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Annual Food and Toy Drive Is Underway at All Zephyr Real Estate Offices

Annual Food and Toy Drive Is Underway at All Zephyr Real Estate Offices

Posted by Melody J Foster

SAN FRANSISCO, CA - The season is here, the weather is brisk, and toy and food collection barrels are in place. Zephyr Real Estate’s traditional toy and food drive is underway at all Zephyr locations in San Francisco and Marin County. The drive will continue through the holidays.
Food donations will go to the San Francisco & Marin County Food Bank. The Food Bank distributes food to more than 225,000 people during the holidays. Over 107,000 meals are provided daily, and 30,000 families will receive wholesome foods at the Bank’s pantries weekly. 10,000 children will be served healthy snacks in the classroom each school day, and 450 community partners will receive supplies for their meal and food programs. Together over 25,000 volunteers make this program work by getting the most value from each donation and distributing the food where it is needed most.

Food items should be non-perishable. Most-needed foods are soup, chili, beans, canned vegetables, tuna, canned meat, cereal, peanut butter and granola bars (no glass containers, please). Cash donations and gift cards are always welcome. The Food Bank’s buying power can distribute approximately $6 worth of food for every $1 donation.
Toys donated in San Francisco will go to the San Francisco Firefighters Toy Program. Toys donated in Marin will go to the Salvation Army Toy Program. Both organizations have a long history of charity year-round with additional emphasis during the holidays. Donation suggestions include sports equipment, arts and crafts, baby items (blankets, bottles, rattles), dolls of all nationalities, stuffed animals, iPods, game systems with games, books and toy trucks.
Hunger is tough any time of year, and even tougher during the holidays. For children, toys can make a difficult time more joyful and instill a sense of giving back in later years. These opportunities to share the spirit of the holidays provide a deep sense of community in all those who donate.
“Zephyr has a long and rich tradition of sharing our abundance,” remarked Randall Kostick, President of Zephyr Real Estate. “Our agents, managers and staff have always been generous, and we invite everyone who is able to join us in this opportunity to give.”
About Zephyr Real Estate
Founded in 1978, Zephyr Real Estate is San Francisco's largest independent real estate firm with over $2 billion in gross sales and a current roster of more than 300 full-time agents. Zephyr’s highly-visited website has earned two web design awards, including the prestigious Interactive Media Award. Zephyr Real Estate is a member of the international relocation network, Leading Real Estate Companies of the World; the luxury real estate network, Who's Who in Luxury Real Estate; global luxury affiliate, Mayfair International; and local luxury marketing association, the Luxury Marketing Council of San Francisco. Zephyr has six offices in San Francisco, a brand new office in Greenbrae, and two brokerage affiliates in Sonoma County, all strategically positioned to serve a large customer base throughout the San Francisco Bay Area. For more information, visit www.ZephyrRE.com.

Hammond’s Dana DeSimone Represents Buyer in $3,055,000 South End Multi-Family Transaction

Hammond’s Dana DeSimone Represents Buyer in $3,055,000 South End Multi-Family Transaction

Posted by Leaura Levine

CHESTNUT HILL, MA - Hammond Residential Real Estate’s Dana DeSimone recently represented the buyer in connection with the $3,055,000 sale of 148 West Newton Street, a two-family townhouse located in Boston’s desirable South End neighborhood.
Featuring 3,207 square feet of living area, 148 West Newton Street is comprised of an upper duplex and a lower triplex that are easily convertible to one single-family residence or could remain as a two-unit building. The two units feature fourteen total rooms, including seven bedrooms and two full bathrooms. Period details such as fireplaces, high ceilings, and bow windows are found throughout the two units, which also share a large sunny yard and come with two convenient and easily-accessible parking spaces.
The property has been purchased by a developer and is slated for a complete luxury renovation with occupancy projected for Spring 2016.
Located near a host of restaurant, retail, and transportation amenities, 148 West Newton Street also enjoys proximity to many of Boston’s desirable areas such as Copley Square and the Prudential Center lifestyle complex.
A native to the Boston area, Dana DeSimone was raised in historic Newburyport, MA and has been a resident in the South End of Boston for over 25 years.
Dana has a proven track record as one of the top listing and selling agents in Boston, and over the years this has enabled him to develop a long-standing history of repeat clientele. Often sought out from colleagues, buyers and sellers as a resource for knowledge and information, Dana is well-known in the city as an experienced professional committed to helping his clients. His entrepreneurial background and dedication to customer service has been the cornerstone of his success in helping his clients, whether they are considering a property as a home or for investment purposes.
Hammond Residential Real Estate’s South End office is located at 10 Berkeley Street, ATELIER 505. If you are interested in the purchase or sale of luxury properties in and around Greater Boston, please visit http://danadesimone.myhammondagent.com/ and http://www.hammondre.com/.

