Bargain-Basement Victorians: 7 Classic Homes Under $200K

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It’s the time of year when shoppers are on the hunt for bargain prices. Every day between now and Christmas will present a different must-have deal that’s too good to pass up—or so retailers try to make you think.

While homes can’t be snapped up with 1-Click ordering, homes with budget-friendly prices should galvanize shoppers to take quick and decisive action.

Dreaming of holidays around the hearth in classic style, we scoured our listings for Victorian homes for sale across the country. There are about 8,000 on the market, give or take a gable. Our aim was to turn up affordability, so we capped our cross-country search at $200,000—well below the country’s median list price of $250,000.

We found seven stunners worthy of a bargain hunter’s gaze. If you’re into scoring a deal this year, scroll down to see homes that should be on your holiday shopping list.

235 SW Woodlawn Ave, Topeka, KS

Price: $199,900
Victorian vitals: Located in the Potwin Place Historic District, this beautiful four-bedroom home has a number of nostalgic features: leaded glass doors, stained-glass windows, and and gleaming hardwood floors. It’s been on the market since April, and we’re shocked that a buyer has not stepped forward.

Topeka, KS

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1617 N Napa St, Spokane, WA

Price: $164,500
Victorian vitals: Pure Americana in the Pacific Northwest, it even has a white picket fence! Built in 1909, the five-bedroom charmer has a separate entrance, which means it could generate income for a smart buyer.

Spokane, WA

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3939 Shaffers Church Rd, Glen Rock, PA

Price: $190,000
Victorian vitals: Sitting on just over an acre of land, this three-bedroom cutie is nestled next to the Maryland state line. The two-story home offers spacious rooms, old-school charm, and a tire swing out back.

Glen Rock, PA

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3632 S 23rd St, Omaha, NE

Price: $150,000
Victorian vitals: This Queen Anne Victorian comes with one of our all-time favorite features: a turret! A buyer should negotiate some of the decor into the final sale, because the period touches in this place are on point.

Omaha, NE

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1311 Third St, Dudley, GA

Price: $178,000
Victorian vitals: We’re in love with the gingerbread look of this Georgia peach. The yellow paint on the exterior, not quite as much. But with the low list price, you can afford a few gallons of exterior paint.

Dudley, GA

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52 Brewster St, Kingston, NY

Price: $159,000
Victorian vitals: This slim three-bedroom home has over 1,000 square feet of space, which makes it the coziest spot on our list. While the inside is small, there’s a big patio out back that looks perfect for warm summer nights.

Kingston, NY

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289 N Broad St, Carlinville, IL

Price: $179,000
Victorian vitals: In the words of singer and songwriter John Mellencamp, little pink houses for you and me. We’re smitten with the shade of exterior paint on this gorgeous four-bedroom home. The listing mentions a mouthwatering room we’ve never heard of: a pie pantry! In which case, a slice of Key lime pie on the wraparound front porch would be heavenly.

Carlinville, IL

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White House-Worthy Holiday Decorations: The Obamas Show How It’s Done

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Many people go just a teeny bit overboard on their holiday decorations: from garlands of twinkling lights strung around their homes, to life-size “Westworld”-like animatronic manger scenes crammed onto tiny front lawns. Sometimes things just get a bit out of control.

But for presidents, the sought-for Christmas decorating credo seems to be “excess without insanity.”

And nobody pulls it off quite like the Obamas, who are getting ready to celebrate their last Christmas in the White House. The theme for this year’s celebration is “The Gift of the Holidays”—and it comes complete with a 300-pound gingerbread house, a 19-foot Douglas fir in the Blue Room with the preamble to the Constitution on its garland, and giant pompom replicas of the Obamas’ dogs Bo and Sunny greeting visitors in the East Wing.

Replicas of the First Family’s dogs, Bo and Sunny.

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That’s in addition to the more than 8,000 bows and ribbons adorning the East Hallway of the White House; trees in the library built from crayons and pencils; and snowball arches created from more than 6,000 ornaments. Wreaths and garlands have been constructed from lemons, limes, clove-covered oranges, apples, pomegranates, and greens to emphasize first lady Michelle Obama‘s commitment to encouraging healthy eating habits for children.

And did we mention the 56 gingerbread houses made of Legos and representing each U.S. state and territory? They took more than 200,000 blocks to construct.

Lego houses from each state

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The White House decorations are all about attention to detail this year. Even that massive gingerbread house we mentioned earlier is a confectionery (and cavity-inducing) Christmas miracle unto itself. On display in the State Dining Room, the sugary masterpiece is made of 150 pounds of gingerbread, along with 100 pounds of bread, 20 pounds of icing, and 20 pounds of sculpted sugar pieces, according to The Associated Press. It’s almost too pretty to eat.

The White House Gingerbread House.

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The White House Gingerbread House sits in the State Dining Room.

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Nearly 100 volunteers from 33 states and the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico began trickling in on Thanksgiving and spent the past few days helping to ready the White House for the holidays. Their tasks included trimming trees, hanging lights, and making bows, according to the AP.

