Professional ice hockey player Jussi Jokinen is skating away from his Parkland, FL, home. As we reported back in 2015, the Finnish star purchased the property for $1.75 million, soon after he joined the Florida Panthers.
He’s now back in Finland, so his South Florida home is back on the market for $1.85 million.
Built in 2008, the waterfront estate offers six bedrooms, 6.5 bathrooms, and 6,757 square feet.
Along with water and golf views, the property comes with two garages—one of which holds a mini hockey rink that was there when Jokinen bought the place. If the next buyers don’t need to practice their slap shot, the space can be converted back into a regular garage, says listing agent Sami Luukkonen.
“This waterfront estate has it all,” added the agent.
Inside, the spacious spread offers a formal living room and dining room, as well as a designer kitchen with high-end appliances, a butler’s pantry, and a center island.
In addition, the layout includes a master suite, with two walk-in closets and a marble bath. Other perks include an office, media room, and man cave with multiple TV screens so you can keep an eye on a variety of sporting events.
Outside, the large backyard sports a pool and an outside kitchen and dining area.
Located in the Heron Bay community, the neighborhood comes with tennis courts, an athletic center, pool, and clubhouse.
After making his NHL debut with the Dallas Stars in 2005, Jokinen, 36, went on to lace up his skates for eight other squads. He finished out his time in the NHL by playing for four different teams in the 2017-18 season.
After that head-spinning turn of events, Jokinen returned to his native Finland, where he now plays for Oulun Kärpät of the Finnish Liiga.
Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac will let mortgage borrowers nationwide take out home loans over $500,000 in 2020.
The Federal Housing Finance Agency announced Tuesday that it will increase the limit on conforming loans, meaning mortgages that adhere to the standards imposed by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to a maximum of $510,400 nationwide. In high-cost areas, the maximum loan limit for mortgages acquired by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac will be $765,600.
On a local level, the loan limits were set higher in all but 43 counties across the country, the FHFA reported. The FHFA published a full list of the loan limits for each county nationwide for borrowers to reference.
By law, conforming loan limits must be adjusted to reflect changes in home prices across the U.S. The FHFA noted that its data show home prices had increased on average 5.38% between the third quarters of 2018 and 2019. Therefore, the loan limits increased by that percentage. In high-cost areas, the law allows loan limits to be set 50% higher than the baseline level nationally. Special provisions also establish different loan limit calculations for Alaska, Hawaii, Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
This is the fourth consecutive year that the conforming loan limit has increased. Between 2006 and 2016, the FHFA held loan limits at $417,000. When loan limits were increased for the first time in 2017, it sparked enthusiasm across the mortgage industry as lenders expected it could lead to more people seeking home loans, because the lower loan limit forced many people to get jumbo loans that don’t always offer competitive financing.
Higher loan limits aren’t necessarily something to celebrate though. Some market observers have argued that by allowing Fannie and Freddie to purchase larger loans, the FHFA is increasing the risk that they will go belly-up the next time there’s a market downturn.
And for consumers, the higher limits are an indication that while home price growth has slowed from its breakneck pace in recent year, prices are still heading higher. That’s exacerbating the affordability crisis occurring in many housing markets across the country, keeping thousands of would-be home buyers out of the market.
A full-floor residence in one of Manhattan‘s most exclusive buildings has landed on the market for the first time in 60 years.
With an asking price of $50 million, the third floor at 820 Fifth Ave. has earned the title of the week’s most expensive new listing on realtor.com®.
The 18-room home overlooking Central Park belonged to arts patron Jayne Wrightsman and oil tycoon Charles Wrightsman. He died in 1986 at the age of 90. She died earlier this year; she was 99.
In addition to this gorgeous home on the Upper East Side, Mrs. Wrightsman left behind a legacy of philanthropy, donating hundreds of artworks to the nearby Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Her estate is handling the sale of her residence, with proceeds to benefit charity, according to the New York Times.
The 7,000-square-foot layout includes 100 feet of Central Park frontage, with entertainment rooms spanning some 70 feet along Fifth Avenue.
