Your July Home Checklist | Katonah Real Estate

With Independence Day kicking off the month here in the States, kids in the throes of school break and the days (and evenings) luxuriously long, July is a month to celebrate summer in all its glory. So make a summer bucket list, swing in a hammock, invite some friends over and stay cool — these to-dos are as much about fun as they are about smart home maintenance and safety.

SPACE Architects + Planners

Put summer fun on the schedule. Do you want to finally pull out that hand-crank ice cream maker, take a trip to the coast or visit a carnival? Make your own summer fun list, but go one step further: Schedule your top activities on the calendar to ensure you won’t miss out.

Digs Design Company

Set up a games room. Whether you scoot out the dining table to transform the formal dining room into a billiards or pingpong room or put a card table piled high with games in the family room, making visible space for fun is a sure way to encourage more of it.

Browse thousands of game rooms on Houzz and save your favorites

Sunshine Coast Home Design

Hang out in a hammock. There’s just something about a hammock — even looking at one is relaxing! String one up on the porch, deck, lawn or even in the living room and savor an afternoon catnap.

Sam Davison Interiors

Clean fans and filters. Clean or replace filters in your home’s window AC units or HVAC system. Climb a ladder (carefully!) and wipe dust off ceiling fan blades.

read more...

http://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/49986428

U.S. new home sales dip, but remain near multi-year highs | Katonah Real Estate

New U.S. single-family home sales in January fell less than expected and supply rose to its highest level since 2010, hopeful signs for the sluggish housing market.

The Commerce Department said on Wednesday that sales dipped 0.2 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 481,000 units. December's sales pace was revised up to 482,000 units, the highest level since June 2008, from 481,000 units.

Sales last month were likely held back by inclement weather in the Northeast, where sales recorded their biggest drop since June 2012.

Economists polled by Reuters had forecast new home sales, which account for about 9.1 percent of the housing market falling to a 470,000-unit pace last month.

Compared to January last year, sales were up 5.3 percent.

Housing activity has remained lackluster since hitting a speed bump in the second half of 2013 as tight home inventories and higher prices sideline first-time buyers, against the backdrop of tepid wage growth.

It has lagged the overall economy, even though mortgage rates have declined substantially from their 2013 peaks. Recent data showed a plunge in home resales in January and softer single-family housing starts and permits.

Last month, new home sales in the Northeast plunged 51.6 percent to a record low. Sales in the South rose 2.2 percent to their highest level since May 2008. They surged 19.2 percent in the Midwest, but sales in the West slipped 0.8 percent.

The stock of new houses available on the market rose 1.4 percent last month to 218,000, the highest since March 2010.

read more...

http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/02/25/us-usa-economy-homesales-idUSKBN0LT1LM20150225

Private boat dock and a bathtub with a view | Katonah Real Estate

One of the last homes where legendary actor Mickey Rooney lived is back on the market for $2.495 million following a massive remodel that rendered it unrecognizable, outside and in.

Before:

Built in 1976, 1400 Redsail Cir — located on the gated island of Westlake Village, north of Malibu — had a “newer kitchen” when Rooney sold it for just over $1 million in April 2013.
The prolific actor died a year later at the age of 93, following a career that included a special Oscar in 1939 for “bringing to the screen the spirit and personification of youth,” a Broadway debut at age 59 and, most recently, a recurring role in the “Night at the Museum” films.
The new owners, Kapilack Investments, hired Cal Western Builders to do a major remodel.
Now the 3,220-square-foot home features 4 bedrooms and a state-of-the-art kitchen:











It also has an alder wood-wrapped fireplace, a fourth bathroom and a master suite that includes a fireplace and a bathroom with a walk-in steam shower and a bathtub with a lake view.

read more....



http://www.zillow.com/blog/mickey-rooney-former-lakeside-home-165398/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+ZillowBlog+%28Zillow+Blog%29

Inventory up, but home sales down in Westchester | #KatonahNY Real Estate

Despite an increase in inventory, home sales were down in Westchester County for the second quarter of 2014, according to data obtained from the Hudson Gateway Association of Realtors.

