Texas Gem Is ‘One of the Best’ Spanish Colonial Revival Homes Outside of California

realtor.com

Stroll by this Spanish Colonial Revival home on the market for $114,900, and you’d be excused for thinking you’d been transported to the Golden State. The terra-cotta roof, arched windows, and decorative tiles are textbook examples of a Spanish-style home most commonly found in California.

But this 1,636-square-foot charmer brings a little bit of La La Land to Tyler, TX. It’s on the Tyler Historic Landmark Register, and the city’s website describes it as “one of the best examples of Spanish Colonial Revival architecture found outside of the state of California.”

“People just love it,” says listing agent Kristen Anderson. “It’s showing like crazy. It is in an area that is currently being revitalized.”

For those unfamiliar with the style, the architectural design came to prominence during the Panama-California Exposition of 1915 in San Diego. The debut spurred a building boom, and this distinctive style remained popular through the ’30s.

But homes like these are usually found in California and Florida, and can be easily spotted with details such as stucco walls, curved staircases, and colorfully painted tile.

The Tyler property includes two beds, one bath, and many of the Mediterranean flourishes you might find in a SoCal structure. Original architectural details include hardwood floors, curved steps, and arched windows. The front door and hardware are also original to the house.

Living room with original curved windows

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There are the trademark white walls and quirky nooks, including a built-in window seat and a cutout over the fireplace. The home also comes with an outdoor courtyard with a wrought-iron half-wall.

Curved steps

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The kitchen includes a handy pass through to the living room, and curved steps lead to a formal dining room. The home’s bedrooms are surprisingly large and come with closets.

Kitchen with pass-through

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The home’s history dates to 1929. A man named Albert Childers built the home for $6,000 as a wedding gift for his bride, Lucille, according to research from the City of Tyler. Incredibly, Lucille lived in the adorable home until she was 88. Just three other owners have lived there since the 1990s, notes the listing agent.

With so few owners, this home has been well-preserved. The cute kitchen could use some updating, but it’s small and “won’t break the bank,” says Anderson. A few renovations have added modern-day conveniences such as central heat and air, an alarm system, and a utility room.

The historic designation offers the perk of property tax abatement, although permission must be granted for any changes to the exterior of the house, notes Anderson.

But the home’s best feature of all is the price. Move in, and you’ll enjoy the California lifestyle without the hefty West Coast cost.

The post Texas Gem Is ‘One of the Best’ Spanish Colonial Revival Homes Outside of California appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com®.

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Inside Beyonce and JAY Z’s Struggle to Buy a Home: What’s Taking So Long?

Larry Busacca/PW/WireImage

Beyoncé and JAY Z might soon be homeowners—that is, if the latest rumors are true. According to anonymous real estate sources in the Los Angeles Times, the couple have put forward a bid to buy a mansion in Bel Air, CA, for $90 million.

While nothing’s official quite yet, the Times goes on to say that the mansion was “never publicly listed for sale, but carried an asking price of $135 million.” In other words: The sellers were perhaps hoping to sell without the hassle of fielding hordes of potential buyers … for the right price, of course.

And we can see why this 30,000-square-foot estate—with its eight bedrooms, four pools, 15-car garage, recording studio, basketball court, and expansive views of downtown Los Angeles—caught the superstar couple’s fancy.

Still, Jay and Bey’s $90 million offer is substantially shy of $135 million, so we aren’t counting this real estate chick before it’s hatched. Especially since the couple seem somewhat cursed by bad luck when it comes to purchasing property, as numerous homes they’ve been rumored to have their eye on in the past have slipped through their fingers.

Why is that? Clearly, they aren’t hurting for cash. So what’s been foiling their house-hunting efforts so far?

What’s taking Beyoncé and JAY Z so long to buy a home?

Let’s rewind to three years ago, when rumors circulated that Jay and Bey made an offer to buy a Holmby Hills home that they were renting for $200,000 a month. Only that deal fell through. Word is that the pair decided the pad’s 16,000 square feet of space wasn’t enough room.

After that, it was reported that the couple made an offer on a 23,000-square-foot house in Trousdale, another Beverly Hills neighborhood, but lost the bidding war to Minecraft creator Markus Persson, who paid $70 million for the place. Then, the couple supposedly bid $49 million on a 14,000-square-foot home in Beverly Hills, but were outbid by designer Tom Ford, who offered $50 million.

Rumor also has it that JAY Z and Beyoncé were eyeing a place on nearby Carolwood Drive, but Detroit Pistons owners Tom Gores beat them to the punch with $200 million.

So you have to wonder why Jay and Bey always seem to end up on the losing end of a real estate deal. Are they merely high-profile examples of the difficulties Americans are having in the red-hot seller’s market that characterizes many areas of the U.S. today?

“There are frustrated home buyers all over the country that are finding the limited inventory of homes available for sale to be a real challenge, as available homes are quickly snapped up or sparking bidding wars in high-demand, low-supply markets,” says Greg McBride, chief financial analyst for Bankrate.com.

Some real estate experts theorize that the couple might be acting too picky or indecisive in a market that demands you act fast.