Property listings fall across the UK, more than usual seasonal drop off

Wednesday, 09 December 2015

New property listings in the UK fell by 21.5% across the country in November following three months of small rises, the latest research shows, with London particularly affected. The data from the Property Supply Index compiled by online estate agents House Simple recorded the biggest drop in property supply in any one month since the index launched in May 2015. The worst fall was in Bath with a wall of 42.6% in November and the data also shows that five of the 15 towns that saw the biggest drop in supply were in the north west of England. Property supply in London fell by 21% and not a single London borough saw a rise in property listings in November while Salford and Chichester were the only locations to see a rise. Indeed Bath has seen a steady decline in supply each month since June, according to the index which tracks the number of new properties listed on Rightmove every month in more than 100 major towns and cities across the UK and all London boroughs. Only 135 new properties in Bath were listed in November, compared to a high of 284 in June. The West Midland cities of Worcester and Solihull saw new property listings drop 41% and 39% respectively in November. While Chichester and Salford saw rises of 14.8% and 11.6% respectively. According to Rightmove figures, Bootle and Swansea have seen the biggest swing in property supply in the past two months, with October seeing a 47.4% and 36.6% rise respectively in property supply compared to September, followed by a 35.1% and 23.9% fall respectively in supply in November compared to October. In London Richmond upon Thames saw new property listings drop almost a third at 31% in November. While, the boroughs of Bromley and Hillingdon, each experienced a 30% drop off in new property listings last month. The figures reveal that there wasn’t a single London borough that saw an increase in new listings in November. Greenwich and Barking and Dagenham experienced the smallest falls in supply, with new listings down just 5% and 9% last month compared to October. More than half the capital’s boroughs, some18 of the 32, saw new stock levels fall by more than a fifth in November compared to October. ‘Everyone knows by now that we have a property supply issue in this country, but these latest figures reveal just how severe that problem is as we head into the New Year. The total number of new property listings in November across the UK was just over 65,000, that is nearly 20,000 less than in October, and the lowest level since we launched the index in May,’ said House Simple chief executive officer Alex Gosling. ‘Historically, as we get closer to Christmas, the property market does start to slow down, so a fall in property supply levels is not unexpected. However, the drop off is too dramatic to be simply attributed to seasonality factors alone,’ he pointed out. He explained that while the Government has implemented several schemes to help people get onto the property market, the latest of which being the Help to Buy ISA, they aren’t addressing the supply shortage, and if there are no homes to buy, these schemes are just window dressing. ‘It is vital the housing market starts the New Year with vigour, because there are some potentially stormy seas ahead with the new buy to let stamp duty hikes looming large on the horizon,’ he added.

Arthur Rawding joins Hammond Residential Real Estate Chestnut Hill Office

Arthur Rawding joins Hammond Residential Real Estate Chestnut Hill Office

Posted by Mark H. Lippolt

CHESTNUT HILL, MA - Jim Nemetz, manager of Hammond Residential Real Estate’s Chestnut Hill and Waban offices, is pleased to announce that Arthur Rawding has affiliated with Hammond. In his new role, Rawding will collaborate with buyer and seller clients from Hammond’s Chestnut Hill office located at 826 Boylston Street.
Rawding comes to Hammond from one of the most successful real estate teams in the Brookline-Newton market.  In 2014 and 2015, Rawding’s personal production on the team reached over $14 million in sales annually. He brings to his buyer and seller clients, nearly thirty years of experience in Greater Boston’s diverse residential real estate markets, ranging from downtown Boston’s ultra-luxury units to condos and single-family housing in Boston’s neighborhoods and adjacent suburbs.
Rawding’s exceptional service orientation and depth of knowledge derives from a decade overseeing property management at Harbor Towers and the prestigious Four Seasons Place Condominiums, where he mastered the art of exceeding the expectations of its discerning residents as Head Concierge and Condo Manager. As a top-producing residential REALTOR®, that same skill set and his genuine commitment to customer satisfaction and exceptional communication skills are what Rawding’s buyer and seller clients have come to rely upon.
Jim Nemetz said, “We are very pleased to welcome Arthur to Hammond’s experienced Chestnut Hill team, where he will no doubt experience many successes resulting from his abundant professional experience and use of Hammond’s unique marketing platform. Arthur’s knowledge of the downtown Boston market and the many neighborhoods of Boston – in addition to Brookline and Newton – will serve his clients well.”
A longtime Boston resident, Rawding received a Bachelor of Arts in Music from the College of William and Mary and a Master’s in Music from New England Conservatory of Music. Active within the community, much of Rawding’s involvement is centered on Boston’s hearty musical life. He has sung with the Handel and Hayden Society and the Boston Baroque Orchestra and Chorus. Additionally, he is a former member of the Board of Directors of the Boston Early Music Festival. When he is not working, Rawding can be found enjoying all that Boston and the surrounding communities have to offer.
Hammond Residential is headquartered in Chestnut Hill, and has three Boston locations and fifteen suburban branch offices. The company reports over two billion dollars in sales volume annually, ranking in sales volume among the top 500 firms in the United States, and as the sixth-highest in mean average sales price and the ninth-highest in sales volume per sales associate. Hammond is well-known as the publisher of the region’s finest magazines featuring local properties for sale. The Chestnut Hill office is also the exclusive Regents representative of the Luxury Real Estate network.
To learn more, please visit www.HammondRE.com.

