Court battle over Capital Region Multiple Listing Service ends with auction

The court battle over the primary multiple listing service for homes in the Albany, New York, area ended today. The Capital Region Multiple Listing Service was dissolved today during a public auction for its assets. The Greater Capital Association of Realtors won the auction for assets, including the rights to data related to residential and commercial properties for sale or rent in the Capital Region. The Eastern New York Regional Multiple Listing Service Inc., a new wholly owned subsidiary of…

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5 Unique Careers You Can Do From Your Own Home

This day and age, hardly anyone can survive on one income alone. Sure, there are a few lucky ones out there that make enough at their day job to support their lifestyles, but I am not one of them. Luckily, the internet has opened up a whole new world of opportunities for me, so I am able to make another full-time income from home. I think that is almost everyone's dream: to be their own boss, and work whenever and wherever they want. Unfortunately, it's not always that easy.

There are usually two ways of thinking when it comes to working at home. One side thinks it's all a scam, or a get rich quick scheme. The other half thinks that it is going to be easy money. I'd say it lies somewhere in between. Legitimate opportunities are out there, but they are rarely easy. If it ever sounds too good to be true, it usually is. There are a few different ways that you could work for yourself, although they may not be for everyone.

Real Estate Agent

Once upon a time I considered getting my real estate license. I saw how easy it was for our realtor to sell our house in less than a week, getting a huge payday. Then I realized, that's not always the case. I also found out how much work actually goes into showing the house, finalizing the sale, etc. I wouldn't consider myself a "people person," at all, so I realized I wouldn't do well in this kind of career.

Day Trading

If you are into buying and selling stock, day trading might be an option for you. There are many people that day trade for a living, but not everyone is successful at it. You have to have knowledge and skills at day trading, along with money to invest. Most people who try will be forced out, but some people have a natural gift for it and end up doing very well.

Daycare Provider

This job path won't give you the option to work whenever you want, but you will be able to do it from the comfort of your own home. Being a daycare provider is not for the faint of heart, and only a specific kind of person can do it. If you have a true love for children, and have the patience to go with it, then it might be for you. It's far from "easy" work, but those who do it find it very rewarding. I sure would like to work from home in my yoga pants every day, but I can hardly control my own child, let alone others'.

Travel Agent

If you have a passion for traveling, and know how to get the best deals, you should consider being a travel agent. There are many companies that hire agents to work in an office, or there are many who hire work from home agents. Like real estate agents, you should be a people person if you want to follow this path. Most travel agents rely on commissions, so if you don't secure a sale you may be out of luck.

Direct Sales

I think the words "direct sales" is enough to make people run to the hills. It's the last thing many people want to do: peddle products to their friends in hopes for a commission. Additionally, I think almost every woman joins one by the time she's 30. My run in with direct sales was short lived, as I learned it is NOT for me. I don't agree with the aggressive and slimy sales practices that my upline tried to convince me to do, in order to help others. However, there are many, many people who find amazing success with direct sales. Some people find a true passion in the product they sell, and that passion alone draws in customers.

If It's your dream to kick your 9-5 to the curb, I advise you to keep trying! There are so many other options out there, I'm certain you can find a unique home business that suits you. Just don't assume that it will be easy money, and that you can slack off. Treat your business as if your life depends on it, and you will do well. Too many people expect it to all fall into place for them, then they get upset when it doesn't.

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Report: People are moving to Jacksonville

When it comes to being a place to move, Jacksonville has people flocking to it, according to a report from Realtor.com. The First Coast is second only to Tampa, and according to Realtor, it’s no surprise two Florida cities take the top spots — with Orlando as No. 7. “Florida is clearly the top state for new moves, and not just for the blue-haired set,” the article says. “Three central Florida cities make the cut, largely due to unusually strong job creation. Another factor: housing prices…

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Allen Tate CEO talks 6 housing market topics, trends to watch in 2017

A number of factors are anticipated to drive Charlotte's housing market in 2017 — and, for the most part, the outlook is positive. The Charlotte MSA is expected to have more housing starts and a continually steady and in-demand market, according to Pat Riley, president and CEO of Allen Tate Cos. Rising interest rates could trigger a shift but it's hard to predict how much or what type of impact, Riley said. According to a report from the National Association of Realtors released this week, rising…

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Here are Jefferson County's most expensive home sales of 2016 (PHOTOS)

It's been a good year for residential real estate in Louisville. According to the latest figures from the Greater Louisville Association of Realtors, sales by Realtors of homes in the Louisville market are up 8.4 percent from 2015 for the year through November, and the average selling price is up 3.5 percent, to $197,090. In Jefferson County, the average selling price for the year was $198,432, up 4.4 percent from 2015. And the average selling price in November was $206,163. All of that goes to…

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7 Surprising Trends That Could Disrupt the Housing Market in 2017

Daniel Caven/WATG Chicago Urban Architecture Studio

It’s been said that the only constant in life is change itself. Democrats give way to Republicans; hoverboards give way to Hatchables; the iPhone 6 gives way to the Note 7, which explodes and then ultimately paves the way for an iPhone 8. Even housing trends—a category in which changes were once so glacial they were barely perceptible to the naked eye—are now undergoing profound and rapid transformation too.

As real estate markets across the nation continue their unprecedented boom, the form and function of homes and living styles are changing rapidly to meet the new realities of American life. Small is the new big. Modular is the new custom-built. Three-dimensional printers are the new homebuilders. Communal living is the new grown-up, upscale obsession.

Even yurts, the dwellings favored by Mongolian herders, are back. We’re not kidding.

We at realtor.com® went through our archives to find the top trends of 2016 that have the potential to redefine, even transform, the housing market in 2017. Let’s go (back) to the future!

Could you squeeze into this microapartment? Would you even want to? They’re going up in expensive cities across the country.

Ollie Carmel Place

Trend No. 1: Microapartments are the tiny homes of cities

Everyone knows space doesn’t come cheap in the country’s most expensive cities. (We’re looking at you, San Francisco and New York.) Hence the spread of microapartments—fully appointed living spaces encompassing a measly 250 to 365 square feet.

The apartments are tinier than tiny houses—measuring a quarter to a third the size of the median apartment in a newly completed building with five or more units in 2013, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. More and more of these miniature dwellings are cropping up in big cities like New York, Seattle, and Los Angeles. They’re even spreading to smaller metros like Providence, RI.

