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

Anyone who’s spent long hours working in the garden knows the pleasure that comes from a job well done. And there’s no better vantage point than a garden nook: a small, secluded spot in which to relax and enjoy the fruits of your labor. It can be under a big tree, in a corner under an arbor or even in a flower bed, where you can be surrounded by blooms (as well as their fragrance). Seating can be as simple as a rustic wooden bench or as nap inducing as a chaise with plump pillows. For dining al fresco, consider adding a bistro table and chairs. It’s not a big project, as these nooks tend to be small and simple — so there’s still time to make a move before the cold weather comes. Here are some idyllic spots to inspire you to carve out your own garden hideaway. Candace Mallette Landscape & Garden Design Save to Ideabook Email Photo In a small backyard in Ottawa, Ontario, a simple seating area is surrounded by a sea of yellow flowering sedum . Two stained-wood Adir

5 images <div class="gallery loaded"><a href="http://ny.curbed.com/archives/2014/06/25/how_much_for_a_garden_duplex_on_the_upper_west_side.php"><img src="http://cdn.cstatic.net/images/gridfs/53ab04b5f92ea1517b006c66/77987933.jpg" width="500" height="334"></a><br /><a href="http://ny.curbed.com/archives/2014/06/25/how_much_for_a_garden_duplex_on_the_upper_west_side.php" style="font-size: 9px; text-align: center;">Click here to view the full photogallery.</a></div> What: 2BR/2BA garden duplex next to Riverside Park, in the West 80s. Square Footage: 1,278 CC/Taxes: $2,342 What definitely looks like a recent renovation has left this duplex on the Far West Side looking a little confused, with a mixture of exposed brick and plain white walls that don't really seem to be cooperating with one another. It's impossible to ignore the apartment's good aspects,

The former L.A. home of actress Agnes Moorehead , who played Endora on Bewitched , has been relisted after a short hiatus from its $18.99M ask, and Curbed LA notes that it once bore the mark of late great artist and designer Tony Duquette . According to Just Call Me Aggie, a blog dedicated to the late actress, Moorehead enlisted the celebrated maximalist to help her decorate the place, but the interior of the gated Spanish-style estate has since been altered from the way Moorehead had it when she passed in the mid-'70s. The antique doors have been stripped of their black paint, the wood, which she had painted white, has been restored to its natural color, and the black-and-white marble floor of the rumpus room has been covered with carpet. The "outrageous chandeliers" that Morehead and Duquette had installed in the living room have been replaced with period-style chandeliers reminiscent of the '20s, when the home was built, and the bedroom no longer sports the

[Vanderbilt Hall when it hosted a Nespresso pop-up Facebook ] It's not officially a done deal yet, but Claus Meyer , one of the founders of Copenhagen's genre-defining restaurant Noma , wants to open a Scandinavian food hall in Grand Central Terminal that would have a balcony cafe , a grab-and-go coffee parlor, and a fancy "100-seat Nordic brasserie." This multifaceted Scandinavian dining complex would take over the landmarked Vanderbilt Hall space inside the station, which is where the annual holiday markets take place. Meyer and his team were the highest bidders of the 15 groups that sent in proposals for the space, and right now they're the frontrunners. Jeff Rosen, the head of real estate for the MTA, tells Flo Fab: "It just so happened that the highest rent proposal was also of the highest quality ." read more.... http://ny.eater.com/archives/2014/06/noma_founder_to_open_grand_central_terminal_food_hall.php

New Rochelle's Down to Earth Farmers Market is back And today is Opening Day, 8:30 am-2:30 pm! North Avenue, at Huguenot Park, in front of New Rochelle High School To celebrate the season, join us for great music by the band, John Whoever and Who Are They, Etc. from 11:30 am-1:30 pm . Vendors for 2014 Season: Alex's Tomato Farm: Father and son lead up this family-owned farm. They'll have strawberries, summer squash, kohlrabi, beets, hot house tomatoes, starter plants for the garden, and much more. Brookside Farm - Pasture-raised meat, poultry, and eggs. Dagele Brothers Produce : Seasonal vegetables from the renowned "Black Dirt" region of Orange County, NY. **NEW VENDOR ** - e-Desserts : Scones, cakes, and bars featuring what's in season from local farms. e-Desserts is named after the owner's two children who inspired her to