“They may not know what they want and are not prepared to act immediately,” says Bruce Ailion, a Realtor® and attorney in Atlanta. “A delay of two to three days can mean losing the property. Having an offer in within hours of a home coming on the market is often necessary.”

How they can keep their new deal from falling through

So will this star couple nail the deal this time around?

Some experts worry that $90 million might not be enough to see things through.

“I’d suggest not lowballing multimillion-dollar custom-built homes in the hottest market in the nation,” says Los Angeles–based real estate broker and investor Tyler Drew.

“When I am working with purchasers who really want a home, I always say ‘put in your best and highest’ bid,” agrees Denise Supplee at SparkRental.com. “Trying to get a ‘deal’ can be the very thing that breaks a deal.”

Beyoncé and JAY Z should also be willing to make their offer, whatever it is, as irresistible as possible.

“They’re in a position to make a cash offer, which is always compelling,” says Brian Davis, a real estate education expert at SnapLandlord.com.

The post Inside Beyonce and JAY Z’s Struggle to Buy a Home: What’s Taking So Long? appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com®.

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Indianapolis Home Transformed by ‘Good Bones’ Team Is Now on the Market

HGTV; realtor.com

Karen Laine and Mina Starsiak, the mother-daughter team on HGTV’s popular renovation series “Good Bones,” are a couple of daring home rehabbers.

They take on crumbling shacks—buying them for a pittance—and transform these potential tear-downs into affordable dream homes. One of the show’s highlights featured the duo buying a wreck from the city of Indianapolis for $4,000, spending $187,000 on rehab, and then selling it for $259,000.

For a Victorian cottage currently on the market in Indianapolis, the reality TV renovators stretched their budget and paid a whopping $40,000.

They then plunked down $185,000 on a full home renovation. The home went up for sale for $329,000 in September 2016, but the price has since been sliced to $280,000. For HGTV fanatics, it’s an intriguing opportunity to buy a charming cottage with a reality TV pedigree.

It was featured on the Season 2 episode titled “Facelift for a Tiny Victorian,” in case you want to see the home’s on-screen transformation.

After: Renovation reveals “good bones” on this quaint Victorian.Before: Karen Laine and Mina Starsiak saw potential in this boarded-up eyesore.

HGTV

Since the home didn’t sell for the original asking price, you might get the impression it’s an unsuccessful flip. Not true!

These women have been in the business for years, and they understand supply and demand. When a home doesn’t sell for their targeted price, they can take it off the market, rent it out for a while, and list it again once prices and demand dictate.

The home for sale might look small from the curb, but it’s been expanded to a roomy 1,780 square feet by the crew from Two Chicks and a Hammer, the name of Laine and Starsiak’s company.

This mother and daughter team do a lot of the hard work themselves.

HGTV

Open living room with floating staircase

HGTV

They designed an open living room and kitchen with a floating staircase and built a large addition at the rear of the house. The addition includes a generous master suite with a luxe bath and walk-in closet.

Upstairs, they added two bedrooms and a new bath, taking the house from a one-bedroom, two-bath home to one with four bedrooms and three baths.

New kitchen

HGTV

New bedroom

HGTV

New bathroom

HGTV

Of course, there are their usual quality countertops, finishes, and built-ins throughout.

This home is located in the East of State neighborhood, just on the outskirts of Indianapolis’ popular Fountain Square district. The “Good Bones” team has renovated homes on this street before.

And while a house featured on “Good Bones” doesn’t command the same premium as a Chip and Joanna Gaines creation on “Fixer Upper,” remember the women of “Good Bones” invest a lot less to begin with. Laine and Starsiak clear around the same profit margin that Christina and Tarek El Moussa do on “Flip or Flop,” and they’re only in their second season!

Laine and Starsiak going over the new floor plan.

HGTV

The post Indianapolis Home Transformed by ‘Good Bones’ Team Is Now on the Market appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com®.

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O.J. Simpson’s Children Went on a Real Estate Spending Spree

Steve Marcus - Pool/Getty Images

O.J. Simpson’s children have gone on a real-estate spending spree over the past two years—and the families of murder victims Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman want to know where they got all the dough.

Sydney Simpson, 31, and her brother Justin, 28, have built a mini-real estate empire in St. Petersburg, Fla., scooping up 13 properties since 2015, according to documents reviewed by The Post.

The homes and apartments are in low-income areas and total about $500,000. All but two appear to have been bought with cash.

Where the kids got the money for the properties could lead to a legal battle between O.J. Simpson and the families of Goldman and Nicole Brown Simpson, who was the former football great’s ex-wife and is the children’s mother.

Sydney and Justin were asleep upstairs on June 12, 1994, when their mother and Goldman, her friend, were slashed to death outside the family’s condo in the Brentwood neighborhood of Los Angeles.

O.J. Simpson was acquitted of the murders a year later but found liable for the pair’s deaths in a civil proceeding in 1997.

Simpson, who will be released from prison in October after doing time for an armed robbery, still owes almost all of the $33.5 million civil judgment against him.

David Cook, a lawyer for Goldman’s father, Fred, said he would seek bank records and depositions to follow the kids’ money trail and see if any of the homes were bought with their dad’s cash, which could make them eligible for a claw-back.

