Taylor Swift may know how to belt out hits, but can she “shake off” a real estate deal that landed her management team in a million-dollar lawsuit? Real estate brokerage Douglas Elliman is suing three firms representing the pop star—Firefly Entertainment, 13 Management, and Euro Tribeca—for breach of contract. The point of dispute: Real estate agent Andrew Azoulay claims that these companies had given him a “written exclusive promise” to buy Swift a particular New York property through him, but then ended up closing the deal with a different unnamed agent in October. Azoulay is seeking a $1,080,000 settlement—a sum that would cover, among other things, the 6% commission he would have been paid had Swift’s team stuck with him. So what happened? According to court documents, Azoulay had started working with Swift’s management team in December 2016, showing them a property first at 15 Leonard St., followed by one at 153 Franklin St.—a 5,148-square-foot townhouse in Manhattan’s Tribeca neighborhood that was not on the market, but happened to be right next door to a property that Swift reportedly owns and lives in already. Azoulay claims he received an email from the Firefly Entertainment/13 Management team saying they would work “solely” with him to purchase this property. Yet in March 2017, Azoulay claims that Swift’s team ceased all communications with him. At first he assumed that Swift had decided she didn’t want the place. But seven months later, he learned that her company Euro Tribeca had indeed purchased the property with another broker. On Jan. 25, Azoulay filed his complaint in court. What Taylor Swift can teach us about switching real estate agentsGranted, Swift herself isn’t accused of wrongdoing, rather it’s the people working on her behalf. Still, shouldn’t she, as someone who owns quite a sizable portfolio of properties, have someone hypervigilant handling these deals? “This is a recurring problem with famous and wealthy clients,” says Los Angeles–based real estate developer Tyler Drew. “Often, they do not wish to advertise a move or purchase to keep ahead of the press and paparazzi. They often use middlemen to purchase houses, and so communication problems happen.” How this legal drama will unfold is anyone’s guess at this point, but it nonetheless contains an important lesson for all home buyers—namely, about the importance of having a buyer’s agreement in place so that everyone’s on the same page about payment if a real estate deal comes to pass. “When a buyer is engaging an agent to look at homes and ultimately purchases a property, a buyer’s agency agreement can be put in place that binds the home buyer to working with a specific brokerage and agent for an agreed-upon length of time,” says Cara Ameer, a real estate agent in Florida. “However, the problem is that use of buyer’s agency agreements varies from city to city, and is not typically done on a consistent basis.” So why aren’t these contracts just par for the course? Because home buyers may not want to sign them—and agents may not want to pressure them to do so. “It can be dicey because not every buyer is comfortable signing such a form,” Ameer continues. “What if they have just met the agent in a casual setting, as is often the case—such as at an open house—and are just starting their search? Using this form could scare off a buyer and lose a prospect that an agent could have worked with had they not insisted on them signing the form.” And so, to play it safe, many agents don’t push these agreements and, instead, rely on less formal expressions of a buyer-agent commitment—like, say, emails, much like Azoulay is using as evidence in his case. But do emails count as a legally binding contract? Some say yes. “Any agreement in real estate must be in writing, but the courts have found that emails can form the basis for a contract related to broker agreements,” says Robert Pellegrini, a real estate attorney in Boston. As such, even without signing a buyer’s agreement, “Swift would have wanted to revoke any statements that may have resembled an agreement or a promise. Generally, whenever you can be upfront, communicative, and fair and reasonable, you will protect yourself from a lawsuit.” “The take-home for home buyers is ‘get it in writing,'” says Mindy Jensen, a real estate agent and author of the book “How to Sell Your Home.” “The contract should have an end date, as well as the type of property you are looking for.” This not only wards off costly miscommunications, but also helps buyers in another important way: “In many states, unless you have a specific buyer’s agency agreement signed with your agent, they are actually required to work on behalf of the seller,” Jensen adds. So what happens if your agent turns into a huge flake, and you want to break things off? “If you’re unable to get in touch with the agent—and there are agents who do not provide proper service like not returning phone calls in a timely manner or even at all—then you have reason to use someone else,” Jensen says. “But make your intentions clear—don’t go around them.” Or else, like Swift, you could end up facing a whole new type of bad blood. The post Can Taylor Swift ‘Shake Off’ a Real Estate Lawsuit Gone Horribly Wrong? appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com®. via https://www.realtor.com/news/trends/taylor-swift-real-estate-lawsuit-gone-wrong/
