites with WordPress. Genesis provides the secure and search-engine-optimized foundation that takes WordPress to places you never thought it could go. Check out the incredible features and the selection of designs . It's that simple - start using Genesis now! via problogger.net

Searching for America’s Front Porch | Pound Ridge Real Estate

front porches via motherearthnews.com

Jobless Rate Probably Climbed in September: U.S. Economy Preview | Bedford Corners Real Estate

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via businessinsider.com

Former Employee Explains Why He Was Fired From Facebook | Chappaqua Real Estate

via mashable.com

One Homeowner Out of Eight Undervalues Their Home | Armonk Real Estate

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About one out of eight, or 17 percent, or homeowners with a mortgage believes their home is worth less than the amount they owe when in fact the opposite is true, suggesting that large numbers of owners are undervaluing their homes, perhaps due to recent home price increases. A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey of U.S. homeowners released last week shows that 39 percent say their home is not worth more than what they still owe on their mortgages, while 47 percent report their home is worth more than what they owe. Some 14 percent are undecided. Yet only 10.8 million, or 22.3 percent, of all residential properties with a mortgage were actually in negative equity at the end of the second quarter of 2012, according to the latest data from CoreLogic. This is down from 11.4 million properties, or 23.7 percent, at the end of the first quarter of 2012. An additional 2.3 million borrowers possessed less than 5 percent equity in their home, refe

House prices see biggest rise since 2007 - What can you buy in Ireland for $300,000? | South Salem NY Real Estate

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via irishcentral.com

This week in Real Estate | Bedford NY Realtor

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via articles.marketwatch.com

Versatile Housing, in Both Kind and Cost | Waccabuc NY Real estate

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via nytimes.com

Housing: South Florida market slowly recovery | Cross River Real Estate

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via sun-sentinel.com

The small towns where home price gains are big | North Salem NY Real Estate

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via bottomline.nbcnews.com

Obama talks housing market in weekly address | Mount Kisco NY Real Estate

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via politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com

Moisture meter can prevent a lot of grief | Katonah NY Real Estate

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via inman.com

Bernanke will scuttle QE3 at first sign of inflation | Bedford Hills Real Estate

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via inman.com

Old Southern Apple Varieties | Bedford NY Real Estate

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via motherearthnews.com

GDP And Durable Goods - Heading To Recession? | Pound Ridge Real Estate

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via businessinsider.com

Apple's Biggest Blunders of the Post-Steve Jobs Era | Bedford Corners NY Real Estate

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via mashable.com

Listings Shrink 34 Percent in Two Years and Keep Falling | Chappaqua Real Estate

listings shrink via realestateeconomywatch.com

Creative Real Estate Marketing Videos | Armonk Real Estate

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via techsavvyagent.com

Your Green Dream Home: First Things to Consider | South Salem NY Real Estate

green homes via motherearthnews.com

Social Persuasion: How to Move People to Action | Katonah Homes

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via socialmediaexaminer.com

Exclusive Dream Home Playlist: Songs to Help You Find Your Perfect Home | Bedford NY Real Estate

Playlists via zillow.com

Oracle CEO Larry Ellison Buys Malibu Home From Former Yahoo! CEO Terry Semel | Pound Ridge Homes

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via zillow.com

Furniture Prices and 4 Other Costs You Should Negotiate | Bedford Corners NY Homes

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via zillow.com

How Much House Can You Get for $800,000? | Chappaqua NY Homes

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via zillow.com

Showcase Art to Brighten Your Home for Staging or Living | Armonk NY Homes

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via zillow.com

6 Tips to Rank High in Google's Search Engine | Katonah NY Realtor

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via jeffbullas.com

Home loans in demand as rates chart new lows | Pound Ridge Realtor

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via inman.com

Northern Westchester NY Luxury Real Estate Report | RobReportBlog

Northern Westchester NY Luxury Real Estate Report | RobReportBlog Months of unsold homes asking more than $2,000,000 in Northern Westchester     29  Months           North Castle 34  Months           Pound Ridge 38  Months            New Castle 49  Months            Bedford 75  Months             Lewisboro N/A                          North Salem  (10 for sale- no sales last six months) via robertpaul.typepad.com

