When Drew Daniels, a luxury-home builder in the Chicago metro area, shows clients the roughly $1.5 million house he built last year for himself and his family, they ooh and aah over the French-country finishes, the European white oak floors and a “dog room” that includes a shower for George and Harry, the family pooches. But to Mr. Daniels, director of development for custom-builder Sexton Development in Lake Bluff, Ill., the home’s best features are invisible—the $120,000 radiant-heating system, the $20,000 lighting system that creates “moods” in nearly every room, as well as numerous energy-efficient components. Try as he might to interest guests in what he jokingly calls the “nerdy, geeky, OCD-psycho” elements, Mr. Daniels says clients get most excited about his screened-in porch. “People see it and say, ‘I want one,’ ” says Mr. Daniels, who is 38. Luxury builders who build their own homes can splurge on the best materials, the latest technology and top-notch craftsmanship. The result is a showhouse-worthy property that is part innovations lab and part marketing kit to show potential clients what a construction company can accomplish. While real-estate agents urge people who build their own homes not to include too many oddball amenities, builders are proud of the extreme features they include in their own abodes. In Lubbock, Texas, for example, custom builder Robert Wood completed a 5,200-square-foot house for himself and his wife in 2015 that includes seven ovens. The house, which cost roughly $1.3 million to build, is constructed around a courtyard that has a pool and an outdoor dining area. An indoor/outdoor stainless-steel kitchen with four ovens is separated from the courtyard by a retractable glass wall. The ovens come in handy when Mr. Wood and his wife, Candace, entertain their friends and host charity events. (The home’s main kitchen has three additional ovens.) “The courtyard feel is the No. 1 thing I wanted to try,” says Mr. Wood, who says he got the idea from homes in Palm Springs, Calif. An enclosed courtyard ensures privacy, he adds, and orients the view away from the arid West Texas landscape. Though the home has three outdoor spaces, the intimate courtyard “is by far the one we use the most,” says Mr. Wood, 54. What builders consider worthy of including—or excluding—from their personal homes can be revealing. The features deemed “essential” by buyers who earn over $150,000 a year are relatively common comforts, such as laundry rooms and ceiling fans, plus basic “green” features such as Energy Star appliances and energy-efficient windows, according to the results of a 2017 National Association of Home Builders survey of buyers’ home preferences. But luxury builders tend to have much higher standards for what constitutes an environmentally friendly home. Some invest small fortunes in the latest energy-efficient heating systems, weather resistant materials and building techniques that minimize energy loss. Luxury-home builder Arnold Karp spent $175,000 on a geothermal heating and cooling system in his new $2.7 million contemporary home in Greenwich, Conn. Mr. Karp, 57, knows that even if his system slashes his utility bills dramatically, it may not pay for itself. But nonetheless, it’s still a great marketing tool for potential clients. “It helps sell the house to ‘green’ and ‘non-green’ buyers who care about operating costs and the environment,” says Mr. Karp. Contractors are often able to rationalize high upfront spending because they use their own homes as both testing grounds for new technologies and as showcases they can take potential clients through to help close a deal. But it’s a two-way street: They are also able to use clients’ experiences to inform their choices. Mr. Karp knew to stay away from a complicated, multi-device, iPad-controlled “smart home” technology system because he has fielded so many complaints about them from customers. “Everybody calls me two hours before the Super Bowl to tell me their fancy technology is not working,” says Mr. Karp, who is president of Karp Associates in New Canaan, Conn. Both Mr. Karp and Mr. Daniels, having heard such gripes, made sure their systems had buttons on walls that even young children could use without help. And some builders’ clever features don’t win over all clients. Mr. Daniels’ “dog room” has stone floors and baseboards, and the doors are lined with Plexiglas so the dogs can’t damage them with scratches. It leads to the backyard and has a shower, so muddy paws can be quickly cleaned. “If clients have a dog, they think it’s amazing,” says Mr. Daniels. “If they don’t, they think I’m an idiot,” he cracked. These builders say they don’t take advantage of cheap labor in building their homes. “I’d rather pay than owe people favors,” says Mr. Karp. They say they pay their subcontractors—electricians, plumbers and other