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Blog Details for "Luxury Home Digest"
Luxury Home DigestLuxury Home DigestBlogging buzz, gossip and news about luxury real estate and homes with occasional off-the-menu commentary. Articles
The Self-Service Spa?
2007-03-04 10:24:01 by Roberta Murphy In an emerging trend, more and more upscale spas are offering a self service option. Perhaps they are hoping to appeal to the spa-shy or those who might see the spa visit as a social opportunity, where friends or significant others can apply treatments to each other. Wrap your pampered brain around this scenario reported by The Wall Street Journal: At Manhattan?s Townhouse Spa, you can receive a massage treatment from a robotic wave capsule machine and at Las Vegas? Canyon Ranch, you will soon be able to help yourself at self-serve salt scrub and aloe rub stations. Why, I wonder, would the spa industry be removing its own trained fingers from such a high-touch industry? WSJ reports that the $9.7 billion spa industry is pressing this do-it-yourself option as a way to not only lure new business, but to save on labor costs as well. Also, the industry has aggressively expanded throughout the country and competition is keen.This expansion spiked labor costs 8 percent in... More About: Service , Self , Vice
Are Buyers Liars?
2007-02-21 22:20:04 by Roberta Murphy I attended a San Diego real estate luncheon today and was handed a booklet with identical questions posed to agents—along with their printed answers. The questions were solid and most of the answers made sense. But I nearly choked on a piece of broccoli when I read this statement from a well-known agent in our area: “Buyer s are still and always will be liars. Don’t talk about all the details of our business with people.” In our real estate practice, we work with a number of buyers (which our sellers appreciate) and are dismayed that any real estate professional could make such a statement. With very few exceptions, our buyers are terrific. Most are candid and open and we do everything possible to honor and live up to such levels of trust. And we are not alone. Most agents we know respect their buyers and work very hard to represent their best interests. But the old “buyers are liars” is a t... More About: Liar , Liars , Buyers
For Those Speechless Moments?.
2007-02-21 22:20:04 by Roberta Murphy All right. I confess to occasional bouts of bumbling wordlessness when: —Someone confesses to being diagnosed with cancer. —When infertile friends share they are considering adoption after years of infertility. —A family friend shares his Alzheimer’s diagnosis. —Our neighbors announce their divorce. —My brother-in-law loses his job. —Life surprises. It appears Hallmark Cards is going to allow me my silence, and instead hand over one of their new Journeys of Life greeting cards that shares the prescripted words I would want to share— if only I could. Hallmark has a collection of 176 cards that cover not only life’s trials and tragedies, but its celebrations as well. The four main themes these cards cover are hoping, coping, healing and joy. That covers a lot of life. Hallmark’s best line? Welcome to The New Normal! Meanwhile, I’m still struggling to find normal—or something close to ... More About: Men , Moment , Speechless , Those , Hose
Vasectomies Linked to Dementia?
2007-02-20 10:18:06 by Roberta Murphy Forgive me. Weekend mornings allow time to look over news and tidbits of interest. And sometimes these findings have absolutely nothing to do with real estate and luxury homes, but may have much to do with quality of life. This morning’s strange discovery arose from a personal and abiding interest in brain research. You see, we lost my mother several years ago to Alzheimer’s Disease and she died last May. The questions of how and why—and what could have/can be done to prevent and treat this crippler still haunts this daughter. Edith Michelson was a smart, beautiful and health-wise real estate broker, who would have rather been a fighter against the disease instead of its victim. This morning’s startling discovery arrived from Cognitive Labs , which describes Northwestern University’s research into the connection. It appears that vasectomies are not directly related to Alzheimers, but rather to anot... More About: Men , Link , Dementia
Luxury Home Digest a Carnival Winner!
2007-02-20 10:18:06 We didn’t win dinner out, but a dozen roses were awarded for our recent real estate Home Pricing Dangers article. The Real Estate Carnival was hosted by the Pittsburgh Homes Daily and offers up some juicy real estate reading. A deep thanks from us all to PHD editor Robert Melton, who spent hours during a raging snow storm going through the competing real estate articles. If such things were possible, I’d send some balmy breezes and sunshine from San Diego to disperse with Pittsburgh’s deep freeze. In the meantime, we thank Pittsburgh and Robert Melton for the award! To read another Carnival winner, see: How Move.com Could Murder HouseValues.com Bookmark this article: More About: Luxury , Digest , Winner
Redfin: Reservation Agents of Real Estate?