The White House Christmas Tree in the Blue Room and holiday decorations are seen from the Grand Foyer of the White House

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Military families were invited first to see the decorations to honor one of the first lady’s favorite holiday traditions, according to The Washington Post.

“We promised to open up this house to as many people from as many backgrounds as possible,” Michelle said at a media preview of the decorations on Tuesday. “And we truly wanted to make the White House the people’s house.”

The smell of the holidays also wafted through the presidential home, with a cookie-scented candle in the security guard station and the mouthwatering scent of roasting meats in the outdoor kitchen, according to The Washington Post.

So take a tip from the first family: Bigger just might be better when it comes to getting your home ready for the holidays. Just be tasteful. Delicious, even.

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1790s Style! Blondie’s Debbie Harry Buys a Vintage Connecticut Home

Greg Chow

Blondie front woman Debbie Harry has scored a vintage property in Roxbury, CT, for $785,000.

The four-bedroom, 2.5-bath home was built in 1795 and has been “beautifully maintained,” according to marketing materials.

It features a chef’s kitchen with a farmhouse sink and Carrara marble countertops, a great room with a wood-beamed ceiling and french doors opening to the front patio. On the main floor is the master bedroom with a sitting room, fireplace, and master bath. Upstairs are three additional bedrooms and a full bathroom.

Exterior

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The 2,685-square-foot home on 3.47 acres boasts wide-plank wood floors throughout, a new wood-shingle roof, and restored windows. According to the Historic Barns of Connecticut, the original structure was a saltbox-style home popular during the 1790s. The saltbox had other buildings from the property grafted onto it over time.

As it stands now, it’s a beguiling blend of old-world charm and modern conveniences. The house features central air conditioning, new mechanicals, and a charming kitchen.

The listing agent and seller was Halstead’s Jill Sloane, who also sold Harry a neighboring property last year for $185,000, according to the New York Post.

Harry, 71, recorded several No. 1 singles with Blondie during the 1970s and 1980s, including “Heart of Glass” and “Call Me.”

Kitchen

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Trump Names Mortgage Industry Lobbyist to HUD Transition Team

Quicken Loans

President-elect Donald Trump on Tuesday named a top government-relations executive for one of the nation’s largest mortgage companies to the team overseeing the transition at the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Shawn Krause is executive vice president of government advocacy for Quicken Loans Inc., the privately held mortgage company that is the largest underwriter of mortgages backed by the Federal Housing Administration, which is part of HUD.

Ms. Krause, who has been registered to lobby for Quicken since 2009, deregistered as a lobbyist in the last few weeks, a Quicken executive said Tuesday. Ms. Krause was registered to lobby Congress, HUD and other federal regulators as recently as Sept. 30, according to a disclosure form filed Nov. 18.

The Trump transition team ordered all lobbyists removed from its ranks two weeks ago to follow through on campaign pledges made by Mr. Trump to “drain the swamp” in Washington.

Spokesmen for the Trump transition team didn’t respond to inquiries about Ms. Krause’s appointment on Tuesday.

Quicken said Ms. Krause’s role on the Trump transition didn’t pose any conflicts of interest for the lender and said her 26 years at the company made her well-qualified to assist the incoming administration.

“It makes total sense you’d have someone like that. You’re finding people that actually understand housing,” said Bill Emerson,Quicken’s chief executive. “When you think about draining the swamp, this goes right in line with that.”

The U.S. Justice Department sued Quicken last year alleging the lender misled the government over the quality of certain mortgages insured by the FHA between 2007 and 2011. Quicken, which is fighting the lawsuit, has said it is the victim of a “witch-hunt” by federal prosecutors.

The Detroit-based lender also pre-emptively sued the Justice Department and HUD last year, alleging the government unfairly coerced the lender to admit claims of fraud. A federal judge dismissed the case last year, and Quicken has appealed the ruling.

Transition teams have been unveiled across the federal bureaucracy over the last two weeks to gather information about particular government functions. They report back to the Trump headquarters about the state of personnel and policy to facilitate a smooth transition of power when Mr. Trump takes office in January.

Mr. Trump also named Jimmy Kemp, the son of former HUD Secretary Jack Kemp, to the HUD transition team.

Mr. Trump has said he is considering former GOP presidential candidate and retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson to lead the department. Mr. Carson last week said he might join the Trump administration, reversing his earlier stance that he didn’t want to run a government department.

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How presidential elections affect Houston's housing market

Paul Silverman has noticed an interesting trend during his 16 years helping homebuyers and sellers across Houston. Every presidential election year, the housing market slows down a bit in the Bayou City, he said. “We see a noticeable reduction in activity,” said Silverman, a Realtor with Martha Turner Sotheby’s International Realty. “People are nervous about elections and what it means for their jobs, taxes and the market. So, they hold off on making one of the most important decisions…

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Ricky Martin Scores Fabulous Beverly Hills Estate for $13.5M

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Hunky pop star Ricky Martin just bought a gloriously reimagined estate in the Beverly Crest neighborhood of Beverly Hills, CA, for $13.5 million, according to Yolanda’s Little Black Book.

