Daily Archives: November 12, 2013

Dodgers Ex-Co-Owner Jamie McCourt Buys In Napa for $11.25M | Armonk Real Estate

14 images

Jamie McCourt, former CEO and co-owner of the Dodgers with ex-husband Frank McCourt, spent $11.25 million on the sweeping Napa Valley estate at 40 Auberge Road. Situated on over 21 acres next to the Auberge du Soleil resort, the property boasts a 4 acre working vineyard that yields between 6.6 to 10 tons per year, a 3,500-square-foot 2-bedroom main house, an architecturally renowned 2-bedroom guest house, and a show-stopping lap pool.

The main house was designed by Scott Johnson of Johnson Fain Partners. It contains two bedrooms, an office, a gym, and views of both the valley and the property’s outdoor space, which was designed by Roger Warner and Jack Chandler. The guest house, designed by Stanley Saitowitz, won an AIA Award for design.

The property’s former owner was attorney Robert Lieff, founder of the law firm Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein. He reportedly purchased the land in 1998 for $805K, and built the house and guest house over the next three years. He used the vineyard to produce a highly-regarded private-label Cabernet Sauvignon. He listed the property in April 2012 for $17 million, and then reduced the price to just under $15 million.

McCourt’s broker in the purchase was Ginger Martin, who has the current record for closing the sale on the most expensive Sonoma County property on record ($35 million). Martin was at one point the broker for the seller of 40 Auberge Road, and it’s not clear if she represented both sides of this transaction. Regardless, McCourt got the property for well under the original asking price, and now plans to split her time between LA and Napa. · Former Dodgers CEO Pays $11.25 Million for Napa Vineyard Estate [WSJ] · A Glass House In Napa Wine Country [WSJ] · 40 Auberge Road [Ginger Martin & Co.]

NAR leaves list of MLS ‘basic services’ untouched | Chappaqua Real Estate

The National Association of Realtors (NAR) did not change its classification guidelines for MLS “basic services” at its annual conference, ensuring that, for at least the near future, multiple listing services (MLSs) may confidently charge all their members to operate public-facing websites — a practice that has riled some large brokers.

Asked of his reaction to the committee meeting, Craig Cheatham, CEO of The Realty Alliance, said that public-facing sites should be switched from “basic” to “optional” in NAR’s MLS service classification guidelines “immediately and without hesitation.”

“Giving the committee and the board of directors the benefit of the doubt, they simply must not understand the stakes of what they have done and the direction they continue to head,” Cheatham said. “Our conscience is clear. We have sounded the alarm loud and clear. We were optimistic for progress, but actions speak volumes.”

In an announcement that has kindled anxiety among MLSs, Cheatham recently announced that The Realty Alliance is planning to roll out an unspecified “big initiative” to address some brokers’ concerns with MLSs.

Some brokers have clamored for NAR to remove public-facing websites from a list of examples of services that it considers reasonable for MLSs to choose to offer as “basic services” — MLS services that all members are required to pay for in their dues — ever since NAR added them to the list in May.

The inclusion of public-facing sites in a list part of MLS Policy Statement 7.57, “Categorization of MLS Services, Information and Product,” allows MLSs to force their members to pay for a service that can compete with their own websites, those brokers say.

 

 

 

– See more at: http://www.inman.com/2013/11/11/nar-leaves-list-of-mls-basic-services-untouched/#sthash.utywKTka.dpuf

Eight Insane Facts about Disney World’s Gated Community | Bedford Corners Real Estate

disneycommunity.jpg Photo via Disney Golden Oak

No longer content to merely spread its over-saturated vision of Main Street, U.S.A., across the globe, The Walt Disney Company, is trying its four-fingered, white-gloved hand at real estate development. Makes sense, because, as any American child (or childish American) will attest, the only thing better than visiting Disney World would be staying there forever. Built on a huge tract of Lake Buena Vista land adjacent to the park, the gated community of Golden Oak has been open to buyers since 2011, and, as you might expect, the details from the Wall Street Journal’s look into what the first wave of Disneyphilic homeowners have done with their places is absolutely nutso. Though most of them use their Disney World houses for vacationing, an elite few have enough devotion to this mind-colonizing megacorporation to live at the park year-round. For your horror and delight, eight fast facts about Golden Oak, as gleaned by the Journal:

8. Up to 450 homes are planned for the 980-acre parcel, but only a select few will afford a view of the famous Cinderella Castle fireworks. Since the community opened two-and-a-half years ago, nearly 100 of the community homes have been sold.

7. Owning a Golden Oaks home starts at $1.7M, while a few of the Magic Kingdom–connected McMansions have sold for over $7M.

6. Annual fees of as much as $12K cover park passes, door-to-park transportation, extended visiting hours for attractions, membership at a clubhouse with a restaurant and concierge, and, eventually, entrance to the spa and dining rooms at the Four Seasons resort expected to open in Golden Oak next summer.

5. Golden Oaks homes are especially popular with Brazilians, who can fly direct from São Paulo to Orlando.

4. Disney makes a point of overlooking trademark violations in the dwellings, many of which are decorated with references to licensed characters: Donald Duck door carvings, backlit tray ceilings in the shape of Mickey’s head, etc.

