United States MBA Mortgage Applications down | Bedford Corners Real Estate

United States MBA Mortgage Applications | 2007-2015 | Data | Chart

Med Revival Palm Beach Estate | Bedford Corners Real Estate

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This 9,400 square foot Mediterranean Revival house, built in 1928 by architect John Volk, wants $13.95 million and isn't afraid to strut its stuff to get it. Gushing with original stonework, ironwork, and pecky cyprus ceilings, the house has a central courtyard with a pool that's regally lined with palms and designed to look more like a reflecting pool than one to swim in.

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http://miami.curbed.com/archives/2015/05/05/

Color to Create Calm at Home | Bedford Corners Real Estate

I have spoken with far too many friends who have had a rough start in 2015. I say anyone who needs it should get a do-over and begin anew and make it better. One way to ease your way through tough and turbulent times is to create soothing spaces in your home. Specifically, I think bedrooms and bathrooms ought to be made into sanctuaries. That way you start and end your day in a good place. My favorite way to make a quick, cheap and easy change in a room is through the elimination of clutter and then the addition of color. Featured here are seven rooms awash in soothing color, along with paint color palettes inspired by each space.

The Homestead Shop Inc.

Jennifer Ott Design

This room showcases a few of my favorite soft and soothing hues for bedrooms: a light sea-glass green, a warm gray and an ethereal blue. Any of these would work well as a main wall color; simply mix in one or more of the other hues for a soft and pleasing punch of color. White linens are clean and classic, but it’s nice to add pillows, art and accessories in colors from the palette. Keep the room free of excessive clutter and you’ll have a stress-zapping bedroom sanctuary.

Sample palette: Get a similar look withWhite Clover, Turtle Dove and Tinsel, all from PPG Pittsburgh Paints.

Volz O'Connell Hutson

Most bathrooms have one small window, or no windows at all, which can make an already small space feel even more confined. If this is the case in your home, think about using color to lighten things up. I like to select two or three shades of my chosen hue and use the darkest color sparingly, and preferably near the lower areas of the room, then go lighter as I work my way up toward the ceiling. This makes the room feel more open, expansive and light-filled, and can help start the day on a cheerful note.

Jennifer Ott Design

Sample palette: Get a similar look withPearl Onion, Celery and Ryegrass, all from Sherwin-Williams.

Erica Broberg Smith Architect PLLC

Jennifer Ott Design

Soothing color need not be limited to light and wispy shades. But if you go with bolder hues, I recommend sticking to those on the cooler side of the color wheel: greens, blues and purples. These cool hues, along with gray shades, have been shown to help lower blood pressure and are associated with rest and relaxation. You can always punch up the palette with a small accent of a warmer hue, such as the shocking yellow-green here, via a painted accent area or art and accessories.

Sample palette: Get a similar look with Bon Voyage, Rain Washed and Carolina Parakeet, all from Behr.

Farrell and Sons, LLC

Jennifer Ott Design

Take the stress out of selecting paint colors for a bathroom by pulling a favorite hue or hues from your tile. The cabinet color here is an excellent selection. Paired with plenty of white, it looks crisp and clean against the brick.

Sample palette: Get a similar look withBelle Grove Spruce, Tropical Bay andBrown Buzz, all from Valspar.

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http://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/30495281

L.A. Trophy Home with Neutra Addition Returns at $2.55M | Bedford Corners Real Estate

Location: Los Angeles
Price: $2,550,000
The Skinny: Built in 1949 for Oscar-nominated screenwriter and Mr. Magoo co-creator Millard Kaufman, this 2,503-square-foot dwelling features a lower-level master suite designed by celebrated Austrian-American modernist Richard Neutra. When it was on the market back in 2012, Curbed LA could find no mention of the architect behind the rest of the home anywhere, but given that the grounds were done by landscape architect Garrett Eckbo, they guessed it was the work of the under-appreciated Josef Van der Kar, who collaborated with Eckbo on all of his projects. The four-bedroom home has redwood built-ins, long walls of glass, a fireplace in the living room, a swimming pool out back, and multiple decks and patios, from which the view looks pretty swell.