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This home in Spring, TX, is perfect for the average Joe with all the usual hobbies: owning planes, flying planes, building planes, and watching other people fly planes. You know, totally normal stuff. The 11,385-square-foot property includes three bedrooms, 3.5 bathrooms, and an airplane hangar. “It’s like a boy’s fantasy house,” says listing agent Susanne Wheat. The hangar has direct access to Hooks Airport, so you can drive your plane from the hangar to the runway. It also includes a 1,600-square-foot shop, in which the current owner builds his own planes. Imagine having that kind of confidence in your work! The home has a private kitchen, bedroom, bath, and pilot’s library on the lower level in addition to the fully remodeled kitchen and two bedrooms on the main level. “For a businessperson who travels with a pilot, it could be a great setup,” says Wheat. The pilot has his or her own suite, complete with a selection of books about air travel to unwind with in the evenings. “It’s also a great layout for a family,” says Wheat. Big doors in the living room open to a balcony across from the hangar. On balmy nights, one partner could be cooking dinner while the other tunes up the aircraft for a family trip the next day. According to Wheat, the current owner loves hopping in a plane on Saturday mornings and zooming off to all sorts of destinations. The home is right near Loop 99 in Houston, which makes commuting easy if you work somewhere that doesn’t have a built-in runway. But if you do want to commute to a far-flung job, this property is ideal. The house also has two living spaces, a huge kitchen, and a formal dining room, which is ideal for when you want to entertain without worrying about the seatbacks and tray tables. It was built by the current owner because he loves planes and living an aviation lifestyle, according to Wheat. Honestly, if you own your own planes, a $3.5 million hangar house is probably the least expensive part of your lifestyle. The post Pilot’s Paradise! Come Fly Away in This $3.5M Hangar Home Near Houston appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com®. via https://www.realtor.com/news/unique-homes/hangar-home-texas/ Power couple George Stephanopoulos and Ali Wentworth have relisted their summer home in Southampton, NY, for $6 million. That’s nearly $1 million less than the 2016 listing price. Stephanopoulos and Wentworth both had notable careers before they married in 2001, only months after meeting on a blind date. He was communications director for the Clinton White House, and she was a comedian with roles in shows including “In Living Color” and “Felicity.” Fast-forward more than a decade later, and the couple have two daughters, Elliot and Harper; Stephanopoulos has risen to the top of ABC News, hosting both “Good Morning America” and “The Week,” while Wentworth continues to land roles and write books. But the family have grown tired of their luscious summer home and have priced it to sell. The traditional-style home has five bedrooms and 6.5 bathrooms. It sits on a 1.47-acre lot featuring manicured grounds and plenty of privacy. The home has a few whimsical splashes of color and is “regularly the site of the kind of dinner parties that make the Hamptons … the Hamptons,” the listing notes. The shingle-style home offers bright and cozy interiors with special touches such as the two-story living room with coffered ceiling; media room; 1,000-bottle wine cellar; game room; gym; and guest room with built-in bunk beds. Outdoors, the veranda overlooks the pool and sunken tennis court. The home is located just minutes from beaches and Southampton Village. The couple purchased the home in 2013 for $4.5 million. After the recent ouster of morning news rivals Charlie Rose and Matt Lauer over charges of sexual misconduct, Stephanopoulos is currently the top earner in morning news. Now some lucky buyer has the chance to own a home once occupied by real-deal New York media royalty at a competitive price. The post George Stephanopoulos and Ali Wentworth Cut Price on Southampton Home appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com®. via https://www.realtor.com/news/celebrity-real-estate/george-stephanopoulos-ali-wentworth-southampton-home/ The city of South Burlington, Vt., is embarking on a pilot project with a startup