NY Times: New standards for safe loans | Katonah NY Real Estate
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A “Likes”, “Shares” and “Followers” Generation Cheat Sheet | Katonah Realtor
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Fiscal cliff bill extends tax relief for struggling homeowners facing foreclosure | Katonah NY Real Estate
The fiscal cliff agreement reached Tuesday will extend a tax exemption for distressed homeowners. Without the extension of a 2007 law, mortgage debt forgiven in foreclosure, loan modifications or short sales would have been considered taxable income. The Associated Press Expiring tax exemptions for homeowners facing foreclosure, a relatively uncontroversial response to the foreclosure crisis that had lingered for months on Congress' to-do list, will be extended in the fiscal cliff deal approved late Tuesday. Debt canceled through a foreclosure, a short sale or a loan modification on a primary residence was considered taxable income until 2007's Mortgage Forgiveness Debt Relief Act. Under the fiscal cliff bill passed by Congress and awaiting the president's signature, that forgiven debt will remain untaxed for another year. Without an extension, short sales and loan modifications would have come with an increased tax burden on an already strug...
Biggest technology flops of 2012 | Katonah Realtor
Blackberry 10 / Photo: Aman Firdaus - Flickr They can't all be winners. This is especially true when it comes to technology and gadgets. Consumers can be a fickle bunch and even the best minds come up with the occasional loser. Although 2012 wasn't a huge year for gadget flops, those that flopped did so in magnificent fashion. Facebook's poor IPO showing was daily news. (As for IPOs, Zynga didn't do much better.) But Facebook's Reach Generator flopped as well. A product that would have filled your news feed with more ads, it was killed after six months. On the marketing side of technology, we saw Oprah use Apple's iPad to Tweet praise for the Microsoft Surface: "Gotta say love that SURFACE! Have bought 12 already for Christmas gifts. It would have been a hell of an endorsement if she didn't post it "via Twitter for iPad." Here's some more of 2012's biggest tech flops. 1. BlackBerry 10 We used to call them ...
Katonah NY Realtor | Looking to sell your home, follow these six simple tips
Katonah Realtor | Looking to sell your home follow these 6 steps The NAR has it right when they talk about the five steps in selling your home. 1. Consider comparables 2. Consider competition 3. Consider contingencies 4. Get an appraisal 5. Be accurate. 6. Know what you will accept. via trulia.com
Viral Videos: How to Create and Promote Videos People Love | Katonah Realtor
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Exec Who Looked Other Way As Countrywide Sold Off Bad Mortgages Is Now Running Chase’s Foreclosure Review Dept. | Katonah NY Real Estate
( frankieleon ) The federal government recently filed a lawsuit over a Countrywide scheme dubbed “The Hustle” that removed impediments to a mortgage approval so the company could sell as many mortgages as possible to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Now comes news that a Countrywide exec who ignored warnings about the Hustle is currently running Chase’s foreclosure review initiative. At the time The Hustle was being put into action, Rebecca Mairone was the Chief Operating Officer of Countrywide’s subprime lending division Full Spectrum Lending. She apparently stayed on with Bank of America after it acquired Countrywide and only left earlier this year. And according to the complaint filed last month by federal prosecutors, Mairone was “repeatedly warned… that the Hustle would generate excessive quantities of fraudulent or otherwise seriously defective loans that were ineligible for sale to [Fannie and Freddie].” Even after the Hustle began to roll out and internal quality reviews ...
Fix for a sinking fireplace hearth | Katonah NY Real Estate
Q: I live in a Craftsman cottage in Davis, Calif. Like many Craftsman homes, it has a fireplace in the living room with a handsome mantel, a tile surround around the firebox, and a tiled hearth. All appear to be original. My problem: The hearth is sinking. Currently the hearth sits about 1/2 inch below the hardwood floor. I've been under the house to take a look from that angle. The tile appears to be laid on a cement slab, which is supported by 4-by-4-inch posts resting on a couple of concrete piers. I'm not quite sure how to get the hearth back to level with the hardwood floor. I don't want to break any of the tiles. What is the best way to elevate the slab to be level with the floor and have the least chance of cracking any of the tiles? A: We think you may be able to gently ease the hearth back into place using house jacks and two 5-foot lengths of 2-by-12 framing lumber. Then you'll need to pour new concrete footings and ...
Bedford Patch: Numbers of Power Outages Steadily Climbing | Katonah Realtor
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...
Katonah NY Homes | Freddie Mac: Rising energy prices challenge housing recovery
Energy costs soared on Labor Day reaching a level that is just 25 cents under the 2008 peak, threatening the strength of the housing recovery, Freddie Mac said. Skyrocketing fuel expenses generally force consumers to reduce spending in other areas, creating negative outlier effects for the entire economy and possibly housing, Freddie noted in its September 2012 economic outlook. The good news for housing is energy conservation technology has succeeded in keeping expenses down on many modern properties. "And some homebuyers have begun to value newly built houses that have energy efficient certifications," Freddie said Wednesday. As buyers begin to value lower energy bills, those details could prove helpful to homebuilders who are trying to distinguish their products in a competitive marketplace. Still, housing is not immune when fuel shocks hit the system. The 2008 downturn, which followed months of escalating fuel prices, illustrated the deep risks involved with sudden...
