Archives for October 2012

Fold-Up Bathtub Concept Designed to Save Space in Style

fold-up-space-saverFor some of us, showers are sufficient, but if you want a more spa-like experience, or at least a full bathtub, space can be a serious factor in urban settings. Designer Dominik Chojnacki has a vision for a fold-up tub that provides the amenities you want but that takes up the same space as a shower.

Potential problems of this prototype, though, are clear: drainage when you tilt it up, robustness of the mechanism and of course … why doesn’t it double as a stand-up shower when not being used as a tub? Still, a neat concept nonetheless.

source: dornob

Appraising Fictitious TV Celebrity Apartments

nicole kidman aprtIn lieu of the new TV show 666 Park Avenue (the devil passed the board interview apparently), here are some thoughts on the value of some fictitious apartments and properties in some notable TV shows using what limited information was available back in the day and some strained logic (with a slew of hypotheticals and disclaimers) all in the name of fun.

Although the graphic incorrectly uses the building square footage total for no. 3, the graphics people at CO did an absolutely brilliant job with this – love it.

Check out my post, 15 Floor Plans Of TV’s Best Homes.

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Spectacular Waterfront House in West Vancouver

Vancouver HouseThis amazing residence is built on a low seaside bluff in West Vancouver, British Columbia. The home with a total area of 320 sq. m (3,430 sq. ft.) has three bedrooms, a master suite with spa-like en-suite, multi-leveled patio, outdoor terrace with a fireplace, a private veranda, seven fireplaces and a two-story media room. The floor-to-ceiling glass walls offer a stunning view of the ocean. The price tag of the place is $5,498,000.

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[Read more…]

The Music of Wood [photos]

wooden cello

wooden band

The Real Estate Market Today

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Home Ownership Rate Stands at 65.5%

home ownersAmericans still favor home ownership. The U.S. homeownership rate continues to remain around 65.5 percent, the U.S. Census Bureau reported late last week. The home ownership rate is nearly the same as it was in the second quarter of 2011 at 65.9 percent.

The Census Bureau also reported that vacancy rates for housing were 2.1 percent and vacancy rates for renting were 8.6 percent in the second quarter.

The home ownership rate peaked at 69.2 percent in 2004. Home owners outnumber renters in nearly 100 percent of the nation’s 3,095 counties evaluated by the Census.

Keweenaw County, located in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, posted one of the best home ownership rates: 89.8 percent.

Source: “National Home Ownership Rate Is Pegged at 65 Percent,” The Business Journals

Renting ‘Round the U.S.

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House Prices: Experts Becoming More Optimistic

projectionsEach quarter, Pulsenomics surveys a

“distinguished panel of over 100 economists, investment strategists, and housing market analysts regarding their 4-year expectations for future home prices in the United States.”

Here are the latest survey results.

Price appreciation/depreciation expected over the next four years:

  • 2012: 2.31%
  • 2013: 2.44%
  • 2014: 3.25%
  • 2015: 3.43%

Fiserv also released a report projecting home prices to appreciate at an average of 3.7% annually over the next five years.

The average pre-bubble (1987-1999) annual appreciation was 3.6%

source: THE KCM CREW

Smartphones: Impact on the World [video]

smartphone_videoAn amazing look at how mobile technology is impacting all of us!