One of the key drivers of homes sales, the employment rate, is beginning to show promising signs of a turnaround. The four-week average for jobless claims, as of November 19, was 394,250, a drop of 3,250 from the previous four weeks, and at the lowest levels since April. Consumer confidence also rose 15 points in the last month, and is now at its highest point since July of this year. Eric Green, Chief Market Economist at TD Securities Inc. said, “The trend remains very constructive. Jobless claims are back below 400,000, which seems to be the pivot point in terms of a strengthening labor market as opposed to a weakening one.” In addition to improving employment conditions, home affordability also improved as interest rates fell further, opening the door for more first-time home buyers ... 12/28/2011

This year here are some resolutions that will help you not drop the ball on protecting you or your family. 2012 resolutions: Don’t be a distracted driver - Many vehicle crashes are avoidable if people would just pay closer attention to what they are doing and to what is going on around them. Inattentive driving accounts for thousands of fatalities and houndreds of thousands of injuries. Distractions typically include talking, eating, grooming, attending to children, watching a video, reading, adjusting a navigation system and using a cell phone. Keep your home warm – The temperature in your house should be at least 65 degrees to prevent pipes from freezing. Winter storms are the third-largest cause of catastrophe losses, resulting in about $1 billion in insured losses annually. The aver... 12/26/2011

****Give a Holiday Gift Voucher Instead****       I know lots of landlords who think it is a good will gesture to deliver a turkey or a bottle or cookies for the Holidays to their tenants. However we are finding it is not a good idea to get in the habit of giving gifts to tenants. Many of you know what we mean. Tenants normally think they deserve the gifts you give them. Then they expect them each year. What if you don't give a gift to your tenant after you gave him something the previous year? There may be hard feelings on the tenant's part. After all, they feel it is their hard earned rent money that you are using to buy their gift along with all the other comforts you enjoy in life.   So, if you must reward your tenant for paying the rent as agreed, why not make it worth your while t... 12/20/2011

With tenants and rental property, chances are you'll have to evict a tenant sooner or later either because the tenant hasn't paid his rent or because strange people keep visiting him at odd hours of the night. Whatever the reason, the tenant hasn't lived up to the terms of the lease agreement and you want him out. The question is, how do you go about evicting him?   First and foremost, remember that the laws in your state may require different procedures than the general advice in this post, so get familiar with the rules in your area and get yourself a good lawyer - preferably one that specializes in landlord/tenant disputes.   With the legal disclaimer stuff out of the way, let's look at some general eviction steps that apply in many states. As the real estate law section of FreeAdvic... 12/19/2011

WINTER Events Guide for Westchester and The Hudson Valley   Each season, Anthony Stokes Pereira / Better Homes and Gardens Rand Realty collects information about community events throughout Westchester and the Hudson Valley. New events are posted weekly, so visit us often for updates on events in your area.  www.anthonystokespereira.com  WESTCHESTER, PUTNAM AND DUTCHESS COUNTIES:   December 18, 7 PM, Yonkers, NY - Tribes Hill’s 10th Annual Solstice Show. Inspired, spontaneous music at the spiritually charged moment of the Winter Solstice. Features over a dozen performances by the Tribes Hill gang and potluck. $10. At Beczak on Yonkers waterfront. www.UrbanH2o.org   This community event is provided as a service. As event information is provided by organizers and can change without notic... 12/17/2011

If you plan on hosting a holiday party, especially one that has a fairly large guest list there are a few things you need to be aware of and remember. This time of year, slip and fall claims tend to become more common, as snow and ice make exterior pathways slippery and melted remnants sneak indoors to create slick floors. Large parties increase the risk valuable household items possibly being damaged or stolen. Serving alcohol at a party comes with its own set of responsibilities for a host, and when food is served proper safety precautions must be followed.   If you’re planning a fairly large party — especially if it involves guests that aren’t family or close acquaintances — you may want to check with your insurance agent to make sure your coverage is adequate. Moreover, it’s a good ... 12/15/2011

WINTER Events Guide for Westchester and The Hudson Valley   Each season, Anthony Stokes Pereira / Better Homes and Gardens Rand Realty collects information about community events throughout Westchester and the Hudson Valley. New events are posted weekly, so visit us often for updates on events in your area.  www.anthonystokespereira.com  WESTCHESTER, PUTNAM AND DUTCHESS COUNTIES:   December 18, 1 - 3 PM, Yonkers, New York - Deck the Halls at the Hudson River Museum. Enjoy a festive afternoon of gingerbread decorating, gift making, and crafting wrapping paper and holiday cards. Admission $2-$5, members free. 511 Warburton Ave. (914) 963-4550. www.hrm.org      This community event is provided as a service. As event information is provided by organizers and can change without notice, we a... 12/10/2011

