After three years on the market and multiple price cuts, the Southampton, NY, home of celebrity chef Rachael Ray is now off the menu. Ray sold the sumptuous property for $3.25 million. The Food Network star’s good taste also extends to real estate. The mouth-watering spread in one the nations’s most coveted regions features lush lawns and specimen gardens on 6 parklike acres. The picturesque property encompasses two separate lots that are adjacent to the Southampton Golf Club. It’s an idyllic backdrop for the 3,000-square-foot main residence, four-room pool house, one-room cottage, and pool. Ray purchased the property in 2008 for $2.1 million. In 2017, Ray and husband John Cusimano listed the home for $4.9 million. It was relisted in 2018 for $4.69 million. And last year, the vacation retreat came back on the market for $4 million. The three-bedroom, five-bath home is light and airy with a calming neutral palette. All the bedrooms are en suite. The home features an open living and dining area with sliding glass doors that open to a relaxing pool area. The heated pool is surrounded by a blue stone patio and pergola, which sits next to the pool house. The buyer had the option to scoop up the place with all the furnishings in the updated interior, done by Ray’s design guru, Michael Murray. Listing agent Angela Boyer Stump with Sotheby’s International Realty says the decor and furnishings helped seal the deal. “A family from Bronxville instantly fell in love with the character and style. The main house, pool house, and writer’s cottage have an old-world style and flair that bring an elegant sophistication,” she says. Ray reportedly spends her free time in upstate New York, where her mother lives, and is “never in the Hamptons,” according to the New York Post. She spends time at her Lake Luzerne getaway, and she reportedly owns an apartment in New York City. The Emmy-winning TV personality hosts a syndicated talk show, “Rachael Ray,” as well as the cooking series “30 Minute Meals.” She’s also the author of numerous cookbooks. Denise Stephens with Sotheby’s International Realty represented the buyer. The post Recipe for Success: Rachael Ray Sells Her Southampton Home for $3.25M appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com®. via https://www.realtor.com/news/celebrity-real-estate/rachael-ray-sells-southampton-home/
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One of the country’s most infamous homes went up for sale this week, and the clicks soon followed. The Palm Beach, FL, mansion of the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein listed for $22 million, and the sheer curiosity it inspired made it the week’s most popular home on realtor.com®. The disgraced financier died in jail a year ago, while facing an array of criminal charges. Two of his properties—one in Florida, the other in New York—just went on the market. The Palm Beach home is the less expensive of the two, and the images available are limited to a handful of shots of the mansion’s exterior. This lack of listing photos, however, didn’t stop gawkers from taking a peek at the property. Just a couple miles north of Mar-a-Lago, the waterfront mansion was designed by John Volk, an architect of the mid-20th century who helped to define Palm Beach’s signature style. While Palm Beach remains popular with luxury buyers, it will be interesting to see whether anyone will be able to look past the home’s most recent owner. Aside from Epstein’s mansion, you also clicked on the country’s most expensive home, the second-oldest home in Indiana, and a marvelous modern farmhouse in Oklahoma. We also saw the return of the wild underground bunker lurking below Las Vegas—an ideal property for 2020. For a full look at all of this week’s most popular properties, simply scroll on down… 10. 1 Cedar Glade, Corydon, INPrice: $795,000 Why it’s here: Built in 1808 and known as Cedar Glade, this is the second-oldest residence in Indiana. Only three families have owned this property over its two-century history. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the grounds include a walkway, patio, gazebo, circular drive, and freshly painted original barn. The five-bedroom main house is in Federal style and offers more than 7,000 square feet of living space. ——-- 9. 511 Mohegan Avenue Pkwy, Waterford, CTPrice: $449,900 Why it’s here: This waterfront three-bedroom Colonial was built in 1900 and underwent a complete remodel in 1985. It’s been regularly updated ever since, and is located on a waterfront half-acre with lovely views. Its highlights include a custom kitchen, walkout lower level, Tiki bar, patio, and dock. ——-- 8. 67 Beverly Park Ct, Beverly Hills, CAPrice: $160,000,000 Why it’s here: This is the most expensive piece of property in the country. The 20-bedroom estate comes with nearly 10 acres in the nation’s most prestigious ZIP code. ——-- 7. 