A purposefully tilted house in Austin, TX, is the result of a project bringing together an artist and a newly minted architect with a master’s degree. “I had bought this vacant lot, and I emailed all my architect friends and asked if any of them wanted to help me build a tiny house on this lot,” says its owner, a gardener and stone artist, Randy Jewart. Garrett Martin responded to Jewart’s plea. An architect, Martin didn’t have a job and welcomed the chance to work on a real project after spending years solely in an academic setting. So the duo conjured up a design for what became the slanting house on Meador Avenue on the city’s north side. There are now three tilted structures on the 8,102-square-foot lot. The biggest structure measures 540 square feet, and the three buildings make up a total of around 900 square feet of living space. The list price for the cockeyed compound is currently $444,444—a $111,111 increase on the initial $333,333 asking price. The listing agent, Jonna Juul-Hansen, says the increase was intended to add in the value of the structures instead of just the land beneath them. If a buyer only wants the land, Jewart has a buyer lined up for the structures, with a plan to transport them to another piece of property. After just a few days on the market, the house has already attracted offers, with some buyers wanting to keep things exactly as is, and others just interested in the plot of land. Either way, Jewart’s mission is clear. “Randy’s ultimate goal is to not have these torn down,” says Juul-Hansen. For $333,333, a buyer can acquire the land, and Jewart will sell the structures separately. At the $444,444 price point, a buyer is less likely to tear down the tilted trio of buildings, since they’re factored into the final price. “We’re trying to use the increase of price as a way to ensure that somebody has made a commitment to actually buy the structures and not just buy a tear-down,” Jewart explains. As for the quirky torque of the buildings, they’re built on a solid rationale, based on the sun. “The tilt is a result of … energy efficiency that’s achieved by the shape and the positioning of the house on the lot, in relation to the sun and its path during different times of the year,” Jewart explains. “The unique shape tries to help avoid the sunlight in the middle of the summer, and get more sunlight during the middle of the winter.” With the help of a few subcontractors, Jewart and his architect did much of the work themselves, using store-bought lumber for framing and repurposed metal cladding for much of the rest of the structure. Some of the metal came from a house that was being remodeled, and other pieces came from a building at Austin’s former Robert Mueller Municipal Airport. “Lots of people ask if it’s a shipping-container project, and it was inspired by that. But it’s traditional stick-frame construction,” Juul-Hansen says. She adds that the structures are completely permitted. In the main structure, there’s a lofted bedroom area, a kitchen space, and a wild bathroom. “The shower has an indoor/outdoor feeling, with big plants. Essentially, it feels like you’re outdoors, when you’re in there with the palm,” Juul-Hansen says. “The whole thing just feels super healthy. It feels like the right way to live when you’re out there on that property.” The walls are mostly pegboard, to allow the occupants to position and hang things wherever they want. There are movable ladders to allow access to higher spaces. And although the place is small, it doesn’t feel like it. “The tilts, when you’re on the inside, help it not to feel as claustrophobic and boxy. The way that we’ve constructed the inside makes it surprisingly spacious for such a small house,” Jewart explains. The other two structures are studios that can also be used as sleeping spaces, but have no bathrooms. A large deck surrounds the structures, and offers nearly 1,000 square feet of outdoor space. The property also boasts a large garden, an orchard with fruit trees, and a chicken coop. Jewart says it’s time to sell this passion project, so he can move on to new adventures with his family. He adds he was lucky his building partner was an architect, as well as a former rocket scientist who swoons over precise measurements and planning. “We were kind of like the odd couple, which worked out great,” Jewart says. “My general approach is to be artistic and impulsive. It was a really a great balance, because if he had tried to do it himself, I think he would still be trying to build seven years later, and if I had tried to build it myself, it probably would have looked horrible and maybe even fallen down.”
The post Tilted House in Austin Seeks Buyer Who Thinks Slightly Askew appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com®. via https://www.realtor.com/news/unique-homes/tilted-house-in-austin-seeks-buyer-askew/
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To most people, the idea of a bunch of TikTok influencers traipsing through a multimillion-dollar mansion creating viral content might sound like a nightmare. But for one home in Santa Monica, it’s a full-blown marketing strategy. The project is the brainchild of listing agent Rochelle Maize of Nourmand & Associates. The inspired idea was a good fit for the unusual residence, which she’s dubbed Hype House West. (As it happens, this spin on the Hype House concept is not affiliated with the original Hype House—a well-publicized SoCal mansion where TikTokers congregate to create content.) On the market for $5.3 million, the quirky, artist-owned abode in Santa Monica had sat unloved on the market for months. It was initially listed last summer for $5.8 million, and the price was cut last fall to $5.5 million. It was purchased in 2006 for $2.8 million by Julie Stevens, an artist and founder of the drink company BeTini. The customized space reflected her particular vision, but it didn’t translate to a wide group of buyers. Now, the home is back on the market, with a new price point and a marketing strategy driven by social media.
