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Tuesday, January 31, 2012
The Celebrity Real Estate Heat Map: Celebrity real estate is a dime...
Celebrity Real Estate: Inside Jennifer Aniston's Sleek New Piece of Starchitecture
Looks like it's time to update the Celebrity Real Estate Heat Map: A-lister of A-listers Jennifer Aniston has reportedly scooped up new mansion for herself in Bel-Air, Calif. The pristine 8,500-square-foot four-bedroom was designed in 1965 by noted Los Angeles modernist architect A. Quincy Jones; after first hitting the market for $29M in 2008, the house was reduced to some $24M, at which point Aniston swooped in and scored it for even less: $21M. And as if this lucky lady didn't already have enough of them, here are yet some more perks: more than three acres of land, views of the city and ocean, a pool, a guesthouse, a wine cellar, and—last but certainly not least—a vineyard. Let's not forget to look inside: those distinctly midcentury-feeling interiors boasts gleaming wood floors, full-wall expanses of glass, and some pretty stunning fireplace detail.
Aniston's had quite an impressive year in terms of real estate. The actress listed and then sold her spectacular Ohana estate, a Beverly Hills beaut that was once featured on the cover of Architectural Digest. She swiftly found another Beverly Hills estate in which to shack up with new beau Justin Theroux. Let's not forget her East Coast accommodations, either: her new SoCal new pad is located just a plane ride away from her nest overlooking Central Park. In short: life looks pretty fine when you're her.
· All Jennifer Aniston coverage [Curbed National]
· JENNIFER ANISTON Buys SICKEST Mansion Ever!!! [TMZ]
· New to Market: A. Quincy Jones in Bel Air [Curbed LA]
Parking Wars: Campers! Sometimes people park them on...
More Coffee Kiosks!: ...for the most part, they’re sticking...
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TV Time: Some HGTV news: the seventh season...
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On the Market: Bernal Heights Condo Is a Pinch Over $500K
· 24 Highland [Redfin] 24 Highland Avenue, San Francisco, CA
Monday, January 30, 2012
Celebrity Real Estate: 49ers Legend Joe Montana's Outlandish Napa Estate Chopped
Set on a sprawling 500 acres in the Napa Valley town of Calistoga, the Villa Montana is the utterly extravagant home of legendary San Francisco 49ers quarterback Joe Montana. The stunning estate, capped by a 9,700-square-foot Mediterranean mansion, first went to market for $49M, but it's since been chopped to an ever-so-slightly more reasonable $35M. Montana himself claims he "can't think of a better expression of art, architecture, and celebration of California's Wine Country and equestrian lifestyle than Villa Montana." But take that with a grain of salt, because he's the one who stands to take home $35M if it sells. There's not much trace of a football past here, but plenty of other diversions, including full equestrian facilities, a skeet shooting station, an olive farm, a swimming pool and spa, a private pond, a basketball court, and even a bocce ball court. The views of the surrounding Napa Valley countryside are fabulous, and even more so when you own much of what you see. Can the 49ers' current QB, Alex Smith, ever hope to own such an extravagant estate? Well, that might just hinge on what happens this weekend against the New York Giants in the NFC championship. Even so, probably not.
· 10500 Franz Valley Road [Trulia]
Martha Wire: Well, this was predictable: Martha Stewart...
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PriceChopper: Colorful Castro Victorian Gets Hacked To Pieces
Then: $899,000
Then: $849,000
Then: $799,000
Now: $750,000
You Save: $189,000
This Victorian condo on 16th and Sanchez just can't get a break. It was originally listed for $939,000 and has since chopped off almost 200K from its asking price and is now a short sale. What's worse: The current owner bought the place back in 2007 for $900,000. Do the math, people. The 3-bed, 1.5-bath, 1,555 square foot top floor condo's broker babble states that "the unit has 1 full bath plus a 1.2 bath, not shown in tax records." Readers, we'd love to hear your thoughts on why this pad hasn't been able to secure a buyer. Let us know in the comments! Monthly HOA dues are $231.19 and there's 1-car parking in the garage.
· 3487 16th Street [Redfin]
Globe Trotting: The much jabbed-at Stirling Prize-winning architect...
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Extreme Makeover for FiDi Office Space: In order to lure tech companies...
Sunday, January 29, 2012
49ers Pride: It should come as no surprise...
It should come as no surprise that San Francisco's prized buildings are being decked out with the 49ers signature gold and red color scheme. The Tens shared a photo of City Hall's red and gold lighting scheme, SFist points us to a Twitpic photo of Coit Tower sporting red and white, and from the SF Appeal we learn that the rooftops of the Embarcadero Center will be illuminated with 1,600 red lights this week. Shoot forward to Monday and we're seriously psyched to see how other SF buildings embrace the red and gold when the inevitable happens and the Niners advance to the Super Bowl. [The Tens/SFist/SF Appeal]
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Free Bouquet When You Join H.BLOOM
Castle Wire: Sure, there are the expected smattering...