                      

The place has changed hands a pretty remarkable six times since 1997. Since June of 2012, when it was listed by interior designer Thierry Marchand—who sold it for $1.8M to someone who later nabbed $2.2M for it in June of this year—the only obvious difference in this oft-flipped abode is that the colored walls in the non-master bedrooms and one of the bathrooms have been painted white. Fun fact: as Curbed LA reported on that occasion, the home is "sandwiched between a John Lautner, a Rudolph Schindler, and a couple of Buff & Hensmans," so it's definitely in good company.


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http://curbed.com/archives/2014/10/30/millard-kaufman-residence-neutra-addition-for-sale.php

15 Space-saving kitchen cabinets with unique designs | Bedford Corners Real Estate

Photo credit: Martin Poole/Digital Vision/Getty Images            

 

While traditional kitchen cabinetry is still certainly in style (and isn't likely to go anywhere), there's a new breed of cabinetry on the block. Sleek, unique and distinctively styled, the cabinetry in these 15 kitchens is full of wow factor.

Contemporary Kitchen Cabinets by Minneapolis Kitchen & Bath Designers Belle Design Build

 

Not only are these contemporary kitchen cabinets by German designer Leicht visually stunning, but they're full of function to boot. Super-deep drawers take the fuss out of storing larger items like pitchers, soup pots and more.

Contemporary Kitchen Cabinets by Daytona Beach Cabinets & Cabinetry ADI Supply

 

These Adornus cabinets by ADI Supply feature sleek, euro slab frameless doors for an unmistakably modern feel. Also, note the to-die-for aluminum toe kick along the cabinetry's base.




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http://www.sheknows.com/home-and-gardening/articles/1049825/unique-kitchen-cabinet-designs

 

A Waterfall Runs Through This $3M Brutalist Abode | Bedford Corners Real Estate

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Location: Providence, R.I.
Price: $2,725,000
The Skinny: Modernism is likely not Topic A of discussion when the subject of Providence residential architecture comes up at parties (and don't pretend that it doesn't) but sitting high atop College Hill is at least one remarkable example of stone-cold Brutalism in the "Creative Capital." Designed in 1974 by architectural firm Huygens & Tappe, which spread Brick Brutalism far and wide across New England, the home takes advantage of its absolutely stellar siting by serving up incredible views of the city skyline, with an open floor plan that allows unimpeded views through its west-facing, floor-to-ceiling windows. The upper-level public living spaces and the master bedroom are connected to the lower residential areas by a curving staircase and waterfall, with the lower level opening out onto a pool deck and the heavily landscaped garden terrace. The kitchen has recently been redone with all new Birdseye Maple cabinets, and there is also a truly impressive wet bar, all of which is asking $2.725M.




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http://curbed.com/archives/2014/08/19/a-waterfall-runs-through-this-3m-brutalist-home.php

First-Time Buyers Shut Out of Expanding U.S. Home Supply | Bedford Corners Real Estate

The four-bedroom house that Ilia Nielsen-Dembe purchased in west Denver earlier this year wasn't her top choice. The first-time buyer had to settle on a home in a neighborhood with a high crime rate after losing out on bids for five properties in more desirable areas.

"I definitely sacrificed in terms of location," said Nielsen-Dembe, 33, who lives with her husband and two daughters in the house she bought in April for $184,500. "I had to cross streets that were not ideal in order to get a house."

 

While the supply of U.S. homes for sale is at an almost two-year high and price gains are moderating, buyers such as Nielsen-Dembe wouldn't know it. An inventory crunch for entry-level houses has only worsened during the past year as discounted foreclosures become scarce and cash-paying investors snap up affordable listings to convert to rentals. Properties at the lower end of the market are also the most likely to have underwater mortgages, keeping would-be sellers from moving.

"There is inventory coming on line, albeit slowly," said Nela Richardson, chief economist for Redfin, a Seattle-based brokerage. "The problem is it's not equally distributed. There is more turnover at the higher end. At the more affordable end of the spectrum, people are stuck."

