Putting Aside Perfection: Letting Your Younger Kids Help

Sometimes I need to give myself a gentle reminder— if I have the time, I need to find the patience to let my kids help me when they ask. It sounds like a no-brainer, but admit it — if you're a parent, you've probably suffered from "it'd be so much easier if I could just do it myself… " Whether it's loading the dishwasher, sweeping the floor, or preparing lunch, our kids present us with a wonderful opportunity for teaching and bonding when they ask, "Can I help?"

I'm actually a little bit ashamed to admit that I ever turn my kids down when they ask to help — I'd like to imagine myself as a magazine-ready model mom, full of gentle patience and quiet instruction. But cut to a scene in everyday life, maybe a scene where I'm not quite in top form, not running on all cylinders, patience-wise — and I'm a bit more apt than I'd like to admit to turn down requests for "help." And I do mean "help" — oftentimes my three-year-old's efforts aren't exactly quick, tidy, efficient, or even moving us in the right direction. (Picture a toddler helping sweep up a pile of crumbs… concentrating hard, he deftly disperses the crumbs over a wider area than they originally covered in the first place.)

But this is where I'd like to press pause and ask myself, what's the point? If it's really to get the floor spotlessly clean, well… unless I am running a restaurant or an operating room, that can just wait for a little while. I have to remind myself that the point, the idea of it all, is to not just clean my floor but to be a parent. Be a parent while I clean my floor. Easier said than done, but here are some tips:

• Expect it to take longer. And be okay with it. Unless I'm running on a super tight schedule, I need to tell myself I can take a few minutes to help show my little one a good way to do something and watch while he tries it.

• Expect it to be done less-than-perfectly. And be okay with that, too. I can always sweep up after I graciously accept his help.

• If I really do just want to do it myself, find an alternative for the wanna-be assistant. "Yes, you can help! Here, you wipe up with this rag while I wipe up with this rag!" (I'm using cleaner, he's using water.)

• Keep my kitchen kid-help-friendly. I have all my kid cups and plates down low, in drawers, so if they want to unload the dishwasher, it's actually doable for them to tackle the kid items. It's also great to have a good stepstool on hand for the cooking helpers.

• Remember to appreciate this season of life. It sounds cliche, but these days won't last forever. In a good way and in a sentimental way. I need to remind myself to try not to take these opportunities for granted, and to take advantage of the little things when they are presented to me.

Share your stories and tips for letting young kids help out around the house!

(Image: Shutterstock)

View the original article here

Extended Unemployment: Initial, Continued and Extended Unemployment Claims January 31 2013

Sorry, I could not read the content fromt this page.Sorry, I could not read the content fromt this page.

View the original article here

The Printed Page: Inside the Stylish Brownstone of a Remodelista Co-Founder

× Like us and you'll find top breaking news in your Facebook newsfeed. Sign up for our daily email newsletter and get top stories and breaking news delivered to your inbox. Monday, February 4, 2013, by Amy Schellenbaum

Photo by William Waldron/Elle Decor

The latest issue of Elle Decor highlights the airy, classical Brooklyn brownstone that belongs to Francesca Connolly, co-founder of the design blog Remodelista. What looks to be effortless design—with a mix of vintage finds and modern shapes, 1890s molding and midcentury Eames chairs, and "modern lines, but no hard edges"—is actually carefully cultivated work by interior designer Lucien Rees Roberts and architect/renovations overlord Steven Harris. Connolly, a former textiles designer who has helped turn Remodelista into a kingpin in the home-design space, brought on this team—"I love so many things, it's too hard for me to decide on my own"—to nurture her self-proclaimed "Puritan aesthetic" in the sort of lofty space that might otherwise overwhelm minimalist design. The result? A comfortable tension between the home's bones and the restraint Connolly prefers: the living room (above) houses a midcentury Brazilian chair beside an original mantel, the dining room features a vintage crystal chandelier above pieces by Saarinen and Eames. More below.

Photo by William Waldron/Elle Decor

? The kitchen features marble tiles, custom cabinetry, and marble countertops.

Photo by William Waldron/Elle Decor

? As noted in Elle Decor, each space is characterized with "tidy lines" and luxurious fabrics. "It's like the right white shirt," Connolly says. "Timeless, crisp, respectful, and it fits my family and my life perfectly."

Photo by William Waldron/Elle Decor

· Outside influences: Remodelista's Francesca Connolly at Home [Elle Decor]
· All The Printed Page posts [Curbed National]

View the original article here

And the Winner Is...: Yesterday we asked you which glassy...

× Like us and you'll find top breaking news in your Facebook newsfeed. Sign up for our daily email newsletter and get top stories and breaking news delivered to your inbox. Wednesday, January 30, 2013, by Sally Kuchar

? Back to top

? Previous: Merchants Made the Money Back in the Day

View the original article here

Heather's Bold & Blissful Bozeman Home — House Tour

Designer: Heather Chontos
Location: Way out in the middle of nowhere Montana, near Bozeman/Belgrade
Size: 3,000 square feet
Years lived in: Owned since the 1970s

We'd be lying if we said we didn't have a bit of a crush on artist and stylist Heather Chontos. It was sparked when we first saw her paintings, cemented when we featured her Brooklyn apartment last year, and has taken off again after seeing this recently renovated 1970s seasonal home for a hip couple that Heather has infused with special design touches and filled with her art.

As we saw in her Brooklyn home, Heather's style involves a soft touch, an eclectic array of influences, and a look that's equal parts comfy hipster cabin and cool artsy loft. She brought that style and more to her friends' Montana home.

Strong patterns create a sense of continuity between spaces, and earthy colors pull your eye through the house. No one style rules, and Heather's ability to mix 70s architecture with 80s fixtures and vintage and modern furniture is inspiring, to say the least. Lessons to take from this space? Don't be afraid to mix vintage farmhouse chic pieces with modern art and trendy patterns. Do create meaningful vignettes and lovely stacks of things. Do incorporate window coverings that are hand painted. Don't worry about "matching" and you'll end up with a unique, authentic space!

Apartment Therapy Survey:

My Style: A good solid mix of new and old, eclectic. This house was challenging — when I first saw it, it was very outdated. It had wall-to-wall carpet and bright yellow wood paneling. The brick was not even nice brick, and the layout and structure is sprawling.

Inspiration: I wanted to take what this house was in the 70s and keep its obvious Montana influence while taking it to a new level with lots of color and organic influences. The surrounding landscape in all its mountainous glory was my inspiration here. I wanted to make it cozy and fun! I love Sawkille — Jonah Meyer is amazing and everything he makes is beautiful: artwork, furniture, everything! My old boss Min Hogg is the founder and previous editor of The World of Interiors magazine in London, and she was and is always my biggest inspiration as an artist and designer.

Favorite Element: I love the open floor plan and all the windows in this house.

Biggest Challenge: A lot of carpet. We got some great floors installed by Lumber Liquidators, a beautiful hardwood maple, and painted the sunken living room floor too, but there is still a lot of carpet. It gets pretty cold in Montana, so I had to keep some of the carpet. I loved the old-school design of some of it, and kept that part as homage to the house's original date of birth.

Biggest Embarrassment: Again the carpet—

Favorite DIY element: The flooring — it transformed the space!

Biggest Indulgence: Art. And I always try and find statement pieces to wow people, whether it be antique or new.

Best Advice: Don't over-think buying things that you love. Make them work and love them in your space.

Resources of Note:

APPLIANCES
• They are all old; we are replacing them with Maytag appliances.

FURNITURE
• From everywhere, but have a new favorite company in Minneapolis: Loll Designs, really cool shapes, love the colors too.

ACCESSORIES
• Milk Farm Road
• Sawkille
• Elephant Ceramics

LIGHTING
• Good old fashioned 1980s lighting

PAINT
• Sherwin Williams

WINDOW TREATMENTS
• Made by Heather Chontos

FLOORING
• Serena and Lily
• Rugs from West Elm

ARTWORK
• Heather Chontos

BEDS
• All vintage

Thanks, Heather!

(Images: Heather Chontos)

• HOUSE TOUR ARCHIVE: Check out past house tours here.
• Interested in sharing your home with Apartment Therapy? Contact the editors through our House Tour Submission Form.
• Are you a designer/architect/decorator interested in sharing a residential project with Apartment Therapy readers? Contact the editors through our Professional Submission Form.

View the original article here

S&P/Case-Shiller: November 2012

Sorry, I could not read the content fromt this page.Sorry, I could not read the content fromt this page.

View the original article here

[International Story] 4Q 2012 Miami Sales Report

Posted by Jonathan Miller - Saturday, January 12, 2013, 8:46 PM

We published our report on the Miami sales market for 4Q 2012.   This is part of an evolving market report series I’ve been writing for Douglas Elliman since 1994.

Key Points

SALES SURGE – Sales were up sharply from a year ago, the highest fourth quarter in at least 6 years.
FALLING INVENTORY – Listing inventory fell sharply. Low or negative equity holding back supply in addition to higher sales activity.
SMALLER DISTRESSED SALES SHARE – 40.2% market share of distressed sales (REO+Short Sales) lowest share in 3 years.
DEMAND DRIVERS – International buyers continued to play a key role in demand. Record low mortgage rates as well.
HIGH END MARKET RISING WITH ENTIRE MARKET – Luxury market price trends rising consistent with gains in overall market.

Here’s an excerpt from the report:

…The market pace within Miami’s coastal communities continued to quicken in the fourth quarter. Distressed sale market share and listing inventory continued to fall, prices trended markedly higher, properties sold faster with less negotiability, and international buyers continued to play a key role in demand.

All price indicators posted large increases from year ago levels; median sales price jumped 27.3% to $210,000, average sales price surged 27.8% to $402,626, and average price per square foot increased 21.5% to $260. A portion of these substantial gains was attributable to the continued decline in market share of lower priced distressed sales, which fell to a 3-year low at 40.2%. However, the average sales price of non-distressed condo and single-family sales still jumped 16.6% above prior year levels…

You can build your own custom data tables on the Miami sales market – now updated with 4Q 12 data. I’ve also updated the charts on the Miami sales market.

The Elliman Report: 4Q 2012 Miami Sales [Miller Samuel]
The Elliman Report: 4Q 2012 Miami Sales [Douglas Elliman]

View the original article here

Take My Money!

Readers suggested these weekend topics. “How about a blog topic called ‘Take My Money!’ wherein we tell stories about the crazy behavior we’ve seen at open houses?”