What they lack in size, microapartments make up for in lower costs—usually. They typically run renters about 15% less than studio units in the same neighborhoods. But residents may wind up paying a little extra for the luxe amenities that many come with, like convertible furniture, free Wi-Fi, weekly housekeeping service, and sometimes even communal activities (whitewater rafting trips! happy hours!).

Communal living? It ain’t just for postgrads anymore.

Common

Trend No. 2: Co-living is coming to a city near you

The days of finding roommates on Craigslist and then praying for the best may be numbered. Co-living, a movement in which young professionals have their next housemates/BFFs carefully screened and live together in upscale, highly planned (would-be) harmony, is making its impact felt in major metros across the U.S.

The real draw for these “Real World”-esque quarters is the communal environment, where residents pay a little extra to mix and mingle with one another at Sunday artisanal potluck dinners, weekend art workshops, or various common spaces in the building. Other perks include shorter leases (some only three or six months) as well as housekeeping services to minimize disputes.

The spaces have been opening first in hipster-filled urban areas such as Brooklyn, NY; San Francisco; and Washington, DC. But they are also moving to smaller metros like Chattanooga, TN.

“It’s a neat, innovative market response to the higher cost of renting,” Susan Wachter, a real estate and finance professor at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, told realtor.com.

It’s a loft on wheels. And just look at that view! Don’t worry about the seat belts.

Expedition Happiness

Trend No. 3: The hottest tiny houses are school buses

The tiny-house craze isn’t exactly new. With a half-dozen or so reality TV shows and a devoted following, the trend of downsizing into just a few hundred square feet is familiar to just about everyone. But why move into a tiny house when you could live in a school bus instead?

A combination of the DIY movement and the smaller-is-better craze has given rise to more folks trying their hand at creating homes from all sorts of vehicles, Aaron Lane, a design engineer at Creative Mobile Interiors in Grove City, OH, told realtor.com.

Earlier this year, we wrote about a German couple who bought a 1996 school bus for $10,000. With a little help, some YouTube tutorials, and a whole lot of elbow grease (as well as an additional $50,000), they turned the clunker into a 200-square-foot loft with a wooden floor, a compost toilet, and a hot-water shower powered by solar panels.

The best part? When documentary filmmaker Felix Starck and musician Selima Taibi finished their home, they took it on a once-in-a-lifetime road trip.

You don’t need to be a Mongolian herder to live in a yurt.

realtor.com

Trend No. 4: Housing prices are out of control, so why not live in a yurt?

With rents and home prices zooming ever higher, affordable housing seems like a fantasy. That’s where yurts come in.

These circular homes, which have sheltered Mongolian nomads for thousands of years, can cost quite a bit less than more traditional homes. (A roughly 700-square-foot model with a wooden frame and vinyl walls could go for around $20,000. That doesn’t include the foundation and utilities hookups.)

That’s a prime reason why over the past few years, sales of the structures have grown by about 10% annually at the Colorado Yurt Co., Ivy Fife, the company’s marketing manager, told realtor.com.

“We’ve seen quite a few retirees buy a piece of ground and put a yurt on it and get out of debt and have a little bit more freedom,” she said. “It’s young people, too. … They don’t want to get into a big mortgage that’s going to make it hard for them to meet.”

The Clarus building in Maplewood, NJ, has applied for the Well Being Standard.

JMF Properties

Trend No. 5: Wellness buildings are the healthy homes of the future

These days, health and wellness are more than buzzwords. Want proof? Just look at the proliferation of “athleisure” wear, luxury spinning studios, and Fitbits. So it’s no surprise that wellness-certified buildings are catching on.

More than 50 condo and apartment buildings around the world are now applying for the new Well Being Standard. Similar to LEED certification for eco-friendliness, the designation is administered by a group called the International Well Being Institute. To qualify, a building’s design needs to incorporate healthy elements like air and water quality, natural light, and fitness.

This can mean giving stairwells more prominent placement to encourage residents to walk more, adding gyms and doctors’ offices to the ground floor, and remediating any stress-inducing odors and loud noise. (Since it’s a new process, no finished buildings have been certified just yet.)

“The focus on healthy living today is huge,” says Mollie Carmichael, a principal at John Burns Real Estate Consulting in Irvine, CA. “People are constantly striving for what’s going to keep them healthier.”

The world’s tallest modular tower, at 32 stories, opened in Brooklyn, NY, in 2016.

Courtesy of Forest City Ratner.

Trend No. 6: Modular homes could be the next big thing in housing

Manufactured houses are no longer just rolling off factory assembly lines and into trailer parks. Upscale modular homes are beginning to enjoy their moment in the spotlight with the world’s tallest modular tower opening recently in Brooklyn, NY. The 32-story rental building is expected to inspire other big developers to use modular construction.

And why not? Prefabricated housing is often of higher quality (because it’s built indoors, sheltered from the elements), costs a little less (less material wasted), and can go up a lot faster than traditionally built homes.

“This will speed up the development time at a time when we’re really short of housing,” Steve Weikal, an urban design professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Center for Real Estate, told realtor.com.

The home of the future comes from a really big printer.

Contour Crafting

Trend No. 7: A 3-D printer could build your next home

Get ready for the future: Homes created by a 3-D printer are expected to be cheaper than traditionally built residences; they don’t require as many construction workers; and they produce less waste as the machines use only as much material as is needed. New homes could be designed by ordinary folks (like you) and printed in days.

The technology is still evolving, but rudimentary buildings, mostly made of concrete, are already being printed around the world. A two-story, 4,305-square-foot building was printed recently in China in just 45 days.

“You can have high design on a budget,” architect Christopher Hurst, of WATG Urban Architecture Studio in Chicago, said to realtor.com. “Now you can go to a contractor, and you have a highly customizable house that’s indicative of you—and that way you can express yourself in how you live.”

The post 7 Surprising Trends That Could Disrupt the Housing Market in 2017 appeared first on Real Estate News & Advice | realtor.com®.

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Luxe Estate of Hollywood Legend Norman Lear Gets a Rewrite

Amanda Edwards/WireImage

A legend in the entertainment industry is offering up one of Los Angeles‘ legendary estates. The reconfigured Brentwood compound of 94-year-old TV impresario Norman Lear is now on the market for $39.95 million.