blockchain firm in a possible step toward using the technology to replace the city’s system for recording property transactions. Officials with South Burlington and the firm, Propy Inc., said the project would only be a trial run of blockchain, which is best known as the record-keeping technology behind cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin. “When they see that everything works great, they can just take their registry and throw it away,” said Alex Voloshyn, chief technology officer of Propy, which has offices in Palo Alto, Calif.; Bulgaria and Ukraine. Blockchain proponents say the technology could greatly reduce the cost and complexity of recording real estate documents. Under the current system, “you have to drive all the way to South Burlington to do a title search,” said City Clerk Donna Kinville. A blockchain is an expanding list of records, or blocks, that are secured using cryptography. A block usually has a hash pointer as a link to a previous block, a time stamp and transaction data. By design, a blockchain is resistant to modification of the data. But replacing the current system would take years, if not decades, and would require surmounting numerous technological and practical obstacles. Switching property records to the blockchain also would be highly disruptive to businesses like title insurance and the jobs of thousands of people who work for city clerks and other government agencies. “One of our goals is to make the title transfer secure so it eliminates title insurance need,” said Natalia Karayaneva, chief executive of Propy. Vermont is one of the most aggressive states that’s supporting the development of blockchain technology as part of its effort to stoke its tech industry and create jobs. In 2016, the state enacted a law that said transactions recorded with blockchain technology have “the presumption of admissibility from an evidentiary perspective,” according to Michael Pieciak, the state’s commissioner of financial regulations. The South Burlington pilot project will involve recording only a few property sales on the blockchain registry. The city clerk will also use the traditional method for recording the deals and new titles, which will include the “hash” reference of the blockchain record. The buyer and sellers in the deals included in the project will have to agree to participate. The deals will be all cash so banks won’t be involved, Ms. Karayaneva said. The use of title insurance will not be part of the pilot, Ms. Karayaneva said. Propy will have a law firm do the necessary title search, she said. Propy is working with the government of Ukraine to replace its property recording system with the blockchain registry entirely, Ms. Karayaneva said. The firm plans to conduct numerous pilot projects starting with Vermont, Arizona and Colorado to learn how to work with city and county-level databases in the U.S., she said. Ms. Kinville, South Burlington’s city clerk, said the city is “taking this one level at a time” and it’s far too early to predict that South Burlington will adopt the blockchain. “It’s something we are investigating,” she said. Ms. Kinville said that at this point there is no concern in her office about job reductions connected to the new technology. “Fortunately, this isn’t the only thing we do,” she said. Still, she pointed out that new technology in the past has resulted in a decrease in staff. “What the future holds, I don’t know,” she said. The post A Vermont City Tests Blockchain Technology for Property Deals appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com®. via https://www.realtor.com/news/trends/vermont-city-tests-blockchain-technology-property-deals/ Just about everyone’s heard of the hordes of harried home buyers competing for a limited number of homes on the market. But in spite of the bidding wars that knock out so many would-be buyers, the homeownership rate is once again ticking up. The annual homeownership rate hit about 63.9% in 2017—up from about 63.4% a year earlier, according to a recent U.S. Census Bureau report. The last time it went up was from 2003 to 2004. (Realtor.com® averaged the Census’ quarterly rates to come up with the annual numbers.) Homeownership rates are creeping back up because they finally bottomed out, says Senior Economist Joseph Kirchner of realtor.com. “After eight years of recovery, home buyers have employment and confidence that they will keep their jobs, so that they can now take the plunge into homeownership.” A stronger economy, fewer foreclosures, and more millennials starting families and entering the home-buying market are also giving rates a boost. Millennials are a larger generation than Gen X, so what they do can have a larger impact on the housing market. For example, millennial homeownership nudged up 1.3% annually fourth quarter over fourth quarter, according to the report. But homeownership