The kids’ “loss is no greater than Fred’s, but Fred’s loss should be no greater than theirs,” Cook said.

“The first stop is to unearth the records and testimony of the family members to ensure that the source of the equity to acquire the real property is free of any taint.”

Simpson has largely been able to dodge his massive debt because so much of his money is in pensions and other protected annuities.

Cook said any money Simpson may have given to his kids would be a “fraudulent conveyance,” or a transfer of money to avoid debt.

But legal experts say it’s not so simple under Florida law, which tends to give advantage to debtors.

“If [Simpson’s protected money] is an exempt asset, then it remains an exempt asset [even if given away], generally speaking,” said Curtis Cassner, vice chairman of the Florida State Bar’s Wills, Trusts & Estates Certification Committee.

Barry Nelson, a top Miami asset-protection lawyer, said Simpson can spend his protected money as he wants, as long as he hasn’t mixed it with funds that could be claimed in the judgment.

If “he leaves [the funds] segregated, then he can spend as he wishes,” he said. “But once it’s contaminated, co-mingled with other funds and not clearly segregated, then it could lose its exempt status.”

Sydney’s LinkedIn profile says she deals in real estate, while records show that Justin is a Realtor.

Each owns one house in their own name in St. Petersburg. Both properties, which are their residences, have mortgages.

The siblings scooped up the rest of their holdings through limited liability corporations tied directly to them, according to state corporation filings, Pinellas County tax records and other documents.

None of those properties have mortgages, suggesting they were bought in cash.

In the past two years, Sydney’s Simpsy Properties LLC picked up properties including an apartment at 1247 22nd Ave. South for $35,000, two units at 379 47th Ave. South for $47,500 each, one at 335 47th Ave. North for $61,000 and another at 334 48th Ave. North for $47,500.

Justin’s LLC scored holdings including a duplex at 173 38th Ave. Southeast for $95,600 and a modest building at 1701 13th Ave. South with four units for $215,000. The 13th Avenue property was bought in 2014 by Sydney’s boyfriend, Robert Blackmon, for $38,800, before it was flipped to Justin in 2016 for cash.

Renters at the properties were shocked to learn of their landlords.

“I had no idea,” said 47th Avenue tenant Carmen Gorton.

Sydney and Justin Simpson do not have listed phone numbers. They did not respond to e-mails from The Post on Sunday.

The post O.J. Simpson’s Children Went on a Real Estate Spending Spree appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com®.

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Divertimento #132

Showerthought: "If you like to drink, you know when the liquor store closes.  If you are an alcoholic, you know when the liquor store opens."

A nice summary of how to prevent tick-borne diseases.  This year a new tick disease has been reported - bourbon virus.  One woman died after developing hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis.

Video from the World Taxidermy Championships (via Neatorama).

"Why do 2,000-year-old Roman piers survive to this day, yet modern concrete seawalls embedded with steel crumble within decades?" (It's because of the pozzolanic reaction).

The latest randomware epidemic was spread by a software update.

Video explaining sinkholes (quite interesting).

A photo gallery of world parliaments.

Kinder Suprise Eggs cannot be imported into the U.S.

"In July 1975, a 17 year old boy in Bermuda was killed when a taxi struck him, knocking him off his moped. He died exactly a year after his 17 year old brother was killed while riding the same moped, in the same intersection, by the same taxi driver carrying the same passenger."

Girls as young as nine are requesting labiaplasties.

"English Language & Usage Stack Exchange is a question and answer site for linguists, etymologists, and serious English language enthusiasts."

A very negative opinion on Tesla.  And a cautionary view on the overall market.

How to find out what the internet knows about you.

"The frozen bodies of a Swiss couple who went missing 75 years ago in the Alps have been found on a shrinking glacier."

A child's humorous fold-out art.

65,000 people sing Bohemian Rhapsody.

"Seven north Atlantic right whales have been found floating lifelessly in the Gulf of St Lawrence... in what is being described as a “catastrophic” blow to one of the world’s most endangered whales."

Minnesota party politics is a microcosm of the national situation.  "Is Minnesota split into rival regions — a liberal island in the Twin Cities and a vast conservative sea in greater Minnesota?... The big battle not only pits Democrats against Republicans but rages within the parties — especially the DFL."

Undersea rivers are awesome.

The voyages of the Chinese treasure ships.  The fourth voyage was conducted by 63 treasure ships crewed by 28,000 men.

Paths of every solar eclipse that will occur in your lifetime (type in your birth year).

The life and death of Richard Bachman.

Retired greyhounds become professional blood donors.  "Greyhounds represent the bulk of the donors, and with good reason because they typically have a universal blood type that any dog can receive. Greyhounds also have big neck veins that make drawing blood easy."

Summary of the major themes of Blade Runner (including whether Deckard was a replicant).

When you spill a truckload of slime eels on a highway.  "The slime from one hagfish can expand to five gallons when combined with water."

If you are a senior citizen, get your lifetime pass to the national parks soon (the price goes up from $10 to $80 next month).  I got mine years ago.  Haven't used it so far, but I'm not dead yet.

How to unplug a clogged toilet.