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The idea is to make the most of the home’s abundant potential. Maize was especially excited when she spotted the basement, which includes a recording studio, craft room, secret room, and upward of 800 square feet of what she calls “creative space.” “There’s so many things you could do there,” she says. “She had a kiln, glasswork, every type of art studio. Kids would love this. There are so many ways to make this fun.” The agent tells us she often comes in to diagnose the problems of a house that isn’t selling. In this case, she determined that the home needed to be cleared of personal items, repainted, and staged. In addition, she also prescribed a hefty dose of TikTok. TikTok RxFor those who are not in the demographic associated with the app (and 62% of its audience are between the ages of 10 and 29), let this Gen Xer try to explain. The app lets users share and create short videos (it helps if you can dance). As Maize figured, it’s a major source of eyeballs and bills itself as a place to foster creativity. TikTok is best known for fun snippets of entertainment. Sea shanties! Dance moves! General silliness! Some are well-executed, others less so. It’s all addictive to scroll through. The app had a new wave of users join during the pandemic, which fueled its growth. “TikTok really took off much more in the last year,” Maize says. “Influencers became bigger, they got sponsorship deals and brought a lot of eyes on that.” The app, which arrived in the United States in 2017, has some 100 million U.S. users, and 700 million worldwide. In other words, if you haven’t been consuming or generating TikTok content yet, you probably soon will be. Maize was aware of the original Hype House in L.A., where social media influencers live and create content. She’s invited TikTok stars to apply to her spin on the concept in this home in April. The Santa Monica property is signing on content generators, who can apply at HypeHouseWest.com to use the home as a backdrop for the spots they want to film. Although no one is staying overnight, all Maize asks is that the videos be tagged with #hypehousewest and her handle, @rochellemaizeluxury. So why would the home appeal to TikTok stars? The place has all kinds of cool spaces, indoors and out, such as the enormous outfitted basement, and an outdoor two-story slide and pool. But first, it needed to be transformed into a creative canvas for filming. Artsy abodeThe homeowner signed on to the plan with enthusiasm. “The home is a fun, creative space that my family and I used to create art and music and to get inspired. It only makes sense for it to be used by influencers who are also artists,” Stevens says. She pointed to some of the unique elements she built in to the house, including the “floor-to-ceiling tree with green onyx leaves in my daughters’ room that functioned as shelving for her pet geckos, fish and poison dart frogs, to my son’s skateboard-themed room with a life-size skateboard bed.” The six-bedroom, nine-bathroom layout features such eye-catching elements as a fish tank built into the bathroom, custom maple cabinetry in the living room, and a curved glass staircase. The office contains built-in desks and shelves. Other spaces include a family room, a state-of-the-art kitchen, and a breakfast room overlooking the backyard, along with a spacious, sun-filled living and dining room. High-end spaces include a media room and a gym. The top floor offers five custom en suite bedrooms, including the master suite, with a spalike bath and sitting room. Outdoors, there’s a kitchen and bar, a pool with an automated solar cover, and the photogenic sundeck with the water slide. Setting the stageMaize then brought in the staging company Vesta to outfit the 6,321-square-foot luxury property. In addition to filling the spaces with modern, on-trend furnishings and decor, the team got the house influencer-ready by setting up spaces in the house to inspire video content. The lower-level arrangements include a podcast and video production area, a decked-out game room with a vintage Pac-Man machine, and a music studio with instruments. Outside, the team filled the pool with FunBoy floats. Needless to say, staging a house to cater to TikTok types was a highly unusual request for the interior designers. “Vesta’s typical client has a very different set of needs than a TikTok influencer,” says Julian Buckner, the company’s CEO. “That’s why we chose this project. Not only was it fun and challenging, but also an amazing opportunity to showcase our ethos as a design firm.” He adds that the home can be purchased completely furnished. Stay tuned to see if this social strategy winds up spurring a sale. Here’s how the house looks on TikTok right now:
