Hamptons Real Estate Blog Moved to Wordpress

the Hamptons Real Estate Blog has moved to Beachamptons.com
Beachamptons Blog

All the Discussion That's Worth Discussing..

...about Zillow, Intermediation and the Purity of Real Estate is here:

The Bloodhound Blog

and

Sellsius Real Estate Blog

Check them out. If you are a true real-estate-issues junkie (like me), you won't be disappointed. md

Builders & Agents: Know Your Customer

As much of a pain as it is to post on Blogger Beta, this one was worth it!


"When you were born says a lot about your idea of the perfect house. Here's a review of the features that appeal most to boomers, Gen X and Gen Y, plus tips on how to sell to homebuyers in each generation."
By Christopher Solomon, MSN.com
"Observers say attitudes about homes do change as people enter different stages of their lives: Witness the Gen X-ers who want high-end kitchens now that they're nesting, just like their boomer parents before them."
More Here :'Dream homes' vary by generation

HELP!!! BLOGGER BETA IS KILLING THE HAMPTONS REAL ESTATE BLOG!!!!

Someone out here, please help me...I began the Hamptons Real Estate Blog nearly a year ago on Blogger. Sure, I read all the comments that Blogger was inferior, but I just figured that was feedback from "techno-snobs" who wanted greater functionality and didn't mind paying for their blog hosting.

After all, I began developing relationships with my blog, made blogfriends, even got linked by colleagues whom I respect greatly. Gosh, one of my new fav blogbuddies even brought Barbara and me a couple dozen fresh, delicious clams (thanks again, Joe). My ranking on technorati was climbing, not exponentially, but consistently. I was just about to break the 100,000 ranking.

Then, as I was posting sometime in September, my eye caught the invitation to switch to Blogger Beta.
BETTER (they said),
IMPROVED (they promised),
BLAH, BLAH, BLAH (they tantalized).
Well, I might just as well have clicked on a porn site that is in partnership with a Viagra'd dating community. I'm stuck, bombarded, and can't get out.

I have been sending email to the Blogger Help gROUP, hELP AT bLOGGER bETA, ANYONE i CAN. aLL i WANTED TO DO WAS GO BACK TO THE original bLOGGER (look I'm so upset, I'm not even paying attention to my caps button). But there are NO INSTRUCTIONS on Blogger or Blogger Beta whatsoever to do this!!!

THE "BLOG THIS" BUTTON ON THE GOOGLE TOOLBAR DOESN'T WORK WITH BLOGGER BETA!

BLOGGER HELP GROUP WON'T LET ME JOIN FOR SOME REASON!!

I CAN'T LEAVE COMMENTS ON NON-BETA BLOGS!!!

I'M STIFLED!!!!

THIS IS NOT WHAT BLOGGING IS ALL ABOUT!!!!!

THE HAMPTONS REAL ESTATE BLOG IS DYING!!!!!!

IT'S NO FUN BLOGGING ANYMORE.

I just want out of Blogger and Blogger Beta.

If anyone can suggest how to transfer my Hamptons Real Estate Blog to another blog host, I'm all ears. I'd prefer not to join a pay service, because I'm now up to about $2,000 per month with all the $39.99 services that have been adding up in today's "pay-for-what-used-to-be-free-or-things-that-you-don't-need-that-didn't-previously-exist" world.

Any ideas? I'm fading, folks...really. md

Say It IS So!

The parade of real estate agents to Gosman's Dock over the years, sitting before "the family" (or parts of it, anyway), has been legendary. Many a broker has gone asking for the listing and has gotten it, only for it to be rescinded a day, a week, a month later.

Maybe it's for real this time?

The Gosman's Dock property is a great compilation of resources that, with the right touch and investment, will be a world-class destination and change the face of Montauk - The End.

Montauk Landmark Up For Sale

Don't Just Sit There - DO SOMETHING!!!

