Coldwell Banker Listing for Tennis Pro, Mats Wilander, Featured in Wall Street Journal

January 27, 2012
Posted by heather_roberts in General
0 Comments

Todd P. Conklin and Stephanie Reed of Coldwell Banker Distinctive Properties recently landed a listing that has every ski and wildlife fanatic drooling: the 80-acre Sun Valley, Idaho estate and ranch home to former World No. 1 Swedish tennis player, Mats Wilander.

Coldwell Banker Distinctive Properties Listing in Sun Valley, Idaho

The Wall Street Journal took notice today, and featured the truly spectacular home in its Private Properties section, among an exclusive collection of the nation’s top listings.

Wilander says that both the home and its surroundings are breathtaking and while he is sad to bid the home goodbye, he knows that someone else will fall in love with the estate and much as he and his family has.

With nearly every luxury amenity available, the home is also perfect for those seeking the simple things like enjoying a cup of hot cocoa by the fire. The 10,000 square-foot main house has seven bedrooms and eight and half baths, as well as endless features including a chef’s kitchen, multiple fireplaces, sauna, billiards room, gym, music room and a wine cellar. Outside facilities include a pond, ice rink, lap pool, hot tub, patios and a guest house.

To take a tour of the Mats Wilander Listing in Sun Valley.

 

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Tour A South Florida Mega Mansion

January 26, 2012
Posted by david_marine in General
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A South Florida Mega Mansion

There are some properties that require no description and pictures don’t even do it justice. This is one of those properties. The video below from LXTV Open House gives you a tour of one of the most incredible properties I’ve ever seen. Listed by Coldwell Banker Residential Real Estate superstar team, The Jills, this $29 million palatial estate in Bal Harbour, Florida transcends luxury. Everything is custom and it boasts 200 feet of waterfront views.

If that’s not enough you’ll also get two infinity pools, 8 beds, 10 baths, and over 12,000 square feet of livability. Enough of my typing. Check out the video below to be amazed.

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Real Estate Headlines for Almost the End of January

January 25, 2012
Posted by david_marine in Headlines
0 Comments

Jennifer Aniston's new LA digs

January 2012 is one of those odd months that has 5 weeks in it. But even so it feels like 2012 is already moving so quickly. To keep you on top of what’s going on in real estate here’s your weekly does of real estate headlines:

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Real Estate Headlines for Third Week in January

January 17, 2012
Posted by david_marine in Headlines
0 Comments

$30M Mega Mansion in Miami

Welcome to another week in 2012. Some of us had a three day weekend and most of the nation caught a little NFL playoff fever. But with one month of 2012 half gone, here are some real estate headlines to keep you in the know:

 

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Samsung Smart Window Will Minority Report Your Home

January 13, 2012
Posted by david_marine in General
1 Comment

Minority Report Your Home

I love CES. I love it. I went last year and I drool as I follow the updates and videos from this years event. What a lot of people don’t realize is how CES impacts the future of your home. Millions of products are showcased there and I’d bet that more than 60% of them have some impact on your home.

The product this year that I think would be the biggest game changer for your home is the Samsung Smart Window. What this product does is basically project and interactive, touch-based interface onto any window and allow you to make Minority Report-esque movements on the screen to serve up tweets, videos, weather and more.

The smart window is a one way display so while you see this virtual interface, others looking in won’t see it. No word yet on pricing or when it would officially roll out to the public, but I’ll be chomping at the bit to find out more details.

You have to see this thing in action by taking a look at the video below:

 

 

Image provided by Flickr user eyeliam

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Taking a tour of some famous homes

January 12, 2012
Posted by heather_roberts in General
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I don’t know about you, but I love to take home tours when I’m on vacation or even in my hometown of Savannah, Ga., when I have visitors from out of town. Related side bar: For those of you who have never visited Savannah, it should definitely be on your weekend getaway list. Be sure to check out the home tour at the Owens-Thomas House, the tour guides that I’ve had are hysterical and provide fascinating details about the Hostess City’s historic district.