The post $5.3M SoCal Home Throws Open the Doors to TikTok Stars To Create a Buzz appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com®. via https://www.realtor.com/news/trends/socal-home-opens-doors-tiktok-stars-create-buzz/ The demand for home remodels is expected to remain strong—even as the COVID-19 pandemic begins to ease as vaccinations rise and people are no longer trapped inside their abodes obsessing over all the flaws. Renovation companies will stay busy this year and into next as homeowners finally get around to that big kitchen remodel or adding a home office, predict renovation experts. Homeowners are anticipated to spend about 4.8% more by the first quarter of 2022, according to the Leading Indicator of Remodeling Activity. The indicator, from Harvard University’s Joint Center for Housing Studies, offers a short-term outlook for home improvement spending. The latest projection is up from around 3% last year, when many homeowners may have felt uncomfortable allowing crews inside their homes due to the pandemic. However, the indicator expects there will be fewer do-it-yourself projects in the year ahead as more people get vaccinated and feel comfortable socializing, traveling—and getting out of the house and leaving the work to the professionals. “With the pandemic keeping folks at home for so much more time, there was this intense focus on doing work on their homes,” says Abbe Will, a research associate at Harvard’s Joint Center. “We think that will continue this year, [but] with fewer DIY projects and more larger, discretionary projects and the ones that were deferred from last year.” Many homeowners also have the money now to do these projects because of the pandemic. Those who remained employed over the past year may not have gone out as much or traveled, so they were able to put some of that money into their savings. Many received stimulus checks from the government. They were also able to tap into their home equity, as home values rose sharply over the past year as buyers rushed into the market. “They’re using those funds to reinvest in their homes where they’re spending disproportionate amounts of time,” says Will. “Homeowners are still trying to make their homes fit their needs. If working from home becomes more of the norm, homeowners [will] make those spaces in their homes, potentially [with] home additions to accommodate that.” Home sellers and those who successfully beat out the competition to become new homeowners are also likely to seek out remodeling and design firms. Sellers want to get their properties into tiptop shape, while new owners spend about 30% on renovations within their first three years of homeownership compared with other owners, according to the Joint Center. But homeowners jonesing for their desired improvements may have to exercise patience. Backlogs for renovation and design companies have already doubled to more than two months in the second quarter of this year compared with the same quarter last year, according to the Houzz Renovation Barometer. The design and remodeling site found the construction wait increased to about 9.3 weeks in the second quarter of 2021. It may be particularly tough to have a pool installed as searches for pool and spa professionals last summer were up three times from the previous one. Demand for landscape, deck and patio professionals more than doubled. However, fewer folks sought out creating more open-concept floor plans as the pandemic has dragged on and families spent more time at home together. “Businesses are faced with soaring homeowner demand along with lengthy permitting timelines, supply chain constraints, and unrelenting labor shortages,” Houzz Senior Economist Marine Sargsyan said in a statement. “These constraints likely contribute to industry-wide wait times of more than two months before a business can begin a new project.” The post Remodeling Expected To Remain Hot, Even as the Pandemic Eases appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com®. via https://www.realtor.com/news/real-estate-news/demand-for-home-remodeling-to-be-strong/ The second season of “Rock the Block” was full of tough competition, difficult challenges, and four beautiful home renovations. In the end, Mika and Brian Kleinschmidt from the HGTV show “100 Day Dream Home” emerged victorious. Their big win came as a bit of a surprise—given that they didn’t win a single challenge in any of the season’s six episodes. Each week, the couple’s spaces had failed to stand out to the judging panel, but when their home was finished, the judges decided that the couple’s savvy updates had brought the most value to this two-story home in Dallas, GA. As it turns out, the Kleinschmidts’ winning renovation didn’t impress only the judges. They spent $225,000 on their renovation, and the gorgeous home is now pending sale, after landing on the market for $635,000 in early March. After perusing the listing photos and having watched the show religiously, we know exactly why this 4,120-square-foot home quickly enticed a buyer. Exterior with extra curb appealFirst up, Brian and Mika sought to give the home serious curb appeal. “You have one chance to make a first impression,” Brian said. With charm top of mind, they used a mixture of textures on the exterior, incorporating blue and white lap sidings, some cedar shake, stone, and even a white metal roof on the lower level. While mixing a number of materials can make a house look overly busy, the couple were able to incorporate a variety of colors and textures, while still keeping a classic look. The kitchen is dreamyInside, Brian and Mika wanted to create an impressive kitchen, so they worked hard on this particular space. They added tons of cabinet space and paired white finishings with a dark-blue island. “We feel like it’s going to be a family that ends up in this space, so we want it to function for a family,” Mika said. With plenty of seating and a ton of storage, this kitchen is designed for entertaining friends and family. Living spaces look luxeBrian and Mika continued the family-friendly vibe in the living space, with abundant seating, a large stone fireplace, and bright, clean colors. While the judges weren’t wowed by the classic furnishings and simple floating shelves, the space has a welcoming vibe, with plenty of space for gathering. The other three “Rock the Block” teams went bold in their bedroom design choices, with dramatic furnishings and wild paint colors, but Brian and Mika opted for a safe and simple look. They decided to decorate with a gold accent wall and white curtains. The result isn’t jaw-dropping, but it’s certainly accessible for everyday buyers. A bowling alley sets the place apartAfter filling the the bulk