rises with age. Only 36% of millennials owned their abodes in the fourth quarter of 2017, compared with 58.9% of those between the ages of 35 and 44 and 69.5% of those aged 45 to 54. Homeownership was at 75.3% for folks aged 55 to 64 and at 79.2% for those 65 and up. There were regional differences, too. In the more affordable parts of the country, homeownership is highest. The Midwest had the highest rates, where about 68.7% of folks owned the deed to their abodes in the fourth quarter of 2017. The region was followed by the South, at 65.8%; the Northeast, at 60.6%; and the West, at 60%. The post Homeownership Ticks Up in 2017 Despite Shortage of Homes for Sale appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com®. via https://www.realtor.com/news/real-estate-news/homeownership-ticks-2017-despite-shortage-homes-sale/ It looks like Zooey Deschanel is the “New Girl” on the block in Manhattan Beach, CA. The actress picked up a five-bedroom beach house for just a little over $5.5 million, TMZ reports. The cute-as-a-button Cape Cod has a vintage vibe that must have appealed to the quirky indie icon. Built in 2004, the 4,900-square-foot abode has a coastal charm and modern polish. Hard-wood flooring runs throughout the open layout. The great room comprises the family room, kitchen, and dining areas. French doors open to a back patio, according to the listing. The bedrooms are all on the second level. The en suite master bedroom comes with a balcony and window seat. The lower level features a funky game room with a bar and wine cellar. Perhaps Deschanel can regale her friends with ukulele performances in the room. Outside there’s a kitchen with barbecue, fireplace, and dining space. This is a true a beach house: It’s within walking distance to the water, as well as the downtown area. The Emmy-nominated star is married with two children. In 2015, she sold her Hollywood Hills home for $2.3 million. According to reports at the time, she and film producer Jacob Pechenik traded up for a roomier $4.5 million pad, also in Manhattan Beach. Clearly, for this couple, life is a beach. The post Zooey Deschanel Buys Charming $5.5M Manhattan Beach Home appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com®. via https://www.realtor.com/news/celebrity-real-estate/zooey-deschanel-buys-manhattan-beach/ The Philadelphia Eagles are true underdogs in Super Bowl LII, but they are a formidable bunch when it comes to real estate. They don’t have the legacy and postseason pedigree of the New England Patriots, so their homes are a bit more modest. However, when we checked out where various Eagles have decided to nest, we were duly impressed with their choices. We also spotted a trend of many players abandoning the Pennsylvania playbook and opting for life in nearby New Jersey. Agent Melissa Young with The Young Group at Berkshire Hathaway Fox & Roach has worked with a number of Eagles players. Young says the New Jersey choice is clear, partly due to traffic patterns. Getting out of South Philadelphia, where the Eagles are based, and heading into the suburbs of Pennsylvania is a hassle, whereas the ride from South Philadelphia over the Delaware River into New Jersey is a fairly straight shot. “Players would rather take the 15-minute commute to the New Jersey suburbs—they offer the players some sanctuary. The neighbors tend to acclimate to their new celebrity neighbors and offer them privacy.” So where do the highest-flying Eagles live? Well, one person who doesn’t cross state lines for a home game is the man who signs the checks to ensure the Eagles soar. Owner: Jeffrey LurieBefore he purchased the Eagles in 1994, Jeffrey Lurie—a Boston native—made a run at buying the (Darth) Vader-like Patriots in 1993. Now safely ensconced in Philadelphia, Lurie cemented his local status by buying one of the city’s legacy mansions in 2007. Known as Inwood, the grand 13-acre estate in the tony Main Line enclave of Wynnewood was built in 1921, and fell into epic decrepitude by the time it was snapped up by publishing magnate Walter Annenberg in 1941 for just $45,000. He restored it to its former glory. After her husband’s death in 2002, Leonore Annenberg put Inwood on the market in 2006 for $15 million. Lurie picked it up for $14 million a decade ago. If you’d like to live across the street from Lurie and fly your Eagles flag (with HOA permission, of course), it would cost you far less than what Lurie shelled out. A brand-new home in Wynnewood can be had for only $3.25 million. Agent Haven Ruddy of Main Line Haven Berkshire Hathaway says the allure for buyers in these classic neighborhoods along the Main Line is all about education. “We see buyers coming back to the area when they have kids to get them in these school districts.” But Ruddy tells us buyers don’t need to be billionaires (or even millionaires) to buy in the desirable