Frank Gehry's Schnabel House

I just love this picture of this home.

A second act for Frank Gehry's Schnabel House

By Lizzie Garrett Mettler Frank Gehry's Schnabel House in Brentwood has been called many things: deconstructivist design (which Gehry says is inaccurate), free-form architecture, career watershed, status symbol, family home, sculpture. When Jon Platt, Tony Award-winning producer of "Angels in America" and a current producer of " Wicked" on Broadway, moved into the 5,700-square-foot residence in 2006, it became something else: passion project. He went on to spend four years "invisibly shepherding this house into the 21st century." His mission was to "take this gorgeous piece of art that happens to be a home" and equip it with features expected of a high-tech residence in 2010. Oh, and do it in a way that pleased Gehry." class="gallery-slideshow-photo" height="500" width="341"> Schnabel House (Nick Springett) http://www.latimes.com/features/home/la-hm-schnabel-house-photos,0,767364.photogallery

Nice Tree House ;)

Backyard treehouse survives Manhattan legal fight

By VERENA DOBNIK, Associated Press Verena Dobnik, Associated Press – Wed Oct 27, 12:31 pm ET

NEW YORK – In the countryside, in the suburbs or even in the leafier districts of New York's outer boroughs, a treehouse would hardly raise an eyebrow. But in a historic Manhattan neighborhood whose residents have included Mark Twain and Eleanor Roosevelt, it raised hackles.

Shortly after Melinda Hackett put up the round, cedar treehouse for her girls in a broad-trunked London Plane tree in her tiny Greenwich Village backyard, a neighbor called about "a structure in rear which is nailed to a tree" and "looks unsafe," with no construction permit posted, according to a complaint filed with the city.

"I got home and the police were at the door," says Hackett, a 49-year-old artist. "Then firefighters came."

[Incredible: Mirrored tree house in Sweden is 'invisible']

After months of legal battles, Hackett triumphed. Her girls' treehouse, apparently unique in one of America's most densely populated areas, can not only stay — it's been granted an official permit as part of a district with landmark status.

Though the treehouse is only five years old, Hackett's townhouse is from the 1860s, and she bought it from musician David Byrne of the Talking Heads. The city's Landmarks Perservation Commission decided to grant the treehouse a permit because it's part of a historic landmark district.

ttp://news.yahoo.com/nphotos/New-York-City-Tree-House/ss/events/us/102710nyctreehouse

Most Expensive Zip Code 2010

America's Most Expensive ZIP Codes 2010

In these neighborhoods $4 million homes are the norm.

By Francesca Levy, Forbes.com

Sep 27, 2010

Provided by:

Los Angeles has always been home to some of the world's most expensive real estate. But forget Beverly Hills, 90210: The new hot spot for multimillion-dollar mansions is Duarte, 91008.

Bradbury, Calif. (91008)

Duarte, Calif., home to the 91008 ZIP code, is a small suburb northeast of downtown LA, near the Los Angeles national forest. The median cost of a house in this tony town is a whopping $4,276,462, making it the most expensive housing market in the country. It ranks No. 1 on Forbes' annual ranking of America's Most Expensive ZIP Codes.

A scant 1,391 people live in 91008 ZIP code, and only 12 homes are currently on the market. So a single high-priced listing (like the mammoth nine-bedroom, built this year, that's selling for $19.8 million) is enough to skew the median price skyward.

In Pictures: America's Most Expensive ZIP Codes

American Nightmare: Top 10 Cities for Foreclosures

Top 10 Cities for Foreclosures - ABC News

No One Is Sure Whether The Worst Is Over, But These Cities Are Under Siege

55 comments

By LYNEKA LITTLE

Sept. 23, 2010

If you drive 32 miles east of Reno, you ll find Fernley, Nevada. The city that limits its dog count to three per address and speaks out about the affects of graffiti on its Website has troublesome news to digest. It has the nation s highest foreclosure rate through August.

It's been an awful time for the real estate market, which was only made worse by recent news. August was the toughest month for homeowners as lenders swooped in and seized more than 95,000 homes across the United States, according to Realty Trac.

ABCNEWS/YAHOO POLL: POLITICS AND THE AMERICAN DREAM

Is the worst over yet? The foreclosure rate is up 25 percent since August 2009, and the dream of homeownership has turned sour for many who owe more on their homes than they are worth or can't pay their mortgage

"I don't think we've seen the worst of it yet," says Lisa Johnson-Sevajian, vice president at Coldwell Banker Andover, about what she calls the "American drama." But, "there is a lot of opportunity for first-time homebuyers to get in and create an investment for themselves," she added.

Efforts by the government to stem the tide of foreclosures have had mixed success. The Obama administration's main anti-foreclosure program touched a 10-month low in August with 33,000 homeowners receiving assistance. The president said in 2009 that as many as 4 million homeowners would be helped, and about 449,000 have thus far received assistance to avoid foreclosure.

