Manhattan, NY

For the first time, iPhone and iTouch users will be able to find Corcoran homes for sale or rent in Manhattan & Brooklyn, as well as finding open houses near them right now, all for FREE.

What the App Does

In the same way that consumer's can search by price range, bedrooms and bathrooms on corcoran.com, iPhone app users will now be able to search for homes without having to be at their computer.

You can browse or search for Corcoran properties in New York, Long Island’s East End and South Florida, and get detailed directions to each listing using the iPhone's built-in Google maps service.

Once you find a listing you love, you can call the agent directly from within the app, see full screen photos and descriptions, or, even get detailed information on things to do in the neighborhood with the exclusive built-in neighborhood information from BlackBook magazine.

How to Get the App

To download the new app, just visit corcoran.com/iphone and click the download button, or find it in the Apple iTunes store by searching for Corcoran.

Mitchell Hall, Associate Broker, The Corcoran Group

©Mitchell Hall 2009

Did you realize that over 90 percent of the information we receive is through our eyes? Did you know that the paint color of a room can affect your perception of that room?

• RED makes a room appear smaller, but it comes into its own when set against cool colors (blue and green).
• ORANGE also makes a room appear smaller but it is less oppressive than red. Best used to decorate welcoming parts of the home.
• YELLOW can brighten small rooms, however a bright yellow is not recommended for children's rooms as it has a vibrating intensity.
• GREEN does well when used with contrasting colors or several shades of green, rather than all one shade. It is a good color for a bedroom as it promotes relaxation.
• BLUE that is pale will make a space feel light and airy. Darker tones make the space more relaxing, as in a bedroom, but if too dark, it can make the room depressing. Bright blues are good for children's rooms.
• VIOLET or PURPLE should be used sparingly to maintain its effect of mystery, elegance and luxury.
• WHITE used on all walls can be stark, cold and reflects too much light and glare. It is best to use an off-white, pale cream or beige.

Did you realize that color can also drastically affect your mood?

• RED stimulates our appetite and energizes us.
• ORANGE inspires fun and laughter and lifts the spirit.
• YELLOW stimulates and energizes the mind, benefits our memories, and maintains our positive frame of mind.
• GREEN makes us feel tranquil, relaxed and rested.
• BLUE calms us, helps us meditate, and fosters clear thinking.
• VIOLET or PURPLE stimulates our senses and minds, promotes creativity and romance, but also can sedate us.
• WHITE used on all walls can overstimulate the nervous system, making us feel tired and irritable.

Do you have any experiences of how paint color changed your perception of a room or your mood?

The Feng Shui of a New York City Apartment

New York City Apartments and Brownstones are very special places especially when applying Feng Shui Principles. Feng Shui in NYC Apartments can be a bit of a challenge but they are ALWAYS fun. New York Feng Shui Consultants Laura Cerrano and Carole Provenzale recently went back in time in an old, beautiful brownstone in New York City.

This beautiful NYC Apartment was located near Central Park and is just over 100 years old according to its owner. It rises to three levels and what we found most beautiful were the architectural details. Beautiful, vintage stained glass and the unique carvings of the staircase made this a beautiful place to Feng Shui in NY.

To enter you walked down several stairs and the first level had low ceilings. The kitchen, living room and office were located on this floor. Although it was quite large, one area was very cluttered....the home office. Heavy books, filing cabinets, the computer and furniture clogged the area from having a free movement of Energy.

As a New York Feng Shui Consultant in New York for many years, I do understand my clients' reluctance to part with their favorite books. We always hope we'll find time to re-read them when in fact we usually move on to learn something NEW. Too many books in Feng Shui can create a very heavy feeling in a room and "weigh" it down.

We ask our clients to keep the necessary (and loved) books and to let go of the rest. This is a good Feng Shui principle to follow for anyone going near their bookcase. We didn't think we were making much headway when we mentioned they were in the WEALTH area of their home from the use of the Bagua.

I love to see "lights" go off in Feng Shui Consultations. An ‘A Ha' moment that hits a client and they too can see their space through "Feng Shui Eyes." Laura Cerrano and I suggested other changes and moved on to the upstairs.

