Just about everyone has been affected by the coronavirus pandemic—and the crisis, according to most experts, is only beginning to play out in many parts of the U.S. America now has the most confirmed COVID-19 cases in the world. And beyond the devastating human toll, an economic one is looming. The unemployment numbers are staggering, and the economy appears to be headed for a recession, if it’s not already in one. That’s bound to affect just about every housing market in the country, some worse than others. But which are the most vulnerable? The realtor.com® data team found the counties that could be most at risk in the worsening financial crisis. Tourism and vacation-home hot spots could be affected more than others, at least initially. These places that depend on visitors to frequent local hotels, restaurants, and attractions to keep their local economies afloat are starting to see big job losses. And when local economies suffer and people aren’t working, housing markets hurt. “The biggest initial coronavirus hit will be felt in the tourism and hospitality industries,” says realtor.com Chief Economist Danielle Hale. These are the same places where folks tend to buy vacation homes. “Second-home markets tend to be hit a bit harder in a recession. … When people are cutting back, that’s where they’ll cut back,” says Hale. The luxury home market is also expected to feel the pain. “Luxury buyers [typically] have a lot of their money in the stock market, and the stock market has taken a huge hit,” says Ali Wolf, chief economist at Meyers Research, a national real estate consultancy. “They’re saying, ‘Let’s wait. Let’s ride this thing out.’ Buying a luxury, new home right now is something that can wait.” Popular retiree destinations may also experience a slowdown. Older Americans, who are more vulnerable to the virus, are increasingly reluctant (or unable) to visit potential forever homes in warmer-weather states. Many of these retirees and soon-to-be retirees hail from the Northeast, the epicenter of the crisis, and the Midwest. And most already have homes, so moving to a retirement community or a sunny, new locale isn’t urgent—it can be put off until the crisis has passed. But real estate professionals are optimistic that these near-term vulnerable markets, like the rest of the nation, will likely bounce back once the virus is contained. “Most housing markets in the country will take a significant short-term hit due to COVID-19,” says Wolf. “[But] ultimately the housing market is going to come back.” To come up with our list, we looked at the counties with the highest percentage of workers in the industries that are most likely to be affected by this coronavirus-fueled crisis. These included a wide range of tourism, hospitality, retail, and other face-to-face fields, ranging from personal fitness, restaurant, and performing arts workers to those employed at car dealerships, casinos, and cruise lines. The data came from the 2017 County Business Patterns data compiled by the U.S. Census Bureau. The manufacturing industry was not included in our analysis. We counted only the counties with at least 100,000 workers and included one county per state to add some geographic diversity to our list. The most vulnerable county was Horry County, SC, home to Myrtle Beach, with a median county home list price of $239,050 as of February, according to the most recent realtor.com data. It was followed by Clark County, NV, where Las Vegas is located, with a median county list price of $329,050; Atlantic County, NJ (Atlantic City), at $250,050; Orange County, FL (Orlando), at $359,950; and Orleans Parish, LA (New Orleans), at $349,050. Rounding out the top 10 were Honolulu County, HI, at $636,050; New London County, CT (Mystic), at $287,550; Monterey County, CA (Carmel-by-the-Sea), at $1,173,050; Chatham County, GA (Savannah), at $325,050; and Prince William County, VA (Washington, DC, suburbs), at $480,050. We broke out the different trends affecting these markets, and took a deeper dive into each. All of the places on our list fall into more than one of these buckets; a few of them fall into each of them. 1. Popular second-home destinations are beginning to slowAll of the counties on our list, most of them on the water, are popular with tourists and vacation home buyers for a reason. They tend to offer lots of natural beauty, plenty of local, unique attractions, and a plethora of places to grab a bite and a drink. And those are the same things that make them more vulnerable to a downturn. After the housing bust that triggered the Great Recession, home values in resort areas plunged about 25% to 50% depending on where they were located, Jack McCabe of McCabe Research & Consulting, previously told realtor.com. Meanwhile, nationally home prices fell only 17.5% from 2006 to 2011, according to McCabe’s analysis. Myrtle Beach, in the most vulnerable county of our analysis, could take a double hit since it’s both a popular vacation home market as well as a major lure for retirees. (Median home prices in Horry County, at $239,050, are the lowest of our list.) About two-thirds of sales in the area are vacation and investment homes. And those sales slowed in mid-March after President Donald Trump first addressed the nation on the pandemic, says Laura Crowther, CEO of the Coastal Carolinas Association of Realtors®, based in Myrtle Beach. Many second-home buyers come from out of state, and now they can’t physically travel to South Carolina to view properties. But Crowther is seeing an increase in virtual tours of Myrtle Beach listings, and for now, locals are still buying properties, buoying the market. “It’s a very difficult time right now for Myrtle Beach and other areas like it,” says Robert Salvino, director of the Grant Center for Real Estate and Economics at Coastal Carolina University in Conway, SC. “Transactions will decline. There’s simply a real difficulty showing and looking at homes.” The area, like all of the others in our analysis, relies on lots of visitors to eat at its restaurants, stay at its hotels, and visit its attractions—basically pump money into its economy. Some of these markets were also badly affected by last decade’s housing bust. Single-family home sale prices in the Myrtle Beach metro area peaked at $242,310 in July 2006, according to multiple listing service data provided by Salvino. Prices bottomed out to $160,000 in November 2012. They’ve since rose to $241,900 for the full year of 2019—still short of the previous high nearly 14 years ago. “Second-home markets are the first to be affected” by a recession, says Salvino. “People are going to hold off on buying until they know they’re secure and prioritize