The original house on the property was built in 1953 and had four bedrooms, two baths, and walls of windows. A local builder paid $3.5 million for the property in January 2014, tore it down to the studs, and rebuilt it from scratch using the original footprint.

The resulting mansion is 11,300 square feet with seven bedrooms and 8.5 baths. It features white oak flooring, a wet bar, and walls of glass looking onto a nearly 1-acre yard. The master suite has a three-sided fireplace and his-and-his bathrooms—Martin is engaged to Jwan Yosef, a Swedish painter and artist. Outside there’s an infinity-edge pool, parking for nine cars, and a 2,000-square-foot “secluded wellness center.”

After the extensive renovations, the home re-emerged on the market in May 2016 with a list price of $16.9 million. A couple of price cuts and six months later, the former Menudo frontman scored himself a 90210 deal.

Martin’s new neighbors include A-listers Sandra Bullock, James Murdoch (younger son of media mogul Rupert), and Dr. Phil, Yolanda says. The singer, 44, is best known for his inescapable hits “Livin’ la Vida Loca” and “She Bangs.”

Backyard

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The 5 Real Estate Trends That Will Shape 2017

We won’t pretend to know everything that 2017 will bring—heck, 2016 sure surprised us—but we’re pretty certain there will be changes. A lot of them. And while the surprise triumph of Donald Trump in the presidential election won’t alter the fundamentals shaping the 2017 real estate market, its impact is already being felt.

We’ve seen interest rates jump since the election, a movement that’s likely to affect the youngest generation of home buyers.

Just like last year, realtor.com®‘s economic data team analyzed our market data and economic indicators to come up with a picture of the key housing trends for 2017. As we prepare to bid farewell to 2016, it looks like we’ll be saying goodbye to the last of the record-low interest rates of the past few years, too. Interest rates have shot up 40 basis points, or 0.4 percentage points, since Trump’s election.

And that’s significant, especially for first-time home buyers, including many millennials.

“With more than 95% of first-time home buyers dependent on financing their home purchase, and a majority of first-time buyers reporting one or more financial challenges, the uptick we’ve already seen may price some first-timers out of the market,” says Chief Economist Jonathan Smoke, who worked on the realtor.com 2017 housing forecast.

According to the forecast, the 2017 national real estate market is predicted to slow compared with the past two years, across the majority of economic indicators studied.  But maybe “slowdown” isn’t quite the right description.

“I would characterize our 2017 forecast as a moderation, as opposed to a slowdown,” says Smoke. “The pace of growth is still strong and, for pricing, still represents an above-average level of appreciation.”

Smoke says we’re mostly reverting to normal prices, after years of appreciation as the housing market recovered from its 2008 crash.

Recovery is good, but the flip side is that pricing is tougher for consumers, Smoke points out.

“Throw in higher mortgage rates, and it becomes more challenging to be able to afford homes compared to what it was over the course of this recovery,” he says.

Here are some of the key predictions for 2017:

1. Millennials and boomers will move markets

In 2017, the U.S. real estate market will be in the middle of two massive demographic waves that will power demand for at least the next 10 years.

Millennials and baby boomers, the two largest American generations in history, are both approaching life stages that typically motivate people to buy a home: marriage, having children, retirement, and becoming empty nesters.

Smoke predicts that millennials will make up 33% of buyers in 2017, lower than his original estimate due to those increasing interest rates.

2. Millennials will look to the Midwest

While the financial picture may look grim for our youngest home buyers, the Midwest, with its affordable cities, still looks good. We believe Midwestern cities will continue to beat the national average in terms of its proportion of millennial home buyers in 2017. Leading the pack are Madison, WI; Columbus, OH; Omaha, NE; Des Moines, IA; and Minneapolis.

“It’s easier for millennials to buy in more affordable markets like in the Midwest,” Smoke says. “We’re also seeing large numbers of millennials buying in Midwestern markets with or near big universities. So part of this is an effect of recent graduates with good jobs being able to settle down in these more affordable markets.”

3. Price appreciation will slow down

Nationally, home prices are forecast to slow to 3.9% growth year over year, from an estimated 4.9% in 2016.

“Prices are still likely to go up at an above-average pace as long as supply remains so tight,” Smoke says. “The inventory problem is not going away.”

Of the top 100 largest metros in the country, 26 markets are expected to see price acceleration of 1 percentage point or more, with Greensboro, NC; Akron, OH; and Baltimore experiencing the largest gains. Likewise, 46 markets are expected to see a slowdown in price growth of 1 percentage point or more, with Lakeland, FL; Durham, NC; and Jackson, MS, undergoing the biggest downshift.