The creator of iconic TV shows including “All In the Family,” “The Jeffersons,” “Maude,” and “One Day at a Time” and his producer-writer wife, Lynn Lear, bought the Mandeville Canyon property in the late ’80s, and improved it over the years.

The couple added a two-story guesthouse with a round jacuzzi and an outdoor kitchen, a tennis court, staff offices, a gym, and a 30-car garage.

They also purchased a three-bedroom house on an adjacent lot and added it to their portfolio. The additional home was part of a larger $55 million listing back in September 2015, but the adjacent home isn’t part of the current offering, and the new price reflects it. In fact, the Lears might move into the three-bedroom home if they don’t find another property to their liking by the time they sell the estate, according to listing agents Jade Mills and Valerie Fitzgerald of Coldwell Banker Previews International.

Norman Lear’s legendary estate.

Jim Bartsch

Bird’s eye view of the estate

Jim Bartsch

“Now that their children are grown, they don’t need all that space,” Mills explained. The Lears raised their three children together there, their son Ben, 28, and 22-year-old twin daughters, Madeleine and Brianna. They’ve also hosted storied gatherings that have included U.S. presidents and A-listers, screenings of Lear’s latest work in the elegant home theater, and lectures and discussions. “They created a meeting spot,” says Fitzgerald. “They love stimulating conversation and the exchange of ideas.”

Two-story living room of main residence.

Jim Bartsch

The estate, especially Lear’s “cigar box”-style study with a view and the independent office complex, has also been the site of huge creativity. In addition to his iconic work on the small screen, Lear has produced feature films like “The Princess Bride,” “Stand by Me,” and “This Is Spinal Tap.”

Lear estate theater

Jim Bartsch

Unique dining room, where the Hollywood elite meet to eat

Jim Bartsch

The 8.3-acre property includes an elegant, 14,000-square foot main residence with seven bedrooms, eight bathrooms, and four half-bathrooms.

There are spectacular views of the city to the ocean from many of the rooms. There’s also a large pool and spa, parklike grounds, meticulously tended gardens, and large lawns. Mills says the estate is “truly captivating, unparalleled by its beauty, quality, sophistication, and elegance. This isn’t simply a home—it’s a lifestyle.”

Massive garage

Jim Bartsch

Back gardens and pool

Jim Bartsch

The post Luxe Estate of Hollywood Legend Norman Lear Gets a Rewrite appeared first on Real Estate News & Advice | realtor.com®.

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Those New Home Safety Gadgets You Just Bought? They Won’t Lower Your Insurance Bill Much

A connected home used to train American Family Insurance claims adjusters. Photo by AMFAM

Americans are snapping up millions of new security cameras and smoke detectors connected to their Wi-Fi networks. But insurers aren’t yet persuaded the devices will make homes any safer.

The average cost of insuring a home was expected to rise this year despite the gadgets that pledge to prevent billions of dollars in damage. The $84.9 billion U.S. home-insurance industry is resisting widespread price reductions because insurers say little data exists to show the devices can improve security or prompt homeowners to be more active in securing their homes.

The home-insurance industry could see billions in revenue evaporate if the new technology dramatically improves home safety over time, potentially outpacing the costs insurers would save from paying out less in claims.

Some consumers say internet-connected devices make them feel more safe and that insurance companies should encourage their use.

“The insurance companies should provide an incentive,” said Tony Bacon, who outfitted his four-bedroom Chatham, N.J., home with internet-connected security cameras, thermostats and lights. Only his security-alarm system qualifies for an insurance reduction.

For some years, insurance companies have lowered home premiums for homeowners that use basic security devices. The question is whether the internet-connected versions of this equipment will be even more effective than their analog counterparts.

Internet-connected devices include those that alert homeowners when their smoke-detector batteries run low, route doorbell-mounted video to their phones, and detect leaky water pipes. Technology research firm ABI Research expects 360 million shipments of so-called smart-home devices in 2020, up from 79 million shipments this year and 40 million last year.

Some home insurers are offering small discounts for such devices while they test their effectiveness, but the reductions aren’t yet big enough to reduce average premiums. The average U.S. home premium is forecast to rise to $1,293 this year, up 5.5% from 2015 and up 61% from 2006, according to trade group Insurance Information Institute.

A 2014 study from Morgan Stanley and Boston Consulting Group estimated that smart-home devices could cut potential losses by 40% to 60% and reduce premiums globally by between $32 billion to $47 billion over the next 10 years. Global home-insurance premiums were $160.8 billion in 2013, the study estimates.

Connected-home technology “changes the underlying need to have insurance,” said Sean O’Neill, a partner at consultant Bain & Co. “If you take down severity and frequency of losses, that’s basically what premium dollars support. So the question is, at some point do premium dollars fall significantly?”

Analysts say home insurance can’t be replaced completely because houses are still vulnerable to hurricanes and other disasters. One in every 30 insured homes has a property-damage claim due to wind or hail each year, according to the Insurance Information Institute.

The push to gather more data from homeowners follows similar efforts by auto-insurance providers. For about a decade, auto insurers have been installing devices to monitor how far people drive and how often they slam on the brakes—and using that information to adjust pricing. Drivers can get discounts of as much as 30% if they agree to use the tools. Auto premiums have continued to rise on average in recent years, as increased driving and more distractions have led to more accidents.

Experts say it could take years to amass enough data about smart-home devices to offer equivalent home-insurance savings.

State Farm, the nation’s largest home insurer, provides a 15% reduction attached to certain internet-connected home security systems, said Dar Hakimi, director of innovation. Mr. Hakimi said such devices are preferable to traditional smoke detectors or security systems because it is easier to verify that they are installed and working properly.

Other insurers say they are encouraging consumers to buy connected-home products, especially if the homeowners agree to share data with insurance companies. Boston-based Liberty Mutual Insurance offers discounts in 38 states for customers that use connected security devices or smoke alarms. If the customers allow Liberty Mutual to verify that the devices are working correctly, they can get a larger price cut.

American Family Insurance in Madison, Wis, is discounting the cost of Ring Video Doorbells, which have motions sensors, cameras and microphones so users can remotely see and speak to visitors. It also is offering to reimburse the insurance deductibles of customers with the doorbells who are burglarized. Those deductibles are usually between $600 and $800, American Family said.

