Go, Girl: Lena Dunham Settles Into Her New Brooklyn Condo

BY MELISSA ALLISON 
ZILLOW

The ‘Girls’ creator waited more than a year after signing a hefty book contract to upgrade her digs.

Source: IMDb

As the fourth season of “Girls” prepares to launch on Sunday, the award-winning television show’s creator and top star Lena Dunham is settling into her new condo.

It’s just a five-minute walk from her former home, but cost almost 10 times as much.

The Brooklyn Heights condo — which she bought in May for $4.89 million — is a 4-bedroom, 3.5-bathroom unit in a luxury brownstone building with indoor parking and a roof deck.

All five units in the building went up for sale at the same time — and all have sold. It’s unclear whether the photos used to sell the properties were taken inside Dunham’s unit, but they give a sense of the building’s luxury.

Tips for a Happy Kitchen Remodel -

From TheFamilyHandyman.com


Install filler strips or panels

If you’re getting new cabinets but want to keep your old refrigerator, leave enough space between cabinets so you can replace your fridge with a wider model later. (Most refrigerators are 32 to 36 in. wide.) Install filler strips or panels to fill up the extra space. You can install shelving between the panels over the top of the fridge or install top cabinets. Order the filler strips and panels with your cabinets so they match.

Sunny Isles Beach to get Ritz-Carlton Residences

BY MARTHA BRANNIGAN

MIAMIHERALD.COM

The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Sunny Isles Beach will boast 250 feet of oceanfront and cover 2.2 acres. COURTESY OF CHATEAU GROUP

Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/news/business/real-estate-news/article5575146.html#storylink=cpy

Sunny Isles Beach — home to marquis projects like Porsche Design Tower and Residences by Armani/Casa — is getting another luxury brand condominium: The Ritz-Carlton Residences.

The joint venture between Fortune International Group and Chateau Group will launch pre-construction sales of units in its planned 52-story oceanfront tower at 15701 Collins Avenue in the next 10 days.

Edgardo Defortuna, president of Miami-based Fortune International, and Manuel Grosskopf, who heads Chateau Group, formed Sunny Isles Property Ventures LLC, a 50/50 partnership, to jointly develop and market the high-end project.

“It’s going to be a pure condominium but with all the services of a hotel,” said Grosskopf.

The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Co. licensed its name to the project and will manage the property. The monthly condo fees have yet to be determined.

“The Ritz-Carlton is a very, very well recognized brand and it gives us the level of attention to detail that our buyers are looking for,” Defortuna said. “What a buyer is looking for is great service, great food and beverage, a great spa, a kids club — things that enhance the experience and lifestyle.”

Developers plan to follow the buyer-deposit model that has fueled the current condo construction boom in Miami-Dade County. Buyers will be required to make a 25-percent deposit on units at the time of contract, with an additional 15 percent due at groundbreaking and another 10 percent due a few months later. The remaining 50 percent will be due at closing.

Miami-based Arquitectonica is the architect on the project. Michele Bonan, a designer from Florence, Italy, who designed Casa Tua and Cipriani in Miami, is handling the design. The developers didn’t provide a rendering.

Fortune Development Sales and Chateau International Realty will head the sales for the project, which spans 2.2 acres and 250 feet of oceanfront.

Units will range from $2 million to $5.2 million with penthouses going for up to $25 million. The price per square foot will average $1,400, Grosskopf said.

“We really complement our strengths. We have experience [at Fortune] in marketing and sales and they have great skill at sourcing of materials [at Chateau] and a good sense of what the Latin American buyer likes and wants. And they are shrewd at negotiating with contractors,” Defortuna said.

Each partner brought an oceanfront parcel to the venture. Grosskopf owned the site of the former Ocean Palm Motel at 15795 Collins Ave., which he bought in 2011 during the real estate downturn.

When the adjoining site at 15701 Collins Avenue site was put on the market for auction in 2013, the men decided that instead of bidding against each other they would join forces. Defortuna won the bidding for the site, which was a partially built Solís Resort that stalled during the real estate downturn. That partially built structure is being demolished to make way for the new project.

While the project marks the first joint venture for the two developers, they’ve done business in the past. Grosskopf sold Defortuna the sites for other Fortune condominiums: Jade Beach and Jade Ocean.

Grosskopf, who with his father Manuel Grosskopf developed malls and condominiums in their hometown of Buenos Aires, became involved in Miami real estate initially as financiers and investors. They expanded to development early in the current condominium boom.

Chateau Group is set to deliver its 84-unit Chateau Beach project in Sunny Isles in April and has sold more than 50 percent of the units in Fendi Chateau Residences, another Sunny Isles Beach project that is set for completion in the first half of 2016.

