Casey Abby Blog's: September 2019

Monday, 30 September 2019

Rockstar Energy Drink Billionaire Russ Weiner Rocking and Rolling in Real Estate

Billionaire Russell Weiner, who made his fortune on Rockstar energy drinks, has found a new way to get a buzz—buying and selling mansions.

The founder of the energy drink company is currently selling three luxury properties on two coasts.

In Miami Beach, the entrepreneur has listed a Balinese-style mansion for $35 million. In 2016, Weiner purchased the home, which was built in 2013, for $19,950,300.

With over 9,000 square feet on a lushly manicured lot, the gated property leads to a two-story home with high ceilings, six bedrooms, and nine bathrooms. Outside, you’ll find a massive resort-style pool, an eight-person hot tub, and a cold plunge.

Living space with high ceilings
Lux Hunters for Douglas Elliman

One of six bedrooms
Lux Hunters for Douglas Elliman

Covered patio
Lux Hunters for Douglas Elliman

The private dock can accommodate a yacht of up to 150 foot, and comes with a boat lift and four-ski Jet Ski lift with a swim platform. The coastal estate includes a rooftop deck, a wine cellar, as well as an outdoor oasis. On the 1-acre grounds, there are covered loggias, an outdoor barbecue with outside dining, lawns, and exotic landscaping.

According to press details provided by the listing agent, Brett Harris of Douglas Elliman, Weiner has dabbled in real estate investments throughout the country, including Miami Beach, Delray Beach, Beverly Hills, and Hermosa Beach.

The standout features and locale of the Miami Beach home caught Weiner’s eye. “The property sits on a rare, 50,000-square-foot lot with lush landscaping and 175 feet of water frontage, with a massive backyard and resort-style pool,” says Harris.

Weiner is also selling a residence in Delray Beach known as “Pelican Estate.” According to the Miami Herald, it’s on the market for a whopping $36.1 million. He bought the property for $11.6 million in 2009, and it includes a tennis court, pool and spa, and 12-car garage. If both the Florida homes sell for their sky-high asking prices, the founder of Rockstar will be a real estate rock star, with the chance of clearing more than $70 million.

On the West Coast, Weiner recently picked up a contemporary estate in Los Angeles. He paid $16,515,000 for the pad in August, and then quickly put it back on the market earlier this month, hiking the price up to $28 million.

Built in 2015, the glamorous residence offers 12,530 square feet of interior space, including multiple living rooms, a designer kitchen, home theater, gym, outdoor kitchen, wine cellar, elevator, home office, and staff quarters. Along with a plush, 2,000-square-foot master bedroom suite, the property includes a 2,500-square-foot car collector’s garage.

The 49-year-old founded his company, Rockstar, in 2001, with the idea of serving the beverage in a 16-ounce “tall boy” can. He made Forbes’ list of billionaires in 2019, with a net worth of $4 billion.

The post Rockstar Energy Drink Billionaire Russ Weiner Rocking and Rolling in Real Estate appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com®.

source https://www.realtor.com/news/celebrity-real-estate/rockstar-energy-billionaire-russ-weiner-real-estate/

‘House Party’ Podcast: Would You Get a Sleep Divorce?; San Francisco’s Least Expensive House

realtor.com House Party podcast episode 40 — Getty Images; realtor.com

“House Party” is realtor.com’®s official podcast about the overlapping worlds of real estate and pop culture, hosted by Natalie Way, Erik Gunther, and Rachel Stults. Click the player above to hear our takes on this week’s hot topics.

After months of anticipation, “A Very Brady Renovation” finally premiered, and we couldn’t wait to give our two cents. The show stars the original kids (now adults) from “The Brady Bunch” and some familiar HGTV design stars like the stars of “Property Brothers” and Leanne and Erik Ford of “Restored by the Fords.” Together, they transformed the original house featured on the show into a replica of the sets we grew up seeing on TV, including the orange and avocado green kitchen, the sunken living room, and the floating staircase. Which parts of the renovation went right and how many snafus did the crew encounter along the way? We cover it all on this week’s episode of “House Party.”