Existing Home Sales Report: December 2011
House of the Day: The Awesome Ski House of Jon Huntsman's Billionaire Father
Have a nomination for a jaw-dropping listing that would make a mighty fine House of the Day? Get thee to the tipline and send us your suggestions. We'd love to see what you've got.
Location: Park City, Utah
Price: $49,500,000
The Skinny: Jon Huntsman, the Utah governor turned ambassador to China turned an almost presidential candidate, is—apologies to Creedence—a fortunate son. His father, businessman Jon Huntsman, Sr. is a billionaire and profoundly generous philanthropist who has given more than a billion dollars in donations over his lifetime. So when Jon Sr. invites Jon Jr. to go skiing for the weekend, it's no surprise they spend that time in a massive mansion in one of America's premier winter destinations. Located on a 60-acre bluff overlooking downtown Park City, the 20,000-square-foot spread includes 12 bedrooms, 16 baths, an indoor swimming pool, an utterly massive detached garage, a game room, and a gym, along with cavernous entertaining spaces. The ultimate in Park City living, just minutes from Deer Valley Mountain Resort, is listed for $49.5M.
· 5000 Royal St [Realtor.com]
Market Watch: Time magazine coverboy Warren Buffett on...
Time magazine coverboy Warren Buffett on the housing industry: "Once we get back to a million housing starts per year, I think pundits will be surprised just how fast unemployment will come down in this country,” he says. “There are 4 million people hitting age 22 every year in this country. Sure, you can double up on households for a while, but at some point, hormones kick in, and living with your in-laws loses its allure.” (He's done his part by listing his Calif. manse.) Read the full profile here. [Time via Zillow Blog; previously]
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Saturday, January 28, 2012
Think of the Children: It's with heavy hearts that we...
Year of the Housing Dragon
Posted by Jonathan J. Miller -Monday, January 23, 2012, 8:55 AM
No Comments
Ok, at least it’s it’s Year of the Dragon, not the Year of the Rat but the Chinese New Year does bring to mind some other associations with housing in the post-credit crunch world.
Here are names I have associated with each year since the fall of Lehman and the impact on housing.
2008 (Rat) – Year of the return to reality. Appropriately named, the year notes the final punctuation mark on the credit boom unraveling and the fact that the entire world lost it’s mind.
2009 (Ox) – Year of the first time buyer. The first year after the September 2008 fall of Lehman Brothers that marked the beginning of a new credit environment as well as a new housing market. Mortgage rates fell to the floor and the Federal government introduced the first time homebuyer tax credit – later expanded to existing homeowners. For appraisers it was the “Year of the Appraisal Management Company” as the Cuomo/Fannie Mae agreement effectively prevented the residential appraisal industry from becoming a reliable and impartial benchmark provider.
2010 (Tiger) – Year of the short sale. Preceding the incoming flood of foreclosures, the banking industry understood that it was a lot cheaper to effect a short sale rather than go to foreclosure. Unfortunately they had no idea how to manage the process and many fell into foreclosure. Here’s some free advice to banks looking to cut losses on foreclosure activity: actually pick up the phone.
2011 (Rabbit) – Year of the foreign buyer/trophy property sale. The DC politically charged debt ceiling debate leading to the S&P downgrade of US debt and economic debt problems in Europe drove many foreign buyers to the US housing market as a safe haven. A byproduct of this trend was a surge in the sale of unique high end properties in the US. Think Candy Spelling and Sanford Weill. I had originally dubbed 2011 as “Year of the foreclosure” but the “robo-signing” scandal in late 2010 tempered servicer/lender plans of releasing foreclosures into the market until they were more confident they could prove ownership and the right to actually foreclosure (what a time we’re living in).
2012 (Dragon) – Year of the foreclosure/election year do-nothingness. Servicers/lenders will begin to ramp up the foreclosure process again as more time has passed for them to get their ducks in a row. I am doubtful there was enough time to do much of anything considering the millions of potential transactions but it’s likely to start this year and heavier than usual volume should last for at least 3 years. This is a good thing because we need to clear the market before claiming a housing recovery. We will likely see a surge in election year political promises as an attempt to help troubled homeowners such as a more streamlined shortsale process, an improved loan modification process and an expanded refinance policy, but judging from all feeble attempts so far and the stalemate in DC on economic policy and their stunning lack of understanding about what ail’s housing, we’ll probably get the status quo instead.
The next Chinese New Year will be named Year of the Snake. Uh, I’ve never liked snakes.
As Home Buying Returns, Do Apartments Face a Bubble?
All the Single Ladies (and Gentlemen): Have you booked a Valentine's Day...
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Globe Trotting: Here Now, 20 Tiny "EcoLofts" Above Mexico's Wine Country
Photo via Arch Daily
This is rather awesome: Endémico Resguardo Silvestre, a series of 20 modernist hotel rooms, of sorts, each 215 square feet, perched above the Valle de Guadalupe wine region in Mexico. Designed by architect Jorge Garcia and completed last year, the so-called "EcoLofts" are part of a 99-hectare development that also includes a winery and housing. Composed of a steel frame (a plentiful material in the region) and wood, each room hovers above the ground without touching it—part of the architect's vision of keeping the landscape undisturbed. (Minus—as one anonymous Curbed commenter points out—the steel supports and the poured concrete entry deck.) Below, find another photo.