tradesmen—full freight, in the interest of maintaining good relationships with people who are key to their success in business. “I would sell my house if someone offered me a big price. Then I would have to face them,” which would be uncomfortable if he had demanded cheap or free work, says Mr. Wood. But builders do admit to some foibles familiar to anyone who has built their own home. Mr. Daniels’ perfectionism comes with a high price tag: The ceiling in the screened-in porch is made from reclaimed wood from a barn in Wisconsin, he says. Each board needed to be sized, squared, cut and installed, adding to labor costs. Builders aren’t immune to a version of the classic upsell: Mr. Wood said that while appliance and other hardware suppliers will often provide discounts to people in the business, in some cases he paid full fare in exchange for upgrades to the next level of luxury. More proof that when it comes to their own homes, builders are only human: Mr. Karp’s budget numbers got fuzzy as he got excited about glamorous upgrades, like a Jacuzzi with a fire feature, and backlit stairs that “make it look like you’re walking up a magic carpet,” he said. “My original budget was $2.3 million, but we ended up at $2.7 million,” says Mr. Karp. The post What Luxury Home Builders Consider Worth the Splurge appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com®. via http://www.realtor.com/news/trends/luxury-home-builders-consider-worth-splurge/
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Actress Mindy Kaling has a budding side hustle as a real estate mogul. Until last month, she owned three million-dollar-plus homes in Los Angeles plus a chic designer condo in New York. But she’s consolidating her SoCal holdings. Last month she sold a two-bedroom, three-bath home in the Hollywood Hills for $1.61 million, and just a few days ago, she put a Spanish-style home in the Beverly Grove area on the market for $2.2 million. Perhaps she’s prepping for the baby she’s expecting. News recently broke that the creator of “The Mindy Project” is expecting her first child, although the identity of the father was not revealed. With a kid on the way, it makes sense that the actress has settled into a larger home in Hancock Park and put her smaller home up for sale. The home for sale was built in 1929 and has three bedrooms and four baths in 2,674 square feet of space. The bathrooms still retain their vintage charm with their bright purple, green, and yellow tiles. Colorful, original tile work is becoming harder to find in homes in Los Angeles, where everyone seems to be remodeling with white on white. Other vintage architectural elements include arched doorways, thick plaster walls, hardwood flooring, intricate beam ceilings, built-in niches, and wrought-iron fixtures. Updated features include a chef’s kitchen with stone flooring, stainless-steel appliances, granite countertops, and center island. The finished garage features french doors and is currently being used as a gym. The house is located in one of Los Angeles’ few walking neighborhoods, just minutes from the popular Grove dining and entertainment complex, as well as the trendy shops and restaurants on Third Street in the West Hollywood area. These days Kaling is living large in a 1920s mansion in stately Hancock Park. Before she moved in, she spent 10 months redecorating the home under the direction of designer Katie Ridder, who collaborated with furniture and accessories enterprise One Kings Lane on the backyard. The colorful redo has been featured in Architectural Digest. The sixth and final season of “The Mindy Project” begins running on Hulu in September. Meanwhile, Kaling and Ed Weeks (her co-star on “The Mindy Project”) are teaming up to executive produce a comedy series for ABC about a liberal lesbian couple who return to their conservative hometown in Kansas. The post Making Room for Baby? Mindy Kaling Shedding Another L.A. Home appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com®. via http://www.realtor.com/news/celebrity-real-estate/mindy-kaling-selling-another-los-angeles-home/ The most-clicked property on realtor.com® this week is an extreme fixer-upper for an extremely low price. Offered at just $29,900, a run-down home in Lincoln, IL, racked up a ton of clicks. The home was sold sight unseen last year for $57,000 to a buyer who had plans for a grand renovation. But the buyer died suddenly after closing, and the fixer-upper bounced back on the market—at about half the price. “It’s for someone who has the time, the funds, and the desire to make an old house beautiful again,” says broker Seth Goodman. He’s already fielded calls from “Africa, Canada, and almost every state in the nation.” And this week’s runner-up hooked us, too: It’s a ’70s structure shaped like a fishing reel located in Catoosa, OK. The $5 million home comes with an indoor pool, dome, and two aquariums. “It’s going to take a special buyer,” says listing agent Mark Youngblood. “It needs an individual or organization to come along and preserve it.” However, the most intriguing opportunity this week might just be an apple farm in New Paris, OH. The family business is selling off the farm, the home, and the fruit orchards for $1.1 million. Pour yourself a tall glass of apple cider, and check out the full list of this week’s most popular homes. 