affording the first home.” The crisis is also likely to hurt the short-term rentals market, like Airbnb. Investors may hold off on buying properties in tourist areas until the crisis passes. After the housing crash, prices for Honolulu’s short-term rentals, mostly condos rented out to visitors, fell by more than 50% in some cases, says local real estate broker George Krischke of Hawaii Living. This could happen again as most Americans are hunkering down instead of jetting off to the tropics during a global pandemic. In Atlantic County, home to Atlantic City, NJ (No.3 on our list), folks struggling to pay their bills may sell their vacation homes to help alleviate some of their expenses. “Some people rent [out] during the summer season to help alleviate some of the expenses,” says David Fiorenza, an economics professor at Villanova University in the Philadelphia suburbs. “It’s going to be harder for people if they have two mortgages, one at their primary residence and one at their secondary residence.” And while this is likely more of a short-term crisis, it could have some serious long-term effects. Once the virus is under control, vacation home buyers and retirees may want to buy property closer to their primary homes and family, says Sudesh Mujumdar, dean of the College of Business Administration at Savannah State University in Georgia. They may fear another pandemic or crisis. And that could hurt markets like Savannah, which has a growing retiree and second-home market. “This might have a longer-term impact on our social fabric,” says Mujumdar. 2. Retirees may put home purchases—and relocations—on holdRetirees tend to be attracted to many of the warmer-weather, tourist, and vacation home areas on our list. But those hailing from the particularly hard-hit Northeast as well as the Midwest aren’t likely forgoing social distancing to head to South Carolina, Florida, and Hawaii to tour homes. Older individuals are particularly vulnerable to COVID-19, with some of the highest mortality rates. So many of them are holding off on their home searches. “Right now people are adopting a wait-and-see attitude,” says Brad O’Connor, chief economist of Florida Realtors®, the state’s Orlando-based trade group. “Everyone’s going to put some stuff on pause right now temporarily while we get a handle on things.” 3. Luxury markets could see slumpsLuxury markets won’t be exempt from the distress. With the stock market in turmoil and the economy in a downturn, many buyers are more likely to hold off on big-ticket purchases. A pair of such markets likely to be affected are ultrapricey Honolulu County (No. 6) and Monterey County (No. 8). After the housing bust and the Great Recession, home prices in Honolulu County fell about 10%, says Honolulu broker Krischke. He believes the price declines this time around will be much milder. “We will always be paradise, but right now we’re having tough times just like everybody else,” says Krischke. The market in Monterey, CA, an affluent, seaside county just south of Silicon Valley, is already beginning to stall. The market is split between primary and vacation homes. There has been only 12 closings for Monterey County homes costing $1.5 million and more as of March 18—typically, that number would have been closer to 30, says real estate broker Andrew Oldham of Compass, who’s based in Carmel-by-the-Sea. But now he’s seeing extensions, cancellations, and mortgages that are taking longer to process. Some sellers are pulling their properties off the market or even dropping prices. Few new listings are appearing. However, his team is still seeing multiple offers on less expensive fixer-uppers that are priced right. They’re also seeing buyers make offers on homes they’ve viewed online with contingencies that would allow them to back out of the deal—just in case problems with the properties crop up once they’re finally able to see the homes in person. Prices plunged 33% to 40% during and after the Great Recession, but he doesn’t expect anything that drastic this time around. He anticipates there could be a 5% to 10% dip. “So far we’re not seeing too much of a correction right now,” says Oldham. “If you go in thinking you’re going to get a good deal, you’re probably not.” 4. Gambling meccas will likely be hard-hitTwo of the counties on our list, Clark County’s Las Vegas (No. 2) and Atlantic County’s Atlantic City, were clobbered by the financial meltdown in the mid-aughts. Both had struggled to recover and were finally on the upswing—that is until the spread of COVID-19 forced the casinos, hardly centers for social distancing, to close tight. Just last month, median home prices in the greater Las Vegas area surpassed their height-of-market highs, just before the crash, according to Las Vegas Realtors®, the local trade group. (This was for single-family, existing homes.) Home prices in Southern Nevada reached $316,000 in February compared with $315,000 in June 2006. “That’s kind of ironic,” says longtime real estate agent Bryan Kyle of First Serve Realty. “It had been a long time coming.” The recovery had taken much longer because the city’s real estate market had fallen much further than in other parts of the country. So it had more lost ground to make up. But unlike last time, Las Vegas is better positioned to weather this storm as there hasn’t been rampant overbuilding, says Stephen Miller, director of the Center for Business and Economic Research at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. There is no longer a vast supply of empty homes. The problem is the city hasn’t diversified its industries to protect it from a downturn. About 29% of Clark County’s employment is in leisure and hospitality, says Miller. And 1 in 7 visitors is coming to the city for a convention, most of which have been postponed or cancelled. “We’re so heavily reliant on leisure and hospitality,” says Miller. “The problem is we don’t know how long this is going to last.” And if it doesn’t end soon, that could spell trouble. In Atlantic City, May through September are the make-or-break months. “If we’re not able to get the casinos running by May, we’re not going to see any good economic impact this summer at the Jersey Shore,” says Villanova University’s Fiorenza. The post As a Coronavirus-Fueled Recession Looms, These Metros Are On the Front Lines appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com®. via https://www.realtor.com/news/trends/as-coronavirus-fueled-recession-looms-these-metros-are-on-front-lines/
