by Roberta Murphy Luxury real estate gossip the last few months has fluttered around topics like the sale of Donald Trump’s Palm Beach mansion at $100 million (when it had been listed for $125 million), the pending foreclosure of Ed McMahon’s Beverly Hills home, and the F-word in luxury real estate (foreclosures). These days, recession is the hot topic as brokerage accounts have been bloodied, home equities have declined, and…
by Roberta Murphy Forecl—– It’s a word softly whispered when luxury homeowners in luxe communities like Palm Beach (33480), Beverly Hills (90210), Greenwich (06831) and Rancho Santa Fe (92067) discuss their local real estate markets. Real estate prices have been declining in many of these markets throughout the country, and some of the heavily mortgage homes are ending up as foreclosure sales. The most prominent foreclosure victim of late is…
by Roberta Murphy Luxury Home Foreclosures? It appears that even the luxury real estate market will not fully escape the financial ravages that are taking down less-expensive neighborhoods. Housing Wire asks: Has REO gone jumbo? To find out, they consulted with Integrated Asset Services, LLC in Colorado to see if foreclosures are moving up the real estate food chain. And though not all properties with loans in excess of the…
by Roberta Murphy I call Eve Sieminski the Polish Contessa. She loves fine jewelry, expensive hairstylists and fine wine. I don’t know where Eve shops for jewelry or what deal (if any) she strikes with her hairstylist, but we follow her wine recommendations religiously. Eve truly knows how to serve luxury on a gold-plated shoestring. You see, the Polish Contessa, has no problem pouring a classless wine down the drain,…
by Roberta Murphy Deepest apologies to those of you who were unable to access Luxury Home Digest this past week. It seems we were the victim of a malevolent hacking attack last Sunday night, whereby all of our content was deleted–on not only Luxury Home Digest, but San Diego Previews as well. Thanks to the tireless work of blogging gurus at the Real Estate Tomato, we have been able to…
Roberta Murphy Investors are moving back into the San Diego real estate market with impatient wallets. And luxury real estate investors are no exception. They are seeking well-priced foreclosures, pre-negotiated short sales and most favored of all: Real estate investments with income streams. So-called bargains in sub-marginal areas may not be the wisest real estate investment move anywhere. Perceived bargains in outlying markets may be nothing of the sort, and…
by Roberta Murphy Once upon a time, the neighborhoods off Houstons northwest FM1960 were a luxury homebuilders dream. Large wooded and level lots surrounded upscale country clubs such as Champions Golf Course, Raveneaux, and North Gate Country Club. Affluent families were attracted to these homes because of great neighborhood schools, beautiful parks, challenging golf courses, and nearby fine dining and shopping areas. It was an area where I once lived,…
by Roberta Murphy Any verbiage I add to this photo would probably be superfluous, since this chatty picture already exceeds the expected thousand words. Hats off to someones clever recycling of mobile homes. Not sure if the intent was green construction, but the designer certainly managed to minimize the footprint of this little mobile home park. I also wonder about the relation of people who live here. And what about…
by Roberta Murphy Thompson I love living in coastal San Diego, but have a special appreciation for mountains and mountain lakes. Among other mountain attractions, its the regularity of seasons, the deep blue water, the towering pines, and the snow pack that accumulates each winter. It is easy to imagine such natural beauty. Now, imagine a 210-acre mountain estate in Lake Tahoe (the tax-free side) with its own serene private…
by Roberta Murphy This piece is for those of us unable to make the biannual trek to Paris for the biannual Maison & Objet trade show that features the hottest home decor designs produced by the smartest and most influential names in the industry. Those in the luxury home business are always on the prowl, trying to spot the latest trends that might help update, inspire and improve the luxury…