Bedford NY area has 39 months of unsold homes over $2,000,000 | Bedford Hills Real Estate

Bedford NY area has 39 months of unsold homes over $2,000,000  |  Bedford Hills Real Estate RobReportBlog September 2012 Currently, there are 157 homes for sale in the Bedford NY area asking over $2,000,000.  In the past six months 24 have sold or 4 per month. 39.25 months of unsold luxury homes.  Do you think there is pricing pressure?  Let me know. via trulia.com

How Likeability Impacts Marketing Success | Bedford Corners NY Real Estate

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via socialmediaexaminer.com

U.S. 30-Year Mortgage Rates Fall to Record Low of 3.4% | Armonk NY Real Estate

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via bloomberg.com

Last Quarter’s Growth Is Revised Down Sharply | Chappaqua NY Real Estate

WASHINGTON — The Commerce Department said Thursday that the United States economy grew at an annual pace of just 1.3 percent in the second quarter of the year, showing that the recovery came close to stalling in the spring. The revision was down from the 1.7 percent rate the government reported in August. The economy grew at a 2 percent pace in the first quarter of the year and 3 percent at the end of 2011. With just 40 days to go until the election, the weak growth figure was sure to take on a strong political valence. Mitt Romney has battered President Obama for failing to foster a robust recovery and has pinned the economy’s weak jobs growth on his policies. Mr. Obama has conceded that the recovery has been anemic, but has argued that his administration put the economy on the right track after the worst recession since the Great Depression . Thursday’s report underscored that the recovery has proved insufficient to pull down

Sixty-Four Everyday Ways to Use Vinegar | Mount Kisco NY Real Estate

via motherearthnews.com

URBAN HOMESTEADING for North Salem | North Salem NY Real Estate

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via motherearthnews.com

Composting toilet second story | Waccabuc NY Real Estate

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via waldeneffect.org

More Buyers Choose Conventional over FHA Loans | Cross River NY Real Estate

The use of mortgage financing in the housing market jumped sharply in the month of August, but the use of FHA financing declined, suggesting the government program is losing favor and private lenders are gaining market share. “Conventional mortgages are making a comeback while FHA mortgages are not,” commented Thomas Popik, research director for Campbell Surveys today . “Reasons for the growth in conventional mortgages include low rates, increased underwriting of high LTV mortgages by private mortgage insurers, and a price structure including insurance premiums that is cheaper than the FHA alternative.” Mortgages were used to finance 68.9 percent of home purchase transactions in August, up from 67.5 percent in July. Significantly, not all mortgage financing products saw the same gains in market share. FHA-financed transactions rose only slightly from 25.5 percent in July to 25.9 percent in August. Back in January, FHA transactions accounted for 27.3 percent of all home purchase tr

Climate Crisis: Is the Climate Reaching a Tipping Point? | Katonah NY Real Estate

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via motherearthnews.com

Revised Q2 GDP | Bedford Hills NY Real Estate

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via businessinsider.com

Housing Economists Hate the MID | Bedford NY Real Estate

mortgage interest deduction via realestateeconomywatch.com

A Crash Course in Landing Page Conversion | Pound Ridge Real Estate

landing page conversion via ducttapemarketing.com

6 tips for working safely around lead paint | Chappaqua Realtor

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via inman.com

The Marketing Tactic that Social Media Marketers Often Forget | Armonk Realtor

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via jeffbullas.com

When breaking 'house rules' is OK | Pound Ridge Real Estate

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via inman.com

Home projects to boost happiness | Armonk NY Real Estate

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via inman.com

Home prices show continued strength in July | Chappaqua NY Real Estate

july strength for home prices via inman.com

Insights Into the Hot Trend of Social Media Content Curation | Bedford Corners Real Estate

via jeffbullas.com

As Housing Market Strengthens, Prices Rise at Lower End | Chappaqua Realtor

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via nytimes.com

How to Use Facebook Targeted Posts to Improve Your Facebook Engagement | Bedford Hills Realtor