Oversize windows take in the midtown Manhattan skyline and park views.
A private elevator landing opens to a 45-foot gallery with parquet de Versailles flooring and a wood-burning fireplace. That space leads into the drawing room, formal dining room, and library, all featuring 12-foot ceilings. The kitchen sits adjacent to a family room for casual dining.
A separate wing features five en suite bedrooms, as well as a study that could be converted into another bedroom. The light-filled master suite includes a fireplace and sitting area.
The home comes with staff bedrooms. But if more space is desired, a three-bedroom guest or staff apartment on the first level of the building can be purchased separately for $2.5 million.
The 12-story limestone building, built in 1916, has only one apartment per floor. High-profile residents have reportedly included Tommy Hilfiger, socialiteLily Safra, and hedge fund investor Kenneth Griffin. ( Griffin went on to spend$238 million on another New York City abode, the highest amount paid for a home in the U.S.)
And just having deep pockets isn’t enough to secure yourself a highly coveted spot in the high-end building. Potential buyers must plan to pay cash, as the building doesn’t allow financing. In addition, buyers must also have that special je ne sais quoi to earn the co-op board’s approval.
John Burger with Brown Harris Stevens holds the listing.
Sisters Melanie Folz and Mary Heitmann have always been close. But over the years, when Ms. Folz and her children visited the Heitmann family at their house in Arizona, “there weren’t enough bathrooms” for all five of the sisters’ children, explained Ms. Heitmann’s husband, Mike Heitmann. “The kids would be arguing about who got to shower first.”
While that is a standard gripe from families sharing close quarters, their solution to the problem was anything but: Ms. Folz and her husband, Roland Folz, decided to custom-build a sprawling house in Paradise Valley, Ariz., specifically designed for both families to live in. “We wanted a big place where the cousins could be together,” said Ms. Folz, 53.
Completed in 2017, the resulting stucco, glass and steel house spans about 10,000 square feet with seven bedrooms—including two master suites—plus a pool cabana that doubles as sleeping quarters. And there are 12 toilets. “Now everyone has their own bathroom,” said Ms. Heitmann, 55.
The Heitmanns live full time in the two-story, modern house, which has views of Camelback Mountain. Mr. Folz, 55, lives primarily in his native Germany, where he is CEO of a fintech bank, while Ms. Folz spends half her time in Arizona and half at their home in Berlin. When Mr. Folz retires, he and his wife plan to move full time to the Paradise Valley house.
As for the couples’ children—now all college age or older—the house has enough space for all of them to visit for vacations and holidays. Their parents designed the house with a plethora of amenities intended to lure them back home as frequently possible, and keep them coming when they eventually have children of their own, Mr. Folz said. Outside there is a tennis court, a hot tub, and an infinity pool with a rectangular fire feature jutting into it. Inside there is a home theater, a wine room, and even a man cave with a bar and golf simulator. A secret passage leads from one of the bedroom closets down to the man cave.
“If you have a house that has those types of toys, the children will likely come and visit,” Mr. Folz said.
The Folzes footed the roughly $10 million bill to build the house. “I believe that in the long term, family is what matters,” said Mr. Folz. Of his in-laws-turned-housemates, he said, “we’re lucky to have them.”
Ms. Folz and Ms. Heitmann are the youngest in a family of five siblings. Growing up in a small town in South Dakota, the sisters shared a bedroom and were “very, very close,” said Ms. Heitmann, a high-school chemistry teacher. They both attended Creighton University in Nebraska, where they had the same group of friends. “We have disagreements now and then, but it’s always really minor,” said Ms. Heitmann. When the sisters started dating their future husbands, Mr. Folz and Mr. Heitmann also became close friends.
Mr. Heitmann, a 55-year-old environmental consultant in Phoenix, said the Folzes are “easy to get along with.” He likes to go golfing with Mr. Folz, and “Melanie is my gym buddy.”