2007-02-20 10:18:06 by Roberta Murphy I have had enough of this nonsense comparing the traditional realestate industry to the travel industry and its ultimate demise.The comparison is both absurd and ill-conceived. A travel agent sits behind a desk, makes travel arrangements and collects a commission that is likely split in several directions. Itwas a task easily assumed by consumers with a computer. They could sit behind a desk, make travel arrangements online and save even more than the travel agent’s commission. They could also do it at midnight, in their pajamas, and never have to pick up the phone.I confess to doing it myself. Perhaps the travel industry business suffered because their services were too limited. I never had a travel agent drive me to the airport, let alone pilot the plane or navigate the cruise liner to my desired destination. None of them ever arranged low cost financing for the trip, or went with me to inspect the safety of the plane or ship, or crawled into the bellies of... More About: Agent , Estate , Real Estate , Agents , Redfin
The Valentine Winner: Long Lasting Roses
2007-02-20 10:18:06 Last night I wrote about Kohler’s $6000 overflowing bathtub that has been added to my Dream List, but now have a more practical and traditional suggestion for Valentine ’s Day. How about some award-winning and long-lasting flowers? Our friend, Marian Meyers with the infectious smile and impeccable taste in wine and food, owns FlowerGram, an online service that just took top honors in beauty and lasting floral freshness. It was a War of the Rose s contest conducted by New York’s ABC Channel 7 affiliate. They compared several online sellers of flowers, and FlowerGram’s bouquet took top honors (and was also one of the most reasonable in cost). It was the only bouquet to earn a coverted “A” and to last a full week. To keep those Valentine roses fresh for the longest period of time, the flower lady advises to immediately cut the stems with a sharp knife (scissors might mas... More About: Last , Winner
The Ultimate Valentine Bath
2007-02-20 10:18:06 ; &nbs p; &nb sp; &n bsp; & nbsp; ; &nbs p; &nb sp; &n bsp; Proposed by Roberta Murphy It’s probably unrealistic to wish for one of these on Valenti ne ’s Eve, but it never hurts to dream (or hint!). I love the sexy looks of Jan Puylaaert’s illuminated tub, but Kohler with its patented SOK Tub for Two probably takes the honors. Note how it can be filled from an overhead fixture—and how champagne bubbles are generated with the touch of a switch. Kohler’s exquisitely designed and oversized infinity-edged bathtub easily accommodates two with its generous overflow ... More About: Bath , Mate , Ultimate
The Cooktop that Cannot be Ignored
2007-02-13 04:17:02 I am seasoned enough to have had more than a few stoves and cooktops in my cooking life. There have been the ones I hate (Frigidaire?s electric/glass cooktop, for example) because they have no self control?and allow little from me. Favorites have included a great big commercial Garland with six burners, large oven, a salamander and a spacious grill. Those were the days! But the hands down favorite cooktop of my life was an induction model we had in the mountains. It looked like a typical black glass electric cooktop, but the similarities ended there. To everyone?s delight, it would bring water to a rolling boil in a flash, and the water would stop its movement immediately when the power was shut off. The cooking surface remained cool (except from reflected heat of the pan), and control over cooking temperature was perfect. It was even better than gas ranges. This morning, I discovered that the difficult-to-find induction cooktop is in the news. Reading about PATH?s selection of the ... More About: Hat , Cann , Cook , That , Anno
Wealthy Homes Rarely Invaded?at Least in the U.S.