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http://finance.yahoo.com/news/first-time-buyers-shut-expanding-070000295.html

5 Factors That Influence Your Home's Resale Value | Bedford Corners Real Estate

While home sellers hope to get top dollar for their property -- and some have an inflated idea of what to expect -- establishing a home's value can be a complex, multifaceted process. Do home renovations really pay off? And which is more valuable: a three-bedroom or a four-bedroom with the same square footage? We talked to real estate insiders to find out.

1. Location. The classic real estate refrain says, "location, location, location." Location includes factors such as the price of recent nearby transactions, the quality of local schools and whether the area has a strong sense of community. "Buyers increasingly value community in the community where they're buying," says Amy Anderson, an agent with Davidson Realty, Inc. in St. Augustine, Florida. "They come to me not looking for a house for four years, but focusing much more on the community, the activities and the school district."

As Americans scale back their dependence on automobiles, some homebuyers seek out communities that don't require cars to get around. One resource is WalkScore.com, which rates neighborhoods throughout the U.S. based on access to public transit and proximity to grocery stores, parks and more." I think walkability has become more important in many markets, especially amongst millennials," says Ken Wilson, president of the Appraisal Institute, a professional association for real estate appraisers, and founder of Wilson Realty Advisors in Dallas. "You're also finding empty nesters that are looking into properties that have walkability."

But as Zillow.com chief economist Stan Humphries points out, location encompasses many other considerations. "Does it have a view? Is it a waterfront home?" he asks. "What's it next to? Is it near retail establishments? Or a highway?"

2. Size and layout. While homebuyers used to swoon over ample square footage, many have fallen out of love with the McMansion. "I think people realize when they buy a 3,300-square-foot house, they're not getting what they thought they were," Anderson says. "There's more upkeep and a lot more involved with taking care of these huge houses."

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http://news.yahoo.com/5-factors-influence-homes-resale-value-193450165.html

Brownstone in Park Slope Asks $2.75 Million, and More | Bedford Corners Homes

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↑ First up on this weekend's roundup is a four-story brownstone in Park Slope. The place has been updated, but there are quite a few nice original details, including marble mantles on all four floors, plaster moldings, high ceilings with medallions, detailed woodwork, and hardwood flooring throughout. The kitchen has stainless steel appliances, a double sink with garbage disposal, and bamboo cabinets, which opens onto a deck and landscaped garden. It's asking $2.75 million.



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http://ny.curbed.com/archives/2014/06/15/brownstone_in_park_slope_asks_275_million_and_more.php

Going Moody in the Master Bedroom | Bedford Corners Real Estate

When interior designer Lindsay Pennington moved into husband Tim Mosher’s cottage bachelor pad, in the Laurel Canyon area of Los Angeles, “the whole house was a man cave,” she says. Together the couple renovated all of the public spaces, the kitchens, the bathrooms and the kids’ rooms, combining their belongings, buying new things and compromising.

By the time they were done with all of that, Mosher was suffering from renovation fatigue. So Pennington waited until the professional musician and composer left for a Super Bowl gig in New Orleans to redecorate their bedroom with pieces they already had. She changed up the layout, had the walls and ceilings painted and repurposed their furniture before Mosher came home, completing the makeover in just four days.

Lindsay Pennington Inc.

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The bureau on the left was passed down to Mosher through his family; the one on the right was passed down through Pennington’s. Serendipitously, they both have marble tops and are approximately the same height. Though she likes symmetry, Pennington likes to throw it off a bit to keep it from feeling too formulaic.

To change the layout, she placed the bed in front of a fireplace they never used. This is the view from the bedroom door; previously, the bed was across the room and the unused fireplace just kind of served as a hole. “Don’t be afraid to cover up a fireplace you’re not using,” the designer says.

 

 

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http://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/27326409?utm_source=Houzz&utm_campaign=u518&utm_medium=email&utm_content=gallery2

Don’t Be a Stickybeak — and Other Home-Related Lingo From Abroad | Bedford Corner Real Estate

My profession requires having a solid command of the English language. At least that’s something I like to tell people (or put at the beginning of an article about language, because it sounds interesting). But the truth is, it’s darn near impossible to keep up with the way people use any particular language.