Bits Bucket for January 19, 2012
Michael Olenick: Is Shadow Housing Inventory Vastly Larger Than Widely Believed?
Monday, January 2, 2012
Let’s repeat that. In the spring or summer of 2010, before the robosigning scandal caused a massive slowdown in the number of foreclosures filed, Fannie Mae apparently had 600,000 loans they expected to foreclose upon. Not Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, FHA, VHA, and private label mortgages, Fannie Mae alone.
FHFA reports that Fannie Mae’s share of total US mortgage debt, at the end of 2010, is 27.7%. If Fannie Mae really does have 600,000 homes they expect to foreclose upon we’d expect to see about 2,165,000 shadow inventory homes total .. in Florida.
It’s impossible to believe this figure is accurate. Let’s look at some data. First, the Census Bureau reports there are just under nine million housing units in the entire state at the end of 2010, 8,989,580, to be exact. According to court records between July, 2010 through December, 2011, inclusive, there were 1,044 foreclosure filings per month in Stern’s home county, Broward County, FL; 22,144 filings total. However, from January, 2009, through June, 2010, inclusive, there 2,544 monthly filings in the same county; 48,144 filings total.
If the number Stern relayed is accurate, that would put a theoretical backlog of filings, for that one county, at 26,000. If we extrapolate to the rest of this high foreclosure state it’s safe to say shadow inventory estimates for the US have been dramatically underestimated, in much the same way that existing home sales were overestimated, albeit to a much more severe degree.
One thing is certain. Either a) Stern lied during his deposition, or b) Fannie Mae lied to Stern, or c) government and non-government organizations that project shadow volume have massively blown it. On Wednesday, Dec. 21st, 2011, HousingWire reports that CoreLogic projected shadow inventory to be 1.6 million homes throughout the entire United States. If Stern relayed the information correctly, and Fannie relayed it to him correctly, that figure looks more like it could be the shadow inventory of South Florida alone. Except that would mean they expect to foreclose on about half the houses in this state, which seems … impossible.
All this calls for far more disclosure on the part of the GSE’s, regulators, and courthouses. There is no legitimate reason to keep these figures locked away behind password-protected websites. Everything from the MERS database, to the Fannie/Freddie loan-level information, to the pile of mortgages the Federal Reserve has purchased should be open. This issue rivals a pressing matter of national security: there is no reason to force investors, home buyers, and others to speculate; to search for information.
Friday, January 27, 2012
Best Of: Curbed SF Flickr Pool
Twice daily Curbed checks in with the Curbed SF Flickr group so that we can feature photography of our city for our AM and PM Linkage. Lately we've noticed an abundance of amazing shots, and we didn't want them to get overlooked by not making it onto the site.
In order: It Can't Be Done! by Chris Saulit; Marina by Sergio; Goodbye by Ariel Dovas; Kevin Yee X Grind by Rat Mice; Untitled by Tommy Cinquegrano; spectator sport by Bhautik Joshi.Master Planning: Ocean Beach Master Plan Seeking Major Moolah from the State
The long term planning of Ocean Beach could get a boost today, as the California Coastal Commission is considering a funding request for $400,000. SPUR has been leading a master planning effort for Ocean Beach over the past year and a half with funding from federal, state and local sources. The current draft of the plan includes, among many other things, closing the Great Highway south of Sloat Boulevard, rerouting traffic to Sloat and to Skyline Boulevard east of the San Francisco Zoo, plus narrowing the Great Highway to one lane in each direction.
That pretty chunk of change could be used for a traffic study on the impacts of closing down part of the Great Highway, plus the creation of agreements for various agencies to manage Ocean Beach under a single unified vision. It won't cover all the work, with the remaining funds coming from the National Park Service and the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission, who own the wastewater treatment plant near the zoo.
The Draft Ocean Beach Master Plan will be available for public review on on the SPUR website on January 31, 2012. The public will have until February 20 to provide comments and feedback on the draft plan. The Final Plan will be available on March 5.
· Ocean Beach: SPUR Takes a Long Look Into The Future [Curbed SF]
· SPUR Ocean Beach Master Plan Draft Recommendations [SPUR]
· California Coastal Conservancy staff report - Jan. 19, 2012 funding request for San Francisco Ocean Beach Master Plan [California Coastal Commmission]
· Ocean Beach Master Plan drafts big changes for Ocean Beach [Ocean Beach Bulletin]
Housekeeping: Sign Up For Curbed's Newsletter; Win Some Cool Free Stuff!
The holidays may be over, but left in their wake are mounds of swag—some of it pretty awesome—at Curbed HQ. Sign up for Curbed's House of the Day newsletter and look out for some subscriber-only intel as to how that swag may be yours. What better way to kick off 2012 than by enriching yourself with an Inbox-size portion of daily real estate and design porn, never mind by winning some free stuff? The info will be posted at random throughout the next two months, so keep an eye out for tips and clues about how to score big. (Oh, and while you're at it, follow the site on Facebook and on Twitter.)