A study that Ring worked on with the Los Angeles Police Department suggests the doorbells reduce crime, but more comprehensive data will take years to gather, saidJamie Siminoff, Ring’s founder. “Insurance needs 10 years of data,” he said. “You don’t know what happens until you wait.”

American Family has installed more than 100 connected devices in a one-bedroom house it uses as a training center for claims adjusters. A few employees also test products in their own homes to determine which ones could qualify for discounts in the future.

But so far only a few, including Ring, have passed the test. Some devices, like indoor cameras, were judged a bad fit for American Family due to privacy concerns, said Ryan Rist, the company’s innovation director. Others didn’t work as well as advertised.

The post Those New Home Safety Gadgets You Just Bought? They Won’t Lower Your Insurance Bill Much appeared first on Real Estate News & Advice | realtor.com®.

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Tearing Down an Old House to Build a Big New One Is One Way to Introduce Yourself to New Neighbors

Adrian Scott Fine/L.A. Conservancy

Low inventory levels are making house shopping a challenge for many Americans. One solution gaining in popularity: Tearing down homes in good locations, erecting new and bigger ones in their places.

Of all single-family home starts in 2015, about 7.7%, or 55,000, were teardowns, according to the National Association of Home Builders. That number could very well climb. “Since we expect single-family starts to grow, and a shortage of lots is a widespread problem, teardown starts should increase as well,” said Paul Emrath, vice president for survey and housing policy research for the NAHB.

That has some housing preservationists concerned.

Teardowns became popular in the late 1990s and early 2000s, but largely waned when the housing market crashed about a decade ago. “As the real estate market has picked up around the country, we are seeing it return,” said Jim Lindberg, Denver-based senior director of the National Trust’s Preservation Green Lab. Anecdotally, he’s hearing tales of teardown fever in places including Portland, Ore., Boston, Chicago and Denver.

Often builders snap up properties, tear down and rebuild homes much larger than their predecessors — without a buyer waiting in the wings, he said. By renovating instead, the charm and character of the home can be retained, he and others argue.

Moreover, when new homes aren’t in line with the surrounding structures, communities can suffer, some say. Homes can also be situated too close together when a new house takes up a larger portion of its lot.

The new home is typically three times the value of the old house — at least, said Jean Follett, a historic preservation consultant in Wheaton, Ill.

Still, it’s not difficult to see the case for building new. Many buyers want open floor plans, and houses built before a certain time period typically don’t have them. Older houses also can require electrical rewiring or replacement of the plumbing. Plus, people tend to favor established communities that aren’t in far-flung suburbs, oftentimes in places with large swaths of modest homes — and many times that means tearing down the old to rebuild.

In Chicago, older homes tend to have basements with low ceilings, and sometimes that is the tipping point for considering it a teardown, said Rich Kasper, principal with Conlon, a real-estate company in Chicago. When these homes are rehabbed, the basements can hold back would-be buyers who want these spaces for playrooms and recreation rooms, perhaps an extra bedroom and bath.

“I [was selling] a gut rehab…and the builder did a gorgeous job,” Kasper said. “But of all the showings we had, and a handful of second showings, the people who didn’t move forward, they would say it’s the height of the basement.” The basement was about eight or eight-and-a-half feet tall.

Many buyers also aren’t up for the hassle and unpredictably of renovations, especially if it means living in a home during a months-long remodel. “With two working parents, no one wants to take on fixer uppers,” added Follett. Builders can better estimate costs when they start from scratch, Kasper said.

A Los Angeles teardown

Adrian Scott Fine/L.A. Conservancy

Blending in with the old

Most experienced builders — and the people who want to buy those new homes — don’t want structures that stick out among other quainter houses on the block, Kasper said. Sure, there are some people who don’t mind being “that guy” with the ultramodern home nestled among a sea of bungalows. But he sees less of that in recent years, perhaps as people look unfavorably on houses that seem out of place.

But even if they blend in on the style front, the new, large homes may not be the most sellable, and in fact may become “white elephants,” Follett said.

“Builders would like to argue that the homes are more [energy] efficient, but they’re still using a huge amount of energy,” she said of the larger, new homes. What’s more, ranch homes are often teardown targets, and those one-story homes can be good for aging homeowners — including the large population of baby boomers, Follett added.

As the issue gains steam, public planning laws are being considered in some places.

In Los Angeles, for example, the “mansionization” problem is being addressed with proposed changes to single family zoning rules, said Adrian Scott Fine, director of advocacy at the Los Angeles Conservancy, a nonprofit organization that aims to preserve historic architecture in Los Angeles County. In addition to square footage caps, one stipulation discourages attached garages, an effort to maintain the natural separation of homes with a driveway.

You can’t fault people for buying the big houses and seeking out neighborhoods with mature trees and existing amenities, Fine said. But for people who have lived in the neighborhoods for years, “they feel like they’re under siege. It’s beyond big house and small house, it’s privacy — they’re looking right into the backyard.”

The post Tearing Down an Old House to Build a Big New One Is One Way to Introduce Yourself to New Neighbors appeared first on Real Estate News & Advice | realtor.com®.

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The 11 Craziest Places People Have Put Their Elf on the Shelf

Instagram

If you’ve ever owned, seen, or been subjected to an Elf on the Shelf, you know that this little dude almost never hangs out on a shelf. As the legend (and book) goes, it’s this doll’s job to spy on the children of a household and observe whether they’re being naughty or nice. Each night, the elf jets to the North Pole to report to Santa, and each morning he returns—and kids are tasked with finding out exactly where he is. Is he hiding on top of the kitchen cabinets or safely camouflaged amid a pile of wrapped gifts?

For parents, the challenge is coming up with clever ways to pose the elf each day, which many then share on Instagram. In fact, nearly 2 million Elf on the Shelf photos have been uploaded. Because if you don’t post your Elf on the Shelf’s move on Instagram, did it even happen?

In case you need some inspiration for where this elf can go, check out these offbeat ideas below (some may not be appropriate for kids, but adults are allowed to have fun with Mr. Elf, too).

Up above in a hot-air balloon ride

This elf can do some aerial spying on the kids.

Elf on the shelf getting ready to return to the North Pole❄️ #elfontheshelf #christmas #holidayspirit

A photo posted by Emma Gruszczynska (@emush_85) on Dec 21, 2016 at 8:35am PST

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Atop a gift-wrapped SUV

Didn’t you know? Elves are very skilled with wrapping paper.