10. 9319 Wesler Rd, New Paris, OHPrice: $1,100,000 ——-- 9. 909 Arabella St, New Orleans, LAPrice: $610,000 ——-- 8. 1304 Harvard Blvd, Dayton, OHPrice: $165,000 ——-- 7. 2451 State Highway 80, Sherburne, NYPrice: $550,000 ——-- 6. 8223 Pleasant Valley Rd, Florence, KYPrice: $420,000 ——-- 5. 2505 Taxville Rd, York, PAPrice: $1,295,000 ——-- 4. 215 E 11th St, Beach Haven, NJPrice: $339,000 ——-- 3. 4302 Colony West Dr, Richmond, TXPrice: $1,275,000 ——-- 2. 1102 N 305th East Ave, Catoosa, OKPrice: $5 million ——-- 1.227 N Logan St, Lincoln, ILPrice: $29,900 And the masses agree, given the attention it’s received. “This phone has not stopped,” says broker Seth Goodman. “I can’t say I’m surprised. It’s a cool property for the price.” Built in 1890, it needs a lot of work, with potential problems with the roof, plumbing, and structure. But for less than the price of most luxury cars, it might be worth taking a spin with this vintage fixer-upper. The post Extreme Fixer-Upper at Extremely Low Price Tops This Week’s Most Popular Homes appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com®. via http://www.realtor.com/news/trends/extreme-fixer-upper-most-popular-homes/ You’ve heard it all before: It’s a home seller’s market out there. Need proof? In the second quarter of 2017, sellers raked in an additional average of $51,000 per sale over what they originally paid for their abodes. That’s the highest returns the residential housing market has seen in a decade, according to a recent report from real estate information firm ATTOM Data Solutions. The sale price is about 26% more than owners originally spent on the property, the study showed. The last time it was this high was in early 2007, when sellers pocketed an average $57,000. Break out the bubbly, home sellers! ATTOM looked at recorded sales deeds, foreclosure filings, and loan data to compile the report. The biggest profits were in places where prices are the highest. Sellers made returns of about 75% in Silicon Valley’s San Jose, CA; 65% in San Francisco; 63% in Seattle; 62% in Modesto, CA; and 62% in Denver. This was based on metros with at least 1,000 home sales and sales data were available going back to 2000. “Those are areas that have seen the biggest gain in home prices during this recovery,” says Daren Blomquist, ATTOM’s senior vice president. “Modesto was a little bit of a surprise—it was one of the epicenters of the foreclosure crisis. [But] the halo effect of the Bay Area is rippling out to markets like Modesto and several others in central California and boosting home prices.” Where are homeowners staying the longest—and leaving the fastest?Despite—or perhaps because of—the high prices, homeowners stayed an average 8.05 years in their abodes nationally That’s the longest it’s been since the start of the survey, in 2000. And it’s because homeowners, while they might have no trouble selling their current property, still need to buy a new property. “It’s not so easy to find a new home to purchase,” Blomquist says. “There’s not a lot of homes on the market to buy.” Homeowners stayed the longest in their places in Boston, at 11.91 years; Hartford, CT, at 11.9 years; Providence, RI, at 10.28 years; San Francisco, at 9.7 years; and San Jose, at 9.71 years. ATTOM looked only at metros with at least 1 million residents for this list. But in some other parts of the U.S., people seemed eager to pull up stakes and leave. The amount of time homeowners stayed in their homes dropped in certain high-profile metros, including Chicago; Dallas; Philadelphia; Washington, DC; and Detroit. Where can investors—and everyone else—find real estate bargains?In today’s soaring housing market, sales of distressed properties such as foreclosures, short sales, and bank-owned sales have dropped to the lowest levels since the third quarter of 2007. They made up only about 13.4% of all condo and single-family home sales in the second quarter. “Rising home equity lifts all boats,” says Blomquist. “It allows more homeowners to avoid foreclosure. They have enough equity to sell or potentially refinance and lower their payments.” The greatest percentage of distressed properties were in Atlantic City, NJ, at 40.2% of all home sales; Canton, OH, at 31%; Columbus, GA, at 27.8%; Trenton, NJ, at 27.7%; and Akron, OH, at 27.5%. ATTOM looked at metros with at least 200,000 residents and a minimum of 100 distressed sales