Westchester, one of the four counties for which Hudson Gateway tracks data, saw a 12 percent overall drop in home sales in the second quarter compared with the same period in 2013, and a 13.5 percent drop in the sale of single-family homes. Meanwhile, home prices stayed relatively stable in Westchester, with a median sale price of $651,250 in 2014, a negligible increase of just 0.2 percent over the second quarter of 2013.

 

“We are selling (homes) but they have to be aggressively priced,” said Diane Cummins, a broker with Douglas Elliman in Katonah and the president of the association. “The value has to be there for the consumer.”

 

Although there was a drop in the number of home sales, the number of residential properties listed for sale was up 3 percent, with single-family homes showing a 5.7 percent growth in inventory and condominium inventory rising 6 percent.

 

“Up in the northern part of the county, I think sales are slow because there’s more inventory close to the city,” Cummins said. “When people can be closer to the city and have a shorter commute for a similar price, they’re going to do that.”

 

As the real estate market in the southern part of the county speeds up, Cummins said she expects to see more action up north. “South of (Interstate) 287, closer to the city, the market is still getting sellers close to their asking prices. But until the asking prices accelerate to push buyers northward,” buyers will continue to close on the best buy for their money, she said.

 

Statewide, home sales declined for July compared with July 2013, according to data from the New York Association of Realtors.

 

“Despite reports of an improving national economy, many consumers remain cautious about making large financial investments such as a home purchase,” said Duncan MacKenzie, CEO of the New York State Association of Realtors, in a press release. “Employment numbers are rising, but wages remain stagnant, thus creating a counterbalance to moderating home prices and low interest rates that continue to drive improving affordability conditions.”

 

Statewide, July saw 10,545 closed sales, down 10.3 percent from the July 2013 total of 11,754. From Jan. 1 to July 31 of this year, the sales total of 55,217 represents a 4.5 percent decrease from the same period last year. The statewide median sale price was $239,000 in July, a 0.4 percent decrease from the July 2013 median of $239,900. The year-to-date median sale price of $225,000 remained the same compared to this period last year. The data were compiled from multiple listing services in the state of New York and includes townhouses and condominiums in addition to existing single-family homes.

 

 

 

 

 

read more.....

 

 

 

 

 

http://westfaironline.com/65179/inventory-up-but-home-sales-down-in-westchester/

 

Top 10 Riskiest Housing Markets in America | Katonah Real Estate

The bursting of the housing bubble shattered one of the most widely held misconceptions among buyers: home prices can’t fall. For far too long, homeowners counted their profits before the ink was dry, while analysts expected a new era of prosperity. As we now know, home prices can indeed fall. In fact, some areas of the country suffered from declining prices well before the financial crisis.

Zillow Research recently analyzed the past thirty-five years of housing data to find which markets homeowners were mostly likely to incur a loss upon selling their homes. The firm chained its Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI) to the FHFA Home Price Index, and observed changes in median values over 117 rolling five-year periods since the end of 1979. Out of the fifty largest housing markets in America, the riskiest metro areas were found in New England.

“Some of the most risky areas may come as a bit of a surprise, as they aren’t known as places that were hardest-hit after the most recent housing bubble,” explains Zillow. “While the measure of percent of negative returns identifies the metro areas where home values more consistently declined, it does not give extra weight to places that saw extreme declines post-bubble.”
Let’s take a look at the ten riskiest housing markets in America, based on likelihood of negative returns during the rolling five-year periods. In the case of ties between markets, those with the bigger drop in their worst years were ranked as riskier.



read more....



http://wallstcheatsheet.com/business/top-10-riskiest-housing-markets-in-america.html/?ref=YF

International buyers are looking for more than just vacation homes | Katonah Real Estate

