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

Sinking money into real estate investment trusts is considered to be one of Wall Street’s most complex investments. Owning shares of REITs gives investors an opportunity to get investment exposure to real estate, including apartments, shopping centers and office buildings. But they’ve gained a reputation of being risky and confusing — especially after the industry was pummeled during the last real estate crash. Bedford New York Real Estate | Bedford NY Homes by Robert Paul Realtor » Blog Archive » Real estate investment trust yields robust rewards despite risk | Armonk Real Estate

Winning the NBA Championship is, of course, a valid reason to celebrate. And that’s exactly what most Miami Heat players did earlier this summer,  letting loose at Miami club Story  with celebrities including rapper Drake and Dwyane Wade’s girlfriend, actress Gabrielle Union. Shane Battier, however, chose to celebrate his team’s second straight title  with a modest trip to Denny’s . Perhaps the  6-foot-8-inch forward  was preparing for his big $3.225 million purchase — a luxurious new pad in Coral Gables, FL. Rumors of the basketball star’s possible departure from the Miami Heat  went wild when he  listed his Coconut Grove home for $1.895 million on July 3 . However, fear not Heat fans — Battier remains a Florida resident. It appears that he purchased his new Coral Gables mansion the day before he put his previous home up for sale. According to  Gossip Extra , Miami-Dade County records show that Bat...

Vince Cable said that the help-to-buy scheme unveiled in the Budget earlier this year could simply “inflate” the housing market as occurred in the last decade. From next year, first and second time buyers will be offered government guarantees which should allow them to obtain competitive mortgages even if they have relatively small deposits. The £130 billion scheme has been heralded as a flagship measure which should help boost the economic recovery while allowing hundreds of thousands of people to meet their aspirations of buying a home. However, some economists and business leaders have voiced warnings about the scheme and Mr Cable – who previously warned about the dangerous levels of debt before the financial crisis – has now indicated he shares their concerns. “I am worried about the dangers of getting into another house price bubble,” the senior Liberal Democrat said. Bedford New York Real Estate | Bedford NY Homes by Robert Paul Realtor » Blog Archive » Hel...

The Westchester County Health Department is now providing breaking public health news and information on Facebook. Residents can “like” the Health Department’s  page  to get health information and alerts in their news feed. In addition to news, the department’s page also offers information on health and wellness, including exercise tips and nutrition information. Bedford New York Real Estate | Bedford NY Homes by Robert Paul Realtor » Blog Archive » Westchester Health Department Puts News On Facebook | Armonk Real Estate

Insurance requires you to think about bad occurrences: medical problems, car accidents, emergency home repairs. But while it may sound pessimistic to dwell on what  could  happen (carpe diem, anyone?), it’s important to protect yourself from some of life’s biggest surprises. When it comes to protecting your home, it’s not just about safeguarding against structural damage or theft — it’s just as much about feeling secure in where you live. If disaster strikes, your focus should be on reclaiming your sense of stability. The last thing you should worry about is money. We spoke to LearnVest Planning Services certified financial planner™ Ellen Derrick — and some real homeowners — about the top 11 things you should know about homeowners insurance. No. 1: What it covers A typical policy will pay for damage to your property and your possessions in the event of certain storms, fire, theft or vandalism. Like renters insurance, it also provides liability coverage if someone gets...

While settling down and starting a family may still be an ambition of Bravo TV’s “Flipping Out” designer Jeff Lewis, it looks like he will not be doing it at the Los Feliz mansion he has called home for more than a year. The 3-bedroom, 3-bathroom home located at  1946 N Gramercy Pl, Los Angeles, CA 90068  is now on the market for $3.195 million. Built and designed in 1937 by legendary architect Wallace Neff, the previously bare-boned beauty has been transformed into a 3,730-square-foot masterpiece, while still  keeping its Hollywood golden age roots in mind . Neff’s designs remain popular among L.A.’s elite, including the recently listed homes of  Bob Newhart  and former Maroon 5 drummer  Ryan Dusick . According to property records, Lewis purchased the gated pad twice. He first scored the property for $1.265 million in 2004 and fell in love, saying he “had an instant connection” with it in an interview with  People  magazine. The de...