» Full Story on abcnews.go.com

Current Real Estate On The Market By The Maier Team.

FOR SALE:



Back on the market - De Luz estate Home.

FOR LEASE:

Estate home in De Luz with views. Enjoy outdoor patios and decking over looking the pool and spa.

NEWEST LISTING
INVESTOR SPECIAL
Temecula West Hills/De Luz
10 acres, and two 5 acres land lot and avocado groves

0 Loretta AV , Menifee 92584

Status:					$490,000-500000

Previous Image 1 of 5 Next ·

0 Grand , Wildomar 92562

Status:	A	:		List Price:	$300,000 - $350,000

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===============================================================

OWNER WILL TRADE WITH A HOME OR A TOWN HOME - CONDO
ON THE BEACH. (In Los Angeles area)

0 VIA TORNADO , TEMECULA 92590

Avocado grove / Home Site
$899,000-11.3 acres

Avocado grove / Home Site ML#: T701793 $655,000-9.56

acres.

Our Team
The Power of Three!
Together, we work hard for you.

Where America Money Is Moving To?

Top 5 Places Where America's Money Is Moving

No. 1: Collier County, Fla.
Arriving average income per capita: $76,161
Departing average income per capita: $26,128
Stationary household average income per capita: $49,959
Total arriving people: 15,150
Total departing people: 16,802
Top origin: Lee County, Fla. (2,987 people)

No. 2: Greene County, Ga.
Arriving average income per capita: $56,414
Departing average income per capita: $25,432
Stationary household average income per capita: $30,875
Total arriving people: 788
Total departing people: 778
Top origin: Putnam County, Ga. (76 people)

No. 3: Nassau County, Fla.
Arriving average income per capita: $51,833
Departing average income per capita: $29,312
Stationary household average income per capita: $32,306
Total arriving people: 4,785
Total departing people: 3,690
Top origin: Duval County, Fla. (1,721 people)

No. 4: Llano County, Texas
Arriving average income per capita: $44,324
Departing average income per capita: $22,541
Stationary household average income per capita: $26,201
Total arriving people: 1,192
Total departing people: 1,018
Top origin: Burnet County, Texas (312 people)

No. 5: Walton County, Fla.
Arriving average income per capita: $45,591
Departing average income per capita: $28,360
Stationary household average income per capita: $30,553
Total arriving people: 3,939
Total departing people: 3,230
Top origin: Okaloosa County, Fla. (1,148 people)

Click here to see the full list of Where America's Money Is Moving

http://realestate.yahoo.com/promo/where-americas-money-is-moving

9 Economic Hardship Cities In California

It is very painful after reading this report by Inman News, excerpt here:

In the report by Inman News, it stated that "Of the top 10 metropolitan areas in the US with highest unemployment rates, 9 (Nine) are in California. The other is in Yuma, Arizona a town near the border of California and about 147 miles from San Diego.

The other is in Yuma, Ariz., a town that borders the Golden State.

The report concluded that in order for the Real Estate professional to survive and thrive, they have to embrace the short sales.

Inman News reported that in most of these areas, the economic downturn took away many Construction jobs, which was booming during the housing boom years. These job have dried up as fewer new homes are built. Those would-be construction workers are also having to compete with seasonal farm workers for agricultural jobs that have also been cut back due to a severe water shortage in the state.

The state budget troubles also have led to layoffs for tens of thousands of Government workers. Some industrial plants, facing lagging sales, have closed up shop or cut hundreds of jobs. Stores and shopping centers are sitting half empty.

The reports showed cities and what metro areas.

Top 10 metro areas with the highest unemployment rates -- not seasonally adjusted:

1. El Centro, Calif.: 27 percent (Total population: 166,874)
2. Merced, Calif.: 22.1 percent (Total population: 245,321)
3. Yuba City, Calif.: 21.7 percent (Total population: 165,539)
4. Yuma, Ariz.: 19.9 percent (Total population: 196,972)
5. Visalia-Porterville, Calif.: 19.4 percent (Total population: 429,668 )
6. Modesto, Calif.: 19.2 percent (Total population: 510,385)
7. Fresno, Calif.: 18.7 percent (Total population: 915,267)
8. Hanford-Corcoran, Calif.: 18.6 percent (Total population: 148,764)
9. Stockton, Calif.: 18.4 percent (Total population: 674,860)
10. Bakersfield-Delano, Calif.: 18.3 percent (Total population: 807,407)

Unemployment data source: Bureau of Labor Statistics

Population data source: U.S. Census Bureau 2009 Estimates

Click here for a full-size map.

http://www.inman.com/news/2010/05/26/surviving-and-thriving-in-job-loss-environments