6819 Northway Dr, Roanoke, VAPrice: $150,000 Why it’s here: Affordable and stylish! According to the listing details, this chic midcentury modern house has been featured in the pages of House Beautiful magazine. Built in 1956, the three-bedroom home features a stone fireplace, huge windows, and a wraparound porch. ——-- 6. 1675 Rochester Rd, Addison Township, MIPrice: $460,000 Why it’s here: This was on our list of 10 private islands you can buy right now. Set in the middle of a lake, the tiny island comes with a three-bedroom home built in 1951. There’s also a steel bridge to the island, as well as a cable trolley to move freight between the island and the mainland. ——-- 5. 3970 Spencer St, Las Vegas, NVPrice: $18,000,000 Why it’s here: Known as the “Vegas Bunker House,” this one-of-a-kind residence peaked in popularity a couple of years ago, when it initially came on the market. Thanks to the pandemic, interest in the subterranean dwelling is percolating again. The space includes a 5,000-square-foot house, a 450-square foot guesthouse, and murals that mimic the sky and nature views. It’s a funky fortress for those who want to be truly prepared. ——-- 4. 902 Township Road 262, Fostoria, OHPrice: $715,000 Why it’s here: With more than 7,000 square feet of living space, this huge home includes upgrades like a sunroom, a two-sided fireplace, a custom kitchen, and walkout basement. The roomy, traditional house is set on 5 rolling acres. ——-- 3. 11101 S. Czech Hall Rd, Mustang, OKPrice: $699,999 Why it’s here: Only two years old, it’s exactly what today’s buyers desire. Built in 2018, this four-bedroom modern farmhouse is on a nearly 6-acre lot. Fine finishes and custom details throughout the home combine to make it a Pinterest-perfect home. ——-- 2. 550 W. Possum Rd, Springfield, OHPrice: $415,000 Why it’s here: Near the Possum Woods sits this lovely blue Colonial built in 1904. The five-bedroom home includes a finished attic, original wood flooring, and a walkout basement. We’re particularly enamored with the enclosed porch on the second floor. A fenced yard features an above-ground pool next to a four-car garage with woodshop. For a buyer looking to spread out, there’s an additional 2.5 acres available for purchase. ——-- 1. 358 El Brillo Way, Palm Beach, FLPrice: $21,995,000 Why it’s here: Infamy drives clicks. The former mansion of the notorious Jeffrey Epstein landed on the market, and curious gawkers wanted a look. The listing photos of the palatial spread don’t offer much, simply showcasing the exterior of the estate. It’s located in one of the country’s most prestigious towns, and we’ll keep an eye out to see if anyone wants to buy a home with substantial baggage. The post Jeffrey Epstein’s Palm Beach Mansion Is This Week’s Most Popular Home appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com®. via https://www.realtor.com/news/trends/jeffrey-epstein-former-palm-beach-mansion-most-popular/ With a distinctive decor sensibility and stone walls throughout, a 5,254-square-foot home on a 17.5-acre spread in New Berlin, WI, demands your attention. On the market for $1 million and extremely customized, it’s like no home you’ve ever seen. The residence is chock-full of eclectic and global decor. Take the enormous Buddha statue in the corner of the dining room, where hand-carved butterflies adorn the chair backs. In another room, a small red-brick, adobe-type structure resembles a makeshift sauna. Several of the home’s interior walls are crafted from stones stacked horizontally. The stacks of stones dominate the living room, which has the look of a plant-filled conservatory. You’ll be wowed by towering tropical plants, two rows of windows, the pond (yes, a pond), cut into the floor, and the tall indoor waterfall crafted from stone. Walls of double-stacked windows invite natural sunlight in. Even during a harsh Wisconsin winter, the space feels as if you’ve landed in a warmer climate. Vessel sinks in at least two bathrooms appear to be cut from stone. The home’s doorways are either rough-hewn, or in an unusual arched shape, with rounded borders. One bedroom has wide custom wood doors, with hand-painted flowers and lily pads. The lily-pad theme shows up often, including on the bathroom flooring. Outside, the property features a 3.5-acre, spring-fed pond, and tons of room to spread out. A pedestrian bridge over a stream, an outdoor fire pit and an expansive stone patio make this spot just west of Milwaukee seem worlds away from a metro area. The current owner has also artfully carved out spots for a home office and a music room. As for those Wisconsin winters, it’s a given that the outdoor pond will freeze over. But a massive indoor soaking tub—carved into a room with stone walls, ceilings, and floor—could be just the spot to warm up. The home is represented by Brian Altman of Realty Executives Elite. The post Must-See Design! Wild Choices in Wisconsin Bring the Outdoors