SavvySugar

Will You Tune in For Selling New York?

CasaSugar — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 09:00:00 -0700

Just when I thought I couldn't watch any more HGTV, a new show comes along. The last thing I need to do is add another item to my DVR recording list, but I may not be able to resist the newest reality show that's set to debut this Thursday at 9 p.m. EDT - Selling New York.

The homes of Manhattan never cease to amaze me - the way big city dwellers can turn shoeboxes into grand spreads with the chicest of décor and sell them for an average of $2 million buckeroos. I am hoping to be inspired while being a peeping Tom from my couch, and I'll admit I'm looking forward to the inevitable dramz between the owners, real estate brokers, and buyers. It may make selling homes look sexy.

So tell me, will you tune into HGTV this Thursday night?

New NY Times iPhone App For Apartment Seekers

OnSugar Blog — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 06:00:00 -0700

Here's a post from OnSugar blog Apartmentalizing:

Earlier this month, The New York Times launched a new (and free) iPhone app that directs the wealth of info from their real estate webpage straight to your mobile device. This seems perfect for the apartment hunter on the go since you can browse listings by zipcode, price, size, etc, and view them on a map with directions from your location. You can also upload your own notes and photos to keep tabs in real time on what you've seen and liked (or hated!). Want to hear more about the app?

Mischa Barton Lists Her Beverly Hills Mediterranean Manse

CasaSugar — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 05:00:00 -0800

Mischa Barton's high-paid days as Marisa Cooper are long over, and unfortunately her career hasn't picked up as she expected it might when she left The O.C. after its third season. So the mortgage on the 7,600-square-foot, six-bedroom, 10-bath Beverly Hills home she scooped up in 2005 is one that I suspect she simply can't afford, and she's listed it on the market for $8.4 million. Seeing as she bought the property at the height of her fame for $6.4 million, she's set to make a pretty penny on this one if her asking price is met.

In a past interview about her home, Mischa said, "When I arrived in LA, I looked at 10 houses. This was the last one on the list. It was a little beyond my price expectations, but I immediately fell in love with it. It's almost as if I would be living in the country. There's no traffic, no loud cars, simply heavenly quiet."

The house boasts two detached guest suites, a lush courtyard, a large terrace, a pool, and beautiful Mediterranean architectural details. Barton's décor choices, are on the other hand, are less crave worthy. She's washed it with a peach and neutral palette, and outfitted it with gaudy, gold tables and ostentatious, swagged valances. I expected so much more from a fashionista like Mischa! Check out the photos and tell me what you think.

See dozens more photos when you read more.

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Rachel Ashwell Lists Her Shabby Chic Malibu Cottage

CasaSugar — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 05:00:00 -0800

Purveyor of all things shabby chic, Rachel Ashwell has put her 1,783-square-foot, four-bedroom, four-bath Malibu cottage home on the market for $4.4 million. Her beautifully remodeled home features limestone flooring, a brick patio with a spa, and mountain views. It's also surrounded by gorgeous gardens and just steps away from a shared beach access lot with a deck. The interiors, not surprisingly, are dressed in Ashwell's signature white shabby chic style, and look quite cozy and calm. You'd wonder why she'd want to sell this cute home, but I think the fact that her business filed for bankruptcy last year might have something to do with it. From the looks of it, Ashwell's already moved out; it seems pretty empty. But, she also owns another LA area property, so perhaps this was just her beach house. Would you like to live in this Malibu home? Take a look at the photos and tell me what you think!

Edward Cullen's House Gets a Price Cut

CasaSugar — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 13:00:00 -0800

Twilight fans! Who wants to live like Edward? Back in November, the Vancouver home that the Cullens inhabit in New Moon went on the market for $3.3 million. The five bedroom, four-bath home is a modernist's dream, but apparently the award-winning and buzzworthy home was still too pricey for househunters. The seller has dropped the price down to just under $3 million.

I don't know much about the Canadian real estate market, but I would assume it's much like the States' these days: a buyer's market - which would explain the price cut. And as we saw with Mary-Kate Olsen and Scarlett Johansson's homes, even celebrity homes are seeing price cuts and being listed at a loss. Check out more photos of the Cullen home in New Moon.

Where Are the Most and Least Affordable Homes in the US?

SavvySugar — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 08:00:42 -0800

Even if buying a home has yet to cross your mind, it's probably been tough to ignore the patterns in the housing market. It will always have its ups and downs, but what we all really care about is the bottom line - affordability.

Some cities are considered to be more affordable than others when it comes to being a homeowner. Do you know where to look if you're looking for affordability? Take the quiz to discover what cities are home to the most and least affordable real estate.

