Connecting to the Landscape in Melbourne | Armonk Homes

Moonah trees can live for hundreds of years. Their name alone conveys a sense of mysticism, but it is their ancient ties to the coastal Barwon Heads region of Australia that have made them local legends. As the trees age, their bark becomes increasingly gnarled and twisted, responding to the surrounding environment and conditions. Like the cypress trees of Monterey, the baobab trees of Madagascar and the giant sequoias of California, these are regional icons, part of the landscape.

When architecture firm Auhaus was hired to build a house in Barwon Heads last year, they embraced these local natives: framing views of them, emulating their form and connecting with the landscape of the revered moonah tree. “The house was designed in conjunction with the landscape, and the two parts are inseparable,” says project architect Kate Fitzpatrick. “We wanted the house to be experienced as an extension of the site.”

Auhaus Architecture

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Photos by Trevor Mein

Houzz at a Glance
Location: Barwon Heads, a coastal town on the Great Ocean Road in Victoria, Australia
Size: 2,906 square feet (270 square meters); 1,238 square feet (115 square meters) of decks
Year built: Fall of 2013

The home’s study sits on its top floor, overlooking the moonahs behind the house. Thick, shrubby dune vegetation grows between the house and a nearby golf course. Fitzpatrick framed this view with one large window. “We wanted to create serene yet engaging interior spaces that make you deeply aware of the space you are in and the landscape outside,” She says.

 

 

 

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http://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/28124040?utm_source=Houzz&utm_campaign=u547&utm_medium=email&utm_content=gallery0

 

Historic Limestone Mansion in Contract in Lenox Hill | Mt Kisco Real Estate

The current owner of this French-inspired limestone mansion at 58 East 66th Street, who also happens to be the wife of developer Zach Vella, bought it for $14.5 million in 2008, proceeded to gut the place, stripping it of its kitchen, bathrooms, etc., and then put it back on the market. That is not a recommended house-flipping strategy, but it seems to have worked. The house, which was most recently listed for $20 million, is now in contract, the Observer reports. The real estate agent who brokered the deal estimates that it needs between $3 million and $6 million of work.
But perhaps more interesting than this house's future is its past. Daytonian in Manhattan wrote an essay last year about the 1909 house, which was built for Arthur Sachs, of the investment firm Goldman Sachs. And he may not even be the most interesting owner in its century-long history. Let's run down the former inhabitants of 55 East 66th Street, which include a mafia doctor and a man who was arrested for flirting too much.

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http://ny.curbed.com/archives/2014/06/25/historic_limestone_mansion_in_contract_in_lenox_hill.php

Anderson Cooper Shells Out for a 1908 Tudor Revival | South Salem Homes

The New York Post reports that scoop-chasing silver fox Anderson Cooper just dropped anywhere between $5M and $9M on a 10,127-square-foot Tudor revival in Litchfield, Conn. The addition of the Rye House, built in 1908 and designed by Wilson Eyre, an architect and founder of House & Garden magazine, means that the CNN anchor has three tony East Coast getaways within summering distance of the converted Greenwich Village firehouse he calls home, although he's still trying to unload one of his pair of neighboring Hamptons abodes for $2.699M. It's probably safe to say that the amount Cooper shelled out for his new Litchfield County digs is at the lower end of the Post's estimate, unless he went in for a neighboring parcel as well; when the 18-room mansion was listed back in 2011 for $6.95M, it was slashed down to $5.995M without finding a buyer. The last owners, a former Miss Connecticut named Karen Shaw who starred on "Dallas" and "The A Team," and her husband, Marc, were seeking $5.3M as of this February.



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http://curbed.com/archives/2014/06/23/anderson-cooper-buys-the-rye-house-connecticut-mansion.php

Cute Windsor Terrace Townhouse Asks $1.95 Million, and More | Waccabuc Real Estate

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↑ First up on this weekend's roundup is a cute, two-story brick townhouse in Windsor Terrace asking $1.95 million. The single-family, 20'-wide home has been well-preserved and has an original staircase, wood floors, moldings, and tin ceilings. There's also a pretty nice garden and some really, really dreadful art.