Another, “How about the widespread misrepresentation of housing demand? Demand is at 16 year lows while the excess empty inventory is still… well… empty. And there are millions upon millions of them.”

And finally, “Does anyone else (besides me) have documentary evidence that high-end home prices are falling in your area? Here is an example of a high-end La Jolla home that Zillow claims dropped in value by over $1,000,000 over the last month. Check out the price history at the bottom of this post. There is something mighty strange about the way La Jolla properties are priced!”

The State. “The housing market in South Carolina ended 2012 in surefire recovery mode. Buyers, drawn in by a year of historically low interest rates and an improving economy, snapped up homes in the Columbia area at the fastest pace since 2009, when sales were artificially inflated by an $8,000 federal home buyer’s tax credit. ‘Barring any weird stuff coming out of Washington, it looks like we’ve created (a good environment for a real estate recovery),’ said Nick Kremydas, executive director of the S.C. Realtors trade group.”

“With the steady growth in the housing market in 2012, Kremydas upgraded the recovery from ‘weak’ to ‘fragile.’”

The Norwich Bulletin. “Local foreclosures continued to rise last year amid a statewide surge in home sales that one agency called the biggest turnaround in New England. Statewide foreclosure filings were up 48.44 percent last year to 16,747. Filings in New London County and Windham County last year were 1,323 and 721, respectively, RealtyTrac said. Local foreclosure problems are not expected to subside for another year, Eastern Connecticut Association of Realtors CEO John Bolduc said. But that isn’t preventing the sales surge, he noted.”

“Real estate investors and property ‘flippers’ are active in Connecticut, which helped explain the increase in multi-family prices, said Lou Mira, broker/owner of RE/MAX Premier in West Hartford.”

Oregon Public Broadcasting. “New numbers show that Bend’s housing market just had its best year since the collapse of the housing bubble. It’s not just sales that have gone up. Prices, too, are increasing. Michael Warren, president of Central Oregon Association of Realtors, says right now inventory is tight, meaning buyers don’t have a lot to choose from. ‘It wasn’t that long ago where buyers would see a house and it would be on the market for six months, so they’re not too worried about it,’ says Warren. ‘And now, if it was in their price range you’re telling them, ‘Look, you need to make an offer,’ and by the time they do it they’re either in a multiple offer or they’re already pending.’”

From WQOW TV. “Wisconsin’s housing market is mounting a comeback with encouraging signs from 2012’s Annual Realtors Report. Take Eau Claire County for example, the median price of a home was up more than $2,000. Good news for sellers, but buyers might need to get a move on to move in on a good deal. ‘If they’re going to get in with these low interest rates, now is the time to do it before the prices suddenly go back up again,’ says Economics Lecturer at UW-Stout Richard Postlewaite.”

The Mercury News. “According to a recent survey, California sellers are certainly not as optimistic about future home prices as are the state’s home buyers. Findings from the California Association of Realtors’ 2012 California Home Seller Survey show only one in five sellers believe that home prices will rise in 10 years, while 12 percent say home prices will rise in five years, and only 9 percent believe prices will rise in a year.”

“The home seller survey is quite a contrast to the state group’s survey of home buyers that found nearly three-fourths of buyers think home prices will rise in 10 years. In that survey, findings showed 73 percent of buyers believe prices will rise in 10 years; 41 percent say prices will increase in five years; and 25 percent believe prices will rise in a year.”

“‘Momentum on the seller’s side is not as high as on the buyer’s side,’ says Carolyn Miller, president of the Silicon Valley Association of Realtors. ‘Sellers are not yet motivated enough to put their homes on the market.’”

“‘In contrast to record high housing affordability and record low financing rates experienced by home buyers in 2012, the real estate market looked quite different from sellers’ perspectives,’ says Don Faught, the state group president. ‘The last few years have been extremely difficult for many homeowners, which may indicate why more than twice as many sellers (74 percent) considered strategic default in 2012 than last year, reflecting homeowners’ hardships in a difficult economic environment.’”

“Consistent with recent U.S. Census data, sellers moved out of California in record numbers in 2012. Forty-four percent of sellers moved out of state, the highest in the survey’s history. Leading destination states include Florida, Texas and North Carolina. Only 30 percent of transactions closed escrow on time, down from 40 percent in 2011 and the lowest level since 2004, with buyer financing issues as the main reasons for the delay. Homes fell out of escrow an average of nearly three times (2.9) before closing, with 61 percent of sellers reporting their home fell out of escrow at least three times.”

The Miami Herald. “‘Among all US metropolitan areas, Florida had seven areas that were in the top 10 in the country,’ for foreclosures, said Amy Baker, chief economist for the Legislature.”

“The number of foreclosure filings rose by more than 53 percent in Florida last year, giving the Sunshine State the highest foreclosure rate in the nation. On average, it takes about 850 days for a foreclosure to run its course in Florida, according to a report released by Baker’s office A high rate of long-term unemployment, a tight credit market and off-peak home values are contributing to state’s mortgage delinquency problem, Baker said.”

“A ‘faster foreclosures’ bill filed earlier this month aims to speed up the state’s sluggish home-repossession process. Currently, there are more than 300,000 homes in foreclosure and at least 285,000 foreclosure filings are expected in fiscal year 2013-2014, according to the Office of Economic and Demographic Research.”

Go Local Worchester. “Over 17,000 foreclosure petitions, the first step in the foreclosure process in Massachusetts, were filed in 2012, an increase of more than 35 percent from the 12,634 filed in 2011, according to a new report from real estate publisher The Warren Group. Despite the sizable increase in foreclosure starts, however, the number of completed foreclosures decreased by nearly 13 percent last year to 7,424, compared to 8,531 in 2011. The Warren Group said that petition levels were decreased dramatically for much of 2011 as banks slowed down foreclosure processes.”

“‘As the amount of available inventory continues to shrink, watch for a gradual appreciation in median home prices in the second half of 2013 as the market begins to shift from a buyer’s market to a balanced market which favors both the buyer and the seller,’ said Dan Breault, Executive VP of RE/MAX of New England.”

The Vancouver Sun. “There is no real estate bubble in Vancouver and markets will remain stable in 2013 — as long as interest rates remain low, immigration targets are met and Europe’s economy doesn’t melt down, a panel of real estate developers told more than 1,100 real estate professionals, business leaders and B.C. politicians. Colin Bosa, CEO of Bosa Properties, said he believes people — and their money — from China will continue to flow into B.C. because they want to invest outside China and they want their children to grow up in North America.”

“Two things that could stop the flow of people from China in to British Columbia would be a recession or a change to Canadian immigration policy, Bosa said. ‘If you buy good real estate at fair prices, you can’t go wrong,’ Bosa said.”

“‘I think this is the year that the fear factor goes away,’ said Eric Carlson, CEO of Anthem Properties. ‘U.S. unemployment will go down to 6.5 per cent this year, while U.S. gross domestic product will be trending towards three per cent by the end of the year,’ Carlson said, adding that he thinks 2013 is a good time to buy real estate. ‘I don’t think there is a bubble at all.’”

The Standard. “China Vanke chairman Wang Shi said mainland home prices are high and he sees bubbles forming. ‘The bubble must be controlled, or both the real estate market and domestic economy will be jeopardized,’ the boss of the world’s largest developer by turnover warned.”

“He stressed that prices now are a ‘bit extraordinary and high,’ likely due to speculative activities. Vanke set a global record last year, selling new homes worth 141.2 billion yuan (HK$175.9 billion). Mainland new home prices rose for the seventh month in a row in December, according to Soufun. Wang blamed limited investment channels for increased speculative activities in the mainland property market. On whether continued urbanization would prove lucrative for the property sector, a cautious Wang said: ‘There won’t be another investment boom in real estate.’”

View the original article here

Constuction Spending: December 2012

Sorry, I could not read the content fromt this page.Sorry, I could not read the content fromt this page.

View the original article here

Should We Adjust Housing For Inflation?

Posted by Jonathan Miller - Monday, February 4, 2013, 1:27 PM

[click to expand]

I’ve inflation-adjusted housing in some of my charts but it always felt like a double dip since housing is a huge component (42%) of the measurement of inflation.

The issue came up again with last week’s excellent WSJ article on our Manhattan housing figures – adjusted for inflation, housing prices were equivalent to 2004 levels and not adjusting for inflation brought prices to 2006-2007 levels. So I reached out to my friend Jed Kolko, the Chief Economist and Head of Analytics at Trulia who had some thoughts about the issue.

[Jonathan] Is it appropriate to inflation adjust housing prices? I don’t see this done all that often and always wondered if it was appropriate since housing prices (i.e. rental equivalent) are a huge part of the inflation calc?

[Jed] You’re right, that housing prices are an important part of inflation, so it’s a little odd to deflate housing prices by a measure that includes housing prices.

[Jonathan] So when would it be appropriate?

[Jed] The context when it does make sense to inflation-adjust housing prices is when looking over a very long time horizon – like decades – when dollars clearly meant something different than today. In particular, analyses of home prices versus price changes of other assets (like equities) are often (and should be) inflation adjusted in order to show the real return on investment.

[Jonathan] So when would it not be appropriate?

[Jed] The context when it’s definitely not appropriate is when comparing home prices across different cities/metros/regions. Measures of local inflation are hugely driven by home prices, and even local differences in the prices of other things, like restaurant meals or haircuts, are driven largely by local differences in real estate costs. Inflation-adjusting when comparing local home prices is a case of dividing something by itself. The better way to compare housing prices across metros relative to spending power is to divide home prices by income or wages. I did exactly that in this post, as a measure of affordability.

View the original article here

Then & Now: From Whale Mansion To Mega Tower

× Like us and you'll find top breaking news in your Facebook newsfeed. Sign up for our daily email newsletter and get top stories and breaking news delivered to your inbox. Friday, February 1, 2013, by Alex Bevk

Public spaces change fast here in San Francisco, and for better or worse, it can be pretty crazy when you see what the City used to look like. Every week, we'll bring you Then & Now, a comparison of historic photos of the Bay Area with current views from the same perspective. Have a suggestion for a photo comparison that looks totally different (or shockingly the same)? Drop us a tip in the Curbed Inbox or leave a comment after the jump.

Quick note: See that vertical green bar in the middle of the then and now photos? You can move it horizontally to see the photos side by side.

[Then photo: SAN FRANCISCO HISTORY CENTER, SAN FRANCISCO PUBLIC LIBRARY/ Now photo: Ian Brown]

We didn't touch on historic whale Adolph Sutro this week since we've covered his land holdings so much in the past, but one lesser-known whale mansion was constructed by his heirs. Hint: it used to be where a very famous tower now stands.

