A couple of weeks ago, we showed you a sneak peek at recently-wed Beyoncé and Jay-Z's new pad in Scarsdale. Here are some more shots of the contemporary Colonial—being built by Davenport Contracting of Stamford, CT. So tell us—what do you think?
Between the housing bubble of the past few years bursting and the mortgage crisis, there has been a rise in the number of foreclosures across the country, and yes, even in our precious East Coast version of The O.C., Westchester County. While there was a significant drop in foreclosure actions filed in the last four months of 2008 (mainly due to reform measures signed into state law in August), there were still 2,206 foreclosure filings in Westchester in 2008, a slight increase of 1.8 percent from 2007.
Realtors may roll their eyes at the topic but there are alternatives to enlisting a member of their ranks to sell your property. There are two main options, each with advantages and disadvantages.
1) FSBO. No, this isn’t the latest in text speech your teenager won’t explain the meaning of but an acronym: For Sale By Owner. This method enables you to save half on the commission money (all if you meet a buyer directly) but of course you are doing all the work a realtor would have done.
Advantages:
--You’ll save on commission fees. A realtor will take approximately 5 percent commission to sell your home (e.g., a 5 percent realtor’s commission on the sale of an $800,000 home would be $40,000). ...
Martha Stewart. Richard Gere. Meredith Vieira. The Clintons. Our county certainly has its share of famous face residents. We can now add two more to the list: the newlyweds (they married April 4, 2008) singer Beyoncé Knowles and music industry impresario Jay-Z. The couple, listed on Time Magazine's 100's Most Influential People of 2006, are building a home in Scarsdale.
Goodness knows SoHo barely looks like SoHo anymore. Struggling artists who once lived there cheap have been replaced by thriving professionals with deep pockets paying high rents. The cute boutiques have been replaced by chain stores, the funky little dive bars by chi-chi restaurants.
But…for a taste of SoHo living, consider New Rochelle. Specifically, snagging one of the loft condos in the funky 19th century bookbindery building, the Knickerbocker, that developer Martin Ginsburg has turned into residential space. The building, originally built by publisher G.P. Putnam and Sons, made it onto the Nationl Registry of Historic Places in 2000 (cool!). How funky? Try exposed wooden beams and columns, 22-foot tall ceilings, weathered brickwork, big arched windows,...
Ever since purchasing a condo at 10 Stewart Place in White Plains in 1999 (and seeing an approximately 300% rise in value over the subsequent years), John Bruno Turiano has been in love with real estate. His idea of an exciting Saturday night is watching a marathon of Flip this House.
He also sleeps with the New York Times Real Estate section under his pillow.