Here are four of my favorite homes that I’ve had the opportunity to visit and tour while traveling:

The Grand Trianon at Versailles. Less grand than The Palace but not as modest as the Petit Trianon, where Marie Antoinette preferred to stay, I found this place magical. Everything had this amazing tone of rusty pink, whether inside or outside. And when the wind blew while walking on the breezeway you could smell the fragrant lavender growing abundantly in the surrounding landscape. 

Breezeway at The Grand Trianon

 

Magnificent Room in The Grand Trianon

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Rembrandt’s home in Amsterdam. Not only was this where a legend lived, but where some of the world’s greatest pieces of art were brought to life. The live demonstrations at the home didn’t disappoint; it felt as if I had stepped back in time and could smell the paint drying on canvas.

Front view of Rembrandt's home

 

The live demonstrations were wonderful at the Rembrandt home

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
The Biltmore Estate in Asheville. Imagine being the only child to George and Edith Vanderbilt and growing up in America’s largest home? Talk about having to set some rules for an afternoon game of hide-and-seek: “OK kids, you can only go into half of the rooms in the house today” (which would be mere 125 rooms).
A grand entrance at the Biltmore

 

Getting up close and personal with the home's architecture

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hemingway’s home in Key West. Crazy to think he bought this amazing home in Old Town Key West for a mere $8,000 but then went on to spend $20,000 on an in-ground swimming pool when running water wasn’t even available in Key West at the time.

Key West home of Nobel Prize winner Ernest Hemingway

 

Next city up on the travel docket is New Orleans, where I’ll be traveling to the Coldwell Banker Generation Blue Experience. Anyone have recommendations for fabulous homes to tour?

 

 

 

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Real Estate Headlines for the Second Week of 2012

January 10, 2012
Posted by david_marine in Headlines
1 Comment

Inman News Goes Behind the Scenes of House Hunters Intn'l

It’s the second week of the year and if your new year’s resolutions are still in tact, you have serious edge on the majority of people out there. As you ease into 2012, here are some real estate headlines to keep you informed:

Image from HGTV

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U.S. News and World Report Ranks Best Places to Retire

January 9, 2012
Posted by heather_roberts in General
2 Comments

For many of us, starting the New Year means getting back to the grind as we put away our party shoes and head back to work. However, some lucky retirees are hanging up their working hats for good, and thanks to U.S. News and World Report  (as featured on Yahoo!) they now have a list of the ideal spots to spend their golden years.

Ranking the 10 best places to retire in 2012, U.S. News factored in weather, affordable housing and nearby recreational activities in choosing the best spots for every kind of retiree – from those who care most about pleasant, seasonal weather (head to Flagstaff, Ariz.) to those who strive to be environmentally friendly (how about Walnut Creek, Calif.)?

We spoke with Michael Schmidt of Coldwell Banker Schmidt Family of Companies in Traverse City, Mich., which was awarded the best retiree haven for water views on a budget, to find out what makes this town special.

“Traverse City is somewhat of a hidden gem with some of the nicest freshwater lakes and beaches in the world, fantastic wineries and most importantly such a great mix of people,” he said. “It offers a diverse group of people congregating together all year long with many celebrations of food, music, and our beautiful areas.  If you love the outdoors, you will love Traverse City; we have 10 golf courses within an hour distance and at least five different ski resorts to choose from during the winter time.  Additionally, we have one of the most accessible airports in the country that can get you to Chicago, Minneapolis, Detroit or New York in little over an hour’s time if you desire to hit the big city.”

So what can you find in Traverse?  This lovely three-bedroom home sitting on a beautiful shared beach is less than $300,000, featuring two fireplaces, a neighborhood park and a tennis court.

Traverse City, Mich.  – Voted Best Water Views on a Budget:

  • 3 Bedrooms, 2 Baths
  • 2,684 Square Feet
  • $299,000

 

Below are few more retiree-worthy listings in some of the top ranked cities. Where is your dream place to retire?