of the six-bedroom home with simple designs and classic decor, Mika and Brian were done playing it safe. When they renovated the home’s large basement, they split the space in half, creating a mother-in-law suite on one side and a two-lane bowling alley on the other. While the suite is sensible, the private, in-home bowling alley is an exciting addition that sets this suburban home apart. To finish off their renovation, the couple turned one part of the three-car garage into a home gym. They added a turf floor and put in a second garage door on the back wall, to provide a view of the yard for anyone working out. “I really feel like a family is going to need a home gym,” Mika said. “I think that’s kind of been more of a trend now.” Given the realities of pandemic life, it’s a smart addition that is likely to have helped the home stand out to buyers. It’s no wonder the home took the crown on Season 2 of “Rock the Block.” Now a new owner will be able to experience the HGTV-approved design without having to lift a hammer or paintbrush. Anita Corsini of Fathom Realty has the listing. The post Winning House From HGTV’s ‘Rock the Block’ Season 2 Is Listed for $635K appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com®. via https://www.realtor.com/news/unique-homes/winning-house-from-hgtv-rock-the-block-season-2-for-sale/ Who doesn’t love Mister Rogers? Fred Rogers, the beloved host of the long-running kids’ TV show “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood,” died in 2003, but his warm, neighborly vibes will live on forever. And if you’ve ever wondered what his real-life house and neighborhood were like, you can now get a glimpse. His former house was recently listed for sale for $850,000. Just to be clear, this 3,700-square-foot house isn’t the one where you saw Rogers stroll in, don a sensible cardigan, and entertain the under-5 set with puppets and drop-in guests like the friendly mailman, Mr. McFeely. (For the record, that house was based on the one in Latrobe, PA, where Rogers grew up.) This century-old, five-bedroom, three-bath abode—located in the Squirrel Hill section of Pittsburgh—is where Rogers lived in the late 1950s and early ’60s with his wife, Joanne, before he got his big break in children’s TV programming. During his time in this house, Rogers was working as a puppeteer and organist while getting a degree from the Pittsburgh Theological Seminary. According to a birth announcement that’s included in the home’s listing, the family lived here when the couple’s youngest son, John, was born in 1961. They moved in 1966. According to a report in Next Pittsburgh, Rogers was known to perform puppet shows for local kids here, and he considered this home to be his favorite among the places he lived in the Steel City area. At 100 years old, this brick house is a bit of a relic, but it’s been updated throughout with a quiet color scheme, lovely built-in shelves, and lots of closets. Still, potential owners might be wondering if the price is right for a house this age, and how life in this Pittsburgh enclave has changed since Rogers resided here. We’ve got all the neighborly details. Will Mister Rogers’ home draw a crowd?According to Linda Corcoran, the real estate agent with Coldwell Banker who holds the listing, the interior of the bright and sunny home was just painted, and the most recent owner installed new hardwood floors throughout the first floor, including the living room, dining room, and den. Along with the excellent condition of the home, Rogers’ reputation as a gentle, caring soul has attracted tons of attention—in terms of media buzz and eager home buyers alike. “It has been surprising to me how many media stations have reached out to me since this house was listed, and the impact Mister Rogers has had on the world. He reached international status, and so has Squirrel Hill,” says Corcoran. “We had 16 showings in two days and multiple offers, and now an accepted bid.” Other agents agree that this house is likely to move fast, given its fame, condition, and price. “What a gem,” says Cedric Stewart, a real estate agent with Keller Williams Capital Properties in Washington, DC. In fact, he’d seriously consider moving in himself, he admits, after updating the kitchen and some of the decor details. “This home is in surprisingly good shape, considering its age, and the amount of space and charm the place provides could certainly be worth the $850,000 price tag,” he says. “Those who grew up watching ‘Mister Rogers’ might be further compelled to pay the premium associated with this property and its unique history.” What Rogers’ neighborhood is like todayStill, what would “home” feel like outside the confines of this house? The neighborhood, after all, is what the “Mister Rogers” show was all about. And Squirrel Hill has changed a lot since Rogers lived in the area. “Trolleys have been gone for a long time, and I don’t think driverless cars were something anyone thought of,” says Corcoran. Since Pittsburgh is a technology hub with cutting-edge medical research facilities, “this has brought in many qualified buyers relocating to Pittsburgh, wanting to live in Squirrel Hill,” Corcoran continues. “The majority of houses are not new, but the established neighborhood offers architecture and charm, tree-lined sidewalks, and walkability—all features buyers want. They love the convenience to work and play, and the close vicinity to three major parks.” Today’s Squirrel Hill is also a multicultural neighborhood, one that was rocked by a shooting at the Tree of Life Synagogue in October 2018, which killed 11 people. “This tragic shooting rocked the neighborhood, but Squirrel Hill was determined to remember the deceased, overcome, and stay strong,” Corcoran recalls. “A logo with the Jewish Star of David resembling a Steeler logo with a message ‘Stronger Than Hate’ was seen and worn everywhere. Mister Rogers once said in a video that he learned from his mother that in a crisis situation, ‘find the helpers.’ The helpers found Pittsburgh.” Even though the memory of that shooting still lingers, Squirrel Hill is coveted among buyers as a safe neighborhood for families who, in this frenzied housing market, must fight to get the edge over other buyers. “The lack of housing, especially houses that are updated, is frustrating for buyers having to compete and pay over asking,” Corcoran continues. “Squirrel Hill has an aging population, and owners love their neighborhood and don’t want to leave, so moving up or downsizing is [hard] since many homes needed are not single-story houses. There is also a need for houses that can accommodate multiple generations, as some family members will visit and stay for months to help out.” Nonetheless, “Even though there are and always will be challenges, Squirrel Hill is a beautiful, friendly, diverse neighborhood,” Corcoran concludes. “I think Mister Rogers would still be proud.” The post A Startling Peek Inside Mister Rogers’ Real-Life House—and Neighborhood—Today appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com®. via https://www.realtor.com/news/celebrity-real-estate/mister-rogers-real-life-house-now-for-sale/ The numbers: The construction industry’s confidence rebounded in April, according to research from a trade group released Thursday. The National Association of Home Builders’ monthly confidence index increased by a point to a reading of 83 in April, the trade group said. Index readings over 50 are a sign of improving confidence. The index fell below 50 in April and May of last year amid the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, but quickly rebounded until setting a record high in November. “While mortgage interest rates have trended higher since February and home prices continue to outstrip inflation, housing demand appears to be unwavering for now as buyer traffic reached its highest level since November,” Robert Dietz, chief economist for the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), said in the report. “NAHB’s forecast is for ongoing growth in single-family construction in 2021, albeit at a lower growth rate than realized in 2020,” Dietz added. What happened: Two of the three main indicators that inform the overall index improved this month. The gauge of current single-family home sales rose one point to 88, while the index that measures sentiment regarding prospective buyer traffic held increased three points to 75. However, the index of expectations for future single-family home sales over the next six months fell by two points to 81. Optimism among home builders grew in the South and West regions of the country, but fell in the Northeast and Midwest. The big picture: Home builders are in an enviable position. Millions of millennials are entering their prime home-buying years — they’re getting married and having kids — as mortgage rates remain near all-time lows. That’s a recipe for strong demand. Yet a decade of under-building and hesitance on the part of would-be home sellers mean there are very few existing homes listed for sale. As a result, buyers are being pushed into the market for newly-constructed homes. The biggest problem builders are facing right now is sourcing the materials needed to build homes. Lumber remains extremely expensive compared to a year ago. The shortage of semiconductors has caused delays in the deliveries of new appliance. Even steel is harder to come by and more costly than it was last year. All of these factors are driving up the costs to build homes and extending out the timelines for these projects — at a time when the country’s sorely needs to extra housing inventory. What they’re saying: “Even after pulling back in recent months, this level would still represent builder confidence in excess of that we saw at the height of the boom in 2006,” said Robert Kavcic, senior economist at BMO Capital Markets, in a research note. Market reaction: Strong economic data propelled both the Dow Jones Industrial Average and the S&P 500 higher Thursday morning. Home builder stocks, including Lennar Corp., Toll Brothers Inc., D.R. Horton Inc. and PulteGroup Inc., were all up in morning trading ahead of the report’s release. The post Home Builders Are Growing More Confident About the Housing Market—Despite the Rising Cost of Construction Materials appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com®. via https://www.realtor.com/news/real-estate-news/home-builders-are-growing-more-confident-about-the-housing-market-despite-the-rising-cost-of-construction-materials/ Rob Lowe just can’t quit Montecito. The “Parks and Recreation” star cashed in on the buying frenzy for homes in the the California coastal community, when he reportedly sold his massive Oakview estate for a whopping $44.5 million last October. The actor then reportedly proceeded to spend all that and more on three different slices of prime Montecito real estate. Back in 2006, Lowe and his wife, Sheryl Berkoff, built a custom,10,000-square-foot family compound on a 3-acre site in the seaside enclave near Santa Barbara. They had purchased it for a fraction of what they sold it for, and they lived in the East Coast-style estate for years, until they placed it on the market in 2018. It turns out that the couple weren’t done with the area, not even close. They have embarked on a head-spinning number of reported real estate deals. Let’s take a tour. Last year, they first jumped on a relatively modest and modern $3.7 million mansion in Beverly Hills. But it turns out they had also set their sights on more homes in Montecito. Three more, to be exact. The couple are part of a high-profile group of celebrities who have decamped to the area, from longtime homeowners like Oprah