Built in the 1930's by Adolph Sutro's grandson, Adolph Gilbert Sutro, the house was for him and his mother. Sutro Jr. was a daredevil, working at some point for the Wright Brothers, and the first pilot's license in the U.S. for a water plane. Known as La Avanzada, the house had lots of stained glass windows, tiled fireplaces, and giant wood beams. The Sutros lived there until 1948 when the house and surrounding land was sold to the American Broadcasting Company for $125,000 as a site for their new television station transmitter site, with a 580 ft tower.

The base of the Sutro Tower under construction, Sutro Mansion in the background, 1971 [Photo: Sutro Tower]

The mansion served as the broadcasting studios until 1953, when it became the equipment facility. Broadcasters felt a new tower with a stronger signal was needed, and they decided to build the now-iconic 977 ft tower on the mansion site. Part of the agreement with the city was to remove the house, since they considered it a fire hazard and was already a favorite for vandals. All that remains now is one of the stained glass window rescued from the Mansion's library.

Sutro Tower [Photo: Bhautik Joshi]

· Sutro Tower and Mount Sutro [Sutrotower.org]
· Sutro Tower to Replace Historic Mountain Villa [Oakland Tribune]
· History of Sutro Tower [Sutro Tower]

View the original article here

Whale Week 2013: The Agency's Mauricio Umansky on the Whale Realty Game

× Like us and you'll find top breaking news in your Facebook newsfeed. Sign up for our daily email newsletter and get top stories and breaking news delivered to your inbox. Thursday, January 31, 2013, by Rob Bear

The Carolwood Estate in Holmby Hills; Mauricio Umansky

Los Angeles-area broker Mauricio Umansky—yes, he of Real Housewives fame—has handled some of the largest property transactions in Southern California in recent years and tackled a few high-priced properties that well, let's say, required some finesse. But you don't get to be the number one broker in Los Angeles by shying away from a challenge, particularly when whale-sized amounts of money are involved. Curbed asked the ever tight-lipped Umansky—who is the founder and CEO of L.A.'s The Agency—for some insight on the business and the wants and needs of his high-end clientele.

Photo: The Mapleton Estate, listed for $29.95M

? The Mexican-born Umansky came to the United States when he was just six years old and, with a lifelong interest in "architecture and sales," followed his father, Eduardo, into the real estate business. Father and son worked alongside one another at storied L.A. agency Hilton & Hyland, before partnering with Prudential vets Billy Rose and Blair Chang to form The Agency. Umansky says he sought out the duo because he "knew that Billy and Blair were at the top of their game in the architectural brokerage world and were both #1 at Prudential."

Maloof Manor

? But what of the brokerage whale's appearance on Bravo's reality hit, The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills? Umansky says "it has neither helped nor hurt my business. If anything, it's helped bring more exposure to me and The Agency." That said, he can't be too disappointed with landing the listing for Real Housewife Adrienne Maloof's over the top mansion in the Holmby Hills. Listed for $26M, the 20,000-square-foot personal palace/TV set sold after a month on the market for just shy of $20M. Those listings that required finesse, yes, this is one of them.

The Carolwood Estate

? Umansky is known for his discretion, at least off-screen, and is happy to keep his trap shut when it comes to celebrity home sales. He wouldn't comment on the Carolwood Estate, a massive mansion built by billionaire Gabriel Brener on land that previously belonged to Walt Disney. Shielding sky-high asking prices behind "Price Upon Request" is commonplace—the Brener place is said to be asking $90M and The Agency won't comment on that either—but Umansky says, "privacy is definitely important," but the real goal is "ultimately achieving the highest and best possible price."

The Agency handles so many high-value estates that we thought it not unlikely that a jet-setting billionaire had purchased a whale-worthy mansion sight unseen. Alas, "we have not had the fortune of selling a $20M+ house sight unseen," says Umansky, "however, we've had multiple homes over $20M that sold just after one showing."

Asked if he'd ever fielded any odd requests from clients, Umansky says, "I wouldn't consider any of my clients requests particularly peculiar." But that might just be because he is accustomed to supplying them with what he calls "white-glove service," which includes "helping and serving our clients with many of their personal needs such as private chefs, private jets, tickets to sporting events, among other things." You know, just the basics, or, at least, maybe the "basics" for Barry Bonds, who is said to be the owner of a $25M estate that was just listed by The Agency. Of course, when asked about the property, a rep from The Agency had this to say: "I, nor anyone at The Agency, have anything to share or confirm with respect to this listing." Maybe privacy is the secret, after all.

· Mauricio Umansky [The Agency]
· Real Housewife Adrienne Maloof Lists Hideous Faux Chateau [Curbed National]
· Over-the-Top Mansion on Disney's Last Property Asks $90M [Curbed National]
· Real Housewife Adrienne Maloof Lists Hideous Faux Chateau [Curbed National]
· 'Real Housewife' Maloof Sells Hideous Chateau for $20M [Curbed National]
· Slugger Barry Bonds Lists Pumped Up L.A. Pad for $25M [Curbed National]

View the original article here

What Are You On? Lance Armstrong and Power of Marketing

Posted by Jonathan Miller - Sunday, January 20, 2013, 11:33 AM

By now I think most of us have been nearly worn out by all the coverage of the “Doprah” interview last week with the play by play daily snippets leaked before the interview actually aired.

I won’t pontificate because there is plenty of that. I just want to show you the 30 second video I’ve watched hundreds of times for inspiration since it aired a decade ago. While he’s never been my “hero,” he has been an inspiration. The video takes on a whole new meaning now.

View the original article here

The Inside Scoop on Selling a House Through a 1031 Exchange

One of the best parts about working at Trulia is actually helping people find their dream homes. Every day, we hear from users who share success stories that are just too good to keep to ourselves. That’s why we’re kicking off the “My Trulia Success” program, where we’ll highlight a couple of users each month and share their Trulia experience –giving you even more inside scoop.

Our first user is Candy Mitchell from the Bay Area. She and her husband recently sold their San Francisco-based investment home via a 1031 exchange. For those who don’t know, when you sell a house through a 1031 exchange, you’ve got 45 days to roll your proceeds over to another property—otherwise, Uncle Sam will get you. Once you identify the next home you wish to invest in, you’ve got another 180 days to close.

Candy and her husband listed their home, and it sold after just one open house. They closed escrow the middle of November, but that’s when things got sticky. Because they only had 45 days to buy a new home, Candy started to worry. “I shifted in to panic mode,” she said. “Trulia was my source and I was looking and looking.” She downloaded other apps too but wasn’t impressed, “I tried other apps, but Trulia was too good to switch. It’s just easier to use.”

After weeks of looking for another home to invest in, they finally found the one that met their criteria. “I found the right house on Trulia before our realtor did, and I was having inspections even before she saw it.”

Because Candy lives in San Anselmo, CA—a suburb of San Francisco—she isn’t too familiar with the ins and outs of San Francisco neighborhoods. Using the map boundary feature on Trulia’s iPad app, she was able to learn more about the different communities within the city. From there, she used “inside scoop” map features to ensure the house was located right where it needed to be.

We’re excited to share Candy’s story with you and are looking forward to telling you how other users are using Trulia to find a place to live. If you’re a fan of Trulia and want to share your story, please email us at MyTruliaSucess@trulia.com.

Author information not available.

View the original article here

Getting In On The Action

The Birmingham News reports from Alabama. “There are signs that a housing recovery could be around the corner for Alabama. But could the debt currently being accrued by college students get in the way? In Alabama, 54 percent of college graduates left school with at least some student debt in 2011. The average debt load for Alabama graduates in that year was $25,192, just slightly less than the national average, according to The Project on Student Debt. ‘Higher student loan debt can inhibit sales, particularly with starter homes,’ said Steve Fleming, senior VP at Birmingham-based National Bank of Commerce. ‘If starter homes lag, that causes a ripple effect in the market that prevents current owners from moving up.’”

“Ronnie Bell, a 2008 graduate from Auburn University, confirms that outstanding student loan debt balances are impacting his and his peers’ home-buying plans. And in some cases, those outstanding balances are having a strange effect — motivating some recent graduates to go back to school. By entering into a graduate program, recent grads are often able to defer payments on their existing debt. If payments are deferred for 24 months or more, the existing accounts no longer count toward a loan applicant’s debt-to-income ratio, Bell explains.”

“It’s not a solution for every prospective home buyer, though. ‘It’s really hard,’ Bell says, ‘and you have to be able to make payments [on deferred loans] to get ahead.’”

The Morning News in South Carolina. “Numbers released last month show that the Greater Pee Dee area was a standout in the state’s recovering real estate picture with increased home prices, increased listings and a tightening supply. Despite record low mortgage rates, around 3.4 percent for 30-year fixed mortgages, Forrest Stanley, chairman of the Pee Dee Realtor Association Board, said in a note to realtors that government regulations from the Dodd-Frank Act and Consumer Protection Act, both spawned from the economic crisis, could impact housing this year.”

“‘Dodd-Frank was created to address abuses in the industry,’ Stanley said. ‘While realtors recognize the need for additional regulation, regulators must avoid adopting unrealistic requirements that will affect homeowners and potential buyers, as well as do harm to the recovering housing market.’”

The Sun News in South Carolina. “Michael Atwood, broker in charge for Coldwell Banker Chicora Real Estate’s office in North Myrtle Beach, said the low interest rates now are helping fuel buying. He said rates in the 2004-2006 boom were from 6.5 percent to 7.5 percent. Today, they’re half that and mean that people can buy more expensive homes than if the rates were higher. ‘People who can afford a $100,000 house now can buy a $140,000 house,’ he said.”

“But banks remain skittish about mortgage lending, and Atwood believes that depresses the local market by as much as 15 percent. He said current bank caution about loans mean there’s a 20 percent fallout, where potential buyers don’t buy because they can’t get loans. ‘We traditionally never had more than 3, 4, 5 percent fallout,’ he said.”

The Sun Sentinel in Florida. “Q: With home prices increasing lately, I am hearing more about people ‘flipping’ properties again. How do I get in on the action? – Anonymous. A: Flipping is a perfectly legitimate business – as long as you aren’t lying to a lender about your intentions or otherwise scamming the system. A prospective buyer’s lender may have requirements that the investor (you) own the property for a certain period of time or that the increase in the resale price not exceed a certain ratio. For these reasons, most flips involve an end buyer paying cash. And cash buyers usually are experienced, so you could be stuck with the home for a long time if you don’t purchase it at the right price.”