For years, international buyers have looked to buy properties in markets like Miami, Aspen and Palm Springs when searching for the perfect place for their “holiday.”
According to new data from Trulia (TRLA), international house hunters are shifting their focus away from traditional vacation areas to dense, urban areas.
“Foreign interest in U.S. real estate remains highly concentrated in mostly urban neighborhoods, particularly in Miami, Los Angeles, and New York, and is increasingly shifting toward high-density urban areas and away from vacation spots,” said Trulia’s chief economist Jed Kolko.
Trulia analyzed the site’s searches from January through May and found that 4% of the searches came from outside the U.S. That’s slightly down from 4.2% during the same time period last year. Canada (18.5%), United Kingdom (10.6%), and Germany (5.5%) remain the top three countries outside the U.S. for home searches on the site.
Trulia found that international searches are tending to focus more on urban areas as opposed to areas that are traditionally thought of as vacation areas.
“In general, these two types of places tend to get more foreign interest than the U.S. overall does: foreign searches accounted for 4.0% of searches for U.S. homes overall, 4.7% of searches in vacation areas, and 9.4% of searches in the densest urban neighborhoods,” Kolko said.



read more...

http://www.housingwire.com/articles/30369-international-buyers-are-looking-for-more-than-just-vacation-homes

Buy Kenny Rogers' Ostentatious Mega-Manse For $4.8M | Katonah NY Real Estate

23 images

Country legend Kenny Rogers is packing up his cowboy boots and selling off this 11,964-square-foot Mediterranean estate in Sandy Springs, Ga. to the tune of $4.8M. While it's, uh, certainly not the most subtle house on the block—about five Sistine Chapel-esque murals, 10 fireplaces, and a billion chandeliers past subtle, actually—the six-bedroom estate does offer certain charms for the buyer who appreciates the same mix of totally unnecessary amenities and heavily-draped windows as Rogers. Inside, there's an elevator, a home theater with dramatic cloud-patterned ceilings, a solarium, and a Roman spa decorated with wrap-around murals, huge clamshells, and (yep) a statue of David. Outside, a swim-up bar, cabana, and a basketball court dot what may or may not be a lawn made out of astroturf. Take the tour...




read more....



http://curbed.com/archives/2014/06/04/buy-kenny-rogers-for-48m.php

Brooklyn Warehouse Brims With Light | Katonah Real Estate

In evolving, postindustrial cities, artists often occupy old industrial buildings to take advantage of the large spaces, natural light, and relatively cheap rents. As New York City neighborhoods like SoHo and Chelsea became popular, they also become expensive, so now parts of Brooklyn, Queens and the Bronx are home to even very successful artists who can’t afford Manhattan prices or who want larger spaces in which to live and work.

Brazilian artist Vik Muniz owns an old light-manufacturing warehouse in Brooklyn’s Clinton Hill neighborhood, and with architect Brenda Bello of BWArchitects he transformed it into a light-filled live-work space. Bello, who used to work for Dutch architecture firm Mecanoo, designed spaces she describes as “simple, clean and warm” — exactly what Muniz wanted. Also important was a connection to a garden, which they created at the rear of the building by cutting the building’s garage open.

BWArchitects (formerly Basil Walter Architects)

Save to Ideabook

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Photography by Christopher Payne

Houzz at a Glance
Who lives and works here: Artist Vik Muniz
Location: Brooklyn, New York
Size: 5,600 square feet (520 square meters) total for the home (2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, 2 half bathrooms) and studio

The floor plan of the home and studio is basically a square, with the tall studio occupying a smaller square in one corner and the home wrapping in an L shape around it on two floors. The garden sits on the north side of the building. From here we are looking through the large living space toward the studio beyond the stair.

At the rear of the warehouse was a one-story garage that was partially demolished in the renovation. One of Bello’s tricks that helps to maintain privacy was keeping the exterior walls of the one-story garage when opening it up for the garden. Keeping those walls means this outdoor space is primarily solid on three sides, and therefore the house can be as glassy as desired.

 

 

 

 

read more....