Inside appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com®. via https://www.realtor.com/news/unique-homes/wild-decor-in-wisconsin-brings-the-outdoors-inside/ “House Party” is realtor.com®’s official podcast about the overlapping worlds of real estate and pop culture, hosted by Natalie Way and Rachel Stults. Click the player above to hear our takes on this week’s hot topics. Drew and Jonathan Scott, aka the Property Brothers, have bought and flipped their fair share of homes throughout the country at varying prices. Some are modest single-family homes in need of a design-minded expert, and some are multimillion-dollar mansions lacking in the up-to-date features many luxury buyers crave. But their most recent real estate purchase, a $9.5 million estate in Los Angeles’ tony Brentwood neighborhood, proved to be the most expensive property they’ve ever held in their portfolio. The house itself is a sight to behold, with many original architectural touches from the 1930s intact. Still, we couldn’t help but wonder if any big changes really need to be made. So we dig into all the details on this episode of “House Party.” Other topics we discuss:
Ready to listen? 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 is 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 of your burning real estate questions on “The Mailbox” segment. Email us at [email protected], follow us on Facebook, or tweet us @housepartypod on Twitter. The post ‘House Party’ Podcast: The Property Brothers Buy Their Most Expensive House Yet appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com®. via https://www.realtor.com/news/podcast/episode-70-house-party-podcast/ The actress Bella Thorne is leaving her bright-pink home behind. Sheâs listed the outrageously decorated home in Sherman Oaks, CA, for $2.55 million, the Los Angeles Times reported. The space features brightly colored murals on the walls, rainbow-hued stairs, and a ârose room,â covered with, yes, handcrafted roses. If youâre a fan of the actress, this might be the ultimate conversation piece. The former Disney star, who is just 22, purchased the property in 2016 for $2.01 million. She lived there for a couple of years, but has since primarily used the place for photo shoots and events, according to a recent profile of the home in the Los Angeles Times. âI wanted it to feel like every time you step into another room, you are entering a complete other world,â she told the Times. She also declared herself âobsessedâ with roses, which explains the floral wall. Thereâs no doubt this property is an Instagram dream. A photo posted on social media shows the actress draped in a swinging magenta pendant chair.
Starting with the hot-pink exterior, the home definitely stands out. If the next owner isnât as keen on the color choices, though, that can easily be fixed with a new paint job. The Los Angeles-based company Just Right Painting, Inc., which services the area, took a look at the listing photos for us. Based on an eyeball of the homeâs specs, it reported that the cost for a power wash, prime, and application of two final coats of fresh paint to the exterior would run about $12,500. But thatâs just the exterior. If you want to cover over the interior color customizations with more neutral shades, figure on another few thousand bucks. Perhaps a buyer wonât want to paintâand the marketing for the home has leaned into the look. The listing description notes that inside the gated abode, potential buyers will find a âunique and re-interpreted contemporary traditional.â A mild understatement! The 4,500-square-foot, five-bedroom, 5.5-bathroom house has been redone to the hilt to fit Thorneâs precise tastes. From the foyer, you canât miss the wild murals that span the two-story entry, rainbow-painted stairs, and brightly colored doors, which have a certain Skittles vibe. A blue-green dining room features a fireplace, and the family room opens out, with pocket doors, to a covered barbecue, pool, and hot tub in a small but private backyard. The kitchen features a marble-top island, built-in espresso machine, stainless-steel appliances, a pot filler, and multicolored cabinets. The home also includes a butlerâs pantry, wine cellar, and an office. The main bedroom features sliding glass doors, high ceilings, more murals, and a fireplace. The marble bathroom is covered with flowers and ivyâanother project waiting for the new owner. Meanwhile, the cavernous closet includes a floral print ceiling, accented with fluffy red surfaces, and âneeds to be seen in person. Itâs massive, to say the least,â the listing states. The property also includes a two-car garage, smart home systems, and surround sound. Thorne rose to prominence as a teenage star in the Disney show âShake It Upâ in 2010. She has kept busy on a variety of television, music, and film projects ever since. Brandon Melgar with Segovia Real Estate Group holds the