Sad but True: Ex-Metallica Guitarist Jason Newsted Selling Montana Ranch

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After two decades grooving on bass guitar with Metallica and Ozzy Osbourne, rocker Jason Newsted is dabbling further in a painting career—one reason why he’s unloading a 545-acre nature retreat in Sula, MT.

The $4.95 million property includes a custom timber-frame home Newsted built in 2006. It is located near the Anaconda-Pintler Wilderness and Lost Trail Powder Mountain.

Newsted and his wife, Nicole, “are entering a new chapter where they want to have more social interaction,” says listing agent Bill McDavid with Hall and Hall. “They’ve got a place in the [San Francisco] Bay Area, and their primary place is in Jupiter, FL. Both he and Nicole are painters, and he performs in Jupiter with his band.”

With all the luxury perks you’d expect—a sizeable terrace overlooking the landscape, stained-glass windows, and a soaking tub with a view—the 5,800-square-foot home fits right into western Montana’s luxury lifestyle boom that’s attracting celebs from the music and movie industries.

But the home’s also loaded with fun quirks, including an intricate sunburst wall design crafted from exotic woods sourced from the Gibson guitar factory. McDavid told us trusses in the soaring ceilings are modeled after stage lights.

The home’s location atop a ridge and walls of windows translate to expansive views.

Exterior

Hall and Hall

Terrace overlooking the landscape

Hall and Hall

Sunburst wall design made of exotic woods

Hall and Hall

In this region “there’s not a lot of stuff out there in that price range” as you would find in Whitefish or Big Sky, says McDavid. It’s also a modernized abode.

“A lot of people, when they think of Montana, they think of this idyllic log cabin in the snow with smoke rising out of the chimney. This is a modern home that manages to retain that, with wood and timber frame.”

The property also includes a manager’s house and two outbuildings.

Master bedroom

Hall and Hall

Master bath

Hall and Hall

Given the views, the dining room requires little art or adornment. Custom built-ins are perfect for storing books or mementos. One of the home’s three bedrooms is a master suite with a soaring ceiling and fireplace designed to fit seamlessly into one wall. A soaking tub in the master bath faces the wilderness.

Newsted’s wife designed the kitchen, which includes a walk-in pantry, Thermador stainless-steel appliances, and a dumbwaiter.

As for who will snap up this rockin’ piece of property, McDavid says he doesn’t expect a big change. “I would see somebody not a whole lot different than (Newsted), whether it’s a CEO or a movie star or a rock star.”

That there are only 37 residents in Sula and the beauty of the natural surroundings will attract someone who wishes to get away from a hectic urban lifestyle, just as Newsted did, McDavid says. “That’s why a lot of celebrities buy up here. It’s a place they can really get away and have a lot of elbow room.”

The post Sad but True: Ex-Metallica Guitarist Jason Newsted Selling Montana Ranch appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com®.

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6 Cat House Designs That Prove Just How Purr-fect They Can Actually Be

Cat houses and play structures may be great for the felines in your life, but in terms of home decor, they often leave a whole lot to be desired. So if you’re embarrassed by the sight of that jute-wrapped pole or rug-covered cat tree in your living room, you will be delighted to know that cat houses have come a long way.

Want proof? Check out these too-cool-for-school cat houses from the annual Architects for Animals’ Giving Shelter event to raise money for FixNation, which provides free spay/neuter services for homeless cats. The gorgeous cat habitats are created by a group of architects and designers in Southern California, shown off at the Herman Miller Showroom in Culver City, and then auctioned off for the charity.

While these pedigreed cat residences are all one of a kind, the architects all say it’s quite easy for anyone to knock off their work with a bit of balsa wood, scraps of felt, and a glue gun. We asked these designers about their rules on how to build a DIY cat house that satisfies the felines as well as their design-oriented owners.

1. A cat house doesn’t have to look like a ‘house’ Abramson Teiger Architects built this cat house out of PVX pipe.

Meghan Bob Photography

Why does a cat house need to look like a cat house? Well, it doesn’t. Why not create one that looks like modern art instead!

To build this structure, Abramson Teiger Architects took big pieces of PVX pipe, lined the insides with red felt, then connected them into a cat house that evokes a giant game of jacks.

2. A cat habitat should be playful The “Ball of Twine” by Abramson Teiger Architects

Meghan Bob Photography

The beauty of this cat habitat is that kitty can not only nap in it, but also play with it, batting it right off the stand and across the room. Then there’s the ersatz hamster ball potential—the possibilities are endless!

And best of all, you will never believe how easy it would be to duplicate this giant “Ball of Twine” by Abramson Teiger Architects. Architect Douglas Teiger confided that he’d made this adorable abode by simply dragging brown twine through Elmer’s Glue and wrapping it around a beach ball. After the glue dried, he punctured and removed the ball, leaving the sphere of twine. That perfectly round opening? He taped a bucket to the beach ball. And the round base is an Elmer’s Glue–coated rope coil. Place a colorful round pillow inside, and voila! You have a shelter that’s as fun to play with as it is to look at.