The Palm Beach Post in Florida. “Palm Beach County’s condominium and townhome prices edged up in December, ending the year at their highest level in 12 months as inventory dropped, investors bought in bulk and developers hurried plans for new communities. Real estate experts say the condo market is exceedingly attractive to investors, who can rent out units and rely on associations to maintain the property.”

“In December, 79 percent of condo sales in Palm Beach County were cash deals — typically a sign of an investor purchase. Cash was used to pay for about 50 percent of Palm Beach County single-family homes bought in December. Palm Beach billionaire Jeff Greene is responsible for taking hundreds of units off the market in recent months. The Related Group took over control of Boynton Beach’s 14-story Promenade condominium in December and plans to market the estimated 300 unsold units to South American and Canadian investors.”

“Brian Saver, a West Palm Beach-based broker, said investors buying today are doing so when the market is on the upswing and that some of his clients who bought earlier are already cashing out with decent returns. One investor he works with bought several downtown West Palm Beach condo units for $100,000, rented them out, and recently sold them for about $150,000. ‘We’ve done that over and over again,’ Saver said.”

The Miami Herald in Florida. “Six Florida cities rank among the best places to buy foreclosures in 2013, according to RealtyTrac. The No. 12 ranking for the metropolitan area of Miami, Fort Lauderdale and Pompano Beach was based on the area having a 29-month supply of foreclosures, with foreclosures accounting for 28.7 percent of all sales during 2012. The average price discount on a foreclosed home in the Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach area was 31 percent in 2012, when foreclosure activity rose 36 percent from a year earlier, RealtyTrac said.”

“Anthony Askowitz, a broker with RE/MAX Advance Realty II in Miami, said the reality of the foreclosure market is more nuanced than such statistics suggest. ‘The inventory of foreclosures on the market is very low. It’s highly competitive right now for a foreclosure or a property put out as a quote ‘good deal,’ Askowitz said. ‘Multiple offers is the norm.’”

The Herald Tribune in Florida. “The RealtyTrac report indicates the surge in new defaults that rocked the area’s court system last year is likely to continue through at least 2013. ‘We’re going to start to see a lot more foreclosure sales,’ said Jack McCabe, a housing consultant in Deerfield Beach, who studies the Sarasota market closely. ‘There’s just so much hidden inventory. The banks were holding onto these as long as they could.’”

“That uptick could bring relief for an overall housing inventory in Southwest Florida starving for more listings to meet buyer demand. But it also will keep downward pressure on prices, while fueling the foreclosure backlog of 16,446 pending cases in the local court system — a clog estimated to take four years to clear, records show.”

The Orlando Sentinel in Florida. “Merritt Island real estate agent Lynn Jones said her office has not seen an abundance of foreclosure sales — but said that is likely to change. Jones said agents in her ERA Showcase Properties office typically get a request once a week for a broker’s price opinion on a foreclosed property. But in just the past week, Jones said, agents have been getting as many as 15 such requests a day. ‘That shows that they’re going to be opening up that pipeline with more foreclosure listings,’ she said.”

From Florida Today. “Danita Bell, an agent with Re/Max Beach Towne in Melbourne, said there are pockets of foreclosed properties in Brevard that are becoming eyesores. ‘It’s a bit of a Catch-22,’ said Bell, who specializes in foreclosed and short-sale properties. ‘The banks don’t want the homes to go into disrepair. They want to be able to sell them again. But until they take full possession, there’s not much they can do.’”

The Florida Current. “Flanked by Senate President Don Gaetz and House Speaker Will Weatherford, Attorney General Pam Bondi on Thursday reaffirmed her commitment to see all of the money from a multistate settlement with five large banks. After the press conference, Weatherford suggested some of the money could be used to pay for more judges to handle foreclosure cases. Although Florida has funded pay for retired judges to help clear foreclosure cases over the last two years, no new judgeships have been created in six years. The Florida Supreme Court is asking legislators to add 63 new judgeships this year.”

“‘I think it very well could (go to new judges). We all know that there’s a backlog, it still takes over 800 days to go through the mortgage foreclosure process in Florida. That’s one of the highest in the country. We should be ashamed of that; we need to fix that,’ Weatherford said.”

“Chief state economist Amy Baker said the amount of foreclosures, the lengthy process to move homes back into the market and the large ’shadow inventory’ of distressed homes yet to become foreclosures will continue to weigh down Florida’s housing market until 2016. ‘It’s not just the foreclosures, the 300,000 or so that are in the pipeline right now, it’s those that haven’t yet our official data that we’re concerned about.’”

The Tampa Bay Times in Florida. “Only 55 percent of the 167,000 Floridians who were foreclosed on between 2008 and 2011 have filed claims under a $25 billion settlement reached with big banks, Attorney General Pam Bondi said Friday. And efforts to gin up more responses, including paying nearly $200,000 for operators to call people directly, have still netted a response rate lower than the national average.”

“‘What happens if you’ve had your house foreclosed on and you get a letter from the bank? You’re going to toss it, probably, not thinking it’s good news,’ said Bondi.”

“Unresponsive homeowners, attorneys said, could be racked by ‘borrower fatigue’ under an avalanche of bills and bank mailings. Others may simply question the effort. Thousands of Floridians who sought similar relief from the Independent Foreclosure Review were told last month that their submissions would be discarded in favor of an $8.5 billion settlement with flat payouts. Banks could also share some blame for the tepid response. More than 300 Floridians have filed complaints over issues with the broader settlement, a monitor said in November.”

“That month, Tampa Heights homeowner Candace Savitz, 59, received a settlement letter from Bank of America and was told she had two weeks to respond. Frantic to make the deadline, she called more than 30 times before she heard an answer and was able to apply. In the weeks since, though, she said she has been run through a maze of contradictory answers and redundant requests for paperwork, with no loan relief yet to show. She worries now that the bank will tell her she does not qualify or is out of luck.”

“‘They act like they’re doing you such a big favor,’ she said. ‘It’s just a big dog-and-pony show. … I’m not optimistic. Not anymore.’”

View the original article here

Craigslist Chorales: Say hello to Craigslist Housing Horror...

× Like us and you'll find top breaking news in your Facebook newsfeed. Sign up for our daily email newsletter and get top stories and breaking news delivered to your inbox. Monday, February 4, 2013, by Sarah Firshein

? Back to top

? Previous: See What Martyn Lawrence Bullard Did to Elton's New Pad

? Next: Eight Awesome Chairs Made From Champagne-Bottle Parts

View the original article here

But What About the Craft Fairs?!: Last week the Planning Commission continued...

× Like us and you'll find top breaking news in your Facebook newsfeed. Sign up for our daily email newsletter and get top stories and breaking news delivered to your inbox. Thursday, January 31, 2013, by Sally Kuchar

? Back to top

? Previous: The City's Most Luxurious Spas; 300 Ivy Update; Greening Downtown Berkeley; More!

? Next: Really Expensive Furniture; Housing for Homeless Vets; Robots Will Soon Take Over Golden Gate Bridge; More!

View the original article here

Whale Week 2013: Do check out the Whale Week...

× Like us and you'll find top breaking news in your Facebook newsfeed. Sign up for our daily email newsletter and get top stories and breaking news delivered to your inbox. Thursday, January 31, 2013, by Sally Kuchar

View the original article here

[Tax Planning on Steroids] 4Q 2012 + 2003-2012 Hamptons/North Fork Decade Reports

Posted by Jonathan Miller - Friday, January 25, 2013, 12:08 PM

[click to open reports]

We published our 4Q 2012 reports for both The Hamptons and North Fork. Since this was the final quarter of 2012, we also released our Hamptons/North Fork Decade report, a ten year moving window data compendium of the Hamptons/North Fork market from 2003-2012

This is part of an evolving market report series I’ve been writing for Douglas Elliman since 1994.

Key Points

HAMPTONS 4Q 2012

Most fourth quarter sales and lowest level of inventory in 6 years.
Highest average sales price in 7 years, skewed by high end market strength.
Days on market expanded as older listings were absorbed due to lack of supply.
Credit remains tight as economy slowly improves.
Inventory falling – low to negative equity, no urgency to list.
Sales rising as record low mortgage rates create demand.
A release in pent-up demand from election year and “fiscal cliff” concerns over rising taxes.over rising taxes.

NORTH FORK 4Q 2012

Inventory at lowest level in four years.
Sales rising from record low mortgage rates and pent-up demand.
Credit remains tight as economy slowly improves.
Inventory falling – low to negative equity, no urgency to list.

HAMPTONS/NORTH FORK 2003-2012

Median sales price up 31.9% over decade.
Average sales price nearly doubled, reflecting emphasis on luxury market over the decade.
Number of sales 20.4% less than in 2003.
Days on market 2 months slower than in 2003.

Here’s an excerpt from the 4Q 2012 report:

HAMPTONS…The final quarter of the 2012 Hamptons housing market was characterized by unusually heavy sales volume and falling inventory, which both hit 6-year highs and lows, respectively. The strength at the upper end of the market continued to skew the overall price indicators higher, while the pace of the market accelerated and older listing inventory was more readily absorbed…

NORTH FORK…The fourth quarter 2012 North Fork housing market was marked by upward price pressure, falling inventory, rising sales and a faster pace than we had seen in the same quarter a year ago. The price gains were weighted towards the end of 2012, as falling inventory provided buyers with fewer options and record low mortgage rates fostered additional affordability…

You can build your own custom data tables on the market – now updated with 4Q 12 and annual 2003-2012 data. I’ll post the updated charts soon. In the meantime you can browse our chart library.

The Elliman Report: 4Q 2012 Hamptons Sales [Miller Samuel]
he Elliman Report: 4Q 2012 North Fork Sales [Miller Samuel]
The Elliman Report: 2003-2012 Hamptons/North Fork Decade [Miller Samuel]
The Elliman Report: 4Q 2012 Hamptons Sales [Douglas Elliman]
The Elliman Report: 4Q 2012 North Fork Sales [Douglas Elliman]
The Elliman Report: 2003-2012 Hamptons/North Fork Decade [Douglas Elliman]
Market Chart Library [Miller Samuel]
Aggregated Custom Market Data Tables [Miller Samuel]

View the original article here

PM Linkage: The City's Most Luxurious Spas; 300 Ivy Update; Greening Downtown Berkeley; More!

× Like us and you'll find top breaking news in your Facebook newsfeed. Sign up for our daily email newsletter and get top stories and breaking news delivered to your inbox.

