Top 150 Best Real Estate News, Resources & Services

• $1bn for empty space: the saga of the world's most valuable real estate - "Skepticism abounds over 157-acre LA-area lot once linked to Brad Pitt & Iran’s shah, amid questions over sellers’ motivations."
• 5 Questions You Need to Ask Yourself Before Buying a Home - The New York Times.
• 8 houses built in impossible places - "Architecture can flirt with nature in expressive yet subtle ways. The idea is, often, to harmonize, not dominate, the landscapes."
• 10 MOST EXPENSIVE STREETS IN THE WORLD - survey by Wealth Bulletin 2009.
• 2015 Global Luxury Residential Real Estate Report - Sotheby's International Realty.
• $4,000 HOMES THAT CAN BE PRINTED IN LESS THAN 24 HOURS - The Verge.
• $100 Million Resort-Like Estate Is The New Jewel Of Bel Air - "Majestically perched atop a canyon with unobstructed views of Bel Air, this newly built, hillside compound dubbed 'UNICA' spans over 40,000 square feet and completely redefines ultra-luxury living."
• A Cave Home for Millionaires - "A 5,500-square-foot cave built as a bomb shelter is marketed as a luxury home with rock walls and stalactites."
• 'A family against a billionaire': twist in battle over Mark Zuckerberg's Hawaiian estate - "Parcels near Facebook CEO’s property auctioned off amid lengthy fight over Native Hawaiian land rights."
• A Four-Bedroom Apartment on the Right Bank of Paris - The New York Times.
• A New Dimension in Home Buying: Virtual Reality - The New York Times.
• Actor Michael Douglas voices his own real estate ad - "After struggling to sell his Mallorca mansion since 2014, Michael Douglas is now lending his voice to his own real estate video promoting the $32 million listing."
• Anders Povlsen: Why a Danish billionaire bought the Highlands - "Danish billionaire Anders Holch Povlsen and his wife Anne recently thanked the people of Scotland for their support after three of their four children died in the Sri Lanka attacks in April."
• apartment on Central Park just sold for $238 million. That's the highest price ever paid for a home in the US - "The most expensive home in the country sold in New York for $238 million. Hedge fund billionaire Ken Griffin closed on the Manhattan property at 220 Central Park South on Wednesday his spokesperson said."
• Barbados: 50 years of independence & still a luxury property haven for expats - The Telegraph.
• Basement extensions & the rise of the Iceberg Home - The Telegraph.
• Beautiful Italian towns sell homes for $1 - "Buying a $1 Italy dream house just got even easier."
• Before the Trumps, There Were the Wendels - The New York Times.
• Belgravia mansion set to become London's first £300 million home - "One of Qatar's richest men has sought planning permission to transform London's Forbes House."
• Best Countries Ranking Full List - "The overall ranking of Best Countries measures global performance on a variety of metrics." US News.
• 'Beverly Hillbillies' mansion sells for $150 million -- a new California record - "A mansion with a starring role in the classic US sitcom 'The Beverly Hillbillies' has become California's most expensive property after it reportedly sold for around $150 million."
• BIGGER POCKETS - "Knowledge, Networking, Dealmaking." The Premier Real Estate Social Network Community & Real Estate Investing Resource Directory.
• billionaire addresses - "Mansions & Home Addresses of Billionaires, Millionaires, and CEO's."
• Billionaire's Row Documentary 2020 - YouTube 41:40.
• CANDY & CANDY - "World leaders in creating innovative, glamorous and elegant ground-breaking interior design." Interior decorators of One Hyde Park, London W1, U.K.
• CASTLES FOR SALE - real estate directory of castles, palaces, chateaux and medieval buildings for sale, rent or to buy in Europe, America and the world.
• Castles Seek Knights in Shining Armor - Poland is offering investors the chance to become lords of their own manors at knockdown prices in a bid to rescue hundreds of the aristocratic mansions that flourished in its pre-communist past.
• Castlesworld.com - "Brings the world of castles closer to you. Castles are some of the most popular historic sites on the planet. We have designed our site to give a smooth and simple user experience, with you in the central part of the action."
• CATELLA PROPERTY GROUP - a leading advisor on the European real estate market with operations in 15 countries.
• CHRISTIE'S GREAT ESTATES - international luxury real estate specialists.
• COLLIERS INTERNATIONAL - a global affiliation of independently-owned real estate services firms with 12,700 employees in 294 offices in 61 countries.
• Cost of Living Index 2018 - Numbeo.
