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

When it comes to blogging we all know that content is king and keeping things updated is the number one priority. But how do you do that when you (at times literally) have a monkey on your back? Between children, coworkers, construction, and other c words that stand for chaos, it is a wonder we can get anything written at all. This is when you need to develop some habits that create calm and order in the middle of mayhem. Here are some tips on how to stay productive and writing, even when you have confusion knocking on your door: 1. Pick off times to write It might be early in the morning, late in the afternoon or even in the middle of the night. You know when it is in your life. That time when everything seems to settle down for a little while, or right before it gets started all over again. If you can find this ‘prime time’ and get writing, you will be a lot more productive. This might mean that you get up before everyone else, but so be it. If early morning is not you

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Bedford, Armonk Lead in Highest 2012 Average Sold Price | RobReportBlog Average 2012 Sold Price $1,264,648.00 Armonk $1,030,634.00 Chappaqua $892,754.00 Pound Ridge $639,674.00 North Salem $1,356,741.00 Bedford NY $652,715.00 South Salem $1,083,327.00 Bedford Hills $781,510.00 Mount Kisco $846,804.00 Katonah via trulia.com

Property investors who bought in the Dutch market have been hit with prices that have dropped for five straight years – and the decrease is accelerating, according to figures. Average house prices fell by 11.4% in real terms last year to make it the biggest drop in values for five years. The figure comes from the Dutch Association of Real Estate Agents (NVM) which adds that the future is bleak for investors and warns that property prices will inevitably fall again in 2013. A spokesman said: “The country’s weak economy is not helping and we are seeing mortgage approvals fall and high interest rates which look like making any recovery in the near future impossible.” Permits for new builds are also at their lowest since 1953 with just 55,804 applications being made. Serious problems According to government figures from Statistics Netherlands (CBS) the price of homes fell slightly less at 9.1%, when adjusted for inflation, in the year to November. They say the biggest house

Qualifying Recognised Overseas Pension Schemes (QROPS) are seen by many as the best route to tax effective retirement savings for expats. However, with so many countries offering QROPS there is another issue for those thinking of transferring their pension to consider. That is whether the country where the QROPS is based has a double tax agreement (DTA) with the UK. This is a quick guide to understanding the issue What is QROPS? QROPS allows for anyone with a UK pension pot planning to leave the country to retire, or has already done so, to transfer their pension offshore. With planning, this can be a hugely rewarding but the QROPS must be recognised by HM Revenue and Customs. However, financial advisers should take careful note of the DTA in place before recommending a QROPS jurisdiction. What is a DTA? This is an agreement between the UK and other countries to avoid earners and investors paying tax twice on the same money. What do I need to do? You need to ens

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Foreign investors may soon be welcome in Dubai as the government puts together a blueprint to revitalise the flagging economy. The idea is that investors would not tie up with a Dubai national, as is currently required, but could start a business with someone from the Gulf Cooperative Region (GCC). This would be a major change in Dubai’s position in allowing foreign investors to start up in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). That means investors from Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar and Saudi Arabia would be free to link with a foreign business and begin trading in Dubai. Dubai’s Department of Economic Development has formed a committee to look at how the rule could be implemented – and how it will benefit the economy. Foreign capital Currently foreign businesses are only allowed to have a minority stake in a business in Dubai, and the wider UAE, and they must have a local partner. However, foreign firms can own 100% of a company but only when they are the country’s ‘free zones

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Wall Street’s bonus blues are holding back Big Apple home prices. While the housing market is on the mend and every other major metro area is on the upswing, New York stands out as the sole city to see an annual price decline, according to Standard & Poor’s Case-Shiller index released yesterday. Home prices in the New York area were down 1.2 percent in November compared to a year ago — the only decline out of the 20 metro areas tracked by the closely watched index. By comparison, home prices on average were up 5.1 percent from a year ago nationwide. David Blitzer, chairman of S&P’s Index Committee, singled out the city’s shrinking financial sector as one reason it is lagging the rest of the country. “Financial services is not in the best shape, and that has put a damper on the home prices and how people view job growth,” said Blitzer. In fact, Wall Street bonuses have been shrinking ever since the financial meltdown. Bonuses paid out this year are expected to decline, a

As housing prices nationwide start to recover from their depths, home prices in Silicon Valley are close to an all-time high. Many Silicon Valley cities have come nearly all the way back from the real-estate bust of just a few years ago, in terms of how much buyers are willing to pay per square foot for existing single-family homes. Driven by technology employees looking to buy and a constrained housing supply, Los Altos, Palo Alto and Burlingame have registered the strongest comebacks. During the third quarter of this year, home prices in those cities were just several percentage points away from peak levels in 2008, according to new data from research firm DataQuick MDA.T   -1.48% . Enlarge Image Close Jaleh Taghipour This Saratoga, Calif., home sold for $930,000 this week after being listed at $749,000 and receiving 36 offers. At the same time, in Sunnyvale, Mountain View and Cupertino—home to large technology companies Yahoo Inc., YHOO   +1.80% Googl