4. Fewer homes, fast-moving markets

The inventory of homes available for sale is currently down an average of 11% year over year in the top 100 U.S. metropolitan markets—and the conditions limiting home supply are not expected to change in 2017. The median age of inventory, or the time it takes a home to sell, is currently 68 days in the top 100 metros, which is 14%, or 11 days, faster than the national average.

5. The West will lead the way

We’re expecting metropolitan markets in the West will see a price increase of 5.8% and sales increase of 4.7%, much higher than the U.S. overall. These markets also dominate the ranking of the realtor.com 2017 top housing markets (more on that tomorrow), making up five of the top 10 markets on the list: Los Angeles, Sacramento, and Riverside in California; Tucson, AZ; and Portland, OR.

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Raleigh, Durham to rank among top markets for housing growth in 2017, says report

According to a Realtor.com housing forecast released Wednesday, both the Raleigh-Cary and Durham-Chapel Hill metros will have higher than average increases in home prices and home sales in 2017 – and they will rank among the top U.S. markets for housing growth. The Realtor.com report ranks the Raleigh-Cary market at No. 8 in the country with a forecasted 4.16 percent increase in average home price and a 7.55 percent increase in home sales for 2017. Year-to-date in 2016, the average home price…

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Housing forecast for 2017: Orlando among fastest-growing metros

The Realtor.com 2017 national housing forecast placed Orlando among the fastest-growing top 100 metro areas. A license of the National Association of Realtors and a subsidiary of News Corp. (Nasdaq: NWS), Realtor.com released a 2017 forecast for the top 100 metros in both new and existing single-family homes and condos. Realtor.com forecast sales growth of 6.3% and price gains of 5.8% in the top 10 markets, in order: Phoenix; Los Angeles; Boston; Sacramento, Riverside, Calif.; Jacksonville; Orlando;…

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Housing forecast for 2017: South Florida predicted to be among slowest metros

The Realtor.com 2017 national housing forecast placed South Florida among the slowest-growing of the Top 100 metro areas, but there was a silver lining. The market might perform better next year than it has so far in 2016. A license of the National Association of Realtors and a subsidiary of News Corp. (NASDAQ: NWS), Realtor.com released a 2017 forecast for the Top 100 metros in both new and existing single-family homes and condos. It ranked South Florida No. 71 with a sales volume increase of 4.17…

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Santa baby, hurry down the chimney with this millionaire's mansion on Lake Travis

Looking for a holiday shopping bargain? A notable Lake Travis luxury home is on the market and the seller has slashed the price by $1 million. Listing broker Dave Murray of DMTX Realty, an affiliate of Coldwell Banker United Realtors, told me the new price tag of $3.9 million represents a bonafide bargain. “The lake and the water are right in your face. The architecture is spectacular. The location and the schools are really, really good,” Murray said. Click on the photo to see a slideshow…

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Home resale price gains hold steady in metro Denver; national prices reach new high

Home-resale prices across metro Denver averaged 8.7 percent in September from a year earlier, almost the same yearly gain as the month before, according to the latest S&P/Case-Shiller Home Prices Indices report, issued Tuesday. Nationally, home prices finally surpassed their pre-recession peak, the report said. While September’s metro-Denver price gains far outpaced the national average, they lagged Denver’s year-over-year performance during the spring and early summer. The 8.7 percent average…

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Celebrity Chef Cat Cora Hopes to Cook Up a Sale in Santa Barbara

Cindy Ord/Getty Images for Cat Cora

When you hear a home is outfitted with a chef’s kitchen, you figure you’ll see a prep space worth drooling over. But in the case of this home now on the market, the chef’s kitchen has a more literal meaning.

A modest ranch house in Santa Barbara, CA, belonging to celebrity chef Cat Cora is up for sale. Listed for $1,259,000, the home features a chef’s kitchen with true culinary mojo. The cooking vibes Cora is leaving behind could be the cherry on top of a sweet sale.

The three-bedroom, two-bath, 1,565-square-foot house was built in 1958, but has since been updated. Walls have been eliminated, and the kitchen was expanded. The cooking area is now the center of an open floor plan. And you shouldn’t be shocked to find the kitchen has professional-grade appliances.

A true “chef’s kitchen”

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Beyond the kitchen, the small home is in “need of some TLC,” according to the listing. Because this property sits on prime Santa Barbara real estate. You can “enjoy the quaint original size or expand out or up to maximize the wonderful ocean and island view potential,” notes listing agent Toni Mochi of George Logan Properties.

Exterior of the ranch house

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Children’s room

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Another room for the kids

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Not only does the home have an ocean view, it’s also a short walk to Santa Barbara’s Thousand Steps beach, parks, shops, restaurants, and highly rated Washington Elementary School, which was no doubt a big deal for Cora and her four young sons.

Cora split from her wife, Jennifer Cora, late last year and has been busy expanding her culinary empire. The first female Iron Chef is the former host of Bravo’s “Around the World in 80 Plates,” and the current host of the upcoming Fox reality show, “My Kitchen Rules,” based on an Australian show of the same name.