• CUSHMAN & WAKEFIELD - "Global real estate solutions."
• De Beers Diamond Heiress’s Futuristic Washington State Home Sees Huge Price Cut - "Built in 2005, this two-story circular-shaped home was modeled after New York’s Guggenheim Museum."
• Discover the Most Expensive Homes in Los Angeles - Mansion Global.
• Do the Nordics make the best cities? - "What the Nordic nations can teach us about liveable cities."
• DUPONT REGISTRY MAGAZINE - a buyer's gallery of fine homes.
• Earnest payment - a specific form of security deposit made in some major transactions such as real estate dealings or required by some official Procurement processes to demonstrate that the applicant is serious and willing to demonstrate an earnest of good faith about wanting to complete the transaction.
• Edge Retreats - "Exceptional Villas of The World". With insider access to the world’s best luxury villas - we work with owners and property managers across the globe to bring you over 4000 of the finest properties in 50 countries and 20 private islands. Whether you’re searching for a high-end honeymoon, family get-together, special occasion or corporate retreat, your personal villa consultant will ensure you discover your perfect villa, every time.
• Entire Yorkshire village frozen in time on sale for £20m - The Telegraph.
• Estates Gazette - since 1858. Weekly business magazine published for the UK commercial property market. "Building on over 150 years of experience, Estates Gazette continues to deliver market-leading intelligence tools that enable our customers to make faster, better informed decisions and to win more business in the real estate market."
• Estates Gazette's Power List 2017 - "The ultimate guide to this year’s 50 most influential property players."
• Everything You Need to Know About Buying Your First Home - TIME Magazine.
• Expats buy Japanese country house for a song and get way more than they bargained for - "In a country known for sky-high real estate prices, buying a large country home (or 'kominka') in Japan is still affordable. There are no restrictions on foreigners buying land or property in the country, and no citizenship or resident visa is required. That said, without a work visa or permanent resident status, obtaining a loan can be difficult. Foreign buyers typically opt to pay cash for this reason."
• family seat of Britain's greatest ever war hero up for sale for £12m - The Telegraph.
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• Floating Homes - "We design and build floating homes in the UK using concrete hulls and pontoons."
• Former Beverly Hills Home of Jennifer Aniston & Brad Pitt Asks $49 Million - "The California mansion, built in 1934, has a tennis court and guest house."
• Former Kennedy Palm Beach Compound Reportedly Sold By Billionaire Jane Goldman For $70 Million - "The storied seaside Palm Beach estate that big daddy Joseph P. Kennedy bought in 1933 has had three owners since the Kennedy clan sold it in 1995."
• Four-Pack - "City Hopping Among the Wealthiest."
• FREEDOM SHIP INTERNATIONAL - "City at Sea."
• Gated community - in its modern form, a gated community (or walled community) is a form of residential community or housing estate containing strictly controlled entrances for pedestrians, bicycles, and automobiles, and often characterized by a closed perimeter of walls and fences.
• GLOBAL PROPERTY GUIDE - site for residential property investors who want to buy houses or apartments in other countries.
• GLOBAL RESIDENTIAL CITIES INDEX Q4 2015 - Knight Frank.
• global super-rich in London is booming - "Boris Johnson has led cheerleading for the global super-wealthy as they buy up the capital’s best housing, says damning report."
• Harry Macklowe on New York Real Estate - The New York Times.
• HAUTE RESIDENCE - "A Millionarie's Global Guide to Luxury Real Estate."
• Here's how much you need to make to afford a home in every state (USA) - "Affordability varies widely by region. See which states have median salaries that top the amount you'd need to make in order to buy a home."
• Home staging - the act of preparing a private residence for sale in the real estate marketplace. The goal of staging is to make a home appealing to the highest number of potential buyers, thereby selling a property more swiftly and for more money.
• HOMES OF THE RICH - "The Web's #1 Luxury Real Estate Blog."
• HOOKED ON HOUSES - "A Fun Place to Get Your House Fix."
• House price rises outstrip wage gains - Financial Times.
• House sitting - the practice whereby a landlord (or "homeowner"), leaving their house for a period of time, entrusts it to one or more "house-sitters", who by a mutual agreement are entitled to live there rent-free in exchange for assuming responsibilities such as taking care of the homeowner's pets, performing general maintenance (including pools, lawns, air-conditioning systems etc.), keeping trespassers off the property, readdressing the mail, and in general, making sure that everything runs smoothly just as if the owner was at home.