View the original article here

The 4Q12 Miami Housing Market Translated: Economics, Spanish & Portuguese

Posted by Jonathan Miller - Saturday, February 2, 2013, 10:20 PM

South Florida-based Douglas Elliman has translated the 4Q 2012 Elliman Report: Miami Sales that I prepare (I only took high school French) to Spanish and Portuguese, reflective of the significant demand from South Americans.

Elliman Report: Miami Sales (Spanish) | Elliman Report: Miami Sales (Portuguese)

[click to open reports]

Elliman Report: Miami Sales (Spanish) 4Q 2012 [Douglas Elliman]
Elliman Report: Miami Sales (Portuguese) 4Q 2012 [Douglas Elliman]
Elliman Report: Miami Sales (English) 4Q 2012 [Douglas Elliman]

View the original article here

Bits Bucket for January 29, 2013

Post off-topic ideas, links, and Craigslist finds here. And check out Chomp, Chomp, Chomp by a regular poster!

View the original article here

Before & After: Jenny's Dresser-Turned-Media Storage Makeover — January Cure Reader Projects

Before & After: Jenny's Dresser-Turned-Media Storage Makeover January Cure Reader Projects | Apartment Therapy MainStyleDIYHomekeepingFamilyTechRenovatingShoppingEntertaining The Kitchn Login Before & After: Jenny's Dresser-Turned-Media Storage Makeover January Cure Reader Projects

If you struggled with cord control during the January Cure, take a cue from Jenny. She and her boyfriend turned this old dresser into a chic cabinet that keeps the game systems, media equipment, and cords contained. 

We love the fresh navy paint and shiny new hardware, but the real transformation is in the functionality:

From Jenny:

Our goal was to find a piece of furniture to add storage under our TV to house our entertainment electronics, cords and other odds and ends that didn't yet have a home. Unfortunately we didn't take pictures of the process, but I can certainly describe what we did. 

We started by removing the original handles and patching the holes left behind on the six bottom drawers with slices of dowels and a bit of wood glue. Next we gave the piece a quick sanding and three fresh coats of navy blue paint. We purchased and attached two sets of new handles and pulls.

We converted the top two drawers into shelves with false-fronts by resting fitted pieces of masonite (had them cut at Home Depot) on the wood rails/drawer supports. The only tricky part of the project was attaching the false drawer fronts with hinges and magnetic latches, which required some trial and error (and patience!) to get them to match up correctly with the body of the dresser. We also had trouble finding hinge screws that were short enough to not pierce the front of the drawer face (note the shims between the screw heads and back of the drawer face). Luckily, they are hidden away and no one will notice. We easily completed the project over the course of one weekend and were quite pleased with the outcome!

Thanks, Jenny!

(Images: Jenny Nelson)

19 comments02.05.13 10:00AMTara BellucciCategories:Main,Tech,DIY,Before & After,Budget Living,Painting,Reader Submissions Comments (19) Smart! Love the navy paint.

posted by Cleogrrl on 02.05.13 at 10:29AM Way better. I'm doing the same to a buffett I purchased off of craig's list. Nice to upcycle rather than toss. Bravo.

posted by LyonStill on 02.05.13 at 10:34AM Neat idea!

posted by Susan1981 on 02.05.13 at 10:39AM Very spiffy. Love the blue.

posted by medusa12120 on 02.05.13 at 10:40AM nice hack

posted by ec05 on 02.05.13 at 10:43AM Small spaces can kill game systems and etc. (especially Xboxes!) so always remember to install ventilation! I've seen a lot of people stick old computer fans in their furniture to help with exactly this problem. If you can't deal with fans, I'd at least cut open as much of the back off as possible without compromising the furniture strength and keep the dresser a good bit away from the wall to encourage air flow.

If you're going to have the drawer fronts open a lot of the time to operate the systems too, it might be fun to paint or paper the insides with some really cool pop of color too. :)

I love the white knobs. I hope the old hardware was in good enough shape to keep for another project someday - it looks fun too.

posted by Kaete on 02.05.13 at 10:51AM @Kaete Absolutely agree about the inside of the drawer fronts. Crisp white would look stellar!

posted by kayeu on 02.05.13 at 10:57AM Great choice of colour! And I love the mismatched handles. I've done a similar project recently with a bedroom dresser bought for $150 at an auction house. Took everything to convince my man to go with a coral colour... it looks great in our master.... he admits it ;)

posted by bgcreations on 02.05.13 at 10:57AM Great job. Smart color choice.

posted by thorndale on 02.05.13 at 11:35AM I love what you did with the video game drawers!

posted by cdeaton on 02.05.13 at 11:44AM My husband put his foot down when I suggested something like this or us. The systems overheating is too great a risk, as Kaete mentioned. Still, for a simple DVD player and cable box they'd be awesome!

posted by DovieAnn on 02.05.13 at 11:54AM I love this idea!

posted by pixiedust03 on 02.05.13 at 12:05PM Like the paint but wish the original handles had been kept!

posted by Sammystyle on 02.05.13 at 12:07PM Thanks for the comments everyone! We had a great time with this project and it made an awesome capstone to our January Cure.

@Kaete @DovieAnn I take your point about overheating my xbox, especially since we keep the drawer closed when in use, maybe installing something decorative on the side (http://tinyurl.com/afphvtc) would be a good workaround?

@Kayeu, @Kaete I agree that white would make the inside pop, maybe that'll be a target for phase 2...

Oh, and @SammyStyle, we've got the original handles set aside for a future project. Want em?

-(The Aformentioned Boyfriend)

posted by Swatters42 on 02.05.13 at 12:18PM Very nice - the blue is fantastic.

posted by Mary E. on 02.05.13 at 12:49PM We just did something similar to our tv cabinet (with lots of ventilation holes!) Finished the blog post today - it goes up tomorrow morning at 1500sqft.com! ...I do love that blue finish btw!

posted by Kate from 1500sqft on 02.05.13 at 12:58PM cool!!!

posted by nycgreenmomma on 02.05.13 at 01:13PM I think that grill would help a lot, and be a really cool accent piece to the furniture to boot. :)

posted by Kaete on 02.05.13 at 03:58PM Swatters 42 - the grill is a great idea, as long as there's nothing next to this furniture that would block air flow. Until you get it installed, though, I wouldn't play the Xbox with the drawers closed. It will overheat and shut down in a matter of hours.

I say that from unfortunate experience :|

posted by jancola on 02.05.13 at 06:04PM Apartment TherapyThe Homies 2013The January CureToursApartmentKidsHouseWorkspaceRoomsBathroomBedroomDining RoomEntrywayKitchenLiving RoomOutdoor SpacePlayroomNursery & KidsHome OfficeGarageStorage & ClosetsProjectsHow ToBefore & AfterCraftingDecoratingRenovating ProjectsPaintingGardeningCustomizingOrganizingCleaningSpace PlanningTips & TechniquesWoodworkingReusingUpholsteryKids CraftsLife at HomeBudget LivingLuxury LivingPets at HomeHealthy LivingSmall SpacesSetting Up HomeEntertaining at HomeParentingMindful LivingGreen LivingRenters SolutionsDecor StylesHappy ModernEclectic CollectorNew TraditionalSimple ChicWarm IndustrialOrganic ModernClassic GlamDramatic ModernBefore & AfterSmall SpacesGood QuestionsBudget LivingGreen LivingVideoProductsAppliancesFurniture & AccessoriesGarden SupplyHardware & MaterialsHomekeeping & CleaningHome TechToys & GearLocalUSAustinBostonChicagoLos AngelesNew YorkPhiladelphiaPortlandSan FranciscoSeattleWashington DCInternationalCanadaEnglandFranceHollandItalyClassifiedsAll CategoriesTop PostsYOLO: The Renter's EditionBest Home Design & Inspiration Blog Before & After: Richard's Toronto Studio Redesign Before & After: IKEA Lack to Faux Gator Coffee Table Before & After: Joellyn's Grandma Kitsch to Modern Kitchen New ToursHeather's Bold & Blissful Bozeman Home Glory's Sweet, Simple Space Chris Barrett Design's Creativity Warehouse Courtney & Michael's Scandinavian Comfort Stella's Peach & Gray Handmade Room See more toursEmail UpdatesSubmit a StoryGot a tip, home tour, or other story our readers should see?