I guess it could be worse. #elfontheshelf

A photo posted by Capital Chevrolet Austin (@capitolchevrolet) on Dec 21, 2016 at 7:28am PST

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On a disco ball

Because after a long day of wrapping everything from SUVs to Hatchimals, elves really love to kick back with a whole fifth of Jack Daniels.

I mean, it doesn't get better than this, I think.. @playhairlounge naughty elf.. #Repost @ceannabocerceo ・・・ Ahh hahaha our elf on the shelf just kills me!! #mileycyrus #wreckingball #elfontheshelf #jackdaniels #haha #instagood #sogood

A video posted by Brig Van Osten (@brigvanosten) on Dec 21, 2016 at 3:37am PST

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In an intense game of beer pong

Because buddy Jack Daniels always leads to this.

Last one promise !!! • • • • #igbabies #instagrambabies #babieswithstyle #kidslookbook #buddytheelf #elf #igkiddies #entrepreneur #handcrafted #goodvibes #womeninbusiness #christmas #shopping #motivated #mompreneur #handmade #tistheseason #elfish #promote #photographer #bebold #shop #supportsmallbusinesses #joy #instashare #shopsmall #merrychristmas #elf2016 #elfontheshelf #beerpong

A photo posted by J.A.C.K. P.A.U.L. "JP" (@dailyjackpaul) on Dec 22, 2016 at 5:40am PST

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At the spa

Because after all that boozing, elves do need to detox.

This little elf has the right idea for the #holidays Wishing you a relaxing and peaceful day #SpaBellezza #elfontheshelf

A photo posted by Tinamarie (@spabellezza) on Dec 21, 2016 at 3:24am PST

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Ice fishing on the john

Because elves love to go ice fishing—and will settle for whatever body of water is on hand.

Ice fishing, (in a freshly cleaned & sanitized toilet, btw)! #batsytheelf #elfontheshelf #christmas #liamcraftmiller #shescrafty #toiletfishing #elffishing

A photo posted by craftygurlsjc (@craftygurlsjc) on Dec 21, 2016 at 5:51am PST

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In a block of ice

These elves must have said something that Queen Elsa couldn’t let go.

Day 21. 12/21/16. You asked for it, you got it. I received multiple requests for some "Frozen" elves. Looks like Dora & Buppie made Elsa a little angry #elfontheshelf #Frozen #Elsa #ice

A photo posted by Nicole Watters Leary (@norest4theleary) on Dec 21, 2016 at 5:46am PST

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In a one-legged bridge pose under the tree

Namaste, little elf.

Happy Hump Day everyone! Today Alvie is trying out his yoga wheel from his friend Steve @margaretminue. Looks like he nailed it!! #elfyoga #instaelf #elfontheshelf #tistheseason #christmasiscoming #justbelieve #namaste #themagicofchristmas #yogaeverydamnday #yogaeverwhere #yogaobsessed #yogawheel #theadventuresofalvieandsteve

A photo posted by Michelle DiBelardino Nigro (@michelle_nigro) on Dec 21, 2016 at 5:08am PST

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On a printer/scanner

Because who hasn’t scanned their rear end at some point? Maybe that miniature version of rapper Drake made him do it.

#ElfOnTheShelf #DrakeOnTheShelf #Drake #Christmas  #yxe #Sask #Canada #Podcast #MerryChristmas  #HappyHolidays #ElfOnAShelf #DrakeOnAShelf

A photo posted by Maple Syrup Shots (@maplesyrupshots) on Dec 21, 2016 at 3:59am PST

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In a police lineup

Because elves, like children, can be naughty or nice.

Guess who's on the naughty list this year? #elfontheshelf #twelfdaysofchristmas #elf #elvesofinstagram #elfonashelf

A photo posted by Cambridgeshire Police (@cambscops) on Dec 21, 2016 at 1:18am PST

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In Minecraft

Because these elves can really go anywhere—even into a game world.

Crazy minecraft elf. #elfontheshelf #christmastime #feelthejoy #ithinkthisisthelastelfontheshelfyear

A photo posted by Chris Carrieri (@chriscarrieri) on Dec 22, 2016 at 6:31am PST

The post The 11 Craziest Places People Have Put Their Elf on the Shelf appeared first on Real Estate News & Advice | realtor.com®.

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Have $20M? You Can Buy the Garden of Eden … in Hawaii

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There are bigger properties for sale in Maui. And certainly less expensive ones. But none of those larger, pricier places can claim it’s the Garden of Eden.

Now available for $20 million, this 27-acre slice of paradise isn’t exactly a secret garden. It’s a well-known botanical garden called the Garden of Eden in Haiku, HI, that’s open to the public.

The owner, certified arborist and landscape designer Alan Bradbury, has been growing this magical masterpiece since he acquired the land in 1991. He’s reluctantly ready to part with it.

“I’m a creative person. This is one of my pieces of art,” says Bradbury, who has also designed parks and recreational areas. “When a piece of art is finished, you sort of have to move on to other things.”

Garden of Eden

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He purchased the land when it was nothing but thick jungle. “There was barely an ocean view when we started, it was so dense,” he recalls. It took two years to clear the land, including a year to lay down the half-mile private road, which took “hundreds of trucks of gravel.” While digging the road, Bradbury added “a bunch of cool plants” in the loose soil, the genesis of his divine garden.

Gateway to the Garden of Eden

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While work was underway, Bradbury would often leave the gate to the property open. Curious tourists would drive in to take a peek. Initially Bradbury, also a musician, had bought the space for a recording studio and retreat, but the air turned out to be too humid and salty for his equipment.

But it was perfect for a lush landscape. He decided to officially welcome the public by developing the gardens. When he first opened it, his 3-year-old daughter greeted guests. Now, it takes trained staff to manage the place.

Technically, “we’re considered a lowland tropical rainforest,” he says. “To me, it’s just a wonderland. There is so much in the region that’s incredibly beautiful.”

Palm trees

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Obviously everyone who goes there agrees. In fact it got its heavenly name because of how early visitors described it.

“This is a very special property,” listing agent Catherine M. Chamberlain says. As for the multimillion-dollar price tag, she says, “It’s almost worth more because it has such recognition. It’s constant revenue for someone who wants to do an eco business.” She notes that it could also be “the ultimate retreat, compound.”

