Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick Selling in Greenwich Village

AUTHOR:EMILY HEFFTER
ZILLOW

Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick are selling their trendy Greenwich Village town house, along with her sleek white ping pong table.

Listing photos include a picture of Parker’s closet, reason enough to take a look.

The town house was first on the market in 2012, then removed and relisted recently at the slightly lower price of $22 million. Parker and Broderick bought it for $18.995 million in 2011.

The historic, 25-foot-wide townhouse is 6,800 square feet and has 7 fireplaces, with a Juliet balcony, landscaped garden and lots of built-in bookcases.

The listing is with Fredrik Eklund of Douglas Elliman.

Photos: Evan Joseph

Simple Fixes for Common Appliance Problems - Standing Pilot Gas Range

By the DIY experts of The Family Handyman Magazine

To access the ignition system in an older-style standard gas range, pop the lid. It's usually hinged on the back side. If the pilot flame is out, poke a needle into the pilot hole to clean out soot (be careful not to ream it wider). Brush off any debris and clean the tube that leads from the pilot to the burner. Then relight the pilot.

Pilot light hole
Try cleaning the pilot hole, then relight.

Good Mortgage Tips

From the Superpages.com

Most people shop for a loan with the goal of getting the lowest interest rate. That alone may be enough for short-term loans or small loan amounts, but getting a good mortgage requires you to look at a variety of factors. Getting a low interest rate is still important to the mortgage search, but ignoring other factors can cause problems for you down the road.

Good Mortgage Tip 1 – Escrow Accounts

When so many mortgage lenders offer an escrow option for your taxes and insurance, it’s easy to take this good mortgage feature for granted. While it may be standard for most mortgage companies, escrow accounts are not a feature for all companies. If your lender does not offer you this option, you must save for your homeowner’s insurance and property taxes on your own each month. Even when you believe you can handle setting aside the money, make sure your lender has this option in case you change your mind.

Good Mortgage Tip 2 – Customer Service

Although it’s common to choose a mortgage company based on your rapport with the lending representative, the time you spend working with him is only a small piece of the puzzle. Research the company and talk to others who have their mortgage with it. You may not run into any issues over the life of your loan, but if you do, a good mortgage company should provide excellent customer service, even if it’s over the phone instead of with your original representative. If you hear bad things about the customer service, consider other lenders.

Good Mortgage Tip 3 – Mortgage Fees

Before you move forward with any lender, compare the Good Faith Estimate of Settlement Charges form (HUD 1-A) for each lender you shop. This document gives you information about the range of fees the lender can charge for each item, such as appraisal and title search. Ask questions about what may cause you to receive fees at the higher end of the range instead of the lower end of the range. A good mortgage representative can explain this to you in detail and provide specific guidance on the matter.

Always remember to read the fine print in your contract. A good mortgage shouldn’t contain a prepayment penalty if you move or refinance the loan. Even if you do not believe this will happen, much can change in 30 years.

Rock-Bottom Price for Wayne Newton Estate: ‘Owner Says Sell This Year’

AUTHOR:EMILY HEFFTER
ZILLOW

The giant estate compiled by Mr. Las Vegas got a huge price cut to $30 million this week  — something of a white flag for the businessman who first listed it for $70 million last year.

He ended up with the property after scrapping his elaborate plans for Wayne Newton’s Casa de Shenandoah. The listing now contains this clue about his intentions: “Owner says sell this year.”

The unique 40-acre property has a rainbow fountain and space for a menagerie of exotic animals, plus Newton’s luxurious mansion, with a giant “N” engraved on the marble floor in the ornate entry and a paneled billiards room. And it includes the rest of Newton’s compound: a car showroom with eight double doors, a pool, stables and zoo.

The current owner, a Texas businessman, bought the property from Newton in 2010 and renovated it, with plans for a theme park and museum. As part of the sale, Newton and his wife were to build a smaller residence on the property, but the deal fell apart and a legal battle erupted in bankruptcy court. The Newtons were forced to move out of the longtime home.

Newton, who still croons for crowds in Las Vegas casinos, was a supporter of Ronald Reagan and hosted the president and his wife at Shenandoah, along with other famous entertainers from the 1960s. But behind the glamour, controversy also plagued the estate over the years, including claims of fraud and animal abuse, according to reports.

Top Woodworking Tips - No more glue stains

From The FamilyHandyman.com

Use tape to catch excess glue
To prevent stains caused by oozing glue along joints, clamp the pieces together without glue. Put tape on the joint, then cut along it with a sharp blade. Separate the pieces, apply the glue and clamp them together again. The glue will ooze onto the tape, not the wood. Peel off the tape before the glue dries.