3. A cat habitat can be upcycled junk Recycled cat shelter by d3architecture made from discarded HVAC equipment

Meghan Bob Photography

This kitty structure is the size of a sturdy piece of playground equipment, and d3architecture designed it to evoke the outdoor world of feral cats. The designers used materials found in alleys—in this case, discarded HVAC equipment. They created a wild array of tunnels and passageways for kitties to explore and play in, but at the center is a tranquil space where they can chill.

If you live in an area where you have a decent amount of space and a number of cats, feral or otherwise, this one would be relatively inexpensive and easy to assemble.

4. A cat habitat should feel good Seven Chamber Kitty Condo by HOK Product Design

Meghan Bob Photography

Susan Grossinger of HOK Product Design knows that texture is important to cats, so she lined the interior of these circular chambers with the softest plush fur she could find for cozy cat napping. Then she wrapped the entire kitty condo structure with a banner of sturdy burlap, not just to help hold it together, but to also give the cats something to claw, meeting a greater number of feline kneads, er, needs.

5. A cat habitat should be cozy The “Catosphere” from Standard Architecture and Design

Meghan Bob Photography

This “Catosphere” has a bit of a Sputnik vibe and was designed for outdoor use, but we think it would look great inside in any Mid-Century Modern setting. This one is made of a prefab concrete shell, but if you’re going to try this at home, you could easily use clay or concrete planter bowls, says architect Jeff Allsbrook. He raised the structure off the ground with brass legs, but you can use whatever inspires you at your local home improvement store.

This one has gorgeous teak pivoting wall panels, but if you don’t want to go that fancy, you could simply use wooden dowels to let the sun in and separate the ceiling from the floor. But whatever you do, don’t forget to put a comfy (washable) pillow inside. This shelter was meant for cat napping, after all.

6. A cat habitat can be fun for humans, too The UnFURled sculptural cat shelter by Perkins + Will

Meghan Bob Photography

“It’s hard to say what cats like to look at,” says Nathan Mattson of Perkins + Will, who designed the UnFURled cat structure along with colleague Louis Peiser. They came up with something sculptural that humans would like to look at, and something functional that would give cats varied experiences. By the way, humans get varied experiences as well, because those parts fit together like Tinkertoys, and the whole structure can be reconfigured to fit your space. 

The post 6 Cat House Designs That Prove Just How Purr-fect They Can Actually Be appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com®.

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Own Shepherd’s Mill, Home of the World’s Oldest Overshot Water Wheel

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Humans have always been drawn to water, whether for fertilizing crops, journeying the seas, or simply watching it flow by. If you’re hep to H20, we’ve found a place where you can get in touch with the intimate rhythms of a river.

This historic home in Shepherdstown, WV, has floated onto the market for $795,000 and includes a single bedroom and a single bathroom amid its 3,640 square feet. But most important, the living space is anchored by a historic overshot water wheel (and mill) that dates to Colonial times.

A vertical mount and distinct rotation style are the hallmarks of an overshot water wheel. Water enters just over the top of the wheel, slightly beyond the axle. The Shepherd’s Mill wheel still turns when water runs over it, as do all the gears inside. It measures in at a massive 120 feet high with a 40-foot diameter.

Shepherd’s Mill

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Exterior

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“Trying to find one of these that even worked was impossible,” says listing agent Drew Johnson. The investment company that owns the property researched overshot wheels internationally. They believe this is the oldest and largest still-functioning wheel based on their findings, though there is an older wheel in Belgium that doesn’t work. A plaque on the side of the building states Shepherd’s wheel is the largest in the world.

Town founder Thomas Shepherd built the property in 1738, and it served as his family’s gristmill for years. It passed through the hands of two more owners and underwent a restoration in the 1980s. After the mill’s most recent owner died, it became the property of a local investment company.

An appropriately historic-looking painting featuring the name of the mill and two shepherd figures with a sheep adorns one side of the building. Exposed beams and stone walls and accents distinguish the interior. Water naturally runs through the property, including a small waterfall.

Inside the mill

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Mill plaque

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“It’s old, it’s been restored, it’s absolutely beautiful,” says Johnson.

The house still needs more restoration work, and could be an ideal project for an architect or engineer who appreciates the ingenuity of engineers from another era.

The oldest town in West Virginia, Shepherdstown has a bit of a reputation. As the site of multiple Civil War battles and hospitals, Shepherdstown has enough history to cultivate a few restless spirits, and the Discovery Channel called it the most haunted town in American. The police chief reached out to a paranormal investigator after his department kept receiving calls that seemed paranormal in nature. The call eventually led to the town getting its own television show, “Ghosts of Shepherdstown.”