to compile the list. Atlantic City’s top placement on the foreclosure list is partly due to the area’s high unemployment rate—about 7.7% as of May. It was 4.4% nationally that month, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. “We’re no longer in the paradigm where it’s toxic loans that are primarily causing foreclosures,” Blomquist says. “Job loss and wage loss is driving foreclosures today.” The lack of distressed properties is pushing investors seeking a deal to set their sights on more far-flung markets to buy into. “They’re moving to smaller, more off-the-beaten-path markets that are lower-priced still,” Blomquist says. Plus, “there’s less competition from other investors.” The post Looking to Make a Quick Buck? Sell Your Home appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com®. via http://www.realtor.com/news/real-estate-news/sell-your-home/ “Fixer Upper” stars Chip and Joanna Gaines don’t seem to be satisfied just dominating the ever-growing world of home improvement TV. They aren’t resting on their laurels watching the homes they’ve designed go for huge bucks in their home market of Waco, TX. No, the superstar renovation couple have another frontier to conquer: The rental market. After portending a “big announcement” on their social media channels all week, the pair finally announced plans to open their second vacation rental home in Waco this fall. Say hello to Hillcrest Estate! The design duo opened Magnolia House, their first vacation rental property just 20 minutes outside of Waco, in February 2016; currently it rents for $695 per night. And apparently, the demand has been so high that they decided to expand. Their newest venture—a seven-bedroom, 3.5-bathroom home at 3601 Hillcrest Dr.—will be available to rent starting in September, according to the Magnolia newsletter. The exact price per night at Hillcrest is as yet unknown, but there are enough beds to sleep a dozen people. So there’s plenty of room for all your “Fixer Upper” fan friends! “Chip and I had so much fun restoring this old Waco icon,” Gaines wrote on her Instagram post introducing the property. “This house dates back to 1903 and we definitely kept its old world charm—our hope is that friends and families from all over can make lasting memories here during their visit to Waco.” The 5,386-square-foot home was listed in June 2015 for $549,900 but did not attract a buyer. It was relisted in February 2016 for $498,000 and was eventually scooped up by the Gaineses, who then gave it an extensive makeover. (The exact purchase date and price are unknown.) Other famous ‘Fixer Upper’ rentalsAnd who can blame Chip and Jo for doubling down on this type of business venture? “Fixer Upper” vacation rentals—places renovated by the couple and being rented out by former clients eager to capitalize on the massive popularity of the show— are multiplying fast. While Chip and Jo have stated that they prefer the recipients of “Fixer Upper” homes remain happily living in these renovated abodes, more and more folks are seizing the opportunity to turn them into cash cows. Since the show’s premiere in 2013, there have been at least six other homes from the show in Waco that were available for rent on VRBO and Airbnb, including some of the most memorable places from the show. For example, since their episode aired in Season 3, the owners of the famous Shotgun House had been renting it out for $325 a night through Airbnb. According to the couple’s listing agent, Jennifer Roberts, “The property [stayed] rented at over a 90% occupancy rate.” Renting it out likely brought in a net profit of around $53,000 a year, according to Gregor Watson, co-founder and chairman of Roofstock. And show fans will also remember the iconic Barndominium from Season 3. The owner, Kristi Bass (who purchased the home from the people for whom the Gaineses had restored it), had been renting it out on VRBO for $1,200 to $1,500 per night. While this investment property was clearly a profitable enterprise, her neighbors were less than enthusiastic about this disruption to their once-quiet town. The city sued Bass, seeking to bar her from renting out the home, but a recent ruling allowed Bass to rent out the property. So what will it be like to walk inside this latest venture run by none other than Chip and Jo themselves? Check out the before-and-after photos of the Hillcrest home below. Entryway beforeEntryway afterKitchen beforeKitchen afterSitting room beforeSitting room afterBathroom beforeBathroom afterBedroom beforeBedroom afterThe post Chip and Joanna’s Newest ‘Fixer Upper’ Is a Must-See Vacation Rental appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com®. via http://www.realtor.com/news/trends/chip-and-joanna-gaines-new-waco-rental/ Fort Lauderdale, FL—spring break central—is home to this week’s priciest new property on realtor.com®. The waterfront