She’s the founder of Chefs for Humanity, a grass-roots organization that mobilizes chefs to lend their skills to communities in need. In addition, she oversees two food lines, a cookware line, a shoe line, and restaurants.

Living room

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Did Kanye West’s Home Renovation Help Push Him Over the Edge?

Taylor Hill/Getty Images for The Meadows

Poor Kanye West! After an epic on-stage tirade earlier this month blasting everything from MTV to Mark Zuckerberg and how he “would have voted for Donald Trump,” West canceled the rest of his 2016 Saint Pablo Tour, then ended up at UCLA’s medical center suffering from extreme paranoia. While rumors are swirling over the cause of his meltdown—stress, exhaustion, drugs, relationship woes, or some combination thereof—some are whispering of a more surprising factor that may have helped push him over the edge: the seemingly never-ending renovation of his mansion in Hidden Hills, CA, with Kim Kardashian.

In its article “Did Kanye West’s Mansion Remodel Add to His Stress?,” the San Jose Mercury News pointed out, “Anyone who has undertaken a home remodel knows that this kind of domestic upheaval can be a major cause of stress to individuals and to couples. So, it’s reasonable to wonder if the massive remodel Kanye West and Kim Kardashian have undertaken on their $20 million mansion contributed to the singer’s stress.” 

Of course, we doubt that a few upgrades were the only thing chipping away at this pop star’s peace of mind, but we’re wagering they probably didn’t help, either. For anyone who pooh-poohs the impact of a home renovation, check out these all-too-common stressors that affect anyone who decides to embark on a few home improvements:

Time out of the house

If you’re renovating the kitchen and your fridge and stove are offline, that means for meals you’re stuck with takeout and cold foods. Or if the renovation is really extensive, you can’t even live there at all. That’s how it was for West and Kardashian. Sure, they just moved into another mansion they own in nearby Bel Air, but it’s annoying not to be able to fully make yourself at home, knowing it won’t last—especially when the renovations drag on longer than planned.

In fact, West and Kardashian haven’t spent a single night in their home since purchasing it two years ago. That’s an awful long wait by any standards.

Money down the drain

There’s nothing like spiraling home renovation bills to ratchet up your stress levels. And as we all know, more money just means bigger bills!

“They both make a ton of money, but they also spend a ton. And they are sparing no expense with their new house,” a source told People. Sources say the amount spent on this home renovation has already stretched into the range of $10 million.

And apparently a lot of that money is just going down the drain: Reports have surfaced that West has been fickle about decisions, ordering renovations one day that he then tells them to rip out the next.

“Kanye walked into the house, decided he hated all the furniture brought in by [Gallin], and demanded it be returned to the vendors,” a source told the New York Post. “But they refused to take it back, so he took it all out and threw it into storage. He then spent a fortune on a new set of furniture.” Among the allegedly discarded furniture was a $30,000 sofa.

Relationship issues

No two partners ever totally see eye to eye on home renovations, so it’s probably no surprise that the House of Kimye is undergoing some strain. During the final taping of sister Khloe‘s talk show, Kim complained she had been footing the entire renovation bill herself (and that’s when the total was only $8 million).

“The remodel changes the couple’s physical space and routine,” Walter A. Brakkelmans, a UCLA psychiatrist who specializes in couples therapy, explained to the Los Angeles Times. “On a scale of 1 to 10, 10 being the death of a child and 1 a fender bender, a remodel rates a 6 in terms of stress on a relationship.”

Regardless of what’s happening with West, one thing is clear: No one is immune to a home renovation gone awry, even with all the money and resources in the world. So if you ever hope to survive your own, try to stay sane by:

1. Developing a clear renovation plan
2. Sticking to your budget
3. Accepting that things will probably take longer than you hope

Then grab those takeout menus and hang on for dear life!

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‘LA Ink’ Star Kat Von D Buys ‘Cheaper by the Dozen’ House

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Color us jealous! “LA Ink” tattoo artist and reality TV star Kat Von D purchased an 11-bedroom mansion in the Hancock Park neighborhood of Los Angeles. The home’s also notable for its on-screen credit—it was featured in the 2003 remake of “Cheaper by the Dozen.”

Von D reportedly purchased the three-story, Victorian home for $6.5 million in early November, well under the home’s original $8.2 million price tag. The home hit the market for that price in April, but the price was cut in July to $7.7 million and then in October to $7.35 million.

Built in 1890, the residence was moved in 1915 to its current location, where its famous neighbors include actor Damon Wayans and “Grey’s Anatomy” creator Shonda Rhimes.

Von D’s new digs are magnificent. It measures more than 12,500 square feet and has 11 bedrooms and 10 bathrooms.

Los Angeles, CA

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The home’s public spaces are a beautiful celebration of wood—on paneling, carved walls, and built-up ceiling molding. The dining room is topped with a plaster relief ceiling, and the formal living room recalls a French ballroom with a sky mural painted on the ceiling.

The home also boasts a stage with footlights, a two-bedroom carriage house, a swimming pool, and eat-in kitchen.