For the minnows in China’s property market, swimming near the bottom of the real estate food chain can be dangerous. The smaller you are, the more likely you are to be someone else’s dinner. And it is getting harder to stay clear of the bigger guys, particularly as Beijing keeps up its three-year campaign to curb real estate prices. Bloomberg News Residential buildings stand in Shanghai, on Sunday, June 30, 2013. “Being a small fish is getting more difficult. The bigger fish are swimming faster,” said Kai Chen, chief executive officer of mid-sized developer Yango Group. “I expect that in eight to 10 years, China’s top 10 developers will have 20% of the market.” As of the end of March this year, the top 10 developers had around 16% of the country’s total property sales. Speaking at a real estate conference this week, Mr. Chen shared a few tips on how a small outfit like Yango has managed to survive in an environment where smaller developers are seen as an endangered speci...

If you invest some time in LinkedIn it can be very beneficial to your business. In this article we outline 3  tools  that will really help you grow your presence on LinkedIn. 1.  Build stronger relationships with your contacts using FiveHundredPlus If you connect with relevant people in LinkedIn this is an extremely valuable database that you should use.  When you build up a large database on contacts it can be a great source of business. But you need to regularly communicate with them to nurture the relationships and let them know that you are still around. FiveHundredPlu s is a company which has an interesting tool which will become more and more useful as the functionality develops.  It is designed to help you maintain and build relationships with contacts in Linkedin. You view all your contacts in a table and then drag contacts to a relevant column which indicates how often you think you should contact this connection e.g. weekly, monthly, quart...

New York’s solar energy capacity is getting an upgrade with $54 million announced by Gov.  Andrew Cuomo  for 79 solar projects across the state to help reduce stress on the electric grid. The competitive funding is part of the governor’s NY-Sun initiative working to make the state a leader in solar energy by addressing climate change and boosting clean energy technologies. “The investments we are making in solar power will help businesses around the state control and reduce their utility expenses, while increasing the amount of electricity the state gets from renewable energy and reducing demand on the electric grid,” said Francis Murray , CEO of the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA). The Capital Region is expected to have 10 sites that will house solar energy projects including Raymour & Flanigan stores in Clifton Park and Niskayuna. The other eight sites are to be determined. The awards were administered by NYSERDA to 20 recipien...

Plans to create the world’s biggest offshore wind farm off the coast of Britain have been approved. Work on the massive Triton Knoll site – 288 giant wind turbines off the Lincolnshire coast – can now begin after the £3.6bn project was given the go ahead. It will dwarf Britain’s current largest offshore facility, the 175-turbine London Array in the Thames Estuary unveiled last week by David Cameron. Go-ahead: An offshore wind farm off the coast of Skegness in Lincolnshire When complete, the new giant windfarm will generate 1.2 gigawatts of electricity, enough to power for 820,000 homes. But critics say it will not come without a cost, as offshore power is currently subsidised by the taxpayer at three time the wholesale price of conventionally-produced electricity. And the scheme is not without controversy. As part of the project, energy giant RWE are proposing building a substation the size of 30 football pitches connected to the offshore turbines, in the Lincolnshi...

More than $987.7 million was spent on real estate in Hampden County from July 2012 until the end of last month, a 2.1 percent increase from the prior year and another sign of a improving real estate market, according to  Donald E. Ashe , Hampden County register of deeds. The total amount spent on real estate in Hampden County in the previous fiscal year July 2011 to June 2012 was $967.2 million, according to data released Wednesday by Ashe. “The real estate market is getting better,” Ashe said. “But it is slow, hampered by persistent unemployment.” In neighboring Hampshire County, the total spend on real estate was $498 million, according to the registry office there. That’s up 2 percent from $488.3 million in the previous fiscal year. In Franklin County, the total was $160.9 million, that’s down 1.7 percent from $163.7 million last year but up from $150.4 million in the 2010-11 fiscal year. Ashe said the figures are based on the total consideration paid for all real es...