2007-02-12 16:17:02 by Roberta Murphy Home invasions of the wealthy are rare, says Mark Bauer, staff writer for the San Diego Union Tribune. His article in this morning’s San Diego Union Tribune reminds us of: 1. The highly-publicized 1974 Patty Hearst kidnapping by the Simbionese Army She was granddaughter of publishing mogul William Randolph Hearst. 2. The $2.7 million ransom paid in 1973 for the release of an oil billionaire’s grandson and namesake, John Paul Getty II–-which occurred after a slice of the victim’s ear was sent as proof of the kidnapper’s sincerity. 3. The never-forgotton 1932 kidnapping of famed aviator Charles Lindbergh’s 20–month-old son who was snatched from the family’s New Jersey home. After the $50,000 ransom was paid, the baby was found murdered and Bruno Hauptman, the killer, was executed. High profile home invasions make news and provide juicy fodder for novels and films. In reality... More About: Wealth , East , Homes , Invade
Free MIT Education?
2007-02-12 16:17:02 by Roberta Murphy The way I figure, it?s early Sunday morning and a great time to read about and share cool discoveries?and they are not always about real estate or luxury estates in San Diego. This one is too rich not to share: A Free MIT Education . Thanks to a web-based electronic publishing initiative, this incredible opportunity from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology is being generously funded by the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, and MIT with support of the Ab Initio software firm. It is an educational opportunity of a lifetime for self-learners and those gifted with spare time and curiosity. There are currently over 1500 courses available, ranging from engineering (of course) to foreign languages, to philosophy, history, urban and women studies?and special offerings from the Sloan School of Management. How does it work? It is a publication of MIT course materials that do not require any registration, attendance or homework. Yo... More About: Cat , Ducati , Duca
Home Pricing Dangers
2007-02-12 16:17:02 by Roberta Murphy Real estate pricing has become a minefield? particularly for homebuyers and homesellers in volatile markets such as California, Nevada, Arizona and other former hot spots. As real estate markets shift, the old comparable sales model for offers and pricing may no longer be quite so valid–and could in fact be dangerous. If sellers overprice their properties–based on prior sales that may have occurred some months ago–they run the risk of having their homes go unsold. On the other hand, if buyers use the same CMA tools to arrive at an offer, they run the risk of overpaying. What I am beginning to see is more verbal interaction between agents. We are verbally sharing information about properties and sales before that data ever hits the tax records. This is information we can use to help guide our clients through these dangerous times. One who needs to sell a propoerty cannot afford to deal with faulty date... More About: Home , Anger , Danger , Gathering
How Move.com Could Murder HouseValues.com?.
2007-02-12 16:17:02 The following article, written by Roberta Murphy, originally appeared on The Real Estate Tomato, and has been republished here for our readers? enjoyment. If Move .com Wants to Murder House Value s.com Here’s How I Think It Should Happen?. Plotted by: Roberta Murphy I don’t think Move.com has a homicidal eye on HouseValues, but perhaps it should. If Move.com wants to meet its impressive goals, it must. HouseValues with its drip system is/was one of the dominant players in the home valuation field and is one of the more assertive players in the listing alert market. With their software program (acquired from SOAR Solutions in 2003), potential home buyers receive daily emails listing all new properties meeting their search criteria that have hit the market in the last 24 hours. I was an early subscriber to SOAR Solutions and still use the product, because of the excellent results given to our subscribers. It is also a program that runs over $1000 per year, now that HouseV... More About: Ouse
Redfin Security Issues
2007-02-12 16:17:02 I just overheard a news report that Redfin is coming to San Diego, and I am tapping my pen in wonder. I imagined one of our San Diego real estate listings and I imagined receiving a call from a stranger asking to see the property. In the natural course of conversation, I would ask if the caller was working with an agent. If the caller responded that they were working with Redfin, under normal circumstances I would ask the caller to have the representing real estate agent give me a call and would make arrangements for the agent to show the property—and would also try to ascertain the qualifications of the buyer (we don’t want to expose our sellers to unqualified traffic). Redfin, from what I can gather, is not that kind of company. Tonight’s television report says buyers can say they are working with Redfin, call the listing agent to see the property, and then pay a 1/3 commission referral fee to Redfin and keep the rest to themselves. As a listing agent,... More About: Security , Issues , Issue