Images via Dwell . 4 images <div class="gallery loaded"><a href="http://ny.curbed.com/archives/2014/06/19/this_240squarefoot_uws_studio_has_a_crawlin_library.php"><img src="http://cdn.cstatic.net/images/gridfs/53a305d7f92ea14b8e00438c/micro1.png" width="500" height="333"></a><br /><a href="http://ny.curbed.com/archives/2014/06/19/this_240squarefoot_uws_studio_has_a_crawlin_library.php" style="font-size: 9px; text-align: center;">Click here to view the full photogallery.</a></div> When an architect's client is an anthropology professor who has spent the past 30-some years living between a 240-square-foot New York City studio and a single-room hut in a West African village, where do they start? For Tim Seggerman , it was with the disorderliness and lack of visual simplicity of the rotting Upper West Side brownstone studio he was tasked to renovate. Seggerman

The Federal Reserve Board and Federal Reserve Bank presidents released its updated economic projections for changes in real GDP, unemployment rate and PCE inflation. In addition, it updated policymakers’ assessments of the appropriate path for the Federal Open Market Committee’s target federal funds rate. These five charts give an inside look into what the FOMC forecasts for the U.S. economy. The source for all the charts is the Federal Reserve (click mage for larger view). The three charts show actual values and projections based on FOMC’s participants’ individual assessments of appropriate monetary policy. To understand the following three charts: -Lightly shaded areas represent the rages of the projections of policymakers. The bottom of the range for each variable is the lowest of all of the projections for that year or period. Likewise, the top of the range is the highest of all of the projections for that year or period. -Dark shaded areas represent the central ten

1930s Biscayne Boulevard, looking south. 18 images <div class="gallery loaded"><a href="http://miami.curbed.com/archives/2014/06/17/old-photos-of-miamis-skyline.php"><img src="http://cdn.cstatic.net/images/gridfs/539a116cf92ea153bf001a57/BISCAYNELOOKINGSOUTH.jpg" width="500" height="324"></a><br /><a href="http://miami.curbed.com/archives/2014/06/17/old-photos-of-miamis-skyline.php" style="font-size: 9px; text-align: center;">Click here to view the full photogallery.</a></div> Downtown Miami's skyline has evolved quite radically over our city's 100+ year history, from a collection of low buildings tightly huddled around Flagler Street, to a disbursed jumble of boxy towers with large empty parking lots in between, to the dense (and rapidly growing ) agglomeration of condo towers that we know today. Courtesy of the ever popular 'Miami's Often For

A week after unexpectedly jumping 10.3% last week , mortgage applications returned to their declining trend despite near year-low interest rates. Applications dropped 9.2% from one week earlier, according to data from the Mortgage Bankers Association’s Weekly Mortgage Applications Survey for the week ending June 13, 2014. The Market Composite Index, a measure of mortgage loan application volume, decreased 9.2% on a seasonally adjusted basis from one week earlier. The Refinance Index decreased 13% from the previous week. The seasonally adjusted Purchase Index decreased 5% from one week earlier. “Interest rates increased relative to the previous week, as incoming economic data continues to suggest a pickup in the pace of growth,” said Mike Fratantoni, MBA’s Chief Economist. “Although the average rate for the week was up only a few basis points, the increase was matched by a large drop in refinance volume, and purchase application volume also declined. Some lenders continue