As discussed here, in Hamptons Deer In The National News Headlights, so many agents and brokers are paralyzed by the softening of business this past year. Matt Carter, the newest member of Inman News, has brought a refreshing, solution-oriented and "call-it-like-it-is" approach to the Inman Blog, and he posts on a recent panel discussion at the NAR convention in New Orleans. Thanks, Matt. md
Click Your Heels and Repeat After Me - Inman Blog

Cha-Ching! Hamptons Real Estate Open For Business

The news has not been very good as of late. Nationally, real estate sales are down and values are dropping. The press loves the sensational, the dramatic. Good news isn't a draw. Who slows down on the highway to look at a car on the side of the road when there hasn't been an accident, right? Add some twisted metal and a few emergency vehicles and cars line up for miles to catch a peek. Sad, but true.

Here in the Hamptons, the news has not been all bad. Sure, there are stories of motivated sellers, price drops and more inventory than we have experienced in recent "high-flying" years, and there are data reports showing the number of sales are down from 2005, but the median and average sales prices are up. That's not bad news.

Well, the Wall Street bonuses are coming.
"For a fourth consecutive year, year-end bonuses are forecast to be highly lucrative, with the payouts rising 10 percent to 15 percent from 2005, according to Alan Johnson Associates, a leading executive compensation consultant."

And the Hamptons spring real estate market is right around the corner.

Read more below:

New York Times - Big Bonuses Seen Again For Wall Street

Hamptons Real Estate Blog

Interesting, when I did a search for my Hamptons Real Estate Blog on Google, the results showed several other sites that have referred to this blog, and links to post comments on the blog with no way to actually get to it...but it did not come up with a link to the blog itself!?! What's the deal? Gotta figure that one out. md

Heard it all before - Brad Inman, Inman Blog

About Zillow having a complaint filed against them with the FTC, Brad Inman, founder of HomeGain writes the following in the Inman blog:


Zillow gets zinged, surprise, surprise. When HomeGain launched its home valuation tool in 1999, most consumers loved us but many hated us. We were estimating the value of an expensive and emotional asset: peoples' homes.
The service also scared Realtors, brokers and appraisers. It was new. Even new fashions make people mildly nervous, but new technology can send a sharp icy cold shiver up the spines of established companies.
The appraisers were particularly irked -- even though they had quietly become our power users ­ and a few of them went to state regulators to stop us. Two states came after me personally, threatening severe penalties. At the time, I said: "Bring it on, I cannot wait to stand on the courthouse steps and say that I will willingly go to jail for giving the public, public information."
-- Bradley Inman, Inman News

Brad-
Yes, there are some similarities, but the differences are attitude and presentation.
You have always been one to challenge the industry to be better. They appear to be trying to "cripple" it, with a smile.
You presented your info for what it was, these guys claim that their info is more than it really is. You're assertive and aggressive, they are arrogant and sneaky. That the difference, and I've heard it all before, too! See my post Chicken and Real Estate. Maybe it's all about PR? Maybe not. Time will tell. md

Former Cendant Chairman Found Guilty

The former chairman of Cendant Corporation, the old corporate parent of brokerages like the Corcoran Group and Sotheby's International Realty, was found guilty on Tuesday of conspiracy to commit securities fraud and two counts of making false statements. The verdict against Walter Forbes stemmed from a fraud that cost Cendant and its investors more than $3 billion. [NYT]

New Luxury Home Must-Haves

Question: Do you have an outdoor kitchen? My, my...better call the contractor. md

Forbes - What's Important to Have in Your Home Today

Steve Alpert Artwork at RE/MAX Beach Properties, Southampton

We are very fortunate to have the Hamptons landscape oil paintings of artist Steve Alpert displayed on our office walls at RE/MAX Beach Properties.