Katherine von Drachenberg, aka Kat Von D, was a fixture on reality TV shows about the colorful world of tattoos. In 2007, she created a make-up line for Sephora, which has now expanded to include fragrances.

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Don’t Be Afraid! The ‘Amityville Horror’ House Has Snared a Buyer

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The home where green slime bubbled on the walls, flies continuously hatched, and demonic voices thundered through the halls—all allegedly, of course—has been snatched off the market again.

The “Amityville Horror” house in Amityville, NY, has found another owner only five months after creeping onto the market in June for $850,000.

Details on the sale are hidden as it’s under contract, and listing agent Gerald O’Neill declined to speak about the sale. We do know the home, a stately 1927 Dutch Colonial, was last sold in 2010 for $950,000.

Amityville, NY

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This most recent transaction ensures the infamous house will have had five owners since Ronald DeFeo shot and killed all six members of his family in 1974. The ghastly murders spawned “The Amityville Horror,” a best-seller based on a couple who purchased the house in 1975 and claimed they experienced demonic phenomena. Since then, at least 14 movies have been made about the home and its otherworldly guests.

Of course, there has been no actual evidence of haunting, and none of the previous owners has given any indication of demonic presence or anything spooky. One resident, however, change the address—although that was probably more to throw off annoying ghost hunters than actual demons looking for a place to crash.

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NYC Apartments Experiencing the ‘Fastest Market Adjustment Ever’

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Holiday specials aren’t limited to flat-screen TVs.

The overpriced Manhattan real-estate scene has left some homes lingering on the market for more than four years, prompting huge price cuts that make them ripe for the picking, according to experts and stats compiled for The Post.

“Historically, we are now in the midst of the fastest market adjustment ever,” said Leonard Steinberg, president of the city real-estate giant Compass.

The prices of some high-end homes have been slashed nearly in half since hitting the market.

A penthouse duplex at 165 Perry St. in the West Village, where actor Robert De Niro once lived, has taken the biggest hit, with its asking price dropping 49.8 percent, from $39.8 million more than a year and a half ago to its current $19.8 million.

“The natural forces of markets have kicked in on their own,” Steinberg said.

There also have been extreme price drops in the much more affordable range, according to statistics compiled for The Post by real-estate Web site StreetEasy.

A one-bedroom, one-bath, 700-square-foot unit at The Beekman, a prewar co-op at 575 Park Ave., has been on and off the market since 2013 and was listed for $500,000 last year. This month, it was slashed by 40 percent, to $300,000.

Experts insisted the deep price cuts don’t mean that the units have problems.

“Sometimes, sellers shoot for the highest price points in a market without really knowing what the real transaction value for their property is,” said broker Michael Bolla of Luxury Lofts and Homes International.

This month, a buyer got a seemingly incredible deal when a Village town house sold for $6.8 million, even though it was listed for $13 million just last year.

But “the house was totally overpriced starting out,” noted Steinberg, who was the listing broker when it sold.

When a property stays on the market for a while, sellers just want to “cash out,’’ leading to the sudden price drops, experts said.

An apartment at the Village’s 150 Charles St., where rocker Jon Bon Jovi and actor Ben Stiller live, has been on the market the longest — 1,355 days, according to Streeteasy. Its original $8.99 million asking price is now down to $7.95 million.

“Someone’s loss is another’s gain,’’ said Paula Del Nunzio, a top luxury broker with Brown Harris Stevens.

The post NYC Apartments Experiencing the ‘Fastest Market Adjustment Ever’ appeared first on Real Estate News and Advice - realtor.com.

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Wakefield Reutlinger has a new GM — and it is a familiar face

Kenneth Reutlinger Jr. says the residential real estate business is not for the faint of heart, as those who are successful must be stronger than "rhino hide." And Reutlinger, a licensed Realtor and co-founder of Louisville-based residential realty firm Wakefield Reutlinger Realtors, knows the company has found someone with the toughness needed to lead the firm. Wakefield Reutlinger's new general manager is Claire Alagia, who will manage the daily operations for the firm, which has two full-time…

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When Your Home Is a Castle (and a Tourist Destination)

Dylan Thomas for the Wall Street Journal

Charlie Courtenay’s home has been besieged twice in its 600-year history, first by another branch of the family in the medieval era, then by Parliamentarians during the English Civil War. Today, the armies who storm Powderham Castle in southwest England may consist of tourists, but it still pays to have a battle plan.

Like the homes of many aristocratic British families that have been passed down from generation to generation, Powderham Castle long ago opened its doors to the public to help pay its bills. These days, over 100,000 people come to Powderham’s 3,500-acre estate annually, spending anywhere from $8 to $14 each to attend events or for regular castle tours, estimates the corporate lawyer at Latham & Watkins in London, who is also the 19th Earl of Devon. The family also operates about a dozen businesses on the estate, including a country store and a “deer safari” for tourists seeking to snap photos of the wildlife on the grounds.