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Is the White House Haunted? 8 Presidents Say Yes—Here’s Proof

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One night in the 1940s, according to a well-known story, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill was kicking back at the White House. He had just emerged from a hot bath to stroll into the adjoining bedroom, naked and smoking a cigar. But it turned out he had a surprise visitor, leaning against the fireplace mantel: Abraham Lincoln, or rather his ghost. Churchill didn’t miss a beat. Tapping the ash off his cigar, he said, “Good evening, Mr. President. You seem to have me at a disadvantage.”

Lincoln smiled, then disappeared. Churchill—who didn’t rattle easily—nonetheless refused to sleep in that bedroom ever again.

The White House? Haunted? If all the ghost sightings from White House staff, first families, and other famous leaders who’ve been spooked here are to be believed, 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. is packed with apparitions.

In fact, according to a Washington Post interview with Jared Broach, who offers tours of haunted areas across the country—including a Washington, DC, pub crawl past the White House—“The White House has the best ghost stories, and I’d call them the most verified.”

After all, as Broach points out, if the whole ghosts-in-the-White House thing was truly a bunch of malarkey, “I’d be calling about eight different presidents liars.”

Good point. So, even if you think all this spirit talk is pure smoke and mirrors, these well-documented White House ghosts below might make you think twice.

Andrew Jackson

President Jackson has been heard in the White House since the 1860s, with staffers and first families claiming to hear him stomping around, swearing, and letting loose his signature guttural laugh.

Thomas Jefferson

In the 1860s, President Jefferson was heard playing his violin in the Yellow Oval Room, prompting President Lincoln’s wife, Mary Todd, to once marvel to a friend, “My, my, how that Mr. Jefferson does play that violin.”

Abigail Adams

The wife of the nation’s second president, John Adams, was the first first lady to live in the White House. Abigail Adams used the East Room to dry sheets. Since her death in 1818, numerous residents and staffers claim to have seen her walking around with her arms outstretched, as if carrying clean linens. Forever doing laundry—what a harsh fate.

David Burns

In 1791, this guy sold the government most of the land on which the White House and the entire city of Washington, DC, now sits. Since then, his voice has been heard by a guard and a valet in the Oval Office, saying, “I’m Mr. Buuuuurns.”

Willie Lincoln

President Lincoln isn’t the only one in his family haunting the White House. Lincoln’s son Willie—who died in the White House at the age of 11, most likely from typhoid fever—was reportedly seen not only by his parents but also by staff of the Grant administration in the 1870s.

Annie Surratt Annie Surratt

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In 1865, Mary Surratt was convicted of conspiring to assassinate President Lincoln, and sentenced to death. Her daughter Annie pleaded repeatedly for her mother’s life—and, even after Mary was hanged and Annie was long gone, Annie’s ghost reportedly continues to knock on doors throughout the White House, pleading for her mother’s release.

Abraham Lincoln

But back to the most famous White House ghost: Lincoln, who’s also known as “the White House Ghost” and has been spotted by the likes of President Theodore Roosevelt and first lady Grace Coolidge. Most famously, Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands, who was sleeping in the Lincoln Bedroom, heard a knock and opened the door to see him standing there in a top hat and coat. She immediately fainted.

And in case you’re thinking all these spiritual sightings are ancient history, there’s some evidence that Lincoln’s ghost was still kicking around as recently as the Reagan administration: White House curator Rex Scouten recalls how Ronald Reagan‘s dog would enter any room in the White House except the Lincoln Bedroom.

“He’d just stand outside the door and bark,” Scouten told the Washington Post.

Weird, huh?

So what might these White House ghosts want? In Lincoln’s case at least, Broach explains one popular theory: “They say Lincoln always comes back whenever he feels the country is in need or in peril.”

Now we’re just wondering: Has anyone seen Lincoln’s ghost of late?

The post Is the White House Haunted? 8 Presidents Say Yes—Here’s Proof appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com®.

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He’s Out! Ex-Detroit Tiger Anibal Sanchez Selling Michigan Home for $1.9M

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MLB pitcher Anibal Sanchez is parting with his Birmingham, MI, home for almost $2 million. The Venezuelan-born player is saying adios to the Detroit Tigers after six seasons in the Motor City.

The Tigers confirmed that they are declining Sanchez’s $16 million contract option for 2018. But don’t weep for the veteran hurler. The deal included a $5 million buyout, and he’ll likely be scooped up by another MLB team this winter.

The right-hander’s departure from Detroit isn’t a huge surprise, as he’s struggled for the past three seasons and bottomed out with a subpar season in 2017.

But despite his struggles on the mound, his Michigan spread is a home run.

