Summer is all about the outdoors and taking time to appreciate Mother Nature’s natural splendor. For some lucky homeowners that natural splendor is only steps away. Whether you are an aspiring gardener or simply looking to improve your home’s curb appeal, here are a few examples of beautifully-designed landscapes that are sure to spark envy.
This elegant European Manor in Purchase
is surrounded by a remarkable array of specimen plantings, all artfully
placed to create both a pleasing landscape
and great privacy.
Fragrant with honeysuckle and lavendar, the spirit of Provence enlivens the
landscape at La Lanterne in Chappaqua
featuring vibrant perennial gardens,
topiary-shaped pear trees
and a whimsical potting shed.
The hilltop setting at Stone Court in Armonk
was designed by celebrated landscape
architect Armand Benedek who created
a sense of seclusion with a myriad of colorful plantings and lush grasses.
The Wall Street Journal recently reported that New York state has among the highest closing costs in the country. Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act (RESPA) calls for the Good Faith Estimate of closing costs to be accurate and avoid higher, unanticipated costs at closing.
This is good news for the buyer.
Thoroughbred Title Services, LLC, and affiliate of Houlihan Lawrence, recently announced more good news for the home buyer. Namely that Thoroughbred’s title insurance rates are 10% lower than the industry standard.
Title insurance is a one-time purchase at closing that protects new home buyers from financial loss on a property that might occur as a result of previous faults on a deed such as liens, clerical errors, misrepresentation, etc. Typically, a buyer’s real estate attorney arranges for title insurance and uses vendors with whom they have a long-standing relationship. Premiums are calculated based on the purchase price and mortgage amount of the home and rates are comparable regardless of insurer, meaning the homebuyer does not have the ability to shop for competitive rates.
Homebuyers typically glaze over the cost of title insurance. But they are starting to pay attention now that there is the opportunity to save money. For example, a person buying an $800,000 home with a $600,000 mortgage would be charged a total of $4,291 for title insurance and related research services by Thoroughbred Title, about $1,000 below the typical cost from competitors.
Houlihan Lawrence is proud to be affiliated with a company that pro-actively offers our clients a cost savings without a compromise in quality or coverage. It aligns with Houlihan Lawrence’s mission to make the real estate process transparent, simple and embedded with value in every facet of the home buying experience.
The New York Times recently ran a cover story headlined “Housing Fades as a Means to Build Wealth, Analysts Says”. The article states that amassing your nest egg based on the appreciation of your home may become a distant memory.
Time will tell whether that prediction is accurate. What the article fails to mention is that prior to the real estate boom and double digit appreciation, a house was purchased to be a home, not an asset class.
A home provided a safe haven for the family and a place where memories were created. Holidays and birthdays were celebrated in the home and terms such as yield, appreciation and return on investment were confined to stocks and bonds.
The new reality is that homeownership may no longer be the ticket to easy money, but it remains the gateway to security and stability, the backdrop of family photographs, and the venue of your lifestyle.
As a trusted real estate advisor to thousands Houlihan Lawrence provides transparent information and a network of experienced agents with insight that help homeowners and buyers ultimately make informed decisions.
Ownership of a home represents different things to different people. Do you think of your house as an investment vehicle or a home for you and your family?
And best of all, to experience Scarsdale “in real life” you can visit this Open House on Sunday 8/22 from 1pm to 3pm.
Lovely four bedroom Cape offering charm, space and style. Highlights include an entertainment sized deck, sparkling hardwood floors and central air. Living room with fireplace and high ceilings, large bright kitchen with breakfast area opening to deck and yard plus dining room. Inviting lower level family room, laundry and gym. [More..]
The health of the real estate market continues to be a hotly debated subject. Quantitative data, such as months of inventory, is a useful metric to determine supply and demand.
Conventional real estate wisdom equates the following with months of inventory:
1-4 months inventory means there are more buyers then sellers.
5-6 months inventory means the market is balanced with a healthy number of buyers and seller
7+ months inventory means there is an oversupply of product, with more sellers than buyers.
The following chart lists the schools districts in Westchester County that showed the greatest decrease in months of inventory from July 2009 – this is a positive indicator and a sign of a more robust market when compared to the same period last year.
What a difference a year makes. At this time last year, Ardsley had 67 months – or 5 ½ years worth of inventory.
Our Market Report for Westchester County single-family homes is now available with July 2010 sales figures. To see the market activity for other school districts in Westchester County, visit HoulihanLawrence.com and go to the Local Market Reports at the bottom of the page.
To thrive in times of great change, successful companies challenge old assumptions, debate new strategies, and sharpen their thinking about all aspects of their business. The best companies have a dynamic business strategy, and are capable of innovating and growing regardless of market conditions.
Few industries have experienced as much change, both cyclical and structural, in the past 5 years as real estate. At Houlihan Lawrence, our strategy for the new market reality has been a simple one: 1) increase the transparency of market information to our buyers and sellers; and 2) empower our agents to develop true advisory relationships with their clients, helping to make informed decisions about real estate.
While the strategy is not complicated, executing it has required a lot of work from everybody in the organization – our management team, our staff, and of course our agents, who must deliver on our client commitments every day. In the past year alone, through one of the worst real estate markets in our lifetime, we have rolled out a brand new “Web 2.0” version of houlihanlawrence.com; an advanced technology platform, Client Connect, that enables our agents to deliver real-time market information to their clients; and created dozens of new ways for our agents and the public to tap into the wealth of market data that we collect daily.
