No mystery here. Variety has reported that Mamie Gummer, who appeared in Season 3 of “True Detective,” has placed her charming treehouse in Los Angeles on the market for just shy of $1.5 million. The 1940s retreat last changed hands in 2017 for $1,357,000. So the actress clearly isn’t in search of for a huge profit, although she is likely to break even with her decision to let go of her boho-style home. At 1,694 square feet, the property in its serene setting is surrounded by a wraparound deck with treetop views. With three bedrooms, 2.5 bathrooms, and an open floor plan, it includes French windows and skylights that flood the home with natural light. The living room has a fireplace, and a huge deck with built-in seating extends the living space outdoors. Adding to the home’s rustic appeal, the farmhouse-style kitchen includes double sinks, copper counters, and a vintage stove. The finishes have an Old World feel, including ceramic tile, hardwood floors with reclaimed wood, and exposed beams. In addition, the top floor offers a bonus room, a finished attic-turned-loft with a bathroom, which could be used as a guest bedroom, office, or creative studio. The outdoor space includes a fire pit, outdoor kitchen, and space for dining and lounging. In the hills of Beachwood Canyon, the cabin is close to Beachwood Market and Beachwood Cafe, and is located a short distance from the grocery stores and restaurants of Franklin Village. Gummer is the daughter of the acting legend Meryl Streep and the sculptor Don Gummer, and she isn’t the only family member in the real estate game. Streep’s New York City penthouse finally sold recently for $15.8 million. The actress struggled to find a buyer after putting her property on the market in 2018. Mamie Gummer, 36, who has appeared on stage and screen, can be seen in films such as “Ricki and the Flash,” “Cake,” and “Echo Park.” She also starred in a short-lived CW show, “Emily Owens, M.D.” Her other roles include parts in “The Good Wife” and “The Good Fight,” and the HBO show “True Detective.” Bryony Atkinson with MAISONRE holds the listing. The post Actress Mamie Gummer Reportedly Selling ‘Treehouse’ in L.A. for $1.5M appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com®. via https://www.realtor.com/news/celebrity-real-estate/mamie-gummer-selling-los-angeles-treehouse/
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Although many current San Francisco 49ers havenât been to the Super Bowl, this is well-trod turf for one of the NFLâs glamour franchises. After years in the football wilderness filled with losing seasons, coaching shuffles, and fan apathy, the Niners are back in a big way. Whether this is a single season of golden luck or a deep vein of sustained successâà la classic â80s-â90s 49ers squadsâremains to be seen. And while we canât claim to be football soothsayers, we are well aware that the teamâs Santa Clara headquarters is right in the middle of one of the most expensive real estate markets in the country. (We should know: realtor.comâs own HQ is just 1.6 miles from Leviâs Stadium!) It is serious sticker shock for any free agent or coach eyeing a move to the Niners. From what weâve gathered, the team has adapted to its pricey surroundings. Most backups are likely paying exorbitant monthly rent of $2,500 and up, and the teamâs big-money ballers have splurged on luxe homes throughout Silicon Valley. We werenât able to tackle the living situation of one elusive star, but we did dig deep on the mansions of all the other big names on the San Francisco 49ers. And we start with the biggest mansion of them all, which belongs to the man who sits in the ownerâs box. The owner: Jed YorkThereâs no need to toss a red flag for an official reviewâat 40 years old, York is the youngest owner in the NFL by a wide margin. And while his parents, Denise DeBartolo York and John York, technically own the team, they handed the keys to one of the NFLâs premier kingdoms to the younger York back in 2010. York was the driving force behind the teamâs move 45 miles south from San Francisco to the new stadium in Santa Clara. Leviâs Stadium has since earned plenty of grumbles from the Niners faithful, but Yorkâs own home is worthy of a cheer. Except from a couple of disgruntled neighbors. Yorkâs mansion is tucked in Los Altos Hills, one of the San Francisco Bay Areaâs priciest and most exclusive towns. Itâs where Google CEO Sundar Pichai, Google founder Sergey Brin, and an assortment of other high-powered tech execs call home. The town also made headlines in 2011 when Russian investor Yuri Milner paid a then-unheard-of $100 million for a hilltop mansion. Yorkâs place is plenty nice, although