listing. The post Bella Thorneâs Home Will Cost You $2.55MâPlus a Pretty Penny for a New Paint Job appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com®. via https://www.realtor.com/news/celebrity-real-estate/bella-thorne-pink-house-sherman-oaks-for-sale/ A luxurious Bel-Air megamansion with jaw-dropping views and equally impressive amenities is back on the market for $67.5 million. Even with a 33% price cut, the Los Angeles property is still the most expensive new listing on realtor.com® this week. The location is exquisite: The 30,000-square-foot estate overlooks the Bel-Air Country Club golf course. And the megamansion could be the last of its kind in the area, thanks to recently enacted zoning restrictions on oversize homes on relatively small lots. After five years of construction, the home was listed at $100 million in 2017. It’s come down in price over the years. At its current price, will a buyer bite? Built by developer Donald Bolin, the property was constructed “like a night club,” he told realtor.com® when it first came on the market. Which is to say, it’s a party pad meant for a buyer who lives to entertain. Flooring is porcelain tile, lighting is LED, and there are 25 bathrooms. But these days, what was once a devil-may-care party palace is now a perfect pandemic bubble. And with the range of luxury amenities on offer—especially at a time when many are still sheltering in place—deep-pocketed buyers may give this place another look. Set on 1.03 acres, the 12-bedroom mansion was designed with “every amenity imaginable,” the listing notes. The large space offers plenty of room to spread out, including 40,000 square feet of decks. A mini Olympics could be held on the spacious yard. The outdoor space features a tennis court, infinity pool with waterfalls and spa, cabana, two fire features, and a putting green. Inside, there’s a home theater with seating for over 40, a game room and bar, wine cellar, two-lane bowling alley, a professional salon, sport court, and “world-class gym.” The living space boasts high ceilings, walls of windows that open to the outside, a formal dining room, and a large, eat-in kitchen. At 5,600 square feet, the master bedroom is the size of some homes, and comes with its own spa and theater. There’s a commercial elevator, and parking is plentiful with a motor court that holds 60 cars. That’s in addition to a 14-car garage. On the practical side, the layout includes a library and an office, for when you can tear yourself away from all the in-home diversions and perhaps get some work done. Ginger Glass with Compass holds the listing. The post Even With Big Price Cut, $67.5M Bel-Air Mansion Is This Week’s Most Expensive New Listing appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com®. via https://www.realtor.com/news/trends/even-with-a-price-cut-bel-air-megamansion-most-expensive/ Former San Francisco 49er tight end Brent Jones is letting go of his Lake Tahoe getaway in Incline Village, NV. The mountain home is now on the market for $10.9 million. The three-time Super Bowl champ retired in 1997 after an 11-year career with the Niners. Since then, he’s been active in a number of real estate transactions. Jones purchased this coveted parcel of land on the lake’s north shore in 2012 for $1.3 million. A custom dwelling was built by Brink Custom Homes in late 2014. Located across the street from Burnt Cedar Beach, the glass and stone structure provides lovely lake views. With 6,442 square feet of living space, the home has five bedrooms, five bathrooms, and two half-baths. The great room features a 27-foot ceiling, massive granite hearth, and custom ironwork. The space includes a living area, dining area, and open kitchen, all with access to the outdoors. A master bedroom wing boasts “shelter in place amenities,” with a library in the foyer, office overlooking the lake, en suite bedroom, walk-in closet, and private deck. Other luxe amenities in the rustic retreat include a home theater and wine room. The half-acre property features landscaping with fountains, fire pits, and areas for lounging and dining. The area is a ski mecca in winter, but the vacation spot offers all-season outdoor activities, including hiking, boating, and swimming. Jones, 57, is a Bay Area legend who played college football at Santa Clara University. As a critical part of the 49ers offense in the late ’80s and early ’90s, he made the Pro Bowl four times. Off the field, he founded a venture capital firm with teammates in 2000. He has since sold the business and, in 2017, invested in a condo in the Millennium Tower in San Francisco for $4.15 million. That same year, Jones also placed his Diablo, CA, home on the market for $2.8 million. He had bought the pad in 2015 for $2.3 million. It looks to have sold for slightly below list price. As of 2018, the Bay Area native had apparently moved to Dallas. Kerry Donovan, Megan Parr Warren, and