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

It's hard to believe fall is already here. That means it's time to make an inspection of your house for any hidden defects that might morph into major problems. An ounce of prevention early on can stave off major repair bills later. Here's our list of must-do inspection items before the temperature drops and the rain falls. 1. Check the roof . Clean out the gutters and take note of any missing shingles. Pay special attention to split wood shingles or bare patches on asphalt shingles. Such damage indicates the roof is on its last legs and is due for replacement. Make sure everything is sealed and tight around the chimney and vents. If you have a problem with algae and fungus on wood shakes and asphalt shingles, control it by installing zinc control strips. 2. Poke your head in the attic . Be on the lookout for water stains or mold. Water stains may indicate a leaky roof or inadequate ventilation. Mold is caused by condensation resulting from inade...

Google Analytics logo Google Analytics is changing. And it is changing in very significant ways. It's such a significant change that they're taking the word "Google" out of the name and calling it Universal Analytics. For those who find it valuable to understand the behavior of people online, Google Analytics has been the go-to analytics package for many years. The combination of tracking capabilities, reporting options and cost has been a three-pronged fork stuck into the side of any other tracking package out there. Before anyone gets too excited about all this it's worth noting that these changes are rolling out in beta to enterprise and premium customers. This means those who are dabbling in analytics won't see these features in their free Google Analytics accounts for awhile, if at all. The change to Google Analytics starts with a conceptual shift which then leads to significantly new reporting capabilities. Let's do a quick overview...

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The average interest rate recorded on a conventional 30-year, fixed-rate mortgage rose 2 basis points to 3.76% in September, the Federal Housing Finance Agency said Tuesday. Meanwhile the adjustable-rate mortgage hit 3.56% while the contract rate for the composite of all fixed and adjustable-rate mortgage loans fell 1 basis point to 3.55% in September compared to 3.56% in August. Initial loan fees and charges made up 0.95% of the average loan balance in September, a 12-basis point drop from August. Of the purchase-money mortgage loans originated last month, 22% were classified as no-point mortgages, an 8% increase from August. The average loan term hit 27.4 years in September, a slight increase from August.  The average loan-to-price ratio also fell 0.2% to 75.6% from 75.8%. The average loan amount in September hit $254,600, compared to $256,900.   via housingwire.com

via hongkiat.com

via housingwire.com

via housingwire.com

via housingwire.com

Have a website? Of course you do. Want more visitors? Of course you do. Leveraging real estate statistics is a great way to drive up the value of your website, increasing both traffic and stickiness. But there are some time-tested tips and tricks to know going in if you are going to get the most out of the practice. First, have a CMS . A CMS is a content management system. Most of you know them as a blog. I recommend WordPress, but there are lots of good options out there. Having a good CMS will make adding your content much easier to do, and help ensure that you maximize the benefit of that content by baking some SEO (search engine optimization) right in. I will assume that you already have a CMS and get right to the fun parts. Second, do it yourself, first . There is no substitute to creating some statistics manually. None. There are a number of platforms out there that will try to sell you an embedded widget, and lots of ghost writers out there that will offer to create co...

Facebook is noisy. In between the Farmville games, updates from your friends from high school and photos from people you used to work with – are your clients or potential clients. So, how can you cut through the noise to connect with those key people? The answer is simple: Facebook lists. Look at your friend list and pick out the 10-20 people who are potential clients. These are people who you know will be ready to buy or sell in 1-2 years. Remember, Facebook is a way to build relationships and stay in touch. So, the best way to build a relationship and stay top of mind with these key people is to create a list. Here is how you do it: Step 1: Go to:  https://www.facebook.com/bookmarks/lists and click “Create Lists” Step 2: Give your list a name – i.e. “Potential Clients” – this list won’t be made public, but name it something easy to remember. Add your top 10-20 people to your list. Click “create” Step 3:  Go back to this link , and cl...