That closeness continued when the couples had children—two for the Heitmanns, and three for the Folzes. “The cousins all grew up together,” said Ms. Folz. “They really are like siblings.”
When the Folzes moved to Germany, Ms. Folz and her children visited the Heitmanns every summer, spending four to six weeks at the Heitmanns’ house in Chandler, Ariz.
Despite the shortage of bathrooms, the two families enjoyed the time together so much that they began to consider living under the same roof. “We always got along well,” said Mr. Folz. “At some point we said basically that we want to age together for the long term, so we tried to figure how we could best implement that.”
They looked around for houses to buy, “but none were suited for two families to live in one place,” said Mr. Folz. So they enlisted Erik Peterson of Scottsdale-based PHX Architecture to design a custom home for them.
Mr. Peterson said he was surprised at the request. He’d designed homes for couples living with an aging parent, but he had never built a house for adult siblings to share. “We were nervous at the beginning,” he said.
Surprisingly, the process went very smoothly—more smoothly than normal, in fact. “I think it was one of the more civil processes we’ve ever had,” Mr. Peterson said. If the two couples disagreed, he said, “they never did it in front of us.”
Mr. Heitmann confirmed that the process was free of conflict. It helped that all four were generally on the same page aesthetically, preferring minimal, clean lines and neutral colors.
Mr. Peterson communicated primarily with the Folzes while designing the house—usually remotely via GoToMeeting, since they were in Germany for much of the process. But when they were in town, Mr. Peterson had in-person meetings with the Folzes and the Heitmanns, and all four gave their opinions.
A challenge was finding the right piece of land in Paradise Valley, an affluent area they liked for its quiet and residential character. The couples wanted a hillside lot that would provide a view of Camelback’s dramatic craggy peaks, but they also wanted a parcel flat enough to build a tennis court for their active offspring. They found an appropriate site spanning about 1.2 acres, which the Folzes bought for $2 million in 2014. The site had an older home on it, which they demolished to make way for the new house.
The house is designed to give each family plenty of privacy, but also has large common spaces where everyone can spend time together, Mr. Peterson said. To that end, the master suites are at opposite ends of the house, and each has its own sitting room.
“If you need some space, you can always get away,” said Mr. Folz. “That’s probably the key to success.”
Each of the “kids” has their own bedroom and en-suite bath in the house, except for 26-year-old Kyle, the Heitmanns’ oldest, who prefers to sleep in the cabana, where he has his own kitchenette.
There are plenty of places to congregate: a large kitchen with two islands ideal for preparing Thanksgiving dinner, family rooms upstairs and downstairs, and multiple patios by the pool. There is a pool table outside the wine room, and the home theater has tiered seating for movie nights.
The whimsical man cave is paneled in shiny silver aluminum and blue tufted leather for a retro look, Mr. Folz said. The room has a bar, pinball machines and a full-size golf simulator, along with a space where Mr. Folz displays one of his cars. Behind a hidden door is the passageway to one of the bedrooms, which also serves as an emergency exit.
With the Folzes spending much of their time in Berlin, Mr. Peterson wanted to ensure that the house doesn’t feel too big when only the Heitmanns are home. He placed the master suites on the upper level along with the kitchen, family room and a garage; additional bedrooms, movie theater and wine room are all downstairs.
“The upper level has everything you need for one family,” he said. The result is “a really nice flow,” Ms. Folz said, “so even if it’s just a couple of people it’s not overwhelming.”
How They Keep It Running
Here are the ways that the Folzes and the Heitmanns work together while living together.
Jointly running the house involves daily dialogue between the two couples by WhatsApp and text messaging. “We’re constantly in communication,” said Ms. Heitmann.
The couples set up a house email account that all four have access to, which they use to schedule contractors, for example.
When it comes to money, the Folzes pay for major expenses and the couples take turns paying for smaller things, like groceries. “We don’t count every nickel and dime,” said Mr. Folz. “To me, more important is that we have a lot of fun times with the family.”