Defortuna is a major marketer of pre-construction condominiums for others and a veteran developer in his own right. Fortune’s Jade Signature project in Sunny Isles Beach is under construction and 85 percent sold. Fortune also is building joint-venture developments with Miami-based Related Group: the Hyde Beach Resort in Hollywood and the Auberge Beach Residences and Spa in Fort Lauderdale.

Developers of The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Sunny Isles Beach, will open a temporary sales center at 17070 Collins Ave. in mid-January, with plans to move to the Chateau Beach sales office in the spring after it is revamped

Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/news/business/real-estate-news/article5575146.html#storylink=cpy

Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/news/business/real-estate-news/article5575146.html#storylink=cpy

Olivia Wilde, Jason Sudeikis Ask $3.995M for Manhattan Digs

BY MELISSA ALLISON 
ZILLOW

Now that the actress and the former ‘Saturday Night Live’ star have a baby, they’ve traded this 1,670-square-foot apartment for a bigger place.

Photo: Pulicciano via Flickr Creative Commons

After just two years in their well-located Manhattan apartment, actress Olivia Wilde and former “Saturday Night Live” star Jason Sudeikis have found a bigger place. The likely reason: the arrival of their 8-month-old son, Otis.

“They’ve moved on to a bigger place, and it’s time to sell,” said listing agent Ann Cutbill Lenane of Douglas Elliman.

Photo: IMDb

The couple is asking $3.995 million for the home, which is “a corner apartment with a lot of light and ceilings that are 12 or 13 feet high,” Lenane said. Records show they paid $3.225 million for it in late 2012.

“It’s in an incredibly hip location in the Meatpacking District, but it does have a doorman, which a lot of the buildings don’t have,” she said.

The 1,670-square-foot apartment has 2 bedrooms, 2.5 baths and a corner master bedroom with a walk-in closet. The master bathroom includes a double sink, tub and separate stall shower, and the kitchen features Viking appliances, custom Italian cabinets and a double pantry.

Sudeikis starred in 2014’s “Horrible Bosses 2,” while Wilde recently appeared in Glamour magazine with Otis.

If you’re in the area, an open house is scheduled for Sunday from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Top 10 Home Improvement Projects - 10

By: Michele Lerner
Realtor.com

Two-Story Addition

For a 72 percent return on investment, add a first-floor family room and a second-floor bedroom with full bathroom in over a crawlspace. You can add a new HVAC system to handle the addition, and electrical wiring to code.

When to Get a Second Mortgage

From EnlightenMe.com

Finding the perfect house is only the beginning of your task list. Not only is it important to find a reliable mortgage representative, it’s also critical to decide if you should get a second mortgage at the time of purchase. Understanding how this process works may help you decide if a second mortgage is the right option for you.

What it is

When you get a second mortgage, you’re really seeking a kind of down payment assistance from your lender. Lenders like you to put down a substantial down payment, usually 20 percent, to show you have a hefty financial stake in repaying the loan. When you cannot do this, they often require you obtain an insurance policy that guarantees repayment of the loan. If you’d prefer not make the monthly premium payments, you can use a second mortgage to cover your down payment. Because your first mortgage balance does not exceed 80 percent of the purchase price, you avoid private mortgage insurance (PMI) requirements.

When it’s right

If your available funds for a down payment fall short of 20 percent, you may want to get a second mortgage. It’s important to consider your total financial picture before you decide because it may be in your best interest to delay your purchase instead. For example, you can get 100 percent financing between the first and second mortgages, but this places you in a precarious position. Although it isn’t always the case, this may signal you are not financially ready for a mortgage.

On the other hand, getting a second mortgage is a viable option when you have 5 or 10 percent saved for your down payment. Not only will you avoid PMI payments, you can build equity in your property faster by utilizing a second mortgage.

How to find it

The best time to get a second mortgage is during your first consultation with your mortgage representative. Explain your financial position and describe your ideal financing. If he or she is unable to provide supplementary financing, look for a representative or broker with more lending options.

While you may think that there’s more hassle involved when you get a second mortgage, this is not always the case. Yes, you will have two sets of loan documents to sign, but the process remains simple. In most instances, your first mortgage lender will take care of the communication with the second mortgage lender and share documentation you provide to save you a step. Other times, your first mortgage lender can process both loans at the same time.

Tyra Banks Lists Manhattan Pad for $3.795M

BY MELISSA ALLISON 
ZILLOW

The host of “America’s Next Top Model” paid $2.1 million for the apartment in 2005.

Photo: David Shankbone via 

Flickr Creative Commons license

Supermodel and “America’s Next Top Model” host and executive producer Tyra Banks is asking $3.795 million for the Manhattan apartment she’s owned for a decade.