Winfrey and Ellen Degeneres and Portia de Rossi, to more recent residents who have jumped on the housing trend, including Katy Perry (who grew up in the area) and Orlando Bloom, as well as Adam Levine and Behati Prinsloo. And of course, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have made Montecito their regal home base as well. ___ Watch: John Travolta’s $5M Maine Vacation Home Overflows With Amenities ___ $5.2 million fixer-upperWhen Lowe first placed his family estate on the market in 2018, he noted its large size and suggested that as empty nesters, he and his wife were ready to downsize. That did appear to be the rationale for their next move, when they reportedly snapped up a three-bedroom cottage in Montecito on about an acre in October 2020. Listed for $4.95 million, the home sold when the couple came in with a $5.2 million offer. Filled with dated 1970s decor, the gated property with a pool was described as “all about location, privacy, and views” in the listing, which added that the home was “ready for renovation.” Its location is conveniently close to downtown. David Kent of Sotheby’s International Realty held the listing. $13 million tear-downThen, at the end of last year, the “West Wing” star expanded, with an additional, pricier purchase. For $13 million, Lowe and his wife picked up a 6.7-acre property not far from their former estate, within walking distance to Harry and Meghan’s house. It had come on the market in August for $14.5 million, so the couple were able to secure a discount in December. The home purchase sparked rumors that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex may have held their tell-all interview with Oprah at this property. As far as we can tell, that’s not the case. Rather than hold on to the legacy estate, Lowe appears to have razed the 5,800-square-foot main house, according to recent photos. He is likely to have plans to build a brand-new custom home on the site. Known as “Stonehedge,” the level property boasts ocean and mountain views. Built in 1925, it also includes two more cottages, for a possible multigenerational setup. The spread warrants a “thoughtful design-build team to artfully balance the history of this classic home with the contemporary expression of fine Montecito living,” the listing states. Timothy Walsh with Village Properties represented the seller, and the buyers were represented by Nancy Kogevinas with Berkshire Hathaway. These two projects would certainly keep anyone busy. So when not in L.A., will this real estate wheeling-and-dealing couple camp out on the coast? Not exactly—the couple quietly grabbed a multilevel beach house that sold for around $29 million, according to the Post. If the reports are accurate, they ended up pouring the earnings from their $44.5 million deal right back into even more local transactions, all of it adding up to something like $47.2 million in home purchases. The post What’s Rob Lowe Up to in Montecito? Scoping Out His Housing Moves appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com®. via https://www.realtor.com/news/celebrity-real-estate/whats-rob-lowe-up-to-in-montecito-scoping-out-his-housing-moves/ You’ve seen it happening all over America lately. Maybe it’s even happened to you. You’re cooped up inside during the pandemic with extremely limited human contact, so you decide to bring a little extra companionship into your life by adopting an adorable four-legged friend from the local animal shelter. You make haste, because you’ve heard the shelters are emptying out faster than the toilet paper shelves at the supermarket. You sweep up the first little canine cutie that gazes at you with big brown eyes, and voila—instant love and affection. But not all goes exactly as you’d planned. You quickly realize that a dog has wants and needs that you may not understand. Maybe it makes a toy out of your favorite shoes or, heaven forbid, uses your bed for a bathroom. You start wondering: Was adopting a pandemic pooch such a good idea after all? It’s time for a reality check from world renowned dog expert Cesar Millan. The famed dog behaviorist has been busy lately preparing for his new show, “Better Humans, Better Dogs,” to premiere on Nat Geo Wild in early August. He’s also helped create the Halo smart collar, which can maintain boundaries inside the house and work as an wireless fence outdoors. Millan has also been doling out plenty of advice to pet owners struggling to keep their fur babies happy and healthy at home during a pandemic. He says it’s never too late to start giving the right amount of “exercise, discipline, and affection,” which are essential to all pets (humans, too, for that matter). He advises you not to beat yourself up because you’re not the perfect dog parent at the very beginning. There have even been doggie adaptation problems in the the most prominent home in the country, the White House. You’ve likely heard about President Joe Biden‘s German shepherd Major, the first rescue to live in the official presidential residence. When he first arrived, things got awkward when he became agitated, jumped, barked, and even nipped at a secret service agent. But the majority of dog behavior issues, including Major’s, are caused by the environment and the people around them, according to Millan. “Major doesn’t need to be sent out to a trainer; it’s the people in the White House who need to be trained to follow a safe protocol with him,” Millan says. “You have to introduce your dog to a stable environment and show them the rules, boundaries, and limitations—and you have to be consistent.” The good news is that it’s never too late to make things right. If you try to look at things from the dog’s point of view and make adjustments to accommodate it, you and your four-legged friend should be able to live together in peace and harmony for years to