 

http://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/26552156?utm_source=Houzz&utm_campaign=u502&utm_medium=email&utm_content=gallery4

 

5 Genius Ways to Maximize Bedroom Space | Katonah NY Real Estate

Counting inches Most people begin a renovation with a stack of inspiration photos. When photographer Aya Brackett and her husband added a second bedroom to their home, they started with just a bed. "We bought it for the style, but also for its storage capacity," she says of the piece with built-in drawers. "We designed everything else around it." The result--a 330-square-foot master suite--makes up the third floor of their 1895 Oakland home. Because of city setback rules, "everything was negotiated on inches," Brackett says. Custom furniture makes the most of the space; the cherrywood and white palette keeps it serene. "We like the minimal."
Design Architect: Jennifer Cooper, Oakland; pumpkinhousestudio.com.
Furniture: Kelly Roth Best, Oakland.
DIY headboard ideas

Streamline as much as possible
Built in for perfect fit
"It didn't feel like we had a lot of space for furniture," Brackett says, "so we wanted to streamline as much as possible." Brackett worked with a friend to design the built-ins, custom-fitting them to the available space--and adding features like drawers in the window seat for storage.
More small-bedroom tips




read more....

https://shine.yahoo.com/at-home/5-genius-ways-maximize-bedroom-space-003000131.html

Mortgage Rates Remain a Gift to Homebuyers | Katonah Real Estate

Mortgage Rates Remain a Gift to Homebuyers - Yahoo Finance

The Secret Way to Plant Perennials This Spring | Katonah NY Real Estate

Thawing temperatures are starting to lure us outdoors to get back into the garden. Next up in the process of preparing your home for spring: planting perennials

If you're wondering what to plant, we recommend Gaillardia 'Fanfare.' Its glorious sunsetlike colors and unique trumpet-shaped petals distinguish this hardy perennial, which thrives in most U.S. climates and blooms from late spring into fall. ($9.95 each; parkseed.com.)

It will bloom continuously, May through fall, or frost. To prune, cut the stems all the way back to the foliage.

With a bit of extra effort-namely, judicious pruning-these choices will offer a repeat performance.



https://shine.yahoo.com/green/secret-planting-perennials-spring-175000581.html

A Typical Town House Goes Modern Zen | Katonah Real Estate

Location matters in real estate, sometimes more so than a home’s other features.

When a young couple purchased a town home in Rosslyn, VA, just across the river from Washington DC, they did so because they loved the location. However, as they explained to architect and designer Andreas Charalambous, they were not fans of the home’s interior.

The home was largely outdated, and the couple wanted a modern and uncluttered space, explained Charalambous of DC-based Forma Design.

A red wall, dark floors and modern, low-slung furniture create a contemporary and inviting space.

“We didn’t set out to create this Zen home, but the decisions they made along the way created the Zen space,” he said. “It’s customized to who they are and how they use the space.”
His first step to redoing their home? A bit of homework for the couple.
“What we usually do with homeowners [is] we listen to what they liked about their house and what their lifestyle is all about,” he explained. “We have them write a one- to two-paragraph essay on their lifestyle so we can understand who will be occupying the space.”
He also requires clients to put together eight to 10 images of designs they like.
“When people say they like modern or transitional, it could be anything,” he said. “When we see images, they say this is what they like.”

In the case of his Rosslyn clients, they requested a few things: a red wall somewhere in the home, which would represent good luck, and a cabinet at the entrance of the home, which would display a Buddha statue and also hold a place for shoes. They were expecting their first child and wanted a home that would be modern, livable and uncluttered.

From there, Charalambous and his team began to work on the space.

The entry before and after.

“The first level of this house had the living room, then the dining room and behind the wall was the kitchen,” Charalambous explained. “The first thing we suggested was to tear out the wall behind the dining room to create one big entertaining space, and immediately the space would feel brighter and bigger and more cohesive.”

One wall — running from the entrance to the back of the kitchen — was painted red. And from there, it was a matter of redoing cabinets and updating the fireplace to fit the new modern layout.

www.zillow.com 10/24/13

Landlords could be on hook for tenant costs | Katonah Real Estate

A bill that would require property owners to pay for tenant relocation costs when a building is shut down for safety violations has been resurrected after it had gone nowhere in the City Council during the Bloomberg administration. Councilwoman Margaret Chin, D-Manhattan, introduced the bill Tuesday, which seeks to make building owners pick up the tab when residents are barred from returning home because of a fire or illegal or dangerous conditions. Last year, the city's Department of Buildings, just one of several agencies with this power, issued 1,496 partial-vacate orders that shut down a portion of a building and 346 full-vacate orders, though in both cases, some of the orders may reflect multiple violations at the same property.