They have a weekly housecleaner but if there’s a major task to be done, “we all just jump in and do it,” Ms. Folz said.
The Folzes are on the deed to the house and the Heitmanns aren’t. That keeps things simple, they said. The Heitmanns don’t pay rent, and the couples don’t have an exit plan for selling the house.
Former pitcher David Cone is still hoping to catch a buyer for his apartment in New York City. Cone purchased the West Village unit in 2016 for $7.97 million.
About a year after he bought the place, he moved to be closer to his son’s school, notes listing agent Andrea Wohl Lucas of Douglas Elliman. So the All-Star placed the luxury abode on the market for $10 million.
But the listing didn’t catch a buyer’s eye. Once set as high as $10.5 million in 2017, the price dropped down to $8.6 million this year. Even with a discount, Cone could still pocket a profit if he manages to get his asking price.
But the listing also has a curveball—in the form of a tenant. So now the home is being pitched as a “Great investor opportunity with tenant in place,” as the listing description puts it.
“They decided to sell or rent,” Lucas says. “We rented it, but we had a lot of interest to buy it.” She added, “There aren’t a lot of apartments like it.” Plus, with the recent price reduction, she says, “It’s really priced very fairly now.”
Lucas declined to disclose the rental income that a buyer would receive, but notes that once the tenant’s lease ends, a new owner could either choose to move in or continue to keep it as a rental. Either way, it could be seen as a win-win.
Built in 2014, the four-bedroom, 4.5-bathroom unit stretches north to south and features 2,818 square feet of living space. The entrance gallery opens into the south-facing living and dining room, with glass doors that open to a large private balcony.
The large, eat-in kitchen also features a center island and Sub-Zero, Wolf, and Miele appliances.
On the other side of the apartment, you’ll find the bedroom wing, including the master suite, with a walk-in closetand an en suite marble bath. Two more bedrooms are also en suite. A fourth en suite bedroom off the living room could also be used as an office or a guest room.
Other luxe features include hardwood flooring, a laundry room, and 10-feet high ceilings.
Building residents enjoy amenities including a 24-hour attended lobby, gym, yoga rooms, a 25-meter swimming pool, a children’s playroom, and bicycle storage. A large storage unit is included with the sale.
Cone starred for the New York Mets, Toronto Blue Jays, and New York Yankees over his 17-year career in the big leagues. He retired in 2003, with 194 wins and 2,668 strikeouts. The five-time World Series champion is currently a color commentator for the New York Yankees.
Every Thanksgiving offers up a surprise bargain or two. This year, we found you nine—and you don’t have to head to the mall and jostle with the crowds.
We’re talking homes. Affordable homes from across the United States: nine desirable family homes priced under the national median list price of $312,000.
We were delighted to find these nine gems scattered across the country, each roomy enough to host next year’s turkey feast and still have enough cash left over for a little Black Friday shopping.
So skip the lines and prepare to be grateful for these lovely homes, all priced within reach. There are more than enough delicious deals to go around…
Big D Delight: Ready to move in, this four-bedroom, 2.5-bathroom, over 2,400-square-foot home was built in 2006. It boasts traditional lines and finishes to suit almost any taste. The large lot means a big backyard for outdoor living and entertaining and a treeline view.
Minny midcentury: This brick-front midcentury modern home has two bedrooms, two bathrooms, and nearly 1,300 square feet, spread across three levels. Recent updates include a new furnace, central air, custom window treatments, a renovated full bathroom, and fiber-optic wiring. The location is also a big plus—it’s across the street from a park, near trails, and within walking distance of restaurants and shops.
Desert dwelling: Dig that enormous cactus out front! Built in 1957, this brick ranch is suited for family living, with three bedrooms, two bathrooms, and 1,800 square feet. Exposed brick and wood, built-ins, large open spaces and plenty of natural light create a versatile space indoors. Outdoors, the quarter-acre lot features a large, in-ground pool, as well as a yard for kids or pets.