Yes, indeed. While the property could continue as a tourist destination, it could also be converted into a posh private oasis. It would fit right in with the luxe tropical estates in the area housing such A-listers as Oprah Winfrey and Clint Eastwood.

Chamberlain says the location is perfectly perched at the 11-mile mark of the famous Hana Highway. So it’s private but also accessible, and not too far along that windy road. It’s become a popular destination from nearby hotel visitors and listed in guidebooks.

Keopuka Rock

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The site itself has had its screen time: Keopuka Rock can be spotted in the background in the opening sequence of “The Lost World: Jurassic Park.”

For the purchase price, instead of dinosaurs, a buyer will receive plenty of peacocks, plus 700 exotic species of plants, including a 100-year-old mango tree, a bamboo alley, a palm grove, and indigenous ti plants.

It’s also an incredibly edible property, with spice and fruit trees dotting the landscape. Bradbury’s favorite fruit is the rarely seen Rollinia deliciosa, an Amazon rainforest delicacy. “It is the best lemon meringue,” he says.

There are also two waterfalls, one 25 feet tall, the other about twice the height. Rainbows are a common sight.

Plantation-style home

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The redwood-lined plantation home with a wraparound deck is small, but there’s plenty of space to add another residence. The existing home could also be renovated and expanded.

If you want to take over the business, it’s a turnkey operation. There are multiple structures across the property, including an artist gallery, a restroom facility, a covered picnic area, rain shelters, and even a food truck.

The trails that feature views of the sparkling Pacific have been open to the public since 1996. The price back then was $3 stuffed into an honor box; it has since climbed to $15, which doesn’t seem to stem the tide of cars waiting to get in. The gardens receive about 300 visitors a day.

Although privately funded and maintained, the Garden of Eden received recognition from Hawaii in 1995 for its “conservation practices and proper land use and development techniques,” according to its website.

Bradbury, 65, says he’s ready to pass on both the breathtaking beauty and the backbreaking maintenance. “Better to put it in the hands of somebody who can take it to that next step. I’m at peace with it,” he says.

One thing’s for sure: For the buyer, paradise awaits.

The post Have $20M? You Can Buy the Garden of Eden … in Hawaii appeared first on Real Estate News & Advice | realtor.com®.

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Penn Jillette Finally Sells His Las Vegas ‘Slammer’ for $1.88M

Gabe Ginsberg/WireImage

Master magician, comic, and actor Penn Jillette has sold his longtime Las Vegas home for $1.88 million. The deal for the home was finalized in early November, and the buyer is a local developer who plans to raze the home and build new ones on the 9-acre compound.

It looks like we can finally close the door on the home nicknamed “The Slammer.” Jillette, the talkative half of the famous Penn & Teller magic act, sold the unique home along with the surrounding property. In 2004, USA Today described the one-of-a-kind home as “a surreal Cubist vision in concrete, stucco and steel.”

The seven-bedroom, eight-bath estate, with an exterior painted in vivid colors, includes a 14-seat theater, recording studio, white kitchen, and 7,900 square feet of living space. You can see the Las Vegas skyline from a rooftop balcony. The grounds include a lap pool and spa.

“The Slammer” outside of Las Vegas

Church of Bacon

In April 2015, the magician bought a family-friendly mansion in Las Vegas for $3.3 million. A little over a year ago, the United Church of Bacon attempted to raise the funds needed to buy The Slammer with the intent of turning it into a community center. Rather than sizzle, their attempt sadly fizzled.

A graduate of the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Clown College, Jillette, 61, began working with Teller in the 1970s, eventually taking their two-man show to Broadway. They have been entertaining Las Vegas audiences at the Rio for more than 20 years and appear on the TV show “Penn & Teller: Fool Us.”

The post Penn Jillette Finally Sells His Las Vegas ‘Slammer’ for $1.88M appeared first on Real Estate News & Advice | realtor.com®.

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Top real estate stories of 2016: House flipping becomes reality, government tries to cool the hot market

What if you kept making the same prediction over and over again and it never came true?

That’s the dilemma for housing naysayers who have been calling for some type of meaningful correction for more than a decade. It hasn’t happened on a national level, unless you consider a 0.7 per cent reduction in prices in 2008 a crash. Individual markets always tell their own story and price reductions are now underway in cities like Vancouver and Calgary.

Even the Canadian Real Estate Association, which represents over 110,000 realtors, now says the housing boom can’t go on. The Ottawa-based group is forecasting housing sales to drop by 3.3 per cent next year after a record 2016.

On the price front, 2016 should see a record average price of $489,500 but CREA says prices will drop 3.3 per cent next year.

What’s changing? The fear of a rising rate environment was starting to materialize late in 2016 – albeit in small way.

The bigger threat seems to be tougher mortgage rules out of Ottawa which will make it even harder for first-time buyers to qualify for a loan and potentially snuff out a housing market that has been on fire for almost a decade and half.

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New Mexico home sales continue record-setting year

New Mexico home sales continue to have a record-setting year. According to the Realtors Association of New Mexico, the number of home sales and the median price of those homes rose in November, compared to the same time last year. During the month, 1,513 homes sold with a median price of $187,000. Last year, RANM reported 1,278 homes sold with a median price of $177,500. “November’s reported median of $187,000 is the highest November median since RANM started keeping statewide statistics,"…

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Middletown real estate firm merges with Berkshire Hathaway division

A local real estate office that has been family owned for more than 40 years is merging into Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Professional Realty. Woodlan Realtors in Middletown was founded in the 1970s and has been run by Brent Woodlan and his mother, Rita, since 1995. While they have rejected many offers from national firms to be acquired in the past, Brent told me the deal with Berkshire, a real estate brokerage network held by Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (NYSE: BRK-B), “just…

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Longtime Greater Cincinnati real estate firm merges with Berkshire Hathaway division

A Greater Cincinnati real estate office that has been family owned for more than 40 years is merging into Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Professional Realty. Woodlan Realtors in Middletown was founded in the 1970s and has been run by Brent Woodlan and his mother, Rita, since 1995. While they have rejected many offers from national firms to be acquired in the past, Brent told me the deal with Berkshire, a real estate brokerage network held by Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (NYSE: BRK-B),…

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Douglas Elliman opens its 19th South Florida brokerage office

Douglas Elliman now has 19 brokerage offices in South Florida after opening a Jupiter location. Its new office at 400 U.S. Highway 1, Suite C1, is led by managing broker Don Langdon, who has been named a top producer by the Realtors Association of the Palm Beaches for seven consecutive years. When he managed Douglas Elliman’s Wellington/Palm Beach network, he exceeded more than $1 billion in sales in over 1,000 transactions. The Jupiter location houses more than 20 agents, said Matthias Fretz,…

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Home of Actor Ron Glass Appears on the Market Soon After His Death

ABC Photo Archives/ABC via Getty Images)

Actor Ron Glass, known as the stylish, savvy detective Ron Harris on the “Barney Miller” sitcom and the devout Christian preacher on the sci-fi TV drama “Firefly” (and its sequel film “Serenity”) died of respiratory failure last month. He was 71.

