Home Run: MLB Legend Chili Davis’ Former Arizona Home Is Available for $8.5M

Getty Images / MLS via Realtor.com

Want to live like a sports star? The spectacular 9,395-square-foot megamansion in Paradise Valley, AZ, built for Major League Baseball legend Charles “Chili” Davis is now being offered for $8.5 million.

The home was originally listed in July for $9.5 million, so the current price represents a $1 million reduction.

The five-bedroom, six-bathroom house was custom-built in 2000 for the three-time All-Star. It has since changed hands a couple of times. The current owner picked it up in 2013 for $4,950,000.

‘Masterpiece property’

Sitting on 3 private acres on a hilltop, the elegant home in the Montana De Bonitas Casas neighborhood offers awe-inspiring views of Mummy Mountain.







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Fintech Stake rolls out program for landlords to help struggling tenants

Among other offerings, Stake1 is designed to track a tenant's financial activity with the intent of using on-time payments as a mechanism to improve credit rating,

The Agency debuts office on Long Island’s South Shore

The new office builds upon the brokerage's existing presence in Long Island, where it launched a franchise on the north shore in 2021, and marks the brokerage's 65th office overall.

‘Can I Refinance While Buying a Second Home?’ Here Are the Mortgage Rules

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Maybe you’ve found a property that will be a killer investment at a bargain price. Or perhaps the beach cottage you’ve had your eye on for years just came on the market. Whatever the reason, if you’re considering applying for another mortgage while refinancing your current home, the process can be a bit complicated. To give you the full picture, we consulted mortgage experts and broke down the rules.

What to know about refinancing while buying a second home

There’s nothing wrong with refinancing one mortgage at the same time that you are buying an investment property or second home with a mortgage, according to Andrew Weinberg, principal and licensed mortgage broker at Silver Fin Capital Group, in Great Neck, NY.

The key factor to making both the refinance and new purchase work is to ensure you will qualify for the new home loan.

“This means taking into account your current home payment,” says Ralph DiBugnara, president of New York’s Home Qualified and vice president at Cardinal Financial. A mortgage bank can very easily tell you the total payments and loan amounts you’ll be able to carry based on your current income.

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The New Rules on Tapping Home Equity Today—and Some Common Mistakes To Avoid

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Homeowners across the country are sitting on a record amount of home equity.

Home equity refers to the difference between the current value of a home and how much is still owed on the mortgage. Therefore, if you have a house worth $400,000 and you’ve paid $100,000 toward your mortgage, your equity is equal to 25%.

As a share of total real estate value in the country, home equity has risen along with home prices to currently hover at 70.5%—its highest level since 1984. To put that number in perspective, 10 years ago, in 2012, home equity hovered at just 46%.

“For over a decade, home prices have climbed consistently, with an acceleration to a double-digit pace over the most recent two years,” notes Realtor.com® Chief Economist Danielle Hale. This, in turn, has helped push the total value of owner-occupied real estate in the United States to a new high of $41.2 trillion.

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Southern California Minimalism with Old World Charm

An interior designer wanted to create a home where “everything gets put away at night” — and she succeeded. Sort of.

A Minimalist House for Clutter-Free Living (Despite the Kids)

A Southern California designer wanted to create a home where “everything gets put away at night” — and she succeeded. Sort of.

Will Elon Musk’s Twitter torpedo real estate’s most critical debates?

Elon Musk is already shaking things up just days after buying Twitter. That could have big implications for some of real estate's most pressing debates.

10 tips for throwing an un-be-leafable fall event on a budget

Now is the perfect time to plan an event to thank your clients, showcase your business and attract potential buyers. With a little creativity and planning, you can throw an event that’ll rival your competitors without breaking the bank, author and coach Darryl Davis writes.   

At a glance: Expenses agents should be tracking from the get-go

As we enter the fourth quarter, now's the time to get your finances in order for Tax Day. Here's a quick look at what is and isn't deductible as you prepare for tax season in real estate.

How much money should you invest in real estate?

Real estate investing puts your money to work in the form of an income-producing property that can then be used to help finance your next property. The biggest barrier is also the simplest one: money

8 hard-learned money lessons from housing-crash survivors

In times of turbulence, the best leaders make tough decisions and course corrections, according to agent Shelley Zavitz. Here are financial lessons from real estate agents who made it through the 2008 market crash to help guide you.