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via socialmediaexaminer.com

Metro-area home prices buck trend and ebb | Pound Ridge Realtor

via crainsnewyork.com

Range Features That Make Cooking Less of a Chore | Mount Kisco Realtor

getting the most from your range via zillow.com

Unsigned NBA Forward James Posey Lists Coconut Grove Villa | Waccabuc Realtor

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via zillow.com

Reviews Matter: One Agent’s Story | North Salem Realtor

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via zillow.com

3 Must-Do Fall Lawn Maintenance Tasks | Cross River Realtor

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via zillow.com

Mortgage delinquencies dip 10.6% in August | Mount Kisco NY Real Estate

Mortgage delinquency rates and foreclosure pre-sale inventory levels fell in August, suggesting a gradual move away from a market rife with troubled home loans, according to data released by Lender Processing Services . The month of August brought a 10.6% dip in the nation's mortgage delinquency rate when comparing the 31-day period to year ago levels, LPS said Monday. It's a continuing trend. Last month , LPS said said mortgage delinquencies were down 30% from the peak established in January 2010. LPS uses data from 70% of the nation's mortgages, available through the firm's own loan-level databases. By August, the nation had a 6.87% delinquency rate, a drop from 2011 levels and a 2.3% decline from a month earlier. The total U.S. foreclosure pre-sale inventory rate also fell 2% from 2011, hitting 4.04% in August. The number of properties with loans 30 or more days past due, but not in foreclosure, reached 3.42 million, while the number of loans 90-plus days pa

New York’s housing sales reach 26-month high in August | Chappaqua NY Homes

The New York State housing market monthly sales reached a 26-month high in August with existing single-family home, condo and co-op transactions increasing by 8 percent from July and nearly 4 percent compared to last August, according the housing market report released today by the New York State Association of REALTORS. Additionally, the August statewide median sales price grew 4 percent and the number of pending sales increased by 13.3 percent compared to August 2011. “Posting the highest monthly sales total in more than two years is a welcome milestone for the statewide housing market’s continuing recovery,” said Duncan R. MacKenzie, NYSAR CEO, who noted that August is a typically busy month in the seasonal market. “Other positive signs through the first eight months of 2012 can be found in the steady growth in closed and pending sales on a year-to-date basis as well as the stable median sales price. We look for these trends to continue into the early fall.” MacKenzie noted

Local Armonk, Chappaqua, and Bedford Corners Real Estate Inventory | RobReportBlog

Local Armonk, Chappaqua, and Bedford Corners Real Estate Inventory  |  RobReportBlog September 2012 NAR reports six months of unsold inventory is the sign of a healthy local real estate market. Armonk                    11.5  months of unsold homes Chappaqua                 9.8 months Bedford Corners        17  months On average 9.3 homes sell per month in Armonk, 11.5 in Chappaqua and 2.1 in Bedford Corners via trulia.com

Home prices back to '03 levels | Bedford NY Realtor

In another sign of a turnaround in the long-battered real estate market, average home prices rebounded in July to the same level as they were nine years ago. According to the closely watched S&P/Case-Shiller national home price index, which covers more than 80% of the housing market in the United States, the typical home price in July rose 1.6% compared to the previous month. It marked the third straight month that prices in all 20 major markets followed by the index improved, and it would have been the fourth straight month of improvement across the full spectrum if not for a slight decline in Detroit in April. The index was up 1.2% compared to a year earlier, an improvement from the year-over-year change reported for June. While home prices have been showing a sequential change in recent months, it wasn't until June that prices were higher than a year earlier. The July reading matched levels last seen in summer 2003, when the market was marching

Home Prices in U.S. Rose More Than Forecast in Year to July | Bedford Hills NY Realtor

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Home Prices in U.S. Rose More Than Forecast in Year to July The S&P/Case-Shiller index of property values in 20 cities increased 1.2 percent from July 2011, the biggest 12-month advance since August 2010, a report from the group showed today in New York . The median forecast of 23 economists surveyed by Bloomberg called for a 1.1 percent gain. The lowest mortgage rates on record are attracting buyers, helping absorb the supply of distressed properties that had depressed values. A stabilization in residential real estate may also be contributing to recent gains in consumer confidence that, combined with improving household wealth, will lead to a pickup in spending, the biggest part of the economy. “We’re finally seeing a more sustained and broad-based improvement in home prices,” said Millan Mulraine , senior U.S. strategist for TD Securities in New York, who correctly projected the year-over-year increase. “The housing sector