Anibal Sanchez’s Michigan home

Andy Schwartz of Stylish Detroit

Chef’s kitchen

Andy Schwartz of Stylish Detroit

Dining area

Andy Schwartz of Stylish Detroit

Media room with Sanchez memorabilia

Andy Schwartz of Stylish Detroit

Master suite

Andy Schwartz of Stylish Detroit

Round dressing room in a turret

Andy Schwartz of Stylish Detroit

Wine cellar

Andy Schwartz of Stylish Detroit

The 5,253-square-foot home has five bedrooms, six bathrooms, and two half-baths. Located in a “highly sought-after” neighborhood, it’s close to downtown Birmingham’s shops and restaurants, and a short commute to Comerica Park.

Built in 2005, the Tudor features a two-story foyer, chef’s kitchen, family room, and master suite with two fireplaces, master bath, and round dressing room in a turret.

The first floor includes a den with wet bar and media room filled with Sanchez memorabilia.

“The crown jewel of the lower level is the incredible wine cellar,” says listing agent Maureen Francis of Coldwell Banker Weir Manuel. “It’s the perfect place for a serious wine aficionado to store and enjoy their collection.”

The lower level also features a full bath and potential guest room, workout space, and lounge.

The yard is landscaped, and the home is equipped with a “state-of-the-art” security system.

“The quality could not be replicated at this price, and the original owners spent more than our current list price to build this home,” Francis notes.

Sanchez has 90 wins, 1,414 strikeouts, and a career ERA of 4.09.

The post He’s Out! Ex-Detroit Tiger Anibal Sanchez Selling Michigan Home for $1.9M appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com®.

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Know the Competition: Who’s Buying Homes, Who’s Selling—and Who’s Not?

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With soaring rental prices, extremely low mortgage rates, and a stronger economy, it seems that just about everyone wants to buy a home these days. But high home prices are keeping many aspiring homeowners, as well as would-be sellers (who need a new home to move into) out of the market.

So who is buying and selling these days?

It turns out the typical buyer and seller both are getting older—and buyers need to make more money to be able to afford a home of their own, according to the 2017 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers by the National Association of Realtors®. The report is based on a 131-question survey filled out by nearly 8,000 recent home buyers.

“Prices are going up,” says Chief Economist Danielle Hale of realtor.com®. “So in order to get into the housing market, buyers need to have more income to afford the same type of properties.”

Who is the typical home buyer these days?

Home buyers come in all shapes and sizes, but the typical one is about 45 years old. That’s up considerably since 1981, the inaugural year of the report, when the median age was just 31.

Buyers these days are also making good money, at about $88,800 a year, according to the report. It was $88,500 in the previous year.

Most buyers preferred the suburbs and more rural areas, at 85%, compared with urban areas, which is where just 13% of folks bought homes. And the vast majority, 83%, also preferred a stand-alone, single-family house, the kind that typically has a lawn out back.

The suburbs reigned supreme because that’s where many of the available homes with the desired features are, says Hale.

“Properties tend to be a bit more affordable than in urban areas,” Hale says. “You’ll get much more space in the suburbs for your money than you will in an urban area, and the schools do tend to be better as well.”

Calling all the single ladies

In another indication of just how much things can change in 36 years, about 18% of home sales were made by single women. That’s up from 17% last year and just 11% in 1981. And while it’s still well below the 65% of sales that married couples scooped up, it’s ahead of the 7% of sales that unmarried men made. An additional 8% of closings were made by unmarried couples.

There are more single women today than there have been historically, says Jessica Lautz, NAR’s managing director of survey research and communications. She points to how folks are marrying later in life, or not at all. Or, some may have been married before and become widowed or divorced.

Being able to have a 30-year fixed mortgage provides financial security, compared with facing rising rental prices, Lautz says.

In addition, single women buy homes that cost just a little bit more than single men: a median $185,000 versus $175,000 for the men. And that’s despite often making less than their male counterparts.

Fewer first-time buyers are getting in on the action

High student debt, coupled with rising home prices, kept many first-time buyers out of the market. These real estate virgins made up only about 34% of home sales, according to the report. That’s slightly down from 35% last year and the long-term average of 39%.

Those who were able to buy a home were a median age of 32.

“Right around turning 30 is still a significant milestone in many people’s lives,” says Hale. “That’s why we tend to see a lot of first-time buyers.”

These buyers typically had a household income of about $75,000, up from $72,000 last year. They were likely to buy a 1,650-square-foot abode for about $190,000 in a suburban area.

“The dreams of many aspiring first-time buyers were unfortunately dimmed over the past year by persistent inventory shortages,” NAR’s Chief Economist Lawrence Yun said in a statement. “Multiple offers were a common occurrence, investors paying in cash had the upper hand, and prices kept climbing, which yanked homeownership out of reach for countless would-be buyers.”

Big student loan bills due every month also make it harder for many of these younger folks to save up for a down payment. And it could affect their debt-to-income ratios, which lenders look at before issuing mortgages.

About 41% of first-time buyers have debt, according to NAR’s report, up from 40% last year. And they now owe about $29,000—compared with $26,000 in 2016. Ouch.

