Real Estate

If you love mid-century design and also the work of master architect Frank Lloyd Wright, this Texas home is the design mashup you’ve been waiting for. Take a look inside for yourself. David Foster George, who lived to be 100, was a Texas-based architect who was a fan of the Craftsman style and studied under Wright at Taliesin West.

Looking to live that Usonian life? One such home in an Frank Lloyd Wright designed community in Pleasantville, New York is ready to make your dreams come true. Wright used the term Usonian to refer to his vision for the landscape of the US, including city planning and architecture.

Starchitect Zaha Hadid was a tour de force of contemporary architecture and design, creating everything from iconic buildings to vases and tableware—even a sneaker. Now, her Miami Beach condo is on the market, and some of her one of a kind furniture is up for grabs as well. The 2,299 square foot condo at the W Hotel South Beach is almost entirely windows, with stunning views of the Atlantic Ocean. The place comes with three bedrooms, four bathrooms, and as few interior walls as possible.

Wondering what the former President and First Lady have been up to after their much-memed Tropical vacation on Richard Branson’s private island? Well, the answer is house-hunting. Fortunately, for the Obamas, they didn’t have to hunt very far before finding their new dream home. Ok, so “new” might not be entirely the right word. See, the Obamas just purchased the DC-area home they’ve been renting since leaving the White House.

Frank Lloyd Wright’s 150th birthday is this week, and luckily we get to peek inside Tirranna, an astounding private home in Connecticut, that happens to be on the market for $7.2 million. Tirranna—which means “running water” in the language of Australia’s Aboriginal people—is a horseshoe shaped property overlooking the Noroton River in New Canaan, Connecticut.

Ever wonder how Oscar winning actor Natalie Portman relaxes? Based on her latest real estate acquisition, we’re guessing that staring at the ocean factors in heavily. The Jackie star recently purchased a vacation home in Montecito, a town on the California coast northwest of Los Angeles near Santa Barbara. Check out the property for yourself. The modern vacation home, designed by Santa Barbara architect Barton Meyers, set Portman back $6.5 million.

If you’re one of the millions of Americans who start their day with Matt Lauer and Savannah Guthrie on NBC’s morning show Today, we wouldn’t judge if you feel like you’re already friends. And now, Savannah’s Tribeca loft is on the market, and you can peek inside. The 2,691 square foot condo, which has three bedrooms plus an office and four full bathrooms, was purchased by Guthrie’s husband, political consultant Michael Feldman, in 2012 for $3.8 million.

Oprah Winfrey’s estimated net worth is $3 billion, but one of the properties in her real estate portfolio is surprisingly modest. The media mogul is currently selling a house in Chicago’s nearby Elmwood Park suburb—for under $400,000. The 2,250 square foot brick colonial has four bedrooms, two bathrooms, and an attached garage. Originally built in 1941, Oprah purchased the property in 2001 for $298,000, but has never lived in it.

When it comes to real estate, Jared Leto is no Joker. The Suicide Squad star just sold his home in the Hollywood Hills for $2.05 million, $50,000 over the asking price. The 4,021 square foot four bedroom, three and a half bath home was built in 1955. Leto purchased the property in March 2006 for $1.65 million. The floor plan shows that there is a master bedroom and two connected guest bedrooms on the first floor, along with the kitchen, dining room, and living room with a fireplace.

A tiny cottage to escape to might be on your wish list, but this one is a bit out of the ordinary. The cedar shingled dwelling is actually on a rooftop in the East Village, and it can be yours—if you have the funds to buy the penthouse below for $3.5 million. Curbed NY was the first to report the story, and while rooftop cottages are a rare New York feature, this isn’t the first one we’ve seen.

Michael Graves’ first ever commission is on the market. The Modernist property in Fort Wayne, Indiana is listed for the (affordable for its pedigree) price of $264,888. Designed for his friends Jay and Lois Hanselmann, the Hanselmann House was completed in 1971, and not much has changed since then.

The legendary Frank Lloyd Wright designed some unique properties in his day, but we’ve never seen one quite like this. Needless to say, the starchitect proved he was a fun guy with this mushroom-esque structure, now for sale for $1.5 million. The Sol Friedman House is part of Wright’s Usonia community in Pleasantville, New York—just 50 minutes north of Manhattan.

Name: Santa and Mrs. Claus Location: North Pole Size: 2,500 square feet, with multiple 150-square=foot cottages on 25 acres Years lived in: 195 years, owned Move over, Martha. When it comes to decorating inspiration for the holidays, there’s only one influencer who truly makes their mark on every home, and his name is Santa Claus. Santa, a toy company entrepreneur and delivery man, works one day a year. The rest of the time, you’ll find him — along with his wife, Mrs.