Steve came in a few weeks ago with his dog, Ray (for whom our Zoe is still pining), and proceeded to transform our empty walls into a warm, inviting place to call home and do great business, surrounded by beautiful things. As Steve says, "Art is one of the few things we leave behind. To me, there is something sacred about making art, working with one's hands, especially in this fast-moving era of technology. The images art-makers create are the signposts of the times in which we live and records of the very personal moments we deem worthy of recording in paint."


Here's a small tease. Come see his work. We're there between 10am - 5pm every day.

Need Another House or Two, Ed?

In the last several years, Warner Music Group's chairman and chief executive has listed a number of properties in New York's Hamptons, including a 6,800-square-foot house on 3.2 acres in Amagansett, priced at $9.5 million, and a five-bedroom home in Amagansett for which he asked $10.25 million. In late 2005, he bought a 4.5-acre Bridgehampton spread for $31 million.

Currently on the market: his 8,000-square-foot home on Indian Wells Lane in Amagansett. Bronfman, 51, bought the three-lot spread, formerly the site of the grass tennis court Namagansett Club, for $12.5 million in the spring of 2005. He is hoping to find a buyer willing to pay nearly $15.8 million for the property, which was gut renovated by a previous owner in 2000.

In addition to six bedrooms and seven-and-a-half bathrooms, the shingled estate features wrap-around porches, a gourmet eat-in kitchen with marble countertops, a full basement with a media/billiard room, a guest cottage, a 42-foot gunite pool, pool house and gardens by award-winning designer Deborah Nevins.

DON'T JUMP...

...from the frying pan into the fire....

....without checking out RE/MAX BEACH PROPERTIES in Southampton.

1- Build your own business. Teams welcomed and supported.
2- Industry-leading training and ongoing professional development for experienced associates.
3- Sell anywhere your license allows. No required referrals to Manhattan or other parts of New York.
4- Keep 95% of what you earn. Other programs available to meet your needs.
5- Worldwide direct referrals. No relocation departments sharing the referrals.
6- State-of-the-art technology including wireless in our office, dedicated phone lines, RealNet, MLS and support for home office associates.
7- Partnerships and affiliations with North Fork Bank, UBS, Marin Corporate Risk Associates and other to help you manage your money, secure proper health, personal and business insurance and properly structure your business for maximum profitability and sound retirement.

And there is much, much more to it.

We understand that many of you are not familiar with the RE/MAX brand because, until now, it has not had a presence in the Hamptons luxury market and has just recently started expanding in Manhattan.

I have been looking at developing the Hamptons with RE/MAX since 2004 and now believe that the time is right and have bought the rights to develop offices in Southampton, Sag Harbor and East Hampton. Many agents who I have worked with since 1999 at Prudential and Corcoran, are familiar with my business philosophies creating high-performing teams, and conducting business with honesty, integrity and professionalism. You know that I will only align myself with a company or a brand that will be successful in this market.

Change is not easy. It's no secret that many agents in this market are considering changing companies or getting out of the business entirely.

Do yourself justice by finding out all of what's available to you. Once you see why RE/MAX is the most successful real estate brokerage in the world, you'll then have the information needed to compare your options. Then decide for yourself.

Available when you are. All inquiries strictly confidential.

Michael Daly
Direct 631.702.1600
Mobile 631.525.6000
mdaly@remax.net

RE/MAX Beach Properties, Southampton - The Sign is Up!!!!

...and so is the door stenciling...


...and the interior sign...along with Steve Alpert's incredible works of art...

Stop by for a visit!
241 County Road 39A (Route 27) Suite 4
at intersection of North Main Street
Southampton, NY 11968
631-287-6200

What's Good for the Zoose...

You've gotta love these Sellsius guys. They call it like it is. Realtors have been hanging their caps on the fact that Realtor.com is the largest, most often visited real estate website in the US, with listings from nearly every MLS in the country.(Not that that helps us here in the Hamptons much, because less than 10% of the total listings in the Hamptons are on the Long Island MLS, therefore Realtor.com. Same issue for Manhattan, but we'll tackle that NYC/Hamptons MLS issue another time.)