“An overwhelming majority of millennials with student debt believe it’s delaying their ability to buy a home, and typically for seven years,” Yun said in a statement. “Even in markets with a plethora of job opportunities and higher pay, steep rents and home prices make it extremely difficult to put savings aside for a down payment.”

What kinds of homes are buyers snagging?

Buyers overwhelmingly opted for existing homes (ones that had previously been lived in), at about 85%, compared with just 15% who closed on brand-new abodes, according to the report. That’s likely because there are fewer newly built homes on the market as well as the newer homes tending to cost significantly more.

They shelled out a median $235,000 on their homes, which were a median 1,870 square feet. The typical home was built in 1991 and had three bedrooms and two bathrooms.

And they’re not moving far away. Usually buyers moved only about 15 miles from their previous home.

Who’s selling their homes?

They typical home seller in 2017 was much older than the typical buyer, at about 55 years old. Their household incomes were also higher, at about $103,300 a year.

“The age of sellers and repeat buyers continues to increase,” says NAR’s Lautz. That’s because many baby boomers are purchasing retirement homes later in life.

The top reasons for selling were a residence that was too small, the desire to be close to family and friends, and the need to relocate for work.

Sellers usually stayed about 10 years in their homes before putting them on the market. Their properties stayed on the market for a median of three weeks, compared with four weeks last year.

And, in a boon for sellers, they sold their homes for a median $47,500 more than what they originally paid for them, and got about 99% of their final listing price.

The post Know the Competition: Who’s Buying Homes, Who’s Selling—and Who’s Not? appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com®.

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Bye-Bye, Beverly Hills: Reality TV Star Kyle Richards Buys $8.3M Encino Estate

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We hate to break it to you, but reality TV isn’t always real. Not all of the women on “Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” actually live within the 90210 city limits. Some have lived in Malibu, others in Brentwood and Bel-Air, and one in Pasadena.

So it’s no surprise that “RHOBH” stalwart Kyle Richards and her real estate mogul husband, Mauricio Umansky, have purchased one of the most expensive homes to come on the market in the unlikely locale of Encino. They’re moving to one of the most esteemed neighborhoods in the San Fernando Valley and paid $8,253,000 for the privilege.

Known as “The Smokey Robinson Estate,” this place was home to the legendary recording artist from 1988 to 2002.

Kyle Richards’ new home in Encino, CA

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The Smokey Robinson Estate

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Robinson sold it to entertainment entrepreneur Mike Greenfield in 2012 for $2,300,000. Greenfield renovated the home and sold it last year for $3,250,000.

So how did the recent sale price rocket past the $8 million mark? Well, the seller was prominent developer Gidi Cohen, who went over every square inch of the 1.54-acre property. Cohen added a white and gray color scheme, a balcony off the master suite, a new pool and spa, plus a 1,600-square-foot guesthouse, reports Variety.

New pool, spa, and guesthouse

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The revamped estate measures 10,600 square feet and has seven bedrooms and eight baths. It is surrounded by mature foliage, and sits behind stately gates at the end of a long driveway.

Stately entry

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Other luxury features include marble fireplaces and black-and-white checkerboard flooring, a spacious kitchen with center island and high-end appliances, a home theater, en suite bedrooms, and a master suite with giant closet. Outside, there’s a gazebo and a wee putting green.

Living room

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Powder room with marble fireplace

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Home theater

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Master suite

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Master closet

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Richards’ new home is the highest-priced sale Encino has seen this year. She’s currently working on a new sitcom based on her experiences growing up in the 1970s, called “American Woman,” starring Alicia Silverstone and Mena Suvari. It’s slated to be released in 2018.

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Down payments are down again - for first-time buyers

The median amount first-time home buyers contributed as an equity stake shrank in 2017, the National Association of Realtors said.

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Private island on the Georgia coast listed at $17.25 million (PHOTOS)

A private island with three residences and a waterfront club near Sea Island on the southeastern coast of Georgia is on the market for $17.25 million. Check out the adjacent slideshow. Little Hawkins Island, at 120 Hawkins Lane on St. Simons Island, is one of the highest-priced residential properties in the state. The next highest-priced single-family home for sale on the Golden Isles Association of Realtors’ website is Cottage 441 on Sea Island, listed at $16.5 million. The highest priced single-family…

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The Best and Worst Cities in America to Survive the Apocalypse

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We live in uneasy and downright queasy times. What’s causing Americans to hit the panic button? Is it:

a) devastating hurricanes
b) demoralizing tweetstorms
c) cyberattacks
d) gun attacks
e) North Korea, Iran, Russia, etc.
f) zombies
g) everything

You didn’t really need us to tell you the answer is “g,” right? Apocalypse. … Wow. Even to the most positive-minded among us, it sometimes seems the world is on the verge of collapse. So just in case civilization does indeed crumble, explode, or implode around you, it makes sense to have a plan. Where do you go to eke out survival?