London is experiencing a wave of attacks with acid.

Confirmation that false heads do protect butterflies (video at the link).

"22,000 people have now found themselves legally bound to 1000 hours of community service, including, but not limited to, cleaning toilets at festivals, scraping chewing gum off the streets and “manually relieving sewer blockages”. (because they didn't read their wifi terms of service)

Richard Feynman explains how railroad trains stay on the tracks on a curve since their axles don't have differentials.

"... doctors found 27 contact lenses in a 67-year-old patient’s eye..."

"The Brazilian environment ministry is proposing the release of 860,000 acres in the National Forest of Jamanxim for agricultural use, mining and logging."

The robot apocalypse is not due quite yet. (personally I wonder if someone pushed it)

Animal rights activists released tens of thousands of minks from a farm in central Minnesota.

"Up until four years ago, Rio Celeste, a 14-kilometer river in Costa Rica’s Alajuela province, was a complete mystery to scientists, who could not understand why its waters had an unusual turquoise color. And then they realized that it wasn’t turquoise at all." (TL;DR "optical illusion")

The history of the papasan chair.  "U.S. soldiers picked up papasan and mamasan during World War II and spread them throughout the Asia Pacific. Mamasan soon became slang for a madam of a brothel and, come the Vietnam War, papasan was referring to a pimp."

"How I made $290,000 selling books."

The "murderer's thumb" is brachydactyly.  It occurs in about 1% of the world's population.

"Honey, I found the spoon."

The images embedded in today's divertimento are selected from a gallery of images of a home listed for sale in Texas.  Dozens more pix at the realtor's website.  The home is yours for $1,275,000.

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Work Hard, Play Hard! The 10 Best Cities to Launch a Career

PongsakornJun/iStock; Ultima_Gaina/iStock

There you are, a bachelor’s degree in hand, a spring in your step, gleam in your eye, growing debt on your credit report, and a great desire to move things along. Maybe you’ve already got a starting gig and a few years of real-world experience under your belt. Maybe you’re still kicking back, waiting for your future to crystallize while gorging on angsty, postgrad movie classics like “Slackers,” “Reality Bites,” or “The Graduate” (“Plastics!”). Either way, you find yourself immersed in that eternal quarter-life crisis:

What are you really going to do with your life? And where are you going to do it?

While we can’t offer you the secrets of professional success or Magic 8-Ball your future, we can help with the “where” part. And we’re here to tell you that you don’t need to sacrifice space, savings, and sanity, living with a busload of roommates in crazy-expensive New York or San Francisco. Instead, realtor.com®’s data team set out to find the most affordable metros, where hard-working, entry-level workers can build long-term careers. And these aren’t all-work-and-no-play areas. These are also places with tons of culture, fun, and natural beauty to enjoy.

In other words, places where you can put down roots.

“Technology has really helped boost job growth into some of these smaller metros,” says Chris Porter, chief demographer for John Burns Real Estate Consulting. “These local economies are constantly evolving and are seriously attractive—especially since the cost of living is so much lower.”

To figure out the 10 most affordable places for young people to jump-start their careers and lives, we looked at the following:

• Job growth: We measured declines in the unemployment rate in the first quarter of 2014 to the first quarter of 2017, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• Business growth: Number of new businesses versus the number of businesses that closed in 2014, according to the most recent U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data
• High salaries: Median salaries of the top 25% of earners of all occupations, using U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data
• Happiness index: Hedonometer.org’s analysis of Twitter data, assessing the happiness of residents of different areas
• Affordability: Metros where the median home price is $400,000 or less, according to realtor.com

Ready? Life is waiting. Let’s join the race.

1. Fort Collins, CO

Median home price: $391,400

Median salary of the top 25% of earners: $59,810

Fort Collins Museum

RiverNorthPhotography /istock

They don’t call it Colorado Cool for nothing. In case you haven’t heard, the Centennial State is thriving these days. And Fort Collins offers some of the best that Colorado has to offer—the mountains, the gigs, the craft beer, the emerging legal marijuana scene—without the mile-high costs of Denver, just over an hour away.

There are a myriad varied career opportunities in this city, from high-tech companies like Intel and Hewlett-Packard to a slew of local breweries and a major Anheuser-Busch facility. The local Colorado State University is increasingly acting as an innovation driver: Its CSU Ventures is helping spur growth in the biotech, energy, and natural resources industries.

All that has driven down unemployment from 5.5% in the first quarter of 2014 to just 2.9% in the first quarter of 2017. To put that in perspective, the national unemployment rate is a much higher 4.4%. This means local companies need workers, like, yesterday.

Housing isn’t cheap, but it’s a bargain compared to Denver’s median home price of $518,500. Plus, a slew of new apartment buildings have gone up recently, meaning that there are more rentals to go around.

“There are enormous numbers of small, high-tech companies ideal for people who really want to make a difference and have a creative lifestyle,” says Mary Atchison, chief operating officer of the Northern Colorado Economic Alliance. “It’s just a great place for young professionals who want a laid-back lifestyle.”

