A New York Home Built by the English in 1688 Is the Week’s Oldest Property

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One of the first English-built homes on the North Fork in Greenport, NY, is the oldest property to hit the market this week on Realtor.com®.

The four-bedroom house has been updated over the years, but it still offers many period details. Highlights include wide-plank floors, wooden beams, and hand-plastered walls.

Other homes to hit the market this week include an updated Pennsylvania farmhouse, a classic Colonial in Massachusetts, and an 18th-century dwelling listed on the Connecticut Registry of Historic Places.

Scroll down for a full look at this week’s 10 oldest homes.











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Flying High in Philly: Let’s Look at the Homes of the Philadelphia Eagles

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Life comes at you fast. In 2018, the ascendant Philadelphia Eagles rode the arm of backup quarterback Nick Foles and the ingenious play-calling of head coach Doug Pederson all the way to an unlikely Super Bowl win.

Five years later, the Eagles are back in the big game, but only six players from that winning roster are back for a second try at a Super Bowl ring.

Quarterbacks Foles and Carson Wentz are long gone, Pederson was fired after a disastrous 2020 season, and nearly everyone else from that storied squad serve as a testament to the vagabond life of an NFL player.

Homes owned by the 2017 team throughout the Philly metro and the suburbs of southern New Jersey have since been sold to new owners. Such is life in professional sports.

Jeffrey Lurie Martha's Vineyard home
Haddonfield, NJ
Haverford, PA
Sea Isle City, NJ
Cherry Hill, NJ townhouse
Houston, TX
Mullica Hill NJ
Madison, MS
Independence, LA
Marlton, NJ
Mullica Hill, NJ
Maddox house in Mullica Hill
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Sparkling Glass House Tees Up Carmel’s Best Ocean Views for $18.5M

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We all know that people in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones. But at one glass beauty in Carmel, CA, you can nearly toss a pebble into the ocean from its breathtaking locale.

This eye-catching masterpiece was built in 2015 and features a stylish, modern design.

“The house was custom-built by architect Eric Miller,” says listing agent Jessica Canning, of Canning Properties Group. “The owner wanted to create a warm, contemporary home that was perfect for both family and guests, so they made one large space to maximize the view and have a place to gather in one spot.”

Living room

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Do You Qualify for a USDA Loan? Here’s How To Know If You’re Eligible

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Loans from the United States Department of Agriculture are a sweet deal—offering 0% down, low-interest-rate mortgages in rural and suburban areas. Because the purpose of these loans is to help low- and moderate-income buyers afford a home, not everyone is eligible. To take advantage of this specialized loan type, applicants must meet the USDA’s qualifications.

The main criteria boil down to income, although the income restrictions are more lenient than many homebuyers realize. As a result, far more people qualify for USDA loans than ever take advantage of them. Don’t be in that group: This is a fantastic option for those who are eligible. Here’s how to determine if you qualify for a USDA loan.

USDA direct vs. guaranteed loans: What’s the difference?

Before diving in, it’s important to understand there are two types of USDA loans: direct and guaranteed.

Direct loans are for very low-income applicants and are funded and administered by the USDA directly.Guaranteed loans are for homebuyers with more moderate incomes. In this case, borrowers are financed by lenders, but the loans are guaranteed by the USDA. This means the USDA is on the hook to pay the loan in case the borrower can’t, which enables lenders to offer these loans without shouldering too much risk.

Both direct and guaranteed loans share many of the same general requirements. However, there are some important differences to know—and not just on the income front. With that distinction in mind, here’s what it takes to qualify for either type of USDA loan.

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‘Fixer to Fabulous’ Takes the Barndominium Trend to New Heights You Must See To Believe

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Surprisingly enough, Dave and Jenny Marrs have never remodeled an old barn into a barndominium on their HGTV show, “Fixer to Fabulous“—until now.

In the episode “Century Old Barn, Family Home,” Dave and Jenny meet Mike and Kelly Burton, who moved to Arkansas from California a few years ago. They have a beautiful main residence, but they also want to convert the 100-year-old barn on their property into an entertaining space that will hopefully entice their friends and family to visit more often.

Hundred-year-old barn

HGTV

Armed with an ample $280,000 budget, Dave and Jenny get to work—and take this barn, and the whole barndominium trend, to a whole new level. Watch what they do, which provides plenty of inspiration on how to make our own spaces more inviting, whether you live in a barndominium or any old home.

Hundred-year-old barn
Renovated barn with new siding
Barn wood ceiling in the kitchen
Slide down from second floor
Rock climbing hall
Modern screened-in porch
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A New Chapter: Late Author Joan Didion’s NYC Apartment Is Listed for $7.5M

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The New York City apartment, where “new journalist” Joan Didion lived and wrote, is on the market for the first time since her 2021 death. It is available for $7.5 million.

The author had lived in the Upper East Side home since the late 1980s with her husband, late writer John Gregory Dunne.

The spacious Manhattan unit has eleven rooms, including four bedrooms, four full bathrooms, and a powder room.