Sign Up For Curbed's House of the Day Email:Bits Bucket for January 24, 2012
Let’s say you are correct and the continued growth in total debt/money must end.
What is the solution?
Allow the house of cards to come crashing down as was happening in 2008?
Banks and brokerages popping left and right, cascade defaults. Return to 600K job losses a month. Falling tax revenue.
Sure, in 2008, FDIC could make the “little guys” hole and we could pump in $700B TARP, plus unemployment, food stamps, stimulus checks…. But we now have double the real national debt that we did just 5 years ago.
The scenario you describe we would have to be slashing UI, Food Stamps, Social Security, Medicare, and pretty much everything else. FDIC would not be able to cover losses.
People unable to sell what they want to sell would be forced to sell what they could sell, meaning crashing commodity (gold, oil, industrial metals, food, etc) prices along with everything else.
With the crashing economy and falling tax receipts, every attempt to cut deficits would cause further falling receipts. At some point, even the $10T in publicly held US Treasuries will be forced to take a big hair cut as is happening with holders of Greek debt.
The government would be forced to raise any tax it could. Property tax, sales tax, income tax, banking tax, tax tax.
Is that what we really want. Complete and total washout, no where to hide, end of the 20th economic model in one, very ugly crash?
Or, is there another way to go about this?
What has caused the need for exploding debt? Trade imbalances, both international and domestic.
What has to change before we can stop living on debt and maybe start repaying some of the debt? We need to attack and reverse the trade imbalances. We need to end free trade and return to a confiscatory tax code that prevents too much money from ending in the hands of too few, funded by unsustainable debt growth for everyone else.
But, we’re SOOOOO far from even beginning to talk about undoing all the financial innovation of the last 50 years. Yeah, you are right. Probably not going to happen.
On another site, someone was talking about the polar bears and how they will be extinct in the wild if we are not off fossil fuels in the next 10 years. My response was, then they will be extinct in the wild because there is simply no way possible for us to get off fossil fuels in less than a decade.
I guess I should apply the same deductive proof to our economy. The house of cards will collapse unless we get off “unsustainable debt growth” in the next few years. To get off “unsustainable debt growth” we need to directly attack and reverse the trade imbalances, both internal and internationally. We can’t even begin to have the conversation about this in our current economic and political environment. Even if we could have the conversation, it would take years to reverse the trend. We do not have years to reverse the trend.
Yeah, we’re doomed.
So, how do you protect yourself from total wipe out where stocks, bonds, commodities all collapse, FDIC insurance isn’t there, US Treasuries take a massive haircut, housing and real estate all crash, civil unrest covers the globe….
Guns, lots of ammo, and a bunker in the mountains? Not going to do any good if a Napoleonic style dictator comes to power, as frequently happens post economic collapse.
Tony Duquette for Coach: The estate of Tony Duquette—the late,...
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Radar Watching: November 2011
Thursday, January 26, 2012
Diego Rivera: CCSF: Diego Rivera's Mural May Not Languish in Semi-Obscurity Much Longer
Plans are afoot to relocate Diego Rivera's mural Pan-American Unity from its current cramped quarters to a new building on the Community College of San Francisco (CCSF) campus. We had a long visit there with the mural's curator, Will Maynez, plus a chat with architect Jim Diaz of KMD Architects, to talk about the mural, its history, and a proposal to create a new exhibition space for the 22 x 75-foot mural. It's a a dazzling work of art with a global sweep- a huge cast of characters, with everyone from Mayan gods to Josef Stalin, Rivera's wife Frida Kahlo and three of his girlfriends, Charlie Chaplin, and a women's diving team in the pool at the Fairmont Hotel- in remarkably bright and fresh condition.
The year was 1940, and the world was a troubled place. That spring, architect Timothy Pflueger, whom RIvera had worked with previously in San Francisco, invited him to participate in the second year of the Golden Gate Exposition on Treasure Island in a program called Art in Action, where RIvera would paint a fresco- a mural on wet plaster- "live" before fairgoers. There is amazingly, a video of him doing just that.
Communists like Rivera had been demoralized by Stalin's alliance with Hitler, and Rivera feared that his support for Stalin's nemesis, Leon Trotsky, would end in his death. Trotsky would be bludgeoned to death in Mexico City not long after after Rivera fled to San Francisco. As one of the founders of Mexico's Muralismo movement, Rivera saw his murals as vehicles for political expression and painted Pan American Unity as an appeal for North and South America to come together against fascism.
Pflueger had a plan for the finished mural- in the midst of designing CIty College's new Ocean Avenue campus, he intended for the mural to be dismantled and reinstalled in the a library there. World War II intervened, Pflueger died in 1946, and his plans for the campus were never realized. We had our own post-war Red Scare, making artists like Diego Rivera deeply suspect. The mural sections had been stored in a shed on the campus, almost forgotten, until they were installed in the lobby of CCSF's theater in 1961. The lobby is cramped and narrow, and the new building on Phelan Avenue proposed by Jim Diaz of KMD Architects would place the mural in a wide space with plenty of viewing room plus a glass wall allowing it to be visible from the street. There would be additional room for the school's extensive Rivera archive.