Port Charlotte, Fla. – Voted Best Place for Affordable Housing: 

Heritage Oak Park Villa in Port Charlotte, FL

  • 2 Bedrooms, 2 Baths
  • 1,364 Square Feet
  • $133,900

Santa Fe, N.M. – Voted Best Place for Recreation and Culture:

  • 3 Bedrooms, 2 Baths
  • 1,185 Square Feet
  • $199,500

    Property for sale with southwestern charm in Santa Fe, NM

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Give Me a Break

January 6, 2012
Posted by jim_gillespie in General
3 Comments

Last night someone sent me a link to an article that troubled me. It’s one thing to use a negative headline to draw people in, but writers must provide a balanced article for the reader.  What really grinds my gears are articles which take a controversial position to communicate a biased opinion under the guise of ‘news.’

The American Dream is Alive & Well

The article, The New American Dream: Rent, Don’t Buy isn’t just one of those shocking headlines; it’s two pages of doom and gloom that frankly is getting old. First of all, how can this writer say that the new American dream is to rent, when the majority of Americans, 66 percent according to Fannie Mae, consider homeownership a safe investment? Sounds to me like the American Dream is still a dream that includes homeownership. Who doesn’t daydream about a place to call home – a place that’s all their own?  A home is about more than its dollar appreciation.  It’s about the color of paint you pick for the nursery, the school district in which your children will grow up and the neighborhood movie theatre where you had your first date…and I could go on and on. When people do move it’s not just for a return on their financial investment. It could also be that they need a backyard for their dog or mom got a great new job in another area.

Plus, how many times do we all have to read an article that only has one source that represents an extreme point of view and yet it serves as an overarching example? I know homeownership isn’t for everyone, and I routinely talk about the types of buyers best suited for homeownership. But if you are someone with the financial wherewithal and have a lifestyle need, I truly believe this is the best time in my 35 years in real estate to purchase a home.

Bottom line: some of the points found within the article have been tossed around for several years and I couldn’t disagree more strongly. Study after study shows how valuable homeownership is to individuals and to our economy. A Harvard study reports that housing accounts to 18-23 percent of the country’s GDP. NAR and Nandi say that a home sale adds $60,000 into the local economy and that a local job is created every time two homes are sold. And this isn’t even taking into consideration the immeasurable emotional value found in owning a home.

I’m confident that once we are finally out of the woods of this great recession, the American Dream of homeownership will thrive as it always has — as it does for millions of Americans even today.

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2011 Forbes 30 Under 30 Includes Two Coldwell Banker Agents

January 4, 2012
Posted by Lindsay Listanski in General
2 Comments

On December 19, 2011 Forbes announced 30 people under 30 years old, in twelve varying industries who are making a difference right now in their respective fields. They are the innovative young minds shaping the future of business in the world. Two Coldwell Banker agents, Danny Hertzberg (@DannyHertzberg), Coldwell Banker Residential Real Estate, Miami  and Sandro Dazzan (@SandroD), Coldwell Banker Previews International, Malibu were selected as part of the 2011 Forbes 30 under 30.Sandro Dazzan and Danny Hertzberg

With an average age of clientele ranging between 30-35, these young superstar agents equip young buyers and sellers with the tools, knowledge and resources they need to have success in their market.

Danny and Sandro offer their advice for what young people need to do when preparing to buy a house.

1) The first thing young buyers should do, even before touring prospective homes, is identify a comfortable price point. Younger buyers can get advice and direction from mortgage brokers who can assist them with getting pre approved.  Understanding the full payment is crucial. Buyers should have a clear idea of all payments including taxes and bills, once they complete these steps they can be prepared to write an offer when they find the right place.

2) Another important factor that young buyers should consider is getting to know the community.  Unlike renting and moving, buying a home is much more permanent which means the consequences are higher. Buyers should walk around the neighborhood on a weekend or at night after work, even talk to a neighbor to get comfortable with the setting of their potential home. The focus needs to go beyond just a “perfect home.”

3) Be open to family assistance. In this economy young buyers are often faced with strict requirements and feel that accepting help means giving up independence. In some cases they may be required to put down a down payment of 20-30%. Even if they are able to make this payment, they may not meet the credit requirements.  Family assistance has become a much more common trend. Whether it is accepting money for a down payment or living home with parents to save money, it is important to be open to help.

4) Choose a Realtor you are comfortable with and trust. Finding and purchasing a first home is one of the most important decisions you will make.  You will experience negotiations, laws and contracts that can seem overwhelming but with the right agent you will have the tools and resources you need to make the right decision.

 

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