• Housing for Inclusive Cities: the economic impact of high housing costs - The Global Cities Business Alliance.
• How Luxury Developers Use a Loophole to Build Soaring Towers for the Ultrarich in N.Y. - "About one-fourth of the 88 floors at 432 Park Avenue, one of the world’s tallest residential buildings, have no homes. Instead, they are reserved for structural and mechanical equipment."
• How the Grosvenor property empire spread across the world - The Telegraph.
• how the super-rich customise their homes in 2018 - The Telegraph.
• HOW TO 3-D PRINT AN ENTIRE HOUSE IN A SINGLE DAY - Wired.
• How to buy a house when you have student loan debt - "The majority of millennials don’t own a home - and many have student loans to blame for that. According to a recent survey from Bankrate, a whopping 61% of millennials don’t yet own a home, and nearly a quarter of them say student loan debt is the culprit."
• How to buy a property in France - Enness.
• How to get around planning rules - "Build three styles of house into one".
• How you can create space in a tiny home - The New York Times.
• IBS | INTERNATIONAL BUILDERS SHOW 2016 - January 19-21. Las Vegas.
• Iceberg Home - "How basements of the rich cause hell for their neighbours."
• Insert a Gym, Then a Lounge: Older Buildings Add Amenities - The New York Times.
• Italian castle is yours for $100 - "A fairytale Italian castle wedding for $100? It's on offer in Roccascalegna."
• Jeff Bezos Is Buying Three NYC Condos Worth a Combined $80 Million - "The tech giant’s chief executive officer is buying three condos at Manhattan’s 212 Fifth Ave. with a total value of about $80 million."
• KENSINGTON PALACE GARDENS - London's number 1 "Gold Street", with an average property cost of £18m.
• 'Kleptocracy tours' expose state failure to stop dirty money buying up London - "More than 35,000 London properties have offshore owners, with no one knowing who they belong to or where the money came from."
• LA BELLE EPOQUE PENTHOUSE - Monaco. World's (new) most expensive apartment / penthouse: 17,500 square feet sold for €240 million by British developers Christian and Nick Candy on September 13, 2010, reputedly to Greek billionaire Constantine Alexander-Goulandris.
• Larry Page's dream of building a 'Google Island' could be coming true - The Verge.
• LeadPro - "Premier property marketing event, which incorporates the world’s leading professionals sharing their best practices of marketing and sale of high-end real estate".
• Listing contract - contract between a real estate broker and an owner of real property granting the broker the authority to act as the owner's agent in the sale of the property.
• Location, Location, Location - phrase to remind people that the most determining factor in the price of a house is the location.
• Location, location, location: how the world is tackling issue of empty homes - The Guardian.
• London At Risk Of Becoming A ‘Ghetto Of Wealth’ - "London has been labelled an 'epicentre of the elites' and a 'ghetto of wealth' as social mobility in the U.K. capital plummets to new lows."
• London Mansion Sale for Over $262 Million Set to Shatter Record - "A Chinese property magnate is close to breaking London's house-price record with the purchase of a 45-room mansion in Knightsbridge, London, U.K."
• London’s Best and Most Secretive Address - The New York Times.
• LUNAR EMBASSY - "Buy yourself some space!" The founders and leaders of the extraterrestrial real estate market. THE ONLY COMPANY in the world to posess a legal basis and copyright for the sale of lunar, and other extraterrestrial property within the confines of our solar system.
• LUXURY HOME DIRECTORY - "Enjoy a little luxury in your home."
• LUXURY REAL ESTATE.COM - "The most viewed luxury real estate website in the world." An international network with more than 60 countries representing the finest residential luxury estates and property brokerages.
• Lyford Cay - private gated community located on the western tip of New Providence Island in The Bahamas.
• Man ordered to demolish $64M home - "This custom-built chateau cost $64 million -- but a court has ordered its owner to knock it down."
• meet Japan's 'hardcore' minimalists - The Guardian.
• Michael Jordan Lists Chicago Estate For $14.9 Million After ‘The Last Dance’ - "The icon’s Highland Park, Illinois home was recently price-chopped again, listed for $14.9 million (roughly half its original $29 million ask price). On the market since 2012, 2700 Point Lane has attracted some renewed interest following ESPN’s critically-acclaimed Jordan documentary. It may be Air Jordan’s final trophy from his Bulls heyday."
• MIPIM - since 1991. (Le marché international des professionnels de l’immobilier) is an international property event hosted in Cannes, France each March. The event aims to facilitate business between investors, corporate end-users, local authorities, hospitality professionals, industrial and logistics players and other real estate professionals.