While most of us see the mural as just a great work of art, with the mural's political, historic and ethnic context, CCSF sees it as an enduring teaching moment. As for the future building, CCSF is just at the beginning, looking at how best to preserve it for the next two hundred years. Meanwhile, to say it's worth a visit is an understatement.
· 1940 Art in Action Video[SFSU]
· Diego Rivera Mural Project [CCSF]
[Images of Diego Rivera's Pan American Unity courtesy of City College of San Francisco, © 1998-2004]
City College of San Francisco, 50 Phelan Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94112Silver Screen: Inside the Drama Surrounding the Country's Largest House
If you've ever wanted to roam around the largest house in the country, you may soon get the chance: The Queen of Versailles debuted at the Sundance Film Festival this year and has just been picked up by Magnolia Pictures. Directed by Lauren Greenfield, the film chronicles the drama surrounding the construction and ultimate failure of a massive estate in Windermere, Fla., which was cooked up by billionaire developer David Siegel and his wife, Jackie, as their ultimate dream home. By the time the couple accounted for an endless list of features and amenities—including 10 kitchens, mind you—plans had grown to 90,000 square feet. In 2008, the recession hit and the project was stalled; now, after having poured $50M into it, they're asking $100M (finished) or $75M (unfinished). Calling the film "the ultimate 'Real Housewives' tale," Hollywood.com has this assessment: "You won't feel bad that Jackie and David never got a chance to live in their real life palace, but when their marriage hits a breaking point, their children drift away and the future as they know it looks grim, you'll relate." (Unsurprisingly, Siegel is now suing both Sundance and the filmmakers.) Watch a very short clip from the piece below.
Curbed Maps: Introducing the Curbed Celebrity Real Estate Heat Map!
Here at Curbed celebrity real estate is a dime a dozen, from tales of woe (ahem, a bankrupt Nic Cage) to multimillion-dollar transactions (Ellen!) to sports stars trading one massive mansion for another. How can one make sense of all these famous people buying and selling properties? Enter the first-ever Celebrity Real Estate Heat Map. Below, please find the 20 hottest stories from the past few months, taking place as close as Connecticut and as far away as Hawaii. Of course, NYC and Los Angeles are veritable epicenters of celebrity real estate madness, so be sure to zoom in on those cities closely. See someone missing? Leave 'em in the comments.
Sadie's Grey, Chartreuse & Pink Charmer My Room
Name: Sadie
Location: Studio City, CA
I had the best time decorating for my little girl. It was something I thought about before I was even pregnant. Since people can see right into the nursery from our entrance, we wanted to keep it from looking too babyish, but friendly enough that she would actually enjoy being in it. Once she was here, it continued to be added to.
The room started as our office, and was beige and orange, so we really had to scrap everything and start over. I had the couch recovered and organized our grown-up books into rainbow order, so they at least appear kid-friendly. I also added in some doo-dads to accent the colors (note the sparkly pink TOMS that I can't wait for her to grow into).
My color inspiration was that amazing dress that Cate Blanchett wore to the Oscars. Pale pale lavender, and pops of bright chartreuse. I picked a wall color that was basically grey but with some purple undertones, and then used chartreuse as the accents. Then, once she was born I started to add more hot pink.
The amazing Johanna Mac, of Austin, took my maternity photos, so those had to be displayed for Sadie to look at. Her daddy also wrote her emails while he was away for work, so I did a nice lay-out and printed it for above the couch. There is also a print from her "first" concert which we went to when I was 8 weeks pregnant, and had to have a souvenir for her.
Next to her crib are a few special items: her foot prints at 3 months, a collage of cards that were written to us, another mat photo and a couple other things I made.
Source List:
• Sadie Banner: Victorian Station
• Banksy print: Davey Knew
• Heart mobile: made myself
• Crib: Oeuf sparrow
• Sheets: made with Liz Scott's Sugar Pop in mod bud chartreuse
• Shag rug, white globes: Crate & Barrel
• Lamp, pillows: CB2
• Curtains, dresser, sidetable and bookshelf: Ikea
• Curtain tie-backs: Anthropologie
• Maternity photos: Johanna Mac
• Paint: Benjamin Moore in Stormy Monday
Thanks Amy!
(Images: Amy W.)
• MY ROOM ARCHIVE
• SUBMIT A BABY OR KID'S SPACE
Alex Ovechkin Watch: NHL star Alex Ovechkin has plunked...
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Trulia Insight Helps Agents Identify Quality Leads
One theme that we commonly hear from real estate professionals is a request to improve the varying quality of leads they receive from online sources. As a response to this agent need, today Trulia is proud to announce Trulia Insight, our newest product that helps agents get access to the highest quality leads on Trulia.
Trulia Insight gives real estate professionals access to valuable lead prequalification information as well as consumer home search preference data, helping them identify and convert the best leads from Trulia into transaction-ready clients. Enhanced features in the Trulia My Leads inbox enable easy lead management, such as the ability to mark leads as ‘hot’ and automatically store a lead’s information in your My Contacts address book. Additionally, one-click listing search alerts and open/click tracking help agents to follow up with clients and understand the home search preferences of their clients.
