by Roberta Murphy I believe we have a new issue to negotiate on behalf of our clients: CANCELLATION FEES A couple of weeks ago we had a buyer cancel a transaction within the timeframes agreed upon by the buyer and seller. Notice of cancellation was sent out shortly after the physical inspection on the $400,000 downtown San Diego condo. It should have been a simple matter, but that was not…
50 Simple Feng Shui Tips
by Roberta Murphy I was asked to share some simple Feng Shui tips for home offices, written by Laura Milligan over at the Bootstrapper Blog. She lists 50 great ones, but I’ll tease you with a few she has listed in her article. In spite of a personal bookshelf full of Feng Shui education, I found these suggestions particularly useful in that I am currently refiguring my own home office…
Richistan Home Prices Continue to Soar
by Roberta Murphy $50 million is the new $30 million, says Glenn Roberts over at the Inman News Blog–especially when it comes to high end luxury homes. Citing a 2007 Mid-Year Luxury Report by Stribling Private Brokerage, Roberts explains how just a few years ago, even a rumor of a $30 million real estate sale in Manhattan would create big buzz. But since the sale of a $53 million property…
Mortgage Crisis and the Blame Game
by Roberta Murphy Brad Inman this morning wrote an excellent article about the mortgage and real estate crisis that has gripped so many markets in the United States–and elsewhere. In The Housing Market Blame Game, Inman reports that even formerly raging real estate markets that were once seen as unshakable, such as Manhattan, are now beginning to share the pain with regions that had collapsed earlier. Many blame the real…
Del Mar Estate Most Expensive Home in San Diego
by Eric Murphy We follow luxury listings throughout the world, and when a home listed above $50 million hits the market, it’s NEWS by any stretch of the imagination. And San Diego is just the latest to break that barrier. Priced at $76 Million, this circa 1937 oceanfront Del Mar trophy estate sits on nearly 5.5 singular acres. The two story home has nine bedrooms and six-and-a-half bathrooms and ocean…
Mortgage Fraud Rocks Beverly Hills
by Roberta Murphy Luxury real estate circles are abuzz with the latest report that two top producing Beverly Hills agents have been indicted for their alleged participation in a mortgage fraud scheme. The LA Daily News reports that Joseph Babajian and Kyle Grasso have been suspended by Prudential California Realty, and are under orders not to conduct any real estate business until federal charges against them have been resolved. Both…
6 Luxury Gadgets and iPhone Envy
by Roberta Murphy I am developing a severe case of phone envy as I watch friends caress and tickle their iphone screens. Their voicemail is visual and at a glance, they can see who has left messages and can prioritize the return of those calls. Their web surfing is real, and reading glasses aren’t required because text and pictures can be enlarged with the slide of a finger. The iPhone…
100 Hot Tech Blogs (with Few Related to Luxury Lifestyles)
by Roberta Murphy Whenever I go to shop for technology of any sort, I head over to CNet to check out editorial and user reviews. Whether I am shopping digital cameras, tablet pc’s or cell phones, I know I can trust what they have to say. It came as a recent wonderful surprise that they have also taken to rating blogs–or at least those that focus on technology. Luxury Home…
Busy San Diego Realtor Seeks Committed Mortgage Professional
by Roberta Murphy I must be crazed to write a title like that because we are courted almost daily by San Diego mortgage lenders and brokers who want our real estate business. We deal with a number of home buyers and feel an enormous responsibility to recommend the best mortgage professionals in the business. I am convinced that the San Diego real estate and mortgage market has far too many…
The Ziploc Omelet: Amaze Your Guests
by Roberta Murphy Unless an omelet chef is employed for the next luxury brunch gathering, one might go ditzy trying to create custom omelets for each guest. This also makes it impossible for all to sit down in front of a hot plate at the same time. I love American ingenuity. This clever trick was forwarded to me by that wonderful host, Hank Holman, from Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Thanks to his…
