by Roberta Murphy Luxury is booming and Wall Street is keeping a keen eye on how the rich are spending their wealth. And what better way to measure that hedonism than by creating a variety of indexes that track the shopping of the ultra-rich that we can call the Luxury Blingdex. The demand for four-figure handbags, five-figure baubles, six-figure cars, luxury resorts and travel, insurable art and heady wines has…
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…
by Roberta Murphy The Luxury Blog Directory (or L-List), started by the inimitable Paul Johnson, continues to grow and re-seed itself in separate locations. I have tried to pull the listings together once again. This time, to make sure all are included, it might be wise to make sure your luxury blog is included below and if its not, add it (as long as it is luxury-oriented). And if there…
by Roberta Murphy What if there were a wood treatment that not only disgusted termites, but repelled mold and fungus as well? This dream is now a reality at least for those fortunate custom home builders and remodelers who are able to demand their choice in wood. Though it makes for colorful framing (think Smurf blue), Bluwood has captured the interest of homeowners who wish to avoid the hazards of…
by Roberta Murphy This is a short-notice deal, and reservations must be made by March 24, 2007, but what a great opportunity to steal away to Puerto Vallarta for a weeklong tropical vacation. According to Forbes Traveler, this all-inclusive package runs $999 and includes both airfare (from a number of West and Midwest airports) as well as accommodations and meals at the four-and-a-half star beachfront Marival Resort and Suites. Ideal…
by Roberta Murphy In an emerging trend, more and more upscale spas are offering a self service option. Perhaps they are hoping to appeal to the spa-shy or those who might see the spa visit as a social opportunity, where friends or significant others can apply treatments to each other. Wrap your pampered brain around this scenario reported by The Wall Street Journal: At Manhattans Townhouse Spa, you can receive…
We didnt win dinner out, but a dozen roses were awarded for our recent real estate Home Pricing Dangers article. The Real Estate Carnival was hosted by the Pittsburgh Homes Daily and offers up some juicy real estate reading. A deep thanks from us all to PHD editor Robert Melton, who spent hours during a raging snow storm going through the competing real estate articles. If such things were possible,…
by Roberta Murphy With a drumroll, lets reveal and discuss the results of First Republic Banks Prestige Index for Los Angeles, California. Our earlier article about San Diegos Prestige Index offered some interesting data. Hopefully our report on the Los Angeles luxury home market wont disappoint! As might be expected, the pace of luxury home appreciation in Los Angeles has cooled somewhat, but is far from being in the tank….
by Roberta Murphy First Republic Bank has created the first statistical model The Prestige Home Index that measures changes in home values in excess of $1 million in key California markets. What are some of the common features of these indexed homes? They have at least 3000 to 6000 feet, three to six bedrooms and three to six bathrooms, according to the study. Many are substantially larger. Digested reporting of…
Montana may come to be known as the land of Big Skies and Big Spenders. Luxury Clues Bernice Ross reports a new entry in the Billionaire Poll: Lumber and land baron Tim Blixseth. His prime Yellowstone Club 53,000 square foot home in Bozeman, Montana will be entering the high end luxury home market at a record-breaking $155 million. Being promoted fully furnished, this ten-bedroom mountain estate boasts an indoor-outdoor swimming…
