La Jolla, California: A Coastal Jewel

by Roberta Murphy Some cities are the embodiment of luxury,and La Jolla, California is no exception. La Jolla is a paradise for both the traveller and the resident. Sitting just north of San Diego, it offers a spectacular coastline with heart-stopping views. Add to the natural beauty a charming village, upscale shopping, fine dining and lodging, a top-ranked university (UCSD) and medical school—along with a climate that is arguably the best on earth—and…

April 24, 2007
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A Carnival of Luxury

by Roberta Murphy In case you have never visited or participated in a blogging carnival, please allow me to extend a hand and introduce you to a dizzying world of fun, opinions and amazing information. I have participated several times in the real estate blogging carnivals and look forward each week to reading the winning entries. I imagine it takes huge effort on the part of the host to read through all…

April 22, 2007
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Instant Homes Values via Your Cell

by Roberta Murphy Disruptive technologies are a special favorite on this blog, and HouseFront is the newest to hit my desk.  And it happened about twenty minutes ago, when I opened an email from James Eberhard, CEO of Housefront. The premise is simple. Want to know the value of a home? Follow these simple steps with your cell phone: 1.  Text any address to 46873. 2. Open your results a few seconds…

April 13, 2007
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The Bigger the Home, the Harder They Fall?

by Roberta Murphy A recent study of publicly traded CEO homes found a correlation between the size of the CEO’s home and the company’s stock price. It may come as a surprise to some, but the larger and more luxurious the CEO’s home is, the poorer the company’s stock tends to fare. The study is an interesting one, with credit going to Arizona State Crocker Liu and New York University’s…

April 11, 2007
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Fun Recipe for a Luxurious Lawn

by Roberta Murphy Paul Michael at Wise Bread swears that this lawn tonic recipe will do wonders for grassy yards, especially since it is the secret recipe of former Colorado golf groundskeeper Tim Heffron. It is also a recipe shared each year on his local Colorado station. Pauls article offers much more detailed explanation of how each ingredient works, but well provide his secret recipe here:   Gather from your…

April 5, 2007
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The Mortgage Graveyard: RIP

by Roberta Murphy The inevitable has happened. Fallen mortgage companies now have their own graveyard and we can also see those headed in that direction. Want to know which mortgage lenders are dead, struggling or being acquired? The Mortgage Daily has created a new online destination: THE MORTGAGE GRAVEYARD Here we can see the fallen, the failing, and those that have been acquired all the way back to 1999 -and…

April 5, 2007
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The Home that Heals Itself

Earthquake damage and healing homes
April 3, 2007

by Roberta Murphy   Nano technology to repair homes damaged by an earthquake? A home that heals itself? It boggles the mind, but Knauf, a German building manufacturer, is working with several universities on that very technology.  They are building a luxury tech villa in the mountains of Greece with special walls containing nano polymer particles that liquefy when under pressure. This liquid then flows into the building cracks, where it hardens into solid material. (For those…

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La Costa Dream Home

by Roberta Murphy Its no secret that I am a fan of the Chopra Center and of the La Costa Resort and Spa or that I am a Realtor living in this coastal Carlsbad paradise. I have a special affection for the old Rancho La Costa and for the legendary homes surrounding the La Costa golf course. And we just obtained a listing for a very special La Costa property….

April 2, 2007
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Easy Test for Spoiled Food?

spoiled food
April 2, 2007

by Roberta Murphy Science Daily reports today that a consumer test kit may soon be available that will quickly reveal whether you are approaching spoiled food that is safe to eat. Researchers at the University of South Carolina report that their dipstick test has a 90 percent accuracy rate and could help prevent many of the illnesses and deaths caused by food poisoning. These food-borne ailments sicken several million people…

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Sleeping under the Stars

by: Roberta Murphy in the luxury of your own bed and awakening to blue skies and scattered clouds. Sounds like heaven to me. And it might be a reality for a luxury camper, or someone clever enough to commission magical artwork from a talented artist such as Rip Read. Sleeping under the stars is now a possibility because StarMurals Startist, Rip Read, has returned to Southern California from his sojourn…

April 1, 2007
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