itâs not quite in the nine-digit price tag stratosphere. Custom-built for the Niners boss and completed in September 2015, it sits on roughly 4.5 acres. In addition to the main house, thereâs a guesthouse and a gatehouse. Outside, thereâs a large pool, bocce court, and summer kitchen. But thereâs also a hotly disputed cabana, which forced York to go before the cityâs planning commission in 2016. Neighbors objected to the cabanaâs height, and York eventually had to reduce it by a foot and a half. The finished cabana was slated to include a sauna, steam room, massage room, and meditation room. This all sounds like a fantastic way to unwind from a busy (and successful!) season. âââ The head coach: Kyle Shanahan dials up a Saratoga handoffAbout 12 miles southeast of Los Altos Hills, Saratoga is another posh Bay Area enclave noted for its large homes and quiet streets. Itâs attracted a fair share of notable figures, including a number of current and former San Jose Sharks. It was also the home of former NFL quarterback Trent Dilfer. The well-traveled former QB left the Bay Area for Texas in 2017. He put his lovely Spanish-style mansion in Saratoga on the market for $7 million in February and sold it just a month later for $6.8 million. The buyer? None other than the 49ers head coach. Shanahan was brought on board by the then-beleaguered franchise in February 2017, right around the time Dilferâs gorgeous home popped onto the market. Shanahan was familiar with Saratoga, having lived in the town when his dad was an assistant coach for the 49ers. He even led the Saratoga High JV football team to a league title as a freshman quarterback in 1994. What Shanahan acquired from Dilfer three years ago is a six-bedroom, 6.5-bathroom mansion with style to spare. Built in 2006 on a 1.5-acre lot, the home pays âtribute to Californiaâs Spanish heritage combined with absolute luxury for todayâs lifestyle,â according to the listing. Itâs outfitted with an outdoor kitchen with pizza oven, a bocce court, and a mini vineyard. And Shanahan will have to propose a big toast if his now-retired Super Bowlâwinning father, Mike Shanahan, ever manages to sell his Colorado estate. The 32,254-square-foot mansion just outside Denver went on the market in 2016 for a whopping $22 million. The price has since been cut by a couple of million, but the massive home is still searching for a buyer. âââ The elusive QB: Jimmy GaroppoloPerhaps he felt burned by the paparazzi who chronicled his dinner with an adult-film star in 2018. Perhaps heâs an advocate for privacyâa rarity in Silicon Valley. Or maybe heâs just as good at hiding his location off the field as he is leading his team on the field. Whatever the case, we couldnât pin down Jimmy G at a specific home with any sense of surety. After his infamous date in summer 2018, the handsome (and wealthy!) QB complained, âMy life off the field is under a microscope.â He also told local reporters that he had spent part of the offseason house hunting in the Bay Area. That was nearly two years ago, and Garoppolo has yet to make a peep. There are no signs of a mansion on Instagram. No âCribsâ-style videos. No trace of where he rests his head after a big game. If you have a tip, hit us up on Twitter. Before joining the 49ers, Jimmy G was a bit more forthcoming with his housing history. In 2015, his parents allowed cameras into the family home in Arlington Heights, IL. See the video: Keeping with the Chicago-land vibes, he also showed off his skills as a deep-dish pizza maker back home in Illinois: âââ Providing long-term protection: Joe StaleyStaley has been with the Niners long enough to have played alongside the aforementioned Trent Dilfer during the quarterbackâs final season. The huge offensive tackle has donned the red and gold since 2007 and been a stalwart along the line protecting the likes of former Niners QBs Colin Kaepernick and Alex Smith. Heâs also been active off the field in the real estate game. In 2015, he put his four-bedroom home in San Joseâs Willow Glen neighborhood on the market for $1.95 million. It was sold in just a couple of months for $1.89 million. At the time, there was speculation that the team was looking to trade its hulking tackle. The homeâs appearance on the market helped fuel the rumor mill, but Staley never left the Bay Area. He simply moved north up the peninsula to a larger four-bedroom home in Menlo Park. It was a step up pricewise: Staley and his wife paid $4,474,000 for their new place in June 2015. According to the listing from five years ago, the two-story home is âtucked away on one of Menlo Parkâs most prestigious cul-de-sacs.