So Alan Dalton is the president of Realtor.com and has been running around the country bashing the new-tech guys (zillow, willow, dillow, squillow, trulia, blulia, glulia, etceteria) and fact of the matter is, if Realtor.com met the needs of the consumer, these newbies wouldn't have a chance.

As my dear Irish Grandmother would say when we started to criticize each other at the dinner table: "PUT YER NOSE ON YER OWN PLATE!"

"sellsius° real estate blog" -Top 10 Complaints with Realtor.com

The REAL Trends E-mail Update - Particularly Insightful...

...to the Resort and Second Home Market today.



The REAL Trends E-mail Update is a service of
REAL Trends, Inc. -- http://www.realtrends.com


Steve Murray is one of the most respected real estate consultants in the business. Many of the largest companies in the industry are on his client list and he has brokered several large mergers and acquistions in recent years.

Some exerpts from todays Real Trends Email Update #849:

===Luxury Homeowners looking to purchase additional residences in the next two years===
In its latest consumer-trend study, Architectural Digest has united with Sotheby's International Realty Affiliates, Inc. to find that affluent homeowners are planning to acquire additional residences in the near future. The study, "Seeking a Luxury Lifestyle," discovers that one in three Architectural Digest subscribers (36%) intend to acquire a secondary/additional home in the next two years. The study further reveals:

* Of those Architectural Digest subscribers who already own three or more homes, 49 percent plan to acquire an additional home within two years;
* Of those who already own a second home, 35 percent plan to acquire a third home within two years; and
* In an indication that young affluent consumers are in the market for second homes, 44 percent of those under age 45 stated that they may acquire a second home in the near future.

Although geography is the primary driver when it comes to searching for a secondary residence, lifestyle amenities are becoming increasingly critical. Approximately one in three (32%) of the Architectural Digest subscribers measured know the characteristics and amenities they desire and would search in a number of geographic locations to find the home that matches what they want, rather than looking purely by location. Subscribers with household incomes under $400,000 (38%) are more likely than their wealthier counterparts to indicate they would search in a number of locations to find the house that meets their amenity checklist.

The study finds that waterfront property (75%) is the most sought-after amenity when buying a secondary residence. Surprisingly, gourmet kitchens (10%) and swimming pools (5%) were among the least significant amenities.


===New-home buyers want high-tech options===
Home builders could be missing the boat if they don’t offer high-tech options.

A recent survey by the Consumer Electronics Association found 38 percent of recent home buyers and 61 percent of those planning to buy indicated that they were in the market for monitored security, but only 29 percent of the builders surveyed were offering that option.

The study also found:

* 86 percent of builders said technology is a significant factor in marketing new homes, compared with 66 percent two years ago.
* 33 percent of builders said revenue from home-technology products had increased, up from 24 percent in 2004.
* 32 percent of new home buyers said they did not buy structured wiring because the builder did not offer it.
* 36 percent of all households had home theaters, up from 28 percent in 2003.


===Places where Americans would love to live===
North Carolina and Virginia top the charts as places where American most want to live, while California and Florida received the top votes of foreign respondents in a recent study, the Anholt State Brands Index. The Index analyzes the brand strengths and weaknesses of all U.S. states.

The survey polled more than 9,000 U.S. citizens and 12,000 people in 15 other countries on their attitudes and perceptions of all 50 states. Questions regarding physical aspects of each state, economic and educational opportunities, lifestyle appeal, people and basic qualities and infrastructure were designed to give state administrators and economic development offices insights into how their state is perceived within and outside of the United States.

The top five most desirable states to make a home, according to U.S. citizens are: North Carolina; Virginia; Florida; Colorado; and Oregon. North Carolina and Virginia also ranked highly as lifestyle destinations, and they consistently placed in the top 10 for climate, physical attractiveness, amenities, ease of finding employment, commercial opportunity and education.