Tell us about itFollow UsFollow on Pinterest@AptTherapyLike us on FacebookRSS FeedSee more optionsRead Our BooksGood Food to Share (2010)The Big Book of Small, Cool Spaces (2010)Apartment Therapy Presents (2008)The Eight-Step Home Cure (2006) Maxwell Ryan’s Daily FindHiroshima Sofa by N...The Seablanket by V...Pomegranate Glasses...Go to Apartment Therapy Marketplace Saving the world, one room at a time About Us Our Team Contact Us Email Updates Apartment Therapy Top Posts YOLO: The Renter's EditionBest Home Design & Inspiration Blog Before & After: Richard's Toronto Studio Redesign Before & After: IKEA Lack to Faux Gator Coffee Table Before & After: Joellyn's Grandma Kitsch to Modern Kitchen New Tours Heather's Bold & Blissful Bozeman Home Glory's Sweet, Simple Space Chris Barrett Design's Creativity Warehouse Courtney & Michael's Scandinavian Comfort Stella's Peach & Gray Handmade Room The Kitchn Top Posts Happy World Nutella Day! 10 Recipes to CelebrateHow To Cook Perfect Steak in the Oven How to Cook Rice on the StoveHow to Bake a Potato: Three Easy MethodsHow To Cook Fluffy, Tasty Quinoa New Recipes Recipe: Baba Ghanoush (Eggplant Dip) How to Make Creamy Stovetop Polenta Appetizer Recipe: Roasted Feta Cheese with Fig-Thyme Compote Slow Cooker Recipe: Cheesy Panade with Swiss Chard, Beans & Sausage Classic Dessert Recipe: French Silk Pie © 2013 Apartment Therapy Advertising Jobs Legal Privacy Policy Comment Policy Sponsored Posts $(function() { var comments = new Community.Views.Comments.CommentsView({ el: $("#comments"), commentable_id: Community.Config.commentable_id, commentable_site: Community.Config.commentable_site, commentable_type: Community.Config.commentable_type, commentable_title: Community.Config.commentable_title, comments: [{"id":"1689707","user_id":"267557","body":"Smart! Love the navy paint.","commentable_id":"183704","commentable_title":"Before & After: Jenny's Dresser-Turned-Media Storage Makeover January Cure Reader Projects","commentable_site":"apartmenttherapy","commentable_url":"http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/before-amp-after-jennys-dresserturnedmedia-storage-january-cure-reader-projects-183704","deleted":"f","anonymous_display_name":null,"created_at":"2013-02-05T15:29:58Z","updated_at":"2013-02-05T15:29:58Z","commentable_type":"MovableTypePost","spam_status":"not spam","ancestry":null,"user_display_name":"Cleogrrl","commentable_title_text":"Before & After: Jenny's Dresser-Turned-Media Storage Makeover January Cure Reader Projects"},{"id":"1689712","user_id":"297345","body":"Way better. I'm doing the same to a buffett I purchased off of craig's list. Nice to upcycle rather than toss. Bravo.","commentable_id":"183704","commentable_title":"Before & After: Jenny's Dresser-Turned-Media Storage Makeover January Cure Reader Projects","commentable_site":"apartmenttherapy","commentable_url":"http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/before-amp-after-jennys-dresserturnedmedia-storage-january-cure-reader-projects-183704","deleted":"f","anonymous_display_name":null,"created_at":"2013-02-05T15:34:48Z","updated_at":"2013-02-05T15:34:48Z","commentable_type":"MovableTypePost","spam_status":"not spam","ancestry":null,"user_display_name":"LyonStill","commentable_title_text":"Before & After: Jenny's Dresser-Turned-Media Storage Makeover January Cure Reader Projects"},{"id":"1689718","user_id":"253844","body":"Neat idea!","commentable_id":"183704","commentable_title":"Before & After: Jenny's Dresser-Turned-Media Storage Makeover January Cure Reader Projects","commentable_site":"apartmenttherapy","commentable_url":"http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/before-amp-after-jennys-dresserturnedmedia-storage-january-cure-reader-projects-183704","deleted":"f","anonymous_display_name":null,"created_at":"2013-02-05T15:39:39Z","updated_at":"2013-02-05T15:39:39Z","commentable_type":"MovableTypePost","spam_status":"not spam","ancestry":null,"user_display_name":"Susan1981","commentable_title_text":"Before & After: Jenny's Dresser-Turned-Media Storage Makeover January Cure Reader Projects"},{"id":"1689719","user_id":"35789","body":"Very spiffy. Love the blue.","commentable_id":"183704","commentable_title":"Before & After: Jenny's Dresser-Turned-Media Storage Makeover January Cure Reader Projects","commentable_site":"apartmenttherapy","commentable_url":"http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/before-amp-after-jennys-dresserturnedmedia-storage-january-cure-reader-projects-183704","deleted":"f","anonymous_display_name":null,"created_at":"2013-02-05T15:40:12Z","updated_at":"2013-02-05T15:40:12Z","commentable_type":"MovableTypePost","spam_status":"not spam","ancestry":null,"user_display_name":"medusa12120","commentable_title_text":"Before & After: Jenny's Dresser-Turned-Media Storage Makeover January Cure Reader Projects"},{"id":"1689721","user_id":"77985","body":"nice hack","commentable_id":"183704","commentable_title":"Before & After: Jenny's Dresser-Turned-Media Storage Makeover January Cure Reader Projects","commentable_site":"apartmenttherapy","commentable_url":"http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/before-amp-after-jennys-dresserturnedmedia-storage-january-cure-reader-projects-183704","deleted":"f","anonymous_display_name":null,"created_at":"2013-02-05T15:43:22Z","updated_at":"2013-02-05T15:43:23Z","commentable_type":"MovableTypePost","spam_status":"not spam","ancestry":null,"user_display_name":"ec05","commentable_title_text":"Before & After: Jenny's Dresser-Turned-Media Storage Makeover January Cure Reader Projects"},{"id":"1689730","user_id":"30024","body":"Small spaces can kill game systems and etc. (especially Xboxes!) so always remember to install ventilation! I've seen a lot of people stick old computer fans in their furniture to help with exactly this problem. If you can't deal with fans, I'd at least cut open as much of the back off as possible without compromising the furniture strength and keep the dresser a good bit away from the wall to encourage air flow.

If you're going to have the drawer fronts open a lot of the time to operate the systems too, it might be fun to paint or paper the insides with some really cool pop of color too. :)

I love the white knobs. I hope the old hardware was in good enough shape to keep for another project someday - it looks fun too.","commentable_id":"183704","commentable_title":"Before & After: Jenny's Dresser-Turned-Media Storage Makeover January Cure Reader Projects","commentable_site":"apartmenttherapy","commentable_url":"http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/before-amp-after-jennys-dresserturnedmedia-storage-january-cure-reader-projects-183704","deleted":"f","anonymous_display_name":null,"created_at":"2013-02-05T15:51:09Z","updated_at":"2013-02-05T15:51:09Z","commentable_type":"MovableTypePost","spam_status":"not spam","ancestry":null,"user_display_name":"Kaete","commentable_title_text":"Before & After: Jenny's Dresser-Turned-Media Storage Makeover January Cure Reader Projects"},{"id":"1689735","user_id":"349047","body":"@Kaete Absolutely agree about the inside of the drawer fronts. Crisp white would look stellar!","commentable_id":"183704","commentable_title":"Before & After: Jenny's Dresser-Turned-Media Storage Makeover January Cure Reader Projects","commentable_site":"apartmenttherapy","commentable_url":"http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/before-amp-after-jennys-dresserturnedmedia-storage-january-cure-reader-projects-183704","deleted":"f","anonymous_display_name":null,"created_at":"2013-02-05T15:57:08Z","updated_at":"2013-02-05T15:57:08Z","commentable_type":"MovableTypePost","spam_status":"not spam","ancestry":null,"user_display_name":"kayeu","commentable_title_text":"Before & After: Jenny's Dresser-Turned-Media Storage Makeover January Cure Reader Projects"},{"id":"1689736","user_id":"499971","body":"Great choice of colour! And I love the mismatched handles. I've done a similar project recently with a bedroom dresser bought for $150 at an auction house. Took everything to convince my man to go with a coral colour... it looks great in our master.... he admits it ;)","commentable_id":"183704","commentable_title":"Before & After: Jenny's Dresser-Turned-Media Storage Makeover January Cure Reader Projects","commentable_site":"apartmenttherapy","commentable_url":"http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/before-amp-after-jennys-dresserturnedmedia-storage-january-cure-reader-projects-183704","deleted":"f","anonymous_display_name":null,"created_at":"2013-02-05T15:57:46Z","updated_at":"2013-02-05T15:57:46Z","commentable_type":"MovableTypePost","spam_status":"not spam","ancestry":null,"user_display_name":"bgcreations","commentable_title_text":"Before & After: Jenny's Dresser-Turned-Media Storage Makeover January Cure Reader Projects"},{"id":"1689769","user_id":"87480","body":"Great job. Smart color choice.","commentable_id":"183704","commentable_title":"Before & After: Jenny's Dresser-Turned-Media Storage Makeover January Cure Reader Projects","commentable_site":"apartmenttherapy","commentable_url":"http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/before-amp-after-jennys-dresserturnedmedia-storage-january-cure-reader-projects-183704","deleted":"f","anonymous_display_name":null,"created_at":"2013-02-05T16:35:05Z","updated_at":"2013-02-05T16:35:05Z","commentable_type":"MovableTypePost","spam_status":"not spam","ancestry":null,"user_display_name":"thorndale","commentable_title_text":"Before & After: Jenny's Dresser-Turned-Media Storage Makeover January Cure Reader Projects"},{"id":"1689779","user_id":"346565","body":"I love what you did with the video game drawers!","commentable_id":"183704","commentable_title":"Before & After: Jenny's Dresser-Turned-Media Storage Makeover January Cure Reader Projects","commentable_site":"apartmenttherapy","commentable_url":"http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/before-amp-after-jennys-dresserturnedmedia-storage-january-cure-reader-projects-183704","deleted":"f","anonymous_display_name":null,"created_at":"2013-02-05T16:44:20Z","updated_at":"2013-02-05T16:44:20Z","commentable_type":"MovableTypePost","spam_status":"not spam","ancestry":null,"user_display_name":"cdeaton","commentable_title_text":"Before & After: Jenny's Dresser-Turned-Media Storage Makeover January Cure Reader Projects"},{"id":"1689789","user_id":"185037","body":"My husband put his foot down when I suggested something like this or us. The systems overheating is too great a risk, as Kaete mentioned. Still, for a simple DVD player and cable box they'd be awesome!","commentable_id":"183704","commentable_title":"Before & After: Jenny's Dresser-Turned-Media Storage Makeover January Cure Reader Projects","commentable_site":"apartmenttherapy","commentable_url":"http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/before-amp-after-jennys-dresserturnedmedia-storage-january-cure-reader-projects-183704","deleted":"f","anonymous_display_name":null,"created_at":"2013-02-05T16:54:29Z","updated_at":"2013-02-05T16:54:29Z","commentable_type":"MovableTypePost","spam_status":"not spam","ancestry":null,"user_display_name":"DovieAnn","commentable_title_text":"Before & After: Jenny's Dresser-Turned-Media Storage Makeover January Cure Reader Projects"},{"id":"1689801","user_id":"63717","body":"I love this idea!","commentable_id":"183704","commentable_title":"Before & After: Jenny's Dresser-Turned-Media Storage Makeover January Cure Reader Projects","commentable_site":"apartmenttherapy","commentable_url":"http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/before-amp-after-jennys-dresserturnedmedia-storage-january-cure-reader-projects-183704","deleted":"f","anonymous_display_name":null,"created_at":"2013-02-05T17:05:12Z","updated_at":"2013-02-05T17:05:12Z","commentable_type":"MovableTypePost","spam_status":"not spam","ancestry":null,"user_display_name":"pixiedust03","commentable_title_text":"Before & After: Jenny's Dresser-Turned-Media Storage Makeover January Cure Reader Projects"},{"id":"1689804","user_id":"454578","body":"Like the paint but wish the original handles had been kept!","commentable_id":"183704","commentable_title":"Before & After: Jenny's Dresser-Turned-Media Storage Makeover January Cure Reader Projects","commentable_site":"apartmenttherapy","commentable_url":"http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/before-amp-after-jennys-dresserturnedmedia-storage-january-cure-reader-projects-183704","deleted":"f","anonymous_display_name":null,"created_at":"2013-02-05T17:07:29Z","updated_at":"2013-02-05T17:07:29Z","commentable_type":"MovableTypePost","spam_status":"not spam","ancestry":null,"user_display_name":"Sammystyle","commentable_title_text":"Before & After: Jenny's Dresser-Turned-Media Storage Makeover January Cure Reader Projects"},{"id":"1689823","user_id":"501938","body":"Thanks for the comments everyone! We had a great time with this project and it made an awesome capstone to our January Cure.