Harry Norman, REALTORS® Celebrates 85th Anniversary with Gala Event at Atlanta History Center

Harry Norman, REALTORS® Celebrates 85th Anniversary with Gala Event at Atlanta History Center

Posted by Jeanne Shannon

ATLANTA, GA – Harry Norman, REALTORS^® agents, staff and special guests celebrated a historic 85 years of success in residential real estate in Georgia.  Over 400 agents attended this impressive event. Proudly serving as Atlanta’s oldest and largest residential real estate firm, Harry Norman, REALTORS^® celebrated the monumental occasion with a gala at the Atlanta History Center. Dan Parmer, CEO of Harry Norman, REALTORS^®, expressed appreciation for everyone’s tremendous efforts in making 2015 a very successful year.
In addition to celebrating the 85^th Anniversary, very special guests included Sam Massell with the Buckhead Coalition, Lewis Glenn with Sea Island Properties, Rick Brinkman II, Jim Floyd and Ann Parker with Harry Norman, REALTORS^® and John Weiland, CEO of The JW Collection.

A very special collaboration was also mentioned during the celebration. Parmer and Weiland were excited to announce the new partnership between The JW Collection and Harry Norman, REALTORS^®.
In addition to the festivities, a check was presented to CURE Childhood Cancer Foundation for $46,476.05. This donation was raised earlier in the month through Harry Norman’s annual Bowl-A-Thon to raise money to fight against childhood cancer.

A highlight of the evening was when many special guests shared their fond memories of Harry Norman in addition to the pride of the company’s continued commitment to the founder, Emmaline Norman’s vision to provide customers with unparalleled service.
Guests enjoyed delicious hors-d’oeuvres provided by Avenue Catering, and everyone was inspired by the incredible magnolia floral arrangements created by Canaan Marshall.  Harpist, Lyrika Holmes, provided music at the start of the evening as guests mixed and mingled with champagne. Live music provided by the jazz trio, Elevate The Quest, kept everyone dancing throughout the evening. Photography was provided by The Willetts | Wedding Photography and Dylan York. Valet Parking was provided by National Parking. We would like to thank Modern Luxury for their contribution to making the evening luxurious and memorable.

To learn more about Harry Norman, REALTORS^®, please visit our company website at www.harrynorman.com