WINTER Events Guide for Westchester and The Hudson Valley   Each season, Anthony Stokes Pereira / Better Homes and Gardens Rand Realty collects information about community events throughout Westchester and the Hudson Valley. New events are posted weekly, so visit us often for updates on events in your area.  www.anthonystokespereira.com  WESTCHESTER, PUTNAM AND DUTCHESS COUNTIES:   December 11, 2 PM, Yonkers, New York - Giacomo Gates and Duo interprets Great American standards by Gershwin, Cole Porter, Irving Berlin, and Duke Ellington, and shares humorous stories about these famous composers. At the Hudson River Museum. Admission $2-$5. www.HRM.org   This community event is provided as a service. As event information is provided by organizers and can change without notice, we advise y... 12/10/2011

WINTER Events Guide for Westchester and The Hudson Valley   Each season, Anthony Stokes Pereira / Better Homes and Gardens Rand Realty collects information about community events throughout Westchester and the Hudson Valley. New events are posted weekly, so visit us often for updates on events in your area.  www.anthonystokespereira.com   WESTCHESTER, PUTNAM AND DUTCHESS COUNTIES:   December 10, 1 PM, Yonkers, New York -  It’s that time of year again to join the staff of Lenoir Preserve in making holiday crafts for you and your family. Hot cocoa and cookies will be served. $5 per person. Pre-registration is required. (914) 968-5851. www.westchestergov.com    This community event is provided as a service. As event information is provided by organizers and can change without notice, we a... 12/09/2011

ECONOMIC OUTLOOK                Growth Rate - %             2009             2010          2011         2012 Real GDP                        -3.5               3             1.6              2 Nonfarm Payroll               -4.4             -0.7           1.1           1.1                 % Levels                       2009             2010          2011         2012 Unemployment                9.3               9.6             9              8.8 30 Yr Gov’t Bond              4.1               4.3            4.1            4.4 30 Yr Mortgage                5.1               4.7            4.6             5                 % Change – Year Ago     2009             2010          2011          2012 Existing Home Sales        4.9                -4.8            0.3            4 New SF Sales   ... 12/09/2011

Some very common mistakes are made by landlords everywhere. This is the top 10 common mistakes that you should avoid. These simple tips will also help you to be a better landlord. No matter how bad the rental market becomes, always remember, NO tenant is better than a BAD tenant"! Failure to check the tenant's ID! You know something is wrong when the rent for the second month is a challenge to collect. There was a perfect example of this: The tenant paid the 1st month's rent and the 2nd was hard to collect. After a few months the landlord learned the tenant's real name from a neighbor!Thankfully, he was arrested by the FBI for fraud. Skipping the credit report! Example: They seemed like they had it all together. Well dressed, nice car, the application checked out... I trusted a fellow l... 12/02/2011

Check out Extreme Sell This House this weekend since yours truly (aka The Flooring Girl) will be featured on it.  As many of you know, we were lucky enough to get featured in 2 episodes of Extreme Sell This House in part due to my blog.  One of my customers (who was selling her house) got picked up by the show.  They liked our previous work, and by coincidence someone in Texas had also recommended us.  They checked out my blog, and loved the idea of "The Flooring Girl."   They asked us to work on 2 houses in Yonkers, NY.  Apparently, one of the episodes aired a week or two ago, and I missed it (but they are sending a DVD).  Not sure if I missed the email since I was so busy, but the main episode that I'm in is taking place this Saturday on A&E at 12pm EST/11am CST.  I can't wait (althou... 11/28/2011

Rates on the 30-year mortgage averaged 3.99% for the week ending Nov. 10, down from 4% last week and 4.17% a year ago, McLean, Va.-based Freddie Mac said Thursday. Rates on 15-year fixed-rate mortgages also dropped slightly, averaging 3.3% this week, down from 3.31% last week and 3.57% a year ago. Five-year Treasury-indexed hybrid adjustable-rate mortgages averaged 2.98% this week, up slightly from 2.96% last week. The ARM averaged 3.25% a year ago. And 1-year Treasury-indexed ARMs averaged 2.95% this week, up from 2.88% last week. The ARM averaged 3.26% a year ago. To obtain the rates, the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage required payment of an average 0.7 of a point, the 15-year fixed-rate mortgage required an average 0.8 point and the ARMs required an average 0.6 point. A point is 1% of t... 11/21/2011