Evidence is growing that more borrowers will be approved for a mortgage without increasing risk to lenders through more sophisticated credit risk scoring that uses alternative data, such as unsecured credit and property history in consumer credit report analysis, according to a new report by the CEB TowerGroup. “Traditional credit data and analytics continue to be relevant, but are not sufficient to satisfy the consumer credit reformation of today,” said the CEB TowerGroup’s senior research director, Craig Focardi. “As a result of the changes in consumer behavior, lenders cannot revert back to their prior mortgage underwriting policies. Too much damage has already been done to the market, consumers, shareholders and investors.” CEB TowerGroup evaluated data from a joint analysis conducted by CoreLogic and FICO that compares the FICO® Score used by most lenders today with a new score launched in July that evaluates the traditional credit data from national credit data repositories ...

Sandy causes a lot of damage.  Estimates of $67 billion. via realestateeconomywatch.com

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via jeffbullas.com

Time is running out for people in low-lying parts of Westchester County who have been asked to evacuate their homes as Hurricane Sandy bears down on the East Coast. Westchester County Executive Robert Astorino warned those residents Monday to leave their homes now, before conditions worsen this afternoon and evening. "We're not doing it just for the sake of doing it," Astorino said of the local evacuations in flood prone areas of the county. "We are doing it because people and property are at risk." Speaking to reporters from the county's emergency operations center in Hawthorne, Astorino said early this afternoon could be the last chance for these residents to leave areas that face the most dangerous flooding. "Those who have not evacuated, if there are problems later, we may not be able to get to you," Astorino said. "This is the perfect time still to evacuate." During a tour in the City of Rye and Mamaroneck earlier in the day...

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Most home insurance policies cover wind damage, but flood damage usually requires a separate policy. Got insured property? There's an app for that Your deductible can rise dramatically for hurricane damage Stay with your claims adjuster and take notes as he surveys the damage If Hurricane Sandy hit your home, you've probably lost something, from a few shingles to the whole shebang. If you've planned well, you can keep your losses as low as possible. And if you haven't planned well, you can take action now to minimize your losses in the next disaster. The best thing you could have done before Sandy struck was make an inventory of your house and your possessions. There's even an app for that if you still want to do it. Go to the Insurance Information Institute's website ( www.iii.org/software ) and download its home inventory app. The app lets you enter information on where you bought your possessions and how much they cost. All the information is sto...

via jeffbullas.com

A continuing slide in the volume of distressed properties seen in the housing market is helping to boost home prices in many parts of the country. Meanwhile, uncertainty about the impact of next month’s national elections appears to be causing some would-be homebuyers to delay taking any action until after November, according to the October HousingPulse survey  of real estate agents. The survey found that one major reason behind the rise in home prices is a fairly sharp drop in the share of distressed properties found in recent home sales. The HousingPulse Distressed Property Index (DPI), which tracks the proportion of home purchase transactions involving distressed properties, fell to a record low of 38.6 percent in September based on a three-month moving average. This was the fifth month in a row that the DPI has fallen, and is now down more than 10 percentage points from the near-record-high 48.7 percent DPI level recorded in February of this year. The precipitous drop in ...

CoreLogic today warned that storm surges generated by Hurricane Sandy could ruin more than 210,000 homes valued at over $67 billion among the coastal Mid-Atlantic states  as the storm makes its way inland today and tomorrow. “Based on current forecasts, Sandy is likely to make landfall along the northeastern Atlantic coast early Monday,” said Dr. Howard Botts, vice president and director of database development for CoreLogic Spatial Solutions. “Though it is still early and the projected path is constantly changing, Sandy could pose an enormous threat to major metropolitan areas in the Northeast, like New York City and Long Island, Atlantic City and Baltimore.” Total number and total value of residential properties by coastal Mid-Atlantic state are: State     Number of Properties at Risk     Value of Properties at Risk New York            81,078   $35,128,036,406 New Jer...