Debbie Hansen with Donovan Group Luxury Sales hold the listing. The post San Francisco 49er Legend Brent Jones Selling $10.9M Tahoe Retreat appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com®. via https://www.realtor.com/news/celebrity-real-estate/brent-jones-selling-tahoe-retreat/ Many of us have been sprucing up our digs while stuck at home during the coronavirus pandemic. Well, so has First Lady Melania Trump, in the White House. Sheâs swapped out furniture in the Blue Room, wall coverings in the Red Room, and even redecorated the bowling alley. Now, sheâs turned her eye to improving the great outdoors, by renovating the famed Rose Garden. According to a White House news release, the first lady is spearheading a project to ârestore and enhanceâ this version of the garden, which President John F. Kennedy revamped nearly 60 years ago, and which has been the site of many bill signings, state dinners, and other presidential ceremonies. More recently, President Donald Trump has been using the garden to host his coronavirus press briefings. Melania Trump came in for some criticism on social media for lavishing attention on a garden in the midst of a pandemic. (The project is said to be privately funded.) Weâre not going to take sides on that, but since itâs happening anyway, we canât deny that weâre fascinated by what sheâll do with this iconic space. âThe very act of planting a garden involves hard work and hope in the possibility of a bright future,â the first lady said in a statement. âPreserving the history and beauty of the White House and its grounds is a testament to our nationâs commitment to the care of this landscape and our dedication to American ideals, safeguarding them for our children and their children for generations to come.â
Inside Melania Trumpâs plans for the White House Rose GardenThe Rose Garden dates back to 1913, when Ellen Axson Wilsonâwife of President Woodrow Wilsonâfirst unveiled this half-acre plot to the public. The best-known garden redesign, though, occurred under President John F. Kennedy in 1962, when the president tasked his family friend Rachel âBunnyâ Lambert Mellon with overhauling this outdoor space. Mellon created the iconic layout in place today: a lush rectangle flanked by geometric planting beds, flowering crabapple trees, boxwood shrubs, magnolia trees, and pale roses. Melania Trumpâs updates to the Rose Garden will stick closely to the 1962 design. Sheâll be collaborating with members of the Committee for the Preservation of the White House, as well as the landscape architecture firms Perry Guillot and Oehme, van Sweden. So what changes will they make? A lot of their work seems more focused on repairs than an aesthetic overhaul. One goal is to improve drainage, which weâre guessing means that the lawn tends to get soggy. There are also plans to reduce leaf blightâa fungal infection due to poor soil and other environmental factors. In other words, just as the White House has become a bit run-down over the years (prompting the president to complain that it was a âdumpâ when he moved in), its outdoor areas, too, appear to be crying out for some much-needed maintenance. âHelping any garden look its best requires regular maintenance and a certain level of vigilance, in order to prevent new troubles as well as to manage existing problems,â says Susan Brandt, co-founder of Blooming Secrets, a gardening website and shop. âNo garden is ever static. A garden is made up of primarily living organisms that change from day to day as well as year to year. The White House Rose Garden and grounds are no exception.â Since the Trumps are holding more meetings and conferences in the garden than ever, some of the changes will improve support for audiovisual and broadcasting equipment, so people can see and hear whatâs going on clearly. The garden will also be made more accessible to people with disabilities. As for more aesthetic changes, Melania Trump plans to add a limestone walkway and replace a few crabapple trees with white rose shrubs. These classic plants are surprisingly hardy. They donât just look good, they smell good, too (scent gardens are a hot trend right now). âRoses look good in a garden, and they also add fragrance, and the scent of roses helps reduce stress and calms nerves,â Brandt says. âHaving roses in a garden has benefits for your health and the environment, as bees, butterflies, and other pollinators enjoy any garden in which they can find nectar.â She predicts that the first lady could inspire a renewed interest across the country in planting roses in home gardens. What could go wrong with this Rose Garden reno?Although Melania Trumpâs proposed changes appear to be relatively understated, thereâs always a chance that the garden could lose some of its natural charm as a result of the renovation. âThe danger in redoing any garden is overdesigning it,â says Richard Mullen, an architect and managing partner of Demesne in Aspen, CO. âYou can overdo things. Thereâs a happy medium or a sweet spot with having enough hardscape.