2. Charlotte, NC

Median home price: $334,300

Median salary of the top 25% of earners: $58,970

Charlotte, NC

SeanPavonePhoto/istock

This Southern city has become a magnet for new college graduates seeking work. Charlotte’s metro area boasts the nation’s second highest concentration of financial institutions (New York is No. 1), and nearly 40 colleges and universities. Big-name brands like Bank of America, Lowe’s, and Duke Energy are just a few of the Fortune 500 companies in the area.

And it’s more than the jobs drawing new residents. Charlotte has 37 miles of greenway trails and is a NASCAR hub. Southern fare is serious here, so loosen your belt for the region’s famed biscuits, barbecue, and regional fast foods. (BYO Mylanta!)

Many of the new millennial residents are becoming homeowners, thanks to the significantly cheaper prices and lower cost of living in Charlotte compared to the nearby coastal cities. Here, buyers on a budget can find a cute, two-bedroom, two-and-a-half bath house on a cul-de-sac for under $200,000. Those with a bit more cash can score a four-story, two-bedroom, two-bathroom townhouse in a popular uptown neighborhood near the greenway for $325,000.

3. Madison, WI

Median home price: $299,900

Median salary of the top 25% of earners: $63,370

Madison, WI

timhughes/istock

Madison continues to enchant new grads with its job possibilities, higher-than-average salaries, and an undeniably cool lifestyle. And this city is an increasingly strong player in the health care, information technology, and manufacturing industries.

“People are able to earn and buy” homes in the metro, says Zach Brandon, president of the Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce. “Here, you end up with disposable income. That translates into community wealth.”

The best part for aspiring homeowners? The median home price in the metro is less than a third of what it would cost in the way-more-established tech hub San Francisco (where it’s a heart-attack-inducing $907,400).

Top 10 Metros

realtor.com

4. Colorado Springs, CO

Median home price: $386,500

Median salary of the top 25% of earners: $60,460

The view of the 14,115-foot Pikes Peak and the Rocky Mountains from downtown Colorado Springs is reason enough to head to this metro area. But, yeah, there are jobs here too.

“The Springs,” as locals call the city, has long been a military and defense center with Army and Air Force bases, the Air Force Academy, the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD), and others. It’s also home to about 30 Fortune 500 firms and has grown into a high-tech, aerospace, and entrepreneurial hub, with big players like Lockheed Martin and Boeing Co.

There are more than 150 parks and 260 miles of trails where you’re likely to see some Olympians strutting their stuff. The U.S. Olympic Committee and one of the Olympic Training Centers are based there.

Buyers can find a five-bedroom, four-bathroom house for $374,900. But more modest condos also abound.

5. Dallas, TX

Median home price: $355,000

Median salary of the top 25% of earners: $63,110

Dallas at night

Aneese/istock

If y’all want a place with affordable housing, better-than-average salaries, and plenty of cultural diversity, head to Dallas.

The Texas city promotes itself as pro-business, with no corporate, state income, or local income taxes. So it’s no surprise that the region has one of the nation’s highest concentrations of corporate headquarters in the United States, including AT&T, Texas Instruments, and Dean Foods.

And generally speaking, Dallas is king of the job creation hill, adding jobs faster than any of the nation’s other 15 largest metro areas. It’s known as a stronghold for tech, defense, and telecom operations.

“Over half of my clients are from out of state. They’re a good mixture of millennials and mid-career buyers,” says Dallas-based real estate agent Katie Tijerina of Rogers Healy and Associates. “And they’re always moving for work.”

Many of her clients hail from more expensive parts of the country, like California and the Northeast, and are thrilled with the lower real estate prices. Most are looking for single-family homes in the $350,000 range, she says.

When her clients aren’t busy climbing the corporate ladder, they can enjoy the area’s endless arts and sports attractions (go Mavs!). It’s also known as a foodie mecca, particularly for barbecue, Tex-Mex, and Southern cuisine. Oh, and be warned: And once you try a Whataburger, you’re hooked for life.

6. Austin, TX

Median home price: $396,500

Median salary of the top 25% of earners: $61,710

The quirky capital of Texas embraces its “Keep Austin Weird” moniker, while still being a hub for the pharmaceutical and biotech industries. The city is also home to the University of Texas’ flagship campus, which helps fuel its entrepreneurial spirit.

Earlier this year, city leaders approved a stimulus package to lure Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp., a pharmaceutical giant, to Austin (beating out 50 other cities) with at least 600 jobs paying an average salary of about $84,600 a year. (Not bad.)

This place is famous for its hundreds of live music venues, with an eclectic local scene of rock, blues, and country, and for its Austin City Limits and South by Southwest festivals. And if you dig BBQ, tequila bars, and fusion food trucks, you’re way in luck.

Austin’s housing has been hot for a while, but it’s less cutthroat than in bigger metros. And there are still plenty of opportunities to buy, such as in new developments like Whisper Valley. The community, located just outside of Austin, is touted as the largest “net-zero” housing development in the nation, designed to send as much energy back to the power grid as residents use.

