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

Freddie Mac today released the results of its  Primary Mortgage Market Survey®  (PMMS ® ), showing average fixed mortgage rates remaining near their highest level of the year before bond yields began moving even higher  Wednesday  afternoon. News Facts 30-year fixed-rate mortgage  (FRM) averaged 3.87 percent with an average 0.6 point for the week ending  June 4, 2015 , unchanged from last week. A year ago at this time, the 30-year FRM averaged 4.14 percent.  15-year FRM  this week averaged 3.08 percent with an average 0.5 point, down from last week when it averaged 3.11 percent. A year ago at this time, the 15-year FRM averaged 3.23 percent.  5-year Treasury-indexed hybrid adjustable-rate mortgage  (ARM) averaged 2.96 percent this week with an average 0.5 point, up from last week when it averaged 2.90 percent. A year ago, the 5-year ARM averaged 2.93 percent. 1-year Treasury-indexed ARM  averaged 2.59 percent thi...

Housing Market Resumes This Downtrend | Chappaqua NY Real Estate | Bedford New York Real Estate | Bedford NY Homes by Robert Paul Realtor

High Prices, Low Supply Hurt Existing Home Sales in November | Chappaqua Homes | Bedford New York Real Estate | Bedford NY Homes by Robert Paul Realtor

Members of the New Castle Planning Board remained critical of the latest development proposal for Chappaqua Crossing at a recent work session, according to Patch.com. Developer Summit/Greenfield's latest proposal included a 40,000 square foot free-standing Whole Foods grocery store to be accompanied by an additional 80,000 square feet of ancillary retail space. Board members expressed concern about building mass, truck movements and the developments proximity to wetland areas, Patch.com reported http://chappaqua.dailyvoice.com/news/new-castle-planning-board-critical-chappaqua-crossing-plan

Glass tower apartment homes tout panoramic views of the neighborhood and city skyline beyond. And yet, a whopping three out of five residents in such modern digs draw the curtains, according to a new study. “It’s a contradiction,” Russell Unger, executive director of the Urban Green Council, who conducted the study, told the New York Daily News. “People say they like glass buildlings for the views, but they can’t enjoy them.” And those in glass towers who forego pulling the curtains have been the subject of disputes. Photographer Arne Svenson, whose exhibit “The Neighbors” drew from photos he snapped of Manhattan residents through their windows , wound up in court for taking pictures of children without their parents’ permission. (The case was later thrown out.) The High Line-adjacent Standard hotel and the Yotel on Tenth Avenue also drew criticism from neighbors who complained about guests’ rollicking in full view of passersby. The modern glass towers can be a source of a differ...

10 surprising new Twitter stats to help you reach more followers | Chappaqua Realtor | Bedford New York Real Estate | Bedford NY Homes by Robert Paul Realtor

Cuomo Says Westchester Would Get $6.8M From Casino Revenue | The Chappaqua Daily Voice

Public Advocate Bill de Blasio said last night that a big win for him in today’s mayoral election would give him the authority to carry out his progressive agenda. De Blasio has a commanding 40-point lead over his GOP rival Joe Lhota, and has been steadily pulling in the support of real estate executives, as The Real Deal reported. “Obviously the higher the percentage, the more the work ahead is facilitated and strengthened,” de Blasio said in an interview on NY1. “That’s what we want: We want the highest percentage we can get and that’s what we’re working for,” he added. De Blasio has previously said that a high margin would make it easier for him to push through some of his reforms, such as a controversial tax on the rich that would need the approval of Gov. Andrew Cuomo, the New York Observer reported. Cuomo has already indicated that he would not look to raise taxes next year. [NYO] – Tags: bill de blasio , Joe Lhota , mayoral race       http://ther...

THE 1708 HOUSE Ancient, charming This bed-and-breakfast in fact does date from 1708. There are four eighteenth-century guest rooms with original wood floors, beamed ceilings, four-poster beds, and clawfoot tubs and also more modern rooms and cottages. The cellar, dating to 1648, is an atmospheric place to have a glass of wine. Location is unbeatable: you can walk to the center of Southampton and the beach. 126 MAIN ST, SOUTHAMPTON, NY 11968 (631) 287-1708 WEBSITE THE 1770 HOUSE Beautiful, luxurious Everything about the 1770 House is luxurious and the staff goes out of their way to be charming. Originally built as a private residence for William Fithian in 1663, this place has been an inn since 1770. The six guest rooms and carriage house are all beautifully appointed; some rooms even have fireplaces and private entrances. The restaurant is also top-notch. 143 MAIN ST, EAST HAMPTON, NY 11937 (631) 324-1770 WEBSITE AMERICAN HOTEL Landmark,...