Our latest peek into the fascinating real estate ventures of celebrities is the recent sale of model-entrepreneur couple Cindy Crawford and Rande Gerber’s beachfront Malibu house. The new owner dropped $45 million on the pair’s former digs in a transaction that was finalized last month. Crawford and Gerber originally listed the 3.

We’ve all heard it. If you’re looking to buy, you should always go for the worst house in the best neighborhood. But have many of us ever stopped to question that conventional wisdom? I thought I was bucking convention when I bought one of the lowest priced houses in a neighborhood that many locals steer clear of (and to my eternal frustration that Uber drivers tell my Airbnb guests they should avoid) — but is it true?

Ask real estate agents and they’ll admit that they’re just as frustrated about some quirks in the home buying process as you are. Here, seven things that bother them the most: Usually it’s no one’s business but yours if you’re messy or tidy—but when your place is on the market, your cleanliness habits can affect how quickly your home sells: “It should go without saying, but I have to say it all the time: Tidy up!

When my husband and I finally started looking for a home (after years of renting a barn loft that was short on insulation and long on character), our budget led us to two options: a newer home we would reluctantly call “nice,” or an older home in need of some major updating but one that we could definitely see becoming ours.

Even if you read your lease line-by-line (you deserve a juris doctorate!) when you signed, you’d probably like clarification on some policies and have some questions about your rental—whether you’ve resigned twice or just moved in. Have there ever been bed bugs? Ghosts? If my lease ends at the end of the month, what’s the absolute latest time I can move out? What’s my best option for pizza delivery?! Speaking of deliveries, where do my Amazon Prime packages go?

If you’re thinking about buying a home this year, you’ve probably already come to terms with leaving city life behind to take advantage of those sweet suburban prices. But if you can’t bear to part with walkability, public transportation, a lively food and entertainment scene, or any other of the many benefits to living in a city, there is hope: Some cities are more hospitable to those entering the real estate market than others.

I spend entirely too much of my free time looking at real estate listings—even though looking at them is a good chunk of what I get paid to do here! But even though I know what I’m looking for, even I get lost clicking through dream homes: “I should move to Detroit and buy this $20,000 fixer upper!” or “If I save now, I can totally can afford this $2 million apartment in Brooklyn by the time I’m 30!

If you’ve been patting yourself on the back for living minimally in a studio apartment in the hopes of squirreling away a couple of hundreds of dollars every month for a down payment sometime in the future, brace yourself: I hate to break it to you, but you might actually be losing money. At least according to a new analysis from HotPads, a Zillow company that focuses on apartment searches, the median price for a one-bedroom apartment in most cities is actually cheaper than a studio.

In case you're wondering, they aren't super snobby when it comes to sourcing decor items—they often shop in the same places with an eye on price—just like you!

You’ve saved a good chunk of money, or at least are on a path to do so. Now, you might be wondering what’s better: Invest in real estate or put your money in the stock market? It’s a question you can wrestle with to no end since several factors come into play. Helping to frame the debate and lend advice below are a host of real estate and finance experts. Here are six questions they suggest you ask yourself if you’re exploring your investment options.

Sure, there’s plenty of parental advice that will never grow old: Learn to prioritize your time. Follow the Golden Rule. Wear sunscreen. But when it comes to financial tips, some of those age-old lessons fail to fit in with a millennial’s reality.

Buying a home can be an overwhelming experience. There’s no shortage of advice on the process out there—especially from friends and family members just trying to help. Unfortunately, not all of it is good. Thankfully, three experts have cut through the clutter.

This chic French château is straight out of French Vogue. 46800, Montcuq En Quercy Blanc Located in Southwest France €399,000 euro (~$454,000) Three bedrooms, two bathrooms How chic does it sound to invite all your friends to summer at your country home in the South of France? This 19th-century home in Montcuq has been completely renovated with modern interiors that look straight out of French Vogue.

Congratulations! You’ve taken the real estate plunge and bought a place of your very own. It’s a scary time, but also a really exciting time. I bet you can’t wait to share the good news on Facebook and Instagram. But wait—before you do, we have some advice for when and how to use social media responsibly while you bask in that new homeowner glow. DO take and share great photos of your new place.

Some people were born to fit in. Others were born to stand out. The same goes for homes. For every 100 cookie-cutter McMansions, you might find one home that breaks the mold–which makes such architecturally significant homes priceless in our book. However, you don’t actually have to break the bank to purchase a house that stands out from the crowd.