The location you call home could mean the difference between life and death in the face of utter disaster—but the safest place depends on what kind of disaster we’re talking about. That’s where the realtor.com® data team comes in. We donned our biohazard gear, pulled together a gross of canned goods and filtered water and set our sights on the best—and worst—metros to to survive two wildly different end-of-days scenarios: a nuclear calamity (more terrifying every day, thank you Kim Jong Un) and a zombie apocalypse (hey, it could happen).

Don’t ask us which is worse.

There are home features, like impregnable panic rooms, that could increase your chance of remaining among the living during an attack of the  walking dead, or any fast-spreading, deadly contagion. But if your panic room is located in the middle of a big city, then your odds go down. Large urban centers are like all-you-can-eat buffets for zombies—all those delectable brains! Meanwhile, a bunker or fallout shelter could save your skin during a nuclear attack—unless it’s right near a military base, making it a top target.

Decisions, decisions.

“Surviving a disaster will often have more to do with where you are than with any other factor,” says Richard Duarte, a Miami-based personal injury attorney and author of the book “Surviving Doomsday.” “Finding yourself in a highly populated urban center, competing with violent crowds for dwindling resources, will usually not end well. If the scarcity doesn’t get you, the resulting chaos certainly will.”

“On the other hand, being in a low-density rural location, with more abundant natural resources, and far fewer mouths to feed, will dramatically increase your chances of surviving the crisis,” he says.

So we looked at a variety of criteria that could mean the difference between life, death, and the fate of the walking undead. We looked at the 200 largest U.S. metros and only included one per state. Our criteria included:*

• Percentage of realtor.com home listings with a lake, pond, or well (for drinking water)
• Percentage of listings with a safe room or panic room
• Percentage listings with a bunker, fallout shelter, or underground shelter
• Percentage of listings with solar panels or hydropower (to fuel your home if the grid goes dark)
• Population density
• Percentage of active military and federal government employees (nuke targets)
• Percentage of health care workers
• Percentage of manufacturing workers (more nuke targets)
• State gun score (tracking the ability to stockpile weapons)
• Percentage of landmass covered by fresh water

Gear up and let’s take on the most frightening scenarios first. You’ll thank us one day. (Actually, we hope you won’t.)

Best cities to survive a nuclear apocalypse A scenario where “hottest markets” are the least desirable.

Claire Widman

America’s top cities are not terrific places to be during a nuclear attack—many of them are likely to be on the first-strike target list, especially hubs for government, finance, or corporate infrastructure, or cities that just may be internationally famous (for symbolic value). Military bases are also a great big bullseye. But hold on: The federal government also considers things like airfields, ports, refineries, and energy centers to be targets.

“There is no safe place. There are only safer places,” says Robert Vicino, CEO and founder of the Vivos Group, a group that sells bunkers throughout the world.

You may want to head to Kansas City, MO. The metro has one of the highest rates of housing listings with bunkers or fallout shelters. It also has more than its fair share of homes with basements, as well as those made out of brick—a structure that is better prepared for a nuclear blast. The metro has become something of a prepper mecca—In 2013, Vivos announced plans to build a huge bunker capable of housing around 5,000 people. Structural issues caused the group to abandon the project a year later, but there’s still no shortage of large underground shelters.

On the downside, Fort Leavenworth, an army base on more than 5,000 acres, is about 35 miles to the northwest. So stick to the southeast side of the city.

If you survive the initial blast, you’ll face a long road ahead. One of the basic needs is drinking water, so living in a city like Duluth (No. 7) is a big plus, given the high number of properties with lakes, ponds, and wells. You’ll also need some form of power—San Luis Obispo has a higher-than-average number of homes with solar panels listed on realtor.com. And a city like Manchester has plenty of health care professionals to treat any festering injuries. (And there are likely to be plenty.)

If you’re worried about a nuclear event, what type of home should you seek out?

“Some [preppers] are all about water sources. Others want to get deep into the mountains,” says Theresa Mondale, broker and owner of the United Country-Western Montana Group in Missoula, MT. Mondale specializes in survivable and sustainable properties. “My clients range from college students, retired government officials to high-ranking Silicon Valley [folks].”

After Kansas City, the best places to survive nuclear disaster are New Haven, CT, in second place, followed by Ann Arbor, MI; Hagerstown, MD; Springfield, MA; Manchester, NH; Duluth, MN; San Luis Obispo, CA; Crestview, FL; and Lincoln, NE.

OK, so what are the place to avoid like nuclear waste? Let’s take a (scary) look.

Worst cities to survive a nuclear apocalypse

People around the world hunger for a taste of the Big Apple, but if a nuke drops while you visit, it could be your last taste: New York leads the list of worst places in the United States to ride out an attack. Like most of America’s largest cities, NYC would be hit with a deadly double whammy: In addition to being a primary target, it has precious few natural resources to make post-blast survival possible. Unless you enjoy eating grilled subway rats?