Foreign rankings were based on parameters similar to those used for the domestic audience. For international respondents, the top five states are: California; Florida; Hawaii; New York; and Washington state.


===Second home ownership in Baby Boomers===
In 2004, 43 million American households aged 50 or older owned their main residence. Fifteen percent of this group, or 6.6 million households, also owned a second home. The second home market is relatively small, but there will be sustained future growth in second-home mortgage activity due to the sheer size of the Baby Boom cohort, not because baby boomers own these properties at a higher rate than older generations.

"Housing Trends Among Baby Boomers," a study conducted by Gary V. Engelhardt and jointly sponsored by Radian and the Research Institute for Housing America (RIHA), analyzes two trends. The first part of the report profiles second-home ownership and mortgage activity associated for homeowners aged 50 or older. The second portion of the study focuses on the mobility of older households, with a particular interest in quantifying suburban-urban migration. For older households, mobility is not determined by changes in employment, income, or broader labor-market conditions, but instead by changes in marital status, primarily widowhood, and health and functional status.

On second home ownership (based upon analysis from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) data, they found that 6.6 million homeowners aged 50 and older own second homes. Second home purchases are geographically concentrated in well known vacation areas. As a result, local and regional economic conditions related to employment growth and migration will have important influences on the collateral value and credit risk of these properties.

Mortgage debt outstanding on second homes is estimated to total $126 billion. Only a small percentage of second homes owned by those 50 and over have outstanding mortgages. Second-home mortgage originations comprised only about four percent of overall mortgage market originations.

On mobility and suburban-urban migration (based upon analysis of Current Population Survey (CPS) data), it was found that at the national level, empty-nest retirement-age suburban homeowners are not flocking to urban areas in great numbers. In particular, based on the last decade's experience, in a given five-year period, only two percent of all empty-nest retirement-age suburban homeowners can be expected to move to an urban area. Suburban empty-nesters are just as likely to move to a non-metropolitan area as they are to an urban area.

Another Reason To Head East...

...so as to not be spending too much time in an exurb. Sure, I can see the charm and even the pleasure at spending time in an exurb, but I think I'd rather live at the beach.


As part of their Living Cities Census Series, The Brookings Institute has conducted a study that will either fascinate you or put you to sleep. Let me know how it affects you, eh? md

This study defines exurbs as communities located on the urban fringe that have at least 20 percent of their workers commuting to jobs in an urbanized area, exhibit low housing density, and have relatively high population growth.

Finding Exurbia: America’s Fast-Growing Communities at the Metropolitan Fringe

A Serial Designer in Sarasota, the Hamptons, New York and Europe

"Being Hungarian, I am accused of being a nomad," she said in an interview. "My husband, who is totally Milanese and is rooted for three generations in the same home, he finds this very disturbing, but I find homes very disposable. I fall in love with them, I do them, and I'm on to the next project."

Well, better with houses than spouses, eh?

Her name is spoken with reverence here in the Hamptons. She has done some beautiful projects and only gets better with each one.

Vittadini's latest creation comes on the market

Field Guide to Mold

Yup, M-O-L-D : the new dirty word (unless, of course, you're talking about a great Stilton cheese).
Remember R-A-D-O-N? Well, there are still areas of the country that DO, in fact, have real issues with radon. I can't exactly tell you what they are - this post is about mold.

More and more people are discovering how much of a role mold (or the lack of it) plays in one's health. More and more home inspectors are including mold testing in the home inspection services. So read up on it a little. Along with underground oil tanks, it can be a deal breaker.

Caution: also be careful whom you hire for mold remediation. It's become a "get rich quick" scheme for some - the same guys that were installing thousand-dollar water filters in homes in the late 1980's. Not all are evil, but deal with someone who's recommended to you. md

There's quite a bit of information here:
NAR info Centers Field Guide to Mold and Health Issues