Ever wonder what kind of a home you could buy if you had a $1 million budget? Will you be able to afford a mansion in Houston or a one-bedroom apartment in Manhattan? We profiled five major cities to find out exactly what kind of home a small fortune can get you.

Zillow was the matchmaker that introduced me to my dream home. I had been saving for a down payment and was “just curious” what I could get near Denver in my budget, which led me to casually scroll through listings on my lunch break. I found my three-bedroom row home on the real estate site, and it was love at first site. I then called up a real estate agent my friend referred to me, had a showing the next day, and closed a few weeks later. I’m not alone.

It’s not always run-down properties that Chip and Joanna Gaines sink their teeth into. The “Fixer Upper” alums just listed a stunning farmhouse-style property they designed for $624,000, and it’s safe to say that it’ll be snatched up pretty quick. Just built in 2018, the four-bed, four-and-a-half bath home, which measures 3,150 square feet, is located in The Preserve, a subdivision in China Spring, Texas.

We all know that Hollywood stars love architectural landmarks. But it’s not every day that these gems are Lloyd Wright (yep, that’s Frank Lloyd Wright’s son) properties. Diane Keaton, star of flicks like “Annie Hall“and “The First Wives Club,” is a seasoned house flipper, and the Oscar winner’s former property, the historic Samuel-Novarro House, has hit the market for $4.295 million.

My dad was frequently unemployed while I was growing up. When he had a job as a software salesman, things were pretty bountiful in our household: We’d go on vacation, build a playhouse, have another sibling join the family, etc. But it always seemed that right after we’d get used to living in “boom times,” he’d get laid off. And since my mom chose to stay home and homeschool us, there wasn’t money coming in when my dad wasn’t working.

According to a 2015 Urban Institute report, delayed marriage and student loan debt are the biggest factors holding millennials back from buying homes. But though the path to homeownership is rocky, many millennials still want that “American Dream.” In fact, according to the Census Bureau, nearly 37 percent of them already own homes.

In almost all circumstances, a landlord or property manager will run your credit before renting out a place to you. But, what credit score is ideal for tenants and what’s the lowest three-digit number landlords deem acceptable? The truth is, there’s some mystery shrouding this question. Unlike the home-buying process, where formal charts will help you figure out what rates you’ll qualify for based, in large part, on your credit score, landlords operate at their own discretion.

According to a 2015 Urban Institute report, delayed marriage and student loan debt are the biggest factors holding millennials back from buying homes. But though the path to homeownership is rocky, many millennials still want that “American Dream.” In fact, according to the Census Bureau, nearly 37 percent of them already own homes.

It’s one thing to own a luxurious home, but real estate dreams reach peak fabulosity levels when your residence is HGTV-approved. Such is the case with this marvelous property in Gig Harbor, Washington, that is officially on the market after being the network’s coveted prize of Dream Home 2018. At 3,591 square feet, the four-bedroom, three-and-a-half-bath coastal home sits on 1.

If you're in the 63% who doesn't own property, you may be interested in hearing from fellow millennials who accomplished the seemingly impossible. Here's Lauren DiTullio's story.

If you’ve got your eye on a dream apartment—or any apartment, actually—you want to make sure you position yourself as a top-notch renter. Chances are, you’ll be competing with several other would-be tenants for a rental unit, which, of course, is stating the obvious for anyone who has apartment hunted (scavenged?) in places like New York City or Los Angeles.

According to a 2015 Urban Institute report, delayed marriage and student loan debt are the biggest factors holding millennials back from buying homes. But though the path to homeownership is rocky, many millennials still want that “American Dream.” In fact, according to the Census Bureau, nearly 37 percent of them already own homes.

Though some people may consider a dream home to come with a garage, hardwood floors, and the most quiet neighbors in history, truth be told, simply owning a home could be a millennial dream come true for some. According to a 2015 “Millennial Homeownership” report from the Urban Institute, a Washington, D.C.

This house can be considered vintage and modern all at the same time. 1915 East 10th Street Located in Austin, Texas $740,000 3 bedrooms, 2.5 bathrooms This house might look simplistic from the outside—with a sleek white exterior and pretty yellow porch swing—but the inside has a whole lot going on. The East Austin home was first built in 1900, and still features the original structure, long-leaf pine wood flooring, and wood-beamed ceilings.

You can shop for just about anything online these days, from your groceries to shipping containers-turned-houses. So, when it comes to home buying, it only feels natural for digital natives to crack open the laptop to start shopping for a mortgage. Once you tell Google you’re in the market for a mortgage, oodles of comparison sites will pop up, eager to get to know you better with icebreakers like “what’s your credit score?”, “where are you looking to buy?