Online real estate marketplace Trulia ($24.32 0% ) revealed its latest survey findings Wednesday, showing the seasonal patterns of home search activity based on its search traffic. The research, which was based on all home searches on Trulia from 2007 to 2012, was used to determine whether a state’s search activity in each month is above or below the annual average for that state. The study revealed that post-holiday motivation pushed many potential homebuyers and renters back into full-on search mode at the beginning of the year. Nationally, online real estate search activity surged in January and usually reaches its peak around March or April.   Typically May sees a slight dip, but is directly followed by a second yearly peak during the summer months. Home searches usually dip the lowest in December. “Home-search activity swings with the seasons in every state. Buyers and sellers can use these ups and downs to their advantage,” said Jed Kolko, chief economist of Trulia. “

Your B2B firm trumpets its engaged, active customers. These customers, the sweet center of any successful business, generate a significant portion of your firm’s revenue. These same customers serve as references; speak at industry conferences; share ideas and feedback about your company. When they broadcast positive feedback (public or private), that precious message makes the rounds in your firm’s C-suite. In return, these customers will be thanked with some great company swag in appreciation … maybe even be featured on your company’s website. Is that all? Really?  With all that back-and-forth communication, how often do customer suggestions and ideas actually make a difference in your company? More specifically, how often does what your customers say to your firm about your company’s processes, products or services serve as a catalyst for real change in your operations? I thought so.   But really, how could it?    Many large organizations have created what I like to call a “Social M

US ECONOMY SHRINKS: GDP FALLS 0.1% IN Q4  Pete Souza/Official White House photo The advance estimate for fourth-quarter U.S. GDP is out. The economy contracted 0.1 percent in Q4 versus economists' consensus expectations of a 1.1 percent expansion. Personal consumption growth came in at 2.2 percent – slightly higher than consensus estimates of 2.1 percent – but was driven largely by a 13.9 percent advance in the consumption of durable goods. Government spending was the largest driver of the economic contraction in the fourth quarter, subtracting 1.33 percentage points from Q4 GDP growth and falling 6.6 percent. Federal spending fell 15.0 percent, led by a 22.2 percent drop in defense spending. Federal spending on nondefense items was actually up 1.4 percent. State and local spending fell 0.7 percent. The drawdown in private inventories was the second culprit behind the contraction, subtracting 1.27 percentage points from Q4 GDP growth after adding 0.73 percen

SEO can be challenging for small businesses. They must compete for the same market share against larger brands that often have more prestige, brand recognition, and consumer affinity. That doesn’t mean that organic search is out of reach for small businesses as a powerful inbound marketing channel with high potential for return. In order to compete with large brands, small business owners must have an SEO strategy that offsets the often large difference in marketing budget. Because small businesses will not be able to outspend their larger counterparts on media acquisition, they must take a much more targeted and refined approach. When it comes to short-tail SEO—general phrases with a high amount of search volume—the search engine results pages are dominated by big brands. There is little that a small business marketer with limited budget can do to change these results. Despite various limitations, small businesses can gain meaningful search engine result real estate with a focu

Despite the greatest price increases in years, affordability has hardly budged from six year peaks and in many of the nation’s most expensive markets, it’s still rising. Year-over-year price increases through the final months of last year, which range from 4.5 percent/5.5 percent for the Case-Shiller composites to NAR’s 11.5 percent, have made less than a dent in soaring affordability ratings, especially in some of the nation’s most expensive markets in California and the Northeast. The NAHB/ Wells Fargo Housing Opportunity Index has fallen only 4.3 percent from its January 2012 high.  NAR’s Housing Affordability Index is down only 4.6 percent from its multi-year peak in January 2012.  Both measures use median income levels, interest rates and home price data to calculate affordability on national and local levels. However, in many markets, especially the nation’s most expensive housing markets, affordability is still rising.  These include San Francisco, Boston, San Diego, Wash

The nation's volume of mortgage applications fell 8.1% for the week ending Jan. 25 as mortgage rates ticked up higher, an industry trade group said Wednesday. The refinance share of mortgage activity declined to 79% of total applications, down from 82% the previous week, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association . The index measuring refinancing activity declined 10% in one week, while the purchase index edged down 2%. The average contract interest rate for a 30-year, FRM with a conforming loan balance increased to 3.67%, the highest level reached since Sept. 2012. That rate also is up from 3.62% a week earlier. Meanwhile, the 30-year, FRM with a jumbo loan balance grew to 3.95% from 3.85%, while the average 30-year backed by the FHA increased to 3.48% from 3.40%. In addition, the 15-year, FRM increased to 2.95% from 2.87% as the 5/1 ARM became the only rate to fall last week, declining to 2.60% from 2.61%. via housingwire.com

