Archive for the 'New Construction' Category

Shop For Title Insurance & Save Thousands

Title insurance is necessary when you borrow money to buy a home. But do not blindly accept the title company recommended to you. An article in the Wall Street Journal says shopping around can save you thousands. That’s right, thousands.
The article cites online title companies like GetTitleInsurance.com , TitleInsurance.com, and EastTitelQuote.com asĀ  […]

The Statistical Shell Game or How To Spin A Chart

There are three kinds of lies—-lies, damned lies and statisics. (Mark Twain)
I am not a big fan of charts or statistics because they can manipulate data and distort the truth. I’d prefer to see the raw data. Yet, some insist on parading them to support their point of view. Here’s an example […]

Table Top Ads Target A Captive Audience

You can now find ads on pool tables and airline tray table ads.

These restaurant table ads are available by TableTopGraphics. These are our favorite for real estate agents. They are permanently affixed. We’d prefer they were more easily replaceable (for actual listings).
What do all these ads have in common? They […]

The Secret Of Real Estate Contract Escape Clauses

Here are real estate contract escape (contingency) clauses buyers and sellers need to know. For sellers who must close on their home in order to buy a new one, it is imperative to understand how these clauses work before signing a sales contract. The ability to negotiate these is dependent on, among other things, […]

Affordable Housing Coming to San Francisco

Developers in San Francisco must offer more below-market housing (sale & rental) or pay higher fees to the city, if a new law is passed. The Board of Supervisors want to make more housing affordable to lower income individuals, at or close to the newest residential developments. The idea is to prevent segregation […]

Rotating Home: Sit & Spin in California

The rotating house atop Mt. Helix in San Diego County California has been written up many times, most recently by Erin Biba of Wired Magazine. The owners are Al & Janet Johnstone. It seems Al Johnstone was a former Bell Labs employee. (Those who regularly read us, know of our interest in […]

Marmol Radziner PreFab Wins 2006 IDEA Award

Desert House

Modernist prefab designer/builder Marmol Radziner was awarded the 2006 Silver Industrial Design Excellence Award (IDEA) in the Environmental category. The IDEA awards are among the world’s most prestigious. They are awarded yearly by the Industrial Designers of America.
Marmol Radziner prefabricated steel frame homes are:
made from recycled steel and are completed in our […]

Aerial Photos Anyone Can Afford

Want to stand out from your competition and get the listing of a hot luxury property? Do you want to brand your photos as better than other brokers? Show your clients that you go the extra mile for them by taking aerial photographs of their property and posting them on your website or […]

Live Inside the Box: Single Family Studio?

Do we really need 4,000 sq. ft to feel comfortable or can we make it on 900 sq.ft? By Living inside the box, not only can you save some $$$$ but you can be stylish doing it.
Mocoloco.com highlights this unique home design by Hanse-Haus.de.
Compact four-rooms-in-one house.
Designer Luigi Colani has created a space-saving house with a […]

Tumbleweed Houses & The Tiny Movement

While some people are building bigger and bigger houses and McMansionization is super-sizing the landscape, there is another little known movement afoot going in the opposite direction. It’s called the Small House Movement. None exemplify this movement better than the man who started it, Jay Shafer and his Tumbleweed Tiny House Company.

Jay explains:
Since […]