So far the results have been overwhelmingly positive. Thousands of beta testers have been using Trulia Insight and 97% percent of agents have found the additional Insight information helpful when qualifying leads and working with clients. Additionally, Insight leads from consumers are very high quality—72 percent are transaction-ready and planning to buy a home in the next six months. Benefits that agents receive from Trulia Insight include:
Identify quality leads
Trulia Insight allows agents to discover serious buyers with lead qualification data such as the consumer’s loan pre-approval status, her move timeframe, and whether or not she is currently working with an agent. This information is displayed in Trulia’s My Leads inbox where agents can prioritize and manage their most important leads by marking them as hot.
Connect with transaction-ready buyers
Trulia Insight gives agents understanding about the activity and search behavior of their leads and contacts. Agents can see how many homes the consumer is following and how many saved searches they have created on Trulia.
Share listings and view client activity
When agents stay in touch with their leads and clients using Trulia Insight, they gain a deeper understand of the homes that their clients prefer. It takes only one click to create trackable listing alerts for your clients. When your clients receive these emails, you will be able to see the homes they opened and clicked.
Currently, we are giving agents who subscribe to Trulia Pro and Trulia Local Ads free access to high quality Trulia Insight leads for a limited time. You can learn more and subscribe to Trulia Insight by visiting http://www.trulia.com/insight.
Popularity: 1% [?]Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Housekeeping: Sign Up For Curbed's Newsletter; Win Some Cool Free Stuff!
The holidays may be over, but left in their wake are mounds of swag—some of it pretty awesome—at Curbed HQ. Sign up for Curbed's House of the Day newsletter and look out for some subscriber-only intel as to how that swag may be yours. What better way to kick off 2012 than by enriching yourself with an Inbox-size portion of daily real estate and design porn, never mind by winning some free stuff? The info will be posted at random throughout the next two months, so keep an eye out for tips and clues about how to score big. (Oh, and while you're at it, follow the site on Facebook and on Twitter.)
Sign Up For Curbed's House of the Day Email:That's Rather Strange: Why are These Lamps Made from Recycled Bulbs So Expensive?
Photo: YLighting
Recycling is a noble practice, particularly when it creates something as beautiful as the Recycled Tube Light Pendant from YLighting, which is made by arranging burnt-out florescent tubes in a cylinder around halogen bulbs. Given the common materials, one would think this innovative light would be available to the masses for relatively cheap, but no, it's been sequestered away in the realm of haute design, destined for a celebrity loft rather than adding some eco-friendly cool to the average home. Why's that? Well, the price, for the smallest, one-bulb version is $1,950, and the largest, five-bulb number costs $3,000. At least the shipping is included.
· Recycled Tube Light - Pendant Light [YLighting]
Magazine Living: Spot On...
Warning Signs: High-powered British developer Nick Candy—who, along...
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[Shift In Mix] 4Q 2011 Westchester & Putnam Sales Report
Posted by Jonathan J. Miller -Thursday, January 19, 2012, 10:17 AM
1 Comment
We released our report on the Brooklyn sales market for 4Q 2011 this morning. I’ve been authoring this series for Douglas Elliman since 1994. This report is the first to provide comprehensive insight and analysis for both counties beyond standard MLS stats.
Overall Westchester price indicators were mixed while the number of sales slipped from the same period a year ago. Overall sales were up but single family sales fell 5.4%. Sales of Westchester 1 families comprised 57% of all county residential sales, their lowest market share in 30 years (as far back as the data goes). Over the last few years there have been quarters that have been close. The uptick in everything else (lower priced or rent driven) caused the low market share. Putnam showed a jump in overall sales while the price indicators were mixed.
Here’s an excerpt from the report:
The price indicators for the quarter were partially mixed partially, as a result of a significant variance caused by the surge in entry-level co-op sales. The average square footage of a residential sale was 2,082, down 2.8% from 2,143 in the same period last year. As a result of the decline in size and shift in the mix to smaller sales, the fourth quarter median sales price and average sales price were nearly identical. The median sales price of a Westchester residential sale was $525,000, up 16.7% from $450,000 in the prior year quarter. The average sales price showed the opposite trend, falling 9% to $524,722 from $576,512 in the prior year quarter.
The custom data tables are updated and ready for you to play with. The chart section on the new site remains a work in progress.
The Elliman Report: 4Q 2011 Westchester & Putnam Sales [Prudential Douglas Elliman]
The Elliman Report: 4Q 2011 Westchester & Putnam Sales [Miller Samuel]
Boosting Prices So The True Economic Recovery Can Begin
Readers suggested a topic on the latest revelations and proposals from the central bank. “Is it perhaps really true that ‘Nobody could have seen it coming’? It isn’t as though an army of gadflies didn’t try to warn the Fed about where things were headed.’ ‘Newly released transcripts of Fed meetings during Bernanke’s first year as chairman show that, among Fed officials, he often expressed the most concern about housing. But no official, according to the transcripts, recognized the extent of the damage a housing bubble would cause. A year later, the housing market’s collapse helped send the nation into its worst recession since the Great Depression.”