Other topics we discuss on our fabulous 40th episode:

Swimply (the Airbnb of pools?!)
“Sister Wives” stars Kody and Robyn Brown, who just bought a house in Flagstaff, AZ
San Francisco’s cheapest house on the market (spoiler alert: It’s $599K)
Sleep divorces—for or against?
This week’s real estate winners and losers

Click the player above to listen to this week’s episode. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Google Play Music, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. And please: Throw us a five-star rating if you like what you hear. The more good ratings and reviews we have, the easier it’ll be for people to find us.

Want to chime in? Have your own crazy home-related story you’re dying to share? We’re all ears, eagerly waiting to discuss all your burning real estate questions. Email us at podcast@realtor.com, follow us on Facebook, or tweet us @housepartypod on Twitter.

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Stories we discussed on ‘House Party’ this week:

The ‘Brady Bunch’ House Brings Back 2 Key Colors: Remember What They Are?

‘Sister Wives’ Stars Kody and Robyn Brown Reportedly Find a Nest in Flagstaff

San Francisco’s Least Expensive House Snags Multiple Offers After 12 Days on Market

‘I Want a Sleep Divorce’: Why Separate Bedrooms Could Save Your Relationship

Kristin Cavallari and Jay Cutler Slash the Price of Their Nashville Mansion

Rent Sofia Vergara’s Fab Los Angeles Condo for $10,200 a Month

The post ‘House Party’ Podcast: Would You Get a Sleep Divorce?; San Francisco’s Least Expensive House appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com®.

source https://www.realtor.com/news/podcast/episode-40-house-party/

Optical Illusion? Telescope Home Offers Amazing Views in Pennsylvania

No, you aren’t seeing double. This one-of-a-kind home in Lancaster, PA, offers up an exterior design inspired by a telescope. The roofline resembles an extending lens as it spreads out for all to see.

Listed for $1.7 million with Marilyn Berger of Keller Williams Elite, the nearly 3,500-square-foot home was built in 1980.

The home, which was renovated in 2010, caught the eye of the architecture world and received coverage in Architectural Digest. Its architect, Hugh Newell Jacobsen, whose projects include the home of the late Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis in Martha’s Vineyard, orchestrated the design.

The property takes its cues from traditional German farmhouse style. Cedar-clapboard siding and a brick foundation were used to build the four-bedroom structure, which sits on a nearly 3-acre lot.

However, the rear of the house is artfully modern. Steel-framed angular glass spans all three stories, in a complete flip from the farmhouse exterior at the front.

Throughout the residence, there’s a sense of playfulness. Natural light was a huge factor in the home’s design, through skylights and sliding glass doors to the outside. The Zen-like garden on the property features a pond with a waterfall feature, as well as paths for taking a quick morning stroll.

Two walls of the living room are all windows, with views that showcase the property’s dogwood trees, as well as the two-story patio, which stretches along one side of the home.

An open circular staircase provides function for reaching different levels of the home, but is also extremely stylish. The home’s finished lower level spans 900 square feet and is currently used as a game room.

Should the next owner be a home chef, the kitchen is designed for a pro. A JennAir cooktop, Sub-Zero refrigeration, a warming drawer, center island, and double convection ovens make hosting parties a breeze.

Book lovers and collectors of the decorative arts will swoon for the home’s many storage and display nooks. The library boasts a wall of Jacobsen’s trademark “egg crate” shelves. Built-in file drawers—along with a retractable screen—make the a room a peaceful place to retreat from the world.

Pennsylvania bluestone flooring was used in many of the rooms, and Pennsylvania flagstone was used on the patio. The master suite has a lovely dressing area, a free-standing soaking tub, and a double custom shower—making it a true retreat. The property’s surrounding dogwoods were designed to be seen from the master suite as well.

With views that stretch out across the Pennsylvania landscape, this mix of modernism and farmhouse style is gorgeous from all angles.