It is very gratifying to see the market rewarding our efforts in 2010 with substantial increases in market share across virtually all the communities we serve. Consider these numbers:
Houlihan Lawrence now has a 39% market share in dollar volume for Westchester single-family homes, up 7 share points from 2009.
In the luxury market segment, Houlihan Lawrence now has a 50% market share of homes with a sold price of $1 Million and above, an increase of 7 share points over last year, and a 60% market share of homes sold for $2.5 Million and above, an increase of 11 share points over last year.
In Putnam and Dutchess counties, our market share has grown by 3 share points over last year to 27% and 14%, respectively.
Source: WPMLS and MHMLS; January1 through July 31, 2010
While it is encouraging that we seem to be heading in the right direction, holding on to these market gains will require that we continue to innovate and respond to our clients’ changing needs.
Tell us what you expect from a real estate broker. What could your agent do to help you better navigate today’s real estate market?
The New York papers are abuzz with chatter that the Clintons have an accepted offer on an $11 million estate in Bedford Hills.
If you would like to live in the same town in an equally grand home as former President Bill Clinton and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Bedford offers a wonderful selection of important homes for sale. Other neighbors in Bedford include Richard Gere, who is not only a resident, but owner of the spectacular Bedford Post Inn, TV star Martha Stewart, comedian Chevy Chase, fashion designer Ralph Lauren, to name just a few.
Here is a selection of Bedford homes for sale from the Houlihan Lawrence website:
Devonshire is one of the great estates in the Northeast, set on 100 acres and impeccably restored to it original grandeur.
Equestrian facilities and several outbuildings make this estate unrivaled in scope and opulence.
Built in 2000, Fourviewsis set on one of Bedford highest points with views that reach to the Long Island Sound.
With three waterfalls, 2 golf greens, a 60’ pool and miles of trails, Fourviews feels like paradise.
This Bedford Equestrian Estate features an outdoor dressage area, 6 paddocks, Groom’s quarter and a beautiful 10 stall barn home.
Set on 22-acres, this estate was designed by Dinyar Wadia, a renowned architect and author.
Cedar Island in Larchmont, New York was featured Sunday on LXTV’s Open House NYC. Linda Falk, the homeowner, gives a tour of her 1925 waterfront home overlooking beautiful Larchmont Harbor.
This architectural masterwork was expertly re-designed and seamlessly expanded by renowned Wadia Associates in 1999. A spectacular blend of Old-World artistry and modern luxuries, the home is cloistered on a private island of only 4 homes and enjoys thrilling harbor views. A waterside pool, grand entertaining terraces, private dock and mooring, glorious English gardens, further complement this private haven.
Dear LeBron, I know that decision time is coming soon, but I have another house pick that I would like to share with you. This home is located in Purchase, NY, a very short drive to the Westchester County Airport.
Windsor Court is located on 2.14 acres of beautifully landscaped gardens. Enter through the black wrought iron gates and drive into an estate of European Splendor. Set in the circular cobblestone driveway is a three-tier Haddonstone fountain. The main home is almost 14,000 square feet with a total of 23 rooms, including 7 bedrooms and 8.3 baths. This is a home built for entertaining with a gourmet kitchen and media room. Outdoors there is a large pool and adjacent wet bar/entertainment area. Of course, there is an indoor gym. I’m sure you’re a bit too busy right now to come take a look, but here is a Video Tour with all of the highlights.
Now that you are on Twitter, feel free to follow us for the latest on new listings and local information. We also have a Facebook Page dedicated to all things Westchester called Westchester Life that you might want to check out.
Dear LeBron, Today’s home pick for your move to New York is Purchase Manor, a newly built Georgian Colonial in Purchase, NY. This home has 7 bedrooms and is almost 15,000 square feet. Sited on more than 3 acres the grounds feature a large stream-fed pond, pool, pool house and extraordinary classical gardens.
Purchase Manor in Purchase, NY
This home overlooks the grounds of the Golf Club of Purchase and I’m sure they would be interested in hosting a charity tournament for you if you moved in. If you are looking for entertainment, there is a spectacular media room for you to have your friends over and watch sports highlights.
The location of Purchase Manor is even closer to the Westchester County Airport which is less than a 3 mile drive. The Knicks Training Center in Tarrytown is about a 20 minute drive and Madison Square Garden is about 45 minutes away, but I’d avoid the Hutch Parkway during rush hour as that can really get backed up.
A short drive from Purchase is Port Chester where you’ll find a diverse blend of restaurants. If you like Italian, Nessa is a great choice, but if you are looking for a meat eaters favorite, the you should try Copacabana Churrascaria for their Brazilian BBQ. A great casual spot in nearby Rye to just hang out and watch sports is the Rye Grill and Bar. Be sure to try the sliders at the Rye Grill, they’re great.
If you’d like a closer look, Purchase Manor was featured on Open House New York. Here is the video from that show.
This elegant European Manor in Purchase
Fragrant with honeysuckle and lavendar, the spirit of Provence enlivens the
The hilltop setting at Stone Court in Armonk
Devonshire
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