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In Miami, South Beach is the place to party. But in our current climate, parties have switched over to the virtual variety. If you’re looking for the South Beach lifestyle without the wall-to-wall people at the moment, we totally understand. But how can you balance social distance with the need for a clubby vibe? For a music lover in search of the perfect backdrop for in-home DJ parties, we recommend a penthouse in Sunny Isles Beach, Apartment 4803 at 17121 Collins Ave. On the market for $10.9 million, the unit is equipped for a full-on bash, and it’s an ideal spot for a DJ to spin for a live audience on social media. Gorgeous penthouses are plentiful along Miami’s coastline, but this particular residence will strike a chord for those who like to party, thanks to its pro-level DJ booth and the dance floor inside the unit. “The owner loves to entertain and wanted to add something fun to the space,” says listing agent Anna Sherrill. Fun might be an understatement here. The DJ booth and dance floor can be sectioned off from the rest of the home, recreating the atmosphere of an authentic club. And if that’s not enough, the dance floor is illuminated, which should really hype up the party vibe. Meanwhile, let us address a legitimate concern with this cool configuration. Potential buyers may wonder how much they could actually enjoy this awesome setup without bothering the neighbors. However, the question of blasting music at any time of day or night has already been taken into consideration. “There’s soundproofing between the floors and in the media room next to the DJ booth,” Sherrill explains. “There are only two penthouses in the building, and this one encompasses the entire south, east, and west corner, so there aren’t many neighbors to bother.” If the party package alone doesn’t pique your interest, perhaps the rest of the posh space will. Measuring in at 8,332 square feet, the penthouse offers five bedrooms and 6.5 bathrooms. City and ocean views are available from most rooms in the home, but the abundance of balcony space takes it all to another level. There’s also a hot tub off one of the balconies, so you can enjoy the music, the views, and maybe a little bubbly, while you relax amid the jets. Just keep your distance—for now. The post Hey, DJ! This Miami Penthouse Comes Fully Loaded, With DJ Booth and Dance-Floor appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com®. via https://www.realtor.com/news/unique-homes/miami-penthouse-loaded-with-dj-booth-and-dance-floor/ As the coronavirus epidemic roils American society, it is totally upending the world of real estate. The realtor.com editorial team is tirelessly covering the impact of the pandemic on trends in the housing market, where mortgage rates are heading, and the outlook for home buyers and sellers. We’re also full of suggestions on what to do with your home if you end up cloistered indoors, whether it’s self-quarantine or sheltering in place. Here’s a quick guide to the stuff you need to know: The latest on the real estate marketHow Record Unemployment Claims Will Affect the Housing Market The Government Has a Plan To Help Out Renters—Will It Be Enough? Mortgage Rate Madness: They’re Up, They’re Down, Where Will They Land? How the Coronavirus Is Affecting Home Buyers and Sellers Right Now Coronavirus Is Likely To Upend the Spring Home-Buying Season—and Not Just in the Way You’d Expect U.S. Suspends Most Foreclosures Amid Coronavirus Uncertainty The Fed Slashed Interest Rates. Here’s Why Mortgage Rates Likely Won’t Follow Suit Recession Alert: What Home Buyers and Sellers Need To Know About the Housing Market Home Selling in the Age of Coronavirus: It’s a Whole Different World Mortgage Rates Are at Nearly 50-Year Lows. How Much More Could They Fall? Worried About the Coronavirus? Here’s a Middle-Class Prepper Retreat for the End of the World U.S. Real Estate Market Shows Symptoms of Coronavirus Effect: What You Need To Know That quarantine lifeA Farewell to Stark Spaces: How COVID-19 Is Ushering In the End of Minimalist Design 5 Ways My Home Has Calmed Me Down During the Coronavirus Your Essential Quarantine Supply List: What You’ll Actually Need for a Few Weeks at Home 20 Fun Ways To Pass the Time When You’re Stuck at Home Stocking Up and Running Out of Space? 8 Clever Tricks for Storing Your Coronavirus Supplies How To Coronavirus-Proof Your Home—and Your Life DIY projects to fill your quarantine time6 Easy DIY Garage Projects To Take On While You’re Stuck Inside 5 Brilliant Household Hacks for All Those Sold-Out Quarantine Supplies 5 Cheery Living Room Decor Ideas We Stole From Instagram While Self-Quarantining Working from home? We feel your painThe Best Remote Working Essentials for Your Home Office Space Work From Home in Style With These Luxe Office Looks We Stole From Instagram Is Device Overload Draining Your Precious Bandwidth? How To Work From Home at Full Speed 5 Annoying Work-From-Home Habits You Need To Stop Doing Right Now How To Home-School Your Kids and Work at Home Without Going Crazy The Rush To Work From Home Creates Opportunity—for Cybercriminals How I Learned To Make the Most of Working From Home—and You Can Too Help, My Husband and I Both Work at Home Now—in a Studio Apartment What we’ve been talking aboutAnd, some must-see videosThe Essential Quarantine Supply List Stuck at Home? Time for Some Touch-Ups How Is the Coronavirus Affecting Real Estate? A Realtor Explains How To Prep Your Home for Coronavirus and Keep Germs at Bay The post The Coronavirus, Real Estate, and You: Everything You Need To Know appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com®. via https://www.realtor.com/news/trends/the-coronavirus-real-estate-and-you-what-you-need-to-know/ Quick! Close your eyes and picture a Southern California spec house. Many of the spec homes we see nowadays are sleek, white boxes with a distinctly modern aesthetic. Now open your eyes and behold “Spec House A” in Ojai, CA. And let its old-school charms wash over you like a cool wave. Built by renowned architect George Washington Smith in 1922, it’s an impeccably preserved Spanish Colonial Revival home. And although it’s nearly a century old, the residence has been updated with all sorts of modern conveniences. The classic home also comes with a price more in line with modern realities—it’s on the market at $3,995,000. You’d be hard-pressed to find a better maintained example of the architecture of the era. The colorful vintage tiles alone are astounding—on the floors, accenting the walls, on the beautiful fountain in the courtyard, and on the traditional red tile roof. All the tiles are original, imported from Spain almost 100 years ago. The master bathroom has been updated with gorgeous decorative tiles from RTK Studios and new fixtures that fit right in with the vintage style of the home. The kitchen also has