Archive for July, 2010

Located in Fenwick borough just outside the town center of Old Saybrook, CT, this 6-bedroom, 6.5-bathroom “cottage” is the perfect setting for a relaxing, family friendly summer vacation.

Almost a half acre of lush green lawn and a large front porch is but the beginning of a cozy welcome into this new, energy efficient home. While architecture holds true to the historic Fenwick tradition, no amenity is overlooked. Refreshingly furnished, each room feels like a deep breath of ocean air with windows in every room, crown molding throughout, a gourmet kitchen, spacious living and dining rooms, balcony, large, screened-in back porch, tennis courts and a guest house over the garage.

Not too many people have the opportunity to call a Fenwick cottage “home, sweet, home.” According to the 2009 census, Fenwick’s population was a mere 53, making it the smallest municipality in Connecticut and, likewise, providing one of the most low-key environments one could imagine. But don’t mistake low-key for boring. Fenwick uniquely sits exactly where the Connecticut River meets the Long Island Sound, creating the ideal environment for golf, swimming, boating, biking and enjoying the beach.

Explore more Old Saybrook homes for sale and Old Saybrook homes for rent , or post a home for rent yourself!

Go to Source

Nearly two years ago, reports came out that record producer, actor, writer and founder of Roc-A-Fella Records, Damon Dash, was facing foreclosure. And this week, the threat became a reality when Dash’s Tribeca condo was sold in a foreclosure sale for $5.5 million.

According to the NY Post, “…the auction in state Supreme Court was ordered after Dash was sued nearly two years ago for failing to pay the $78,504 monthly tab on a $7.3 million mortgage on two Manhattan apartments. Only the duplex, at 25 North Moore, fetched any interest, with the winning bid going to California-based finance firm Platinum Capital.”

Dash’s other condo is at 79 Laight St., New York, NY 10013.

> See more Tribeca homes for sale

> See Tribeca home values

> See more celebrity foreclosures

Go to Source

Any experienced home buyer knows that choosing the right type of mortgage is equally as important as buying the right home. Everyone has a different lifestyle and a different budget so the question at hand is, “What will work best?”  30-year fixed? 5/1 ARM? 15-year fixed?

mckaylaleigh is in the process of making this decision and received some great insight from Zillow Advice when she asked:

5/1 arm or 30 year conventional?

If you need more information, get in touch with lenders and compare mortgage quotes and home loans instantly and most importantly – anonymously — on Zillow Mortgage Marketplace.

Go to Source

In no particular order, here are 10 amazing pools in homes for sale in the U.S. It was easy to find the opulent pools in California, but there were a few surprises in Boston and Mercer Island, WA. Enjoy!

1. Beverly Hills, CA Home For Sale — $28,500,000 (below)
1506 Lexington Rd, Beverly Hills, CA 90210
Notable: A 50-foot, glass mosaic saltwater pool is an oasis among 1.5 acres of manicured grounds. Pool boy!
> See Beverly Hills homes for sale
> See Beverly Hills home values

*****

2. Boston, MA Home For Sale — $14,950,000 (below)
74 Beacon St, Boston, MA 02108
Notable: Be careful not to swim over the infinity edge and into Boston’s Public Garden at this Beacon Street home’s lap pool.
> See Beacon Hill homes for sale
> See Beacon Hill home values

*****

3. Miami Beach Home For Sale — $27,000,000 (below)
101 20th St # PH-1, Miami Beach, FL 33139
Notable: This pool is located in the Thai-inspired Miami Beach penthouse home of Netscape founder Jim Clark.
> See Miami Beach homes for sale
> See Miami Beach home values

*****

4. Rancho Santa Fe, CA Home For Sale – $12,400,000 (below)
5974 Rancho Diegueno St, Rancho Santa Fe, CA 92067
Notable: Four-sided vanishing edge resort pool, plus three outside spas. A back yard filled with water!
> See Rancho Santa Fe homes for sale
> See Rancho Santa Fe home values