Living private lives in a public space is something of a perpetual balancing act for the earl, 41, his wife, 42-year-old actress A.J. Langer of “My So Called Life” fame, and their children, Joscelyn, 9, and Jack, 7. Still, the earl says the sacrifices are worth it. Powderham’s “purpose since the 1300s has been to be a family home,” he says.

Estimates of the number of castles and historic homes in the U.K. vary. Over 1,640 historic homes, castles and gardens are represented by the Historic Houses Association, a U.K. lobbying group. Around 500 of these properties are open to visitors, and attract about 24 million visitors a year, according to the association.

While many house hunters and tourists might, like Elizabeth Bennet at Pemberley, find their spirits “in a high flutter” at the sight of such grand properties, the reality can often sink those of an owner. The country’s steep inheritance tax, which hovers at around 40% at the higher end, has led many families over the decades to open up their homes to visitors as part of a deal with the government to defer inheritance liabilities.

Other families run their homes as businesses to defray maintenance and repair costs, says Ben Cowell, director general of the Historic Houses Association. “Often the family is relegated to an apartment in some other bit of the building,” he says.

Until two years ago, the earl was in Topanga Canyon, Calif., where he and his family they lived a fairly “normal” existence. His desire to be closer to his aging parents was one motivation for his family’s move to the U.K.

Ben Mostyn for the Wall Street Journal

The Earl of Devon says his family began paying the inheritance tax in the 1930s, and his father reluctantly opened up the house to tourists in the 1950s to defray expenses. The earl’s grandparents lived at the castle when he was a child, and he moved in as a teenager. “As a kid, it was quite an intimidating, fascinating place,” he says.

In 2008, the castle lost its wedding license after the earl’s father refused to permit a same-sex wedding on the property. The castle has since regained its civil-ceremony license. The current Earl of Devon extols the openness of the venue to same-sex couples, and tours highlight the role a gay family member played in the estate’s history.

More recently, the earl was in Topanga Canyon, Calif., where he says his family lived a fairly “normal” existence. Two years ago they moved to the U.K., first to London and then a year later to the castle, in part to be closer to his aging parents. The earl’s father died, and as inheritance of titles is patrilineal his son inherited the title.

The estate, however, is currently in probate, and the earl and his wife are managing the property as the executors complete the probate and determine how to proceed.

About half of their roughly 100-room home is open for public viewing Sundays to Fridays, from Easter to Halloween. The Courtenays occupy eight rooms, between the medieval kitchen and great hall. Ropes and doors set off the family’s living area, which the earl says is a “decent size for a family of four.”

Despite the large number of tourists who flock to his home, the earl says the sacrifices are worth it. Powderham’s “purpose since the 1300s has been to be a family home,” he says.

Ben Mostyn for the Wall Street Journal

Sometimes, visitors to the estate get lost and stumble into the family’s private rooms. The earl says that early on in their time at the castle, his very friendly son would ask visiting children to come in and look at his bedroom. As a parent, he says, he needs to be vigilant that his children are protected and that they have their privacy. “You don’t get much outside space that is private,” he adds.

When the guests have gone, though, the family regains the public portions of the house. This year, for instance, they plan to have their Thanksgiving dinner—his wife and the children are Americans—in the wood-paneled State Dining Room. Children’s birthday parties often involve treasure hunts around the castle, through its many secret doors.

Festive as castle living may be, it isn’t cheap. In previous decades, the castle and estate were not profitable, and the Earl of Devon says his father had to sell “considerable” contents of the castle—including millions of dollars’ worth of furniture, art and even a historical manuscript by Marco Polo—over the years to make up for the shortfall.

The earl says the castle and estate cost over $1.2 million to operate annually, and the place is “rarely profitable,” with any surplus revenue reinvested back into the estate. One recent outlay involved a cracked incinerator tower, which the earl says provides no real modern function, is essentially a “Victorian trash chute,” and was necessary to repair. The bill: over $120,000.

Hodsock Priory, near Worksop in Nottinghamshire, has existed for centuries and has been in the Buchanan family for decades. Mr. Buchanan’s father inherited the property and began living there in 1966. A section of the 11,000-square-foot home was converted into an events venue in 2006, and a pavilion added in 2007 serves as a function room for events, including a recent yoga retreat.

Hodsock Priory, near Worksop in Nottinghamshire, has hosted around 500 weddings since a section of the 11,000-square-foot home was converted into an events venue in 2006.

Vanessa Berberian for the Wall Street Journal

The business brings in about $612,000 a year, giving the family a small profit. They are looking into other ways to raise revenue, such as concerts or theater events—taking advantage of George Buchanan’s former career as a manager of rock venues in London.

The main inconvenience that Mr. Buchanan, 41, has experienced since starting the business is an olfactory one.

“It is the after-shave smell, and the smell of gravy on a Saturday afternoon, that is the only invasion of privacy,” he says.

Mr. Buchanan’s wife, Kat, says her secret to survival involves “mobile phones and patience.” The grounds are so large that phones cut down on the time the family needs to spend searching for one another.