â Itâs within walking distance to the cityâs cute downtown and sits close to the exclusive environs of Palo Alto. âââ The effusive tight end: George Kittle makes a home in Music CityWhile we donât know where Kittle stays while heâs in the Bay Area, we do know the newly minted All-Pro spent some of his hard-earned NFL cash on a place in Music City. In May, the prolific pass catcher and his new bride scored a brand-new home in Nashville for $940,000. Located in the affluent Green Hills neighborhood, the home is just a mile from Lipscomb University and a 15-minute drive from downtown Nashville. Featuring dark hardwood floors, quartz countertops in the kitchen, and exposed wood beams in the living area, the four-bedroom home looks like a Pinterest-perfect spot to chill in the offseason. âââ The fullback: Kyle Juszczyk knows the way to San JoseAfter signing the largest contract (four years, $21 million!) for a fullback in NFL history, the Harvard grad took part of his $5 million signing bonus and bought a four-bedroom home in San Joseâs Evergreen neighborhood. Sitting on a huge 3.6-acre lot, the luxe home flanked by palm trees came on the market for $2,769,000 in March 2017. Juszczyk managed to eke out a minimal hometown discount, paying the round sum of $2.7 million for the place a couple of months later. Buffeted by open space on the back side of the property, the massive lot features a tennis court, enormous pool, and enough patio space to host an entire football team. Just donât let Juszczyk block the fun from startingâ¦
âââ The legend on defense: Richard ShermanSherman already has a Super Bowl ring, earned as a member of the Seattle Seahawksâ legendary Legion of Boom. Cut loose by Seattle after the 2017 season, he joined the team he often tormented and soon became a beloved figure in the defensive backfield for the Niners. Sherman signed with the 49ers in March 2018 and then purchased a home in San Joseâs Silver Creek neighborhood in May. He paid $2.6 million for the four-bedroom mansion in the gated Silver Creek Country Club community. Backing up to open space, the mansion in the hills is private and about as far away as one can get within the sprawling San Jose city limits. Inside, the single-story home features hardwood floors, an open living space, and a library. Even though heâs found a new home by the Bay, Sherman has held on to his mansion near Seattle. He still owns his place in Maple Valley, WA, which he purchased for $2.31 million in June 2014 from former NBA star Jamal Crawford. In late 2014, the fiery defensive back also shelled out a reported $1,744,000 for a home in Yorba Linda, CA. The 7,100-square-foot residence was purchased for his parents, who now enjoy the fruits of their sonâs All-Pro career. The post NFL Cribs: Striking Gold With the Homes of the San Francisco 49ers appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com®. via https://www.realtor.com/news/celebrity-real-estate/san-francisco-49ers-real-estate/ “House Party” is realtor.com®’s official podcast about the overlapping worlds of real estate and pop culture, hosted by Natalie Way, Erik Gunther, and Rachel Stults. Click the player above to hear our takes on this week’s hot topics. If you’re a loyal “House Party” listener, you know there are few things we enjoy more than ogling the latest luxurious and outrageous homes that pop up on the market. So imagine our excitement when we got to actually go inside one—and compile a report for you straight from the scene. That’s what happened when Rachel toured the 2020 New American Home last week during the seventh annual Design and Construction Week in Las Vegas. The 7,638-square-foot home in Henderson, NV, was built to showcase the latest innovations in design, efficiency, and technology—plus every luxury amenity you could imagine. Impressive? Sure. But we have some (possibly) controversial takes on a few of the design choices inside—and outside—this place. Other topics we cover:
Ready to listen? Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Google Play Music, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. And please: Throw us a five-star rating if you like what you hear. The more good ratings and reviews we have, the easier it’ll be for people to find us. Want to chime in? Have your own crazy home-related story you’re dying to share? We’re all ears, eagerly waiting to discuss all of your burning real estate questions. Email us at [email protected], follow us on Facebook, or tweet us @housepartypod on Twitter. ——-- Stories we discussed on ‘House Party’ this week:The 2020 New American Home Wowed Us—Except for These 3 Things Exclusive: TV’s Nate Berkus on 2020’s Top Design Trends and the Biggest Mistake