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

If you love the idea of a relaxing soak in your own backyard hot tub , but don’t want a big, unsightly plastic and fiberglass tub, why not try one with a more organic look? With wood, stone or concrete surrounds (and some strategic landscaping), these 12 hot tubs complement their natural surroundings — so you can enjoy the view and soak in peace. Projects by Giffin & Crane Save to Ideabook Email Photo Curvy surround with sliding cover. This innovative tub, which the designers call the 007 Spa Deck, includes cedar decking set into a stainless steel frame, with a cover that slides into place. The swoop of the deck echoes the roundness of the hot tub, helping the tub look at home in the landscape. Margie Grace - Grace Design Associates Save to Ideabook Email Photo Nestled into rocks. Tumbled rocks hug this beautiful wooden tub, creating a natural staircase into it. Rocks are also used here to create a built-in bench surrounding the fire pit. S...

Reversing four weeks of straight declines , mortgage applications climbed 4.3% from last week, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association ’s weekly survey of mortgage activity for the week ending April 11, 2014. The Market Composite Index, a measure of mortgage loan application volume, increased 4.3% on a seasonally adjusted basis from one week earlier. The Refinance Index increased 7% from the previous week. The seasonally adjusted Purchase Index increased 1% from one week earlier. The refinance share of mortgage activity increased to 52% of total applications from 51% the previous week. The adjustable-rate mortgage share of activity remained unchanged at 8% of total applications. The average contract interest rate for 30-year fixed-rate mortgages with conforming loan balances ($417,000 or less) decreased to 4.47% from 4.56%, with points decreasing to 0.32 from 0.33 (including the origination fee) for 80% loan-to-value ratio loans. The effective rate decreased from last ...

Zillow Inc. is focusing on expanding on-the-go usage for StreetEasy.com, the New York City property-listings website it acquired in August , with plans to introduce a mobile application for more devices this year. Zillow will relaunch StreetEasy for the iPhone and add apps for Android and iPads, Chief Executive Officer Spencer Rascoff said. About one-third of StreetEasy traffic is from mobile devices, less than the two-thirds share for the Seattle-based parent company, he said. Zillow, which bought StreetEasy for $50 million and made the service free earlier this year, is seeking to boost the site's mobile usage as a growing number of New York apartment hunters search for property information on their phones and other devices. The plan is in line with a broader strategy within the company to bring in mobile users, Mr. Rascoff said. "We're a software company, not a brokerage," Mr. Rascoff said. "Our technology expertise is truly differentiated in mobile. It...

Checking In On The East Side Access Project’s Massive Caverns | Armonk Real Estate | Bedford New York Real Estate | Bedford NY Homes by Robert Paul Realtor

Just before the City Council vote slated for this week, Mayor Michael Bloomberg withdrew his application today for the controversial 73-block Midtown East rezoning, citing an absence of backing from legislators. “This will unfortunately cost the area hundreds of millions of dollars in badly needed subway and street improvements and $1 billion in additional tax revenue – as well as tens of thousands of new jobs that would have been created,” Bloomberg said in a statement. Steven Spinola, president of the Real Estate Board of New York, echoed Bloomberg’s regret over the forfeited jobs and new infrastructure. “We are obviously disappointed in this decision,” he said in a statement. The City Planning Commission approved the plan by a vote of 11-0 in September. The rezoning sought to allow for taller skyscrapers in the neighborhood. But residents, local leaders and politicians pointed to potential issues with overcrowded subways and streets, landmark preservation, ugly high-rises, ...

Under the threat of a federal contempt citation, the leader of a suburban New York county agreed Wednesday to sign the same fair-housing bill he vetoed in 2010 — if the county Legislature passes it again. Westchester County Executive Robert Astorino sent the bill back to the Board of Legislators, urged its passage and said he would approve it. "If the proposed legislation is adopted by the County Board, I will sign said legislation in accordance with my court-ordered obligations," Astorino wrote. The bill relates to the 2009 settlement of a desegregation lawsuit against Westchester. One of the terms of the settlement was that the county executive promote legislation against "source of income" discrimination — for example, when a landlord refuses a tenant because the tenant plans to use federal vouchers to pay the rent. Federal officials have said such refusals often serve as covers for racial discrimination. When Astorino vetoed the bill, he claimed the d...

source » Lowell Sun byline » Hiroko Sato   via housingwire.com

via seekingalpha.com

I understand that when homebuyers sign closing documents, they are routinely required to sign a blanket form allowing the lender to access IRS records with no time limit. The form says not to sign it unless dates are specified on the form, but lenders routinely insist they be signed without any specification as to which years of IRS records are covered. When I have objected, the lender has told me to either sign the form as is or forget about getting a loan. I think this is an outrageous practice and wonder if there are any restrictions on lenders being able to do this. --Barbara DEAR BARBARA: I personally object to the requirement that lenders impose on potential buyers that they sign IRS Form 4506 authorizing the lender to access the borrower's tax return from the IRS for possibly an unlimited number of years into the future. Lenders understandably want to make sure that the information they receive from their potential borrowers is accurate, including the tax re...