Now, the late actor’s hilltop home in the Los Feliz Oaks neighborhood of Los Angeles is on the market for $1.85 million.

The 2,138-square-foot, two-bedroom, 2.5-bathroom, Mid-Century Modern home isn’t exceedingly spacious by Hollywood standards, but it is remarkably well-situated. It sits on a hill with views from downtown L.A. to Century City to the Pacific Ocean. There’s an oversize wraparound balcony that takes full advantage of those incomparable views.

The home of the late actor Ron GlassThe wraparound balcony

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Built in 1959, the home has been “meticulously maintained and upgraded,” according to listing agent Alison Whitaker of Sotheby’s International Realty–Beverly Hills Brokerage.

The original stacked-stone accent walls and fireplace are in pristine condition. The kitchen isn’t large, but its layout, adjacent and open to the dining area and den, lends itself to easy expansion.

Stacked stone fireplace

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The kitchen features a peninsula

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The kitchen, dining area, and den could easily be combined in one great room.

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Both the guest bedroom and the master bedroom have access to the wraparound balcony. The master bedroom features a walk-in closet and master bathroom.

A subtle nod to the former owner

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Perhaps the peaceful feeling of the place comes from the fact that Glass was a devout Buddhist and an active member of the SGI-USA Friendship Center in Los Angeles. The actor took a number of roles with religious themes, including the aforementioned “Shepherd” on “Firefly,” God’s cousin Rod on the short-lived series “Teen Angel,” and as a soul-collecting devil in an episode of the revived “Twilight Zone.”

The post Home of Actor Ron Glass Appears on the Market Soon After His Death appeared first on Real Estate News & Advice | realtor.com®.

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America’s Hottest Markets for Real Estate in December 2016

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“On Dasher, on Dancer … on U.S. home buyers!” At least, that’s what Santa might say if he were checking out realtor.com® data while making his express prime deliveries (guaranteed delivery by Christmas morning) later this month. We took an early peek at the stats for December 2016 and found that, much like demand for toys and candy canes, demand for real estate showed no signs of slowing down for the holidays.

In fact, the shelves are almost bare: The year is set to close with a record-low supply of homes for sale.

The U.S. housing market already had a stronger than normal off-season in September and October because of demand from buyers, including many first-timers, who hadn’t yet been able to nab a home, says realtor.com’s chief economist, Jonathan Smoke.

“Since the election, demand seems to have intensified—potentially as a reaction to mortgage rates moving suddenly higher,” Smoke says. “The threat of rates approaching multiyear highs in the months ahead is creating a sense of urgency.”

Another indication of the heightened demand for housing is that the median list price remains the same from November instead of steadily declining into the winter months.  The current median price of $250,000 is 9% higher than one year ago, a record for December.

And while homes are sitting on the market six days longer than for November, they’re picking up speed as the year ends. The median number of days that properties take to sell is expected to reach 88 for December, which is five days faster than last year at this time.

We analyzed our data to find the markets where homes are selling the fastest and buyers are eagerly checking out listings. The result: our monthly list of the country’s 20 hottest markets for real estate! These metro areas include smaller nearby towns, so for example the San Francisco market also takes in Oakland and Hayward.

As usual, California dominates the list with 12 markets, including San Francisco, which holds on to the No. 1 spot for the fourth month in a row. Texas, Colorado, Indiana, Ohio, Michigan, and Tennessee are also represented. Two newcomers made the list: Midland, TX, and Yuba City, CA, which was also the biggest gainer, vaulting up 30 spots to crack the top 20.

Check out the full list:

The hot list

Rank (December)	20 Hottest Markets	Rank (November)	Rank Change
1	San Francisco, CA	1	0
2	Dallas, TX	2	0
3	Vallejo, CA	3	0
4	San Jose, CA	5	1
5	San Diego, CA	6	1
6	Denver, CO	4	-2
7	Stockton, CA	7	0
8	Columbus, OH	9	1
9	Sacramento, CA	11	2
10	Detroit, MI	10	0
11	Yuba City, CA	41	30
12	Santa Rosa, CA	13	1
13	Fresno, CA	14	1
14	Colorado Springs, CO	20	6
15	Oxnard, CA	19	4
16	Fort Wayne, IN	8	-8
17	Los Angeles, CA	18	1
18	Nashville, TN	17	-1
19	Midland, TX	33	14
20	Modesto, CA	15	-5

The post America’s Hottest Markets for Real Estate in December 2016 appeared first on Real Estate News & Advice | realtor.com®.

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Largest residential real estate group to get involved in selected historic designation cases

The metro area's largest residential real estate industry organization, the Denver Metro Association of Realtors, will now get involved case-by-case with so-called "hostile" historic designation attempts, a controversial mechanism within Denver's municipal code that has been used to thwart new development in certain neighborhoods. The position is a change for DMAR in historic designation cases, which involve applications for historic designation on a property against the property owner's wishes.…

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No December slowdown in housing sales as search for homes expected to extend through Christmas

It won’t exactly fit under the tree but holiday shopping this year appears to include real estate in Canada’s largest housing market.

Sotheby’s International Realty Canada says the first couple of weeks of December have not seen any type of slowdown in the Toronto housing market — consumers are expected to keep searching and buying for property right up until Christmas day.

“We are continuing to see that (the housing market) doesn’t seem to be affected in any significant way by what’s going on in Vancouver or the new federal policies that have been put in place,” said Brad Henderson, the chief executive of Sotheby’s in Canada.

