Living & Investing In The United States

Buying despite the credit crunsh?

bloggers23 — Sat, 28 Aug 2010 18:13:31 +0000

My friend is still think about buying new properies even though the prices have gone done enormously and it is obviously not as easy anymore to get a credt to buy properties or real estate in genereal. But in her opinion Scarsdale properties still have a resonable price at it will still be a good investment to buy such thing, if you are not forced to resell it too soon again. The market won’t be stable too soon but if you can wait till prices will go up again, in her opinion such an investment is not much of a risk. I am not too sure, if she really knows enough about the real estate market here, in Scarsdale or anywhere else in the states. But as far as she probably doesn’t even get a loan to buy such a property, for her, someone with the necessary cash, the investment will not be much of a risk. But for somebody who invests all his savings in real estate I wouln’t answer the question concerning the risk the same way.

Filed under: Properties, Scarsdale Tagged: Buying, properties, Scarsdale

Renovating & Building!

bloggers23 — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 18:01:32 +0000

Building a new home or renovating an old place is lots and lots of work, time and money! But on the other end it has so many advantages too. You can choose everything about your house just exactly as you like it. You don’t have to make any compromises at all (in case money is not the question) because you can plan and realize your new home from the basement to the roof terrace! In case money is an issue – as for most of us “normal people” then think about doing as much as you can yourself. That might not be “fashionable” today anymore where people tend to leave everything to spezialists but it can save so much money, you can realize exactly what you want yourself, it gives you a huge satisfaction at the end of the day and maybe you will find it even entertaining to do something with your hands after sitting in the office all day long! Lots more people might have a sleeping practical talent that never comes to the surface working on the computer all life long. Women & men should try and find out!

Filed under: Building, Renovating Tagged: Building, do it yourself, Renovatin

Buying or Renting?

bloggers23 — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 18:01:20 +0000

There are many reasons why it makes sense to may an apartment or a house rather than to rent it. Fore once you are saving money each month you are living it that place yourself. If you can even affort to buy more than the own place you are living in you can even earn money each month without really working for it. But those obvious aspects are not the only ones that count. For myself for example it is also important to have security when it comes to planning the futur. The rent of a place can increase every year, but you never will know it 100% in advance. Therefor it is hard to calculate your future expenses. Even if you had to buy the apartment or house with a credit you will have a long term payment plan, that wont change from one year to the other. So you can rely on this plan and acurately calculate your fixed future living expenses. I think that is another positive factor some people don’t think of when they have to decide if they want to buy or to rent a place!

Filed under: Renting vs. Buying Tagged: Buying, Renting

My savings will go in real estate!

bloggers23 — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 19:52:12 +0000

Now since over 2 month am I looking for a new apartment in New York City and I just dont find anything. It feels like I looked at around 100 already, but the right one is just not there. So with this experiene I am even more sure, that I will invest my savings as soon as possible in the real eastate market, preferably in an apartment I can use myself if needed or rent it out with a plus if I am moving somewhere else! I am so sure because I just experience how much you really have to pay for an acceptable apartment or house and all this money you can save once you manage to buy your own. Even if it will take still a while and even if the market was unsable lately I am sure if you look wisely you find an investment that is not risky at all but rather a perfekt investment in your futur and even until after your retirement a thing that secures a a certain lifestyle!

Filed under: rented flats, Renting vs. Buying Tagged: Buying, Investing, New York City, Renting

Coincidence!