People Make Bizarre Baltimore Foreclosure Features Weird Indoor Pool for Only $140K 2020’s Smartest (and Dumbest) Remodeling Projects: What Pays Off vs. What You’ll Regret Olympian Shaun White Cuts Price on Gorgeous Craftsman in Malibu Comedian Will Forte Scores Glorious $6.25M Home on the Carmel Coast The post ‘House Party’ Podcast: A Raw Review of 2020’s New American Home; a Baltimore Foreclosure That’ll Blow Your Mind appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com®. via https://www.realtor.com/news/podcast/episode-48-house-party-podcast/ Even with a recent price cut from $25 million to $17.5 million, the historic 2,510-acre Twickenham plantation near Yemassee is still the most expensive home in South Carolina. The huge property near Interstate Highway 95 dates to the 1730s and has been featured in Southern Living magazine. Initially listed in October 2018, the property had its price cut by 30% on Jan. 9. “The owner just said, ‘let’s drop the price and see if we can get it sold,’” says listing agent CJ Brown. “He owns a lot of different properties around the country, and they’re spending more time at some of the other properties right now.” The land was once a rice plantation and has more than a mile of frontage on the Combahee River in the ACE Basin in coastal South Carolina. In addition to a manor home, there are two historic guesthouses, a horse barn, stables, and storage barns. It’s centrally located as well—about 20 minutes from Beaufort, SC, 50 minutes from Charleston, SC, and an hour from Savannah, GA. “When you’re on the plantation, it feels like you’re a million miles from everywhere, but you’re pretty close to the best of everything,” says Brown. The plantation dates to 1732, when King George II of England created a grant for the property, and Walter Izard assembled the property in 1733. “It feels like you step back into an earlier time when you enter the property,” Brown explains. “The live oaks are massive with the canopy around the house, and it just feels like you’re stepping back in the 1700s. You almost expect to see a wagon. It’s like you’re going back into a time machine and into a snapshot of what life was like back then.” The main plantation house was built by Maj. John Screven in 1878 in a two-story, Federal style. It has four bedrooms and 3.5 baths. While maintaining the home’s history and period-appropriate furnishings, the current owners put the place through an extensive remodel, which was completed in 2018. There’s now a chef’s kitchen with high-end appliances, modern bathrooms, and expansive living spaces. Many of the rooms overlook gardens designed by Robert Marvin and Douglas Duany, landscape architects who did work at Augusta National Golf Club and Sea Pines Resort. Not far from the main house are two guesthouses and a manager’s house. “There’s one two-bedroom guesthouse that’s adjacent to the main house that has a large kitchen and living room in the center, and it divides the house,” Brown says. “The bedrooms are on either side, and they’re identical. The bathrooms are exquisite.” The other guesthouse is a single story with one bedroom, a kitchen, and dining and living rooms. The manager’s house is similar. The fields are in working order for growing crops and also provide areas for world-class waterfowl hunting. “This is simply the best. It has the best hunting, the best sporting opportunities, the best accommodations, the best location,” Brown says. “It’s just the pinnacle of sporting pursuits in the Southeast.” Quail, whitetail deer, ducks, and turkeys are abundant on the property. There’s also a dock with private boat access to the Combahee River and a 3,300-foot grass airstrip, which could be expanded to 5,000 feet. “The perfect buyer really would be someone with the love of the outdoors and, of course, South Carolina history, early American history, and someone who really enjoys duck hunting and quail hunting,” Brown says. “It’s probably one of the more attractive and appealing properties that I’ve ever been on. I mean, it’s just absolutely magnificent.” The post South Carolina’s Most Expensive Home Just Had Its Price Cut by 30% appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com®. via https://www.realtor.com/news/unique-homes/price-cut-south-carolina-most-expensive-historic-southern-plantation/ Former Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Blake Bortles has headed west to the Los Angeles Rams, and moved on from his oceanfront abode in Jacksonville Beach, FL. The beach house was just sold for $1.7 million, the Jacksonville Business Journal reports. The 27-year-old first listed the home last February for $2 million, then quickly cut the