Mortgage applications plummeted once again, falling 8.8% from the  week  prior, the  Mortgage Bankers Association  posted. Refinancing and purchase applications did little to revive the decline suffered last week. The refinance index tumbled 12%, the largest single week drop in refinance applications this year, from the previous week to the lowest level since December 2012. For the second week in a row, the seasonally adjusted purchase index dropped 3%, the industry trade group said. “Refinance applications fell for the third straight week bringing the refinance index to its lowest level since December 2012 as mortgage rates increased to their highest level in a year,” said Mike Fratantoni, MBA’s vice president of research and economics. He explained, “Rates rose in response to stronger economic data and an increasing chance that the Fed may soon begin to taper their asset purchases.” Meanwhile, the refinance share of overall mortgage activity inched dow...

Making extra payments on your mortgage? Many people do — they’re anxious to get that mortgage paid down as quick as they can. But especially with interest rates this low, that might not be the best place to put that next dollar. So what are the top five reasons to postpone that mortgage burning party? Your emergency fund is on the scrawny side. Before you send another extra dollar to your mortgage company, beef up your cash reserves. Sure, you are saving more in interest than you’re earning in your bank account, but what happens if you lose your job? You can’t rip out your bathtub and sell it on eBay for grocery money. And the bank isn’t likely to loan you the money back while you’re unemployed. Likewise, if you’re still saving for retirement, putting that extra money toward your retirement savings is a smart move. You’ll be taking advantage of the power of compounding by putting the money to work for you sooner. You get an extra bonus if adding to your retirement sav...

New York City ’s housing market is poised to lag behind other markets for the next two years even as a national recovery in real estate continues. That’s the assessment of Capital Economics Ltd. Property Economist Paul Diggle and assistant Michael Pearce, who in a Jan. 28 report said “conditions look less amenable to rising prices in New York City, particularly in Manhattan and Brooklyn .” By contrast, average U.S. prices may gain 5 percent a year, they said. Enlarge image New York City Housing Trails National Rebound Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg Housing in the region that includes New York City is 4 percent overvalued relative to rents and 2 percent overvalued relative to incomes. Housing in the region that includes New York City is 4 percent overvalued relative to rents and 2 percent overvalued relative to incomes. Photographer: Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg ...

Q: I own a townhouse that I rent out. The rules of the association make owners responsible for damage that is done by themselves, guests or renters. Our renter had a guest who was involved in a robbery attempt at the complex; he damaged a sign and light pole, but he escaped and the police haven't been able to find him or the owner of the car he was driving. Now the association is trying to get me to cover the repair costs. Can the association do this? --Alex B. A: Your association's rules are common and legal. You are responsible for common-area damage you might cause, and if you invite people to your home, you likewise become responsible for the damage they might cause. The same is true for renters. Because they stand in your shoes, if they cause damage, you are ultimately on the hook. This doesn't mean, however, that you cannot attempt to recoup any money you pay the association by looking to the real cause of the damage: your guests, your renters or your r...

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New Jersey , New York and Connecticut got hit with a storm of new foreclosures just days before Superstorm Sandy smashed homes and a knocked out power to missions of homeowners. RealtyTrac reported foreclosure filings on 186,455 U.S. properties in October, an increase of 3 percent from September but down 19 percent from October 2011. “We continued to see vastly different foreclosure trends across the country in October, depending primarily on how each state’s foreclosing infrastructure was able to handle the high volume of delinquent loans during the worst of the foreclosure crisis in 2010,” said Daren Blomquist, vice president of RealtyTrac. “Unfortunately the three states dealing with the biggest rebound in deferred foreclosure activity — New Jersey, New York and Connecticut — also had to deal with the devastation to homes inflicted by super storm Sandy. The foreclosure moratoriums being put into effect as a result of the storm will likely extend the already-lengthy time to for...

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 ...

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Want to increase your chances of buying a home below current real estate value ? Just look for a seller who didn’t listen to his agent. The best real estate agents encourage their sellers to do whatever it takes to get the home in its absolute best condition before going to market. The better the home shows, the more likely the seller will get top dollar. Sometimes, this could be as simple as removing personal items or decluttering . Other times, an agent will suggest bigger fixes, such as painting, replacing carpet or upgrading countertops or cabinets. Savvy sellers listen to their agents, make the changes suggested and go to market in top form. That’s not always how it plays out, however. For any number of reasons, many sellers protest suggested fixes. Either they don’t want to be inconvenienced, don’t believe the fixes will matter or don’t have the financial resources to make it happen. Inevitably, this means the buyer will get a discount on that property. How to ...

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