Report identifies 18 areas in the UK with new home development opportunities

There are 18 areas in the UK where economic fundamentals suggest there are good opportunities for developers at a time when the government wants to build more homes than ever. An analysis from international real estate firm Knight Frank and planning consultancy Barton Willmore names them as Leeds, Manchester, York, Durham, Birmingham, Nottingham, Warwick, Leicester, Brentwood, South Cambridgeshire, Bristol, Bath and North East Somerset, Exeter, Cherwell, South Oxfordshire, Guildford, Reigate and Banstead and Tunbridge Wells. Factors examined included economic growth, employment growth, stock to sales ratios, affordability and liveability. These rankings were then placed alongside the latest conditions in the local planning environment as well as local knowledge, to highlight areas which suggest there is the possibility for outperformance for developers, not only in terms of pricing but also market absorption. Justin Gaze, joint head of residential development at Knight Frank, said developer interest is now much wider than just London. ‘Increasingly, our clients are looking at regional cities and districts for future potential and the report demonstrates from an economic and planning perspective where these development opportunities are likely to be,’ he explained. According to Iain Painting, planning partner at Barton Willmore, these opportunity areas are aligned with the increased emphasis on urbanisation, focusing on many of England’s key cities, but also demonstrate that development opportunities are not purely based in the South East. In the North of England it is Manchester and Leeds that are expected to be among the areas which will experience the strongest rates of household growth over the next 10 years, while York scores particularly highly on liveability rankings. The report suggests that the green belt will pose constraints for developers in and around Durham and York but at the same time, there is a need for more site identification, as these two areas do not yet have a five year land supply. York boasts policies to boost housing supply as it has been identified as one of the first Housing Zones in England. Meanwhile, Leeds plays host to an Enterprise Zone and the North East Combined Authority, of which Durham is one of the constituent boroughs, has also bid for 175 hectares of Enterprise Zone over 10 sites. The report points out that this new combined authority has just been granted extended powers over housing. Of the four Development Opportunity areas, only Leeds has an approved local plan and as policymakers push ahead with the ‘Northern Powerhouse’, especially the transport infrastructure to support this, the opportunities in the North of England will widen, it adds. The report explains that not only does Birmingham have an Enterprise Zone, but also a planning department committed to large scale regeneration of many parts of the city. Nottingham is also an Enterprise Zone area and has a local plan and five year land supply in place. ‘However, our data shows that the current pipeline supply of schemes in this local authority may fall short of household growth projections,’ the report says. Further south, Warwick scores highly on liveability, and also has strong employment growth forecasts, while strong household growth is projected in Leicester. In the East the arrival of Crossrail in 2018 will make Brentwood, an already attractive area of Essex even more so. Direct trains to Bond Street will take 44 minutes, cutting nearly 10 minutes from the journey time as well as the need to change trains. The report also points out that Brentwood has one of the strongest forecasts for employment growth, as well as showing one of the largest imbalances between pipeline supply and household growth over the next five years. South Cambridgeshire also has a particularly strong forecast for employment growth, and has been rated the best place to live in an independent survey of rural locations across the UK. But it does not yet have an approved local plan in place for housing, and has not quite met its five year housing supply. There are questions about whether more green belt land should be released for development. In the South West both Bristol and Bath and North East Somerset have a local plan and a five year housing supply, and the determination to step up development is underlined by the policy environment, with a local enterprise zone in Bristol’s Temple Quarter. Exeter doesn’t yet have a post NPPF local plan, but has identified three sustainable urban extensions. The report explains that South East Cherwell and South Oxfordshire will both benefit from transport infrastructure improvements with a new train line taking passengers from Oxford Parkway and Bicester Village to London Marylebone, and a possible new junction to the M40 at Bicester. Indeed, Bicester has also been identified as a Garden Town, which will translate into more funding and support for housing. ‘The Science Vale in South Oxfordshire is positioning itself as a global hotspot for enterprise and technology. Parts of the Vale have been granted Enterprise Zone status,’ the report adds. Guildford and Reigate and Banstead are described as being in a position to take advantage of the housing need in the capital. ‘Sitting just beyond the M25, these local authorities, which have strong forecast economic growth over the next five years and which are well above average in the liveability rankings, both have a shortfall in their five year land supply, and Guildford does not yet have an approved local plan in place,’ the report says. Tunbridge Wells has one of the highest liveability scores in the country and is also forecast to have strong economic growth. The pressure for more housing is well documented, however the report suggests that the green belt is a constraint. There is as yet no local plan in place and there is a shortfall in the identified five year land supply. The report also explains how there has been a cumulative shortfall in housing of around 330,000 units since 2008. However, the situation is improving. Construction starts in England in the second quarter of this year were 94% higher than in the same quarter in 2009, but there is still some way to go. In the year to July, around 113,000 units were started, down from 152,000 during the same period a decade ago. Another measure of future activity, pipeline planning, suggests that the upward trend will continue. Data from Glenigan, the construction analysts, shows that there were more than 293,000 units with planning permission across the UK in April this year, up from 253,000 in April last year, and 184,000 in April 2013. ‘However, it is worth noting that there is no guarantee that all schemes with planning will come to fruition, especially due to the increasing number of planning conditions applied to successful planning applications which can affect the final viability of a scheme. Development land prices are also moderating, although this partly reflects the increased costs of development, with a sharp rise in the cost of materials and labour in recent years,’ the report concludes