price to $1,925,000. Its latest price cut, to $1,825,000, finally enticed a buyer in mid-January, according to real estate records. Bortles had bought the home for $1.5 million in 2015, soon after being drafted by the Jaguars as a first-round NFL pick in 2014. Built in 1995, the 2,500-square-foot home has three bedrooms and three bathrooms, The “light and bright floor plan” maximizes views of the ocean. The open living area extends to a large covered deck overlooking the ocean. The kitchen features dark wood cabinets, stone countertops, and a center island with bar seating. The master suite includes a sitting room, bath, and private balcony with ocean views. The property comes with a private path to the beach, a grassy backyard, and deck with dining space. A two-car garage completes the offering. Bortles started at quarterback for the Jaguars for five seasons with mixed results. After a dismal 2018 season, he was released by the team after it picked up Nick Foles. He spent the 2019 season as a backup for the Rams and made only three brief appearances on the field. Justin Dalrymple of Mainframe Real Estate represented the listing. The post QB Blake Bortles Completes Sale of Jacksonville Beach House for $1.7M appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com®. via https://www.realtor.com/news/celebrity-real-estate/blake-bortles-sells-jacksonville-beach-house/ Housing chief Ben Carson says he is committed to tackling the affordable housing crisis that’s reached a fever pitch in many parts of the country. His first step? A nationwide bus tour. The secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development kicks off his tour on Wednesday in Louisville, KY. The purported aim of Carson’s Driving Affordable Housing Across America journey is to talk to local officials, builders, and just about everyone else about ways to loosen state and city regulations that make it harder, costlier, and longer to construct housing. Reducing “overly burdensome” regulatory barriers to putting up housing is a priority of Carson’s boss, President Donald Trump, and Carson heads up a White House council dedicated to the task. “It’s important that we get out into local communities and hear directly from our fellow citizens who are grappling with rising housing prices and learn more about best practices to address them,” Carson said in a statement. “Families, businesses and all levels of government have concerns about the rising cost of housing, and this is an opportunity to bring those parties to the table for a discussion about how we can work together to fix the problem.” HUD has not released the number or location of the stops on the controversial tour. It will run through June. But in an election year where nearly all of the major Democratic presidential candidates have released comprehensive affordable housing plans, many critics believe the multistop bus trip is little more than a publicity stunt. And they say that although reducing regulatory barriers will help to alleviate the dearth of affordable housing, it’s just one of many steps needed to turn the crisis around. The bus tour is “really unnecessary,” says Edward Goetz, an urban policy professor at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis. “HUD has been collecting this information for a long time, and they don’t need a bus tour to do it.” Others applauded Carson’s willingness to talk to local leaders grappling with this crisis in a bid to find solutions. “He’s getting out of [Washington,] DC, and actually going to look at communities and examples where maybe they’ve successfully tackled affordability,” says K.C. Conway, director of research at the Alabama Center for Real Estate at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa. “It might give him some good takeaways.” Conway also praised Carson’s desire to use the carrot—instead of the stick—to get state and local officials to loosen regulations to create more housing. “A lot of [the regulations] emanate from this ‘not in my backyard’ [ethos],” says Conway. “There’s a stigmatization with affordable housing. They think it’s going to bring crime and undesirable [new residents] to their communities and it won’t be good for their property values.” What is the solution to the affordable housing crisis?Everyone seems to have a theory on the best ways to address the affordable housing crisis. University of Minnesota professor Goetz would like the government to produce more subsidized housing and offer more programs to help the lowest-income folks secure a roof over their heads. These could include tax breaks, subsidies for developers and builders, expansion of the Section 8 program for the poorest