Building residents enjoy an array of amenities, including 24-hour door attendants, hall attendants, a resident manager, bike storage, and a gym—all for an $8,000 monthly maintenance charge.










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Don’t Put Off This Common Home Repair —It Could Save You $100 or More a Year

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No one likes to flush money down the toilet, but most of us do every day.

Even with the prevalence of water-efficient appliances, in many cases, water is getting wasted through cracks, crevices, and leaks in plumbing fixtures that homeowners aren’t even aware of. The average household can waste 180 gallons per week, or 9,400 gallons a year, from household leaks, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. And given the average cost of water, all of these leaks add up to $100 (or more!) in unnecessary water costs every year.

A majority of U.S. states are expected to have significant water shortages in the next decade, so for the good of the environment—and your pocketbook—reducing your water intake should be a priority. Here’s how to identify and fix water leaks coming from your home without investing in heavy-duty equipment or labor.

Check for leaks

Faucets and pipes are common areas for leaks in homes–make sure you check them.

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Homes for Less than $200K?! Yes, They Do Exist—and Here Are the Cities Where You Can Find the Most

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With high inflation, high home prices, high mortgage interest rates, and high just about everything, affordability remains Concern No. 1 for home shoppers on a budget. Nothing else even comes close—especially for first-time homebuyers or those without trust funds or wealthy benefactors.

More and more Americans have begun to see the dream of homeownership as a fast-fading mirage.

That’s where the Realtor.com® data team can help! It turns out there are still plenty of affordable homes on the market—if you know where to look. In several parts of the country, there are hundreds, even thousands, of homes for sale for less than $200,000.

Yes, you read that correctly.












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Prancing Horse Estate on California’s Central Coast Gallops Onto the Market for $19.9M

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Want a permanent staycation? The Prancing Horse Estate & Vineyard in Carpinteria, CA, just might fit the bill.

“I call it ‘adult Disneyland,’” says listing agent Neyshia Go, of the Go Group at Sotheby’s International Realty. “It has everything you could possibly want without ever having to leave.”

This sprawling compound includes vineyards, an eight-car garage, L.A. Lakers–themed basketball court, pool, rooftop gym, and equestrian facilities. But the star attraction is the 11,000-square-foot mansion.

The property is listed for $19,985,000.










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Save Money (and the Planet): An Energy Efficient Mortgage, Explained

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Are you a buyer with your eyes on a charming older house or a bargain fixer-upper?

As you’re researching what it will take to buy the property, you’ll likely come across some hefty costs for updates to replace the outdated furnace and drafty single-pane windows. And that might leave you thinking you can’t afford the home after all—especially if those costs come on top of making your mortgage payments.

Well, hang on. We’ve got some good news on a type of mortgage you probably never heard of.

An Energy Efficient Mortgage, or EEM, allows you to make energy upgrades to your home and roll those costs into your mortgage loan. Here’s what you need to know to determine if an EEM is right for you.

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Podcaster Jon Favreau Lists His Los Angeles Home for $4.4M

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Political podcaster Jon Favreau is trading up in the City of Angels.

Indeed, the former speechwriter for President Barack Obama and current co-host of the podcast “Pod Save America” is moving to the coveted Windsor Square neighborhood. So he’s unloading his gorgeously renovated Los Angeles lair, which he picked up in 2020 for $3.5 million.

Favreau has listed the four-bedroom, five-bath, 3,400-square-foot residence for a cool $4.4 million. It features a sea-inspired blue, green, and white palette and blond wood floors.

The home was built in 1920.

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Stunning Beach House Made of Glass Charms the SoCal Market for $7.5M

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An award-winning architectural design in Manhattan Beach, CA, is a showstopper of a beach house.

The concrete, steel, and glass home offers unobstructed ocean views.

“I’ve never seen anything like it,” says Lauren Forbes with Compass. She’s co-listing the home with Todd Jones of Rodeo Realty. “There are two separate wings on the top that almost look like trains or beautiful glass buildings that are separated.”

One of the home’s most striking details is its outdoor entertaining space, which is positioned between the wings.










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‘Teen Mom’ Chelsea DeBoer’s Latest Home Makeover Has Us Wondering: Is She OK? Take a Look

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Former “Teen Mom” star turned designer Chelsea DeBoer and her husband, Cole, are known for taking some big, unexpected risks on their renovation show, “Down Home Fab.”

But in the latest episode, “French Glam Bungalow,” you have to wonder: Have they gone too far?

The stakes are high, as client Landon is Chelsea’s friend as well as her hairstylist. It’s risky enough working for a friend, but when that pal holds your hair in his hands? That takes some grit!

“Friends as clients, that can be tricky,” says Chelsea. “It’s a huge compliment that Landon and [partner] Ty like our design style so much that they want us to redesign their home, but there’s always a little bit of fear mixing business and personal.”