an Old World look and features both classic and modern amenities. Among them are marble countertops, rich wood custom cabinetry, and a wrought-iron light fixture, as well as a center island and top-of-the-line appliances that include a built-in coffee station. We’re most impressed by the luxurious AGA oven and stove. Throughout the four-bedroom, 3.5-bathroom home are soaring, open beamed ceilings, sturdy plaster walls, and grand fireplaces. There are also gracious balconies and decks overlooking the lovely grounds. Set on a 1.22-acre lot, the grounds include a fruit orchard, raised garden beds, towering oaks, and red ironbark eucalyptus trees, which provide not only shade, but rich fragrance. There’s also a saltwater pool with RTK Studios tile trim. Separate from the house is a three-car garage with an attached artist’s studio and/or guesthouse, which is being used at the moment as a weaving studio. The home last changed hands in 2009 for $2,575,000, and several updates have been made since. But it’s still redolent of California’s history. It’s designated as “Ojai Landmark #16,” and any buyer will benefit from property-tax savings under the Mills Act, which should help cushion the purchase price just a bit. The post Old-School Opulence in Ojai: This 100-Year-Old Spanish Colonial Is Simply Gorgeous appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com®. via https://www.realtor.com/news/unique-homes/exquisitely-preserved-spanish-colonial-in-ojai/ Not long ago, it crossed Joe and Jennifer’s minds that maybe they had made a mistake installing a 50-foot-long fortified bunker 10 feet below their property in Northern California. Then toilet paper flew off the shelves, and gun sales skyrocketed as the U.S. edged into panic amid the rapid spread of the novel coronavirus, the pandemic ushering in massive interruptions to daily life and unprecedented uncertainty. “Four months ago my wife and I were like: ‘Why did we do this? This is stupid,’ ” said 42-year-old Joe. (He and his wife Jennifer declined to reveal their last name, fearing it would reveal the location.) “Now we’re like ‘Holy crap, it actually has a purpose!’ ” For nearly two weeks, the married couple and their three children, ages 4, 8 and 12, have been living in their sparingly furnished steel rectangle that all in cost $240,000 2½ years ago. At the time of purchase they feared the growing divisiveness gripping the nation after the 2016 presidential election might one day spark civil unrest. “This is the last thing we thought we’d use it for, honestly,” said Joe of the reinforced structure built from more than 3-inch thick steel and encased in a foot of rebarred concrete. Advertised as being able to withstand a nearby nuclear blast, the bunker is also outfitted with an air-filtration unit that is supposed to be able to screen biological or chemical toxins while allowing oxygen in from the outside. Since the Cold War era of the 1950s and 1960s, distressed Americans fearing nuclear war or other cataclysmic events began constructing bomb shelters in their backyards. The movement—dubbed survivalism—evolved in the following decades and as it did, those engaging in doomsday preparations were often greeted with derision. But now, as the coronavirus upends nearly all aspects of normal life survivalists—sometimes also called “preppers”—like Joe and his wife aren’t feeling only a sense of relief, but also pride. They plan on remaining in their bunker only until the end of this month, primarily as a precaution against the virus. “If we’re out and about and we got it, we’d end up being fine, but I don’t want to be part of the problem and be out there as a carrier and spreading it,” he said. But the couple—each able to work from home—are also concerned about what an economic fallout might look like. “There’s literally people fighting over toilet paper,” said Joe. “What’s going to happen when people don’t have money to buy food? What do we start fighting over then?” Larry Hall has also been living in his unit with his wife, 15-year-old son, two dogs and a cat for two weeks after decamping from his primary residence in a Denver suburb. Unlike a single residence bunker, Survival Condo is a luxury community that stretches 174 feet below the ground. Mr. Hall, the developer, built the community inside a decommissioned Atlas F missile silo in Kansas. Having achieved notoriety after completing his 54,000-square-foot development in late 2012, Mr. Hall said some of his clients have been subjects of ridicule after admitting they owned one of the luxury end-of-days shelters. “People are really opinionated about it,” he said, remembering how some of his owners suffered both social and professional repercussions after admitting they bought into the 14-unit development. Within the 15-story underground structure, 920-square-foot condos like Mr. Hall’s list for $1.5 million, while the larger full-floor units measuring 1,840 square feet cost $3 million. Mr. Hall said there are only five units left after recently closing on a smaller unit in four days “sight unseen.” Survival Condo’s total capacity is listed at 75 people including staff. Each residential floor has a capacity of up to 10 tenants. Residents have access to between three- and five-year supplies of food, and the settlement includes common areas for leisure and exercise. It also boasts storage space and a general store. But not all of Survival Condo facilities are for living and recreation. In what used to be a missile control center, Mr. Hall built a fish farm stocked with three species of tilapia and an hydroponic garden where a large variety of vegetables like spinach, carrots and lettuce grow. He believes the budding garden is also calming. “The plants have a certain effect on people,” he said. Mr. Hall said he’s expecting about a dozen additional people to show up come April. Survival Condo hasn’t yet entered into a lockdown, where coming and going is prohibited, but it does have an undisclosed number of security personnel with firearms at their disposal to protect from unwelcome visitors. The facility has three full-time employees to help with maintenance. Spending on doomsday shelters has been booming since the coronavirus began dominating news headlines during the past few weeks, according to bunker contractors Rising S Company and Atlas Survival Shelters. Both companies say inquiries and sales have risen. Texas-based Rising S—which built Joe’s California bunker—said the number of new contracts signed in roughly the last three weeks has more than doubled. The company also said in the past it has constructed models costing as much as $15 million and as little as $39,500. Atlas specializes in an array of structures