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Content marketing is the overindulged golden child of the online world. We love it, but it’s starting to smell. Our current influential marketers and business developers have dubbed content marketing as the rising star of marketing in 2012. If you search the term “content marketing” in the ‘skills and expertise’ section of LinkedIn , you will find that its relative influence has increased by 27% in the last year. I, for one, was convinced. The problem was that individuals and companies from around the world, word (and image) vomited content in order to become the next beneficiary of this “marketing phenomenon.” Some content can be so inspiring that we feel like the next Peter Parker. “Stories are what bind humans together. Inspire trust by touching people emotionally. Educate and entertain. Become a thought leader through your insightful content of utility.” But, not all content is good content. And in some cases, it is counter productive. Do your readers a favor and stop

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Home Prices Climb by Most in Six Years Home prices in 20 U.S. cities rose in November from a year earlier by the most in more than six years, indicating the U.S. housing rebound is gaining ground. 3:15 Jan. 29 (Bloomberg) -- Karl Case, co-creator of the S&P/Case-Shiller index of property values in 20 U.S. cities, talks about the housing market. The S&P/Case-Shiller index increased 5.5 percent in November from a year ago, the biggest year-over-year gain since August 2006. Case speaks with Tom Keene and Michael McKee on Bloomberg Radio's "Surveillance." (Source: Bloomberg) 6:45 Jan. 25 (Bloomberg) -- Susan Wachter, a professor at the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School, and Keith Jurow, author of a report on the U.S. housing market for Minyanville, discuss the outlook for the housing market. They speak with Mark Crumpton on Bloomberg Television's "Bottom Line." (Source: Bloomberg) 4:14

Single-family home prices in the United States slipped in November from a month earlier, but were up 5.5 percent compared with a year ago, according to the S.&P./Case-Shiller housing price index released Tuesday. The annual increase builds on a string of gains that point to a housing market that is on the mend. “Housing is clearly recovering,” David Blitzer, chairman of the index committee at S.&P. Dow Jones Indexes, said in a statement. Prices on a nonadjusted basis slipped 0.1 percent from October. Prices fell in about half of the 20 metropolitan areas covered by the survey, with the winter months typically a weak period for housing. On a seasonally adjusted basis, the index gained 0.6 percent from October to November, in line with economists’ forecasts. A separate report releaed on Tuesday said that consumer confidence in the United States had dropped in January to its lowest level in more than a yea

  In this Jan. 5, 2013, photo a "for sale" sign is seen outside a home in Glenview, Ill. Average U.S. rates on fixed mortgages rose this week but remained near record lows, keeping home buying more affordable. (Photo: Nam Y. Huh AP) Story Highlights Home prices in the 20-city index slid 0.1% in November from October Only NY shows year-over-year drop Low supply contributes to higher prices Home prices rose 5.5% in the 12 months through November, providing more evidence of a recovering housing market, a closely-followed report showed Tuesday. The Standard & Poor's Case-Shiller index of 20 major cities showed prices rising in 19 of the 20 cities for the 12-month period. Prices fell only in New York — by 1.2%. Compared with October, the index showed a 0.1% decline. "Housing is clearly recovering," said David Blitzer, chairman of the home price index committee. The November numbers were stronger than October with 10 cities

A U.S. flag decorates a for-sale sign at a home in the Capitol Hill neighborhood of Washington, August 21, 2012. Credit: Reuters/Jonathan Ernst   Home prices rose in November to rack up their best yearly gain since the housing crisis began, a further sign that the sector is on the mend.   But data on consumer confidence on Tuesday was less encouraging, with moods falling to their lowest level in more than a year as Americans became more pessimistic about the economic outlook and their financial prospects.   The S&P/Case Shiller composite index of 20 metropolitan areas gained 0.6 percent in November on a seasonally adjusted basis, in line with economists' forecasts.   Prices in the 20 cities rose 5.5 percent year over year, making for the strongest yearly price increase since August 2006 when prices were on their way down.   "This is continuing a trend in place for the better part of a year," said Omair Sharif, U.S. eco

"Housing is clearly recovering", David Blitzer, chairman of the index committee at S&P Dow Jones Indexes, said in a statement. "There's a lot of momentum," he added during an interview on CNBC's " Squawk on the Street ." "It shows up in all the housing statistics, not just the prices. As far as I can see it's going to continue well into the new year." Prices in the 20 cities rose 5.5 percent year over year. It was the 10th month in a row that prices have increased, the longest string of gains since before the market started to turn down in 2006. The housing market became a bright spot for the economy last year as prices rose and inventory tightened. The sector is expected to contribute to economic growth in 2013. via cnbc.com

Chappaqua and Katonah Lead in Average Sold to Ask Price | RobReportBlog Average 2012 Sold to Ask Price 93.72% Armonk 95.68% Chappaqua 93.10% Pound Ridge 93.07% North Salem 93.42% Bedford NY 93.66% South Salem 92.68% Bedford Hills 94.91% Mount Kisco 95.17% Katonah via trulia.com