'A French Glam Bungalow style room' width=901
Wood floor painted black
Fake fireplace filled with disco balls
Copper kitchen sink
Velvet skull wallpaper on the ceiling
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The Rate of Home-Price Growth Hits Lowest Since Late Summer 2020. These Markets Have the Highest Risk of Price Declines.

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Home prices are starting to reflect the insipid housing market.

After months of weak data indicating that home sales have stalled, home prices are finally starting to reflect the slowdown that began last year.

Home-price appreciation slowed to 6.9% in December, according to the CoreLogic Home Price Index.

The rate of home-price growth is the lowest since the late summer of 2020. Home price growth also slowed by 0.4% from the month before.

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Baseball Icon Albert Pujols’ Kansas Mansion Hits the Market for $2.3M

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Recently retired Major League Baseball legend Albert Pujols is ready to walk off from his time in the Sunflower State.

After finishing his 22-year career back where it began with the St. Louis Cardinals, Pujols is easing into a new life.

First up on his to-do list? The sale of a $2.3 million, 10,000-square-foot home.

Pujols recently listed his five-bedroom, 7.5-bath mansion in Leawood, KS, which sits just south of Kansas City and right on the Missouri border. It’s about four hours west of St. Louis, where the slugger starred for more than a decade.











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How To Revive a Lawn That Took a Beating This Winter

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Between the parade of cyclones that pummeled California and the record-breaking frigid temperatures in the northeastern United States, the weather this winter has challenged many homeowners. And we’re betting there’s a good chance your lawn has seen better days.

Thankfully, spring is around the corner. And while it’s not time for your lawn mower to come out of hibernation just yet, now is a great time to make a plan to revive your lawn.

In addition to the following lawn maintenance tasks you can tackle right now, there are also a few preliminary steps you can take to nurse your grass back to its former green self. Consider this your lawn fix-it game plan.

Mitigate snow mold

Snow mold can destroy your lawn.

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Super Bowl Showdown: Kansas City vs. Philadelphia Real Estate, by the Numbers. Which Is the Hotter Market?

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As the Philadelphia Eagles and the Kansas City Chiefs prepare for their clash in Super Bowl LVII, NFL fans have visions of Jalen Hurts and Patrick Mahomes engaged in a classic duel in the desert. And while we certainly appreciate elite quarterbacking as much as the next person, there’s a different pitched, drag-down, thrill-a-minute competition we can’t peel our eyes away from: the current real estate market!

So let others prognosticate and pontificate about turnover differential and complicated defensive schemes. Right now, the Eagles are slight favorites in the point spread, but what we want to know most is whether Philly soars over Kansas City when it comes to real estate.

So instead of passing yards, fumbles, or sacks, our own Realtor.com® metrics tell the true tale of the tape when it comes to these two major housing markets. Philadelphia has nearly four times as many homes on the market at this moment, but where can home shoppers score a deal worthy of a Gatorade bath?

We broke down the game film on home affordability, housing supply, and market heat to determine which of these two cities should truly raise the roof and pop the corks.





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Ready for Its Close-Up: Gabor Estate in Palm Springs Slinks Onto the Market for $3.8M

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Does the idea of owning a fabulous, flamingo-pink, luxury home appeal to you? Then run, don’t walk, to Palm Springs, CA.

Intrigued? Well, there’s more: It once belonged to “the Kardashians of the 1960s and ’70s.”

This marvelous, midcentury modern estate—where Hollywood’s world-famous Gabor sisters lived—is available for $3.8 million.

Real estate agent Brandon Holland, of Avenue 8, has the skinny on the desert oasis that Magda and Zsa Zsa lived in for decades.











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Buyer Beware of Mortgage Wire Fraud: Here’s How To Not Get Scammed

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After what seems like an eternity, you’re finally ready to close on your dream home. You’re excited, stressed, and chomping at the bit to sign on the dotted line.

But during this time it’s easy for even the smartest homebuyer to get distracted—and scammed. Fraudsters take advantage of diligent homebuyers anxious to close by duping unsuspecting buyers into wiring them down payment and closing funds.

“Wire fraud is a very real thing that people need to be aware of, and it’s happening more and more over the last several years,” says Michael Perna, a real estate agent and CEO of the Perna Team in metro Detroit.

Here’s the critical information you need to know so you can hang onto your money—and your dream home.

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Fifth Avenue Opulence: Iconic Manhattan Mansion Beckons Buyers for $80M

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New York City’s Gilded Age has always embodied a certain romance—and as of last month, one lucky (and very wealthy) buyer will have the chance to snag a rare slice of this American era.

This one-of-a-kind, limestone and brick mansion on Manhattan’s Upper East Side is priced at $80 million and is truly the stuff of real estate portfolio dreams.

The local landmark is uniquely situated and stands as “one of the last remnants of the luxurious mansions along Fifth Avenue, facing Central Park, that remain in private hands,” the listing from Compass states.

Those familiar with the city might have noticed that this iconic, salmon-pink mansion sits directly across from the main entrance of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

New York Mansion
New York Mansion
New York Mansion
New York Mansion
New York Mansion
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