including what it calls a “safe cellar” that functions like an underground bunker but also features an air-filtration system. CEO Ron Hubbard said in just the past week he did the same amount of business he did in all of 2019. Not everyone expects the coronavirus to spur growth. Veteran contractor Mike Peters of Ultimate Bunker—a Utah-based builder focused on luxury shelters—dismisses the notion, adding the pandemic has had no impact on his sales. “It takes months and months and months of planning,” said Mr. Peters. “You don’t just jump in and spend $500,000 on the spur of the moment. You’re not going to get it in time to change anything.” Regardless of whether sales have risen amid the current turmoil, spending on residential security rose to $22.5 billion in 2019 from $12 billion in 2011, according to Freedonia Group, a market-research firm based in Cleveland. That covers everything from routine security devices to reinforced, protective structures such as panic rooms and bunkers. Lizanne, a 63-year-old retired investor, feels safer having spent $4.5 million in 2012 to buy 1½ floors inside Survival Condo. “The whole thing is really nice, he thought of everything, the pool, the classroom, library, theater, even a dog walk park,” she said, also preferring to keep her last name confidential. The condominium’s pet-friendly policy was a big bonus for Lizanne, who owns a 75-pound golden retriever and a toy poodle. While Lizanne has yet to abandon her seaside home in Rhode Island for her underground retreat, she is keeping her eye on the news and has her bags packed in case she needs to make the 23-hour drive to Kansas. “If things are really bad I’d much rather be there and protected,” she said. “I don’t necessarily want to, but it’s nice to know that I can.” Lizanne is aware taking refuge at Survival Condo wouldn’t completely protect her from contracting the coronavirus, but said tenants could isolate themselves. But ultimately for her it would come down to what feels safest. “If things get really bad I have to weigh my options and if [going] seems like the best option, then I would take my chances,” she said. Mr. Hall said there is no guarantee people would be safe from the virus. He said the development is taking measures to sanitize, especially at the entrance, and has a wipe-down station. Having already stayed the night at her condo several times while on vacation, Lizanne also isn’t frightened by the idea of an extended lockdown underground. “I do tend to get claustrophobic,” she said. “But because of the way he set up the windows which have cameras to the outdoors, it’s like you’re looking outdoors.” The original owner of an $18 million Las Vegas bunker measuring 15,000 square feet also employed creative means when trying to compensate for the lack of natural light. Although constructed in the late 1970s, the visionary behind the project lacked the technology of today. “It’s basically a cavern underground where all the exterior walls are made to look like landscapes” using murals, said real-estate agent Stephan LaForge of Berkshire Hathaway. The massive bunker—situated underneath a quaint five-bedroom home within one of Las Vegas’s humbler neighborhoods—includes a lighting system meant to simulate different times of day along with fake trees, swimming pool, barbecue, and dance floor with disco ball. But for those who want a bunker but don’t have millions of dollars to spend, a former Army base located in the Black Hills of southwestern South Dakota might be the answer. California businessman Robert Vicino, founder of the settlement christened Vivos xPoint, touts the spread of 575 cement fortresses—each tucked under thick grassland—as “the world’s largest survival community.” Mr. Vicino is repurposing the large number of bunkers once used as storage for munitions and explosives during World War II. Mr. Vicino charges $35,000 for one of the igloo-like structures which have about 2,200 square feet to play with. A showroom version on Vivos’s website shows a fully furnished unit including a kitchen, living room and bathrooms. He also said there has been an uptick in business in recent weeks and expects Vivos will need to make room for more tenants. Extreme remoteness and the security that offers was one of the biggest selling points for 69-year-old Tom and his wife Mary, who are both nearly retired, had already been planning to move to the Vivos bunker they bought roughly three years ago. The structure itself is plenty sturdy as well, said Tom, who also asked to keep his last name confidential. “To get in from the outside is going to require at the very least a bulldozer or lots of really high explosives,” said Tom, who wants to get to his bunker by April. “I don’t want to get stuck here in the Atlanta area with six million other people.” A proud “prepper” for many years, Tom said while some people may have looked at him sideways in the past as he planned for worst-case scenarios like pandemic, calamitous climate change or war, now it feels like there has been a shift. “I don’t think we’re that much different from anybody else. People used to consider preppers to be this odd, crazy bunch of people,” said Tom. “Now a lot of the people that were ambivalent about my prepping, those people are incredibly interested in what I do now.” The post As Coronavirus Panic Spreads, Living Underground Doesn’t Seem So Strange appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com®. via https://www.realtor.com/news/trends/as-coronavirus-panic-spreads-living-underground-doesnt-seem-so-strange/ The coronavirus has already caused so much destruction nationwideânot only among the many who have fallen ill, but also among those who are suffering from businesses closing and those who are struggling financially. While the news cycle has been filled with reports of fearful people panicking and hoarding necessities, countless stories have emerged of mutual love and careâespecially between neighbors. Would you like to reach out to your local community? If youâre not sure how to, consider these recent news stories a perfect source of inspiration. Let these good deeds serve as a reminder that even during this period of social distancing, people have found a variety of creative ways to reach outâor even just to lighten the mood of others during these dark times. 