Boise beauty: Built in 1959, this well-preserved ranch home has only had one owner. A recent face-lift to the three bedroom, 1.5 bathroom, 1,400-square-foot house has given the interiors new life. Even with the updates, charming original details like the double fireplace, blond wood cabinetry, and built-ins are all intact.
Space to spread out: Built in 1830, this Greek Revival mansion has eight bedrooms, seven bathrooms, and more than 5,700 square feet—which means this historic home costs only $52 a square foot. The listing suggests that it could be used as an Airbnb or wedding venue, and it previously operated as the Emerson House Bed and Breakfast.
Close to Lake George in the Adirondacks, the home is filled with treasures: stained glass, crystal chandeliers, and custom woodwork. The nearly full-acre lot also includes a 4,000-square-foot carriage house.
Georgia gravy: Well-maintained since it was built a decade ago, this four-bedroom, 2.5-bathroom home sits on more than a quarter-acre lot in the Lakeside Preserve planned community. Resident amenities include a clubhouse, pool with slide, basketball, tennis, a playground, and a lake. High ceilings, hardwood floors, plus neutral paint and carpet keep things light and airy in the home’s nearly 3,400 square feet.
Pop the popcorn: This large home, with a lovely fireplace, would be the perfect place to spend a night in, watching movies! Besides the big living room, a large kitchen with an island is just one of the highlights of this five-bedroom, three-bathroom, nearly 2,600-square-foot home, perfect for a family.
Revamped in Washington: This beauty of a bungalow was built in 1943 and recently remodeled. The bathrooms, granite countertops, furnace, and other major systems are all like-new. With five bedrooms and three bathrooms in over 2,800 square feet home, it’s located in Shadle Park and includes other upgrades, like hardwood floors and built-ins.
Park Ridge perfection: Built in 1946 and updated throughout, this two-bedroom brick bungalow has 1,450 square feet of living space. There’s also a basement being used as a roomy rec room, and an attic that’s currently being used as a third bedroom.
“It’s totally turnkey,” says listing agent Craig Watters, referring to a 7,500-square-foot home in Garrison, NY, that he’s listed for $4.95 million.
There’s a certain significance to the turnkey nature of the home. Built in 1867, the estate (dubbed the Hurst-Pierrepont Estate) is set on a nearly 20-acre lot and was constructed with materials of such high quality that few renovations have been required.
Alexander Jackson Davis, who designed the home, as well as Federal Hall National Memorial in New York City and the Gothic Revival mansion Lyndhurst in Tarrytown, NY, was commissioned for the project by Edwards Pierrepont, a U.S. ambassador to England and former New York and United States Attorney General.
The current owners have had the home since 1997 and—until only two owners ago—it was in the hands of Pierrepont’s descendants. It’s been lovingly preserved for a century and a half. Now it’s just a matter of finding a buyer who desires a residence with a prestigious pedigree.
“What I like about this home is that it’s an opportunity for someone to be a custodian of something historically significant,” says Watters, of Coldwell Banker’s Croton on Hudson office.
During the 1870s, coinciding with the invention of indoor plumbing, a tower was built to accommodate two bathrooms. “It adds a certain visual aesthetic,” says Watters, “but it’s also practical.”
A kitchen wing was added around that same time, replacing the prior kitchen, which was, true to the period, outdoors. A carriage house, pool, and summerhouse are included in the sale. All materials, from millwork to brick—with the exception of some of the flooring—are original to the home.
Although the estate is move-in ready and in immaculate condition, maintaining it will be a constant theme over the coming years. “Buyers, at this level, are well aware: At this price point and historic significance, it comes with a price,” says Watters.
Who would be the ideal owner to write the next chapter in this home’s history? Watters thinks it could be used as a weekend or country home for someone living in New York City, which is a 90-minute train ride away (to Grand Central Station).
The U.S. Military Academy (West Point) is directly across the Hudson River and an 18-minute trip by car. Nearby Cold Spring (4 miles to the north) provides nightlife, restaurants, and shops, says Watters.
“The buyer’s going to be one of two things—from New York City, or here in Garrison looking to move up,” says Watters.