• Mipim Worldblog - "Connecting property professionals".
• MOBILE WEALTHY RESIDENCY INDEX - see the 11 preferred jurisdictions.
• MONDINION.COM - international real estate listings.
• Monocle: you've seen the mag – now buy the apartment - The Guardian.
• Mortmain - perpetual, inalienable ownership of real estate by a corporation or legal institution; the term is usually used in the context of its prohibition.
• MOST EXPENSIVE HOUSE for sale in the world 2016 - aerial photos - Billionaire Addresses.
• Multiple listing service | MLS - suite of services that enables real estate brokers to establish contractual offers of compensation (among brokers), facilitates cooperation with other broker participants, accumulates and disseminates information to enable appraisals, and is a facility for the orderly correlation and dissemination of listing information to better serve broker's clients, customers and the public.
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• NAIL HOUSE - a private home whose owner refuses to move to clear way for new real estate developments despite offers of huge monetary sums from a private developer or expropriation attempts by the government.
• New Apps and Services for Renters - The New York Times.
• New York’s First-Ever Penthouse: A 54-Room Upper East Side Mansion Built for a Cereal Heiress - 6sqft.
• New York City’s Evolving Skyline - "A high-rise building boom, mostly of luxury condos, has transformed New York City’s skyline in recent years - and there’s more to come."
• Notting Hill of Ibiza - The Telegraph.
• Off-the-grid homes - are autonomous; they do not rely on municipal water supply, sewer, natural gas, electrical power grid, or similar utility services. A true off-grid house is able to operate completely independently of all traditional public utility services.
• ONE HYDE PARK (PENTHOUSE) - world's second most expensive apartment: £140 mio. Knightsbridge, London SW1, U.K.
• Own a French chateau for less than $60 - "Own part of the French chateau of Ebaupinay for less than $60."
• Piano nobile - (Italian, "noble floor" or "noble level", also sometimes referred to by the corresponding French term, bel étage) is the principal floor of a large house. This floor contains the principal reception and bedrooms of the house.
• Pocket listing - real estate industry term used in United States which denotes a property where a broker holds a signed listing agreement (or contract) with the seller.
• Preparing Your Home for Sale - The New York Times.
• PRICEY PADS - luxury real este blog.
• Princess Diana's Bahamas vacation home is up for sale - "Here's a home we wouldn't mind isolating in: a Bahamas beach house with a pool, five bedrooms, a terrace and 180 feet of private white-sand frontage."
• Princess Diana's St. Tropez Love Nest, Castle St. Therese, Is For Sale Again - Daily Mail Online.
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• PROJECT UTOPIA - BMT Nigel Gee Ltd.
• PROPERTY LAW - Wikipedia.
• Quitclaim deed - Wikipedia.
• Rent-a-Foreigner in China - rural Chinese real estate companies believe that filling their remote buildings with foreign faces, even for a day, suggests that the area is “international,” a buzzword in provincial areas that often translates to “buy.”
• Rental Affordability Index (2017) - Nested.
• RICS | ROYAL INSTITUTION OF CHARTERED SURVEYORS - "The mark of professionalism worldwide."
• Right of first refusal (ROFR or RFR) - contractual right that gives its holder the option to enter a business transaction with the owner of something, according to specified terms, before the owner is entitled to enter into that transaction with a third party. A first refusal right must have at least three parties: the owner, the third party or buyer and the option holder. In general, the owner must make the same offer to the option holder before making the offer to the buyer. An ROFR can cover almost any sort of asset, including real estate, personal property, a patent license, a screenplay, or an interest in a business.
• Rooms With a View (and How Much You’ll Pay for Them) - "The best views in New York City come at a premium, with a Central Park vista edging out Hudson and East River sight lines."
• SIMON CONN - "Overseas Property & Finance Specialist." Can arrange residential mortgages in over 50 countries around the world.
• SOTHEBY'S INTERNATIONAL REALTY - "The Sotheby's International Realty network provides access to luxury real estate and homes for sale worldwide. Our website lets you search property listings globally, and includes a large inventory of luxury homes that match your lifestyle choices such as waterfront, golf, island, vacation, mountain and many others."
• Super rich buying up Italy's mansions under new tax regime - "‘You get the same sort of tax savings you get in Jersey but you get to live somewhere you actually want to live’."
• Switzerland Seen as Best Country - "The overall ranking of Best Countries measures global performance on a variety of metrics." US News.
