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

Changes in down payments have much greater impact on homebuyers’ willingness to buy for a home than changes in mortgage rates and lower down payment increase renters; willingness to buy six times more than existing owners, according to a new study published recently by economists at the New York Federal Reserve. The survey of buyers and renters found dramatic evidence that the impact of interest rates is highly overrated compared to the impact of even small changes in down payment requirements. The study found that decreasing the required down payment from 20% to 5% increases the willingness to purchase on the average about 15% among all buyers and 40% among renters.  Decreasing interest rate on a 30-year fixed rate mortgage, though it would save the buyer much more than the lower down payment, raised the willingness to purchase a home by only 5% on average. The study also found that it is primarily the less wealthy respondents (particularly renters) that strongly increase their W

On the campaign trail, Jeb Bush has repeatedly emphasized his record overseeing Florida’s boom economy as the state’s governor. He says it’s an example of an economy that created a huge number of jobs and benefited the middle class — an example of what he could do as president. “I know how to do this,” he said in Maitland, Fla., on Monday. But according to interviews with economists and a review of data, Florida owed a substantial portion of its growth under Bush not to any state policies but to a massive and unsustainable housing bubble — one that ultimately benefited rich investors at the expense of middle-class families. The bubble, one of the biggest in the nation, drove up home prices and had many short-term benefits for the state, spurring construction, spending and jobs. But the collapse of the housing bubble as Bush left office in 2007, after eight years of service, sent Florida into a recession deeper than that in the rest of the country, and hundreds of thousands lost th

Home prices increases may be leveling out, according to one closely-followed real estate report. In 20 major American cities, home prices this May were about 4.9% higher than May of last year, according to the S&P/Case-Shiller Home Price Index, released Tuesday. That’s the same pace of growth as April, and surprised economists when it fell short of expected growth. Economists predicted a 5.6% year-over-year increase, according to an Econoday survey. Price increases of single-family homes have settled at a steady pace of 4-5% this year, said David Blitzer, managing director and chairman of the Index Committee at S&P Dow Jones Indices. He said he expects price increases to slow over the next two years, as wages rise to catch up with housing costs. “First time homebuyers are the weak spot in the market,” said Blitzer, citing research that high down-payments may be putting off first-time home purchases. “Without a boost in first timers, there is less housing market activit

The Obama administration’s heavy-handed attempts at social engineering just moved to a disturbing new level — right in Westchester. The Justice Department wants the county held in contempt of court, fined $60,000 a month and forced to set up an escrow account of $1.65 million — in a move growing out of its longstanding claim that the county’s housing policies are racist. It’s a preposterous claim, of course. And Friday, County Executive Rob Astorino holds a press conference to decry it. Good for him. Because the move is based on a technicality, and it actually says more about Team Obama’s overreach than about anything the county has or hasn’t done. Obama calls Westchester County housing racist | Armonk Real Estate | Bedford New York Real Estate | Bedford NY Homes by Robert Paul Realtor

A seedy dirt lot is probably the last thing you think of when you’re hungry. But photographers Adam Voorhes and Robin Finlay envisioned a lush backyard full of edibles for their barren backyard.  They turned to landscape designer B. Jane for help. She got to work creating shade and an entertainment space and adding plenty of food-producing plants. The homeowners are now flush with tomatoes, okra and other vegetables, as well as pecans, citrus, wild olives, prickly pear cactus (which they grill or add to margaritas), eggs from three roaming chickens and honey — lots and lots of honey. Voorhes harvests about 3 gallons of honey a year from his nearly 30,000 backyard bees. Hungry yet? B. Jane Gardens B. Jane Gardens When Voorhes and Finlay bought the property, they replaced a chain-link fence with cedar planking. They also added an arbor and a water-catching system.  Jane did the pavers, metal edging, design and plantings.  “We wanted to mesh midcentury modern

Life was different when this traditional foursquare home near Boston was built in the early 1900s. Back then, rooms were separate and had clear assignments: The kitchen was for cooking, the dining room was for eating and so on. In those days, windows let in cold air during the winter, so they tended to be smaller and less embracing of a view.  This home had been remodeled over the years, and each refresh had added details that were not age- or architecturally appropriate and took the home away from the plain-spoken look of an American  foursquare . The new owners wanted to bring back some of the original details (or what could have been original) and add modern touches, so they hired Robert S. MacNeille, design principal and president of Carpenter & MacNeille. Carpenter & MacNeille Photos by  Michael J. Lee Houzz at a Glance Who lives here:  A couple Location:  A coastal community north of Boston Size:  2,900 square feet (269.4 square meters) before, 5,000 squ

Gazing upon celebrity homes can be even more compelling than gazing upon the stars themselves, as this batch of celebrity homes for sale demonstrates. John Legend and Chrissy Teigen New York, NY For sale: $4,495,000 This 1-bedroom apartment where John Legend has clearly played a few tunes is small by celebrity standards — just 2,000 square feet — but big on charm. It’s in an old carriage house with exposed brick, big windows and a deep cast-iron soaking tub. Read more about  the couple’s listing , and see more homes for sale in  Manhattan . Michael Jordan Highland Park, IL For sale: $14,855,000 The gate to the 7-acre property says “23” — and so do the listing numbers when you add them up. His Airness lived here for almost 20 years, and has been trying to unload it for three. Read more  about the estate outside Chicago , and check out more listings in suburban  Highland Park . Denise Richards Hidden Hills, CA For sale: $7,749,000 If you’re in the market for

Joel Weber said he's determined to incur less college debt by living in the tiny, 145-square-foot house he built, rather than struggling to pay higher rent in his college town of Austin, Texas. "I wanted a place to call home," Weber told ABC News. "I wanted it to be affordable so I could be debt-free and let it be an investment to give back to the community — not just dumped into rent that I wouldn't get any return on." Weber, who will begin his junior year at the University of Texas at Austin, said it can cost upwards of $800 a month to live in the area near his school. In a bid to save himself from further debt, the 25-year-old said it was summer 2014 when he decided that he'd build his own home, rather than stressing over higher costs for an apartment, or on-campus dormitories. The dwelling, Weber said, took one year to complete and cost an estimated $20,000. "I saved up quite a bit and what I didn’t have, family, friends,