The previous iteration of Ms. Chin's bill languished for nearly three years in the council before it officially died at the end of the old administration. A number of the bill's original co-sponsors now hold prominent positions in the City Council. They include Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito, D-Manhattan—who wields the ultimate power to make or break legislation—and Councilman Jumaane Williams, D-Brooklyn, who chairs the Committee on Housing and Buildings, which would serve as the vehicle for Ms. Chin's proposal. Neither office commented on the bill. In addition, Mayor Bill de Blasio has also made housing and tenants' rights a cornerstone of his fledging administration.
A major source of infractions in Chinatown and elsewhere is the presence of illegal apartments, according to Ms. Chin. Her district, which includes Chinatown, was the site of three major vacate orders last year in which multi-family buildings were emptied out by city edict.



http://www.crainsnewyork.com/article/20140206/REAL_ESTATE/140209922/landlords-could-be-on-hook-for-tenant-costs

2 things that could torpedo home price gains | Katonah NY Real Estate

Home prices are gradually climbing nationwide, though there are strong headwinds that could kill any momentum coming from persistent labor market struggles and depressed median wages.
That’s the conclusion from the latest sustainable home price update from Fitch Ratings.

Home price growth in the western United States continues its near-record pace among a limited supply owing to the fact that new home sales are limited by low construction rates.

Existing inventory is also restricted by underwater borrowers unable to sell, and a surprising number of homes still mired in extended foreclosure proceedings.

"In markets with short supply, increased demand from institutional investors and individual borrowers returning to recovering markets has created the conditions for the sharp climb in prices," said Stefan Hilts, a director at Fitch.

As Housingwire has reported, unemployment appears to be down but a close look shows it’s not because jobs are being created but rather because people are dropping out of the workforce.
"Without a strong employment base, it is difficult to find sustainable support for the rapid growth in home prices across much of the country," said Hilts.




http://www.housingwire.com/articles/28785-things-that-could-torpedo-housing-price-gains

Dubai property market attracting more Chinese investors | Katonah NY Real Estate

Dubai property market attracting more Chinese investors | Katonah NY Real Estate | Bedford New York Real Estate | Bedford NY Homes by Robert Paul Realtor

Teatown Lake Reservation updates | Katonah Real Estate

Teatown Lake Reservation updates | Katonah Real Estate | Bedford New York Real Estate | Bedford NY Homes by Robert Paul Realtor

Home electricity use in U.S. falling to 2001 levels | Katonah NY Homes

The average amount of electricity consumed in U.S. homes has fallen to levels last seen more than a decade ago, back when the smartest device in people's pockets was a Palm pilot and anyone talking about a tablet was probably an archaeologist or a preacher.
Because of more energy-efficient housing, appliances and gadgets, power usage is on track to decline in 2013 for the third year in a row, to its lowest point since 2001, even though our lives are more electrified.

Here's a look at what has changed since the last time consumption was so low.

Better Homes

In the early 2000s, as energy prices rose, more states adopted or toughened building codes to force builders to better seal homes so heat or air-conditioned air doesn't seep out so fast. That means newer homes waste less energy.

Also, insulated windows and other building technologies have dropped in price, making retrofits of existing homes more affordable. In the wake of the financial crisis, billions of dollars in Recovery Act funding was directed toward home-efficiency programs.

Better Gadgets

Big appliances such as refrigerators and air conditioners have gotten more efficient thanks to federal energy standards that get stricter ever few years as technology evolves.

A typical room air conditioner -- one of the biggest power hogs in the home -- uses 20 percent less electricity per hour of full operation than it did in 2001, according to the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers.

Central air conditioners, refrigerators, dishwashers, water heaters, washing machines and dryers also have gotten more efficient.

Other devices are using less juice, too. Some 40-inch (1-meter) LED televisions bought today use 80 percent less power than the cathode ray tube televisions of the past. Some use just $8 worth of electricity over a year when used five hours a day -- less than a 60-watt incandescent bulb would use.