Banks’ Soho apartment measures 2,063 square feet and has 2 bedrooms, 2.5 baths and a study. Large picture windows in the living and dining rooms look out on the midtown skyline.

Its master suite includes the customized walk-in closets you’d expect of someone who was once one of the world’s top-paid models. The apartment has high ceilings, Brazilian mahogany wood floors and window seats in living room, dining room and master bedroom.

Built in 1924, the Beaux Arts building designed by architect Cass Gilbert has a full-time doorman and a roof deck. Banks paid $2.1 million for the apartment in 2005.

The listing agent is Adam Modlin of The Modlin Group.

Tips for a Happy Kitchen Remodel - Make space for a mini office

From TheFamilyHandyman.com

Build a kitchen office into your remodel

If you want to use your kitchen as an office, make it part of the remodel. You don’t need a lot of space. A small seating area with a computer station is often adequate. During the remodel, add Internet access and outlets for plugging in your computer equipment (visit familyhandyman.com and search for “add outlets”). Also add storage space like shelving or a recessed wall cabinet so your paperwork won’t get lost or create a mess.

Dinosaurs Invade Zoo Miami Jan. 24 - May 10

Miami.com

A zoo-wide Jurassic adventure with life-sized animatronic dinosaurs

Dinosaurs LIVE! is coming to Zoo Miami on Jan. 24, 2015 with 22 life-sized animatronic dinosaurs and displays that look like the real animals that once existed. Prepare to see these extinct creatures come back to life in an extraordinary outdoor Jurassic adventure. Open daily during normal zoo operating hours only through May 10, 2015, this exhibit will take zoo guests back to a time when dinosaurs roamed the earth.

Among the dinosaurs on exhibit, guests will discover favorites like a fully grown “spitting” Dilophosaurus and baby, fast moving carnivores named after its two crests, and of course, the Tyrannosaurus Rex, whose name means “Tyrant Lizard King” due to its size and power. Along the journey, guests will find not only an adult Tyrannosaurus Rex, but also a nest of freshly hatched newborns and a baby T-Rex that seems as vicious as a grown one. Other dinosaurs may be easily recognized by visitors, including the Quetzalcoatlus, one of the largest flying creatures to ever exist, and a juvenile Sarcosuchus, a distant relative of the crocodile we see today. Towering over the other dinosaurs will be the Brachiosaurus, a long-necked creature that could have measured up to 50 feet tall.

Guests may be amazed to find dinosaurs they never knew, including some with fascinating features, like the Pachycephalosaurus – whose name means “thick headed lizard”. Its thick skull was surrounded by blunt bony knobs and spikes, making it stand out from the other dinosaurs. The Citipati is identified by its unusually short head that ends in a short toothless beak, giving it a bird-like appearance. The Parasaurolophus also stands out with a unique feature to help identify it. Its name means “beside crested lizard,” and after spotting it, it is obvious why. This dinosaur has a long bony crest atop its head that measured about 6 feet long. Be sure to keep an eye out for its egg nest as well, but don’t get too close!

“We believe this exhibit will bring many visitors to the zoo since our fascination with these creatures has outlived them.  Many people know more about dinosaurs than animals that are still present today.  We invite visitors to feed their dinosaur fixation by visiting Dinosaurs Live! at Zoo Miami,” said Zoo Miami Director Eric Stephens.

Guests will be surrounded by several other dinosaurs, posed in their natural state, including a couple of Coelophysis, very fast runners with curved necks that resemble long legged bird, a Deinonychus slashing through its fallen prey and another watching on as guests pass by.  On display will also be an impressive Diabloceratops, Protohadros, Acrocanthosaurus and an interactive photo opportunity with a Pachyrhinosaurus.

Dinosaurs LIVE!, by Billings Productions, a leading provider of animatronic dinosaurs, is included with Zoo admission and is open from Jan. 24 to May 10, 2015 Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and weekends and holidays from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m

Alyssa Milano Lists West Hollywood Condo

BY MELISSA ALLISON 
zillow

The “Mistresses” actress, who’s up for a People’s Choice award, is asking $1.399 million for the remodeled corner condo.

Source: Carrie Reed via Flickr Creative Commons.

Actress Alyssa Milano — who’s up for a People’s Choice Award on Wednesday night for her role as Savannah “Savi” Davis in the television series “Mistresses” — has listed her West Hollywood condo for $1.399 million.

The remodeled corner condo measures 2,252 square feet and has a large walk-out balcony with privacy shades. The home has 2 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms and an open floor plan. Its HOA fee is $1,982 a month and includes a concierge, valet parking and a rooftop club room and pool.