@Kaete @DovieAnn I take your point about overheating my xbox, especially since we keep the drawer closed when in use, maybe installing something decorative on the side (http://tinyurl.com/afphvtc) would be a good workaround?

@Kayeu, @Kaete I agree that white would make the inside pop, maybe that'll be a target for phase 2...

Oh, and @SammyStyle, we've got the original handles set aside for a future project. Want em?

-(The Aformentioned Boyfriend)","commentable_id":"183704","commentable_title":"Before & After: Jenny's Dresser-Turned-Media Storage Makeover January Cure Reader Projects","commentable_site":"apartmenttherapy","commentable_url":"http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/before-amp-after-jennys-dresserturnedmedia-storage-january-cure-reader-projects-183704","deleted":"f","anonymous_display_name":null,"created_at":"2013-02-05T17:18:06Z","updated_at":"2013-02-05T17:18:06Z","commentable_type":"MovableTypePost","spam_status":"not spam","ancestry":null,"user_display_name":"Swatters42","commentable_title_text":"Before & After: Jenny's Dresser-Turned-Media Storage Makeover January Cure Reader Projects"},{"id":"1689866","user_id":"492212","body":"Very nice - the blue is fantastic.","commentable_id":"183704","commentable_title":"Before & After: Jenny's Dresser-Turned-Media Storage Makeover January Cure Reader Projects","commentable_site":"apartmenttherapy","commentable_url":"http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/before-amp-after-jennys-dresserturnedmedia-storage-january-cure-reader-projects-183704","deleted":"f","anonymous_display_name":null,"created_at":"2013-02-05T17:49:00Z","updated_at":"2013-02-05T17:49:00Z","commentable_type":"MovableTypePost","spam_status":"not spam","ancestry":null,"user_display_name":"Mary E.","commentable_title_text":"Before & After: Jenny's Dresser-Turned-Media Storage Makeover January Cure Reader Projects"},{"id":"1689873","user_id":"414985","body":"We just did something similar to our tv cabinet (with lots of ventilation holes!) Finished the blog post today - it goes up tomorrow morning at 1500sqft.com! ...I do love that blue finish btw!","commentable_id":"183704","commentable_title":"Before & After: Jenny's Dresser-Turned-Media Storage Makeover January Cure Reader Projects","commentable_site":"apartmenttherapy","commentable_url":"http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/before-amp-after-jennys-dresserturnedmedia-storage-january-cure-reader-projects-183704","deleted":"f","anonymous_display_name":null,"created_at":"2013-02-05T17:58:31Z","updated_at":"2013-02-05T17:58:31Z","commentable_type":"MovableTypePost","spam_status":"not spam","ancestry":null,"user_display_name":"Kate from 1500sqft","commentable_title_text":"Before & After: Jenny's Dresser-Turned-Media Storage Makeover January Cure Reader Projects"},{"id":"1689890","user_id":"243396","body":"cool!!!","commentable_id":"183704","commentable_title":"Before & After: Jenny's Dresser-Turned-Media Storage Makeover January Cure Reader Projects","commentable_site":"apartmenttherapy","commentable_url":"http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/before-amp-after-jennys-dresserturnedmedia-storage-january-cure-reader-projects-183704","deleted":"f","anonymous_display_name":null,"created_at":"2013-02-05T18:13:05Z","updated_at":"2013-02-05T18:13:06Z","commentable_type":"MovableTypePost","spam_status":"not spam","ancestry":null,"user_display_name":"nycgreenmomma","commentable_title_text":"Before & After: Jenny's Dresser-Turned-Media Storage Makeover January Cure Reader Projects"},{"id":"1690064","user_id":"30024","body":"I think that grill would help a lot, and be a really cool accent piece to the furniture to boot. :)","commentable_id":"183704","commentable_title":"Before & After: Jenny's Dresser-Turned-Media Storage Makeover January Cure Reader Projects","commentable_site":"apartmenttherapy","commentable_url":"http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/before-amp-after-jennys-dresserturnedmedia-storage-january-cure-reader-projects-183704","deleted":"f","anonymous_display_name":null,"created_at":"2013-02-05T20:58:27Z","updated_at":"2013-02-05T20:58:27Z","commentable_type":"MovableTypePost","spam_status":"not spam","ancestry":null,"user_display_name":"Kaete","commentable_title_text":"Before & After: Jenny's Dresser-Turned-Media Storage Makeover January Cure Reader Projects"},{"id":"1690172","user_id":"32423","body":"Swatters 42 - the grill is a great idea, as long as there's nothing next to this furniture that would block air flow. Until you get it installed, though, I wouldn't play the Xbox with the drawers closed. It will overheat and shut down in a matter of hours.

I say that from unfortunate experience :|","commentable_id":"183704","commentable_title":"Before & After: Jenny's Dresser-Turned-Media Storage Makeover January Cure Reader Projects","commentable_site":"apartmenttherapy","commentable_url":"http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/before-amp-after-jennys-dresserturnedmedia-storage-january-cure-reader-projects-183704","deleted":"f","anonymous_display_name":null,"created_at":"2013-02-05T23:04:20Z","updated_at":"2013-02-05T23:04:20Z","commentable_type":"MovableTypePost","spam_status":"not spam","ancestry":null,"user_display_name":"jancola","commentable_title_text":"Before & After: Jenny's Dresser-Turned-Media Storage Makeover January Cure Reader Projects"}] }); comments.render(); comments.refresh(); });(function(d, s, id) { var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0]; if (d.getElementById(id)) return; js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id; js.src = "//connect.facebook.net/en_US/all.js#xfbml=1"; fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs);}(document, 'script', 'facebook-jssdk')); var _comscore = _comscore || []; _comscore.push({ c1: "2", c2: "14868646" }); (function() { var s = document.createElement("script"), el = document.getElementsByTagName("script")[0]; s.async = true; s.src = (document.location.protocol == "https:" ? "https://sb" : "http://b") + ".scorecardresearch.com/beacon.js"; el.parentNode.insertBefore(s, el); })(); (function(s, p, d) { var h=d.location.protocol, i=p+"-"+s, e=d.getElementById(i), r=d.getElementById(p+"-root"), u=h==="https:"?"d1z2jf7jlzjs58.cloudfront.net" :"static."+p+".com"; if (e) return; e = d.createElement(s); e.id = i; e.async = true; e.src = h+"//"+u+"/p.js"; r.appendChild(e);})("script", "parsely", document);

View the original article here

Home Builders Turn to Rental Apartments

"This increase in new construction is congruous with the strength in market fundamentals - strong performance is serving as a catalyst for new development," said Ryan Severino of Reis Inc. "If anything the amount of new completions that have been delivered up to this point is low relative to the strength of the apartment market. "

There were just over 200,000 multi-family housing starts in 2012, according to the U.S. Commerce Department, far lower than the annual average of 340,000 over the past decade.

"We are still woefully short of what's going to be coming in terms of demand," says Buck Horne, a housing analyst at Raymond James. "Lennar is going where the demand is going to be. They're going where they know they can make money."

Lennar has positioned itself with offices in Atlanta, Charlotte, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Miami, Orange County, San Francisco and Seattle, all markets where apartment demand is high, despite a recovery in the housing market.

"You've got to be very selective about your locations," warns Miller. "We stay pretty thoughtful about where there are imbalances and too much building going on. This is not a market where you can start building any place."

Miller is not concerned with competition from investors in the single family rental market, again focusing on location as his leg up. A lot of the foreclosed properties being absorbed by hedge funds and the like are not concentrated in the top markets targeted by Lennar. They are either inner city or third-level suburban, according to Miller.

Expanding household formations, coupled with credit and down payment-challenged new home buyers will benefit the rental sector for the foreseeable future. Many renters will eventually move to home buying, especially as their families expand. For Lennar, getting those potential buyers into a Lennar rental can only benefit the builder in the future.

"In many instances, the very first introduction to housing is through rentals and through branding and knowing consumers. Being there gives us a leg up and advantage in terms of new home sales later," says Miller.

View the original article here

Whale Week 2013: Curbed's Whale of the Day: Roman Abramovich

× Like us and you'll find top breaking news in your Facebook newsfeed. Sign up for our daily email newsletter and get top stories and breaking news delivered to your inbox. Friday, February 1, 2013, by Rob Bear

Background photo: Pichugin Dmitry/Shutterstock. Abramovich: Northfoto/Shutterstock.

Of all the rich Russians to emerge from the post-Cold War turmoil, Roman Abramovich isn't the wealthiest, but he is among the most publicly profligate. Between Chelsea F.C., the top British soccer club he acquired in 2003 for $220M, a huge art collection, a veritable fleet of yachts, and a host of luxury properties spread across the world, Abramovich is probably the ultimate whale. The 46-year-old who started off selling stolen gasoline under Soviet rule now commands a property portfolio that would make even an Ellison blush.

? A longtime resident of Moscow, Abramovich began his international property collection with the purchase of the Fyning Hill estate, outside of London, in 1999. Set on 420-acres of English countryside, the estate cost approximately $19M and once belonged to the late King Hussein of Jordan, who sold the property after a multimillion-dollar jewelry heist in the mid-'90s. In the early aughts, Abramovich expanded the estate to include "a bowling alley, an indoor swimming pool, a gym, a family room, a sauna, a steam room, and a plant room." That was in addition to the existing seven-bedroom mansion, two polo fields, a 100-horse stable, tennis court, rifle range, and go-kart track. The only trouble is, Abramovich lost this pet project to his ex-wife Irina in their 2007 divorce.

? No matter, though, as Roman has more where that came from. In 2000, the billionaire scooped up the Chateau de la Croë, on the highly desirable Cap d'Antibes, along the French Riviera. Built for an aristocratic British family in 1927, it was purchased by the Duke of Windsor, the former King Edward VIII, and he and his wife set about renovating it in sumptuous style. In 1952, the property passed to Greek shipping tycoon Stavros Niarchos, but was gutted by fire in the 1980s. No word on how much Abramovich paid, but storied mansions in this part of the world don't come cheap.

