The house is for sale for $7,400,000 and features long passageways, surveillance balconies, a large dining room, and three bedrooms.
Zillow launches mortgage app
June 16, 2011 By
Web traffic on mobile devices is increasing. Case in point, Zillow says that 30 percent of its weekend traffic is generated on iPhones, smart phones, iPads, and the like. The company hopes to respond to this consumer shift by providing easy access to real time loan information.
Zillow recently announced its free mobile app for the iPhone, which will offer home buyers access to loan quotes and calculators for payments, affordability, and refinancing.
On its website, Zillow promises these client features:
- Live rates – not teaser rates
- Easy-to-advanced calculator options
- Personalized quotes from confirmed lenders
- Loan quote comparisons
- Reviews and ratings on hundreds of lenders
- Saved loan requests and quotes
- Ability to email calculator results, rate trends and loan quotes
The Cello Song – Bach is back (with 7 more cellos)
June 14, 2011 By
LOVE this!!
Be sure to watch for the bow throw around 2:35!
Every sound you hear was created by Steve playing his acoustic cellos (with one exception — a subtle “hi-hat” noise made by his voice).
The Cello Song is based on one of the most recognizable classical pieces ever written, J.S. Bach’s Unaccompanied Cello Suite No. 1: Prelude. (Hint: Say Bach’s title with an English accent and it sounds a lot better). It’s been featured in a lot of movies (and car commercials)…Steven Sharp Nelson decided that this piece needed some accompaniment (Bach must have been busy and never got around to it? 
Adding some original material and 7 more cello parts stacked on top of each other, Steve has created a cool new sound that embellishes all the features that have made Bach’s work so popular. The 7 new parts include drawn-out melodies which soar above fast arpeggios, strumming chords from a guitar-like part, shaker sounds (accomplished by rubbing the sides of the cello), tremolo (1:08–1:24), and a cello-banging percussion part (complete with kick drum).
“Bach was an amazing composer — one of the best that ever lived. He wasn’t the greatest with titles though (smile)… As a consequence, no one can ever remember his Cello Suite’s name…so when I’m asked to perform his piece people always say, ‘hey, can you play that … um … that cello song?’ And so in Bach’s honor I name this adaptation of his amazing composition after what it has been naturally called for hundreds of years.
Gas prices affect homebuyers
June 13, 2011 By
The rise of green building for commercial and residential properties is not the only response to climate change. The increase in fuel prices around the nation is making a significant impact on real estate sales.
As talk of carbon emissions and hybrid cars are part of our everyday conversation, people are more conscious of how their choices affect the environment as well as their pocketbooks. Now more than ever before, individuals are factoring the cost of commuting to and from work into the overall buying decision.
Suburban developments located many miles from city centers may not be as appealing as they once were, particularly to homebuyers who want residential opportunities closer to the workplace. According to RisMedia, consumers in the Los Angeles area are seriously considering fuel costs and commuting time when they choose to buy. The demand for housing is high for outlying areas like Santa Monica, Beverly HIlls, Bel Air, and Hancock Park, which are located near the city center. The CBS Evening News recently reported that Los Angeles commuter rail ridership went up by 8 percent from 2010.
Online shelter magazines are gaining readers
June 8, 2011 By
Some traditional shelter magazines (Better Homes and Gardens, Architectural Digest, Martha Stewart Living, and others) have survived the ups and downs of readership, but others have shut down their printing presses. In the last several years, periodic publications with a focus on interior design, architecture, gardening, or home furnishings are thriving over the internet.
Take Domino, for example. This shelter magazine folded in 2009, and Michelle Adams, a 24-year-old assistant at the time, has gone on to become editor in chief of Lonny, which she co-founded. According to real estate blog Curbed, Adams is the ‘grande doyenne,’ or the great lady, of the online shelter field, because a lot of people are trying to follow her path.
Do online publications get significant readership? According to information provided by the magazines, it appears that younger, fashion-conscious women are reading in large numbers. Jenn Newman is a 34-year-old artist from Brooklyn and a devoted fan of Lonny. She says that the magazine’s approach ‘takes the snobbery out of design’ and offers a ton of ‘eye candy.’
Up there among the high-profile Lonny are Rue and High Gloss. But really, there’s something for everyone. And many of the traditional favorites offer online versions of their printed publications.
Unemployment down in many metro areas
June 3, 2011 By
Unemployment rates are down in many U.S. metropolitan areas, according to figures released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The national unemployment rate in April was 8.7 percent, down from 9.5 percent one year ago.
Rates were lower in April than one year earlier in 297 of the 372 metropolitan areas, higher in 54 areas, and unchanged in 21 areas. 237 metro areas indicated increases in non-farm payroll employment, 126 reported decreases, and 9 had no change.
Hard-hit states like Indiana and Michigan reported the most significant drops in unemployment. California cities continue to experience the highest unemployment rates, constituting the majority of job markets with rates higher than 16 percent.
See Inman News charts for more detailed statistics.
Criminal activity at your fingertips
June 2, 2011 By
Trulia makes crime information readily accessible to the public. The newly launched Crime Maps presents data on criminal activity in many metropolitan areas. Trulia utilizes information from partners (CrimeReports.com, EveryBlock.com, and SpotCrime.com) who work with police agencies, crime feeds, and news outlets.
Users can click on a major city to view hot spots of activity in or around their neighborhoods. Not all major metropolitan areas are included; Trulia’s current list includes about 50 cities. Crime Maps provides a unique visual aid to prospective home buyers who want to measure criminal injustice in areas where they’d like to live — they can view, toggle, and compare statistics of two different regions.
Information on criminal activity is like watching the 5 o’clock news. There’s value in being informed, but seeking the data on a “need to know basis” should trump obsessing over every detail. View Trulia’s introduction here.