The post Optical Illusion? Telescope Home Offers Amazing Views in Pennsylvania appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com®.

source https://www.realtor.com/news/unique-homes/telescope-home-pennsylvania/

Love the House—or Just the Couch? New Listing Pics Sell Both

Ever browse real estate listing photos and see a couch or credenza you love—and wished you could buy it? It’s now possible, thanks to a new trend in listing photos that allows you to shop for homes and home furnishings all at once.

Many real estate listing photos are currently enhanced with virtual staging. That’s where brokerages take lackluster listing photos and digitally add furnishings or artwork to show the property in the best light. Thanks to CGI-style 3D modeling, these additions do a convincing job of looking as if they’re really in the room, without the back-breaking work of lugging everything in (and out again, later on).

Now, the luxury real estate broker Sotheby’s has taken things one step farther. By partnering with Perigold, Wayfair’s luxury furnishing line, and with roOomy, the virtual-staging technology platform, Sotheby’s agents can virtually stage their listing pics with anything in the Perigold inventory. If people viewing these pics spot a lamp or loveseat they adore, they can now click on the item to purchase it directly.

Here’s a look at what these listings photos look like, below.

Virtual staging allows agents to curate their ideal rooms.
Sotheby's

Now all you have to do is click on that white dot, and it will take you to more information about the piece, such as its price, its specs, and how to buy it. Pretty cool, right?

Can’t live without that painting? Now you don’t have to.
Sotheby's

Click on “Visit their website,” and it’s all yours.

The benefits of virtual staging for home sellers

If you’re getting ready to list your own home, you’re probably aware of the difference home staging can make. In fact, according the National Association of Realtors®’ 2017 Profile of Home Staging, 77% of agents polled said staging a home made it easier for a buyer to visualize the property as a future home, while one-third of agents said that staging a home increased the dollar value offered by up to 5%, compared to other similar homes on the market that are not staged.

Yet home staging can be expensive, largely due to the labor of moving furnishings into your home. As a general rule of thumb, the average cost for most stagers is between $300 and $600 for an initial design consultation, and $500 to $600 per month per staged room.

Virtual staging, however, can be far more budget-friendly—sometimes even free.

“Typically, there is no cost” for virtual staging, says John Passerini, global VP for interactive marketing for Sotheby’s International Realty Affiliates LLC. He does add that this often depends on the agreement that the agent has with the seller.

Currently, all Sotheby’s International Realty agents have access to the “Curate by Sotheby’s” augmented reality app, which means there are more than 50,000 potential users, says Passerini. And while only a handful of listings so far are taking advantage of this new shop-the-room function, Passerini expects that the number will grow as more agents embrace the app, and more home sellers hear about it.

Love the dining room set or wall art? Either can be yours!
Sotheby's

Rebecca Ginns, general manage at Perigold, outlined the benefits of the partnership.

“Through this relationship, consumers and real estate agents alike will discover how fine furniture and décor—some of which were previously only available to industry professionals—can truly elevate a room and captivate even the most discerning clientele,” she writes in a press release. “Regardless of the style of home, having the right furnishings can be one of the most powerful tools when creating a space that leaves a favorable impression.”

Love the sectional or simply the throw pillow? Buy one piece or all of it.
Sotheby's

Benefits for home buyers

While the benefits to home sellers are clear, buyers benefit, too. If they spot something they really want to own themselves, they don’t have to beg the sellers to leave it with the house.

However, when the furnishings are virtual, there is sometimes confusion among buyers. They may fall for the real estate photos online, only to visit the home and find the rooms empty, or worse, filled with outdated decor, like wall-to-wall carpet or oak kitchen cabinets.

Passerini says Sotheby’s tries to avoid this problem by being clear upfront that the virtual staging isn’t what buyers should expect when they walk through the door.

“We try to be as transparent as possible, and require a watermark on the photo to indicate the room was virtual-staged,” Passerini says. “It’s clear that what users are seeing is augmented and virtual.”

After all, all these home buyers have to do is purchase what’s in those listing photos to bring their virtual dream home to life!

To see an example of these virtual stagings, visit Sothebysrealty.com.