Big cities usually have most of their goods (food, bottled water, medical supplies) shipped in. Once that stopped, panic would quickly set in.

Even getting out of most urban areas, which rely on public transportation and are known for clogged roadways, could be near-impossible. That’s especially true for Miami, our fifth worst-ranked metro—as thousands of people learned while fleeing Hurricane Irma in September.

“There are very few ways to get out of here during a massive evacuation—the only way to go is north,” Duarte says. “Surprisingly, there are only three major highways out of South Florida. Under normal circumstances, those arteries are already congested.”

After New York, our data crunching ranked Los Angeles as the second-worst nuclear haven, Dallas the third, and Nashville, TN, the fourth.

Rounding out the list are Atlanta, ranked sixth, followed by Washington, DC; Philadelphia; Fayetteville, NC; and Seattle.

If you call one of these urban centers home, here’s something to cheer you up: Just about everyone would be screwed during a nuclear strike. So there’s that.

“If it does happen, I don’t know if any amount of time preparing will do much difference. I’ve seen what happens in the aftermath of a simple weather event—people go into chaos,” Duarte says. “That thing we call civilization goes away quick.”

Phew. Let’s lighten the mood a bit and turn to zombies! We all love zombies, right?

Best cities to survive the zombie Armageddon BRAAAINNNSSS

Claire Widman

Anytime a disease spreads from one continent to another, it follows a similar pattern: An unknowingly infected person boards a plane and spreads the illness to others for the whole flight—until they land at a major international airport. In a major city. And once they get to those packed metros, they spread it some more. And on and on.

Zombie-ism is a disease. So if you’re fond of your brains, you don’t want to be in a big city.

That’s why smaller metros head up our walking dead survival list. Topping the list is Lubbock, TX—and the reason can be found in the early scenes of the movie “Zombieland,” when the hero lists his “rules.”  The first: Keep up with your cardio! (You need to be fit to outrun the undead, especially the fast type.) But the second rule is all about the double tap: Always shoot your zombie twice in the head, just to be on the safe side. Cue gun-lovin’ Texas.

Being located in one of the most Second Amendment-friendly states offers plenty of opportunities to get familiar with your firearms prior to the zombie takeover. There are a whole lot of shooting ranges in the area, such as the Patriot Firearms & Family Shooting Center.

But marksmanship alone won’t keep you alive for long. You have to sleep sometime! Lubbock also has an unusually high number of impenetrable, windowless safe rooms and panic rooms—great hideouts where you can avoid legions of soulless animated corpses. “We had a  huge tornado here in the 1970s. What came out of it was that Texas Tech became a leader in creating safe rooms” to protect against future disasters, says area real estate agent Jacky Howard of Coldwell Banker.

While proximity to military bases could prove fatal with nukes, it’s likely a godsend in the face of the living dead. A military outpost would have the soldiers, ammunition, and tanks required to take down those rotting herds.

After Lubbock, Deltona, FL, came in second, followed by San Luis Obispo, CA.

Oklahoma City, at No. 4, was an exception to the small-metro rule. Like Wichita, KS, at No. 7, it’s in the swath of country known as Tornado Alley. These areas have plenty of homes with bunkers and safe rooms to survive the twisters—and far creepier things.

Rounding out the survival list are Kalamazoo, MI; Duluth, MN; Fort Smith, AR; Prescott, AZ, and Lynchburg, VA.

All right, the fun is over. As we’ve learned from “The Walking Dead,” no one lives forever (RIP, Sasha). So let’s take a terrifying look at the very worst places to find yourself.

Worst cities to survive the zombie Armageddon

A zombie apocalypse would take a little while to ramp up to full force. It might start with media reports of a breakout of a rage-inducing disease. That could convince you to stay inside for a few days. But by the time you came to grasp the situation, it might be too late to leave.

Now imagine living in New York, the very worst city to be situated when the zombies take over. In fact, surviving the undead in Manhattan could be even tougher than surviving nukes (or, for that matter, slow-moving tourists). You’d be lucky to make it a block in this jam-packed city without being ripped into something that resembles pulled pork. Just ask Rick Grimes, who barely escaped a zombie mob in downtown Atlanta during the first episode of “The Walking Dead.” (Spoiler: His horse gets eaten).

In case of zombie apocalypse, learn from Rick Grimes, and get out of the city.

AMC

It almost goes without saying, but you can’t grow a garden in a 500-square-foot apartment. And unless you purchased about 1,000 cans of Campbell’s Chunky soup prior to the walkers’ invasion, you’re outta luck. The lesson here is that if you live in a huge city and start seeing people take bites out of each other, it is time to run for the hills.