7. Fayetteville, AR

Median home price: $280,200

Median salary of the top 25% of earners: $52,670

Old Main Building at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville

BlazenImages/istock

Not to be confused with the other Fayettevilles around the South, the third largest city in Arkansas is nestled in the Ozarks, bordering the Boston Mountains. The local economy is anchored by Walmart’s headquarters, based in Bentonville, 25 miles north of Fayetteville. Affordable living and upward career mobility bring new grads here, but the lifestyle—surprisingly awesome live music, cycling, parks, and an abundance of mountain beauty—makes them want to stay.

“It’s a very affordable area with a lot of opportunity,” says local career coach Patti Latta. “You can find employment in northwest Arkansas if you want to work.”

8. Durham, NC

Median home price: $347,000

Median salary of the top 25% of earners: $71,630

Durham, in North Carolina’s Research Triangle, has undergone an economic and cultural revitalization in recent years, with a downtown renaissance and redevelopment of the area’s former tobacco districts. Those old mills are today’s urban lofts and trendy office spaces.

It’s hard to separate Durham from its top employer, Duke University. The university helped create the town’s thriving health care and research industries, which provide high-paying jobs for local residents. Other top-dog employers include IBM, GlaxoSmithKline, and Fidelity Investments.

Newly minted grads pursuing careers in information technology, life sciences, or financial services will find many opportunities in this highly regarded tech research hub. They’ll be in good company, with plenty of other driven millennials—with more than 100,000 residents of ages 18 to 34 living in the area.

Those watching their pennies can score a townhouse in a gated community just a few miles from Duke without going broke. Those with a few more zeroes in their bank account balances can check out this four-bedroom, Cape Cod-style home for $350,000.

9. Kansas City, MO

Median home price: $248,800

Median salary of the top 25% of earners: $60,000

Kansas City, MO

Josh_Weinstock/istock

Kansas City’s core is undergoing a massive revitalization, with new residential, business, and entertainment options bringing an influx of new residents, jobs, and more entrepreneurs. The health care technology giant Cerner Corp. is building a $4.5 billion Kansas City campus. The company already employs about 12,800 workers, and plans to add 16,000 more over the next decade. Other big tech companies with local operations include Garmin, Sprint, and DST Systems.

The area is also becoming a hotspot for start-ups and innovators, and millions in venture capital dollars are starting to flow in.

You know of Kansas City’s jazz heritage and barbecue (mmm … burnt ends), but here’s something that might not be on your radar: It was also one of the first areas to receive the lightning-fast, 1-gigabit Google Fiber network. This makes it a prime spot for tech-focused folks of all ages.

And many residents can afford to become homeowners. “Kansas City is probably the most affordable place we’ve ever lived,” says local realtor Libby Tullis. But as in much of the rest of the country, “The market is growing crazy fast.”

10. Nashville, TN

Median home price: $359,900

Median salary of the top 25% of earners: $54,930

Nashville’s lower cost of living, coupled with its country music culture, has attracted many corporate headquarters and job seekers alike.

A surging technology sector and thriving creative class produce jobs in graphic design, marketing, and in fields such as accounting (hey, somebody needs to pay the bills). Meanwhile, the Nashville Entrepreneur Center focuses on areas like music tech, technology, and health care.

“You can live here, and you can afford a home,” says Courtney Ross, chief economic development officer for the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce, pointing out that many residents also have disposable income, because they are likely to have netted a great job.

The metro may not stay affordable for long, as median prices have risen 11% year over year, according to realtor.com.

The post Work Hard, Play Hard! The 10 Best Cities to Launch a Career appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com®.

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Mumbai builder moves HC against RERA - Times of India

Mumbai builder moves HC against RERA MUMBAI: In a fresh challenge to the new real estate regulatory law, Mumbai-based realty firm MIG (Bandra) Realtors and builders Pvt Ltd, a subsidiary of construction company, DB Realty, has moved the Bombay ... and more »

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Mel Gibson Selling His Old World-Inspired Malibu Estate for $17.5M

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Actor and director Mel Gibson has put his Malibu, CA, home on the market for $17.5 million. The two-time Oscar winner hopes his one-of-a-kind estate is also a win.

The 5,578-square-foot home combines an Old World charm with privacy on 5 landscaped acres.

“Imagine being close to town and yet having serenity and complete privacy,” says listing agent Britt Elizondo. “This extremely private compound also comes with rights to the La Costa Beach Club and Tennis Courts.”

The gated estate includes a five-bedroom, 5.5-bath main house with “enchanting outdoor areas,” separate guesthouse, lap pool, private sundeck, smaller pool with a pool house and gym, according to the listing.

Living room with “Braveheart” decor

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The living room features a large fireplace with what appears to be “Braveheart”-style decor on the stone mantel. The french doors open out to the garden.

Family room

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There’s also a family room and dining room. Dark wood and stone accents along with a vaulted ceiling add to the European design of the home, which was built in 1996. Stone archways connect the rooms, and metal chandeliers adorn the ceiling.

Outdoor lounge

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Icons signaling Gibson’s religious beliefs also appear around the house, with Christian crosses affixed to multiple mantels.

This is the second house in Malibu the “Lethal Weapon” star has put on the market. In 2012 he sold Lavender Hill Farm for $9.2 million. The estate was listed for over two years and sold for well below the initial list price of $14.5 million.