9 questions second-homebuyers should ask themselves before the search

A second home is both a luxury and a highly nuanced investment that can have a big impact on both lifestyle and finances. Here are nine questions buyers should ask themselves before starting a second-home search.

Looking for Affordable Housing in New York? Here’s Where to Find It.

Enter your household income and size, and we’ll tell you what housing programs you may be eligible for and how to apply.

You Won’t Believe How This $3.4M Swiss Chalet-Style Craftsman Survived the Wrecking Ball

MLS via Realtor.com

A 1913 Swiss chalet–style Craftsman in Long Beach, CA, comes with a heckuva story.

The 4,809-square-foot home with four bedrooms and four baths is on the market for $3,495,000 with Loree Scarborough of Compass.

That’s the storybook ending. How it got to that point is hard to believe. The tale involves saving the home from the wrecking ball, relocating it, and then renovating it.

Saved not razed

First, the seller snapped up this home at no cost—that’s right, free—in 1989. While “free” is certainly a deal, this home came with quite a catch—and a cost.








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How Airbnb investors can minimize risks when buying properties

Changes to HOA rules or city regulations can pose a fatal risk, short-term rental investors say. Here’s how buyers and brokers can minimize revenue risks when targeting short-term rentals.

What Is a Lanai? An Exotic Home Feature That’ll Make Your Summer

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The term, Hawaiian in origin, describes an open-air porch that’s furnished for comfort, with couches, ceiling fans, and—on the design side—tropical flair.

Not surprisingly, lanais are par for the course in homes across Hawaii, but their popularity has caught on throughout many warmer climes, from Southern California through Florida. Even homes located in temperate zones can have a lanai that can be used during the warmer months.

So if you love spending your summers lounging on your porch with a cocktail in hand, you’ll likely love it even more if you turn this outdoor space into a lanai. Here’s what you need to know about this fun home feature, so you can decide whether you want one of your own.

What to know about a lanai





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Gwyneth Paltrow’s Childhood Home in Santa Monica Now on the Market for $17.5M

Valerie Macon/AFP via Getty Images

Oscar winner and wellness entrepreneur Gwyneth Paltrow got her start in this little ol’ mansion in Santa Monica, CA—and it can be yours if you’ve got $17.5 million.

Yup, Paltrow‘s parents, Bruce Paltrow and Blythe Danner, snapped up this massive property in 1976. The future Goop founder was just 4.

The Paltrow clan called it home until 2008, when it was sold to Jerome Dahan, co-founder of the denim brands Citizens of Humanity and 7 for All Mankind.

As would befit this legendary Hollywood family, the home is spacious at 6,900 square feet and ultraplush with six bedrooms and  6.5 baths.







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How Long Does Mortgage Pre-Approval Last?

courtneyk/iStock; realtor.com

If you’re hoping to buy a home, it’s smart to ponder this question, since even after you receive a lender’s stamp of approval for financing, weeks or even months could pass before you actually buy a house. Will that pre-approval you received a while back still be valid by then?

Since lenders realize that buying a house does take time, pre-approval does have a shelf life, but not an indefinite one. While the length of time varies, in general pre-approval is good for about three months. Here’s what home buyers need to know about how to make the most of this time frame—and what to do if your pre-approval is at risk of running out before you buy a house.

What to know about a mortgage pre-approval? It’s the first step to buying a home

If you want to purchase a home, your first step should be to prove that you have the financial means to do so. This is where pre-approval comes in.

“Pre-approval is the process by which a mortgage professional such as a broker or bank account executive examines a loan application to determine whether a potential home buyer will qualify for a mortgage,” says Matthew Reischer, an attorney and real estate agent at New York’s Flushing Real Estate.

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Rooftop Chess Set a Clever Gambit for $3.5M California Midcentury Modern Home

CRMLS/ MLS via Realtor.com

A midcentury modern masterpiece with a giant-size, rooftop chess set in Pasadena, CA, has captured lots of attention. After less than a month on the market, the home has a contingent offer.

Whether you’re a fan of the Netflix miniseries “The Queen’s Gambit” or you think it might be fun to try your game moves outdoors, this spacious beauty comes with an eye-catching, outdoor playground.

“The owner always imagined having a rooftop chess set, and her husband gave it to her for her birthday,” says Sharon Verani, who is co-listing the property with Mark Ogden of Sotheby’s International Realty.

Giant-size chess set

Realtor.com








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