The way we speak and the words we use are constantly changing and evolving. Humans have a tendency to make their own rules anyway, then create new rules that reverse the old rules. Like, did you know the original meaning of “awful” was “to inspire wonder”? Somewhere along the way, we decided to make it mean the opposite.

Home and design terms are no exception to the language madness. And in light of recently announcing Houzz sites in the U.K. and Australia, we thought it would be fitting to take a look at how everyday terms differ across oceans.

Scott Neste | Minor Details Interior Design

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For example, when Americans travel to the U.K. or Australia, they might be confused about what floor they’re on. There the first floor is located on what Americans would call the second. And what we call the first floor, they call the ground floor.

So, if you’re ever in, say, London or Sydney, you actually have to ascend a flight of stairs to reach the first floor.

Colin Cadle Photography

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Author Jonathan Bernstein, who was born in Scotland and now lives in Los Angeles, wrote Knickers in a Twist: A Dictionary of British Slang about his experience trying to figure out why some U.K. words and phrases percolated across the Atlantic and some didn’t.

Few in America use “loo” when referring to the bathroom, for example. “When I came to America, I’d be talking to someone, and there’d be nothing but a blank look,” Bernstein says. “They didn’t understand, or I didn’t understand. ‘Restroom’ was one of those words that gave me years of trouble. A restroom to me was just a room upstairs for relaxing or something.”

Through Bernstein’s research, he found that a lot of U.K. lingo traveled with immigrants during the 1800s, who created a melting pot of cultures. “A lot of people just misheard stuff,” he says. “There was a lot of Jamaican patois, Yiddish — it was just an amalgamation of so many languages.”

Word origins aren’t always clear even in the original countries. In Bernstein’s native Glasgow, the word everyone used for bathroom when he was growing up was “cludgie”; he has no clue of its origins. “It’s just that Scottish thing of trying to make things as disgusting as possible,” he says.

 

 

 

 

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http://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/25977315?utm_source=Houzz&utm_campaign=u496&utm_medium=email&utm_content=gallery3

Here's a Look at the Palm Beach Estate Stylings of 1942 | Bedford Corners Real Estate

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In looking at the Palm Beach home Louis D. Beaumont, a philanthropist who made his fortune opening up May Company stores, it's fun to see that, when it comes to typical Southern Florida decor, there are some things that don't change: fireplaces astride pool pavilions, porticoed verandas, banana-leaf curtains, globby white furniture ... they're all on display in these photos from 1942. That's not to say that there aren't some relics of pre-midcentury design lurking about—the cushions of one chaise lounge are so overplump someone would probably roll right off—but that mix is exactly what makes the images so compelling. Have a look.


http://curbed.com/archives/2014/03/21/heres-a-look-at-some-palm-beach-estate-stylings-of-1942.php

Resort real estate market still in a holding pattern | Bedford Corners Homes

Sure, you have your traditional office, industrial and retail space. But you also have one of the largest resort districts in the world, and that sector is a market unto itself. That means it’s on a slightly different path toward recovery, say local experts in gaming real estate.

For one thing, the resort sector is more volatile than other types of commercial real estate, said Josh Smith, a commercial real estate consultant for gaming and co-founder of Colliers International Gaming Group in Las Vegas. Operators turn over their customers on a daily basis, rather than locking in their “tenants” with leases that run five to 15 years. Gaming is also vulnerable to immediate fallout from economic trouble, because operators rely on consumers’ discretionary income. And for better or for worse, gaming ties Las Vegas directly into the economy of the rest of the world, Smith said.

Right now, being keyed in to the global economy isn’t a bad thing. That’s because just as the world’s economy has been on the comeback trail, so has gaming. Where 2009, 2010 and 2011 brought hard times, 2012 and 2013 meant “real growth” in some parts of the economy, Smith said.

“2013 was the year we saw the recovery start to happen, particularly in the last couple of quarters,” Smith said. “We started to hear about strong demand indices. We’ve seen a lot of increased demand coming into 2014, and occupancies and rates are expected to be higher.”

Those expectations haven’t yet translated into huge amounts of investment.