â Hereâs hoping the first lady can strike the right balance, since as far as gardens go, this is one weâll be seeing for a while. As Brandt points out, âThe White House Rose Garden has been the backdrop for many important and memorable events in American history. These upgrades are intended to preserve its symbolic importance, while helping it remain the beautiful and peaceful sanctuary that it was always intended to be.â The post A Closer Look at Melania Trumpâs Latest Cause: A Makeover of the White House Rose Garden appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com®. via https://www.realtor.com/news/trends/melania-trump-make-over-white-house-rose-garden/ Who would have thought that this summer, with the number of COVID-19 cases surging and new rounds of restrictions and shutdowns, would yield one of the most competitive housing markets in recent memory? Nonetheless, home prices have hit record highs as buyers are battling it out across the nation over a limited selection of reasonably priced abodes. In July, the median home price shot up 8.5% year over year, to hit a new all-time high of $349,000, according to the most recent realtor.com® data. And those mind-boggling high prices, shooting up in the middle of a recession with the worst unemployment since the Great Depression, are a direct result of the pandemic. Buyers paid a median $27,000 more for a home in July than they did last year because the supply of available properties for sale plummeted at the same time that demand for them had skyrocketed. “When the pandemic helped tip the U.S. economy into recession, most homeowners and home buyers braced for falling house prices,” says realtor.com Chief Economist Danielle Hale. “That’s what happened in the last recession. But that’s not what we’re seeing in today’s market. We had a housing shortage already, and the pandemic has created conditions that have only worsened it.” The total inventory of homes on the market is about a third less—roughly 440,000 properties short—than what existed last summer. In some parts of the country, new home construction was delayed or paused in the spring in the beginning of the pandemic. Meanwhile, many sellers nervous about contracting COVID-19 from buyers touring their homes put off plans to list their residences or pulled them off the market. Many of those listings have yet to go back up. This intensified housing shortage collided with scores of buyers hoping to quarantine in larger abodes and take advantage of the lowest mortgage interest rates ever. Buyers who were sidelined by the virus in the spring are now jockeying with those who had planned to buy in the summer. And they’re competing with those who had no plans to move until the stay-at-home orders created a burning desire for additional square footage and a big backyard in which to ride out the crisis. Record-low mortgage rates have added fuel to the fire as homeownership is now more affordable for buyers. They dipped below 3% for the first time in the week ending July 16, according to Freddie Mac. (They have since ticked up to 3.01% in the week ending July 23.) Those shrunken rates can greatly reduce monthly mortgage payments. The reduced rates are a consequence of the federal government’s actions and the response of investors to the turbulent economy. “We have this market imbalance tipped pretty solidly in favor of sellers at this point,” says Hale. “Yet many homeowners believe that now is still not a good time to sell.” This has led to a return to bidding wars and offers over asking price, which is helping to drive up home prices. And it doesn’t look like they’ll be coming down anytime soon. Prices shot up even more in the latter half of the month, rising a median 9.1% in the weeks ending July 18 and July 25 compared with the previous year, according to realtor.com data. Where are home prices rising the most—and where are they down?Some Northeastern housing markets that were devastated in the spring by the pandemic have rebounded—and then some—as their number of positive cases has fallen. But prices are also up in California and Midwestern cities where the residents are currently being infected at higher rates. Of the 50 largest metropolitan areas, annual prices rose the most in Pittsburgh. Median prices in the Steel City and surrounding area were 25% higher in July than the previous year, hitting a median $249,950. Metro areas include smaller towns, cities, and suburbs. These areas outside of the densely packed cities where buyers can get more square footage and outdoor space for their money and have an easier time maintaining social distance have become more popular as the pandemic has dragged on. Pittsburgh was followed by Los Angeles, where prices rose 24.3% year over year, to $994,154. Next up