When you buy a computer from Best Buy, you’ll be asked if you want to cover it with an extended warranty. Some people go ahead and pay the extra money, but not everyone thinks these warranties are a good idea. Consumer Reports almost always says they aren’t worth the money. You might be surprised to learn that, sort of like the computer from Best Buy, you may have the option of buying a warranty for your home. Depending on your situation, a home warranty could definitely be worth the investment. What is a home warranty? For a fee of between $300 and $500 a year, depending on where you live, a home warranty covers the costs of repairing or replacing most any malfunctioning system in your home. Let’s say your dishwasher starts leaking, your clothes dryer burns out, or your water heater won’t heat water anymore. If you had a home warranty, you wouldn’t have to call around to get estimates for repairs. You wouldn’t have to pay out of pocket to get it fixed, either. Instead, you ...

To the Editor: Re  “Owning a Home Isn’t Always a Virtue”  (Economic View, July 14), which questioned incentives for homeownership: Owning a home is one of the best ways to build financial security over the long term, providing equity accumulation and tax benefits. Homeownership strengthens communities, supports the economy and helps families build wealth — and for many people, it means gaining a foothold into the middle class. That is why owning a home has had longstanding government support. Admittedly, lax lending and risky mortgages led to the housing market crash, but Americans have justly called for a return to safe, sensible underwriting standards. But the people have also spoken clearly and consistently about the importance of policies that promote responsible, sustainable homeownership, like the mortgage interest deduction. Further, comparing homeownership rates in the United States to those in Switzerland, as the column did, is comparing apples to oranges; th...

Call for Action: Tax Reform Should Do No Harm Tax Reform is underway on Capitol Hill. The Senate has adopted a “Blank Slate” approach that initially eliminates every provision in the tax code, including those that encourage real estate ownership and investment. Senators must submit their tax reform priorities to Senate leaders by July 26th. REALTORS® need to make their voices heard now so real estate provisions are on the top of the Senators' lists. When approaching tax reform, Congress needs to be careful not to adversely affect the unique legacy of homeownership and real estate investment. It is precisely this legacy that has contributed to our country’s historical prosperity and the revitalization of today’s economy. REALTORS® must stand united that tax reform should above all “Do No Harm” and encourage Congress to retain tax provisions vital to real estate. Please contact your Senators today. NAR Call for Action: Tax Reform Should Do No Harm http://bit.ly/18Jaz0s #vot...

Enrique Murciano may be leaving celebrity-central Woodrow Wilson Drive, but he isn’t leaving without a trace. The 40-year-old actor has been hopping from one L.A. bachelor pad to another for the past few years. In 2004, he purchased a 3-bedroom home that he later sold in 2008. He upgraded to a 4-bedroom, 3.5-bath at  7334 Woodrow Wilson Dr, Los Angeles, CA 90046  in 2009 but got the real estate bug again four years later. Murciano listed the place for $1.749 million in May. He must have had more than one offer because he just closed the deal for $2.042 million, well above his asking price. The interior, spanning 2,709 square feet, has a cool retro-meets-modern vibe. A grand piano contrasts with an abstract painting in the living room, while vintage-inspired appliances are modernized with sleek black countertops in the kitchen. Framed by walls of windows, the home provides a hilltop view, yet still affords privacy. “This wonderful home is secluded and gated — perfect...