neighborhood. There’s a “healthy housing inventory of homes under $500,000 along the Main Line,” she says. Over the past year, she’s seen over 800 Main Line properties sell for under $500,000, while 245 properties sold for over $1 million. And Lurie wasn’t always a billionaire. When he bought the Eagles over two decades ago, he paid $195 million but had to borrow some cash to finance his big buy. Today, the team is valued at $2.4 billion. As his investment in the Eagles has continued to appreciate, Lurie has made other real estate moves. When winter settles in, he decamps to Palm Beach, FL. In 2013, Lurie purchased a 17,113-square-foot mansion for $28.5 million. Located on Palm Beach’s exclusive South Ocean Drive, it’s only a couple of blocks from President Donald Trump‘s Mar-a-Lago. Enough said. ——-- The unlikely quarterback: Nick FolesNick Foles first became the starter for the Eagles in 2013, after injuries hampered Michael Vick. Foles thrived and became a Pro Bowler—until a broken collarbone halted his first stint in Philly. He was traded to the then-St. Louis Rams in early 2015 and a signed a two-year, $24.5 million deal with the team. After a mediocre 2015 season, the QB was all-in on the Rams’ big move to Southern California. As proof, he bought a $2.7 million, four-bedroom home in Newport Beach—just a short drive from the team’s new training facility. But two weeks before the deal closed, Foles was cut loose by the Rams in favor of the newly drafted Jared Goff. Foles spent the 2016 season as a backup with the Kansas City Chiefs, and likely rented in the Midwest. Foles held onto his SoCal home, and reunited with the Eagles as a backup, signing a two-year deal with the team in March 2017. Befitting a backup, Foles didn’t splurge on a baller mansion this time around. In May 2017, he closed on a newly built $700,000 home in the South Jersey city of Haddonfield. It’s where Foles is calling home, for now. ——-- The near-MVP quarterback: Carson WentzBefore suffering a season-ending knee injury in Week 14, Carson Wentz was well on his way to snagging the league MVP. He put up big numbers, had the team rolling into the playoffs, and kept Foles anchored to the bench before going down with the knee injury. So where is Wentz spending his rehab? Well, we weren’t able to pinpoint exactly where he lives, but we know he bought a sizable piece of land in south New Jersey. When he’s not at the Eagles facilities in South Philly, the avid sportsman truly wants to escape. “Especially now with the life and the lifestyle that I live, it’s just nice to kind of get away from everything,” he told ESPN. “Get away from the world a little bit and have some space.” According to Wentz’s Twitter account, the decor in his home is sparse. But it does jibe with his avowed love of hunting.
——-- The longtime lineman: Jason PetersLike Wentz, Jason Peters won’t be participating in the Super Bowl. The All-Pro offensive lineman suffered torn knee ligaments in Week 7 of this season. Charged with protecting the quarterback’s blind side, Peters is considered the premier left tackle in football. And like both Eagles quarterbacks, Peters makes his home across the Delaware River in the community of Woolwich Township, NJ. He purchased a nearly 7-acre spread for $899,000 in the summer of 2013. When it was up for sale, the 8,000-square-foot home was touted as a “magnificent executive home.” Located on a cul-de-sac overlooking Raccoon Creek, the five-bedroom home features a two-story foyer, two-story great room, and formal dining room. The true clincher for Peters was likely the fully finished basement featuring a media area, full bar, gym, and cedar sauna. It’s perfect for unwinding after a rough Sunday on the field. ——-- Catch him in downtown Philly: Zach ErtzOn the other end of the line from Peters, enormous pass-catching tight end Zach Ertz has become a consistent element of the Eagles’ offense. He’s caught over 70 passes in each of the past three seasons, and his 6-foot-5 frame makes him a convenient target for Wentz or Foles. After his fourth season with the Eagles, he signed a five-year, $42 million contract extension in 2016. Figuring he was going to stick around in the City of Brotherly Love, Ertz made the smart move and bought a place of his own. But he didn’t stray from the city, and he didn’t even opt for a place with a backyard. In December 2016, he closed on a $1.25 million condo in the Waterfront Square complex. Real estate agent Young understands the city’s allure for Eagles stars, but there is a downside. “Living in Center City is a blast for any young athlete, but it becomes extremely difficult for some to lead a normal life in the city. When they walk out of their home, they can be embraced by enthusiastic fans,” says Young. Ertz’s three-bedroom unit offers spectacular views of the Delaware River. The building is close to restaurants, nightlife, and