Stay up-to-date on the latest in Bedford-Katonah-Lewisboro storm coverage through the Patch Storm Hub. Town of Lewisboro Supervisor Peter Parsons has declared a state of emergency for Lewisboro and its hamlets as of Sunday at 7 p.m. "In a 'state of emergency,' we're able to spend money on necessary measures during the storm without requiring the entire town board to assemble and approve the spending," he said. For example, he's exploring the rental of illuminated signs to post at key locations around town to keep residents informed. In addition, he could deploy a private tree service to clear fallen trees as needed, he said. Parsons encouraged residents to take necessary precautions and stock up on emergency supplies ( click here for a checklist of storm supply preparations). Beginning at 7 p.m., town hall will be used as Lewisboro's emergency command center; the phone number is (914) 977-8043. This number may be used for any to obtain information...

Resources and Information Bedford declared a state of emergency Monday at noon. Warming centers are available at each of the three fire departments. All non-essential travel on roads in the Town of Bedford is prohibited. The Town House will be closed this afternoon and Tuesday, reopening at 8:30am on Wednesday. If overnight sheltering is necessary, please call the Bedford Police Department at 914-241-3111 to make arrangements.  Overnight shelter will be available at the Bedford Hills Fire Department. In Lewisboro, officials have declared a state of emergency as of 7 p.m. Sunday night, Supervisor Peter Parsons told Patch. Beginning at 7 p.m., town hall will be used as Lewisboro's emergency command center; the phone number is (914) 977-8043. This number may be used for any to obtain information and to report such incidents as blocked roads. For emergency calls, locals are directed to use 9-1-1. Residents are encouraged to use the town's website to obtain informa...

via business2community.com

Hurricane Sandy/Frankenstorm: How to batten down the hatches on your apartment. [BrickU] Why this storm might be so bad. [NY Times] Atlantic City shuts down its casinos as hurricane approaches. [Journal] Red Hook braces for the worst. [DNAinfo] Utilities prepare for rapid recovery. [NY Times] NYCHA buildings in evac zones will be shut down. [DNAinfo] How to colonize that neighboring apartment. [NY Times] Dursts will run the city’s largest compost plan on 57th Street. [ArchPaper] Brownstoner’s plans to take over the (flea market) world. [NY Times] Bloomberg: Cyclists, peds are more important than drivers. [CapitalNY] BK’s Manhattan Beach is one of the city’s most expensive neighborhoods. [Daily News] More on the Trump Org’s new residential brokerage. [Journal] Toronto grabs our Urban Umbrella sidewalk sheds. [Curbed] Norwegian Church is still nice, but not as nice as in the olden days. [Brownstoner] Bruce Ratner gets nervous before Barbara Streisand goes ...

Prudential Douglas Elliman See Also In America's Most Expensive Zip Code, These Are The Most Expensive Homes For Sale Buy Calvin Klein's Former Glass-Enclosed Manhattan Apartment For $35 Million HOUSE OF THE DAY: A Lovely Upper East Side Home By The Tiffany & Company Architect Is On Sale For $19 Million via businessinsider.com

'Fairy Tale' Home Is Just Plain Magical (House of the Day) via realestate.aol.com

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The band Smashing Pumpkins decided to engage their fans through a visual social media marketing campaign. The campaign was designed to draw in fans by asking various questions about the songs the band was about to release. The fans were asked to design visual representations or texts interpreting various titles. The social media campaign, titled “Imagine Oceania”, was part of a promotion for the band’s new album “Oceania”. The challenge was initially posted through the photography blog JPGMAG.com and selected artists would have their artwork turned into limited edition posters signed by the band’s lead Billy Corgan, as well as the rest of the Smashing Pumpkins. Additional fan art was exhibited on the band’s varied social media outlets. These included Storify , Pinterest , Twitter and Facebook. The visual social media campaign was designed to crowd source marketing by asking fans to participate, engage and share on social networks and the band would also reward the artists (thei...