For those reasons, large cities dominated our list of the worst places to survive a zombie apocalypse. Chicago came in second, followed by Washington, DC; Las Vegas, NV; Cedar Rapids, IA; Portland, OR; Nashville, TN; Seattle; Bridgeport, CT; and Los Angeles.

Still, you might want to take some precautions in case you can’t get out in time.

“Equipping a home with shatter-resistant windows, security devices, and alarm systems could go a long way,” says author Duarte. “Anything you can do to slow down a potential intruder or mindless zombie without much intelligence” would be good. Amen!

*Data sources: realtor.com, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Census Bureau, Department of Defense, and the Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence

The post The Best and Worst Cities in America to Survive the Apocalypse appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com®.

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Justin Bieber Reportedly Beats Ban, Rents Beverly Hills Home for $55K a Month

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Pop star Justin Bieber—the real estate bête noire—is back in Beverly Hills, CA, according to TMZ. The chart-topping singer must have been desperate to get back to the swanky digs of 90210, despite a pact by local homeowners to bar him from the area.

Bieber apparently beat the ban—the social media star will move into an 8,600-square-foot contemporary estate with six bedrooms for $55,000 a month. That spread seems ideal for a tenant who wants to entertain. We’re guessing he’ll probably want to—we hope the neighbors have been warned.

The property features an open floor plan; hardwood floors throughout; a large space for eating, cooking, and living; home theater; gym; office; and en suite bedrooms.

The grassy yard includes a pool, spa, and fire pit with seating area. There’s also a two-car garage and ample parking.

The listing also notes that the property can be rented furnished, which is key for a globe-trotting musician who doesn’t want to schlep couches into a luxury abode.

Justin Bieber’s Beverly Hills rental

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Living room

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Kitchen

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Patrick Michael and Jonathan Massaband of CIRG Brokerage Inc. and L.A. Estate Rentals have the listing.

“This home has been featured in many high-end music videos, commercials, and magazines [and] rented before to one of the biggest soccer players in the world,” says Michael. “All of our homes we represent are high-end luxury furnished homes that attract a celebrity and affluent clientele from around the world who are looking for a … five-star hotel experience, but with the privacy of a home.”

In 2014, Bieber earned the unofficial title of “Worst Neighbor Ever” for his antics as a 90210 renter. In Calabasas, the singer paid a neighbor $80,000 after throwing eggs at his home. Hey, maybe this time the “Sorry” singer really is sorry. Or not.

Without a home to call his own, the Real Deal reports, Beiber was previously holed up at a Beverly Hills hotel.

While Beverly Hills locals weren’t ready to roll out the red carpet, New Jersey gave Bieber a warm welcome this summer. The singer apparently took a shine to the Montclair area, and surprised residents with his random appearances.

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How Does the Ghost Take Her Eggs at This Haunted Bed-and-Breakfast?

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A charming inn in Saint Francisville, LA, is on the market for $975,000, and comes with 10 beds,10 baths, and quite possibly one ghost.

“Almost every house has its own ghost story,” listing agent Anthony Posey says of the local real estate. This historic property is no exception.

Built in 1880, the house was originally owned by Morris Wolf. According to the current homeowner, Laurie Walsh, Wolf eventually passed on the place to his employee Aaron Schlesinger,

The home stayed in the Schlesinger family for decades until it was abandoned, Walsh explains. In the 1980s it was bought by a family who restored it.

Walsh purchased the home in 1990 with her husband, a retired petroleum engineer. She had family in the hotel business in New Orleans, and the couple decided to try their hand at running a bed-and-breakfast. They’ve operated the St. Francisville Inn for 27 years now with minimal problem save for the occasional haunted happenstance.

Now they’d like to pass the inn over to someone else. The property, which “oozes charm and romance,” includes the B&B operation, a restaurant, and gift store. It has “all the necessary licenses,” according to the listing.

There’s also a commercial kitchen, formal dining room, library, wine parlor, and private living quarters for the innkeeper.

All the guest rooms open to a picturesque inner courtyard and swimming pool.

All the guest rooms open to the courtyard.

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Covered porch

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Dining room

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Library

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The home in 1974

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As for the pesky ghost sightings, Walsh notes that the spooky experiences mainly came from her children’s interactions. “The kids used to talk about a little girl upstairs with pigtails who they called Darlene,” she says.

Once when the Walsh family had friends over, a friend’s child, about 3 years old, went looking for Walsh’s children. “He came down by himself, we asked him who he was talking to, and he said, ‘the little girl Darlene who lived upstairs, you know the girl with the pigtails,'” She says. But there’s “no Darlene here.” Spooky!

More recently, repeat guests of the inn have mentioned “a ghost in Room 2 who messes with the water.” Plumbing issue or apparition intervention in the pipes? That’s for a buyer to decide.

Either way, it’s a popular place to stay around Halloween. And if you do buy the place and get a glimpse of Darlene, ask her nicely to stop fiddling with the water pressure in Room 2.

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