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http://ny.curbed.com/archives/2014/06/22/cute_windsor_terrace_townhouse_asks_195_million_and_more.php

Orlando Bloom Leaps His Way Into $5M Franklin Street Loft | Cross River Real Estate

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Actor Orlando Bloom has a lot to be happy about: his involvement as the bow and arrow-wielding elf Legolas in Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings and Hobbit films, his son with ex-beau model Miranda Kerr, and now, his new home. The Post reports that Bloom picked up a three-bedroom loft in Tribeca's Sugarloaf Condominium at 155 Franklin Street for $4.875 million. Maybe Bloom first set his sights on the 1882 building when director Peter Jackson was living in its penthouse—now where Taylor Swift hangs/cries on her guitar. The Post says Bloom was wooed by the loft's cast-iron columns, exposed brick walls, and wood-beamed ceilings. Sigh, if only it were that easy.


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http://ny.curbed.com/archives/2014/06/19/orlando_bloom_leaps_his_way_into_5m_franklin_street_loft.php

Likable Tuscan-Style Water Mill House Chopped $500K | North Salem Real Estate

1095 Head Of Pond Road Water Mill

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This property featured in Pricechopper a little over a month ago. Most commenters liked the house. "When I hear Tuscan-style, I automatically think of JerseyTuscan, which is generally pretty vile. This is quite nice and understated... aside from the gargantuan size, of course. One of the better mansion-ey homes I've seen." "I want to hate it. I really do. But it's not that bad. Except for the motorcycles." "I want to drive the motorcycles around the living room."
Now the price has been chopped $545K to $5.95M down from $6.495M. We say: make a deal to include the motorcycles and go for it, Joe and Sally Homebuyer! And let us have a spin around the living room after you close.

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http://hamptons.curbed.com/archives/2014/06/18/likable_tuscanstyle_water_mill_house_chopped_500k.php

International buyers are looking for more than just vacation homes | Katonah Real Estate

For years, international buyers have looked to buy properties in markets like Miami, Aspen and Palm Springs when searching for the perfect place for their “holiday.”
According to new data from Trulia (TRLA), international house hunters are shifting their focus away from traditional vacation areas to dense, urban areas.
“Foreign interest in U.S. real estate remains highly concentrated in mostly urban neighborhoods, particularly in Miami, Los Angeles, and New York, and is increasingly shifting toward high-density urban areas and away from vacation spots,” said Trulia’s chief economist Jed Kolko.
Trulia analyzed the site’s searches from January through May and found that 4% of the searches came from outside the U.S. That’s slightly down from 4.2% during the same time period last year. Canada (18.5%), United Kingdom (10.6%), and Germany (5.5%) remain the top three countries outside the U.S. for home searches on the site.
Trulia found that international searches are tending to focus more on urban areas as opposed to areas that are traditionally thought of as vacation areas.
“In general, these two types of places tend to get more foreign interest than the U.S. overall does: foreign searches accounted for 4.0% of searches for U.S. homes overall, 4.7% of searches in vacation areas, and 9.4% of searches in the densest urban neighborhoods,” Kolko said.



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http://www.housingwire.com/articles/30369-international-buyers-are-looking-for-more-than-just-vacation-homes

May single-family housing starts retreat 5.9% | Bedford Hills Real Estate

Single-family housing starts retreated 5.9% in May after a 13.2% spike last week, posting a rate of 625,000, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
This is below April’s revised rate of 664,000.
Meanwhile, privately-owned housing starts in May also declined and fell 6.5% below April’s revised figure of 1,071,000.
However, this is still 9.4% above last year’s trends when May 2013 posted a rate of 915,000.
Single-family housing authorizations in May came in at a rate of 619,000, 3.7% above the revised April figure of 597,000, while privately-owned housing units authorized by building permits in May posted a rate of 991,000, which was 6.4% below the revised April rate of 1,059,000, but only 1.9% below May 2013.
Single-family housing completions gained 2.1% in May over April and hit a rate of 618,000.