bloggers23 — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 18:32:07 +0000

Just last night I posted an article about this luxury dream house in Westchester County and today a very good friend of mine tells me, that the wants to sell a house in this area. To be exact it is a house in Scarsdale, which I also mentioned in this last post! What an coincidence! She also told me that I seems not to be as easy to sell this house for the price she was thinking of. Selling a property in Scarsdale seems to be more difficult for once since the housing bubble bursted in the States in general but also since the oil spill in the gulf of mexico and several other desasters happening around us. Of course that does not only have an effect on houses in Scarsdale in the area but for sure more on very expensive houses and villas like the one of my friend. This is just natural as people still need a house or some kind of home but they don’t necessarily need a luxury living villa. So in times of trouble and uncertainties people are not as easy to spend a huge sum on an expensive villa in the suburbs. They maybe rather rent a bit cheaper apartment in the city (like in Jersey City) and delay their plans of getting kids an moving out of the city for a bit until the situation seems a bit more stable again.Well we will see how this thing develops but at least my friend herself also counts to the rather wealthier part of the population and she is not desperate to sell the house right in this moment. So it might just be a good idea to wait a bit for the market to calm down again.

Filed under: Uncategorized

Pure Luxury!

bloggers23 — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 22:13:50 +0000

The german agent Engel & Völkers is known worldwide to offer a wide range of the most expensive and luxurious houses, appartments, villas and vacation homes everywhere you can think of. Not just in typical places like Miami, L.A. or St. Tropez. There are also amazing huge, expensive, beautiful, mouth opening real estate offers in places like the Westchester County.

Today I randomly ended up on this page of Engel Voelkers Scarsdale and its property of the month:

This little villa by the beach! Its on offer for “just” a bit over 7 Million USD – so a pretty impressive amount. But you also get a lot for it no question:

Square Footage 7,298 sqft

Total Surface Area 7,298 sqft

Lot Size 34,412 sqft

6 Bedrooms, 6 Full Bathrooms, 3 Garages

Features

Swimming pool
Air Conditioning
Sauna
Wired for datatransfer
Gym
Wired for Cable connection (TV)
Garden
Alarm System

After you thought a bit about it, and you do a bit of research you acctually realize, that this area in the Westchester County is one of the most expensive real estate areas in the US because of its favorable geographical setting with New York city and long Island Sound on the south, Putnam County in the north, Connecticut on the east, the Hudson River on the west. So it is not by chance that Westchester became the first large scale suburban area in the world the County ranks number two (number one being Manhattan) for wealthiest counties in New York State and the seventh wealthiest county nationally. Considering this, you also understand why properties in this area, Scarsdale properies, New Rochelle properties or Edgemont properties as examples of towns in the area of Westchester County are as expensive as they are, besides all the features, such villas offer.

I am just wondering how, when and to whome this property will be sold to. How will be living in this pure luxury? Have his own gym a huge pool and a beach right in front of the door? Will somebody who wants/ can spent such an amount of money take the furniture that is in there? Doesn’t he want to furnish it all in his own style? At least you will not pay comission on top of the this price – isn’t that a good deal?

Filed under: New Rochelle, Property of the month, Westchester County Tagged: New Rochelle, Property of the month, Westchester County

Finding a new home is a full time job!

bloggers23 — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 10:55:15 +0000

I am sure this is not just in the United States of America the case: finding a new home, especially in a big city is difficult, mainly annoying, time consuming and often almost a full time job. Because this is the case I made the experience that you tend to make wrong decisions because you just want to get it over with. I am sure not everybody makes such mistakes but I myself do this over and over again. I am so annoyed by the fact that I have to “waste” all my free time after work and on the weekends looking for offers in the internet and various newspapers, organizing times to visit the place, finding the place and deciding on the pros and cons that after a few places I just take whatever seems best. The perfect situation would of course be to have or take some time off and do all of this relaxed, deliberately waiting for “the perfect new home” not making to many compromises. I sadly never have been in such situation and always ended up in a place full of compromises which in the end made me wanting to move soon again, which takes twice the time!

So I hope this time I learned my lesson: take the time to find the perfect place, in the end it will safe you a lot of trouble and time as you want to stay there much longer and happier!

have to “waste” all my free time after work and on the weekends looking for offers in the internet and various newspapers, organizing times to visit the place, finding the place and deciding on the pros and cons that after a few places I just take whatever seems best. The perfect situation would of course be to have or take some time off and do all of this relaxed, deliberately waiting for “the perfect new home” not making to many compromises. I sadly never have been in such situation and always ended up in a place full of compromises which in the end made me wanting to move soon again, which takes twice the time!

