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…
A Pox on Congress this 4th of July
by Roberta Murphy I received an irate call from my father, Bob Michelson, this morning. He, a calm and decorated veteran and pilot of three wars, was fit to be tied. In addition to following the stock market closely, he tracks world events with the eyes of a falcon. “GM’s stock price is at an all-time low and Citibank is sitting at a 10-year low,” growled the Colonel. “Meanwhile the…
Luxury Real Estate Exchanges
by Roberta Murphy This is a market that sometimes brings out the creative forces in real estate. And more and more, real estate exchanges are making lots of sense in the luxury real estate market. Earlier this evening, I had an interesting conversation with a Sotheby’s real estate agent in Northern California. It seems he is interested in exchanging his exquisite 104 acre property just outside Carmel for a luxury…
GlassDoor to Reveal Executive Salaries and More
by Roberta Murphy Zillow founder Rich Barton loves placing industries inside glass houses (most notably in real estate), and may now become the cause of painful overexposure (or welcome relief) for industry executives. It seems he just unveiled GlassDoor, which will reveal salary reports, compensation figures and reviews from employees. GlassDoor, based in Sausalito, CA, currently has around 2,000 salary reports from over 250 companies along with a current reports…
The F-Word in Luxury Real Estate
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…
A Radical Proposition for Real Estate and Gas Prices
by Roberta Murphy I really want to talk about the effect gas prices will have on real estate, but first wish to tell a little story: My grandgather, Adolph Michelson emigrated at the age of 7 with his family from Norway to Deadwood, South Dakota. It required a long, hard journey by steamship. train and wagon to arrive at their eventual home in the steep hills above Deadwood. It was…
Yahoo! to Google: Real Time Stock Quotes
Google has become a noun, a verb and a trusted friend in my life. It of course answers endless questions and sends curious clients my way, but also handles my email, documents, maps, spreadsheets, instant chat, and more. And when I want to check traffic conditions, I can do it with another Google real time mapping application on the Blackberry. Just when I have to count both fingers and toes…
Databases Coming Out the Wazoo?
by Roberta Murphy Call this a geeky rant. Call it a blonde tirade. Call it what you want, but I just don’t know what to do about diverse databases. I think I have them coming out the Wazoo. If you came here seeking luxury news, you may want to click away and come back tomorrow. Right now, I am trying to sort out a database problem that honestly keeps me…
Rise in Luxury Home Foreclosures, Short Sales and REO’s?
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…
Solar Panels for the Green Luxury Home
by Roberta Murphy Upon first seeing these beautifully-designed solar panels, I couldn’t help but imagine other applications and modifications for the green lifestyle–whether it be in the luxury home, a school yard, a country club or off-the-grid project. Imagine these cobra-shaped shades as swiveling solar panels that take the place of outdoor umbrellas around the pool. Or as bus stop shelters or airport curbside check-in. The possibilities are endless and…