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What is the Ideal Time to Post on Facebook?     Posting on a Friday at 17:00 and on Sunday at 03:00 on Facebook will produce a different amount of response. If you are doing social media marketing anyway, you might as well be getting the most out of it, right? This post is about the best times you can post on Facebook, as well as how you can make sure that a maximum number of people get involved on your post (by either commenting, sharing, or simply liking). You Got To Love The Weekend! Posting content on weekends produces the highest mean number of responses (maximum interaction). If you are after comments, shares, and likes, get started from Friday afternoon! Interactions start dropping after late Sunday night. Do Something Else on Wednesdays Use that particular day of the week to do anything but social media marketing. Posting content on a Wednesday generates the minimum amount of interaction (it’s actually below the average for the entire we...

Your website visitors won’t wait. They take a micro-second to decide to stay or leave your website, even after all the money and hard work you just spent getting them there. One of the best ways to keep them there is by adding online video to your home page. Adding an online web video  will increase time spent on site, decrease bounce rates and drive more page views - three key ranking metrics to getting better search engine results. Studies indicate conversion rates from 6-52% depending on the type of sales and part of the sales cycle (ecommerce, lead conversion, lead nurturing, deeper into the funnel).   Website video marketing  content elicits action thus has a strong impact in generating qualified leads Online video builds trust and confidence during your pre-sales process and sales prociess Online video plays an important role throughout the purchase funnel -  from initial interest to  consideration through to final purchase However, if you’re n...

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  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 ...

Due to the snow and ice forecast, Byram Hills Schools are having early dismissal.  All afternoon and evening activities of the Byram Hills Schools are cancelled.   Therefore, all afternoon and evening activities of North Castle Recreation which are held in Armonk are cancelled .  Additionally, Open Studio for adults and Jump Start Kinder Prep for pre-school children are cancelled today.  Programs will be made up, by adding an additional class to the end of the session.    The drop in for seniors will be held at Hergenhan Recreation Center but may be forced to end early due to the weather.  There will be limited bus service.    No determination has yet been made for Kidz Club or any other programs at the North Castle Community Center in North White Plains.  Please call us if you have any questions, 273-3325. To Reach Us    If the North Castle Recreation staff  can be of any assistance to you, please call us at 27...

Neighborhood matters. In fact, for many buyers the neighborhood can be more important than house size when it comes to deciding where to live. It seems most folks want to live in neighborhoods that are walkable, with easy access to public transportation, restaurants and shopping. They also want to live in places where they get along with those around them. Creating that comfortable, know-your-neighbors kind of atmosphere isn’t difficult. In fact, it can happen one random act of kindness at a time. Perform a selfless act to help or cheer up a neighbor, and you’ll actually be helping yourself — studies prove it. According to researcher and author David R. Hamilton, performing a kind act releases oxytocin — the same hormone that surges when you hold your baby or cuddle a kitten — which also temporarily lowers blood pressure. “Kindness is literally good for your heart,” he explains. In an effort to improve both your health an...

The median downpayment made by all homebuyers in 2012 was 9 percent, ranging from 4 percent for first-time buyers to 13 percent for repeat buyers. The median down payment was the lowest since 2009 but still far above the levels during the housing boom, when nearly half of first-time buyers made no downpayment at all. First-time buyers who financed their purchase used a variety of resources for the down payment: 76 percent tapped into savings; 24 percent received a gift from a friend or relative, typically from their parents; and 6 percent received a loan from a relative or friend. Eleven percent tapped into a 401(k) fund, and 6 percent sold stocks or bonds. Ninety-three percent of entry-level buyers chose a fixed-rate mortgage, reported the National Association of Realtors. Forty-six percent of first-time buyers financed with a low-downpayment FHA mortgage, and 10 percent used the VA loan program with no downpayment requirements. Forty-two percent cut spending on luxury items...

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Our hearts and prayers go out to all those who have been impacted by Hurricane Sandy. In many areas, it may be years before things return to normal. What steps can you take to recuperate from Sandy -- or from any other difficult event such as a death or illness that rips your life apart? In February, I wrotea column entitled, " When disaster strikes: Have a plan ." If you live in a part of the country where Sandy passed you by, read the suggestions in that article and take the time now to prepare for the unexpected event that can turn your entire world upside down. Sadly, many individuals may never completely recover from the psychological scars an event of this magnitude can create. After the 1994 Northridge earthquake, it was almost a year before the slightest rumble or shake would not cause me to bolt up awake thinking we were having another aftershock. Here are some strategies to cope: 1. Expect emotional reactions Each individual responds differently ...