Home prices in largest cities up 1.6% in July, Case-Shiller says | Katonah NY Realtor

Home prices in the nation's largest cities rose 1.6% in July to their highest level in nearly two years, according to a leading index released Tuesday, adding to recent data showing the housing market finally has begun its rebound from the deep recession. The Standard & Poor's/Case-Shiller index of prices in the 20 biggest U.S. cities rose for the fourth straight month. And in a sign the rebound is broad-based, it was the third consecutive month that prices rose in all 20 cities from the previous month. Prices in those cities also were up compared to a year earlier, with the 1.2% increase coming in above analyst expectations of 1.1%. Sixteen of the the 20 cities posted year-over-year increases in July. Overall, prices in the 20 largest cities in July were still down about 30% from their peak in mid 2006, before the housing market crashed. But prices were up about 8% from their lows in early 2012 and the Case-Shiller index reached its highest point since October 2010.

Shadow inventory declines by 1.2 million in 2012 | North Salem NY Real Estate

Banks trimmed 1.2 million troubled mortgages or foreclosed homes out of the massive shadow inventory hanging over the housing market in the first half of 2012, according to JPMorgan Chase ($41.23 0% ) research. The progress could double by the end of the year, though more than 4 million loans and properties would remain. Still, that would be down from a peak of 6 million in 2010. The nearly 335,000 short sales completed in the first half neared the 420,000 modifications done. Another 470,000 in REO sold as well. The $25 billion foreclosure settlement with the five largest mortgage servicers in March resulted in many more short sales than modifications. Chase analysts expect the AG settlement could result in 100,000 principal reduction mods for an average of $100,000 reduced for each borrower. Servicers would have to rally in the back half of 2012 to get there. A total of just 7,000 were completed through June, but banks said they began ramping up offers over the last two mo

White House Solar Panels are the New Unicorns | Waccabuc NY Real Estate

October 5, 2010 was an exciting day for the U.S. renewable energy industry. The Obama administration announced that in Spring 2011 , it planned to install solar panels and a solar hot water heater on the roof of the White House residence. “This project reflects President Obama’s strong commitment to U.S. leadership in solar energy and the jobs it will create here at home,” Energy Secretary Chu said in a paper statement. “Deploying solar energy technologies across the country will help America lead the global economy for years to come.” Hooray! Optimism! A step in the right direction. “If it has anything like the effect of the White House garden, it could be a trigger for a wave of solar installations across the country and around the world,” wrote environmental activist Bill McKibben at the time. When Spring 2011 came and went without anything new hitting the roof of 1600 Pennsylvania Ave, supporters previously enthusiastic started to feel the air coming out of the balloons. “It

REALTORS® Confidence Index Rises in August | Cross River NY Real Estate

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The REALTORS® Confidence Index ( RCI) is an indicator of housing market strength based on a monthly survey sent to over 50,000 real estate practitioners.   Respondents indicate whether conditions are, or are expected to be “strong” (100 points), “moderate” (50 points), and “weak” (0 points). A score of 50 for the index is the threshold between “strong” and  “weak” conditions. The REALTORS® Confidence Indexes reflect current market conditions and expectations for the next six months for single family, townhouse, and condo markets. The RCI indexes rose across all markets in August. via economistsoutlook.blogs.realtor.org

Gap Between New and Existing Home Price | South Salem NY Real Estate

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New homes should carry a premium because everything is new: carpets, appliances, paint, etc. Moreover, the new home tends to be larger. However, new homes may not necessarily be built in the best of neighborhoods simply because all the good land has already been taken. The price data still says that a typical new home is worth more than a typical existing home. But note the big divergence above that occurred during the crash years. Because material costs and labor costs keep rising, a certain minimum price is required on a newly constructed home, otherwise builders will simply not produce. This minimum price on a typical new home was $220,000 or so. So when existing home values dramatically fell, a gap between new and existing home prices opened up. Even with recent gains in existing home values, the gap still persists. In addition, many economists expect higher commodity prices ahead in light of additional Quantitative Easing by the Fed. Therefore, if anything, new home