shopping. If you’d like to join the tight end soaring over Philly, there’s a four-bedroom unit on the market for $1.4 million. ——-- The coach: Doug PedersonLike Foles, second-year head coach Doug Pederson is on his second stint in Philadelphia. He served as an assistant on the Eagles staff from 2009 to 2012, connecting with a certain South Jersey town along the way. He lived in Moorestown, where his neighbors loved having him and his family in the area. But he left South Jersey behind to join the Kansas City Chiefs coaching staff in 2013. He bought a beautiful six-bedroom home in Overland Park, KS. Located right next to the Nicklaus Golf Club at LionsGate, the home was listed for $850,000 when Pederson purchased it. The coach put the family-friendly home back on the market in April 2016 for $875,000, shortly after accepting the head coach gig with the Eagles. After snagging the coveted Eagles job, Peterson returned to Moorestown. “Having been there before obviously makes it better coming back again,” he told South Jersey magazine. For their second go-round in New Jersey, Pederson and his wife opted for palatial digs. In May 2016, they paid $1.95 million for an 8,000-square-foot home on 3 acres of gorgeous grounds. The home has five bedrooms, four baths, and two half-baths. Luxury amenities include a home gym, a large pool and patio out back, and five fireplaces. It looks like the perfect place to draw up a play or two before heading over the bridge to work in Philadelphia. The post NFL Cribs: Where Do the Highest-Flying Philadelphia Eagles Choose to Nest? appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com®. via https://www.realtor.com/news/trends/eagles-real-estate/ The creations of three star architects, including Richard Neutra, all for sale on one lot? It’s unheard of! “It’s the trifecta of important architects, an extremely rare property,” says listing agent Steve Frankel of Coldwell Banker Global Luxury. He’s referring to Neutra’s signature Loring house, the subsequent addition to the home by the firm of Escher GuneWardena, and a separate studio known as the Kalfus guesthouse, designed by architect Steven Ehrlich. These three meticulously designed, preserved, and restored structures have come on the market for $5,625,000. The Loring house was built in 1958 for Hollywood choreographer Eugene Loring, whose work appeared in films such as “Funny Face,” “A Star Is Born,” and “Sabrina.” Neutra’s finest example of the boxcar design, the Loring house features an angular single story with oversize, retractable glass doors and a broad roof overhang supported by elegant spiderleg columns. The fireplace within is “a Neutra signature piece of sculpture,” says Frankel. It’s actually two uniquely designed fireplaces placed back to back, facing the living room and the master bedroom. The master suite is the second structure and was added after Neutra completed his original work. Neutra included plans for this addition, which Escher GuneWardena designed and executed it. The firm left 4 inches of space between the new addition and the original structure, because it “didn’t want to compromise the integrity of the original Neutra design,” according to Frankel. But it’s difficult to tell that the “box within a box” master suite, known as the Baskerville addition, is a separate structure, because the design is seamless. The third structure is the two-story, two-bedroom Kalfus guesthouse. It was the first commission designed by architect Steven Ehrlich, who would go on to become a central force in new Venice Beach residential architecture. Frankel says the structure would make an ideal art or photography studio. The three structures are located atop a knoll in the Nichols Canyon area. They sit on a half-acre lot dominated by mature foliage, a bamboo garden, grassy lawns, and a sparkling pool. Altogether the property has five bedrooms and 4.5 baths. The current owner, who’s lived there for almost 20 years, went to great and careful lengths to restore the home. When Neutra’s 91-year-old son, Dion, who maintains the Silver Lake offices designed and built by his father, came to visit, he was impressed and gave the property a thumbs-up, reports Frankel. So why, after meticulously restoring this architectural gem, would the homeowner want to sell? Frankel says an impending move away from California is the only thing that could induce the owner to sell. “It’s a significant property, one of the highlights of Los Angeles architecture,” says Frankel. The post Neutra Plus 2: The Works of 3 Great Architects for Sale on 1 Lot appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com®. via https://www.realtor.com/news/unique-homes/neutra-plus-two-three-great-architects/ She may star in a TV show called “Lucifer,” but that doesn’t mean actress Lauren German had a devil of a time selling her San Fernando Valley home—once