Tubs passé as more owners opt for walk-in showers

PHILADELPHIA – Sept. 8, 2014 – More metropolitan bathrooms are being built or renovated without a tub. A survey this year of 7,645 homeowners by Houzz Inc. found that four out of 10 respondents opted to forgo bathtubs during renovations – even in the master suite.

The design trend is driven by older homeowners with mobility concerns and younger people who simply prefer showers to baths.

"We're seeing much more demand for walk-in showers," says Nick Meli Jr., owner of a contracting firm in Center City. Millennials "don't take baths; they want to shower, get in and get out. Soaking in a tub? No way, their homes are a place to sleep and then leave for work. Older people don't want tubs because they're 20 inches from the floor; they can't step over them."

While real estate insiders say removing tubs used to be taboo – especially in homes with only one bathroom – they agree this design choice no longer necessarily lowers property value.

Source: Philly.com (08/24/14) Arvedlund, Erin

© Copyright 2014 INFORMATION, INC. Bethesda, MD (301) 215-4688

Jungle Island plans giant transformation

By Hannah Sampson | MiamiHerald.com

Jungle Island is set for a massive transformation designed to boost attendance and give Orlando-area attractions some competition.

When John Dunlap walks through Jungle Island, the 18-acre attraction on Miami’s Watson Island that he has overseen for the last year, he can barely take a step without pointing out something that’s about to change.

“Our idea with Jungle Island is to transform from a zoological attraction where people come and see animals to an ecological adventure park,” said Dunlap, president of Jungle Island and CEO of Iconic Attractions Group, which manages the park’s operations.

Dunlap, who was director of the San Diego Zoo before coming to Jungle Island, is also tasked with a larger goal: Changing the reputation of a once-revered attraction that has disappointed its city landlords since its 2003 move to Watson Island with lower-than-expected attendance and financial woes.

To brighten both the financial outlook and the park’s low-energy reputation, Dunlap and his team have devised a transformation with a price tag of “tens of millions” of dollars set to include:

• Zip lines, adventure bridges, bungee swings and other aerial activities.

• Pool areas, some including waterfalls, where guests can take a dip throughout the park.

• A built-out stretch of waterfront on Biscayne Bay promoted as a “private beach club” for tourists and locals.

• Interactive environments for all animals.

• A restaurant overlooking the orangutan habitat for visitors and for after-hours special events.

• A beachfront dining spot and bar serving light fare to sunbathers.

• An upscale “destination” eatery at the entrance, with a focus on craft beer. It would be open to both paying guests and members of the public who don’t buy tickets.

Dunlap revealed the plans — and hinted at more that were not yet ready to be disclosed — to the Miami Herald during a recent interview, describing the changes as a “total re-concepting.”

The full master plan is on a five-year schedule, but some upgrades such as the beach expansion have already been completed. Others are slated for the not-too-distant future, such as the restaurants, expected to be completed by the spring of 2015, and the zip lines, which Dunlap expects to be open by next summer.

This year, Jungle Island introduced a summer entertainment program and will also host haunted houses for Halloween and a winter festival. This month, the park is also allowing kids 10 and younger from Monroe, Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties to visit the park for free, with family events on the weekends.

Dunlap said he thinks the new and improved Jungle Island can even give that tourist town to the north a run for its money.

Electro-pop Wild Child Kesha Buys Subdued Venice Bungalow

AUTHOR:EMILY HEFFTER
ZILLOW

In March, Kesha dropped the dollar sign from her name. In May, she dropped $1.65 million on this quaint, Spanish-style bungalow in Venice, CA.

The pop star got famous for hard-partying lyrics and an electro-pop sound. She wrote all the songs on her first two albums and uses yodeling and auto-tune to give her music an electronic, video-game quality. The world loves it: her hit song TiK ToK has sold more than 14 million copies.

Now Kesha can brush her teeth with a bottle of Jack a few blocks from the beach in Venice. Her new, 1,416-square-foot home has three bedrooms and two bathrooms. The master bedroom opens onto a patio with Spanish tile and an outdoor kitchen, tucked into a private backyard surrounded by walls and greenery.

The listing agents were Mitchell Wallis and Matthew Irmas of Partners Trust. Kesha was represented by Peter Lorimer, of Peter Lorimer Group Estates.

Photos courtesy of Partners Trust.