News
News: November 2007 Monthly archive
We've mentioned some outrageous house flipping stories before but none that include a nightclub and swing dangling from the ceiling.
Curtis Jackson better known as 50 Cent is selling his recently remodeled 51,657 Sq. Ft., 19 Bed, 35 Bath, on 7.6 Acres home (compound) in Farmington, CT for a cool $18.5 million. The house will be featured on the ever popular MTV show Cribs on Thursday, November 29th at 10:30pm.
The home was purchased by 50 in 2003 for $4.1 million from the ex-wife of heavyweight champ Mike Tyson who had acquired it for $1 as part of their divorce settlement. Based on a 30 year fixed the mortgage is $94,913, no doubt the rap and water business has been good. But 50 should have done this 18 months ago.
A properly planned Thanksgiving seating chart can go a long ways towards a happy and entertained group during the holidays.
They've towed in the Rockefeller Christmas Tree which means its time we start thinking the same thing. Last year we pulled some tips for hanging Christmas lights and we want to remind you to stay safe on that ladder while decorating.
We just found out that LEDs will illuminate the Rockefeller Tree this year and we believe that LEDs truly emerge as the Christmas lights of choice and for good reason. Manufacturers claim a power saving of up to 90% and 100 x more longevity. But some consumers claim the lights aren't as bright and that bulbs may last but the casings rust easily and if one goes out you can't replace it like a normal incandescent bulb.
Read these articles and decide for yourself but we still have a soft spot for the glow and nostalgia of traditional Christmas lights especially the bubble lights that we grew up with.
Pros and Cons of LED Christmas lights [Gizmodo]
LED Christmas Lights [Inhabitat]
UPDATE: Beyond the LED's this year's Christmas Tree at Rockefeller Center is now solar powered and every effort has been made to make this year's tree as "green" as possible. More after the jump.
Dream it. Shoot it. Win it. - That's the tagline for Home Depot's video contest with the winner receiving a $25,000 gift card. Imagine your next home improvement project and share it with the world on YouTube. You have until December, 15th to upload your video and Home Depot will select one winner on December, 17th.
Complete rules are here.
[via BobVila.com]
Since hurricane Katrina a new architectural style has emerged in New Orleans that can only be described as Defensive (houses on pillars), Defiant (pristine homes surrounded by devastation), and Do Good (affordable housing built by non-profits) as opposed to Greek Revival, Italianate, and Creole.
Many are concerned that the lack of urban planning in New Orleans since the "storm" has resulted in a haphazard form of housing that will have a long-term detrimental effect on the city. Unfortunately the fact that it has been difficult to get any construction project started leads to homeowners building with abandon once a project is financed and green-lighted.
Rebuilding New Orleans, Post-Katrina Style [New York Times]
Restoration Hardware has been acquired by a group that includes it's current CEO. They've been hurt by the downturn in home spending but hopefully they'll keep the store as is because it's one of the few resources that many people have for finding interesting details for their home.
Today the 7th annual Green Build conference kicks-off, where attendees learn how green building is transforming our communities, and how you can be a leader in this important movement.
Some of the highlights will include an announcement by the U.S. Green Building Council of their new program LEED-for-Homes, which is a certification for residential properties that is similar to the original LEED rating system that was developed for commercial construction.
We promise this is the last pumpkin photo until next year but we had to include this detailed carving of the master carpenter himself, Norm Abram. We are anxiously awaiting the marble relief follow-up.
Norm-O-Lantern [via The Wood Whisperer]
It's a novel concept that is practiced in 90% of the world, but air/line drying your clothes will save 5-10% on your energy bills and washing in cold will save another 4%.
But in America many of us live in areas that are regulated by HOA's (Home Owner's Associations) that have regulations against what we can and can't do to the appearance of our homes. These guidelines are enforced to keep a uniform look among the neighborhood but sometimes at the expense of an energy saver such as a simple cord to line-dry clothes. Unfortunately, in some circles there is a certain stigma against seeing a home with clothes air-drying even though clotheslines were once a portrait of Americana. There is a line-drying movement in New Hampshire that is gaining popularity and as the green movement grows it won't be long before you may see your neighbors skirt the HOA and venture into DIY drying.
If you're ready to ditch the dryer then check out these clotheslines from the Vermont Clothesline Co.
As the chips continue to fall in the subprime meltdown, its hard to ignore the glut of house flipping (get rich) tv shows that continue to be aired. Dr Housing Bubble has an interesting analysis of TLC's Property Ladder which is one of the few shows that actually portrays flops as well as flips. They've identified 3 reasons why many house-flippers fail which are, Lack of Fundamental Analysis; Misunderstanding of Construction Time Lines; and Too Many Real Estate Books. Agree or disagree???
November 29, 2007 | Comments (1)