Prestige Index: San Francisco
2007-02-12 16:17:02 The San Fran cisco real estate market is almost one unto itself. But that is another article for another day. What we are reporting on is First Republic Bank?s Prestige Index , which covers the huge California real estate market. And this final article in the series focuses on the results for upscale home in the San Francisco metropolitan real estate market. The perpetually hot (huh?)San Franciso Bay area rose a slight 1.6 percent from the fourth quarter of 2005 to the first quarter of 2006 and gained 6.6 percent from a year earlier. The average San Francisco luxury home is now a record $2.92 million, up over $230,000 from a year earlier. Unlike other metropolitan areas in California, it is the lower end of the luxury scale that seems to be attracting demand. According to the report, there seems to be an inventory shortage at the lower end of the luxury scale?in the $1.5 to 2.5 million range. Inventory appears to be moving more slowly in the $5+ million range. FRB?s study included th... More About: Rest
Bluebloods of Blogging
2007-02-12 16:17:02 Comes close to describing some of the attendees?and I sure like the sound of it! Yesterday a large group of real estate bloggers met at the Internet Relevance presentation in Long Beach, CA to hear Dustin Luther (left), founder of Rain City Guide, speak about the intricacies and benefits of real estate blogging. And speak he did, at about the speed of a machine gun going full blast! There are times I wish I had studied shorthand or court reporting; hence, my notes are spotty in a number of places. Attending this presentation were the esteemed Rudolph Bachraty (pictured with perched glasses) of New York-based Sellsius Real Estate; Brian Brady, America?s Most Opinionated Mortgage Broker; a couple of Active Rain?s lovely co-founders, Jon and Sara Washburn; the personable Loren Nason of The Future of Real Estate Technology; Jeff Dowler, a blogging Encinitas, CA Realtor, and Jeff Turner with Real Estate Shows. There were other bloggers I would have loved to meet, but we were forced t... More About: Blogging , Blog , Blue , Blood , Blogg
Prestige Index: Los Angeles
2007-02-12 16:17:02 by Roberta Murphy With a drumroll, let?s reveal and discuss the results of First Republic Bank?s Prestige Index for Los Angel es , California. Our earlier article about San Diego?s Prestige Index offered some interesting data. Hopefully our report on the Los Angeles luxury home market won?t disappoint! As might be expected, the pace of luxury home appreciation in Los Angeles has cooled somewhat, but is far from being in the tank. The report reveals that at mid-2006, the average price for a luxury home in Los Angeles stood at a record $2.29 million?a $253,000 increase from a year earlier. That?s a healthy 12.4 percent increase (What bubble???). The rate of increase in the luxury home market, though, appears to be slowing. Los Angeles homes in marquee locations, says the FRB report, remain in hot demand, but the lower end of the luxury market has slowed here as in other California markets. That bottom segment of the luxury market reflec... More About: Rest
The Prestige Home Index
2007-02-12 16:17:02 by Roberta Murphy First Republic Bank has created the first statistical model?The Prestige Home Index ?that measures changes in home values in excess of $1 million in key California markets. What are some of the common features of these indexed homes? They have at least 3000 to 6000 feet, three to six bedrooms and three to six bathrooms, according to the study. Many are substantially larger. Digested reporting of this index would probably too hefty for one blog. Instead, we?ll turn it into three shorter ones. Today?s focus will be balmy and palmy San Diego County in Southern California?with emphasis on the tony towns and zips of Rancho Santa Fe (92067), La Jolla (92037) and Del Mar (92014). First Republic reports that the average luxury home in San Diego is a record $2.18 million at the end of 3Q 2006. First Republic?s Luxury Home Index additionally reports that San Diego luxury home values may have risen 1.9% from the second quarter of 2006, but year-over-ye... More About: Rest , Gathering
Neverland for Sale? Or Not?
More articles from this author:2007-02-12 16:17:02 ; &nbs p; &nb sp; &n bsp; & nbsp; ; &nbs p; &nb sp; &n bsp; & nbsp; by RobertaMurphy There was lots of year-end buzz about pop singer Michael Jackson selling his 2800–acre Santa Barbara County Neverland Ranch. Rolling Stone first reported that Jackson was trying to market the Santa Ynez ranch to soccer luminary David Beckham and his wife Victoria (Posh Spice). Those rumors had hardly been quieted, when another started making the rounds about Jackson selling Neverland on the Bravo television reality show, Million Dollar Listing: Hollywood—with ... More About: For Sale , Everland , Sale , Land , Ever 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 |