The post Love the House—or Just the Couch? New Listing Pics Sell Both appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com®.

source https://www.realtor.com/news/trends/love-the-house-or-just-the-couch-new-listings-pics-sell-both/

Fannie, Freddie to Retain Earnings

Ron Antonelli/Bloomberg via Getty Images

WASHINGTON— Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac will start keeping their earnings under an agreement announced Monday between the Treasury Department and the companies’ federal regulator.

The move suspends a yearslong arrangement in which the mortgage-finance giants handed nearly all of their profits to the Treasury. It also marks an initial major step in allowing the companies to build up capital so they can eventually operate as private companies again.

Under the agreement, the companies are allowed to retain over a year’s worth of profits—$25 billion for Fannie Mae and $20 billion for Freddie Mac, the Treasury and Federal Housing Finance Agency said Monday.

“These modifications are an important step toward implementing Treasury’s recommended reforms that will define a limited role for the Federal Government in the housing finance system and protect taxpayers against future bailouts,” Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said in a statement.

Fannie and Freddie are central players in the housing market, buying about half of all U.S. mortgages from lenders and packaging them for issuance as securities. The government took control of them during the 2008 financial crisis in a bid to stabilize the housing market as mortgage defaults mounted. How the government addresses the companies’ future could resolve the last major problem from the crisis.

At present, the companies hold just $3 billion each in capital, and the agreement under consideration would substantially increase that figure. The move starts a process of the companies raising a combined $100 billion-plus that they will likely need to hold before they can return to private hands. The precise amount is to be worked out over the coming months by their federal regulator.

The post Fannie, Freddie to Retain Earnings appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com®.

source https://www.realtor.com/news/real-estate-news/fannie-freddie-to-retain-earnings/

Donald Rumsfeld Selling Maryland Home Known as ‘Mount Misery’ for $2.45M

Here’s a “known known”: Former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld is letting go of his vacation home in St. Michaels, MD. The Eastern Shore residence, which Rumsfeld, 87, picked up in 2003 for $1.5 million, is on the market for $2.45 million.

The sleepy town, about 2.5 hours from Washington, DC, offers a respite from the hurly-burly of political life, for tourists and notable names alike.

But the historic home from 1805 comes with a sinister past—way, way before Rumsfeld ever came on the scene.

The property, known as “Mount Misery,” by 1833, was apparently the home of a farmer, Edward Covey, who also routinely took on the role of “slave breaker,” the New York Times reported as a side note to a travelogue on the town of St. Michaels.

According to the Times article, Covey got his hands on the “rebellious” Frederick Douglass, who grew up in the area and went on to become a great abolitionist leader and statesman.

Douglass described the violent but formative experience in his book, “My Bondage and My Freedom,” writing, “I shall never be able to narrate the mental experience through which it was my lot to pass during my stay at Covey’s. I was completely wrecked, changed, and bewildered; goaded almost to madness at one time, and at another reconciling myself to my wretched condition.”

When Covey tried to “break” him, Douglass reportedly fought back, and escaped.

A 2006 article in the Baltimore Sun suggested that Mount Misery’s history be reclaimed by turning the place into a museum or a monument to a horrific chapter in U.S. history.

For some, the home’s moniker of “Mount Misery” may hit a little too close to home. Rumsfeld’s tenure in the Cabinet of George W. Bush was controversial for its embrace of torture as a means of extracting information from suspected terrorists, A play titled “Mount Misery,” exploring the story of the historic property and commenting on the lives of both Douglass and Rumsfeld, was staged in a theater in San Francisco in 2015.

The Georgian brick abode, located on 4 private acres, was built on land granted by Lord Baltimore in 1667.

Original elements of the four-bedroom, 4.5-bath abode include doors, floors, mantels, and five fireplaces. Measuring 4,052 square feet, the structure was restored in 1954, and then expanded and upgraded by Rumsfeld in 2003. It has an updated kitchen, dining room, multiple living spaces, a gym, and an office.