3. Devoted Disneyphiles have the option of filling their homes with tiny mouse-eared insignias known as “hidden Mickeys.” A showcase home finished earlier this year included an estimated 75.

2. When building in Golden Oak, one is limited to seven handpicked custom builders and constrained by a number of design and landscaping restrictions. Shutters must be functional. Square gutters are banned.

1. Disney has representatives in four of the seven seats on the community board. One agent reports that “when you live in there, you live and die by the rules.”

· Is There a Mouse in the House? [WSJ]

Hollywood Hills Modern With Glass Garage Asks $8.5M | Pound Ridge Real Estate

Location: Los Angeles, Calif. Price: $8,500,000 The Skinny: Some houses definitely need brokerbabble that scales the dizzying heights of Purple Prose Mountain to help make the sale, but then again, some houses really ought to be able to sell themselves. This car collector’s dream home that Curbed L.A. covered last week is definitely one of the latter. For the studio exec (for example) who wants to be able park their Bentley next to his Tesla inside a glass-walled nine-car garage, it’s a no-brainer. That being said, it’s hard to sever the bond between a broker and his or her hyperbole: “An irreplaceable property, an unparalleled history, and great location. This trophy estate of awe-inspiring indoor & outdoor living space is one of the most distinctive residential properties in Los Angeles…. comparable to 5-Star Hotel with amazing pool, spa and an opulent master suite, this is the absolute best opportunity to purchase a pristine compound in years. ..This celebrity compound is Walled & gated and sits on almost ONE ACRE of complete PRIVACY.” It goes on like that—with, oddly, just one off-handed mention of the garage—when all the listing really needs to say is “Do you have nine cars that need a glass garage to park in? Then buy this house.” The listing asks $8.5M.

Is Your Kitchen Ready for the Holidays? | Bedford NY Real Estate

1. Upgrade Your Appliances

You’re probably familiar with the concept of the work triangle (where the legs are the distances from the fridge, sink, and cooking surface). The theory goes that a properly laid out work triangle allows each cook to work more efficiently. Ideally, each cook has his or her own work triangle. Too bad that’s not always possible. One of the ways to work around a lack of space is to buy appliances that make the most efficient use of the space you do have. In-wall double ovens are a great idea if you frequently cook for a crowd, while countertop-cooking surfaces are perfect for those who need extra cabinet space. Of course, when you cook for a crowd you have to clean up for them. If you’ve got the space, think about adding an extra dishwasher. If that’s not an option, you could go with the alternative and replace your current dishwasher with an energy efficient, large capacity model.

Upgrade Your Appliances2. Check Your Plumbing

Chances are you only have one sink in your kitchen. How great would it be to have two? If you’ve got a nice sized kitchen island, you might want to talk to a plumber to see what it’d take to add a prep sink to your island. If that’s not an option, adding a pot filler faucet behind your stove is a great way to improve your kitchen’s flow without spending an arm and a leg. One final tip: Now’s the time to make sure your garbage disposal is cleaned and ready for the extra workload. If it’s been sounding rough, we recommend calling a plumber or handyman to come out and take a look at it.

Find Pros3. Maximize Your Storage

Outside of completely remodeling your kitchen, there’s no better way to improve your kitchen’s functionality than by upgrading your cabinets to make the most of your space. Retractable trashcans, lazy Susans, pullout shelving, and drawer and cabinet dividers all make smart additions to your existing cabinets. If you’ve got the budget to install new cabinets, a great way to boost your storage options is to go with base cabinets with drawers rather than doors and to extend your upper cabinets to the ceiling.

Maximize Your Storage4. Remodel Your Space

Few projects spark the imagination like a kitchen remodel. It’s the one project that a homeowner starts daydreaming about as soon as they move into their house. Perhaps it’s the one project you’ve been daydreaming about, too. Whether you want to open things up and create a more expansive space that’s perfect for entertaining, or add more room to accommodate multiple cooks in the kitchen, a remodel is the way to go if you want to create the ultimate cooking and entertaining environment.

Remodel Your Space

 

 

 

 

http://welcome.homeadvisor.com/is-your-kitchen-ready-for-the-holidays?m=homesense&entry_point_id=27010020

 

Craigslist axes enhanced listings, forcing agents to up their real estate marketing game | Bedford Hills Real Estate

Here’s what we know As of today, in all areas as far as we’ve been able to see, Craigslist has removed all embedded images and all links.

Ads can still be posted, and images can still be browsed for and uploaded, but all hyperlinks are turned into non-active text links.

This means that when the consumer clicks the link, it doesn’t go anywhere. They stay on Craigslist. Wouldn’t you think that’s what Craigslist would have wanted in the first place? Here’s what we don’t know Are links coming back?

Will they come back with a pay-per-link or pay-per-ad feature? We think so. This year, we started paying $25 an ad for employment ads. At The Ballen Group Las Vegas Real Estate Team, we run four to eight of these a week and quickly adapted to paying. We saw value, and made the change.