come. Millan took time recently to speak with realtor.com, giving homeowners some valuable tips about blissful co-habitation with any canine—whether it’s a pandemic rescue or from a breeder, or however it ends up in your lives. Ideally, what’s the first thing we should do when adopting a dog?When you enter into any relationship, whether it’s human-human or human-animal, there should be education. Many people enter into a relationship with an animal thinking all the dog needs is the same affection and love that they themselves want. But there’s a lot more to any relationship than just affection. So education on how a dog communicates and what a dog wants and needs is the most important first step. If people have problems with their dogs, it’s probably because they’re not educated. The dogs are the reflection of human knowledge. What are the most important things to consider when adopting a dog?You need to become clear about three things: 1. Environment—is it safe and appropriate for the dog? How does it compare to where the dog came from? Will the dog feel secure there? 2. Family or human beings in the environment—who will be interacting with the dog? Will small children be playing with the dog? Are you getting the dog for an older person? You need to understand what’s best for the dog and the people in your specific situation. 3. Agreement—all the humans have to be in agreement on how the dog is treated, and be committed to following through, especially in the first 21 days when you bring the dog home. If everyone doesn’t follow the same rules, the dog could become confused and frustrated. What if I live in an apartment and don’t have a big backyard for the dog?Sometimes people who live in apartments have fewer issues with their dogs because they walk them several times a day, and they get a lot of exercise and stimulation outside the home. They have an advantage over people with huge estates who let their dogs just lie around the house all the time. If a dog is tearing up the house or chewing up belongings, what’s the best way to correct this behavior?It’s important to understand that that kind of behavior is a sign of frustration or boredom. That dog is just getting rid of energy through destructive behavior. Our responsibility to our dogs is to provide exercise, mental stimulation, and affection. And if he doesn’t have those three things, that’s when he might display the negative behavior. So you need to understand that you might be causing the behavior, not the dog. What’s the best way to relieve a dog’s frustration and boredom?You have to give your dog plenty of exercise. It’s especially important to take the dog out for a long walk first thing in the morning, when you first wake up. A tired dog is a happy dog. A walk in the morning is good for you too! Exercise plays a big role in having a good, healthy, peaceful life, for animals and humans. What’s the best way to communicate with a dog?Be clear with your commands and energy. If you have a conversation with your dog, and say something like, “OK now, you be a good dog and sit and wait for Mommy and I’ll be home pretty soon and then we’ll have fun when I come back,” that confuses the dog. It’s just a bunch of words. Establish short, clear commands. How can dog owners returning to the office make sure their pooch remains calm at home alone?That nice, long walk before you leave is essential. Also, I created the Halo wireless smart collar to maintain boundaries. It teaches dogs to be respectful and reinforces rules and limitations, which make your dog feel safe and eliminates confusion. Anything else I can do to prepare my dog in advance for my going back to the office?Start practicing social distance. Let your dog know he doesn’t have to be with you every second of the day. Don’t allow him to follow you everywhere. Let the dog know that it’s OK to go rest somewhere without you, and that you will return. You might start with telling your dog to “go to your place,” when you go to the front door. She’ll learn to trust that you’re coming back. The post Cesar Millan Reveals How To Keep Your Pandemic Pooch Happy at Home appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com®. via https://www.realtor.com/news/trends/canine-expert-cesar-millan-reveals-how-to-keep-your-pandemic-pooch-happy-at-home/ The only “All-Aluminum” house of its kind still standing, the colorful Albert Grossman House in Studio City‘s Doñas neighborhood is on the market for $3.5 million. It carries the prestigious designation City of Los Angeles Cultural Historic Monument No. 638, and its first resident was Albert Grossman. But don’t be confused. This house was not built for the Albert Grossman you may be thinking of—the successful music manager who handled talent like Bob Dylan, Janis Joplin, and The Band. No, the Albert Grossman who built this four-bedroom, three-bathroom, 3,886-square-foot home was the Los Angeles businessman also known as “Mr. Aluminum.” True to his nickname, Grossman’s companies produced a variety of aluminum products. He teamed up with the celebrated Raphael S. Soriano, a former intern of the renowned architect Richard Neutra, to build a spectacular home. Of course, Grossman was intrigued by the idea of displaying Grossman aluminum products in his residence. The finished product eventually become known as El Paradiso, thanks to its remarkable and almost maintenance-free aluminum structure. It remains an original architectural treasure 57 years later. It was built with an aluminum frame and anodized exterior panels that never require painting. Interior surfaces are lined with easy-to-maintain Formica, terrazzo, and cork. The home’s brilliant colors are baked into the finishes, and the classic midcentury color palette remains intact. The different shades range from tangerines to yellows to avocados to blues to purples and everything