retreat just hit the market for $32 million. The 16,022-square-foot gated estate makes for a luxury vacation getaway no matter the season. Built in 2007, the newly redesigned home offers 500 feet of waterfront, along with 2 acres of landscaped gardens designed by Miami-based landscape architect Raymond Jungles. Not only is it the most expensive listing in the sunny city, it’s also the largest parcel of available land for a single-family home, according to listing agent Dennis Stevick. In addition to a “multimillion-dollar landscape project,” the interiors were reworked Stevick says. “Almost 80% of the rooms have changed to give it a more coastal look.” The eight-bedroom, 11-bath home comes with plenty of top-notch amenities, including a media room, wine cellar, elevator, club room with a bar, and a sunroom. There are also a six-bay garage, two docks, a two-bedroom guesthouse, and a captain’s one-bed, one-bath quarters. High-end finishes include wood flooring, onyx and granite counters, handcrafted ceiling beams, and custom chandeliers. Spectacular water views are available in most rooms of the house. The outdoor space includes a covered patio ideal for alfresco dining and multiple private balconies with water views. Property records show Donald K. and Rebecca M. McKinney purchased the site in 1999 for $3.2 million, according to the Real Deal. The home was listed in 2011 for the same price, according to public records. Stevick says the owners had a change of heart at the time and took it off the market. Now that the owners have decided to make their home on the other coast, they’ve relisted it. Perhaps this time on the market will be the charm. Buyers will likely be tempted by the property’s secluded yet centrally convenient location. It’s just minutes to downtown and “your personal jet,” as the listing states. Fuel up your Gulfstream, and set a path for Fort Lauderdale. The post $32M Fort Lauderdale Waterfront Estate Is This Week’s Most Expensive New Listing appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com®. via http://www.realtor.com/news/trends/fort-lauderdale-most-expensive/ All good things—even one’s self-professed “pride and joy”—have a price. Case in point, in 2011 former Dallas Maverick Shawn Marion raved about a new $4 million mansion he had just purchased in Dallas. He had even taken pains to approve every fabric, accessory, and piece of furniture that went into his home. Six years later, Marion’s love affair with his mansion appears to have come to an end. The former NBA forward, who last played in the Big D during the 2013-14 season, has listed his home for $5.95 million. The 12,629-square-foot home sits on an acre lot and features 32-foot ceilings. There are six bedrooms, nine bathrooms, four living areas, two dining areas, and a chef’s kitchen. The master suite boasts a sitting area, fireplace, and two-level closet. There’s also a wood-paneled office, upstairs game room, home theater, gym, two wet bars, wine room, indoor lounge, and downstairs guest suite. Though the list price doesn’t include the furnishings, a buyer could negotiate for Marion’s “minimalist [and] sophisticated decorating palette.” Marion spent 16 seasons in the NBA, most notably with the Phoenix Suns and Dallas Mavericks. He played a major role with the 2011 NBA Champion Mavericks, was a four-time NBA All-Star, and earned an Olympic bronze medal. For his career, Marion scored nearly 18,000 points and pulled down more than 10,000 rebounds. The post NBA Great Shawn Marion Selling His ‘Pride and Joy’ Dallas Mansion for $6M appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com®. via http://www.realtor.com/news/celebrity-real-estate/shawn-marion-selling-dallas-mansion/ Winter is coming for the North. Last year, three states in the Northeast—New Jersey, New York and Connecticut—landed in the top five places people were moving out of fastest, according to 2017 data from United Van Lines. (The other two states on the list were Illinois and Kansas). And data from Pew Charitable Trusts found that while people are all about moving to the South (their population grew by nearly 1.4 million people from 2014 to 2015) and the West (866,000 more people), the population growth in the Northeast is “sluggish.” The Northeastern exodus is particularly acute in many big cities like New York City. Since 2010, more than 1 million people have moved from the New York area—which includes parts of New Jersey, Connecticut and Long Island—to other parts of the country. So why are so many northerners packing their bags? Reason No. 1: The insanely high costData released on Wednesday by personal finance site GoBankingRates.com reveals that the No. 1 financial fear of people who live in the Northeast is that they will have to live in debt forever; the Northeast is the only region of the country that ranked this as No. 1. (The other