? Lest the U.S. feel neglected by Roman's largesse, the Russian swooped in to pay $36.4M for a 200-acre estate in Snowmass, Colo., built by medical tech CEO Leon Hirsch. The swooping modern mansion at the center of the estate boasts 14,300 square feet and 11 bedrooms, and best of all for a transcontinental buyer, came completely outfitted with custom furnishings. Since 11 bedrooms weren't quite enough for Abramovich and his entourage, he also paid another $11.8M for a ski-in, ski-out mansion on the slopes of Snowmass ski resort.

? In 2009, Abramovich continued his string of top-dollar purchases by dropping a whopping $90M to acquire the 70-acre Gouverneur Beach estate on the jet-set Caribbean island of St. Barths. The stunning beachfront property was formerly owned by software millionaire Jeet Singh, who had been living on the island part-time since 2000 and who told the Wall Street Journal that he "didn't lose too much" on the transaction. The $90M sale price was the highest worldwide in 2009, but apparently Singh plunged millions into creating the Balinese-style private resort.

? By 2011, Abramovich was ready to expand drastically in London. He paid Belgian-born hedge funder Pierre Legrange $90M for his massive mansion in Kensington Palace Gardens (above). This all while refitting a combination of former flats on Lowndes Square in Knightsbridge into a $200M mega-mansion. When complete the combination mansion will have 30,000 square feet of luxe interiors, including three underground stories, an indoor pool, two elevators, a cinema room, spa, and four staff flats in a mews-side garage in the rear.

· The Roman Empire [WSJ]
· All Whale Week 2013 posts [Curbed National]

View the original article here

New Home Sales: December 2012

Sorry, I could not read the content fromt this page.Sorry, I could not read the content fromt this page.

View the original article here

Can the Super Bowl Save the Planet?

Opower found that energy usage in the U.S. drops by more than five percent during the Super Bowl and as much as 7.5 percent during the half-time show, even though it would take 10 coal-fired power plants to fire all the televisions being watched.

The theory is that people stop doing all the other household, energy-sucking, activities, like laundry, during the game, and they also congregate in one space, leaving lights off throughout the rest of the home. People also attend Super Bowl parties at each other's homes, leaving their own homes powered down. Last year the Super Bowl saved the homeowners a collective three million dollars in energy costs.

That's all very interesting, but how does that help you save money on your energy bill?

(Read More: Why Cold Weather Super Bowl Could Be a Financial Boon)

"What Opower does is we work with utilities across the globe to take boring energy data and turn it into interesting insights into people's energy usage and use those insights to communicate to consumers and to change their behavior," says Alex Laskey, president and founder of Opower.

(Read more: For Super Bowl Ads, It's Go Viral or Go Home)

Opower works with 83 utilities, helping their 50 million customers save money on their home energy bills. They say they will help Americans save over $200 million in the next twelve months, about half of what the solar energy industry saves U.S. homeowners each year. Laskey describes how:

"So instead of a bill that comes at the end of the month that is frustrating and confusing because it's high, and it's too late to do anything about it, you get a proactive alert that might come in text message or a phone call. It says, you know what, it's only a week into the month, but you're on track for a bill that's 40 percent higher than your typical bill, and here are the things you ought to do to make sure you don't have the high of a bill at the end of the month."

Customers will never know these insights come from Opower, because the utilities paying for the information brand it as their own. Whatever the messenger, the message is simple: Studying consumer behavior can help change consumer behavior. That is more important than ever as technology increasingly drives society.

Social media, as much as it connects us ideologically, separates us physically. Just knowing that when we do get together physically, for an event like the Super Bowl or otherwise, we are saving energy, might just change some of our behavior going forward.

Every little bit helps the planet.

(Read more: 12 Unusual Super Bowl Bets)

View the original article here

PM Linkage: Advertising Your Sublet; Sutro Sam's Popularity; Los Angeles Gets Itself a Parklet; More!

× Like us and you'll find top breaking news in your Facebook newsfeed. Sign up for our daily email newsletter and get top stories and breaking news delivered to your inbox.

View the original article here

Historic Whales: Just How Rich Were Those Whales?

× Like us and you'll find top breaking news in your Facebook newsfeed. Sign up for our daily email newsletter and get top stories and breaking news delivered to your inbox. Friday, February 1, 2013, by Alex Bevk

If you thought the Silicon Valley folks were rolling in dough, those guys have nothing on the original Bay Area whales. From railroads to mining to merchants, the historic money makers of yore dominated the west, and had the luxurious spreads to prove it.

This past week we looked at the massive spreads of historic railroad, mining, and merchant whales. Sure their houses were bigger than anything being built today, but just how rich were these guys? Let's break it down in today's dollars.

In a list of the 30 richest Americans of all time:

#17: James G. Fair (1831-1894) – $49.2 Billion
#28: Collis Potter Huntington (1821-1900) – $36 Billion
#30: James C. Flood (1826-1889) – $34 Billion

The other folks weren't struggling too much either:
Mark Hopkins: $450M
Charles Crocker: $7-10B
Leland Stanford: $1.3B
Claus Spreckels: $15B

Looks like the key to making billions in olden-days San Francisco was gutsy real estate investments, and some killer facial hair.
[Whale photos: SAN FRANCISCO HISTORY CENTER, SAN FRANCISCO PUBLIC LIBRARY]

· Merchants Made the Money Back in the Day [Curbed SF]
· Mining Millionaires Collected Mega Mansions [Curbed SF]
· Railroad Whales Were Richer Than You Could Ever Hope to Be [Curbed SF]

View the original article here

Having Fits With Appraisal In Home Buying Process

Posted by Jonathan Miller - Sunday, January 13, 2013, 9:27 PM

The New York Times Real Estate goes gonzo this weekend with a nice write-up AND a large color artwork on perhaps the least understood part of the home buying process.

No not the radon test…

The appraisal. Can’t live with them, can’t live without them.

Here’s my stream of consciousness on the topics brought up in the article:

“Sale and “Comparable” are not interchangeable terms. Really.There is no ratings category for (like totally) “super excellent.” The checkboxes provide good average fair poor with “good” at top end (but fear not, “super excellent” is marked “good” and like total adjusted for).Not all amenity nuances that are important to you as a seller (ie chrome plated doorknobs), are important to the buyer.Not all amenity nuances that are important to you as a seller, are measurable in the market given the limited precision that may exist.Not all appraisers have actually been anywhere near your market before they were asked to appraise your home, so technically they shouldn’t be called appraisers. Since their clients don’t seem too concerned about this, something like “form-filler” seems more appropriate.Most appraisers who work for appraisal management companies are not very good, but some actually are.When an appraiser makes a time-adjustment for a rising market, understanding whether a bank will accept that adjustment or not is (should be) completely irrelevant and quite ridiculous (unless they are “form-fillers” and not actual appraisers). I have always believed that the appraiser’s role is to provide an opinion of the value and that occurs in either flat, rising or falling markets.HVCC was a created with best intentions by former NY AG Cuomo by attempting to protect the appraiser from lender pressure, but it has literally destroyed the credibility of the appraisal profession by enabling the AMC Industry.The 12% deal kill average of an AMC an arm’s length sale properly exposed to the market is absolutely an unacceptably high amount and a major red flag for appraiser cluelessness about local markets.I’ve never heard of a major bank since the credit crunch began who would throw out the original appraisal found to have glaring errors that would severely impact the result. My quote on this nailed that sentiment with brutal precision, if I do say so:

“You have a better chance of winning Powerball than getting a lender to abandon the first appraisal.”

Understanding the Home Appraisal Process [NY Times]

View the original article here

Happy World Nutella Day! 10 Recipes

I don't spend a lot of time pointing out so-called "food holidays" that celebrate specific foods, but I can make an exception for one of my favorite treats: the creamy combination of chocolate and hazelnut, more popularly known as Nutella.

• 10 Nutella Recipes
  The Kitchn

View the original article here

Open House Report: Weekend Open House Report: Whale Edition

× Like us and you'll find top breaking news in your Facebook newsfeed. Sign up for our daily email newsletter and get top stories and breaking news delivered to your inbox. Friday, February 1, 2013, by Sally Kuchar

Location: 4179 23rd Street, Noe Valley
Size: 4-bed, 4.5-bath, single-family home
Price: $3,600,000
Pitch: "This is a WOW house!! Walk into the main level of this fully remodeled 3 level home and enjoy the dramatic high vaulted ceilings with an open floor plan perfect for entertaining. Chef's kitchen, family room, dining room and living room with a stunning gas fireplace. Powder room and deck off of kitchen plumbed with gas for BBQ complete this floor. Next level down has a second large family room, full bath, proper laundry room and wine storage room - interior access to 2 car garage. Garden level down has 4 bedrooms, two en-suite. Master bath has separate shower and tub and large walk-in closet. This home shines with beautiful finishes, 8' doors, high ceiling on each level and an incredible south facing yard."
Open House: Sunday, noon to 2PM

Location: 3249 Jackson Street, Presidio Heights
Size: 6-bed, 5.5-bath, 5,672 sq. ft. single-family home
Price: $4,750,0000
Pitch: "Rare Opportunity: Classic Queen Anne circa 1895 built as one of Presidio Heights' earliest homes. Ideally situated on a very deep premium south facing lot. This iconic residence offers unparalleled architectural intrigue with a modernized open floor plan catering to the 21st century. With an abundance of natural light, dramatic volume, south facing outdoor oasis off kitchen, au-pair quarters (income unit?), 2 car garage parking and rare privacy this trophy home is NOT to be missed. Walk Score 94, just a short distance to Presidio Ntl Pk, Julius Kahn Playground, Sacramento St and Laurel Village. This stately home has been in the same family for 23 years!"
Open House: Saturday, noon to 3:30PM; Sunday, noon to 2PM

Location: 130 Locust Street, Presidio Heights
Size: 4-bed, 5.5-bath, 4,900 sq. ft. single-family home
Price: $7,775,000
Pitch: "130 Locust has been exquisitely renovated and offers views of the Golden Gate Bridge and a beautiful landscape Garden with direct access from the kitchen and family room. There are three ensuite bedrooms on one level and a fourth bedroom on the upper level plus a Guest/Aupair suite on the garden level. 130 offers a view family room and office plus an entertainment/media room on the garden level. Heather Hillard is the interior designer, David Armour the architect and Thompson/Suskind general contractors offering the finest in quality and workmanship. Walk to Julius Kahn playground, Sacramento Street and Laurel Village. Located in the heart of Presidio Heights with a Walkscore of 97."
Open House: Saturday, 2 to 4PM; Sunday, 12:30 to 2:30PM

View the original article here