In Garrison, the average listing price is $550,000, although last year, the highest-priced home sale in the town was $3.8 million, says Watters.
“Today, it’s definitely affluent in Garrison,” he says, “and (there are) still commuters (to New York City) but (these are) folks who don’t have to commute too often. There’s not a lot of (historic homes in Garrison), and they definitely don’t hit the market that often.”
Mortgage rates have inched upward. If the trend continues, it could make affordability even more of a roadblock to would-be buyers.
The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 3.68% during the week ending Nov. 27, up two basis points from the previous week, Freddie Mac reported Thursday. Mortgage rates remain much lower than a year ago. During this same week last year, the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 4.81%.
The 15-year fixed-rate mortgage remained unchanged from the previous week at an average of 3.15%, according to Freddie Mac. The 5/1 adjustable-rate mortgage averaged 3.43%, rising four basis points from a week ago.
Mortgage rates generally track the direction of the 10-year Treasury note. After increasing sharply at the beginning of the month, the 10-year Treasury yield has fallen over much of November amid uncertainty about a possible U.S.-China trade deal.
Mortgage rates have seesawed considerably since the summer, but the trend is generally upward. Over the past two months, mortgage rates have only fallen week-over-week on three occasions.
If that trend continues into the new year, it could make for a rocky start to 2020 for the housing market. The rise in mortgage rates in October contributed to the decline in pending home sales, according to the National Association of Realtors, though the tight inventory of homes for sale likely played a larger role.
Until now, the low mortgage rates of late have received a somewhat muted response from home-buyers, though they have caused an increase in refinancing activity. Even if mortgage rates remain below 4% for the rest of winter, it’s unlikely that would-be home buyers will respond to the low rate environment en masse, reducing the tailwind effects low rates could have.
Preservationist Brett Waterman—star and host of the show “Restored”—happens to live in Redlands. He’s known about this six-bedroom, 4.5-bath classic for some time and says he’s just dying to get his hands on it for an episode on his show.
He even made a video about some of the home’s fabulous original features and expressed how eager he is to take on a restoration project of the place. Provided the new owners agree to it, of course.
The 4,493-square-foot house was originally built in 1911 for Chicago railroad executive Harry A. Cherrier.
It’s been honored with a Heritage Award, and is often compared to Pasadena’s Gamble and Blacker house, which was designed by the brothers Henry and Charles Greene.
Waterman says many of the wonderful original details of the house still exist—they’re just covered up by layers of paint.
The glass-paned pocket doors in the dining room reveal gleaming cherrywood, and Waterman believes that the wainscoting and molding could also be fine cherrywood, hidden under layers and layers of mostly white paint.
Polished brass accents, crystal doorknobs, quarter-sawn oak flooring, leaded glass windows, and a gorgeous original ceiling lamp are among the home’s other charming original features.
And the inglenook by the fireplace? A quintessential element of the California Arts and Crafts style, we deem it epically cozy.
The woodwork on the staircase is original as well, although also coated with many coats of paint.
The kitchen, which still features some of its original cabinetry, could use a little work. Which is exactly the type of thing they like to do on Waterman’s show.
His show brings rooms up-to-date with modern conveniences, but they ensure modern features mesh perfectly with the historic vibe of the rest of the home.
Some valuable updates have already been made on the house. In 2005, the original basement was converted to living space, which added an additional 1,832 square feet to the home, bringing the total to 6,325 square feet.
Solar panels have also been added and are totally paid for. And more than $60,000 was spent on new double-paned windows to keep the home energy-efficient and quiet.
Outside, there are dozens of fruit trees, mostly citrus, in addition to a fenced and secured pool.
“This beauty is waiting to be restored,” says Waterman. “I’m in love with this house!” And perhaps he’ll fall in love with the new owners as well, since they would probably be working closely together on the restoration.
If you’re looking to save a historic home, wind up with an unforgettable residence, and score a little TV face time in the deal, we’ve found just the place.