We did not panic. We have to figure there are a lot of businesses who did like we did. Craigslist watches, learns and is probably already on the path to charging for housing ads as well.

It would just make sense. For everyone who was using Craigslist as a main source for website traffic, this hurts. For those of us who saw this coming, not so much. We have stood on a soapbox more than once and yelled, “Do other things besides Craigslist, it will change!”

When you work the Web strategically through great website content, blogging, video, press releases, other ad sites and social media, you have cast a wide net. And when one thing changes, you don’t feel damaged.

 

 

 

– See more at: http://www.inman.com/next/craigslist-axes-enhanced-listings-forcing-agents-to-up-their-real-estate-marketing-game/#sthash.6gBTdeCV.dpuf

Iran’s supreme leader reportedly controls vast real estate empire | Katonah Real Estate

Iran’s “supreme leader,” Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, controls real estate, corporate ownership stakes and other assets worth about $95 billion through an organization called Setad Ejraiye Farmane Hazrate Emam (“Headquarters for Executing the Order of the Imam”), Reuters reports.

Setad has amassed some of its real estate empire through what Reuters described as “a methodical moneymaking scheme in which Setad obtains court orders under false pretenses to seize properties, and later pressures owners to buy them back or pay huge fees to recover them.”

 

 

Source: reuters.com

 

 

– See more at: http://www.inman.com/wire/irans-supreme-leader-reportedly-controls-vast-real-estate-empire/#sthash.Xbhyo0Fv.dpuf

Homing In lets buyers and agents share pictures and comments about listings | Cross River Real Estate

Homing In lets buyers and agents take pictures and make comments about houses for sale or rent and share them with the world.

Its patent-pending technology allows potential buyers to find the nearest available real estate agent for showing requests.

No more waiting for a listing agent who doesn’t respond or can’t show a house because its not convenient for him.

The company is one of 13 in the inaugural class of the Inman Incubator program, a yearlong mentorship, advisory and promotional program to help new companies in the real estate industry succeed.

 

 

 

– See more at: http://www.inman.com/2013/11/08/homing-in-lets-buyers-and-agents-share-pictures-and-comments-about-listings/#sthash.skGac8Pu.dpuf

NAR takes steps to build ‘Rockefeller Center’-like headquarters in Chicago | South Salem Realtor

Chicago may have its own Realtor Plaza in the not-too-distant future, modeled on New York’s iconic landmark, Rockefeller Center. Cheers and applause followed a vote by the board of directors of the National Association of Realtors today in which the board approved a redevelopment project for the trade group’s Chicago headquarters at 430 North Michigan Ave.

The project would involve demolishing the existing building, which is more than a half-century old, and combining it with an adjoining parcel to create a mixed-use development that would include retail, condominiums, a flagship hotel, and office space. NAR currently has a nonbinding understanding with a partner to build the project.

The trade group’s leaders declined to name the partner at today’s meeting. Pamela Monroe, chair of NAR’s Real Property Operations Committee, said the unidentified entity is “a world-class partner with premium credentials” that is “very private” and “extremely well-capitalized.”

“Our No. 1 priority is to maintain a permanent high-quality, high-productive work environment of which members and staff can be proud,” Monroe said, adding that other priorities include opportunities for branding and a return on investment.

NAR Treasurer Bill Armstrong noted that he and NAR CEO Dale Stinton had been in discussions with the partner for “a long time,” but had been prohibited from mentioning the project to members due to nondisclosure agreements.

The partner, which has “billions to invest,” proposed a 93-story, 2 million-square-foot building that would be a “Rockefeller Center-type venue,” Armstrong said.“This is one really exciting project we are trying to look into. The economics are very,very good,” he added.

 

 

– See more at: http://www.inman.com/2013/11/11/nar-takes-steps-to-build-rockefeller-center-like-headquarters-in-chicago/#sthash.V7yrz5Pf.dpuf

Village Of Bedford To Open Playground | Bedford Real Estate

The Village of Bedford will celebrate the opening of the new playground at Bedford Village Memorial Park on Saturday, Nov. 16.

The opening ceremony is set for 10 a.m. at the playground at Bedford Village Memorial Park at 65 Greenwich Road in Bedford, according to a notice from the village. The ceremony promises to include a ribbon cutting for the new playground and a “Slide Ride” ceremony, according to the notice.

“As part of the playground opening celebration, the Bedford Youth Soccer Club will be presenting a check in the amount of $8,500 to the town for the purchase of a new Portable Light Tower for the benefit of the BYSC program participants and the residents of the town during emergencies and special events throughout the year,” representatives said in the notice.

Superintendent of Parks and Recreation Bill Heidepriem will open the ceremony with Recreation & Parks Advisory Committee Chair Brian McCabe and Town Supervisor Lee V.A. Roberts offering remarks, according to the notice. The ceremony will also feature the presentation of a presentation of a playground project pledge check of $20,000 from the Chowder & Marching Club.

 

 

 

http://bedford.dailyvoice.com/events/village-bedford-open-playground