One of two pools on the property

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Gibson also unloaded a Sherman Oaks, CA, property earlier this year—a Frank Lloyd Wright–inspired home—which he also sold at a loss for $2.1 million. According to Mansion Global, he had purchased it in 2009 for $2.4 million for his ex-partner Oksana Grigorieva and their daughter.

He also reportedly sold a one-bedroom cottage in Agoura Hills, which was in contract for $699,000—well below the $2.17 million he paid in 2007.

The financial hits are certainly bad news for the 61-year-old, who’s taken many worse (self-inflicted) hits. The star was persona non grata in Hollywood after his anti-Semitic rant during his arrest on drunken-driving charges in 2006.

Gibson has apologized for his behavior and has been edging his way back into the public eye, by directing the award-winning film “Hacksaw Ridge” and starring in the upcoming “Daddy’s Home 2.”

The post Mel Gibson Selling His Old World-Inspired Malibu Estate for $17.5M appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com®.

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From Ranches to Modern Marvels: 7 Classic Cliff May Homes

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Cliff May is credited with inspiring the design of numerous homes across the country, especially in his native California. Taking his cues from the sunny weather of Southern California, May designed homes that put a premium on open spaces and gorgeous vistas of the outdoors.

“The idea was to really blur the line between indoor and outdoor,” said Stephen Meade, a Realtor® and May historian.

May’s signature style became known as the California ranch house, though May wasn’t a licensed architect. According to Meade, May was more of a designer who gained an honorary architectural license.

Views of the outdoors were important to May, and he made every effort to connect the outside with the inside.

“The most important aspect is the connection from the outside,” said Meade.

Although May’s designs favored small, single-family homes, there are some luxe May homes lurking around. Here are seven of his designs currently on the market.

39 Oakmont Dr, Los Angeles, CA 90049

Price: $14,750,000
Design details: What better place to start than in May’s native Southern California? This magnificent mansion offers 5,200 square feet of living space. Built in the late 1930s, the home features high ceilings, a curved staircase, exposed wood beams, and tile work throughout. In line with May’s vision, the property features stunning views of the city below.

Los Angeles, CA

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87 Vientos Rd, Camarillo, CA 93010

Price: $1,795,000
Design details: Also in Southern California, this gem features open beamed ceilings, sliding glass doors, an indoor-outdoor pool, fire pit, gazebo, and side patios. Located in Ventura County, the home offers views of the Pacific Ocean from the backyard.

Camarillo, CA

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3130 Oxbow Pl, Solvang, CA 93463

Price: $1,795,000
Design details: May gave this Santa Barbara County home thick walls to imitate adobe, a wide-pitch roof, wide-plank flooring, and massive hearth. This four-bedroom home has beautiful views of the hills, which are ideal for hiking, golfing, and horseback riding.

Solvang, CA

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7490 N Charles Ave, Fresno, CA 93711

Price: $1,100,000
Design details: May headed north for this home in California’s Central Valley. It features a courtyard on one end and a pool and golf course on the other. The kitchen comes with a Sub-Zero refrigerator, stainless-steel appliances, and beautiful granite countertops.

Fresno, CA

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1905 Vicksburg Ave, Lubbock, TX 79407

Price: $999,975
Design details: May did design outside of California. This four-bedroom Texas rose comes with beautiful courtyards—one for entertaining and relaxation, the other featuring a luxury pool. Brick flooring and beautiful carpets line the interior, which includes four fireplaces and vaulted ceilings with original wood beams.

Lubbock, TX

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4528 N 40th Pl, Phoenix, AZ 85018

Price: $849,000
Design details: May also found beauty in the Arizona desert. In addition to May’s signature floor-to-ceiling windows, this property also features a guesthouse on what the listing calls an “uber private lot.” Enjoy the views as May intended—without interference from neighbors.

Phoenix, AZ

realtor.com

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3778 Overdale Dr, Columbus, OH 43220

Price: $649,900
Design details:  It’s curious to note May designed one of his ranch houses in Columbus, which receives 100 fewer sunny days than Los Angeles. But he didn’t skimp on glass walls and high ceilings. This four-bedroom home features rich hardwood floors, a screened porch, and four fireplaces. The listing states, this home is “truly exceptional!”

Columbus, OH

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The post From Ranches to Modern Marvels: 7 Classic Cliff May Homes appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com®.

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You Have a Puncher’s Chance to Buy Sylvester Stallone’s Childhood Home

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The Maryland home where actor Sylvester Stallone lived as a child is now on the market for $750,000. The Cape Cod–style home is located in Silver Spring, MD, a suburb of Washington, DC.

Before Stallone appeared in his first “Rocky” film, he was a skinny kid with a speech impediment, the result of a birth trauma that left his face partly paralyzed.

Although the dates of Stallone’s life in Maryland are a little vague, biographies say the actor lived in Silver Spring for about 10 years in the 1950s and ’60s, when his father ran a beauty school and his mother opened a women’s gym.

Listing agent Alfredo Duque with Re/Max Premiere Selections says the young Stallone was bullied in school because of his stutter and was “kicked out” of two local elementary schools.

Eventually, Stallone made it to New York and broke into show business, earning international fame for his lead roles in “Rocky” and “Rambo.”