of the poor, and creation of more federally subsidized housing. “The size of the affordable housing crisis is so great, we have to do everything,” says Goetz. “It’s foolish that [reducing regulatory barriers] by itself is the solution. And it seems to be all we’re getting from this administration.” Andrew Aurand, vice president for research at the National Low Income Housing Coalition, would like fewer regulations prohibiting rental apartments from going up. He’d also like to speed up the time between builders submitting proposals to construction and the shovels going into the ground. (Proposals can sometimes get lost in a series of zoning board meetings.) “Addressing regulatory barriers is important, but it cannot be used as an excuse to not sufficiently invest in our housing programs that serve the poorest families,” says Aurand. “This administration that is planning this road tour … at the same time consistently proposes cuts to the programs that serve our lowest-income renters.” Most experts agree that not all state and local regulations are bad. Some are important for public safety and protecting the environment, says Ken Chilton, a public administration professor at Tennessee State University in Nashville. And some of these regulatory costs fund necessary infrastructure, new roads, and schools to accommodate the folks moving into the new housing. Chilton isn’t convinced that if the regulations were removed, builders would suddenly start building cheaper homes. “The data doesn’t support that,” he says. But making it easier and less expensive to construct new homes will make housing more affordable—and help more folks become homeowners, says John Weicher, director of the Center for Housing and Financial Markets at the Hudson Institute, a conservative-leaning think tank in Washington, DC. Weicher is also the former HUD assistant secretary of housing during President George W. Bush‘s first term. “It’s certainly a step in the right direction,” Weicher says. The post Could HUD Chief Ben Carson’s Bus Tour Help Solve the Affordable Housing Crisis? appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com®. via https://www.realtor.com/news/trends/could-hud-chief-ben-carsons-bus-tour-help-solve-the-affordable-housing-crisis/ The Number of Buyers Who Signed Contracts on Homes Plummeted in December Despite High Demand1/29/2020 The numbers: The index of pending home sales decreased 4.9% in December from the previous month, the National Association of Realtors reported Wednesday. The index reflects transactions where a contract has been signed but the sale has not yet closed. As a result, the index functions as an indicator for existing-home sales reports in the coming months. The index is benchmarked to contract-signing activity in 2001. What happened: Compared with December 2018, contract signings were up 4.6% nationally, but pending sales volume was down on annual basis by 0.1% in the Northeast. On a monthly basis, contract signings decreased in every region across the country, led by the South (down 5.5%), followed by the West (down 5.4%), the Northeast (down 4%) and the Midwest (down 3.6%). Big picture: The drop in contract signings in December suggests that the existing home sales reports coming out in the near future likely won’t feature notable increases. While the drop in mortgage rates in the summer of 2019 provided a momentary lift for the housing market as it improved affordability for many buyers, the housing industry will struggle in 2020 with a depleted supply of homes for sale. Many real-estate experts expect this will curtail sales activity in the next year. “The state of housing in 2020 will depend on whether home builders bring more affordable homes to the market,” Lawrence Yun, chief economist for the National Association of Realtors, said in the report. “Home prices and even rents are increasing too rapidly, and more inventory would help correct the problem and slow price gains.” What they’re saying: “Housing demand continues to gain traction owing to improved affordability, low borrowing costs, strong household balance sheets and elevated confidence. The issue for the housing sector these days is more about capacity… the paucity of homes for sale and workers to build new ones,” Michael Gregory, deputy chief economist at BMO Capital Markets, wrote in a research note. Market reaction: The Dow Jones Industrial Average and the S&P 500 moved higher Wednesday morning as corporate earnings beats outweighed concerns about the coronavirus, though this trend did not extend to the 10-year Treasury yield, which dropped. The post The Number of Buyers Who Signed Contracts on Homes Plummeted in December