Showing posts with label Bedford Corners Real Estate. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Bedford Corners Real Estate. Show all posts
Wednesday, October 14, 2015
Thursday, October 30, 2014
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.
read more....
http://curbed.com/archives/2014/10/30/millard-kaufman-residence-neutra-addition-for-sale.php
read more....
http://curbed.com/archives/2014/10/30/millard-kaufman-residence-neutra-addition-for-sale.php
Monday, September 15, 2014
Thursday, July 3, 2014
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."
read more...
http://news.yahoo.com/5-factors-influence-homes-resale-value-193450165.html
Monday, June 30, 2014
Connecting to the Landscape in Melbourne | Armonk Homes
Moonah trees can live for hundreds of years. Their name alone conveys a sense of mysticism, but it is their ancient ties to the coastal Barwon Heads region of Australia that have made them local legends. As the trees age, their bark becomes increasingly gnarled and twisted, responding to the surrounding environment and conditions. Like the cypress trees of Monterey, the baobab trees of Madagascar and the giant sequoias of California, these are regional icons, part of the landscape.
When architecture firm Auhaus was hired to build a house in Barwon Heads last year, they embraced these local natives: framing views of them, emulating their form and connecting with the landscape of the revered moonah tree. “The house was designed in conjunction with the landscape, and the two parts are inseparable,” says project architect Kate Fitzpatrick. “We wanted the house to be experienced as an extension of the site.”
Photos by Trevor Mein
Houzz at a Glance
Location: Barwon Heads, a coastal town on the Great Ocean Road in Victoria, Australia
Size: 2,906 square feet (270 square meters); 1,238 square feet (115 square meters) of decks
Year built: Fall of 2013
The home’s study sits on its top floor, overlooking the moonahs behind the house. Thick, shrubby dune vegetation grows between the house and a nearby golf course. Fitzpatrick framed this view with one large window. “We wanted to create serene yet engaging interior spaces that make you deeply aware of the space you are in and the landscape outside,” She says.
Houzz at a Glance
Location: Barwon Heads, a coastal town on the Great Ocean Road in Victoria, Australia
Size: 2,906 square feet (270 square meters); 1,238 square feet (115 square meters) of decks
Year built: Fall of 2013
The home’s study sits on its top floor, overlooking the moonahs behind the house. Thick, shrubby dune vegetation grows between the house and a nearby golf course. Fitzpatrick framed this view with one large window. “We wanted to create serene yet engaging interior spaces that make you deeply aware of the space you are in and the landscape outside,” She says.
read more...
Monday, June 16, 2014
Brownstone in Park Slope Asks $2.75 Million, and More | Bedford Corners Homes
↑ 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.
read more....
http://ny.curbed.com/archives/2014/06/15/brownstone_in_park_slope_asks_275_million_and_more.php
Wednesday, May 28, 2014
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.
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.
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.
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.
read more....
Monday, May 5, 2014
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.
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.
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.
So, if you’re ever in, say, London or Sydney, you actually have to ascend a flight of stairs to reach the first floor.
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.
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.
read more....
Wednesday, January 29, 2014
Monday, January 6, 2014
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
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
Tuesday, December 31, 2013
Wednesday, December 25, 2013
Wednesday, December 18, 2013
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
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
Tuesday, December 17, 2013
Tuesday, December 10, 2013
Thursday, November 21, 2013
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
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
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