*****

5. Hollywood Hills, CA Home For Sale – $12,950,000 (below)
1525 Blue Jay Way, Los Angeles, CA 90069
Notable: Another infinity edge pool suspended daringly above the ground below. Make sure you make that turn!
> See Hollywood Hills, CA homes for sale
> See Hollywood home values

*****

6. Atlanta, GA Home For Sale – $25,000,000 (below)
490 W Paces Ferry Rd NW, Atlanta, GA 30305
Notable: Country estate in Europe? Nah — it’s a private home in Atlanta, GA.
> See Atlanta, GA homes for sale
> See Atlanta, GA home values

*****

7. Beverly Hills Home For Sale – $21,995,000 (below)
76 Beverly Park Ln, Beverly Hills, CA 90210
Notable: This spacious pool is part of a huge, 132,000+ sq ft two-family Italian villa-style home that contains 18 bedrooms 25 baths.
> See Beverly Hills homes for sale
> See Beverly Hills home values

*****

8. Fairfield, CA Home For Sale — $13,950,000 (below)
1700 Twin Sisters Rd, Fairfield, CA 94534
Notable: The 50-foot pool begins in the den and slips under perimeter sliding glass doors to a deck suspended over the hillside.
> See Fairfield, CA homes for sale
> See Fairfield, CA home values

*****

9. Mercer Island, WA Home For Sale — $23,800,000 (below)
Undisclosed Address, Mercer Island, WA
Notable: Bellagio-type drama displayed in this infinity edge pool at the edge of Lake Washington, near Seattle.
> See Mercer Island, WA homes for sale
> See Mercer Island, WA home values

*****

10. Kihei, HI Home For Sale – $12,995,000 (below)
37 Ualei Pl, Kihei, HI 96753
Notable: Swim in a lagoon-type setting where ledges, underwater bar stools and free form shape gives you permission to have fun instead of swim laps.
> See Kihei, HI homes for sale
> See Kihei, HI home values

Which is your favorite?

Go to Source

Do you have a favorite real estate blogger that fills you in on everything you need to know about real estate in your area? Then, this is your chance to show them your appreciation with your vote! Today, we are kicking off a competition that will eventually anoint a blogger as having the “Best Real Estate Blog” in their city, as chosen by the people of that city.

Here’s how it works: We have identified the top real estate bloggers in each of the cities mentioned below. You, the fans, can vote on your favorite blogger by clicking on your city’s link below. Look for the graphic, “Vote for the best real estate blog” on the right-hand side of the page (you might have to scroll down a bit) and then, click on it. You will see a list of bloggers we’ve nominated. Please vote for your favorite blogger. And, you can vote once a day through noon (PST) on Aug. 11 before voting stops.

Each winner will receive a badge to post on his or her blog to indicate they won the blog showdown, plus they will receive a link from Zillow.com!

Here are links to the city pages where the contest is currently running. Please vote! (Note: Don’t forget to scroll down to find “vote” button on the right-hand column).

Baltimore Real Estate
Chicago Real Estate
Dallas Real Estate
Houston Real Estate
Jacksonville Real Estate
Oklahoma City Real Estate
Philadelphia Real Estate
Phoenix Real Estate
San Diego Real Estate
Seattle Real Estate

Go to Source

Over the past few weeks we’ve shown you apartments for rent in cities across the country and, post-by-post, the kinds of homes one can get at escalating prices. So far, we’ve done everything from apartments you can get for $1,500 in rent to apartments that are a bit pricier at $3,500 in rent.

This week, we’re ramping it up again and showing you what you can get for $4,000 per month in rent in some of America’s best, most expensive cities.

Using Zillow’s search by monthly rent feature (image, left), you can easily browse cities and neighborhoods to see what’s for rent in any price range. Not only can you see apartments for rent on Zillow, but you can also post your home for rent!