Donald Rumsfeld’s Maryland home
realtor.com

Dining tables with view of the water
realtor.com

The grounds include flowering shrubs, patios, gardens, plus a pool, sauna, and tennis court. The property also has a 135-foot pier, two power boat hoists, and 700 feet of creek shoreline.

Mount Misery must love company. In June, former Vice President Dick Cheney, a longtime friend of the former secretary of defense, sold his neighboring vacation retreat in St. Michaels at a loss, at $2.1 million, after placing it on the market in April for a little over $2.49 million.

In 2005, he and his wife, Lynne Cheney, paid $2,667,500 for the estate, located just a couple of miles from Rumsfeld’s residence.

Rumsfeld served as secretary of defense from 1975 to 1977 under President Gerald Ford, and under Bush from 2001. His tenure ended when he resigned from the post in 2006. After he retired, he wrote his autobiography, “Known and Unknown: A Memoir.”

The post Donald Rumsfeld Selling Maryland Home Known as ‘Mount Misery’ for $2.45M appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com®.

source https://www.realtor.com/news/celebrity-real-estate/donald-rumsfeld-selling-maryland-home-mount-misery/

You’d Be Amazed by What You Can Get for $100K Across the Country

We recently examined the nation’s housing stock, to pinpoint the 10 cities with the most homes priced under $100,000. Steel City reigned supreme—with nearly 2,500 Pittsburgh homes available to purchase for five figures.

But there are plenty of other places in the United States where bargain-hunting buyers can find ultra-affordable abodes.

We scoured our listings in search of move-in ready residences priced below the magic $100,000 mark. Some are in the places that made our Top 10 list, along with a bunch of pretty cute pads in places off the beaten path.

If you’re willing to look outside the big metros, you might be surprised at the adorable starter (or investment) homes available right now. Here are 10 of our favorites awaiting buyers who don’t want to spend a ton of dough on a perfectly nice place to live.

2411 E Main St, Kalamazoo, MI

Price: $97,500
Discount details: This brick charmer from the late ’40s is move-in ready. The kitchen and bathroom are immaculate and ready for the next owner. We’re in love with the two-bedroom home’s gleaming hardwood floors, as well as the location—within walking distance of the city’s Main Street.

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1900 Monroe Ave, Racine, WI

Price: $99,900
Discount details: Just a little over 40 years old, this three-bedroom home boasts a roof that was installed in 2017. We wouldn’t blame a buyer for wanting to ditch the bright red carpet in the living area, but the wood-paneled basement must be preserved!

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1508 S. Moffet Ave, Joplin, MO

Price: $94,950
Discount details: The welcoming front porch adds just the right dash of curb appeal to this three-bedroom home. It’s been fully remodeled and is ready for a new owner to enjoy all the new features and fixtures throughout the home.

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202 E. Hodge St, Buffalo, SD

Price: $95,000
Discount details: Another home with an inviting front porch! This cute two-bedroom, tucked away in the northwest corner of the state, will need a little interior paint, but that’s no big whoop. Enjoy the back deck and large lot while the weather permits.

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1820 S. 15th St, Lincoln, NE

Price: $99,900
Discount details: This classic from 1900 has a few elements that have stood the test of time—including the wood beams and wood details around windows and doors. With three bedrooms and a large lot, this is a perfect entry point for a growing family.

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7615 Thornton Dr, Cleveland, OH

Price: $90,000
Discount details: This classic three-bedroom bungalow offers nearly 1,900 square feet of living space—your dollar stretches to the max in Cleveland! Located in the Parma area, it has gorgeous hardwood flooring throughout most of the home.

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1036 N.W. Ninth St, Moore, OK

Price: $90,000
Discount details: Just south of OKC, this three-bedroom brick house needs a fresh coat of paint inside. Other than that, it’s ready for a new buyer to move right on in.

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1804 Colorado Ave, Rockford, IL

Price: $89,900
Discount details: This Cape Cod-style home in northern Illinois costs only $49 per square foot. It has plenty of curb appeal, but it’s just as nice inside. The next owner won’t have to do much besides load in a few furnishings.

