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

Here’s a city-by-city look at home prices, after the S&P/Case-Shiller 20-city composite showed no change in January and a yearly gain of 4.6%. The cities picked are designed to represent the nine U.S. Census divisions and ignore some major markets, including Houston and Philadelphia. City Monthly gain (%) Yearly gain (%) Atlanta -0.2 4.9 Boston 0.4 4.7 Charlotte 0.7 4.3 Chicago -0.2 2.5 Cleveland -0.1 1.6 Dallas 0.4 8.1 Denver 0.2 8.4 Detroit -0.3 2.9 Las Vegas 0.2 5.9 Los Angeles -0.2 5.7 Miami 0.7 8.3 Minneapolis -0.3 2.2 New York 0.2 2.1 Phoenix 0 2.6 Portland 0.1 7.2 San Diego 0.7 5.1 San Francisco -0.9 7.9 Seattle -0.5 6.8 Tampa -0.3 5.7 Washington -0.5 1.3 • Denver and Miami have the highest year-over-year gains, while Washington D.C. has the smallest rate of growth. • Some markets that had recovered more quickly are showing noticeable signs of slowing, including Phoenix and San Francisco. Year-on-year gains in Phoenix were as strong as 23% in Ja...

[11-15 East 75th Street/photo via  PropertyShark ] Roman Abramovich , Russian billionaire and  unabashed real estate whale , was set to break the record  for the most expensive co-op ever sold, until  the seller smashed his dreams  and pulled out of the deal. But like any good rich boy, Abramovich didn't let the heartbreak slow him down, and it looks like the foiled sale led him to dream even bigger.  The Post reports  that Abramovich "secretly" purchased two townhouses on  East 75th Street , and is in contract to purchase a third, with plans to combine the three properties into  one enormous megamansion . The houses in question are located at  11, 13, and 15 East 75th Street . Hiding behind an LLC, Abramovich  purchased  no. 11 for  $29.7 million  in October, and in December, he used the same LLC to  buy  no. 15 for  $18.3 million . He's reportedly in contract to purchase no. 13, currently owned ...

Earlier this morning we saw that housing starts unexpectedly plunged 9.3% to an annualized rate of 893,000. On the face of it, the report was ugly, considering all the talk about the recent housing snapback. It's important to note that the miss was entire due to one region: the South. Housing starts plunged 29.6% in the South, driven by weakness in single family units. "All the hit is in the south, where starts plunged by 29.6%, the biggest ever monthly drop, despite gains in each other region," wrote Ian Shepherdson at Pantheon Macroeconomics. Starts were actually up in the rest of the country. In the Northeast, housing starts were up 14.1%, driven mostly by multi-family starts. In the Midwest they were up 28%, and in the West they were up 2.6%. It wasn't immediately clear what was behind the sudden plunge in the south. "But homebuilders are being constrained by a shortage of labour and lots," Paul Diggle at Capital Economics. "...

Anyone who’s spent long hours working in the garden knows the pleasure that comes from a job well done. And there’s no better vantage point than a garden nook: a small, secluded spot in which to relax and enjoy the fruits of your labor. It can be under a big tree, in a corner under an arbor or even in a flower bed, where you can be surrounded by blooms (as well as their fragrance). Seating can be as simple as a rustic wooden bench or as nap inducing as a chaise with plump pillows. For dining al fresco, consider adding a bistro table and chairs. It’s not a big project, as these nooks tend to be small and simple — so there’s still time to make a move before the cold weather comes. Here are some idyllic spots to inspire you to carve out your own garden hideaway. Candace Mallette Landscape & Garden Design Save to Ideabook Email Photo In a small backyard in Ottawa, Ontario, a simple seating area is surrounded by a sea of yellow flowering sedum . Two stained-wood Adir...

Another characteristically cuboidal, Mayan-inspired Los Angeles home by Lloyd Wright , son of Prairie School prelate Frank Lloyd Wright, has been put up for sale, this one a 2,518-square-foot Hollywood abode with historic-cultural monument status. What immediately sets the 1923 Henry O. Bollman Residence apart from the last few Lloyd Wright offerings is some gold-colored interior stonework which only increases the temple-like vibe that the listing describes as "dramatic" and "intimate." Not all the Curbed LA commenters are big fans of the flashiness ("Gold is never a wise color choice for teeth or Lloyd Wright houses," declares one), but one reader claims that it was a recreation of the original hue. Whether a restoration or a glamming up, it was part of a suite of renovations undertaken by interior designer Mimi London , who acquired the place back in 1990 for somewhere around $230K. With London's renovations, which the listing claims too...

12 images <div class="gallery loaded"><a href="http://sf.curbed.com/archives/2014/05/06/what_3600month_can_rent_you_around_san_francisco.php"><img src="http://cdn.cstatic.net/images/gridfs/5368fb24f92ea10aba00d527/rich1.jpg" width="500" height="334"></a><br /><a href="http://sf.curbed.com/archives/2014/05/06/what_3600month_can_rent_you_around_san_francisco.php" style="font-size: 9px; text-align: center;">Click here to view the full photogallery.</a></div> ↑ In the Outer Richmond , this 2-bedroom house is asking $3,600/month. It's got a large floor plan that includes a lower-level den with a vintage fireplace and wood paneling. There's a full bath on the main level and a half-bath downstairs. There's also a backyard, deck, and two-car garage. No pets and tenant pays all utilities. More apartments >> 11 image...