regions put retirement as their No. 1.) And no wonder they’re worried. The cost of living across the region is among the highest in the nation, and three of the five most expensive states or districts in the country (New York, Washington D.C., Massachusetts) are in the area. (The other two states are Hawaii and California.) Having to spend so much just to get by can make getting out of debt seem much harder. And housing costs and taxes in many of these states are also sky high. Reason No. 2: The horrendous weatherWe told you winter was coming to the North—and it’s so bad that many people are leaving the Northeast in search of better weather. Indeed, the largest migration between states is from New York to Florida, according to data from the Census Bureau. And simple looks at recent winters in the Northeast explains why. For example, in 2015, Boston had its snowiest winter on record, and New York City had one of its snowiest blizzards on record in 2016. Just ask Karen Lanovi, a lifelong New Yorker who says she “left for better weather,” moving to central Florida 12 years ago. “It has proven a great decision for my husband, myself and our three children. We for the most part, have a better life,” she says. The same reasons drove tech entrepreneur Jaimyn Chang out of the Northeast to Austin; he says he was “sick of the ridiculous snowy winters and bone-chilling temperatures” and “ the constant seemingly endless gray overcast days.” Reason No. 3: The jobsMany companies are setting up shop in warm and less expensive places, which means that people pondering getting out of the Northeast can now find work. Texas, for example, has seen massive job growth since the recession—and some of these jobs are in fields you wouldn’t normally think of as being in Texas. For example, tech: Google, Apple, Dropbox and Oracle all recently built or expanded offices in Austin, along with many others. This story originally appeared on Moneyish.com. The post 3 Reasons So Many Americans Are Getting the Hell Out of the Northeast appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com®. via http://www.realtor.com/news/trends/3-reasons-many-americans-getting-hell-northeast/ Before long the temperatures will dip, the foliage will turn red, and yellow school buses will magically reappear in the nation’s suburbs and cities, picking up and dropping off children. And many parents will again begin worry whether their kids are getting A-level educations. The desire to live in an area with a top-notch school district, of course, is one of the forces that drive many home-buying decisions for families. And most parents will do whatever it takes to ensure a great eduction for their kids. But here’s the reality: You don’t need to drop a load of money on private schools to make sure your children are learning their ABCs. And you don’t need to move to the priciest parts of the country to get into a top-rated public school. You could just need to head to the Chicago suburb of Aurora, IL—or any of the other places on our list of affordable towns with the best schools. Realtor.com® found the best elementary schools (which received at least an 8 out of 10 ranking by education information group GreatSchools) in the largest 15 metros where buyers can find a home without breaking the bank. You’re welcome! To compile our rankings, our economics team looked at the monthly housing costs (mortgage payments, taxes, etc.) needed to purchase a median-priced home in all of the ZIP codes in each metro. To ensure buyers were getting a deal, we factored in the median income of residents living there to ensure affordability. We also filtered out the ZIP codes with high crime and poverty rates, and for geographic diversity included only one ZIP code per metro. “When searching for a new home, finding something affordable in a good school district with family-friendly features, such as large backyards, tops the list of home buyer priorities,” says Javier Vivas, manager of economic research for realtor.com. “These markets offer strong public schools and affordable homes, making them a great fit for home buyers with elementary school–age children.” Aurora topped the list due to its having three top-rated elementary schools. It’s also 45% more affordable than the surrounding metro area. “It’s absolutely family-friendly,” says local real estate broker Margaret Rowe of Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage. She touted the myriad parks and family events held in Aurora. Want to know where else you can score a bargain—and your kids can get a good education? Keep reading. Make your third-grade teacher proud. 