Those incandescent light bulbs are being replaced with compact fluorescent bulbs and LEDs that use 70 to 80 percent less power. According to the Energy Department, widespread use of LED bulbs could save output equivalent to that of 44 large power plants by 2027.

The move to mobile also is helping. Desktop computers with big CRT monitors are being replaced with laptops, tablet computers and smart phones, and these mobile devices are specifically designed to sip power to prolong battery life.

It costs $1.36 to power an iPad for a year, compared with $28.21 for a desktop computer, according to the Electric Power Research Institute.
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/home-electricity-use-in-us-falling-to-2001-levels/

Manhattan Rents Dip Again, But Brooklyn’s Won’t Stop Rising | Waccbuc Real Estate

Manhattan Rents Dip Again, But Brooklyn’s Won’t Stop Rising | Waccbuc Real Estate | Bedford New York Real Estate | Bedford NY Homes by Robert Paul Realtor

EShowings shuts down after founder reports to prison | Katonah NY Homes

Multistate real estate showing appointment service eShowings Inc. has shut down, just days after the incarceration of its founder and former CEO, Charles Smith.

The move leaves an estimated 14,000 clients in the lurch and the firm’s 85 or so employees out of work.

Smith, who founded the company in 1999, headed to prison on Dec. 4 to serve a 2 1/2-year sentence for pocketing his employees’ payroll taxes instead of handing them over to the government.

According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Delaware, Smith had taken money deducted from employees’ paychecks and spent it on personal items for himself and his family, including vacations and gambling. Smith also continued to use company funds even after he had officially resigned in early October.

EShowings also continued to bounce checks, including employee paychecks, and had not paid rent or other liabilities or employee insurance premiums since Smith’s Oct. 4 sentencing, the office said.
Two days after Smith’s incarceration, the company’s employees were informed their weekly Friday paychecks would be delayed until Tuesday due to lack of funds. By Monday evening, Tomy Kot, the company’s general manager, was calling employees to tell them the company had been shut down and they would not be receiving their last two weeks’ worth of pay.

- See more at: http://www.inman.com/2013/12/11/eshowings-shuts-down-after-founder-reports-to-prison/?utm_source=20131212&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=dailyheadlinesam#sthash.mdg0tMcD.dpuf

Chicago Housing Boom Ran Out Of Steam in November | Katonah NY Homes

After 20 consecutive months of double digit growth in home sales the Chicago real estate market is ending the year with rather flat year over year sales. When the Illinois Association of Realtors announces the official numbers in a week and a half they are likely to report a slight decline of about 0.3% - basically flat. In reality there was ever so slight growth of about 2.5% - just enough to allow us to claim 29 consecutive months of year over years home sales growth. This was totally expected as contract activity has been slowing down and contracts lead closings by about a month or two.
Given the extremely low levels of home inventories (more on that below) I have to believe that home sales could be a lot stronger. The demand is there, with numerous buyers on the sidelines waiting for the right property to come along. It's just that the supply is not there.

The November sales numbers were pretty much in the middle of the pack over the last 17 years or somewhere between the Novembers of 2001 and 2002 - a long time ago.
The IAR press release will also mention that median home prices were up 11.1%. What this primarily means is that the mix of homes sold is skewing higher but watch the journalists discuss rising prices as if it's the same thing.

Chicago Home Contract Activity

Well, this is the metric that tells us where the market is going and it's looking rather flat, which is how we already know that at least December closings will again be basically flat. I'm estimating that after accounting for contract terminations November contracts will actually be 1.6% below last year.

Pending Home Sales
Chicago homes that remain under contract at the end of November (essentially pending home sales) declined once again from the previous month to 4292, which means that more homes either closed or had their contracts terminated than went under contract. This is normal at this time of the year. However, when viewed relative to the current sales rate the months of supply of pending homes actually went up a tad to a 2.4 month supply.



http://www.chicagonow.com/getting-real/2013/12/chicago-real-estate-market-ran-out-of-steam-november/