Photo via Inhabitat Designed to make the intolerable chore of sipping wine in the South of France just a bit more bearable, this modern little cabin in the hills of Mondragon, France offers visitors to the Domaine La Cabotte vineyard a chance to kick back with a glass of (super local) vin in peace. Built by the Paris-based H20 Architects, the 625-square-foot space forks off in a distinctive Y-shape inside, with three separate wings all done up in a uniform bone-white and positioned to make the most of some truly ridiculous views. Similar to other eco-friendly cabins dotting European hillsides, the exterior was made entirely from locally sourced wood from nearby forests. Find a few more shots below, then head over to Inhabitat for the floor plans. read more.... http://curbed.com/archives/2014/06/16/wine-tasting-hut-puts-a-twist-on-the-simple-mountain-cabin.php

Kristen L’Esperance never imagined she would move back in with her parents at age 30. But after graduating from the Pratt Institute with an architecture degree in 2009 and facing a tanking economy, she had no choice but to leave New York City for her parents’ home in Vermont, where she spent a year looking for work. Then something crazy happened that every budding architect dreams of: She was handed $500,000 and told to design and build a home of her choice — no questions asked. Photography by Carolyn Bates CULTivation D.S Save to Ideabook Email Photo CULTivation D.S Save to Ideabook Email Photo The money was from an insurance adjustment after her family’s lakeside vacation property in Charlotte, Vermont, burned down. (High winds, common in the area, are suspected of dislodging part of the chimney, which severed some electrical wiring and incinerated the home within hours.) L’Esperance father tried to sell the property to no avail. Not knowing what els

Coined by a group of landscaping and water industry pros in 1981, xeriscaping was developed to promote water conservation following the drought of 1977. For many years, xeriscaping was confined to desert and high desert environments. However, the trend migrated further north as more and more individuals stared looking for low-maintenance, water-saving landscaping solutions. It’s easy to look at a well-xeriscaped yard and be deceived by its simplicity. However, don’t get tricked into thinking you can jump into the project without careful planning. The trick to xeriscaping is to design a plan that conserves water but looks good doing it. To accomplish this, you’ll need to do a few things. First, you’ll need to properly prepare the soil to ensure it’s not too sandy or composed of heavy clay. Next, you’ll need to choose plants that work for your soil conditions, yard layout, and environmental factors. From here you’ll need to make sure everything is properly irrigated (yes, even drought

see more...... http://ny.curbed.com/archives/2014/06/15/best_of_the_curbed_photo_pool.php

2014 does not stand a chance against the record-breaking housing numbers -- such as housing starts and originations -- witnessed in 2013 but that does not mean it is all bad news for this year. Despite a freezing winter and a slow start to the spring homebuying season, there are still bright spots in the economy. This week provided some good tidbits for housing, with mortgage applications rising and record traffic for online real estate sites. So here are a few shining gems for the housing market in 2014. 1. Record breaking online real estate site traffic At least people are looking to buy homes. Trulia ( TRLA ) and Zillow ( Z ) are watching their unique visitor count rise month over month, continuously breaking the prior record. Trulia consumer traffic accelerated to a new high and experienced more than 51 million unique visitors using the site in May. “Trulia’s consumer audience is at an all-time high, which is a good indicator of a strong housing market heading

Freddie Mac ( OTCQB : FMCC ) today released the results of its Primary Mortgage Market Survey® (PMMS ® ), showing average fixed mortgage rates following Treasury yields higher and coming off the May jobs report, which largely met forecast expectations. News Facts 30-year fixed-rate mortgage (FRM) averaged 4.20 percent with an average 0.6 point for the week ending June 12, 2014 , up from last week when it averaged 4.14 percent. A year ago at this time, the 30-year FRM averaged 3.98 percent. 15-year FRM this week averaged 3.31 percent with an average 0.5 point, up from last week when it averaged 3.23 percent. A year ago at this time, the 15-year FRM averaged 3.10 percent. 5-year Treasury-indexed hybrid adjustable-rate mortgage (ARM) averaged 3.05 percent this week with an average 0.4 point, up from last week when it averaged 2.93 percent. A year ago, the 5-year ARM averaged 2.79 percent. 1-year Treasury-indexed ARM averaged 2.40 percent this week with an average 0.4 point