1. Do door-side drop-offs and check-insLike many others, Amy McDonald decided to help her elderly neighbors in Fishers, IN, by dropping off groceries for them. She knew that could help lower their levels of exposure to the coronavirus, but what she didnât realize was that she could in fact be saving someoneâs life. As USA Today reports, McDonaldâs 89-year-old neighbor, Jo Trimble, was having strange, flulike symptoms when McDonald arrived at her home to drop off some provisions sheâd asked for. Not wanting to leave her alone, McDonald stayed with her neighbor as they waited for paramedics. It turned out that Trimble didnât have the flu, or the coronavirusâshe was having a heart attack. Luckily, she was able to get to the hospital in time to have a life-saving surgery. Itâs a good reminder that our neighbors may need someone to check in on them, whether for groceries, illness, or whatever reason. 2. Make the best of canceled eventsDuring this epidemic, many people have had to postpone vacations, weddings, and other celebrations. But when one young New Yorker named Jordana Shmidman had to postpone her bat mitzvah, she decided to turn this unfortunate situation into an opportunity to help others. According to Insider, the food for the event had already been prepared, but Shmidman and her family didnât want it to go to waste. So they asked the caterers to divide the food into boxes so they could deliver it to families in quarantine in the area. This proves that while so many events have been postponed or canceled, thoughtfulness and kindness are definitely still on the schedule. And in the end, Shmidman still managed to share her special day with loved ones, livestreaming her bat mitzvah online. 3. Give an impromptu performanceIn Italy, many amazing operatic performances have been canceled during the countrywide lockdown. That didnât stop one tenor, Maurizio Marchini, however, from stepping onto his balcony and serenading his neighbors with Pucciniâs âNessun Dorma.â And he isnât the only one treating his neighbors to some tunes. One DJ in Palermo, Italy, lit up the night with some beats. In Barcelona, Spain, a pianist on his balcony was joined by a nearby saxophonist for an ad hoc duet of âMy Heart Will Go On.â It might not be classic opera, but the healing powers of music apply to all kinds of tastes. As Marchini explained to Fox News, âMusic can lift spirits, and now there are many people who are suffering.â 4. Write letters to your local nursing homeIn an effort to combat the coronavirus, nursing homes across the nation are putting heavy restrictions on visits from family and friends. This may be saving residents from being infected, but itâs leaving many seniors feeling isolated. Meanwhile, with many public schools closed, kids are stuck at home, bored and with little to do. Thatâs why one family with four young siblings in Westminster, MAâMadilyn, 10, Olivia, 9, Cameron, 7 and Jack, 4âdecided to start writing letters and drawing pictures to nursing home residents across the state. âThe kids love to do anything arts and crafts, and thinking about how stressed everybody is, [we] thought, âWhat can we do to make everybody happy? How can we help?'â their mother, Vanessa France, told Good Morning America.
The idea has since spread far and wide, embraced by old and young alike. At a nursing home in Sterling Village, MA, Michele Morin explains, âLetters from the children will bring them joy and will hopefully comfort them during this difficult time. ⦠We will also be encouraging our residents to write the children back.â 5. Become a virtual volunteerWhen Kathy Green, a resident of Birmingham, AL, heard that a hospital was asking neighbors to help sew face masks, she decided to rally the troops. Green started a Facebook group to organize local residents who were up to the task of sewing and distributing their homemade masks to those who needed them. âI felt like I thought there was going to be a need and that it was probably too big for me to manage through email, so I started a Facebook group,â Green told Fox 8. The group soon grew to a community of 1,300 volunteers, proving that helping out can be as simple as finding a way to contribute from the comfort of your couch. 6. Create some inspiring window art
While kids can no longer go to school, they can still do school assignments, and one project in particular has taken off. âWe did not want it all to be doom and gloom for the children,â Shona Richardson, head teacher at a school in Rosewell, Scotland, told the BBC. Thatâs why her school launched a campaign to encourage students to paint rainbows to display in their windows. âWe thought this would be a really visual way of bringing hope at a time when there is not much out there.â The trend has since spread to windows across Englandâa colorful message for neighbors passing byâshowing that even kids can do their part. 7. Hold a different kind of block partyWhile most of the country has been holed up inside, the residents of Greiner Street in Eugene, OR, are making special accommodations to visit with their neighbors. One night, the neighbors arranged to have a dinner party, all from their individual front yards. Some ordered pizza to enjoy on their front steps, and others went all out, marking the occasion by setting up a dining table complete with a tablecloth. âWe just wanted a way to communicate with one another when we canât give each other hugs,â Mary Lou Vignola told the Register-Guard. âJust to be social when weâre being isolated.â 8. Celebrate birthdays from afar
People may be keeping their social distance, but that doesnât mean we have to skip celebrating together. Case in point: One inspiring Spanish video taken in Madrid shows neighbors singing happy birthday to a woman named Charo on her 80th birthday. The neighbors had placed a cake at her door and told her to look outside for a surprise. When Charo found the cake, she began to cry as her neighbors started to sing her âHappy Birthday.â Talk about a sweet surprise! The post 8 Heartwarming Ways Neighbors Can Help Each Other Through the Coronavirus appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com®. via https://www.realtor.com/news/trends/ways-neighbors-help-each-other-through-coronavirus/ Just two months after buying this custom-built modern farmhouse in Sag Harbor, NY, from the actress Ellen Pompeo, the new owners are offering it up for rent. The monthly rental price on the 2,400-square-foot home, which sold for nearly $3 million in January, now sits at a robust $50,000. With five bedrooms and four bathrooms, the pad offers plenty of room for a family to spread out, or for a few couples to team up on a summer rental. Located in Suffolk County, it’s adjacent to East Hampton and Southampton, and a little over 100 miles east of Manhattan, near the tip of Long Island. Pompeo, one of the stars of “Grey’s Anatomy,” bought the property for $925,000 in 2011, and tore down the existing cabin to create her dream modern farmhouse. The finished product—spanning three levels—was completed in 2013. In 2017, Architectural Digest featured the home’s gorgeous interiors.