was Philadelphia, up 18.5%, to $340,000; Cincinnati, up 18.5%, to $339,950; San Francisco, up 15.3%, to $1,054,210; Cleveland, up 13.5%, to $235,050; Boston, up 12.5%, to $675,050; Kansas City, MO, up 12.3%, to $351,025; Washington, DC, up 11.6%, to $529,995; and Providence, RI, up 11.4%, to $434,500. “The U.S. housing market performance is closely mirroring COVID[-19]’s path, which is providing clues into what we can expect for various housing markets in the months to come,” Hale said in a statement. “After being particularly hard hit in March and April, new coronavirus cases remain stable in the Northeast and we’re seeing buyers return to the market in force.” Home prices fell in only two of the nation’s 50 largest metros: Miami, where they dipped 1.5% compared with last year, and Orlando, FL, where they ticked down 0.9%. Median home prices were $403,826 in Miami and $320,050 in Orlando. The Florida cities have been hard-hit by the coronavirus, which may help to explain the declines. The post How the Coronavirus Pandemic Pushed Home Prices to a Record High appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com®. via https://www.realtor.com/news/real-estate-news/home-prices-hit-record-highs-during-pandemic/ A home built for a fashion icon by an architecture icon is now on the market for $4.2 million. The fully restored midcentury modern residence on Finney Farm Road in Croton-on-Hudson, NY, was built in 1953 for the artist Vera Neumann. She was known for her bold and colorful textiles, as well as her signature scarves, each signed “Vera” and featuring a ladybug. In the early 1950s, she and her husband, George Neumann, hired her friend the celebrated architect Marcel Breuer to design a 3,200-square-foot home on almost 3.5 acres on the Hudson River. Breuer was a modernist architect and furniture designer who studied at the famous Bauhaus and spent time teaching at Harvard. “It was custom-built for them, and she lived there for about 30 years,” says the co-listing agent, Inger Stringfellow. “It was an important house. She did a lot of entertaining both indoors and outdoors with people from New York City and the arts.” Neumann eventually sold the five-bedroom, three-bathroom home to an antique dealer, who lived in the home for a few decades and then sold it to the current owners in 2014 for $1.3 million. “It was not in good shape when my clients bought it. They are really devotees of Breuer in particular,” Stringfellow explains. The couple had already restored two midcentury modern homes in Litchfield, CT, so they were prepared for a major project with the Breuer design. As the agent puts it, “Everything got taken apart and put back together again.” As an example of the meticulous nature of the renovation, each stone in the blue stone floors was taken up, numbered, cleaned up, and put back in the exact same configuration. The home features two pools: one indoors and one outdoors. The indoor pool was a Breuer-designed addition in the early 1970s, and the outdoor one dates back to the home’s inception. Both were in sorry shape in 2014. “The outdoor pool was almost filled with dirt and had plants growing in it, and the indoor pool was not in great shape. They literally had to be taken apart and put together again,” Stringfellow says. There’s also an 800-square-foot guesthouse with one bedroom and one bathroom, which is connected to the main house. The current owners’ restoration work received the 2019 Preservation League of New York State Award for Excellence in Historical Restoration. “It literally is perfection. There was a lot of work to be done,” Stringfellow says. “The bathrooms and kitchen have all been done with top-end fixtures.” The furniture isn’t included in the sale price, except for the pieces that are built in, like headboards, credenzas, and the chairs that match the built-in sofa. However, other pieces that appear in the listing photos can be negotiated into an offer. The windows are frameless, with new mechanisms, to preserve the views of the Hudson River. “As you enter the house, you look out from the courtyard looking west out over the Hudson, with just magical views,” says Stringfellow. “Then the house is open to the other side to this beautiful interior courtyard, with a pergola that casts magnificent shadows, depending on the time of day. There’s a lot of drama in the house, but it’s also extremely peaceful.” The agent tells us she believes the buyer will be a creative type, ready to pick up a turnkey beauty. “There is a cult following for these moderns,” she says. “They’re purists, and they would like to have the originals, but restored up to the current standards.” The post Designed by Marcel Breuer, This Midcentury Home Has Been Beautifully Restored appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com®. via https://www.realtor.com/news/unique-homes/midcentury-classic-designed-by-marcel-breuer-croton-on-hudson/ |