A pending home sales index maintained by the National Association of Realtors showed an annual gain in September for the 17th month in a row. NAR's latest Pending Home Sales Index , released today, showed the number of existing homes under contract in September up 0.3 percent from August and 14.5 percent from a year ago. The index, which represents contracts signed but not yet closed, has settled at 99.5 in September. An index score of 100 is equal to the average level of sales contract activity in 2001, a year in which sales were in line with historical norms. Signed contracts typically close one or two months after the sign date. "The level of pending contracts has remained very steady implying that this recovery is holding its momentum," said Lawrence Yun, NAR's chief economist. Yun said the steady and strong year-over-year increase in the index "is pointing in the right direction." All regions saw double-digit year-over-year...

A pending home sales index maintained by the National Association of Realtors showed an annual gain in September for the 17th month in a row. NAR's latest Pending Home Sales Index , released today, showed the number of existing homes under contract in September up 0.3 percent from August and 14.5 percent from a year ago. The index, which represents contracts signed but not yet closed, has settled at 99.5 in September. An index score of 100 is equal to the average level of sales contract activity in 2001, a year in which sales were in line with historical norms. Signed contracts typically close one or two months after the sign date. "The level of pending contracts has remained very steady implying that this recovery is holding its momentum," said Lawrence Yun, NAR's chief economist. Yun said the steady and strong year-over-year increase in the index "is pointing in the right direction." All regions saw double-digit year-over-year PHSI increas...

Economists at the Mortgage Bankers Association and mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are predicting that growth in housing sales and price stability will boost demand for purchase mortgages next year. Because real estate agents' commissions are tied to the selling price of homes in which they represent buyers and sellers, trends in purchase loan originations correlate well with commissions, although many sales during the downturn have been all-cash deals to investors who also pay agent commissions. The Mortgage Bankers Association expects purchase loan originations to grow by 16 percent next year, to $585 billion from an estimated $503 billion in 2012. Growth in new-home sales, modest home price increases, and more financed, owner-occupied sales rather than cash investor sales will drive 2013 purchase originations, said Jay Brinkmann, MBA's chief economist, in a statement . In their latest forecast , Fannie Mae economists predict sales of new an...

Rates on the most popular mortgage loans -- those with fixed rates -- moved up slightly this week but remained near historic lows, Freddie Mac said in releasing the results of its latest Primary Mortgage Market Survey . Rates on 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 3.41 percent with an average 0.7 point for the week ending Oct. 25, up from 3.37 percent last week but down from 4.1 percent a year ago. Rates for 30-year fixed-rate loans hit an all-time low in Freddie Mac records dating to 1971 of 3.36 percent during the week ending Oct. 4. For 15-year fixed-rate loans, rates averaged 2.72 percent with an average 0.6 point, up from 2.66 percent last week but down from 3.38 percent a year ago. Last week's average for 15-year fixed-rate loans was an all-time low in Freddie Mac records dating to 1991. Rates on five-year Treasury-indexed hybrid adjustable-rate mortgage (ARM) loans averaged 2.75 percent with an average 0.6 point, unchanged from last week but down from 3.08 pe...

Markets seem at last to have noticed the possible range of consequences from the election 10 days hence, and the result is a wide-eyed, jaw-dropped, don't-do-anything. Absent constant paddling, stocks tend to sink, and that's what they've done between frozen days. Bonds tend to glaciate altogether. The 10-year T-note still cannot break 1.85 percent going upward, and its trading range since August has narrowed bottom-up: from all-time low 1.4 percent in July to 1.55 percent in September, now can't fall below 1.7 percent. Mortgages are motionless just below 3.5 percent. Stocks also suffer from poor prospects for earnings. What a surprise. By some estimates nearly two-thirds of S&P 500 earnings in the last half-dozen years have come from overseas, rising with global trade volume. As that volume now has flattened (at best), so have earnings. It is fair to say that the U.S. is in better shape than elsewhere, but not enough so to propel earnings. Th...