Milano won the role of Samantha on “Who’s the Boss?” when she was 11 years old and later played witch Phoebe in the series “Charmed.” She’s the daughter of film sound editor Thomas Milano, who appears to have bought the condo in 2005 for $975,000. It was transferred to Alyssa’s name in 2013, records show.

The listing is held by Jason Harmon of The Top L.A. Real Estate Group.

Top 10 Home Improvement Projects

By: Michele Lerner
Realtor.com

If you’re thinking of selling your home in 2014 or just want to ramp up your home value, it’s important to educate yourself on which improvement projects will bring you the most return on your investment.

A great resource for your research is the“2014 Cost vs. Value Report,” an annual collaboration between Remodeling magazine and REALTOR® Magazine, which breaks down the estimated cost of various remodeling projects and the estimated return on investment for those projects by region and by city, as well as by mid range and upscale projects. In general, this year’s report shows that exterior replacement projects are the most cost-effective. If you plan to sell your home later this year, remember that the first impression your home makes on buyers is their first glimpse of the outside.

On the following 10 weeks the countdown for the  home improvement projects you should consider:

House Appraisal Types

From EnlightenMe.com

Getting a house appraisal is an important step in any mortgage, refinance or equity loan. Without knowing the value of the property, your lender is unable to determine how much they can lend you without incurring additional risk. Even though your lender may not specify which type of appraisal they want for your property, it’s important for you to know the difference, especially when the appraisal is lower than it should be.

Tax Appraisal

Of all the house appraisal types available, the tax appraisal is typically the lowest value. Instead of ordering a time-consuming or costly alternative, your lender will pull the value your county has on file for your property taxes. If that value is high enough to get the loan you want, they go no further in the appraisal process.

Market Comparison

The second house appraisal level is the market comparison. For this appraisal, your lender already knows your tax value is insufficient for the loan and they seek the opinion of an appraiser based on home sales in your area. Often, no one will come to your home, but instead performs a search of homes in your area. They compile the value of comparable homes and average what they sold for in recent months. While this doesn’t take into account any special upgrades in your home, it is often higher than the tax rolls and doesn’t cost as much as a more in-depth appraisal.

Drive-By Appraisal

A drive-by house appraisal works exactly the way it sounds. Your appraiser will review market comparisons and tax value, but also makes a trip to your property. Usually, the appraiser gets out of the car and takes pictures of numerous angles of your property, noting any backyard improvements or extensive landscaping. The condition of your neighbor’s homes may be noted and can affect your final value.

Limited and Full Walkthrough

For these house appraisals, your appraiser will schedule a time with you to enter your home. In a limited walkthrough, they take pictures of the interior and look for interior upgrades. New carpet and paint are not a primary concern, but this is your opportunity to discuss upgraded ventilation systems, kitchen remodels or room additions.

In the full walkthrough house appraisal, the appraiser does everything they do during the limited walkthrough, but they also take measurements. This allows them to provide your lender with an additional value based on your square footage. In some cases, they go as far as to assign different values per square foot to certain rooms of the house with upgrades, providing the most accurate appraisal for the lender.

Minecraft Creator Outbids Beyoncé and Jay Z for $70M Mansion

BY MELISSA ALLISON 
ZILLOW

Markus Persson paid cash for the new spread, which features a 54-foot curved glass living room door, an infinity pool with iPad-controlled fountains and toilets priced at $5,600 each

Weeks after reports circulated about Beyoncé and Jay Z “obviously winning” a bidding war for a 22,300-square-foot Beverly Hills mansion, they’ve been bested by Swedish billionaire Markus “Notch” Persson.

He bid $70 million, same as they reportedly did, but his bid was cash and without contingencies.

The sale, which closed in just six days, is the most ever paid for a home in Beverly Hills, according to a press release from the John Aaroe Group, whose agents Sally Forster Jones and Katia De Los Reyes represented Persson. “Cases of Dom Perignon were part of the deal,” the release says.

Persson can afford that sort of thing now. Earlier this year, he and his co-founders sold Mojang, the company that owns the sandbox gaming franchise “Minecraft,” to Microsoft for $2.5 billion.

His new 8-bedroom, 15-bathroom spread sits on a promontory in the high-end Trousdale Estates neighborhood and offers sweeping views from downtown Los Angeles to Malibu Beach — including from a bathtub. The home has a car showroom, a screening room, vodka and tequila bars and a candy room.

The home has an automated 54-foot curved glass door in the living room that opens onto an infinity pool with iPad-controlled fountains. It came furnished, including a replica of James Dean’s motorcycle, and an 18-foot onyx dining room table that seats 24 and includes place settings by Roberto Cavalli that cost $3,700 each.

And for the final touch of luxury, each bathroom is equipped with a $5,600 Toto Neorest toilet.