The dark-gray exterior gives way to rooms awash in a predominantly white and black palette. Shiplap walls in one of the bedrooms and fireplaces throughout create a cozy feel, in the modern-farmhouse design style. The living room features a double-height ceiling—coaxing in tons of natural light—and the all-white cabinetry and surfaces give the kitchen a light and airy feel. The lower level features a media room, while the main floor houses the living room, kitchen, master suite, and dining room. The dining area features glass walls that overlook the property’s lawn and a heated pool with a gunite surface. Up a floating staircase to the third floor is a guest room with its own bathroom. Sag Harbor’s village is a 10-minute drive from the home, and the entrance to the Elizabeth Morton National Wildlife Refuge is only 1.2 miles away. The rental is listed with Kial Ramirez of The Corcoran Group-Southampton. The post Ellen Pompeo’s Former Hamptons Farmhouse Is Up for Rent at $50K/Month appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com®. via https://www.realtor.com/news/celebrity-real-estate/ellen-pompeo-former-hamptons-pad-up-for-rent/ Open houses and public showings have slowed as the result of the country’s public health crisis, but we’re thrilled to find plenty of home shoppers still on the hunt for the perfect property. A fairy-tale farmhouse in Kansas City, MO, charmed up enough clicks to earn it the title of this week’s most popular home on realtor.com®. Because what’s more calming than a fairy-tale farmhouse? This standout storybook-style home in the Midwest is a bespoke Tudor built by hand by a stonemason for his family in 1925. Loaded with custom details, it’s brightly accessorized and all-around adorable. The neon-green door, set against the century-old stone, hints at the whimsical interior inside. Old World details like the home’s stone masonry and bold turret conjure up images of a heavy, dreary castle, but the bright modern colors inside confound all expectations. High-end browsers were drawn to a dramatic, architecturally significant desert dwelling in Arizona, as well as to a historic estate in Maryland spanning 180 acres. Other homes earning clicks this week included an ornate church retrofitted as a residence in Wisconsin and an 8-acre farm in Michigan with a funky throwback bungalow. Whether you’re looking to upgrade, relocate, or simply need a diversion, we invite you to take a trip through all 10 of this week’s most popular homes… 10. 41783 N. 101st Way, Scottsdale, AZPrice: $5,300,000 Why it’s here: A true desert delight! This architectural gem, known as the “Shadow Caster,” is perched on more than an acre on the Chiricahua golf course. The over 6,800 square-foot contemporary desert estate was built in 2002 by the architect David C. Hovey, and features floor-to-ceiling glass walls, concrete block, and exposed steel beams. The interior space is oriented to maximize desert, mountain, and city views, while the outdoor spaces feature indigenous botanical gardens, as well as an infinity pool and spa. ——-- 9. 231 N. Monongahela Ave, Glassport, PAPrice: $179,900 Why it’s here: Meticulously maintained over the years, this two-story residence was built in 1917, with lovely architectural details. It has three bedrooms, covered front and back porches, original woodwork throughout, and a three-car detached garage. With updated systems and charm to spare, this is a move-in ready family home with tons of potential. ——-- 8. 3330 New Beverly Church Rd, Knoxville, TNPrice: $200,000 Why it’s here: Renovation, anyone? This mod beauty was built in 1969, and has seen much better days. But there’s plenty of space for a buyer who knows how to hammer. The more than 4,200-square-foot home sits on 5.5 wooded acres, and is being sold as is. With a little imagination and a lot of elbow grease, the property could be transformed into something incredible. ——-- 7. 34495 N. Corbin Rd, Walker, LAPrice: $379,000 Why it’s here: This cute country house was built in 1985 and sits on nearly 8 acres. The Acadian-style four-bedroom home includes a wraparound porch, a custom kitchen with granite countertops, updated bathrooms, and a wood-burning fireplace. Outside, the fenced property includes a pond stocked with fish, a six-stall barn, chicken coop, and air-conditioned storage shed. ——-- 6. 1400 Lazar Pl, Florence, SCPrice: $849,900 Why it’s here: With a wide-open floor plan, this stately, two-story Colonial was built in 1993, and has more than 5,300 square feet of space. Inside, the four-bedroom home has a billiard-room, an office over the living room, and a wet bar. Outside, the fenced yard includes a rose garden and a detached gazebo with fireplace, ideal for entertaining al fresco. ——-- 5. 9725 Summerfield, Rd, Temperance, MIPrice: $220,000 Why it’s here: Retro and cozy, this three-bedroom bungalow out in the country was built in 1918, and has been updated throughout. The plumbing, drywall, and fixtures are new, and the 8-acre lot includes an antique barn for storage. Surrounded by lush landscaping, the property also comes along with crop rights for 2020. ——-- 4. 16449 Ed Warfield Rd, Woodbine, MDPrice: $8,500,000 Why it’s here: Spanning 180 acres and listed on the National Register of Historic Places, this estate is the ancestral home of former Gov. Edwin Warfield of Maryland. It sits just 20 miles from both Washington DC and Baltimore. The imposing Federal style home on the property has 12 fireplaces, 24 rooms, and spans 9,500 square feet. In 2005, an additional building known as Oakdale Hall was added to the property and provides an additional 9,000 square feet of entertaining space next to the pool. The sprawling estate also has a gardener’s cottage, carriage house, and brick smokehouse, as well as a gazebo beside the 2-acre spring-fed pond. ——-- 3. 506 N. Main St, Lake Mills, WIPrice: $699,000 Why it’s here: Originally built in 1902, this two-bedroom home was once a United Methodist church, before being converted into a showstopping residence. The stained-glass windows and 30-foot ceilings in the sanctuary are intact, and the brick carriage house has parking for two cars, a finished loft space, and a garden room. ——-- 2. 850 S. Indiana Ave, Crown Point, INPrice: $324,900 Why it’s here: Close to schools and the historic Crown Point square, this quad-level home was built in 1962. Freshly remodeled and loaded with natural light, it features an updated kitchen and refreshed bathrooms. Highlights of the home include large dining and living rooms, heated floors on the lower level, and a large, unfinished basement for storage. ——-- 1. 