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http://www.housingwire.com/articles/30338-may-single-family-housing-starts-retreat-59

Picture-Perfect 'Child's Drawing' Beach Retreat Wants $2.7M | Bedford NY Real Estate

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Ideal for those who'd like to "live the hip, beach lifestyle in the tranquility of [a] private, architectural home," this $2.7M contemporary retreat in Venice, Calif. is quite listing to watch. Conveniently located a few streets from the beach, the three-bedroom, 1813-square-foot home looks like a "rendering of a child's drawing," as California Home + Design puts it, thanks to its simple square shape, sloped roof, walls of windows. Inside, the layout appears slightly narrower than one might expect from the outside, due either to the black lacquered stairwell smack in the middle of the space, or some slightly unfortunate listing photo angles. The kitchen is especially hallway-like, with just enough room for the breakfast table, marble-lined sink, and wall of aqua cabinetry. Still, the crazy high ceilings, cool indoor-outdoor living room set-up—which leads out onto a backyard and guest cottage—and brokerbabble-promised hipster beach vibes more than make up for it. Take a look, below...




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http://curbed.com/archives/2014/06/17/picture-perfect-childs-drawing-beach-retreat-wants-27m.php

Brazilian Homes Score With Modern Style and Fun | Pound Ridge Real Estate

ll eyes are on Brazil, and regardless of whom you’re cheering for, Brazilian design is a guaranteed winner. From Oscar Niemeyer’s modern masterpieces in Brasília, to the whimsical promenade by Roberto Burle Marx at Rio de Janeiro Beach and Sergio Rodrigues’ loungeworthy furniture, modernism in Brazil plays by its own rules.

Let’s take a look at three modern Brazilian homes that don’t forget to bring the fun. Though each is distinct, it’s easy to see a common thread between them and their predecessors. Simple geometry puts a strong emphasis on color and maximizing social space. Yes, there are steel and concrete, but there are also teal and bright yellow.

1:1 arquitetura:design

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The Box House, Brasília
1:1 Arquitetura:Design
Photography by Edgard Cesar
Our first house takes us to Brasília, Brazil’s capital, in the country’s central western region. The city was planned and developed from scratch by Lúcio Costa and Oscar Niemeyer in 1956 along with landscape architect Roberto Burle Marx, before becoming the country’s capital in 1960. Brasília is full of modernist architectural masterpieces and is a Unesco World Heritage Site. It’s also one of the World Cup’s host cities.

This house, by 1:1 Arquitetura:Design, is a 700-square-foot (65-square-meter) concrete box. The structure was designed so that the room configuration could be easily redesigned. Designers Eduardo Sáinz Márquez and Lilian Glayna maximized the house for gatherings of the homeowner and friends.

1:1 arquitetura:design

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Márquez and Glayna wrapped Cor-Ten steel around the glass door entries, marking the home’s threshold. Brasília’s climate is comparable to that of Southern California and Australia, so this overhang also functions as a shade structure during the day. At night the house can be opened to bring in cool, fresh air.

1:1 arquitetura:design

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Inside, “the house is really Brazilian contemporary architecture,” says Márquez. It’s efficient but playful.

The designers paid attention to texture and color when furnishing the house. Most of the pieces are by Brazilian designers. Marcus Ferreira designed the gray striped sofa. The glass coffee table comes from Estudio Bola. In the foreground we can see the ottoman of a chair designed by Alfio Lisi, called Poltrona Leme Baixa.

 

 

 

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Brownstone in Park Slope Asks $2.75 Million, and More | Bedford Corners Homes

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↑ First up on this weekend's roundup is a four-story brownstone in Park Slope. The place has been updated, but there are quite a few nice original details, including marble mantles on all four floors, plaster moldings, high ceilings with medallions, detailed woodwork, and hardwood flooring throughout. The kitchen has stainless steel appliances, a double sink with garbage disposal, and bamboo cabinets, which opens onto a deck and landscaped garden. It's asking $2.75 million.



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http://ny.curbed.com/archives/2014/06/15/brownstone_in_park_slope_asks_275_million_and_more.php

5 bizarre buildings that will probably never sell | Armonk NY Homes

Appraisers assess the value of a house off of a multitude of variables like similar houses in the area and what special amenities the house features. But what do they do when the building is uniquely designed?
Inspired by an article in Gizmodo, this list shows that not every building is created equal.
The real question is whether or not the buildings will ever be able to resell.
After all, what is the fair value of a duck in the housing market?

1. Longaberger Company – Newark, Ohio (pictured above)

This seven-story building is home to the corporate headquarters of the Longaberger Basket Company.
The building is 160 times larger that the company’s medium-market basket. But at least it holds the title of the world’s largest basket.
2. The Shoe House – Hellam, Pennsylvania

Built in 1948, the building is a wood frame structure covered with wire lath and coated with cement stucco. The giant shoe was created as a giant advertisement originally used as a guesthouse, complete with five different levels and three bedrooms.