The couple’s two boys and two girls—now ranging in age from 6 to 11—love playing “Harry Potter” in the home’s grand rooms, she says, but sometimes they get lost.

Highclere Castle, one of the most famous historic homes thanks largely to its real estate role in the hugely popular ITV series “Downton Abbey,” is inhabited from time to time by George Herbert, the eighth Earl of Carnarvon. The earl says Highclere is doing well: Annual revenue comes to “a few million dollars,” and the business is profitable.

Set in northern England, 181-room Harewood House has been used as a set—most recently for the hit ITV series “Victoria.” The estate is also home to Emmerdale Village, a set built in a field for the ITV soap opera Emmerdale.

David Lascelles, the eighth Earl of Harewood, doesn’t currently live in Harewood House. In a somewhat complex arrangement, his estate leases the house to a trust that is set up to maintain and develop Harewood, its collections and grounds, for the public benefit.

So the great-grandson of George V instead lives in a four-bedroom home on the 4,500-acre estate. And whenever the 66-year-old earl wants to use Harewood House for a personal event, he must book and—if it is available—pay rent for the space, just like any other guest.

“Real life in country houses isn’t like ‘Downton Abbey,’” the earl says. “It is very different in the 21st century.”

The post When Your Home Is a Castle (and a Tourist Destination) appeared first on Real Estate News and Advice - realtor.com.

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Open the Door to Black Friday Bargains! 8 Homes Under $100K

realtor.com

The day after Thanksgiving is all about leftover turkey, Netflix marathons, and quality time with the family unit, right? Wrong! It’s about the biggest shopping day of the year, forever immortalized as Black Friday.

While you may be up before dawn ready to elbow your way to Oculus Rift headsets, George Foreman grills, and fluffy Ugg slippers, you should consider dialing up a friendly Realtor®. There are also deals to be had in the housing market, and we have proof.

We dug up some serious steals on perfectly great homes—all priced below $100,000.

You read that right. Bargain basement prices for actual basements … and the rest of the house, too. And, we’re betting that you love a good deal. So forget about the others on your holiday gift list for just a moment and treat yourself.

Let your belt out a few notches, and check out these listings on the market for such low prices, they’re practically giving them away. And just like Black Friday, we’re betting these sweet deals will go fast.

4528 Bullard St, North Port, FL

Price: $79,000
Why we love it: How about truly surprising your loved ones this holiday season with an adorable winter retreat? A little sunshine and beach come with this turnkey two-bedroom, one-bath home. It’s just what you’ll need to soothe away your stress lines, leaving you plenty of time to unwind, and with no worry of a hefty mortgage payment.

North Port, FL

realtor.com

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1119 Indiana St, Racine, WI

Price: $85,000
Why we love it: Here’s an easy way to put some equity into your pocket for the holidays. Trade in your rental for the joys of homeownership, for a lower mortgage than your monthly lease. This brick rancher is located in Manree Park and comes with hardwood floors, new paint, roof, and windows.

Racine, WI

realtor.com

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5004 Given Ave, Memphis, TN

Price: $82,500
Why we love it: Honestly, what’s not to love? This “cracker jack of a home,” as the listing puts it, offers three bedrooms, 1.5 baths, original hardwood flooring, formal dining and living rooms, a den, covered front and back porches, a patio, and a fenced-in backyard.

Memphis, TN

realtor.com

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626 Belleville St, Lebanon, IL

Price: $95,000
Why we love it: Welcome to your dream home, shoppers! Built in 1900, this renovated four-bedroom, two-bath home offers 1,500 square feet of living space, new flooring and paint, and a huge eat-in kitchen. It’s also conveniently located steps from downtown.

Lebanon IL

realtor.com

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325 4th St, Thompson, ND

Price: $89,900
Why we love it: This charming three-bedroom, one-bath cottage features a large backyard and inviting patio.

Thompson, ND

realtor.com

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5383 Plover Ln, Cincinnati, OH

Price: $98,500
Why we love it: Hello, Cincinnati! Here’s a 1962 rancher with an open layout. It has an eat-in kitchen with breakfast bar, access to the back patio, three bedrooms, 1.5 baths, a rec room, and a one-car attached garage.

Cincinnati, OH

realtor.com

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608 S Abrego Dr, Green Valley, AZ

Price: $85,000
Why we love it: The Southwestern-style home comes with three beds, two baths, a fireplace, and a spacious kitchen. Plus it’s near golfing, shopping, and dining.

Green Valley, AZ

realtor.com

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914 Main St N, Arcadia, NY

Price: $79,900
Why we love it: You get tons of character along with the low price. The 1916 Colonial includes original woodwork, hardwood floors, a large kitchen with granite countertops, updated bathrooms, and fresh exterior paint.

Arcadia, NY

realtor.com

The post Open the Door to Black Friday Bargains! 8 Homes Under $100K appeared first on Real Estate News and Advice - realtor.com.

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