In sharp contrast, the upstairs rooms contained two very large bedrooms and a bathroom and while cluttered, they FELT wonderful. Very high ceilings gave the illusion of even more space and we discussed an optimal layout of the furniture to really open up the rooms and give them balance.

People don't like to struggle through a space....neither does Energy. We don't re-arrange furniture...we DO think about the Mindful placement of it and opening up new Channels to change any negative or blocked Energy in a space to a positive, OPEN feeling. Then we wait for the wonderful changes to occur.

Here are some of the details two Feng Shui Consultants found in this beautiful New York City Apartment:

A nice Find: A Bagua Table and some Inspirational Words in the NYC Apartment.

Large Windows, Beautiful Stained Glass and a lovely Altar in Manhattan NY.

Going up the Stairs in this Brownstone in New York City...vintage Stained Glass Window.

Exquisite wood carving and details in this NYC Apartment.

Feng Shui in a Manhattan Brownstones.

All photos by NYC Feng Shui Consultant Laura Cerrano.

*Carole Provenzale is a Certified Feng Shui Consultant and the Founder of Feng Shui Long Island & New York providing on site Feng Shui Consultations for all of Long Island including The Hamptons, Queens and NYC. http://www.FengShuiLI.com

**Laura Cerrano is a Certified New York Feng Shui Consultant and the Founder of Feng Shui Manhattan - New York - est. 2000. http://www.FengShuiManhattan.com

Thanksgiving History:

The pilgrims had intended to go to the Hudson River region in New York State, which would have been considered "Northern Virginia," but they landed in Cape Cod instead. Treacherous seas prevented them from venturing further south.

The original Thanksgiving feast in 1621 occurred sometime between September 21 and November 11. Unlike our current holiday, it was three days long.

In 1817 New York State adopted Thanksgiving Day as an annual custom, and by the middle of the 19th century many other states had done the same. In 1863 President Abraham Lincoln appointed a day of thanksgiving as the last Thursday in November.

Happy Thanksgiving! Enjoy!

Mitchell Hall, Associate Broker, The Corcoran Group

©Mitchell Hall 2009

Hello Active Rain friends, I am back!!! For those of you who wonders where I have been, I have been away in Asia for few weeks, visiting family, friends, and of course some business too.

I was visiting Taipei Taiwan where I grew up until I was 13 years old, I have not been back in Taiwan for some time because I have not had much time for a long trip not to mention the long 17 hours of flight! It is great to see both of my grandmothers and other relatives, seeing everyone is healthy and happy, it was totally worth of the brutal long flight. (Below is a photo of a family photo of both grandmothers, parents, myself and Morgan).

Below are some sightseeing photos from (淡水漁人碼頭) Danshuei Fishermen's Wharf was built at this location because of the spectacular sunset, the nearby mouth of the Danshuei River, and view of Mt. Guanyin.

My mother and I on the bridge of Danshuei Fishermen's Wharf.

Below is a view from 陽明山國家公園 Yangmingshan National Park

The trip was fulfilling and productive, I was very happy to see the relatives and families. I look forward to another trip in the near future when time allows! For now, I am back in Active Rain and hope to see all of you in your blogs soon!

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If you are a seller that would like to have your property showcase to our oversea buyer connection. Please contact us now at (646)644-6929. If you are a buyer that speaks Chinese and would like work with someone that speaks your Chinese dialect, call us now at (646)644-6929.

We are both English and Chinese Speaking Real Estate agents under one of the most successful Manhattan Brokerage firm Prudential Douglas Elliman with extensive market knowledge. In addition, we specialize in connecting the local Manhattan sellers with both local and international buyers with our preferred buyer networks. Call us today at (212)321-7122 or (917)837-8869.

To Read More on buying Manhattan New York city Real Estate Click below links:

1. Made in Taiwan Real Estate Agent
2. 中文網站: http://www.GoldHouseUSA.com
3. Manhattan Real Estate Condominiums and Co-Ops.
4. Foreign National Buyers Buying in Manhattan New York city Must Read.
5. Foreign Buyers and out of town buyers MUST READ before you buy in NYC