Seattle, WA: $3,950/month

For Rent – 1942 4th Ave W Seattle, WA 98119

> See more Seattle, WA apartments for rent

****

Los Angeles, CA: $3,800/month

For Rent – 1037 N Laurel Ave West Hollywood, CA 90046

> See more Los Angeles, CA apartments for rent

*****

New York, NY: $3,950/month

For Rent – 21 E 22nd St. APT 5D New York, NY 10010

> See more New York, NY apartments for rent

*****

Chicago, IL: $4,000/month

For Rent – 1675 N Western Ave Chicago, IL 60647

> See more Chicago, IL apartments for rent

*****

Boston, MA: $3,850/month

For Rent – 75 Clarendon St Boston, MA 02116

> See more Boston, MA apartments for rent

*****

Washington, D.C.: $3,900/month

For Rent – 811 4th St NW Washington, DC 20001

> See more Washington, D.C. apartments for rent

If you’re interested in doing some searches of your own, take a look Zillow’s apartments and homes for rent or, post your own home for rent.

Go to Source

From Georgetown, SC comes a question in Zillow Advice by stepdad who asks:

Should I sell now at a loss to be able to take advantage of rates and lower priced homes?

“I purchased a 1999 manufactured home on 1 acre in 2007 for $83,500. It appraised at $91,000. It had no landscaping and the lot was grown over. I have added 1,600 sq ft. 2 car carport, work shop, covered porch, etc. I have put over $23,000 in as well as landscaped, etc. It just appraised for $101,000. Should I sell now or wait. I want to take advantage of the low interest rates and home prices to get into a stick built home. At any time a hurricane could wipe it all out since I live on the coast. I have had it FSBO for 1 month at $105,000 now and only one offer at $102,000. Any advice? Thanks.”

Most shared the same sensibilities: Take the money and run!

Do you have a real estate question? Ask the community in Zillow Advice!

Go to Source

Confirming the location of the upcoming wedding between former First Daughter, Chelsea Clinton, to investment banker Marc Mezvinsky has become a favorite summer sport among among wedding watchers.

The locale cited for the upcoming nuptials is Astor Courts in Rhinebeck, NY, but others say Martha’s Vineyard on Cape Cod is a possibility. Even the date was under dispute with July 31 being a “possibility” instead of a reality. Even the guests claim they don’t know where they’re headed, but it will be a black-tie affair.

Either way, the “Surge Desk” at AOL News offers a nifty summary of the Astor Courts and reports it is privately owned by online media producer Kathleen Hammer and real estate developer Arthur Seelbinder, who paid $3.2 million in 2005, and then invested millions more to restore it. It is presently listed for sale for $12 million.

Astor Courts is also known as the Ferncliff Casino, which was built between 1902 and 1904 for John Jacob Astor IV and his wife, Ava. It is a Beaux Arts design by American architect Stanford White who also designed the famed Washington Square Arch in New York City. Astor and White would meet their separate, tragic fates later in life; Astor died in the sinking of the Titanic and White was murdered at point-blank range by a jealous husband.

Read more about the history of Astor Courts.

> See more Rhinebeck, NY homes for sale

> See Rhinebeck, NY home values

Go to Source

When the real estate economy stabilizes and homebuilders regain their stride in building homes, there will be a new twist in custom-built homes: an extra master bedroom. No kidding.

In a recent article in the NY Times, the National Association of Home Builders  expects 60 percent of custom homes will have dual master bedrooms by 2015. This is not a new phenomenon. A few years ago the National Sleep Foundation revealed in a survey that nearly one in four American couples sleep in separate bedrooms or beds.

Why the separation? Habits such as watching TV as your significant other tries to sleep, or snoring and late-night addictions to our computers and smartphones have sent everyone running for their own space. Not to mention accommodating children and pets.

Would you add an extra master to your home if you had the choice?

Go to Source