Rising mortgage rates haven’t stalled the housing rebound, says Kathy Fettke, CEO of Real Wealth Network, a California-based real estate investment club. Indeed, the rate increase has accelerated the recovery, as buyers don’t want to miss out before rates rise too high, she tells Newsmax TV in an exclusive interview. The 30-year fixed mortgage rate averaged 4.37 percent during the week ended July 18, up from 3.35 percent in the week ended May 2, according to Freddie Mac. Watch our exclusive video. Article continues below. “There’s been so much fear that if mortgage rates go up, it’s going to slow down the housing recovery. But we’re seeing the opposite, because as interest rates go up, people panic,” Fettke said. “They don’t want to get in too late, so they get off the fence and buy now.” While it may sound strange after seven years of glutted inventory, there’s now a housing shortage, Fettke says. “So that’s why investors like me are buying land, realizing that building...

Beirut ranked in second place in the Arab world in terms of price of midsized apartments , according to the Global Property Guide’s latest annual report on investment trends around the world. According to Byblos Bank’s weekly economic newsletter, the report ranked Beirut 46th among 94 markets globally in 2012 and second in the Arab world after Dubai in terms of the price of a 150-square-meter apartment. The report estimated the price per square meter at $3,591, with a price range in Central Beirut between $4,200 and $6,800 compared to $1,200 in 2004. The report also highlighted that gross rental yields have dropped significantly in the past six years from 10 to 11 percent to 3.62 percent currently. Beirut ranked 66th among 83 markets globally and in last place among five Arab markets in terms of gross rental yield, which is the annual rent relative to the house price. The report warned that high prices and low yield trends are unlikely to be sustainable. Beirut’s GRY was 3.62 ...

Third time is the charm, at least that is what Ryan Reynolds is hoping. The actor has stuck his Hollywood Hills home on the market for the third time and at a lower price of $1.599 million, and perhaps this time the residence will attract a buyer. Reynolds bought the home in the celebrity-entrenched neighborhood of Outpost Estates for $1.715 million before his marriage to actress Scarlett Johansson. The two didn’t live there but in  the mid-century “Wong House, ” which they sold after divorcing for $3.5 million. While Reynolds and Johansson were married, Reynolds tried to sell the home, first listing it in 2009 — not the hottest year for real estate. Reynolds ended up couching the listing until 2011, relisting the home with a sticker of $1.69 million. Then life got busy for Reynolds: He quietly married another beautiful starlet, Blake Lively, and delisted the home. The two have a home in Bedford, NY, and Reynolds is trying again to dump his former place at  2416...

Sinking money into real estate investment trusts is considered to be one of Wall Street’s most complex investments. Owning shares of REITs gives investors an opportunity to get investment exposure to real estate, including apartments, shopping centers and office buildings. But they’ve gained a reputation of being risky and confusing — especially after the industry was pummeled during the last real estate crash. Even Lloyd McAdams, chief executive of  Anworth Mortgage Asset Corp. , makes no bones about saying his Santa Monica REIT does carry some risk. But it also has given shareholders high dividend yields as the real estate market has recovered. “The potential magnitude of the risks we have to manage around has been the most daunting aspect of managing the business,” said McAdams, who has been CEO since the company was founded in 1998. Market shocks have been a challenge for Anworth, whose portfolio holds residential real estate where the mortgages are secured by governm...

It's so easy to tweet, post or Instagram something in the heat of the moment. But sometimes, emotionally charged posts or questionable content can come back to bite you. That could be why a new survey finds about one in four young adults fear they'll get fired or turned down for a job by employers who see their more risqué social-media posts. Legal-information website  FindLaw.com  conducted a "demographically balanced" survey among 1,000 American adults, asking them questions about their behavior surrounding  Twitter ,  Facebook ,  Instagram ,  Pinterest ,  Tumblr  and other popular social platforms. Among younger adults aged 18 to 34, 29% said they have posted a photo, comment or other personal information they fear could compromise their current or future job prospects. SEE ALSO:  How to Change Your Facebook Relationship Status Without Alerting Friends This concern is driving some to take down photos or posts: About 74% of...

