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








Continue reading

Stingy buyers? Angry sellers? Nurturing clients through a shift

This month: After several consecutive years of a strong sellers’ market, an agent must help her clients accept a major market shift. What tools can her broker provide to enlighten these sellers who may have missed the "peak," but can still have an incredibly profitable sale?

Picture-Perfect Louisiana Home for Sale Has a Surprise Brewing Inside

Realtor.com

Beware the witches of Louisiana!

An unassuming house in Baton Rouge is creeping out potential buyers with its bewitched staging.

Like the New Hampshire home listing featuring “Halloween” movie villain Michael Myers and a Kentucky Victorian‘s frighteningly fabulous photos, this haunting home is casting a spell for Halloween.

The exterior of this newly built four-bedroom, 2,588-square-foot dwelling is picture-perfect, looking like something out of a magazine. But the interiors of this $549,900 listing have a surprise brewing.




A witch slouched in a bathtub while another witch floats by in the closet behind
Continue reading

We’re poised for a great housing fall, y’all: What Q4 has in store

Leaves are not the only thing falling right now. The housing market is experiencing another major adjustment, and market expert Chris Drayer offers his insights and predictions for the rest of the year and beyond.

‘Fixer Upper: The Castle’: Are Chip and Joanna Gaines In Over Their Heads?

Magnolia Network

On their new show “Fixer Upper: The Castle,” Chip and Joanna Gaines are quickly learning that making over a historic building is a lot more complicated than making over any old house.

In the latest episode, “Story of Color,” they struggle specifically with how to blend the castle’s old elements with new ones. There are many tough decisions to be made, and—surprise!—Chip and Jo don’t always agree.

Read on to see how these famous flippers figure out what to do, and learn some smart lessons you might be inspired to apply to your own abode, too.

An old exterior can still look new

Before: Chip and Joanna Gaines examine the exterior of the castle.

Magnolia Network

castle
castle stone
pink room
pink paint
bathroom
tile
Chip and Jo
wood stains
storage
Continue reading

The 7-day home sale is a rarity again as market slowdown continues

The median home for sale is spending 45 percent longer on the market than it was at this time last year, according to Zillow's research team.

Amid COVID, Americans relocated to battleground states in droves

As midterm elections approach, Zillow crunched housing data and found that enough Americans relocated to key counties in red and purple states in 2021 to potentially shift political leanings.

British fashion entrepreneurs sell Beverly Hills home for $35.25M

The 6,230-square-foot property sold by British fashion entrepreneurs Tom and Ruth Chapman was put on the market for $42 million in June.

5 ways to accelerate brokerage revenue in a challenging economy

Join Studeo Co-Founder and CEO Rebecca Rose as she discusses how to reorient your current brokerage marketing team away from expensive service-based activities and towards accelerating revenue.

What Are Comps? A Way to Pin the Right Price on a Home

Ballun/iStock

Homes are unlike the majority of other things people buy in that the price isn’t set in stone. Sure, the listing might include an “asking price,” but as this term suggests, that’s just a request rather than a hard, unwavering demand. And that’s why comps are so important. So what exactly are comps?

Short for housing “comparables,” comps are a way to help you figure out what a home is worth based on the recent sales prices of similar properties in the area. Home sellers (and their real estate agents) use comps to help them come up with their asking price, while buyers can use comps to come up with how much to offer. As such, it’s an important concept for both buyers and sellers to master.

Here are the basics on how to find comps and wield them to your advantage.

What to know about comps

With housing comps, you ideally want to compare apples to apples—not apples to kiwi (which is, let’s face it, a strikingly unappealing fruit). In other words, it’s important for comps to be as similar to your own property as possible. While what constitutes a comp for a home will depend on each particular market, here are some ballpark parameters:

Continue reading

What Is a Sunroom, Florida Room, Solarium: Are They All the Same Thing?

kodachrome25/iStock

Is a sunroom just the same thing as a Florida room or a solarium? Well … yes!

When it comes to a home’s rooms (or real estate listings), we expect to see bedrooms, bathrooms, living rooms, and perhaps the occasional playroom or den. But a sunroom is often an unexpected bright bonus. But just what is it, and is it something you truly want in your home?

What to know about a sunroom

A sunroom by any other name … is probably the same thing as a sunroom. Also called a solarium, Florida room, garden room, sun parlor, patio room, winter garden, or conservatory, it’s basically a space with windows or screens on three sides that let the sun shine right through—often on the southern side of buildings in northern climes to capture maximum exposure. They can be insulated and equipped with heating/cooling, or as simple as a screened-in patio.

Sunrooms are a popular amenity because–let’s face it—who doesn’t want to soak up a few more rays, without enduring chilly winds or biting bugs?

Continue reading

Your Roommate Is a Ghost. You’re Not Alone.

A recent story about haunted houses prompted existential debates and ghost story sharing in the comments section.

Airbnb holiday bookings, prices are soaring. Here’s how hosts can profit

The holiday season is approaching and with it opportunities for hosts to maximize earnings. Read how Airbnb Superhosts earn six figures from short-term rentals — and how you can too.

$2.4 Million Homes in California

A three-bedroom cottage in Santa Monica, a 1911 Edwardian house in San Francisco and a Spanish-style home in San Jose.

Coldwell Banker CEO: Not every company will make it through slump

M. Ryan Gorman said the current downturn is an opportunity for his company, while noting that some competitors "may not have a plan for good times let alone a plan for bad times."

‘Fast Furniture’: An Easy Antidote to Tired Design, but Will It Last?

The mass-produced furniture that sold furiously during the pandemic could soon be clogging landfills.

How a strong culture is getting Compass through tough times

On the last day of the Compass REtreat, Compass President of Customer Success Danielle Wilkie sat down with Inman to talk about how a strong culture is key to the company's 2023 strategy.

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion improves homebuying for individuals with disabilities

According to Amanda Deering, here's how real estate professionals can work on improving diversity, equity and inclusion in the homebuying journey to foster a sense of belonging for all. 

Want to help EVERY client find a dream home? 7 tips for working with buyers with special needs

Even with the best of intentions, it can be difficult to consider all of the factors your clients may need to consider when they're dealing with mobility issues, vision impairments or other challenges. However, according to Amanda Deering, there are many ways you can ensure a successful home search for all.

Open up your open house! 5 tips for ensuring everyone has access

Homebuyers have different needs, and an open house offers an opportunity to meet them, according to Amanda Deering. You can bring inclusiveness to your open house to open the doors to individuals with disabilities.

LikeRE Logo