If you’re in the market for a house, first of all, congrats! Buying a home is one of the most rewarding—albeit at times exasperating—things you’ll do in your life. By the time you’re ready to buy, you likely have a sufficient grasp on the basic necessities: a solid foundation, a roof that doesn’t leak, wiring that won’t cause your new home to spontaneously combust, and so on. But what about the other stuff you should be mindful of?

First comes love. Then comes marriage… or a civil union or cohabitation. From there, we’re cheering for something along the lines of “and they lived happily ever after.” But because life is full of plot twists—and because divorce rates are around 40 to 50 percent in the United States—it can be important to take some precautions when you’re buying a house with a partner. Who better to offer that advice than divorce attorneys?

The new year is a great time to reevaulate the aesthetics of your home, especially if you want to make some updates with an eye on resale value. While bathrooms and kitchens offer the most opportunities return on investment, bedrooms also offer ample opportunities for beneficial (and relatively easy!) updates—especially if they feature some common features that now scream “dated.

Dear Alice, My boyfriend is moving into my apartment. All of the decor in my place is new, in great condition, and I’ve spent a lot of money on it. It is mostly neutrals with a little bit of blues and greens. When he moves in he insists on hanging up his movie and video game posters and placing his little character figurines around the place.

Checking your credit score regularly is smart, especially if you’re planning to buy a home. You shouldn’t have to pay for a monitoring service to help you keep your credit on track, either. Fortunately, you can choose from a variety of free credit score sites and apps to keep tabs on your numbers. But with so many options, which is the best? By law, you’re entitled to view your credit report once a year on annualcreditreport.

Most first-time home buyers know not to take out a bunch of new debt, quit their job, or ignore their bill due dates when applying for a mortgage. But several other factors—from all those morning java runs, to a lack of planning, to carrying a high credit card balance—can affect your chances at snagging that house at the best interest rate.

Imagine my surprise when my real estate agent gave me a simple appraisal number—and all additional information in a completely jargon-free way.

If moving is on your to-do list, figuring out how many boxes you need to get the job done shouldn’t stress you out. And, while there’s no exact science to box acquisition, the experts have a few tips you can follow to avoid either buying way too many—or, realistically, too few.

Now that we’re settled in the New Year, you may have noticed that your credit score has taken a hit after some overly joyous holiday spending. You’re not the only one: A recent report from Marcus by Goldman Sachs says almost half of the U.S. (48 percent) carries a balance or goes into credit card debt over the holidays due to travel, entertaining, and gift costs. While this can make for an exciting holiday season, it usually leaves our wallets—and credit scores—hurting.

Property Shark recently released its findings for the most expensive zip code in the United States–and the answer might surprise you. It’s not Beverly Hills, Palm Beach, or someplace in the Hamptons. It’s Atherton, California, an affluent Silicon Valley town just a short drive from the likes of Facebook and Google. In the zip code 94027, the median sale price is $6.7 million, which spiked about 35 percent since 2017. (Rankings are based on closed home sales.

Millennials are losing faith in the American dream—at least according to a new survey from Trulia. In 2015, 80 percent of Americans ages 18-34 said homeownership was part of their personal “American dream.” This year, that number dropped to just 71 percent. For the survey, Trulia asked more than 2,000 American adults about their attitudes toward home ownership.

If buying a home is living the dream, paying your mortgage off early could seem like a next-level fantasy. Just imagine what life would be like without forking over monthly mortgage payments. More money for investments! Retirement savings! Home upgrades! Silk bow ties for your dog! But is paying your mortgage off quicker than is required actually a smart financial move? While there’s no “one size fits all” answer, financial experts say it’s not always the wisest decision.

Some bad advice you receive is NBD, honestly. Those bangs your best friend swore would look great on you will eventually grow out after an awkward phase. And maybe one day Dad’s method of filling out a March Madness bracket based on team mascots will actually pay off. But then there’s some bad advice that qualifies as a VBD—yes, a very big deal because it concerns your financial well-being.

Welcome to My First Apartment! Whether it’s your first studio, a four-bedroom deep in the city shared with a handful of roommates, or even an entire house (lucky you!), there’s something special about moving into the first place that’s truly your own. In this series, we’ll showcase actors, artists, entrepreneurs, and beyond—asking them to revisit that oh-so-sweet nostalgia of newly-found freedom.

Sisters are doing it for themselves—and building equity while they do it! All over the United States, single women are outpacing single men when it comes to homeownership. LendingTree, an online loan marketplace, determined that on average, single women own around 22 percent of homes, while single men own less than 13 percent. Considering how expensive it is to buy a house, that’s quite the statistic, particularly since the average woman in the U.S.