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http://www.housingwire.com/blogs/1-rewired/post/30292-bizarre-buildings-that-will-probably-never-sell

Egypt's Richest Man Buys NYC's Most Expensive Co-op Ever | Chappaqua Real Estate

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An Egyptian billionaire just smashed the record for the most expensive co-op ever sold in New York City. As expected, the penthouse of 960 Fifth Avenue, owned by the late billionaire Edgar Bronfman, Sr., sold for a whopping $70 million. The Daily News was the first to report the sale, which hit public records this afternoon. The buyer is Nassef Sawiris, the richest man in Egypt, who made his $7 billion in the construction business, and he wanted to make sure everyone knew he purchased the pad—he used his own name on the documents, not an anonymous LLC (also, 960 Fifth is one of the most tony and prestigious addresses, so they probably don't allow LLCs). The sprawling 16-room pad, with a killer wraparound terrace, is in need of some upgrades, but Sawiris probably has the money. The previous record for the most expensive co-op was set by David Geffen's $54 million buy at 785 Fifth Avenue in 2012. Sorry, buddy. Your time at the top is over.



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http://ny.curbed.com/archives/2014/06/06/egypts_richest_man_buys_nycs_most_expensive_coop_ever.php

Largest mortgage financier: The great home recovery reversal | Mt Kisco Real Estate

Housing has peaked and 2014 will show a slowdown from the amount of housing activity in 2013, Fannie Mae’s May 2014 National Housing Survey shows.
Respondents to the annual survey say that economic concerns and stagnant household income are dragging down housing. The results show that in the space of just one month, attitudes toward housing can shift dramatically.
The share of 1,000 respondents who still believe the economy is headed in the wrong direction remained at 57% last month, and those who said their household income is significantly higher than it was at the same time last year decreased four percentage points to 21%.
Housing activity in 2014 has been well below typical seasonal trends.
“Consumers’ lukewarm income expectations and reticence about the economy seem to be holding back housing demand,” said Doug Duncan, senior vice president and chief economist at Fannie Mae. “This year’s spring and summer home buying season has gotten off to a slow start, even as mortgage rates have trended lower over the past two months.”
He added that while recent housing activity suggests that the worst of the housing slump may be behind America, this caution among consumers means sales this year will likely be too weak to pull sales for all of 2014 ahead of last year.
The survey findings track with real world indicators that support the conclusions by Fannie Mae: The housing market has serious cracks in the foundation – existing home sales have stalled out, pending home sales have plunged, price increases have slowed, and construction is slowing.
It's a 180 degree turn from the last National Housing Survey, which was considerably more positive.




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http://www.housingwire.com/articles/30253-largest-mortgage-financier-the-great-home-recovery-reversal

Buy Kenny Rogers' Ostentatious Mega-Manse For $4.8M | Katonah NY Real Estate

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Country legend Kenny Rogers is packing up his cowboy boots and selling off this 11,964-square-foot Mediterranean estate in Sandy Springs, Ga. to the tune of $4.8M. While it's, uh, certainly not the most subtle house on the block—about five Sistine Chapel-esque murals, 10 fireplaces, and a billion chandeliers past subtle, actually—the six-bedroom estate does offer certain charms for the buyer who appreciates the same mix of totally unnecessary amenities and heavily-draped windows as Rogers. Inside, there's an elevator, a home theater with dramatic cloud-patterned ceilings, a solarium, and a Roman spa decorated with wrap-around murals, huge clamshells, and (yep) a statue of David. Outside, a swim-up bar, cabana, and a basketball court dot what may or may not be a lawn made out of astroturf. Take the tour...




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http://curbed.com/archives/2014/06/04/buy-kenny-rogers-for-48m.php

Fixed Mortgage Rates Largely Flat | Waccabuc NY Homes

Freddie Mac (OTCQB: FMCC) today released the results of its Primary Mortgage Market Survey® (PMMS^®), showing average fixed mortgage rates largely flat compared to the previous week amid light economic reports.
News Facts

• 30-year fixed-rate mortgage (FRM) averaged 4.14 percent with an average 0.5 point for the week ending June 5, 2014, up from last week when it averaged 4.12 percent. A year ago at this time, the 30-year FRM averaged 3.91 percent.
  