Covering Fannie, Freddie, FHA, and VA Ann. SEL-2010-05: Underwriting Borrowers with a Prior Pre-foreclosure Sale or Deed-in-Lieu of Foreclosure (04/14/10) To support overall market stability and reinforce the importance of borrowers working with their servicers when they have difficulty repaying their debt, Fannie Mae is updating several policies regarding the future eligibility of borrowers to obtain a new mortgage loan after experiencing a pre-foreclosure event (pre-foreclosure sale, short sale, or deed-in-lieu of foreclosure). The “waiting period” – the amount of time that must elapse after the pre-foreclosure event – is changing and may be dependent on the LTV ratio for the transaction and whether extenuating circumstances contributed to the borrower’s financial hardship (for examp... 11/11/2011

Unfortunately, too many times, sellers leave great sums of money on the table when they are held in reserve, unwilling or unable to correctly prepare their home for sale. Unless you are in a situation of severe distress, money wise, there really are no excuses to not making your home "Market Ready". It starts with de-cluttering, cleaning and staging your home and making sure that everything is in working order and good repair. You must keep in mind that buyers will almost always overestimate any type of repair or needed update and want to deduct the perceived cost from the asking price..... Even if the property is priced AT or BELOW market value. This could happen despite the home being structurally sound and having lots of potential. It doesn't matter if the asking price already reflec... 11/04/2011

Are you looking for flooring for your Westchester home in Yonkers NY 10701 10703 10704 10705 10710? We know there are many choices..and sometimes the process can feel overwhelming. Whether you're looking for hardwood floors, tile, carpet, laminate flooring, or if you just want to refinish your hardwood floors, Floor Coverings International can help make the process fun and simple. We are a shop at home service. Our tagline is "We bring the store your door." This is important because first, you can see the colors in your lighting and color coordinate with paint color, cabinets and furniture. Second, it allows us to provide a true estimate for you. And, third, of course it is more convenient this way. We provide guidance - Which is the best type of flooring for your environment and your b... 11/04/2011

Gracious Well Maintained Center Hall Colonial 1 Tibbetts Road , Yonkers, NY 10705 View Map PRICE & TAXES JUST REDUCED - Lovely 3 Bedroom, 2.5 Bath Center Hall Colonial with beautiful land. Very private location at the end of Tibbetts Rd. Large Living Room with fireplace opens to an enclosed porch with deck overlooking the picturesque backyard. Eat In Kitchen. Hardwood floors throughout. Full finished basement with Butlers Kitchen, Full Bath, plenty of storage and Laundry Room. Door out to backyard. Large terrace over attached 2 car garage. Details Asking Price: $449,500 MLS: 3101274 Sq. Feet: 2300 Lot Size: .28 acres Bedrooms: 3 Bathrooms: 3 # of Floors: 2 Garage Size: 2 Year Built: 1940 Contact InfoPhyllis Lerner, Realtor Licensed Real Estate Broker Cell 914-438-7556 Email | Website A... 10/17/2011

Hudson Valley Summer Events Guide   Every season, Anthony Stokes Pereira, Better Homes and Gardens Rand Realty collects information about community events throughout Westchester and the Hudson Valley, so visit us often for updates on events in your area.     September 17, 9-10 AM, Yonkers Gardening Workshops. Stew Leonard’s Garden Center holds free gardening classes every Saturday. Learn all about bulbs and winterizing. Stew Leonard’s Pkwy off 1-87. www.stewleonards.com   September 18, 8-12 PM, Yonkers 2nd Annual Walks and Community Health Fair to Support the Yonkers Marathon. Walking fun for all ages to cheer on the marathon runners. Healthy food, health info, speakers, raffles, warm-up exercises and more. Cheering station at Thompkins & N Broadway, border of Yonkers and Hastings. Free... 09/17/2011

8/15/11 - 8/19/11 Westchester County Parks Dept. WILDERNESS ADVENTURE WEEK Details: Have we got a week planned for you! Whittling, fire making, camp cooking, knots to know and survival skills are just a few of the activities that you will experience on your week-long adventure with us. It's specially geared for kids entering grades 5 through 7. Pre-registration required by July 22. For details and registration call. Hours: Monday through Friday 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Cost: $250 per childLocation: Lenoir Preserve Dudley Street Yonkers, NY 10701 For additional information:(914) 968-5851 Westchester County Parks Dept. 08/09/2011

Hey everyone. It's been an exciting week.  Very busy and now it looks like we will be in 2 episodes for the TV where they fix up your home.  (I can't disclose the name). It's been a whirlwind, and that's an understatement.  I have to say the cast and crew and homeowners have all been super super nice.  And, they all LOVED the work, so that was great to hear. So last Tues, my guys did a sanding & refinishing job overnight...since that's how these shows work - everything in a snap and using fast drying water based poly.  They decided they wanted to add me to that episode, so got my hair done and rushed over on Weds.  As I arrived, the cameras were rolling and they greated me and just kept them rolling. they got me in and out in 5 minutes.  Incredible. Today, was the main episode for me.  ... 08/08/2011