The current housing recovery may be like manna to homeowners, but it may do little to ease a growing shortage of affordable residences, and could even make it worse. After a recession-generated drought, household formation is on the rise, notes a recent study by the Harvard Joint Center on Housing Studies, and in many markets there isn’t an adequate supply of housing for the working and middle classes. Given problems with regulations in some states, particularly restrictions on new single-family home development, the uptick in housing prices threatens both prospective owners and renters, forcing people who would otherwise buy into the rental market. Ownership levels continue to drop, most notably for minorities, particularly African Americans. Last year, according to the Harvard study, the number of renters in the U.S. rose by a million, accompanied by a net loss of 161,000 homeowners. This is bad news not only for middle-income Americans but even more so for the poor and renters....

The current housing recovery may be like manna to homeowners, but it may do little to ease a growing shortage of affordable residences, and could even make it worse. After a recession-generated drought, household formation is on the rise, notes a recent study by the Harvard Joint Center on Housing Studies, and in many markets there isn’t an adequate supply of housing for the working and middle classes. Given problems with regulations in some states, particularly restrictions on new single-family home development, the uptick in housing prices threatens both prospective owners and renters, forcing people who would otherwise buy into the rental market. Ownership levels continue to drop, most notably for minorities, particularly African Americans. Last year, according to the Harvard study, the number of renters in the U.S. rose by a million, accompanied by a net loss of 161,000 homeowners. This is bad news not only for middle-income Americans but even more so for the poor and renters....

It was an up and down month in June for the real estate market. While existing-home sales dipped compared with the prior month, the trend line was still upward as sales surpassed their prior-year level. The median price popped for the 16th consecutive month and sales of new homes—counted separately–rose significantly. Existing-home sales Completed sales of existing detached houses, townhomes, condominiums and co-ops dipped 1.2 percent in June compared with May, but remains above levels seen in June 2012, according to the National Association of Realtors. The national median price for those homes was $214,200 in June, up 13.5 percent from June 2012. These numbers are seasonally adjusted, so the normal cyclical rise in springtime home-buying activity is factored in. In a statement, NAR Chief Economist Lawrence Yun said there was “enough momentum” to sustain the market, despite a mid-month spike in mortgage rates. Houses are still affordable–in terms of price and financing–in m...

A treasured estate can be hard to give up, especially one with a special history and a family legacy. The legendary 24-acre  Forbes estate  that once hosted lavish galas attended by international celebrities and dignitaries is listed for $3.4 million. The 6-bedroom, 7.5-bathroom property, dubbed “Timberfield,” was purchased in 1950 by the late publisher/owner of Forbes magazine,  Malcolm S. Forbes .  Despite owning properties all over the world, he chose to raise his five children here, including current CEO and editor-in-chief of Forbes Media,  Steve Forbes . According to the Timberfield’s real estate agent, Sylvia Kissel of  Turpin Realtors , the home stayed in the family after Malcolm Forbes’ passing in 1990. The estate is currently owned by one of his sons. Located at  95 Old Dutch Pl, Bedminster, NJ 07921 , the breathtaking property is a piece of history in itself. Once a farmhouse, the oldest section of the house dates back to 17...

“Zorba, have you ever been married?” “Am I not a man?” Zorba says. “Of course I’ve been married. Wife, house, kids, everything — the full catastrophe!” Zorba wasn’t saying marriage or having children was a nightmare. He was reflecting on life, with its sadness, tragedies, trials and tribulations. When I read the  news about NAR and realtor.com  amending their marriage agreement, Zorba came to mind. From a business angle, the history of realtor.com fits the bill of the “full catastrophe.” It’s a narrative of fear, boldness, criminality, insider dealing, greed, success and secrets — and in this case a troubled marriage. Lately, revisionist history abounds about this epic real estate insider story. Bedford New York Real Estate | Bedford NY Homes by Robert Paul Realtor » Blog Archive » The full catastrophe | Mt Kisco Real Estate