Home sales getting crimped by more than the weather - Economic Preview - MarketWatch

8 Ways You Can Create a Winning Instagram Profile | Social Media Examiner

It’s an embarrassing moment that you’ve likely experienced or at least feared: You’re standing at the cash register with a long line of people waiting behind you when the cashier announces that your credit card has been declined. Getting declined can be a signal that you are in real financial trouble – something that many people don’t want to broadcast. But not always. There are some other reasons your card may be declined. 1. Low Limits/High Spending Yes, your card may be declined because you maxed out your credit card. This means the purchase at hand would exceed the borrowing limit. The limit is set by the card issuer, but you can often ask for a limit raise. However, by keeping your limit low, you can avoid getting into trouble by overspending . Maxing out your credit cards or spending a large percentage of your available credit (a metric called your credit utilization ratio) can have a negative impact on your credit score. If you want to see how your credit utilization ...

Stocks of some of the nation's publicly traded home builders are hovering in correction territory. This, despite higher sales of newly built homes in February and satisfactory, if not stellar, quarterly earnings for most of the companies. Housing starts are still running well below historical norms, but are still about twice what they were at the trough of the construction crash in 2009. "It seems like everything is set up very nicely for the housing market to have a solid year, not a boom that we can't replicate, like we saw in the first half of 2013, but I think it's just about right-sizing people's expectations," said analyst Ivy Zelman, CEO of Zelman Associates. Last year, Zelman famously declared the market was in "housing nirvana." Then last month, she admitted nirvana had taken a pause but was "around the corner" yet again. She said fundamentals are still good, and she is surprised at the bearishness among traders. "...

North Salem NY Weekly Real Estate Report 2/28/2014 Homes for sale 43 Median Ask Price $699,000.00 Low Price $235,000.00 High Price $18,500,000.00 Average Size 3615 Average Price/foot $424.00 Average DOM 213 Average Ask Price $1,832,119.00

7 Homebuying Mistakes to Avoid | North Salem Real Estate | Bedford New York Real Estate | Bedford NY Homes by Robert Paul Realtor

Mortgage rates hit three-month lows as stocks dip | North Salem NY Homes | Bedford New York Real Estate | Bedford NY Homes by Robert Paul Realtor

The Tale of a House, and an Entire Market | North Salem NY Homes | Bedford New York Real Estate | Bedford NY Homes by Robert Paul Realtor

Freddie Mac   today released the results of its Primary Mortgage Market Survey® (PMMS ® ), showing average fixed mortgage rates lower again this week following the release of weaker housing data. News Facts 30-year fixed-rate mortgage (FRM) averaged 4.32 percent with an average 0.7 point for the week ending January 30, 2014 , down from last week when it averaged 4.39 percent. A year ago at this time, the 30-year FRM averaged 3.53 percent. 15-year FRM this week averaged 3.40 percent with an average 0.6 point, down from last week when it averaged 3.44 percent. A year ago at this time, the 15-year FRM averaged 2.81 percent. 5-year Treasury-indexed hybrid adjustable-rate mortgage (ARM) averaged 3.12 percent this week with an average 0.5 point, down from last week when it averaged 3.15 percent. A year ago, the 5-year ARM averaged 2.70 percent. 1-year Treasury-indexed ARM averaged 2.55 percent this week with an average 0.4 point, up from last week when it averaged 2.54 percent...

What does Mel Watt mean for housing finance in 2014? | North Salem NY Homes | Bedford New York Real Estate | Bedford NY Homes by Robert Paul Realtor

Somebody Just Bought Annie Leibovitz’s Compound for $28.5M | North Salem Real Estate | Bedford New York Real Estate | Bedford NY Homes by Robert Paul Realtor

Prices on both S&P/Case-Shiller Home Price Indices reached their highest year-over-year gain in nearly eight years in October as they rose 0.2 percent over September. It was the seventeenth consecutive month that both the 10 and 20-city indexes increased on an annual basis. “Home prices increased again in October,” says David M. Blitzer, Chairman of the Index Committee at S&P Dow Jones Indices. “Both Composites’ annual returns have been in double-digit territory since March 2013 and increasing; now up 13.6% in the year ending in October. However, monthly numbers show we are living on borrowed time and the boom is fading. Eighteen cities posted lower monthly rates in October than in September. After 19 months of gains, San Francisco showed a slightly negative return. Phoenix held onto its streak and posted its 25th consecutive increase. “The year-over-year figures increased slightly from last month. Thirteen cities and both Composites posted double-digit annual returns. C...

Inside A-Rod’s Pristine Beach Condo, On The Market For $3.2M | North Salem NY Real Estate | Bedford New York Real Estate | Bedford NY Homes by Robert Paul Realtor

Few people would go outdoors on a cold winter day without a warm coat. But many of us live in homes that are, for all intents and purposes, standing out in the cold wearing nothing more than a light sweater. On cold winter days, we either shiver inside our underinsulated homes, or we crank up the heat — and that wastes a lot of energy. If it has little or none, insulating your home is one of the easiest and most cost-effective measures you can take to save energy and money. While you may choose to do some of the insulation work yourself, you also have the option of hiring a professional. If you hire an energy auditor, he or she will assess your home’s insulation needs and recommend the proper amount and types for the different parts of your home. Another option is to hire a professional insulation contractor, who will recommend the amount and type of insulation and install it. Whichever option you choose, these tips will help you get started. How to Assess Insulation Lev...