Take the quiz

Celebrities List Their Haciendas at a Loss

CasaSugar — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 08:00:22 -0800

It's still a buyer's market in the real estate world these days, and average American homeowners aren't the only ones bearing the brunt of it. In the last week, two celebrities have listed their homes on the market expecting a loss. Scarlett Johansson's 4,352-square-foot, four-bedroom, 5.5-bath hacienda in Los Angeles, listed at just under $5 million, is the most painful one: she purchased the property only three years ago for $7 million. What's even worse about the $2 million loss (at least - it hasn't sold yet!) is that she spent a lot of dough restoring it. According to the listing, she made "massive system upgrades" including solar electric, as well as all new windows and doors. Ouch!

Meanwhile, Ashley Olsen's 2,332-square-foot, three-bedroom, three-bath hacienda in Los Angeles was just listed for $1.4 million. She also purchased her property back in 2007, paying nearly $1.6 million for it. Olsen's expected real estate loss tunes in at $200k, a far cry from Johansson's $2 million bloodbath. Maybe these pennies are small change for these ladies, but for most homeowners $200k (or even $2k!) can make a world of difference in a bank account.

James Franco Sells Sunset Strip Compound

CasaSugar — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 07:00:38 -0800

Actor James Franco, whose latest role finds him portraying poet Allen Ginsberg in the movie Howl, has just sold his Sunset Strip home.

The house was listed in late September of 2009 for $3.7 million, and recently sold for $3.3 million. Franco originally purchased the house back in 2006 for $2.3 million, so, unlike some other stars, Franco managed to come out ahead on this transaction, although since the home required a major renovation, he may have sunk a lot of money into updates before it was sold.

The 4,000-square-foot, three-bedroom, three-and-a-half bath Spanish-style villa was built in 1923. The home's beautiful open interior spaces and vaulted, beamed ceilings create an airy feel, and a master bedroom suite with city views features a bathroom with a 19th-century marble bathtub. Simply gorgeous. The property is walled and gated for maximum privacy, and also includes a pool and guest casita. Other coveted features include antique architectural details, which were installed during the renovation, and generous outdoor spaces, including lounge areas and an outdoor kitchen. The chef's kitchen, with its La Cornue stove in particular has drawn my eye. It's a beautiful design, and one that's perfectly suited for the home chef.

While the home has been staged to within an inch of its life (with animal hide rugs and sheepskins scattered copiously about each room), the house's handsome bones and beautiful indoor-outdoor California living floor plan speak for themselves. This is definitely a lovely house, and whomever snapped it up is lucky indeed.

Take the entire tour when you read more.

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Glenn Close Lists Her Upper West Side Digs

CasaSugar — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 09:30:13 -0800

$11.8 million is a lot of money. A lot of money. If I had that kind of money, I would most definitely buy myself a beautiful spread, and hire a fancy decorator to fill it with killer décor. But apparently Glenn Close doesn't have the same priorities.

She's put her 2,000-square-foot, two-bedroom, two-and-one-half bath apartment on Central Park West on the market for a whopping $11.8 million, and from the looks of it - furnishings spare, underwhelming, and poorly arranged - decorating is not one of her priorities. But that's OK because the bones of the place are fabulous. It boasts a wood-burning fireplace, two expansive terraces with french doors overlooking Central Park and the Museum of Natural History, two studies, a guest room, hardwood floors, coffered ceilings, and custom Craftsman-style cabinetry. It's just waiting for some glamorous Manhattanite with big pockets to swoop it up. Know anyone?

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Kings of Leon's Jared Followill Swoops Up a Nashville Castle

CasaSugar — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 09:00:23 -0800

Kings of Leon bassist Jared Followill has swooped himself up a proper castle in his home state of Tennessee for $1.8 million. The 7,411-square-foot, five-bedroom, five-and-two-half-bath home is brand spankin' new, located just south of downtown Nashville. Propped up on a hill, it should offer lots of privacy for the shaggy-haired pretty boy, not to mention those five bedrooms. It's got sort of a Craftsman-meets-Tudor-meets-Frank Lloyd Wright thing going on, which I don't quite adore from the exterior. But the inside does have beautiful bones, like rich hardwood floors, fancy stainless steel appliances, lots of stone, slate, marble - the works. It also has a massive wooden wine cellar, which I totally covet.

In April, Rolling Stone took a video tour of each of the Followills' homes, and back then Jared was living in a small fixer-upper '50s home. So this is definitely a step up in size and fanciness, but I wouldn't necessarily say newer is better. In full bachelor pad style, he had zebra-print sheets and some faux taxidermy in his bedroom, and a big flatscreen for his Playstation 3 habit. I'm sure he'll outfit his new digs with all those must-have rockstar elements, too. I've got 50 (!) photos of Jared's new digs for you to see, so read more.

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