How to Make a Viral Real Estate Video | Katonah NY Real Estate

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Buying or selling a home involves a lot of emotional and subjective decisions. Before these transactions even take place, real estate professionals need to work with these decisions and get creative to even get in front of these buyers and sellers in the first place. Without a doubt, real estate video marketing is one of the best ways to appeal to the emotional, subjective factors that come with just about every transaction. Just like any other form of marketing though, poor video marketing methods can turn off a buyer or seller just as quickly as it reels them in. In this article, we are going to provide some useful tips on how to make a viral real estate video that can attract more buyers and sellers for your business. What is a Viral Real Estate Video? Viral videos are not just amateur videos of cats doing funny things or parodies of pop songs . Actually, some of the best viral videos have been professionally produced by companies in an effort to reach their audience in

How To Buy A Smartphone: How Much Should You Pay? | Bedford Hills NY Real Estate

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So, you want a new smartphone but do not want to sell of your firstborn to afford it. Well, you are in luck. The latest models come in a variety of sizes and prices. Depending on what you are looking for, likely there is a price that suits you. Yet it is not always simple to figure out. Here's everything you need to know to find a smartphone that fits your budget. Know Your Device, Know Your Price Price is usually near the top of the list of considerations for smartphone buyers. The question is, what's the right price for you? People who want the latest and greatest tend to pre-order the hottest device on the day it becomes available, never mind the cost. More people are likely to want a proven device and are willing to wait a bit, even if that still means to paying top price. Many more are content with the mid-market: a new smartphone that is not so sophisticated or last year’s once-hot model. Some just want cheap and functional. See Also: The Myth Of The Perfect Devi

Behind Every Great Blogger is an Even Greater Voice | Bedford NY Real Estate

Much is said of the great content that is required to become a great blogger. None of it matters if you don’t have a great voice. Great bloggers don’t settle for great content. Great bloggers understand that how you deliver your message is just as important as the message itself. Your voice has to resonate through a sea of white noise before its message will reach the market. You have to be memorable. The opposite of being memorable is being forgettable. And unfortunately, many bloggers have this down to a fine art. They lack a voice that lends authenticity to their words. If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound? If you pen the world’s greatest article and no one cares enough to read it, does it make an impression? You may think that what you have to say is special. So special that the world should stand and marvel, but it won’t. It never will. Your voice—the charisma and authenticity that oozes from your words—is the difference betwee

Building a Sustainable Energy Future | Pound Ridge Real Estate

Almost everyone's heard the well-worn anecdote about the lost city slicker who asks a country fellow for directions and is finally told (after the rural denizen deliberates over several proposed routes), "Come to think of it, son, you can't get there from here." Well, when It comes to finding a solution to our nation's long-term energy—and hence, economic—woes, the leaders of America have, of late, seemed just as directionless as the befuddled traveler in that old joke. The past half century has been a period of unprecedented economic growth for the United States. Much of this growth was fueled with cheap energy, primarily oil and gas, much of it imported. Events of the past few years, however, have called the stability of this economic foundation into doubt. The SERI [Solar Energy Research Institute] study has redefined a stable foundation for growth in the American economy. The pillars of this new prosperity are more efficient energy consumption and eco

An Update on Wind Energy | Bedford Corners NY Real Estate

Like many revolutions that are more than a few years old, wind energy has remained in the mountains gaining strength. It is now ready to move inland, however, to capture the hearts and minds of the rest of the country. After a decade of experimenting with wind farms in the hills of California, plans are now underway to utilize wind resources in in Washington state and Montana. Wind farms are also in the planning stages in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Wyoming, North Dakota, New York, Hawaii, Iowa, and Texas. There is even one planned to be online by 1994 on a breakwater around the port of Los Angeles. Industry Breakthroughs  During the late 1970s and early 1980s, the wind industry suffered the pangs of a premature birth. The need for new sources of energy prompted by the oil crunch of the late 1970s resulted in the application of immature technology, and from 1981 to 1985, attractive federal and state tax credits promoted a "wind rush" to build turbine at an average pace o