A Modernist masterpiece in Northern California with views for days. 6128 Sea Walk Drive, Unit 10 Located in Sea Ranch, CA $1,200,000 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms For starters, this insanely cool condo comes packed with significant design history. Built in 1965 and designed by MLTW to preserve sea views, the building is part of the iconic Sea Ranch community, a masterpiece of Modernist architecture. Though the exterior is breathtaking, the inside is well-designed, too.

Shopping for a home means weighing wants and needs, and making careful compromises to squeeze as many of those must-haves and wish-list items into your budget as possible. But many buyers focus on typical home features while overlooking one potentially important detail. Nine out of 10 home buyers would like a laundry room, for example, while 82 percent want hardwood floors. Most buyers are looking for a three-bedroom house with two bathrooms, a new kitchen, and an open floor plan.

Have you ever scrolled through social media and secretly wondered “How the heck are my peers affording that lifestyle?” Yeah, we don’t know how they are funding those Bora Bora vacations, either. But a recent report from Zillow gave us some pretty good intel on how people are actually affording down payments for homes in big cities. We’ll give you a hint: It has nothing to do with skipping avocado toast or cutting Netflix from the budget.

Looking to buy a home? 2019 may be your year. According to a new report from CoreLogic, experts predict that this year’s real estate market may swing in favor of buyers. What is causing this shift isn’t necessarily news to potential homeowners: again, it’s a story of increasing home prices and rising interest rates. However, it seems like these factors are finally hitting the market hard enough to cause a change. Over the last several years, home prices have steadily increased.

Contrary to popular opinion, millennials are buying homes. According to a study conducted by the team at LendingTree, an online loan marketplace, nearly one-fourth of all mortgage purchase requests made on their website between January and November of 2018 came consumers under the age of 35. And three American cities managed to rake in millennial buyers—making up almost one half of total new purchase requests.

Unless you’re planning on staying in your house forever, chances are good that, when planning home improvements, you have at least one eye on resale value. Today we’re tackling a tricky subject: can new appliances increase the value of your home? As most appliances don’t come cheap, is it worth the expensive upgrade? Turns out, the answer is: it depends. For the most part, expecting a significant return on appliances is a risky proposition.

These five places in the United States are especially noteworthy when it comes to being tiny home-friendly.

Think Home Depot is just for suburbanites working on DIY projects or shopping for a washer/dryer? Ask long-time urbanites-who-rent and they’ll tell you that there are so many gems in this big-box store. In fact, many of the things you’d order from Amazon or pick up at Target for your place can be found at Home Depot—and with a better selection (and sometimes better prices).

This two-bedroom, two-bathroom home that belongs to multimedia artist Michael Jude Russo is proof that the concept of becoming one with nature isn’t just an overused cliché. The art-filled abode sits slightly north of Fort Lauderdale in Wilton Manors and is currently on the market for $1.2 million. Included in the sale are the hundreds of artwork and sculptures displayed in the home, the gardens, and the two-story studio.

Is it cheaper to be a city dweller or a suburbanite? When it comes to real estate, the obvious answer is that, yes, it’s probably much cheaper to buy a home or rent in the suburbs. (Thank you, next!) But, wait just a second! When you start factoring in other costs of living, or you hone in on some housing markets, you may be surprised to find that in some cases, living in the ‘burbs can be more expensive than city life.

This Sag Harbor stunner is the pied-à-terre of your dreams. 61 Madison Street Located in Sag Harbor, New York $1,495,000 2 bedrooms, 1 bathroom This Hamptons home is like a magic trick. It was built in 1927, but looks completely modern. It’s 660 square feet of space, but feels spacious. Perhaps that’s what JANGEORGe Interior Design had in mind during renovation. Here, a bright and light living space flows into a dining room, and then onto the kitchen.

​If you’re planning to buy your first home, you should pick up a guide (or two) to help you get started on thinking about what homeownership really means.

You’ve probably watched “Home Alone” at least a handful of times since it was released in 1990—it’s a holiday classic. And if you weren’t too distracted by the implausibility of Kevin’s hijinks, you may have noticed that the McCallisters’ house is a beautiful six-bedroom, three-and-a-half bathroom Georgian. And, if you’re like us, you’re probably wondering what a house like that costs.

The closets of my two-bedroom apartment overflowed with things from literally every stage of my life. Though the craft supplies, decorations, and souvenirs could be evidence of a life well-lived, these stuffed storage bins overwhelmed me—a reminder that the clean, clutter-free, minimalist-inspired home I dreamed of was becoming less of a reality each day. I work from home.