San Francisco is a gorgeous town – a rich tapestry of interwoven and ever-changing cultures, generations, and avant garde political movements. Throw in three generations of bleeding heart hippies, an influx of smart young techies whose worst problem is money storage, and progressive politics ranging from smartly liberal to literally communist and you have the makings of a lovely little housing war. What’s odd is that while San Francisco is on the forefront of this issue, it’s hardly alone. Everywhere from Harlem in New York to Austin, Texas is dealing with gentrification that mirror image of the challenge of middle class flight. With all the money pouring into the housing market and all the well-monied employees and entrepreneurs from the tech nexus that is that part of California, it’s not surprising that there has been a 115% increase in evictions over the past year read more... http://www.housingwire.com/blogs/1-rewired/post/30293-a-lovely-little-housing-war-brewi

9 images <div class="gallery loaded"><a href="http://curbed.com/archives/2014/06/06/inside-the-brooklyn-home-of-famed-architect-morris-lapidus-brooklyn.php"><img src="http://cdn.cstatic.net/images/gridfs/539233f2f92ea165810292cd/5a07475r.jpg" width="500" height="351"></a><br /><a href="http://curbed.com/archives/2014/06/06/inside-the-brooklyn-home-of-famed-architect-morris-lapidus-brooklyn.php" style="font-size: 9px; text-align: center;">Click here to view the full photogallery.</a></div> Architect Morris Lapidus may be famous for his Miami oeuvre of Neo-Baroque and Modern architecture—he's the guy who designed Miami's Fontainebleau Hotel, which he proudly dubbed "the world's most pretentious hotel"—in the 1940s he was based in NYC. Here he had an office headquarters on 49th Street— vintage photos this way —and lived in an adorable house i

7 images <div class="gallery loaded"><a href="http://curbed.com/archives/2014/06/09/five-classy-offerings-from-highsociety-standby-marion-sims-wyeth.php"><img src="http://cdn.cstatic.net/images/gridfs/5395f7aef92ea14ee501bf89/1790721_2.jpg" width="500" height="375"></a><br /><a href="http://curbed.com/archives/2014/06/09/five-classy-offerings-from-highsociety-standby-marion-sims-wyeth.php" style="font-size: 9px; text-align: center;">Click here to view the full photogallery.</a></div> Though he designed some of America's most famous residences, including Doris Duke's Shangri-La in Honolulu, Marion Sims Wyeth is remembered alongside peers like Addison Mizner and Maurice Fatio as one of Florida's classic society architects. Naturally, the estates he designed still command pretty staggering sums, like the $42.9M that architect and philanthro

Another characteristically cuboidal, Mayan-inspired Los Angeles home by Lloyd Wright , son of Prairie School prelate Frank Lloyd Wright, has been put up for sale, this one a 2,518-square-foot Hollywood abode with historic-cultural monument status. What immediately sets the 1923 Henry O. Bollman Residence apart from the last few Lloyd Wright offerings is some gold-colored interior stonework which only increases the temple-like vibe that the listing describes as "dramatic" and "intimate." Not all the Curbed LA commenters are big fans of the flashiness ("Gold is never a wise color choice for teeth or Lloyd Wright houses," declares one), but one reader claims that it was a recreation of the original hue. Whether a restoration or a glamming up, it was part of a suite of renovations undertaken by interior designer Mimi London , who acquired the place back in 1990 for somewhere around $230K. With London's renovations, which the listing claims too