1. Aurora, ILZIP code: 60503 (outside of Chicago) Median home list price in ZIP code: $259,900 Top schools: Homestead Elementary School (10 out of 10), Wheatlands Elementary School (8 out of 10), and Wolfs Crossing Elementary School (10 out of 10) 2. Stone Mountain, GAZIP code: 30087 (outside of Atlanta) Median home list price in ZIP code: $218,950 Top Schools: Wynbrooke Elementary School (9 out of 10) 3. Hampton, NJZIP code: 08827 (outside of New York City) Median home list price in ZIP code: $297,000 Top schools: Union Township Elementary School (8 out of 10) 4. Royersford, PAZIP code: 19468 (outside of Philadelphia) Median home list price in ZIP code: $246,125 Top schools: Brooke Elementary School (9 out of 10), Evans Elementary School (8 out of 10), Limerick Elementary School (9 out of 10), Spring-Ford Intermediate School 5th/6th (9 out of 10), and Upper Providence Elementary School (9 out of 10) 5. Kingwood, TXZIP code: 77345 in Houston Median Home home list price in ZIP code: $323,750 Top schools: Deerwood Elementary School (9 out of 10), Greentree Elementary School (10 out of 10), Hidden Hollow Elementary (9 out of 10), Shadow Forest Elementary School (10 out of 10), and Willow Creek Elementary School (10 out of 10) 6. Rosemount, MNZIP code: 55068 (outside of Minneapolis) Median home list price in ZIP code: $299,900 Top schools: Shannon Park Elementary School (10 out of 10) 7. Bowie, MDZIP code: 20715 (outside of Washington, DC) Median home list price in ZIP code: $345,350 Top schools: Whitehall Elementary School (8 out of 10) and Yorktown Elementary School (8 out of 10) 8. Huntington Woods, MIZIP code: 48070 (outside of Detroit) Median home list price in ZIP code: $400,000 Top schools: Burton Elementary School (8 out of 10) 9. Stow, MAZIP code: 01775 (outside of Boston) Median home list price in ZIP code: $504,750 Top schools: Center School (8 out of 10) 10. Chandler, AZZIP code: 85226 (outside of Phoenix) Median home list price in ZIP code: $324,155 Top schools: Kyrene De La Mirada Leadership Academy (9 out of 10), Kyrene De La Paloma Elementary School (8 out of 10), Kyrene De Las Brisas Elementary School (9 out of 10), Kyrene del Cielo Elementary School (10 out of 10), Kyrene Traditional Academy, Sureno Campus (9 out of 10), and Paragon Science Academy (9 out of 10)
The post Back-to-School Special: Top 10 Affordable Towns With the Best Schools appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com®. via http://www.realtor.com/news/trends/affordable-towns-top-schools/ If at first you don’t succeed in a real estate sale, restage, find a new agent, drop the price, and try again. That seems to be Kathy Griffin‘s strategy in selling her 8,095-square-foot home in the Hollywood Hills of Los Angeles, with a view of Universal Studios and the Hollywood sign. She put the house on the market in October for $5.5 million and then took it off for a few months. Now the home’s popped back up for sale—for a shade under $5 million. The listing agent is Steve Frankel of Coldwell Banker Global Luxury. Griffin personally oversaw a number of renovations on the five-bedroom, six-bath home known as “Wings,” because its extended shape resembles a bird in flight. The home was built in 2003, and Griffin picked it up for $2,850,000 in 2004. The interior was updated in the Mid-Century Modern style and features water features, terrazzo floors, and stacked-stone accent walls. Griffin also bought two adjacent, nonbuildable lots to ensure privacy and security. The gated property’s total size now is just under 1.5 acres. Among the home’s more interesting luxury features are six fireplaces and a chef’s kitchen with quartz and stone countertops, an eat-in breakfast bar, high-end appliances, and a lounge area with fireplace. There’s also a spacious game room/screening room with kitchenette. Then there are the views from almost every room in the house, and the relaxing backyard with sitting areas, pool, and spa. If you’re looking at the photos and thinking, “Hey! I’ve seen this house before,” that’s because it was often featured in the comedian’s self-titled reality show on Bravo, “Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List.” You also might be wondering if the price drop signals Griffin’s eagerness to sell after fallout from photos of the comedian holding the fake severed head of President Donald Trump. Griffin, who later apologized for the controversial images, lost several gigs, including hosting CNN’s New Year’s Eve program alongside Anderson Cooper, an endorsement deal with the line of bathroom footstools known as Squatty Potty, plus a number of stand-up shows. And while Griffin might be eager to sell “Wings,” she’s certainly not hurting. She’s comfortably ensconced for almost a year now in an even bigger home in Bel Air, CA, for which she paid $10.5 million. The post Comedian Kathy Griffin Cuts the Price of Her Hollywood Hills Home appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com®. via http://www.realtor.com/news/celebrity-real-estate/kathy-griffin-cuts-hollywood-hills-price/ |
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