Sales of gaming properties were slow in 2013, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. The properties that did turn over were mostly smaller, limited-service places, said John Stater, research manager at Colliers International. Downtown’s Gold Spike is an example: Zappos CEO Tony Hsieh’s Downtown Project bought the 112-room property in April, with plans to redevelop it into a nongaming project. Taking those kinds of properties off the hospitality market helps constrain inventory as the market tries to recover, and that means less competition for operators still trying to survive, Stater said.

But there’s still enough competition to keep a lid on major megaresort development.

“With gaming real estate, we’re definitely not ready for another boom,” Stater said.


http://www.reviewjournal.com/business/business-press/resort-real-estate-market-still-holding-pattern

What the new FHA mortgage limits mean for you | Bedford Corners NY Real Estate

The Federal Housing Administration recently announced a reduction in high-cost area loan limits -- a reduction that comes in accordance with the government’s ongoing effort to retreat from the housing market. Rewind the clock to 2008, when financial markets were significantly depressed, the economy was on the verge of recession -- enter the FHA as the new outlet to support a frail housing sector.



Since then, unemployment has dropped, job growth, while still bleak, is improving, and real estate is in demand. The FHA has accomplished its goal of helping to boost the housing market. Now the government wants to minimize its exposure to bigger loans.




The FHA loan limit reduction will affect homebuyers in higher-end properties. For example, if you take Sonoma County, Calif., the maximum new FHA loan limit in January will be reduced to $520,950 from $662,500. Homebuyers who once could buy with less capital will now have to invest more cash into the deal or buy less house.




If you're looking to buy a house but haven't yet, here's what to expect in 2014.




1. Your mortgage limits will be lower

Most counties will see the maximum loan limits decrease, on average, by $67,250 beginning January 2014.




2. You'll see jumbo mortgages again

A jumbo mortgage loan typically has tighter qualifying restrictions in terms of credit history and debt ratio requirements than its FHA loan counterpart. For example, a buyer with tarnished credit can use an FHA loan to purchase a home three years out of the short sale or foreclosure or two years after a Chapter 7 bankruptcy. But with many jumbos, the standard seven years will apply in most cases. One exception to this is if you have 30% down, a lender will consider granting a jumbo loan to a borrower two years after they’ve had a short sale.




3. You'll need to get your credit score in order

You'll need at least a 700 credit score to play ball. The best terms will go to those with 740 scores or better. (Before you even start shopping for a home, it's important to know what shape your credit is in. There are many ways to check your credit scores, including Credit.com's Credit Report Card, which is a free tool that shows you your credit scores and an overview of your credit report so you know which aspects of your credit you need to work on to get a higher score.)




4. You might need a 20% down payment

No longer will homebuyers on the higher-end market be able to purchase a home with less than 20% down if the loan is not conforming high balance or FHA. In other words, 20% down is going to be the new normal in most markets for majority buyers. Many investors simply do not allow for mortgage insurance on large scale loan sizes.



http://money.msn.com/home-loans/article.aspx?post=32d491e3-26b8-4f5d-8787-b3941b4a1ef2

5 predictions for housing in 2014 | Bedford Corners NY Homes

5 predictions for housing in 2014 | Bedford Corners NY Homes | Bedford New York Real Estate | Bedford NY Homes by Robert Paul Realtor

Armonk, Bedford Corners Lead in Highest Average Size | #RobReportBlog

Armonk, Bedford Corners Lead in Highest Average Size | #RobReportBlog	Square Feet
Katonah	3,876
Pound Ridge	3,854
South Salem	3,029
Mt Kisco	2,788
Chappaqua	4,101
North Salem	3,288
Armonk	5,800
Bedford	4,701
Bedford Hills	4,021.
Bedford Corners	5,059.

Chicago-area home prices climb 14% from last October | Bedford Corners Homes

Home sales and median prices in the Chicago area continued to beat year-ago comparisons in October, and the time it took to sell a home plunged as a result of a lack of inventory.

October sales of existing homes in the nine-county Chicago area rose 9.6 percent from a year ago to 9,303 homes sold, at a median price of $175,000, up 14.4 percent, the Illinois Association of Realtors said Tuesday.



http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2013-11-20/business/chi-chicago-home-prices-sales-20131120_1_october-home-chicago-area-home-prices-geoffrey-j-d-hewings