• 15-year FRM this week averaged 3.23 percent with an average 0.5 point, up from last week when it averaged 3.21 percent. A year ago at this time, the 15-year FRM averaged 3.03 percent.
  
• 5-year Treasury-indexed hybrid adjustable-rate mortgage (ARM) averaged 2.93 percent this week with an average 0.4 point, down from last week when it averaged 2.96 percent. A year ago, the 5-year ARM averaged 2.74 percent.
  
• 1-year Treasury-indexed ARM averaged 2.40 percent this week with an average 0.4 point, down from last week when it averaged 2.41 percent. At this time last year, the 1-year ARM averaged 2.58 percent.
  

Average commitment rates should be reported along with average fees and points to reflect the total upfront cost of obtaining the mortgage. Visit the following links for the Regional and National Mortgage Rate Details and Definitions. Borrowers may still pay closing costs which are not included in the survey.
QuotesAttributed to Frank Nothaft, vice president and chief economist, Freddie Mac.
"Mortgage rates were little changed amid a week of light economic reports. Of the few releases, real GDP was revised down to -1.0 percent growth in the first quarter of 2014. ADP Research Institute estimated the private sector added 179,000 jobs in May, which followed a slight downward revision of 5,000 jobs in April. Meanwhile, the Institute for Supply Management reported the manufacturing industry saw a slight acceleration in monthly growth for May."

Dr. Dre Drops $40M on Tom and Gisele's L.A. 'Chateau' | Cross River Real Estate

Fresh off of selling Beats Electronics to Apple for $3B, rapper-turned-headphones-mogul Dr. Dre has closed a $40M deal on New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady and supermodel Gisele Bündchen's 14,000-square-foot L.A. mansion. In a classic example of the magazine-coverage-to-open-market alley-oop, the power couple listed their custom-built five-bedroom McCastle for $50M a mere six months after it got a huge feature in Architectural Digest. Designed by megamanse master-builder Richard Landry, what AD described as their "French chateau via the Pacific Coast Highway" has a "double-height, wood-paneled library," a reclaimed-cobblestone motor court next to a "koi-stocked moat," a "rock-scaped pool with a waterfall and diving rock," and other such "normal" accommodations that let them "live in a place that feels like a real home, where you can put your feet up on the couch and just relax." Now that the LA Times has confirmed the long-rumored purchase, this Elysium-like pleasure palace is all Dre's to give demure interviews about.

Read on and tour the place. >>

If what the rabid celebrity journalists at TMZ reported last month still holds, the Good Doctor won't be putting up his feet on the same couches as Tom and Gisele. Though the initial $50M price tag included furniture, the $40M Dre talked them down to did not. Which is just as well, because team Brady-Bündchen has another Landry-designed mansion to think about furnishing. (Meanwhile, the Landry machine keeps on chugging, most notably with a 30,000-square-foot Xanadu for Marky Mark.) Explore the new chez Dr. Dre below...


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http://curbed.com/archives/2014/06/04/dr-dre-buys-tom-brady-and-gisele-bundchen-mansion-for-40-million.php
 

There's No End to the Insane Patterns in This Arizona Abode | Bedford Hills Real Estate

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According to the listing, this home is "beyond descriptive words," but here goes. Built in 1977, it would be a pretty standard piece of palatial Paradise Valley fare, if it weren't for a decorating job that at it's best, looks like the work of a Southwestern-influenced Marcel Wanders protege, and at its worst, looks like arbitrarily assembled mix of off-the-wall wall treatments. Maybe it's best summarized as the kind of home where the phrase "I kiss better than I cook" is spelled out in tile on the kitchen island. If it were a book, it would be called Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close to Visual Insanity. Currently offered for a slightly reduced $3.295M after selling in $2.45M in 2011, it takes up 8,020 square feet on a lot that measures less than an acre. Highlights include the coral-colored laundry room and the velvet thrones in the entryway. Meanwhile, one of the world's most floral-obsessed apartments has officially sold, so the equilibrium of over-patterned properties on the market remains undisturbed.



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http://curbed.com/archives/2014/06/02/theres-no-end-to-the-insane-patterns-in-this-arizona-abode.php