So I hope this time I learned my lesson: take the time to find the perfect place, in the end it will safe you a lot of trouble and time as you want to stay there much longer and happier!

Filed under: Citys, Moving Tagged: Flats, Moving

Luxury Living!

bloggers23 — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 10:35:39 +0000

Almost nobody can afford the perfect luxury home in the perfect location. Most people have to find a compromise between a luxury home in a cheaper area (outside of big cities in less crowded quarters) or the perfect location in the middle of things but a less luxurious home.

I think for most of the people this compromise changes over time too. When you are young you definitely prefer the perfect location in the middle of a city like New York and accept easier the fact that your flat might be tiny or much to expensive for what if offers. But as you get older you don’t necessarily need to live in a hip location anymore and you rather would want to have a spacious, luxurious home somewhere further away maybe on the quite countryside.

Scarsdale homes for example are such houses you want to live in when you settle down to have a family. Amazing luxurious big houses in a beautiful calm setting. Nothing for young singles but the perfect place for young familiys! The only problem: the houses I was looking at are even way more expensive then the small flats in the center of big cities. Thats real luxury living that might also be a bit expensive for most young families. But I am sure places like Scarsdale offer nice options for mittle class families as well.

Filed under: Citys, New York City, Scarsdale Tagged: Citys, Homes, New York City, Scarsdale, Towns

Oil spill: A catastrophe for realtors

bloggers23 — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 10:34:23 +0000

Its not hard to imagine that the realty market around the golf of mexico is in a turmoil these days. Even though nowbody can yet estimate the real desaster and financial loss but it is for sure that the environmental catastrophe will hugely effect the value of real estate in the business and residental sector alike. The 61-day-old BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico is beginning to haunt the nation’s residential, commercial and vacation real estate markets.

Nobody also knows what the long term effects will be. Right now mainly the quickly reacting toursim industry causes a loss for owners and investors of hotels and resorts. Junly bookings shrink at many gulf coast hotels even if they haven’t yet been affected by the oil spill!! The biggest potential looser up to date: St. Joes co. and Regions Financial Corp. St. Joe already has lost over 32 percent of its stock price since the April 20 explosion of BP’s oil station off the Louisiana shoreline in the Gulf of Mexico.

It shows, the positive effect of owning realty near the coastline is also a dangerous one. Even though not affected now, this or an catastrophe alike can also hit for example scarsdale realty. Even though not right at the beach, the real estate market there is generally profiting from the location near the coast and the beaches. Seemingly a stable investment even an area like this can anytime be hit by a environmental catastrophy that will let the prices drop beyond anything you could have calculated. Shouldn’t in cases like this now the oil company or whoever is responsible pay those real estate owner a compensation?

Filed under: Gulf of Mexico, Real estate investment, Real estate news Tagged: Gulf of Mexico, News, Realty Market, Scarsdale

Realtors in politics

bloggers23 — Wed, 26 May 2010 12:47:00 +0000

Just a few days ago I wrote about a Scarsdale resident that is involved in the realty business that is running for the Senate. Now as I just read the news the first article I saw was about a real estate exec that is running for govenor in NYC. I was wondering if it is by chance that I see so many realtors or people involved in real estate business that are in politics at the same time or if there is a deeper reason to it? Well, probably there are generally more powerful people form influential branches involved in politics than from other businesses and areas. But somehow I cannot imagine that those people will not also miss use their political power for their own realty business in Scarsdale, NYC or whereever. Not just those people from this sector but rather all people from the private sector that largely depend on administrative decisions and commissions must be very tempted to do that. How to get out of this vicious cycle that blocks our political system just as much as real open bribery?

Filed under: Real estate & Politics, Real estate news, Uncategorized Tagged: News, Politics