Despite High Demand appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com®. via https://www.realtor.com/news/real-estate-news/the-number-of-buyers-who-signed-contracts-on-homes-plummeted-in-december-despite-high-demand/ The most important question for many potential home buyers isn’t about the quality of the local school districts, whether mortgage interest rates will fall, or commute times. Instead, it’s whether it makes more financial sense to just keep renting, rather than sinking money into the purchase of a home. And it all depends on where you live. In more than 8 out of 10 counties, 84%, it was cheaper to rent than to buy in the fourth quarter of 2019, according to a recent realtor.com® report. In the past year, it has become better to buy in 26 counties—in part because mortgage rates have dropped under 4% in that time. The economics team at realtor.com analyzed the 593 counties with at least 100,000 residents where sufficient data was available to come up with its quarterly Rent vs. Buy report. It looks at the percentage of income required to rent and to purchase a home, using listing, rental, homeownership, mortgage, and income data. “Renting remains the more affordable option in a lot of the country,” says Senior Economist George Ratiu of realtor.com. “However, due to declining mortgage rates, we are seeing buying becoming more financially attractive.” Smaller counties in the Midwest and South tend to offer lower-priced real estate and a cheaper cost of living than the big cities along the coasts. That’s because land and construction labor are less expensive and there are fewer zoning regulations. Plus, there isn’t as much demand for a limited supply of homes in smaller and midsize cities and the surrounding suburbs and exurbs. Meanwhile, New York City and ultrapricey (and scenic) California counties on the water dominated the list of the highest-priced counties where it makes more sense to rent. These places tend to have lots of good-paying jobs, lively social scenes, and natural beauty. Six of them had median list prices over $1 million. “Affordability is driven by geography,” says Ratiu. The most expensive markets have “solid economies and strong job growth, which is very attractive to young professionals. The trade-off is that it’s much more difficult to get a foothold in homeownership.” So where are the best places to purchase a home, or to rent one? The best counties to buy a home
The best counties to rent a home
The post Rent vs. Buy: The Best Places to Become Homeowners—or Remain Renters appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com®. via https://www.realtor.com/news/trends/rent-vs-buy-the-best-places-to-become-homeowners-or-stay-renters/ Nestled in the basement of a Hidden Hills, CA, mansion is a 5,000-square-foot, “Star Wars”–themed entertainment complex. Designed for a believer in The Force, this stellar man cave houses an insane amount of movie paraphernalia. The bewitching basement is part of a six-bedroom, 11-bath mansion now on the market for $26.5 million. The home’s “Star Wars” collection is also available for purchase. The underground lair was conceived as the ultimate galactic museum. Mission accomplished, we say. The basement features beautiful custom displays showcasing thousands of “Star Wars” props, collectibles, mannequins, and one-of-a-kind pieces by artists and prop makers, all commissioned by the homeowner. Notable pieces include an X-wing starfighter, dozens of life-size figures, and a “cantina bar” populated by the rogues of the famous cantina on the planet of Tatooine. There’s also a massive home theater with a 19-foot screen, whose “Star Wars” theme includes a replica of the Death Star surface. R2-D2 and C-3P0 currently stand watch over the concession stand. The “Star Wars” basement isn’t the only superlative feature of this 3-acre property. Atop the hillside in the backyard sits Hidden Hills’ only observatory, which houses a state-of-the-art telescope that rivals the one in Griffith Observatory. There’s also a custom music studio with acoustic walls, raised floors, geometric acoustic diffusers, and custom wall mounts currently displaying the owner’s impressive guitar collection. Apparently the saga of Luke Skywalker isn’t the owner’s only passion. Other luxe amenities include an indoor-outdoor pool and spa with a grotto, waterfall, and waterslide. There’s also a wine room, gym, tennis court, and panic room. Should you tire of monitoring the skies, there’s a 750-gallon saltwater aquarium between the dining room and family room. The aquarium has its own outdoor filtration enclosure, so the pumps and other accoutrements don’t disturb residents. It also