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3894 Healey Rd, Memphis, TN

Price: $55,000
Discount details: This listing in Grind City says the home needs some TLC, but the listing photos show a house that looks to be in fine shape. The two-bedroom brick house has new windows, a new roof, and a new HVAC system.

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110 Frazier Dr, Pittsburgh, PA

Price: $99,000
Discount details: Located in the city with the most homes priced under $100,000, this 1950s-era three-bedroom may need new carpet and a refresh in the kitchen, but is otherwise in great shape. It even has a finished room in the back of the house with man-cave potential. Ideal for a Steelers fan?

The post You’d Be Amazed by What You Can Get for $100K Across the Country appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com®.

source https://www.realtor.com/news/trends/dont-spend-dough-10-homes-below-100k/

Friday, 27 September 2019

We’re Blushing! ‘Romance’ Is the New Color of the Year We’d Actually Use at Home

Move over, Millennial Pink! One of the hottest shades for the upcoming year is your much more laid-back cousin, Romance. Paint company HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams just announced that the color—which is described as “a soft blush tone with a slight apricot influence”—has been chosen as its 2020 Color of the Year.

Lately, it seems that an increasing number of design-adjacent companies have taken the opportunity to promote an official color of the year. And while the field might be saturated, we actually feel that HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams’ choice stands out—but not in the ways that you’d think. It’s not bold, but it acts as a wonderful base for other pops of color in your home.

“It is a great backdrop to jewel tones and gold accents that are being brought in with accessories and artwork,” says Ashley Banbury, senior color designer at HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams, who is involved in predicting the shades that will be trending for the upcoming year.

How to use Romance in your home

Although Romance is technically a neutral shade (albeit more colorful than, say, eggshell white) it’s not the easiest color to work with. Like many pastel shades, this pinky-beige can read very feminine and may seem better suited to a young child’s bedroom. However, Banbury assures us that Romance can be used in a variety of ways.

“It’s a great all-over wall color, and an amazing backdrop to your personal artwork and accessories,” she says. However, if an all-pink room makes you blush, try using it more sparingly, on the inside of a built-in bookshelf or on a door.

Feeling inspired yet? Let’s take an even closer look at the ways this trendy color can be used in specific rooms in your home.

Freshen up your dining room

Pink and green is a classic color combination, but choose the wrong shades, and your place could end up looking like a preppy nightmare. Instead, try blush pink on the walls and a deep jade green on your dining room chairs. The contrast with the dreamy wall color will add a level of sophistication that’ll please you—and anyone who ends up coming over for a dinner party.

Bedroom

Because of its calming properties, blue is one of the best colors for a bedroom. Romance complements any number of blue hues, from Finian Blue—a shade that Banbury says is reminiscent of the perfect blue sky—to Blue Endeavor, our new favorite version of navy blue. Try a crisp blue paint color on the walls or a cozy dark blue duvet. Then, bring in shades of blush pink with side tables, pillows, and throw blankets.

Home office/guest bedroom

A home office should inspire you to be creative, so why not go for a bold color on the walls? Mint feels appropriately fresh and can be paired with warmer pink tones (see the bedding and desk chair above).

“Mint to Be is a beautiful shade of blue that is vibrant but also allows you to unwind and relax,” Banbury says. This creative color combination can be balanced out with natural accessories, like a leather ottoman, a rattan pendant light, a wooden desk, and plenty of indoor plants.

Add sophistication to your kitchen

We love the idea of pairing blush pink Romance with a navy blue. A great way to bring this one-two punch into your kitchen? Try navy blue on the cabinets and soft pink on your dishware, towels, or other cooking accessories and appliances, like this posh pink stand mixer (Williams Sonoma, $429.95).

The color used on the cabinets above is Blue Endeavor, one of the new colors in HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams’ Simply Blissful 2020 Color Collection.

The post We’re Blushing! ‘Romance’ Is the New Color of the Year We’d Actually Use at Home appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com®.

source https://www.realtor.com/news/trends/romance-color-of-the-year/