• teddy bear test & other challenges facing the rich who try to flee high-tax states - Los Angeles Times.
• The Art of Home Staging - The New York Times.
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• The Floating Seahorse - essentially a boat, not a villa. Will boast three levels, one underwater, one at sea level and an upper deck.
• THE REAL ESTALKER - provides entertainment news and information about high-end and celebrity real estate with a little gossip tossed in for fun.
• The virtual land selling for millions - "Investors are spending real money to buy land in a new city that only exists in virtual reality. Buyers can build whatever they want on their plots in Decentraland. Many hope to make a profit trading goods and services in the virtual world's own crypto currency. But will Decentraland be an online utopia or a cyber slum?"
• THE WEALTH REPORT 2010 - produced by Knight Frank in conjunction with Citi Private Bank. Offers a unique perspective on the key luxury property markets around the world.
• THE YACHT ISLAND - Yacht Island Design.
• These Houses Have the Ultimate Water View - The New York Times.
• This cheap 3D-printed home is a start for the 1 billion who lack shelter - The Verge.
• Tiny Home Test Drive - The New York Times.
• To Buy or Rent a Home? Weighing Which Is Better - The New York Times.
• Tycoon given go-ahead for iceberg basement with banqueting hall, salt grotto & pool - The Telegraph.
• tycoons & world leaders who built secret UK property empires - The Guardian.
• UNIQUE HOMES - since 1971. "The World of Luxury Real Estate." With paid readership that spans all 50 states and more than 80 countries, each bi-monthly issue of Unique Homes provides savvy real estate professionals with a high-quality marketing vehicle that immediately sets them apart from their competition.
• USLandGrid - "Land Grid Data | Oil And Gas Data | Tax Parcel Data."
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• UTOPIA RESIDENCES - 190 residences available for purchase, ranging from the spacious two-bedroom Olympian Estates to the ultra-luxurious 6,500-square foot Utopian Estates. Utopia will bring the world to your doorstep as you journey from continent to continent aboard the most opulent residential ocean liner ever built. Due to be delivered by Samsung Heavy Industries by 2016.
• Want a luxury bunker like Will and Kate? Here are 7 of the best - The Telegraph.
• We bought a $1 house in Italy. Here's what happened next - "It seemed like a deal too good to be true. A new house -- and potentially a whole new life -- for sale in sunkissed rural Italy for the princely sum of just one euro, or little over a dollar."
• We bought a crumbling French chÂteau - but restoring it was no fairytale - The Telegraph.
• What Do the British Prime Minister & George Clooney Have in Common? - All have links to the small English village of Sonning on the river Thames.
• what will our growing megacities really look like? - The Guardian.
• Where to Be Single in New York - The New York Times.
• Who Wants to Buy the Most Expensive House in America? - The New York Times.
• WHY - is it a yacht or an island? "This is WHY" by WHY | Wally-Hermès Yachts.
• Why flats dominate Spain’s housing market - "Two-thirds of all Spaniards live in flats. What shaped the housing market and, amid lockdown, are people looking at their homes in a new light?"
• Why millionaires are buying deserted Indonesia islands - "Meet the millionaires (and billionaires) behind Indonesia's best island hotels."
• WILLOW.COM - "The Largest Online Search." Displays the top advertisers for Real Estate, Alaska Homes, House Values, Home Values, Foreclosure and more.
• WORLD'S MOST EXPENSIVE SHOPPING LOCATIONS - survey by Cushman & Wakefield.
• Would You Pay $1 Billion for This View? - "A 157-acre hilltop plot in Los Angeles is being pitched as the city’s most expensive residential property ever."
• You rent? Then every day you've worked so far this year has been for your landlord - The Telegraph.
• You’re Taking That With You, Right? - The New York Times.
• Your very own, portable, Tropical Island Paradise - gizmag.
• ZIL PASYON RESORT - "Island of Passion", Seychelles. A rare collection of select private hilltop residences and the ultimate luxury resort crafted for the world’s most discerning individuals. This experience is now available through private ownership. Seize the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to own an unmatched home blessed with the bold imagination, visionary difference and impeccable services of Zil Pasyon Resort.
• ZILLOW - "Your Edge in Real Estate." Database of more than 100 million U.S. homes - including homes for sale, homes for rent and homes not currently on the market.
• ZILLOW BLOG - real estate market stats, celebrity real estate, and Zillow news.
• ZIP Codes With the Priciest Homes - "Where the wealthiest get their mail."