has a self-feeding and self-regulating system, so it’s not critical if someone inadvertently forgets to feed the fish. The estate includes a fruit orchard, grapevines, and organic herb garden. A 24-kilowatt solar photovoltaic system helps power the property, though the home is also equipped with a propane generator. “The owner never let go of his inner child,” says Arvin Haddad, who is co-listing the property with Emil Hartoonian and Mauricio Umansky, all of The Agency. The living spaces of the mansion are sophisticated and elegantly understated. Described as having a “Frank Lloyd Wright-meets-Mondrian” design aesthetic, the interiors feature American rustic elements of stone and wood juxtaposed with modern and geometric motifs. Designed by architect Brian Lerman of ARC Design Group, the interiors include high ceilings and large windows throughout. But the grand rooms are surprisingly cozy, thanks to warm wood, stone paneling, and subtle lighting. “I see the buyer as someone who appreciates American culture and heritage, who is not interested in a modern white-box mansion,” says Haddad, who adds that the buyer doesn’t necessarily need to be a “Star Wars” fan. “The basement is ideal for an athlete’s trophies, an artist’s work, or an actor’s memorabilia. It’s a great place to raise a family,” he concludes. “One with lots of toys.” The post $26.5M Hidden Hills Mansion With Stupendous ‘Star Wars’ Basement Lands on Market appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com®. via https://www.realtor.com/news/unique-homes/hidden-hills-mansion-star-wars-basement/ “Ugliest House of the Year” may seem like a dubious title, but for house-flipping franchise HomeVestors, known for its tagline “We Buy Ugly Houses,” this distinction has a certain cachet. Give the credit to its annual competition in which it asks its 1,100 franchisees across the country to submit photos of their homeliest homes—along with pictures after they’ve been renovated into beautiful new abodes. The winner this year? A 2,000-square-foot, three-bedroom, two-bathroom house in Miami was crowned the Ugliest House of the Year for 2019, as decided by a HomeVestors Facebook poll in which members voted on the most impressive transformations. The house was rehabbed by real estate broker Rick Tobchi with a reno budget of over $100,000. And, in case you were hoping to snag the newly beautified home, a buyer beat you to it. Although the home’s original purchase price is unknown, according to the HomeVestors spokesperson, the home was sold for $335,000 in November 2019. Curious to hear more about what it took to turn America’s Ugliest House around? Check out these jaw-dropping before-and-after photos. Inside America’s ‘Ugliest House’So just how bad was this home before Tobchi got his hands on it? For one, a roof leak caused extensive water damage, making the home unlivable when Tobchi’s team purchased it. “The damage to this house started with a small roof leak that was never fixed and got worse, causing enough damage to render the home uninhabitable,” Tobchi explained in a HomeVestors press release. (Tobchi could not be reached for comment.) “To our surprise, when we took possession of the property, we found the new roofing materials stored in the garage!” To salvage this property, Tobchi and his team decided to strip the house down to the studs. “We rebuilt from the foundation up—all new partition walls, electrical and gas systems, plumbing, roof, windows, floors, bathrooms, kitchen,” he said. The renovation team not only repaired extensive damage, but added certain features, too. It installed hurricane-resistant windows, quartz countertops in the kitchen, and granite in the bathroom. New plumbing, electrical/gas systems, and LED lighting were added throughout the house. As these pictures prove all too well, any home, no matter how ugly, is salvageable in the right hands. “Our professional franchisees like Rick [Tobchi] set the bar high for improving neighborhoods,” added David Hicks, CEO of HomeVestors. “They take the time to first work personally with homeowners that need to sell properties which no other traditional buyer or iBuyer would even consider. And then, they perform carefully planned and executed rehabs that become valued and beautiful assets to their communities.” The post Meet America’s ‘Ugliest House of the Year’—and See How Gorgeous It Looks Today appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com®. via https://www.realtor.com/news/trends/see-americas-ugliest-house-of-the-year-and-how-gorgeous-it-looks-today/ |
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April 2021
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