it was priced right. She listed her three-bedroom, three-bath ranch in early November for $1.75 million, but as soon as she dropped the price to $1.7 million earlier this month, it took only about a week for an offer to be made and accepted. German, whose career took off in the Nicholas Sparks film “A Walk to Remember,” bought the Valley Village, CA, home in July 2015 for $1,512,000. The home, which sits on a 10,127-square-foot lot, was built in 1936. It has since been renovated, with skylights and wood floors throughout giving warmth to the pristine white rooms. The remodeled country kitchen has Carrara marble countertops and stainless-steel Thermador appliances. The spacious master suite has a new bath, which features plenty of natural light, marble floor and counters, a large walk-in shower, and soaking tub. Outdoors there’s a heated pool and spa with a waterfall. The bonus room behind the two-car garage can be used for an office, studio, or gym. It’s currently housing a sauna, which likely comes with the house. German, 37, is known for her work in both film and TV. She’s starred in horror flicks, including “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre” and “Hostel: Part II,” as well as TV series such as “Hawaii Five-0” and “Chicago Fire.” In “Lucifer,” which is loosely based on a DC comic book series, German plays Chloe Decker, an LAPD homicide detective who works with the title character. The post ‘Lucifer’ Star Lauren German to Get the Hell Out of Valley Village appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com®. via https://www.realtor.com/news/celebrity-real-estate/lauren-german-valley-village/ Your yard is no longer just a place to plant a few shrubs. This terrain can now serve as a second living room, playroom, kitchen, office, and more—fully equipped with comforts we typically associate with the great indoors. That, at least, is the latest forecast from the National Association of Landscape Professionals, which just released its list of the top landscape trends for 2018. Based on a survey of its members and other landscape professionals at the forefront of their field, the buzz phrase these days is “outdoor living,” according to Missy Henriksen, vice president of public affairs at NALP. “Stimulated by a healthy economy, homeowners are innovating their landscapes in fun, new ways,” she says. To protect against the elements, another trend noted by NALP called “climate-cognizant landscaping” allows homeowners to quickly accommodate shifts in weather: Think pergolas with retractable canopies, outdoor heaters, and hardscape materials that can withstand drastic temperature fluctuations. So whether you’re hit with heat waves or near-hurricanes, your yard can handle it! And the time to start envisioning your “outdoor living space” is now. “It’s best to start that planning process now over the winter, so your lawn will be ready come spring,” says Henriksen. “Just like a homeowner may carefully consider the design elements of a particular room, the landscape should be given that same level of thoughtfulness.” To start, ask yourself what you want your yard’s purpose to be: a place to fire off a few emails over morning coffee? Your new game room for Friday night Uno matches? “From those basic questions, the design can take shape,” Henriksen says. To get the ideas rolling, here are NALP’s top landscaping trends for 2018. 1. Outdoor fireplacesMove over, fire pit: Why hunker over a hole with hot coals in the ground when you can lounge next to a bona fide fireplace? It’s the perfect addition to an outdoor living space with couches, particularly in colder climes where it might otherwise be too chilly to hang outdoors. ——-- 2. Creative play structuresSeriously, who wouldn’t want to play chess with a set like this? It’s all part of the trend of “experiential landscape design,” in which you interact with your surroundings in a playful, multisensory way. ——-- 3. ‘Patterned’ plantsPlants can have patterns, too—from stripes on leaves to brightly colored veins—and these intricate details are expected to be all the rage in 2018. ——-- 4. The color purpleWith ultraviolet dubbed Pantone’s “Color of the Year,” you can expect landscapes to toss in plenty of purple through violets, verbena, clematis, and irises in this royal hue. ——-- 5. Water-saving foliageNALP predicts that sustainable landscaping will continue to be big in 2018, in the form of xeriscaping (low-water plants), using plants native to the region (which generally use less water) and smart irrigation (which measures moisture levels in the soil and waters only when necessary). The post 5 Top Landscape Design Trends That’ll Take Your Yard to a Whole New Level appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com®. via https://www.realtor.com/news/trends/top-landscaping-trends-of-2018/ |
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