Related

• Vancouver’s interest-free loans for homebuyers risk fuelling debt binge and even higher prices
• The doomsday scenario: Why you’re more tied to real estate than you think and what you can do about it

The British Columbia government slapped a 15 per cent tax on foreign property transfers in September and that had some realtors suggesting overseas buyers could shift their focus to Toronto. The federal government also clamped down on credit in October by making it tougher to borrow with new rules forcing consumers with loans backed by Ottawa to qualify based on rates almost double those on their contracts.

“We are still seeing multiple offers,” said Henderson, adding there has been a modest increase in foreign buyer interest in Toronto but that includes inquiries from the United States following the presidential election.

The Toronto Real Estate Board confirmed that over the first two weeks of December, there were 3,196 sales — a 17.8 per cent increase from the 2,713 a year earlier.

Normally, December is when real estate shuts down. “Buyers usually start shutting down the second or third week of December at the latest. People pull their houses off the market in December because they wouldn’t want it to linger over the holidays. Now people are just inclined to leave their houses on,” said Henderson. “We think this December will probably be a record when compared to other Decembers.”

TREB said this month that homebuyers are frustrated by the lack of listings in the city. The imbalance led to overall year-over-year price growth of 20.3 per cent in November while detached home prices climbed 32.3 during the period in the city of Toronto to an average of $1,345,962.

Royal Bank of Canada said Wednesday that Toronto is closing the gap on Vancouver in terms of not being affordable. RBC’s affordability index index shows it takes 63.7 per cent of median pre-tax household income to carry the average home, those costs including mortgage, principal and interest, property taxes and utilities. Toronto jumped three percentage points from the previous quarter and reached a level not seen since the spring 1990.

We think this December will probably be a record when compared to other Decembers

Vancouver remains the most expensive city in the country at 92 per cent, up 2.2 per percentage points from the previous quarter. RBC’s aggregate affordability measure for Canada was up for the sixth consecutive quarter, rising by 1.3 percentage points to 44.3 per cent — the most stressed affordability level in eight years.

The mood across the country is not as optimistic about the market being as robust in 2017. The Canadian Real Estate Association, which represents about 110,000 realtors across the country, is calling for the first national price decrease since 2008. CREA says prices will drop 2.8 per cent nationally in 2017, driven by a 12.2 per cent decline in sales in British Columbia where prices will also drop 7.8 per cent.

Geoff Willis, managing broker with Vancouver-based Origin Mortgages, said his marketplace was starting to slow even before some of the recent mortgage rule changes.

“We are still beginning to deal with that but we still have an inventory issue in Vancouver. We have no product to sell so it’s tough to tell whether buyers have cooled because there’s not much product to choose from,” said Willis.

The Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver reported November new listings were down 20.9 per cent from just October and were 1.2 below the 10-year average for the region for the month. Sales were off almost 37.2 per cent from a year ago while the board’s index price for all homes decline 1.2 per cent in one month. This month, British Columbia’s provincial government announced a program that matched the amount of down payment for first-time buyers — up to $37,500, or five per cent of a home’s purchase price.

Phil Soper, chief executive of Royal LePage Real Estate Services, thinks British Columbia will be the exception to another expansionary year for most of the country.

“I just can’t see a correction in the Ontario market, I can see it slowing down from 20 per cent (annual prices increases) to single digit — that makes perfect sense,” said Soper, adding the economy is still expanding and interest rates remain low. “I don’t think Alberta is a good news story but I expect some growth off a very low base after two plus years of market retraction there. And Quebec continues to get stronger.”

Re/Max has also forecast an improved 2017 with the average residential sale to rise by two per cent on a national basis. In Vancouver prices are forecast to rise by two per cent in the coming year and eight per cent in Toronto.

gmarr@nationalpost.com
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A Colorado city is among the 10 best in the nation for first-time homebuyers; here's how 13 rank (Photos)

Twelve out of 13 Colorado cities rank in the better half of U.S. cities for first time homebuyers, and one even lands in the top 10. Centennial is the ninth best city for first-time homebuyers, according to a new NerdWallet report that analyzed real estate trends in 448 cities across the U.S. To compile its report, the San Francisco-based financial analyst firm pulled data from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey, as well as online data from NeighborhoodScout and Down Payment Resource…

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NASCAR Star Kurt Busch Tries Steering Into 2 Sales in Virginia

Jerry Markland/Getty Images

Veteran NASCAR driver Kurt Busch is selling two properties in Virginia Beach, VA: an undeveloped, quarter-acre oceanfront lot for $1.5 million, and a 3,371-square-foot penthouse apartment for $1.95 million.

His oceanfront property is located at the northern tip of the Croatan Beach neighborhood, with the Atlantic Ocean on one side and Lake Wesley on the other. Croatan Beach is one of the best surf spots in Virginia; it’s also home to the annual Coastal Edge East Coast Surfing Championship. The listing was first spotted by The Virginian-Pilot.

As for his penthouse at The Residences at The Westin Virginia Beach Town Center, Busch has had a difficult time finding a buyer. He purchased the three-bedroom, 3.5-bath apartment in 2009 for $2.81 million.

Beachfront property

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He listed the apartment in 2013 for $2.8 million and relisted it the following year for the same price. In March, he put the apartment back on the market, but dropped the price to $1.95 million.

Living room

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The apartment is sleek and opulent, with dark brown cabinets, mirrored surfaces, and brushed-metal fixtures in nearly every room.

The living room has floor-to-ceiling windows, dark brown marble floors, a tray ceiling with glass chandelier, mirrored bar area, and a decorative gas fireplace. The kitchen features two islands, including one with a wine refrigerator and electric cooktop; a double-size Viking refrigerator; brushed-metal oven and microwave; and modern cabinetry.

Kitchen

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The master bedroom has a private balcony and a walk-in closet. The master bathroom has two sinks, a double-headed shower, a jetted tub with glass chandelier, and a mirrored wall. The building includes a pool and fitness center.

Master bedroom

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Busch, 38, is a driver with Stewart-Haas Racing in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. He’s won 27 Cup career races since his debut in 2000. Busch races in several disciplines, including pickup truck racing with the Camping World Truck Series. His younger brother, Kyle Busch, was the 2015 Sprint Cup champion.

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