Though recent MBS data indicates a slower spring buying season than many expected, the word on the street at FBR Capital ’s second annual Housing Recovery Conference was relatively positive, especially regarding how policy in the sector is working to support home price appreciation and a recovery of the housing market. Leaders from federal housing agencies, Treasury, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau , and industry executives discussed the current state of the housing market and policy efforts, and came up with four key takeaways. Attendees wanted to continue efforts of policymakers to remove credit overlays, and to maintain a liquid MSR transfer market. There’s also an ongoing desire to attract private capital into the mortgage space — including support for the mortgage insurance industry and a desire to restart private-label securitization and expand credit risk transfers. This is a positive step, considering the recent Fannie Mae housing survey is trending negative to

One of eleven prefab homes in existence designed by Prairie School poobah, progenitor, and high priest Frank Lloyd Wright has hit the market for the first time ever at $795K . If the fact that Wright designed prefabs comes as a surprise, it's probably because of prefabricated construction's strong associations with retro-futuristic bubble houses , easy-assembly "glamping" shacks , artsy party barges , and other such flights of fancy, but Wright did in fact do a bit of prefab dabbling with developer Marshall Erdman, the Lithuanian-American builder that commissioned the First Unitarian Society of Madison from him in 1946. Wright discovered that Erdman was selling prefabs, and offered to design him a few models that could be offered for $15K, which was about half the price that Erdman was charging for some of his own. By spring of 1956, Wright had finalized plans for a trio of Usonian - style homes to be built exclusively by Marshall Erdman and Associates. This

The most recent results from the Case-Shiller Index published last week suggests that through March of 2014, home prices were starting to visibly slow from the torrid, double digit rates of home price appreciation (HPA) seen over the past two years and more. Whereas in the last year HPA was more than 12% or 1% per month, in the first quarter of 2014, the National Index gained just 0.2%. Nineteen of the 20 cities in the index showed positive returns in March, but New York declined. Not surprisingly, fast growing regions like Dallas and Denver reached new index peaks. The Case-Shiller press release stated: “In March, the National and Composite Indices saw their annual rates of gain slow significantly. Chicago showed its highest year-over-year return of 11.5% since December 1988. Las Vegas and San Francisco, the cities with the highest returns, saw their rates of gain slow to approximately 21%; their post-crisis peak returns were 29.2% and 25.7%, respectively. At the lower end was

Freddie Mac ( OTCQB : FMCC ) today released the results of its Primary Mortgage Market Survey® (PMMS ® ), showing average fixed mortgage rates largely flat compared to the previous week amid light economic reports. News Facts 30-year fixed-rate mortgage (FRM) averaged 4.14 percent with an average 0.5 point for the week ending June 5, 2014 , up from last week when it averaged 4.12 percent. A year ago at this time, the 30-year FRM averaged 3.91 percent. 15-year FRM this week averaged 3.23 percent with an average 0.5 point, up from last week when it averaged 3.21 percent. A year ago at this time, the 15-year FRM averaged 3.03 percent. 5-year Treasury-indexed hybrid adjustable-rate mortgage (ARM) averaged 2.93 percent this week with an average 0.4 point, down from last week when it averaged 2.96 percent. A year ago, the 5-year ARM averaged 2.74 percent. 1-year Treasury-indexed ARM averaged 2.40 percent this week with an average 0.4 point, down from last week when it averaged

25 images <div class="gallery loaded"><a href="http://curbed.com/archives/2014/06/04/seven-homes-promising-the-hamptons-of-everywhere-else.php"><img src="http://cdn.cstatic.net/images/gridfs/538f32f5f92ea1509a00d3bf/27_6214620_0_1368086735.jpg" width="500" height="375"></a><br /><a href="http://curbed.com/archives/2014/06/04/seven-homes-promising-the-hamptons-of-everywhere-else.php" style="font-size: 9px; text-align: center;">Click here to view the full photogallery.</a></div> When is the Hamptons most definitely not the Hamptons? When it's in Ventura, Calif., Delray Beach, Fla., or New Buffalo City, Mich. But concerns like "geographical location" sometimes must take a back seat when there's a house that needs hawking, as brokers have proven time and time again with their use of the phrase "the Hamptons of [som