Sylvester Stallone’s childhood home

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The house he (and his parents) left behind has three stories, four bedrooms, and 4.5 baths. The home, built in 1952 and renovated in 2004, features hardwood floors and a main-floor master suite.

Stallone isn’t the only notable person to own the modest house. Yeorgos Lampathakis, an animator and retired art director of the National Geographic Society, owned the modest brick home in the 1970s.

The post You Have a Puncher’s Chance to Buy Sylvester Stallone’s Childhood Home appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com®.

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Furor Over 2 Frank Lloyd Wright Homes for Sale on Private Island

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A private 10-acre island in Carmel, NY, which includes an original Frank Lloyd Wright cottage and a newer home based on the architect’s drawings, has come on the market for $14,920,000.

“The fact that it’s a private island lends a lot of mystique to it,” says listing agent Chadwick Ciocci. “But two Frank Lloyd Wright–designed houses makes it even cooler.”

The architect’s hallmark was “organic architecture,” buildings in harmony with their surroundings, exemplified by the masterpiece Fallingwater. Imagine if Fallingwater were on an island, and you’d have an idea of the impact of this design. The main home’s concrete slabs jutting over the lake bring to mind Wright’s iconic Pennsylvania residence.

Heart-shaped island

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But the 5,000-square-foot main house on Petre Island (also known as Petra Island) didn’t even exist until 2007, long after the architect’s death, in 1959. In fact, the structure isn’t recognized by the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation as authentic, because the group did not draw up the plans or oversee the project.

“I always wanted to live on the lake,” says Joseph Massaro, the owner of the island, who is reluctantly letting it go. Massaro, who’s always lived nearby, became aware of the island in the middle of Lake Mahopac, which he would see from his boat. When he heard the owner was open to selling, he pounced. In 1995, Massaro bought Petre Island for $700,000, with a combination of cash and proceeds from his mainland house, he says.

The 10-acre island came with a Frank Lloyd Wright cottage built in 1950 as well as architectural designs for a bigger main house.

Main house

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Cottage

Vinny Vodola

Initially, he had no plans for the island. “What am I going to do with an island?” he recalls wondering. Then, “I actually fell in love with it.” He spent weekends renovating the cottage back to its original specifications.

Cottage interior

Vinny Vodola

The three-bedroom, one-bath cottage was built for a previous owner of the island, A.K. Chahroudi. The engineer had commissioned Wright to build the 1,200-square-foot cottage after he realized he didn’t have the $50,000 to build the bigger home he had initially asked for. With the cottage built, the designs for Chahroudi’s main house were shelved.

In 2000, Massaro sold his sheet metal company and was in search of a project. He says he approached the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation to work with him to bring the main house to fruition, but they were unable to agree on a price for the project.

So he turned to architect Thomas A. Heinz, a Wright specialist. There were major challenges, from obtaining permits for the unique concrete, glass, and wood structure, to getting the materials out to the island. Everything was brought in by boat or over the frozen lake in winter.

In addition, Wright had done only preliminary drawings, so many interior details required additional research. They faithfully followed Wright’s plans to build the house around a natural rock formation, and the multiyear process was completed in 2007.

The result is “magnificent,” Massaro says. The entry is built around a massive boulder with 15-foot-high ceilings and multiple skylights.

Entry for main house

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Interior of main house, including built-in bench and mural by a local artist

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The open plan includes a kitchen, living room, dining room, indoor and outdoor fireplaces, multiple decks, four bedrooms, and 2.5 baths. The boulders make appearances throughout the residence: in the kitchen, in a bathroom shower, and in the main living area. The updated design includes radiant floor heating.

The elongated living room resembles the prow of a ship and appears to hang over the lake. The built-in furniture—benches, tables, seating, and bookshelves—are all Wright designs.

Bathroom with boulders

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Living room

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The property comes with parking spots and a boat slip on the mainland, so you can launch from the continental U.S. to the island, which is accessible only by boat or air. One modern addition to the home is a rooftop helipad.

View from the island

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The private island is just 15 minutes by helicopter, or an hour’s drive, from Manhattan.

Massaro notes that he stayed true to Wright’s designation for the home’s location. “I built it in the exact spot that he picked, and I stayed with the design,” he says. “Not a room changed.”

That argument has not swayed everyone. A statement from Stuart Graff, president and CEO of the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation, reads:

“Frank Lloyd Wright rarely built exactly what was drawn on paper. Indeed, the essence of his work was to respond to conditions, materials, and opportunities that came about as a result of the specific site for which any design was uniquely drawn. There was an evolution of the design during construction. Wright was obviously not involved in the contraction of designs built after his death, and unable to complete the design process. For that reason, the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation believes unbuilt works should remain unbuilt, and that buildings constructed based on Wright’s drawings should only be referred to as ‘based on’ or ‘inspired by’ Frank Lloyd Wright designs.”

Indeed, the building has sparked a debate over its authenticity among Wright fans.

Whether or not you agree with either side, there’s no debating it’s an extraordinary piece of property.

What would Wright think of his design coming to life? Says Massaro, “I know he’d love it.”

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