in between. The home lends itself to additional pops of midcentury color in the furniture and accessories. Nowhere is the cheery color scheme more evident than in the bright yellow kitchen. Bright cabinets are accentuated by a unique and functional pop-up table. An awesome breakfast bar has the fun feel of a Googie diner. Thanks to Grossman’s direction, the home was designed with 28 aluminum-and-glass sliding doors. They were all designed expressly for the house and have proved to be unusually sturdy over the decades. Relatively frequent California earthquakes have done nothing more than rattle those sliding doors—the worst damage suffered from the temblors involved a few small cracks in the terrazzo floors. The indoor atriums are also standouts. The glass-enclosed spaces with tropical plants growing inside were the original “California rooms.” Way ahead of their time, they provide the seamless blending of indoor and outdoor spaces that’s so popular throughout Southern California these days. Bedrooms and bathrooms and most of the public spaces are on the home’s first level. The entire second floor is an intriguing office space, ideally configured for the members of a large family to work and study at home, an eerily prescient design choice. Outdoors, the sparkling pool is surrounded by mature, tropical foliage in harmony with the modernist style. A car port, rather than an enclosed garage, is also typical of the midcentury aesthetic. The home has only had two owners since it was built. In 2016, the current owners purchased it from the Grossman family for $2,475,000. They performed some restoration work and kept the place in immaculate shape, preserving the modernist qualities that make the home so intriguing. Ideally, new owners will have similar respect for the home’s heritage and will continue this stewardship. The post All-Aluminum Midcentury-Modern Paradise on the Market in SoCal for $3.5M appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com®. via https://www.realtor.com/news/unique-homes/historic-aluminum-midcentury-modern-paradise/ Whoever said only kings and queens could live in castles was wrong. A huge lakefront property available in Clifton, TX, could make just about anyone feel like royalty. On the market for $6.5 million, the 11,500-square-foot modern marvel at 119 Private Road 1820 Rd could serve many purposes. But there’s a not-so-minor caveat. “It’s not technically a house,” says the listing agent, Adam Musiel. Currently, the property operates as an event space. Depending on where you stumble across this royal gathering place, it’s either called Bosque Resort Castle or Parsons Castle—named after the owner who built the property for himself in 2017. The first floor is dominated by a ballroom with walk-out access to the outdoor space. There’s also a caterer’s kitchen to handle large-scale events. A second floor has a number of bedrooms for overnight guests. As for the third level, that’s devoted to the royal owner. “The third floor is a penthouse level, where the owner actually lives. It’s one bedroom, 1.5-baths and 3,000 square feet, with balconies,” Musiel says. The full kitchen and large living space on the third floor could be divided into more bedrooms. An elevator provides private access to this level. The owners are Stuart and Rebecca Parsons, who own a Texas roofing company. They spent 10 years building the castle after buying the land on a lakefront point. Stuart Parsons is partial to parties, so he’s unruffled by events taking place below his living quarters. “The owner is a fan of Vegas. He loves going to Las Vegas, and he calls [his level of the castle] his penthouse,” Musiel explains. “I asked him what he does when people are partying downstairs and he’s staying there. He says he thinks of it like Vegas and, ‘This is my penthouse, and people are partying below me.’” So why would a man who loves bashes be ready to part with his party palace? “It was a passion project. Now he’s finished with it. He’s the type of guy that loves to build and loves to be hands on. He loves to build things and create. And kind of when it’s built, he’s over it,” Musiel explains. For overnight guests and revelers, there are a total of 10 bedrooms, 14 full bathrooms, and other event-related facilities on the property—including bridal suites. A detached three-bedroom guesthouse on the property has a kitchen and living space and measures in at around 1,600 square feet. Outside, there’s a pool, hot tub, and gazebo. There are also a couple of signature flourishes on the 2.3-acre property, including a moat and a drawbridge. Meanwhile, the water feature has a touch of romance. “The ponds that make up the moat are in the shape of a heart,” Musiel says. As an event space, the castle can accommodate up to 50 overnight guests. For parties, up to 1,000 folks can dine or sit on the lawn, and 250 revelers can fit inside the ballroom. The size makes the castle a big draw in central Texas. “They get all sorts of events, fraternity parties, sorority parties, weddings, graduation parties,” Musiel explains. Whether you’re staying overnight or just as a guest for a few hours, the views of Lake Whitney are equally beautiful. “It’s definitely on a cliff, which makes these dramatic views. It’s elevated about 30 feet above the water,” says Musiel. A new owner could take the castle in a variety of directions, according to the agent. “There are endless possibilities to it. There is nothing like it. It is like a needle in a haystack. When people see it, their eyes light up,” he says. “I watch it happen every time.” The post $6.5M Lakefront Castle in Texas Is Designed for a Party-Loving Owner appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com®. via https://www.realtor.com/news/unique-homes/lakefront-castle-texas-party-lover/ |
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