“In September 2006, Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, then a Fed official, expressed confidence that ‘collateral damage’ from housing could be avoided.”
A reply, “As long as the banksters have limitless QE to ward off a financial reckoning day for their fraud, hubris and avarice, Timmay’s assertion that collateral damage (for his bankster accomplices) can be averted is largely true. As far as taxpayers, savers, and our children, that’s another story entirely.”
Another added, “This to me is the saddest part of the whole story. When the bust is finally allowed to run its course, most in the populace will be unable to connect the dots. Due to the time lag in reaction to the original actions that brought us here, the current President, Congress, business and civic leaders at that point in time will be blamed and probably demonized. Some maybe even physically threatened as the true architects of this mess slink away scott-free to some Brazilian ranch to ride out any visceral reaction.”
To which was was said, “That is the game. Since you are from NY, note that we have not yet begun to pay for the retroactive public employee pension enhancements of 2000. Neither the unions nor the state legislature want any connection between that deal and rising taxes/service cuts.”
“Moreover, many CEOs who leveraged up in the 1990s were lionized, whereas those dealing with the fallout ever since are considered failures who are overpaid. The reality is they were overpaid in the 1990s, too.”
Another, “I think you are right, except that we are in busting mode and those in office are very reluctant to shatter the illusion. It’s a choice between villified now and revered later or celebrated now and vilified later.”
“Our last President impulsively said ‘This sukker’s going down’ and then his lips were sewn shut. Most people wanted to believe that the nasty bailouts would really save our sorry behinds. Isn’t working out that way. The Pres we have now just smiles and reads from the promtor. I was hoping he would go all JFK. Hasn’t happened.”
One had this, “The very fact that Bernanke was paraded around as an expert on the Great Depression, just before the collapse tells you they knew everything. The fact that Hank Paulson took the job as treasury secretary so he could cash out at the top tax free saving 200 million dollars so he could move into treasuries just before the crash tells you they knew everything that was coming. One look at where they invested would tell you if they knew what was coming.”
And finally, “Is the Fed’s White Paper proposal to use taxpayer-funded GSE losses to revitalize the housing markets merely a ploy intended to further enrich Goldman Sachs? Massive injections of printing press money could work wonders to revitalize the value of shi#@y mortgage assets.”
The Wall Street Journal. “Goldman Sachs Group Inc. recently approached the Federal Reserve Bank of New York and offered to buy a multibillion-dollar bundle of risky mortgage bonds that the Fed acquired in the 2008 bailout of American International Group Inc., according to people familiar with the matter.”
“The New York Fed responded by quietly canvassing a few securities dealers for bids on the bonds Goldman wanted to purchase, seeking competing offers to determine whether Goldman’s offer represented the best value for the bonds, the people said.”
The Sun Times. “When Charles L. Evans talks, people listen. The president and CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago recently spoke to about 200 business leaders at a presentation sponsored by the Lake Forest-Lake Bluff Rotary Club. They came to hear his personal perspectives on the current economy — and one of the topics was housing. Evans said that a more vibrant housing market is one of the key improvements needed to boost home prices and lift the overall economy.”
“He further noted that the Fed had recently been criticized by some Congressional leaders for issuing a special white paper on housing issues, which also suggested potential policy solutions. Whether perceived as contentious or not, Evans felt the paper focused needed attention on solving the distress sale crisis and improving valuations so that true economic recovery could begin.
“The National Association of Home Builders and the National Association of Realtors strongly agree with Evans and other Federal Reserve leaders, too. Both NAHB and NAR endorse specific recommendations in the above-noted white paper — such as loosening mortgage lending and refinancing criteria for credit-worthy borrowers.”
“The overall message is clear. Federal Reserve leaders know it, as do builders and Realtors. Much more must be done to solve the housing crisis — even if those solutions prove politically unpopular. ”
“By Julie Morse, a licensed Realtor in Illinois and Wisconsin.”
Judaica in Berkeley: The Judah L. Magnes Museum, an...
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On The Market: Diamond Heights: Realtor Looking For Million-Dollar Embrace On Turquoise Way
Painstakingly cared for, the home is true to its mid century beginnings. The cabinetry throughout the kitchen and baths was there from day one and is ready for its new owner to embrace or subtly move toward a newer sensibility.That's a stretch, but the house did manage to avoid being updated over the past fifty-odd years, so at least you won't have to tear out someone's else's 80's French Provincial kitchen.
The light fixtures are sweetly nostalgic, even if they lack the pedigree of this previously-covered time capsule in Nob Hill. Which sold under asking. Outside, it's very simple, almost austere, with a garage facing the street, board-and-batten siding and the entry down a wide landscaped side yard. No mention of "Eichler" in the listing (unlike so many other houses in the neighborhood) and the place is currently assessed at $109,243 for tax purposes- the annual tax bill is $1,181. Which you can expect to find hovering around $10,000 next year. City coffers applaud.