7346 Oak St, Kansas City, MOPrice: $389,900 Why it’s here: A storybook sensation! This delightful Tudor-style home welcomes guests with a bright-green door. Built in 1925 by a stonemason as his personal residence, the home looks just as charming nearly a century later. Inspired by European-style farmhouses, the four-bedroom home features stone archways, art-glass windows, French doors, porches, and balconies. Outside, paths wander through the home’s one-of-a-kind secret garden. The post Storybook Tudor With a Secret Garden in Kansas City Is the Week’s Most Popular Home appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com®. via https://www.realtor.com/news/trends/storybook-tudor-with-secret-garden-most-popular-home/ For a wealthy buyer who has everything, we’d like to recommend an oceanfront penthouse in beautiful Miami Beach. The $37 million price tag on this particular penthouse makes it the week’s most expensive new listing on realtor.com®. Located atop Faena House, which features 47 ultraluxe units, this penthouse unit offers ocean views from 3,887 square feet of outdoor deck space. Accessible from every room, the decks are designed in an aerodynamic shape to cut down ocean winds. Miele appliances, Dornbracht bathroom finishes, marble flooring, and Crestron home automation systems, with a wall touch keypad to control lights, thermostat, and motorized shades, are standard in the upscale units in the Faena building. The minimalist interiors incorporate walls of windows. Easy access to the terrace outside extends the generous living space. In the listing details, the unit is said to provide a buyer with a “rarefied and bespoke lifestyle.” The furnished interior by Rob Wetzels includes many custom details, such as painted wall panels, intricate plasterwork, and mod decor. Guests enter via a private elevator foyer and entrance hall, and the 6,400-square-foot interior space includes five bedrooms and 6.5 bathrooms. A grand living room with soaring ceilings offers plenty of room for entertaining. Along with a formal dining room, the open plan includes a gourmet kitchen with a bar island for seating. The kitchen adjoins a casual dining space, as well as an outdoor dining area. Massive terrace space provides plenty of room for lounging and enjoying meals al fresco. The waterfront building is named for the Argentine developer Alan Faena and was designed by the noted architecture firm Foster + Partners. Faena had plans to create an entirely new arts district around the hotel and residences with cultural venues, shopping, and entertainment. A unit in the building set a county price record when it sold for $60 million in 2015, reportedly to the billionaire Kenneth Griffin, founder and CEO of the hedge fund Citadel. Griffin’s lavish penthouse includes a rooftop pool and 12,500 square feet of space. Along with the Faena House unit, he has amassed quite a portfolio of trophy residences. Other high-end amenities for well-heeled residents that Faena House offers include 24-hour door staff, security surveillance, underground parking and valet, an in-house spa, a fitness center with ocean views, and a beach club. Residents also receive full access to the adjacent Faena Hotel services. Oren Alexander with Douglas Elliman, who holds the listing, declined to comment on the unit. The post $37M Miami Beach Penthouse Atop Faena House Is This Week’s Most Expensive New Listing appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com®. via https://www.realtor.com/news/trends/37m-miami-beach-penthouse-faena-house-most-expensive/ Boonie Lang’s secret garden is legendary to local bonsai enthusiasts in Northern California. And now, her midcentury modern home, along with the breathtaking Japanese flora she cultivated in Granite Bay, CA, is on the market for the first time, for $999,000. The homeowner and her husband, Gilbert Lang, who passed away last year, purchased the lot in the 1960s. The couple had a modern home built on the site, one of 166 in this Granite Bay community. To create the gardens, Lang brought in the Japanese landscape master Katsuo Saito to create a “peaceful garden,” says listing agent Gail DeMarco. The process took over two years to complete, and the result is serene and lovely landscaping, koi pond, and pool with cascading rock waterfall. Along with rare bonsais, the grounds are filled with azaleas, rhododendrons, camellias, and Japanese maples. “For all the bonsai clubs, this is one of the field trips,” DeMarco says, adding that Lang has given thousands of tours of the private garden. “It’s quite magical,” she adds. While the gardens have grown and bloomed, the agent told us time has “stood still” inside the home. The interiors of this time capsule haven’t been updated since the home was finished in 1969. The Langs spent their money and time tending to the landscape, leaving the home in its mostly original state. For fans of the midcentury modern aesthetic, the lack of updates aren’t a negative. Updates to the original bathrooms and the kitchen, flooring, and finishes will likely be needed. Once potential buyers soak in the views of the resplendent green landscape through the large windows, though, the Langs’ decision to focus on the award-winning backyard becomes much clearer. The home includes three bedrooms and four bathrooms within 3,619 square feet. Located on 1 acre, the residence is surrounded by redwoods and gardens, as well as a pagoda-style teahouse. The ranch-style abode includes a circular family room with a huge natural marble fireplace, barreled beamed ceilings, and walls of glass with lake views. Additional features include two en suite bedrooms, and a master bath with a grotto shower that looks out to the gardens. There’s also a den, bonus room, and a kitchen with a Thermador cooktop and stainless-steel appliances, one of the few nods to the 21st century. However, the teal hue throughout the kitchen evokes a pure 1960s vibe. The home’s location offers proximity to private community lakes, 180 acres of trails, a riding arena, picnic areas, and a playground. The home will attract people who appreciate midcentury style. But the next owner will need to be prepared to take on this lovingly maintained, massive garden, as well as a koi pond with fish of up to 30 years old. “People recognize the style of this house,” DeMarco says. “It’ll sell. It’s going to be a project for somebody. But once [renovations are] completed, it will be a landmark.” The post This Midcentury Modern Time Capsule Boasts an Astonishing Japanese Garden appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com®. via https://www.realtor.com/news/unique-homes/midcentury-modern-home-with-astonishing-japanese-garden/ |
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