· Nob Hill: Mid-Century Chinese-American Time Capsule
· 40 Turquoise Way [Redfin]
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Retail Therapy: Marc Jacobs thinks fashion designers should...
Marc Jacobs thinks fashion designers should have good taste in architecture. In fact, he hired architect Stephan Jaklitsch to revamp the interiors of his NYC showroom "in cool aquatic blues, stony whites and glass with metallic stainless steel framing." Also, there's an "egg-shaped sculptures [...] filling in for mannequin busts, like something out of a Jetsons-inspired, futuristic dream." [WSJ]
Real Estate Sold: Zynga Founder Mark Pincus Sells His Cole Valley Home
Listed in September for $2,189,000, 1572 Shrader in Cole Valley is the smaller and less expensive abode that the Pincus clan owns. The property received no offers, so its price was reduced to $1,970,000 a month later. It's a 3-bed, 3-bath, 3-level home that Pincus purchased back in 2005 for a mind-numbing $2,850,000. Shoot forward to today and the home's been sold for $1,890,000, a $960,000 loss.
· 1572 Shrader [Redfin]
· $880,000 Loss For Zynga Founder Mark Pincus [Curbed SF]
· Zynga Founder Mark Pincus Lists Not One But Two SF Abodes [Curbed SF]
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
Reading Rates: MBA Application Survey – January 11 2012
Bedside Illumination: A Case for Task Lamps
Considering everything from quality of light to the size of your space, choosing a bedside fixture can be difficult. Task lights work well as a secondary light source, providing directional light, housed in a classic form. While they might not make sense in every bedroom or mesh with all aesthetic preferences, here are a few reasons why I'm loving task lamps.
You can ditch the separate shade. I've recently lamented with more than one person about the difficulties of finding the right lamp shade. Whether it's the color, shape or size that's slightly off, the perfect fixture rarely seems to be paired with quite the right shade for your space. Here's to eliminating that problem and going for a solution without a separate shade.
Flexible light is more versatile. Some days you want to set the mood with a diluted, up-light, and others you need a focused light for reading. Many of these fixtures can be manipulated to change the direction (and affect) of light in response to how the space is being used.
Sleek form, vast style options. Clad in antique brass, polished silver, or a bold hue, task lamps embody a range of styles. Whether you're looking for a fixture that's playful, sophisticated, architectural, vintage, or industrial, there's something for everyone. Furthermore, the geometric shape of the task lamp contrasts with the soft, more organic, contours of blankets and pillows, adding interest and balance to the bedroom.
A great choice for small spaces. If you're bedroom is small and your nightstand smaller, you probably don't want to consume all the available surface area with a lamp. Clip-on and wall mounted fixtures will free up the most space, but there are also some smaller table-top fixtures that fit the bill. The operable arm, allows for a less restrictive light source, even if the actual footprint of the fixture is small.
Do you have a favorite fixture to recommend? I'd love to know...
MORE TASK LIGHT RESOURCES ON APARTMENT THERAPY:
• Tasked with Color: 10 Boldly-hued Task Lamps
• Under $100: 5 Great Looking Task Lights
• Ten Classic Task Lamps
• Ten Awesome, Adjustable, Wall Mounted Task Lights
• Best Task Lamps Under $50
TOP ROW:
1. Kathryn Wiens/Amanda and Lincoln's Eclectic Modern Home
2. Hilda Grahnat/Hilda's Sunny Swedish Highrise
3. Jennifer Wray/Angela's Posh Pad
4. Ann Manubay, Dabney Frake/Susan and Ryan's Less-Is-More Farmhouse
5. Bethany Nauert/Michael and Benjamin's Modern Contemporary Apartment
BOTTOM ROW:
6. Bethany Nauert/Tommy and Todd's Bohemian Chic Collection
7. Ann DeOtte/Ann and Bart's Patiently Furnished Home
8. Kathleen Luttschyn/John's Artful Wicker Park Duplex
9. Abby Cook/Shannon and Dean Create a Contemporary Farmhouse
10. Bethany Nauert/ Savannah's Sophisticated Studio Apartment
So we got 2 cheap task lamps from ikea (http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/10128734/). After carefully inspecting them in the store we realized they didnt need the bases, a quick trip to the hardware store for some extra supplies and we had them mounted behind the headboard in the center. The reason for this is if someone is up late reading the light points from the middle out to the side of the bed, instead of the edge pointing in, which bothers your sleeping partner a lot less! We mounted the inline on/off switches right on the back edge of the headboard too. Its very easy to reach back and switch it on or off, and even your partners if they left it on on accident without crawling across the whole bed to their night stand. Since they are flexible you can also bend them down and you cant even see them. Great $25 solution for anyone who wants to add a bit of hidden task lighting. posted byadamwa on 01.24.12 at 05:34PM i just hung an ikea kvartal on the wall above my bed and i love it. i don't do a lot of reading at night before bed, but it's nice to have a light there that doesn't take up space on the nightstand. posted byaprildeann on 01.24.12 at 05:59PM Post a commentComment
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